Verona is a city situated in Northern Italy. Well, that's the short description of the city, Verona is in fact a very famous Italian city, best known for being the set for three Shakespearean plays: Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Taming of the Shrew. Verona is home for approximately 265,000 inhabitants and it is also a World Heritage Site, according to UNESCO.
Verona is one of the main tourists destinations in Northern Italy. There are fairs, shows and operas held here every year and tourists don't seem to want to stay away from them. The urban structure and architecture is also worth admiring, there are numerous historical buildings and monuments in this city that are quite interesting.
Verona is famous for its Arena. Situated in the city's largest square (Piazza Bra), the Roman amphitheatre is internationally known for the large scale opera performances given. The 'Arena di Verona' is one of the best preserved structures from ancient Roman times. Julius Caesar himself chose this city to relax and enjoy himself, maybe he enjoyed the gladiator fights that were held in the Arena as well.
Other Roman monuments include the Roman Theater of Verona, build in the 1st century, BC. The "Stone Wall Bridge" (Ponte di Pietra) is another Roman landmark you can visit. The Porta Borsari, the Porta Leoni and the Gavi Arch are other important landmarks that are part of the city's history.
Speaking of landmarks, Juliet's house is right here, in Verona. You can take a tour of the house for a small fee or you can admire the famous balcony, a pretty romantic feast for the eyes. Many people write their names and the names of their loved ones on Juliet's wall. It's a superstition, but a romantic one nonetheless. It is said that if you write your names on the wall your love will last forever. Thousands of people write entire love letters instead or leaving only their names behind, and they place them on the outside walls of the house. Moving on to other places to visit, the Basilicas are a must see in Verona. Especially The Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore, which is considered to be one of the biggest achievements of Romanesque architecture. The facade of the church is even mentioned in Dante's "Divine Comedy". Another very important church is the Basilica of San Lorenzo and it's one of the finest in the city. The Basilica of S. Anastasia, on the other hand, is bigger than any other church in Verona and it definitely deserves to be visited.
Quite a few squares help make Verona be such a charming city. The biggest one, Piazza Bra, is the heart of the city. Here you can admire ancient palaces, famous monuments and beautiful gardens. Piazza delle Erbe was once the place where a Roman forum used to exist, and Piazza dei Signori, considered Verona’s centre of power, is where the 'Loggia del Consiglio' is situated, one of Verona's most beautiful buildings. There's a lot of Roman history associated with the city of Verona, a lot of romance and definitely a lot of beauty. It is also an example of how a town can develop progressively and uninterruptedly over two thousand years, as UNESCO describes it.