Romantic Spots In Italy's City of Love – Verona
Anna Savino | Italianna Food & Wine Tours
Thanks to a certain William Shakespeare, who chose to lay the scene for his play Romeo and Juliet in a certain fair town in the Veneto, Verona is considered Italy's “City of Love.” I interviewed local guide Sara Valitutto from Romeo & Juliet Guide (she works in partnership with her friend Virginia Conta). She can show you that there is so much more romantic charm to Verona than just Juliet's balcony.
Sara and Virginia from Romeo and Juliet Guide
Image | Romeo And Juliet Guide
“There is no world without Verona walls,
But purgatory, torture, hell itself.
Hence banished is banish’d from the world,
And world’s exile is death.”
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 3
Anna: Ciao Sara! Tell us briefly who you are and what you do?
Sara: First of all, Virginia and I are two friends, both born and raised in Verona, who decided in 2017 to fill a hospitality gap in our town. We wanted to move away from the idea that our city was interesting just for its two main landmarks: The Roman Amphitheater “Arena” and the House of Giulietta. With so much more to see, we decided to open up a travel agency to offer visitors unique experiences focused on more than just the Opera Festival and touristy spots but also embrace the local wine and food culture as part of our tours. Being a sommelier, this was a natural way to incorporate my passion into exploring Verona and its surroundings with “local” eyes. We’d like our guests to interact with real Veronesi and places off the beaten path.
Our background has definitely helped make this business successful. I worked previously in the wine business as a hospitality manager in three different boutique wineries located in three major wine areas around Verona in Valpolicella, Soave and Lake Garda. This experience allowed me to travel abroad for trade shows and see how foreigners perceived our wines and culture.
Virginia worked in London for three years as an event planner and wine connoisseur, adding an international touch to our own brand of Verona tourism.
A glorious view from Terraza Bar al Ponte
Image | Terraza Bar al Ponte, Facebook
Verona’s Top Romantic Eating and Drinking Establishments
Anna: What are the most romantic restaurants in Verona and why?
Sara: Romantic for me means cozy, warm and intimate, so I would use those adjectives to describe these places. Here are a few romantic eateries we love:
ARCHE
The location was Romeo’s [fictional] stables building, and it’s the oldest restaurant in Verona dating back to 1877, still owned by the same family.
RISTORANTE PONTE PIETRA
It is known as the 2nd-best location for wedding proposals, after Juliet's balcony, of course!
RE TEODORICO
Certainly more casual than the previous restaurants, but the view in any season leaves you speechless. It is also a caffè, pizzeria, and cocktail bar, so it is great for any occasion.
CAFFÈ WALLNER
What is one of the most popular gifts for Valentine's Day? Chocolates and sweets! Visit the best real patisserie in town.
TERRAZZA BAR AL PONTE
This cocktail bar has an amazing view of the 2.000 year old Roman Theater and also overlooks the Adige River
AL DUOMO
This is a hidden gem cafe with a secret garden close to the Duomo Cathedral.
Verona’s statue of Dante Alighieri, “Father” of the Italian language, epic poet
Image | Fidel Amos, Wikimedia Commons
Monuments to Love
Anna: What monuments can you find in Verona other than Juliet's balcony that are related to LOVE?
Sara: Many! Unfortunately often the only one that most people flock to is always Juliet’s House, but you often find lots of crowds. Here are some other places dedicated to love.
Just a few steps away from [fictional] Juliet’s house [and its touristically famous balcony, which was only added in the 1900s] is the house claimed to be Romeo’s, but few people know about it! It is a private residence now but you can still admire it from the outside.
Another landmark which locals love and is often used as a wedding venue is what people say is Juliet's Tomb. Lord Byron and many other poets during the Romantic era used to visit this monument slightly outside of Verona's city center.
The “Well of Love” (Pozzo dell’Amore) is another Romantic corner, still quite neglected by the majority of tourists. It’s about another tragic love story between Corrado di San Bonifacio and Isabella Donati in the 1500s, about a century or two after the most famous love story.
A different kind of love, but still felt very strongly, is Dante Alighieri’s love. His nostalgia for his hometown Florence (and his beloved Beatrice) and his gratitude to Bartolomeo I della Scala (the Veronese noble who provide sanctuary to Dante) is wonderfully represented in Ugo Zannoni’s 19th- century statue of the most important poet of Italian literature. It’s located on Piazza dei Signori, more affectionately known by locals as Dante’s Square. This year in 2021, Verona is celebrating 700 years from Dante’s death (1321). There should be many events related to the life and works of this Florentine poet who was a refugee in Verona for the first six years of his exile. Follow the hashtag #dante700!
More recently, Verona is where Maria Callas, the American-Greek Soprano, married Giovanni Battista Meneghini in 1949 at the San Niccolò Church a few steps from the Arena.
Romantically Scenic Views
Anna: What are the best scenic views or locations for a romantic stop with a loved one?
Sara: Oh my gosh, I cannot decide because there are truly many spots! Verona is like a smaller version of Florence with more Roman ruins, which also makes it resemble a smaller version of Rome at the same time. That’s why we created the Romantic Photoshooting Tour of Verona. We always suggest this tour to couples and their family and friends. It’s a Verona walking tour and photoshoot with a professional photographer in the most romantic spots such as:
Castelvecchio Bridge
This iconic Middle Age bridge used to belong to the Della Scala Family Residential Castle. It’s now a reconstructed public pedestrian bridge that connects the historic center of Verona to the Borgo Trento neighborhood.
Lungadige Cangrande
When the banks along the Adige river are covered by yellow leaves, it reminds me of Paris’s Rive Gauche [Left Bank of the Seine River] in the fall.
Ponte Pietra Bridge
Another pedestrian bridge—destroyed in WWII and subsequently rebuilt—it is the only Roman bridge still existing in town.
Ponte Pietra Bridge
Image | FisioVerona, Wikimedia Commons
Piazzetta Bra Molinari
Head along the Adige River if you want admire the San Pietro Hill and Roman Theater in peace and quiet.
Piazza dei Signori (a.k.a. Piazza Dante)
Located behind the more popular and crowded Piazza Erbe, this square features gorgeous Renaissance architecture, including the splendid Loggia del Consiglio.
Cortile Mercato Vecchio
This courytard and the recently renewed Cortile del Tribunale (just off of Piazza Dante) can be quiet hangouts, especially at night.
Funicolare Castel San Pietro
This small cable car takes people to the best view of Verona's historical center.
Giardino Giusti
On the grounds of Palazzo Giusti, this characteristic Italian Renaissance garden was begun in the late 1500s and is considered to be a smaller version of Boboli Gardens in Florence.
“Forever Love”
This is the giant copper heart sculpture in front of the Arena at "Poltronissime Gate.” It seems every couple takes a picture with the Heart to celebrate their forever love.
Castel Sirmione on Lake Garda
Image | Nadir Balma, Wikimedia Commons
Anna: I know you also help with romantic proposals, so I am sure you can give us some ideas about activities for couples to do while in Verona.
Sara: Sure. I’ve already mentioned our Romantic Photoshoot, which we believe is the best way to discover Verona's most interesting spots, but here are some other popular activities we’ve designed.
The Sunset Verona Food & Wine Walking Tour takes our guests to three top-secret and exclusive terraces from which you can admire Verona’s most romantic spots while sipping a glass of local wine.
The Valpolicella Tour is a full-day experience set in the countryside just 20 minutes by car from Verona center. It includes small winery visits with the possibility to have a romantic picnic in the vines.
The Sirmione and Lake Garda Tour is definitely romantic, as you get a guided boat tour of Sirmione peninsula. This way you can discover the Roman Thermal Bath and Maria Callas's Villa with a lunch in the most panoramic restaurant in Sirmione. You get to eat on the beach and visit local wine cellars too!
Pinot Noir and Tortellini is one of my favorite romantic tours because it shows people the watermills village of Borghetto sul Mincio. This is my romantic spot par excellence between Verona and Peschiera del Garda.
For opera lovers, we also have a very exclusive aperitivo with a pianist and a lyric singer in a very charming location directly in Piazza Bra. I would suggest this experience for a big celebration like an important anniversary or maybe even a toast to (we hope) an eventual end to Covid!
Verona by night
Image | Luca Casartelli, Wikimedia Commons
