Verona lies right smack between the two more famous cities of Italy - Milan & Venice. Verona's claim to fame is through the city's well known lovers Romeo & Juliet immortalized by Shakespeare. Though there are markers indicating the houses of Romeo & Juliet, historians have not been able to say for sure if the lovers did ever really exist outside of the famous author's imagination. Infact, I read that it is widely believed that Shakespeare never even set foot to Italy!

Anyway, coming to my story - R had a business meeting near Venice on the 12th and so we decided it might be a good idea to spend the weekend in Italy. Taking into account that it was a last minute plan and our not so vast budget for the trip we decided that Verona would be a better choice. It was a really nice & relaxing weekend in Verona & Lake Garda.

Also, thankfully an Italian girl in my German class who happened to be from Verona, gave me a very comprehensive list of the "Must See" places in the area. First on the list was the "Arena", a Roman Colliseum that is used to date as a concert hall. Infact the following there was going to be a pop concert. Built in AD 100, the elliptical colliseum in Verona is considered to be one of the best preserved Roman amphitheater in the world and the best known in Italy after Rome's and has a seating capacity of over 22,000! The outer wall of the arena was destroyed by an earthquake in the 12th century. The arena sits by the well known Piazza Bra (Piazza basically means "Public Square").

The arena - rennovations being done on the exterior

Inside the arena, stage set for a pop concert - what acontrast to the gladiatorial events of the Roman days

The only peice of the outer wall still in existence after the earthquake

A close-up of the outer wall

The pathway before entering the arena - imagine gladiators lined up here ready to enter

Exit stairways of the areana used in the Roman days, now just a rubble

'Palazzo Barbieri', the Town Hall finished in 1883

Our next stop was Piazza Della Erbe (ofcourse we got sidetracked on Via Mazzini looking at all the gorgeous designer stores on the way, Dolce & Gabana, Gucci, Armani - to name a few.) Piazza Erbe is a bustling marketplace and sits on the former site of the Roman Forum where chariot races once took place. It is also quite close to some of the attractions of the town namely "Casa di Giulietta" or Julliet' house and the Piazza dei Signori containing the Arche Scaligeri (Scaligeri tombs) and the Lamberti tower.

Piazza Erbe

The 'Palazzo Mafei' is a 1668 work. On the top of it you can see the six pagan divinities sculptures (Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Apollo, Hercules and Minerva). The winged lion is a symbol of the Veneto rulers of Venice. Though an independent state, Verona eventually suurendered to the rulers of Venice.

Arche Scaligeri - The tombs of the Scaligeri clan

Piazza dei Signori -You can see here Dante?s Sculpture and, behind, the ?Loggia del Consiglio? building.

Juliet's house - the balcony from which she is said to have first laid her eyes on Romeo.