Verona
is situated on both sides of the Adige river and has a picturesque Old
Town with numerous historical buildings, many of which belong to the UNESCO
World Heritage and reflect the turbulent history of the city. Originally
a Celtic settlement, the city became in 89 v.CH Roman colony. In 489 AD
Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostgoths, conquered Verona and made it
his residence. 80 years later it fell into the hands of the Langobard’s
King Alboin and in the 10th c. belonged to the Duchy Carinthia (Southern
Austria). Finally in the 12th c. Verona received its town charter,
but fell, however, again and again under foreign rule. In 1797 the
Austrians made it their strongest fortress and only in 1866 did Verona
became Italian Today Verona is a province capital with approximately
250,000 inhabitants.
We sauntered through the narrow streets, with their time-honoured Patrician
houses, where exclusive fashion shops and restaurants have established
themselves, and enjoyed the unmistakable charm of the city. Especially
worth seeing is the Piazza delle Erbe, the centre of the medieval city
republic – market place, shopping centre and forum.It is one of the most
beautiful places in Italy, surrounded by splendid palaces, middle class
houses, towers and the city’s landmark in its centre – the fountain with
Madonna Verona who is still today watching over the lively hustle and bustle
of the market.
The
most famous sight in Verona is the amphitheatre, the Arena, completed around
30 AD. With a total length of 139 meters and a width of 110 meters
it is one of the largest amphitheatres in the world and, after the one
in Rome, the best preserved in Italy. It can seat some 25,000 spectators
in its 44 tiers of marble seats. Originally used in a traditional
way, it is today the setting for monumental opera performances produced
for the famous opera festivals which take place every year. We were
able to realise a cherished dream and attend a performance
of Verdi’s ‘Nabucco’. This was a grandiose production and an inconceivably
beautiful experience. The ‘chorus of the prisoners’ was
so overwhelming that the endless applause of the audience forced an encore.
After the performance, 14,000 spectators showed their appreciation of the
excellent artists by loud ovations, which ceased when, suddenly, a piano
was brought onto the stage and the ‘Nabucco’ singer gave various encores
in which the audience joined in – what a choir! It was an incomparable
atmosphere and an unforgettable experience.
In the immediate neighbourhood of the Piazza delle Erbe, one can see
the house of Juliet (‘Casa di Giulietta’). The famous balcony in
the small inner court, where Romeo and Juliet promised each other eternal
love, is a magic attraction every year for countless visitors. It
is moving to enter the place where the tragic story began, which Shakespeare
made immortal. Beside the entrance to the house is a bronze
statue of Juliet and on the walls lovers from all over the world have left
their messages on small strips of paper. |