Teaser 18: Verona by Day

Our good friend Sergio took us on a little giro (jih-roh) of Verona our last day there, and it was well worth it. Combining the charms of Verona with those of our hosts and including the great times we had (minus the injury to Wendy's toe) at Lago di Garda, Verona was a touristy highlight of our trip. Here are some pics.

At the Anfiteatro (amphitheatre) with Sergio:


This amphitheatre pre-dates the one in Rome (il Colosseo), and is in almost perfect condition after nearly 2000 years. It is still used for concerts and operas: "Rigoletto" was being staged while we were there, and we got several shots of the scenery and stagehands (including one in Wendy's continuing series of men without shirts). So it is still the heart of cultural life in Verona. I asked Sergio why he thought this one was so well maintained, and he said that, quite frankly, Romans are vandals and the Veronesi are civilized, orderly, Germanic folk. (Pre-Nazi Germanic, that is, and post-Teutonic. Actually, Verona was under Austrian control for almost 200 years.)

Anyway, here is a shot of the steps cut into the stone: the Greeks and Romans truly did do some wondrous things, and they thought of everything.


Name etched in stone:


Il balcone della casa capuletta: specificamente, il balcone di Giulietta. (The balcony of the Capulet house: specifically, Juliet's balcony.) No kidding. And yes, Wendy took this picture. And yes, we also went and found the Montague house (Montacco, I think). We are, after all, equal opportunity tourists.


Schiavo di . . . Verona. The chains were used for animals, purportedly. I have my doubts.


Christopher informing on some usurers (read: Jews--I told you they were a "Germanic" people--though in truth anti-semitism runs deep throughout Europe, so there's no corner on that market in Verona: Venice, anyone? pound of flesh?):


Some of the "scavi" or excavations below Verona. Sergio tells us that the whole city is rich with archaeological strata, so much so that a city ordinance limits archaeological activity, because quite literally anywhere you dig, you find something. This is an old Roman fountain, so the site of an ancient piazza. Just off to the side (out of view) is the noted "gate within a gate": a classical gate with a medieval one built in front and higher than the old one.


Here are the boys at the top of the staircase outside the "tribunale," or the place of judgment. It was said that men who climbed these steps were never seen from again: after judgment, they were taken via catwalks to the nearby prison.


A view of one of two bridges leading into old Verona. We were standing on the belvedere outside an old hillside fortress, Austrian, I think, which in turn was built next to the old quarry, complete with Roman cable and pulley system for transporting rock down to the city. You can see the contrast in the bridge: the Germans blew all bridges in Northern Italy as they withdrew after the Allies re-took Naples and Anzio, south of Rome. The white stones were recovered from the river and banks, and the bridges were rebuilt to the old specs, but with new stone where the old couldn't be found.


A view of half of the city, which is built into the horseshoe of the river. Two bridges, as mentioned, and then a fortification on the south side, were the principle entrances. Verona was built on the intersection of two highways: one stretched from Venice to southern France, and the other from Germany to Rome.


Magnify for full effect. It really is a charming city.