May, 2026
Verona
Welcome to Verona and the Gates of the Brà, where most of us enter the old city. This wasn't initially intended to be gates of the city back in 1257; it was just a passageway between the Castelvecchio and the inner city. But 130 years later, Gian Galeazzo Visconti was worried about the Venetians invading so he created a Citadel in the inner city and built a defensive (and more protective) single arched entrance. He was right to be worried but not successful in his goal. The Venetians took over just 15 years later, in 1405, and turned the Piazza Brà, just inside the Gates, into a gathering space rather than a military one (I guess they weren't concerned about invaders since they were the big wigs in this region successfully attacking and consolidating power). Of course, this fancy new space justified a double arched entrance! When we went in, there was a fabulous market set up with vendors selling delicacies from their respective regions: tarallini from Puglia, hazelnuts from Langhe, arancini from Sicily and on and on and on!
Adam was inspired by these bakers from Puglia. Yes, their tarallini were fabulous but the giant bread caught his eye. I think this will be his next sourdough project...we just need a bigger oven.
On the opposite side of Piazza Brà is the formidable Arena di Verona. The Romans built this in the middle of the first century AD to house all the fun, Roman entertainment; munera (gladiator fights) and venationes ("hunting" exotic, wild animals). The ever practical Romans built the arena outside the city walls to avoid clogging up the city with spectators which could number as many as 30,000 (that's a lot of people, horses and carts!). This was the 8th largest amphitheater in the Roman Empire and ranked fourth in Italy.
What's pretty amazing about this arena is that it has never fallen out of use. Over 2,000 years of activity have been going on in here, everything from the gory Roman stuff, and executions and duels in the Middle Ages to festivals, shows and tournaments in the 14th-18th centuries. In the 18th century, the menu of shows expanded to horseracing, sack races (I'm guessing not for children's parties), greasy pole climbing, bingo, parodies of Medieval tournaments, dances, plays, and military parades. In 1913, things got kicked up a notch and for the centenary of Verdi's birth, someone decided to stage Aida. It was a perfect venue; not many places could accommodate Aida's huge cast of people and animals! That was the new beginning for the Arena and every season it is a popular opera venue.
Sitting in the cheap seats watching a rehearsal of a family friendly greatest hits of Turandot. We didn't stick around and went to the symphony instead.
You need big access points for the rush of 30,000 people although, truth be told, nowadays it only seats about 15,000 for operas.
Just outside the doors to the seating I found another perfectly practical Roman feature. I guess these handy tables are where the spectators would have put their drinks during intermission.
The bold and beautiful Piazza Dante is not only a perfect aperitivo spot but also an homage to the literary legend who spent seven years in exile here after a spat with Pope Boniface VIII. How does someone like Dante find himself threatened with death should he return to Florence? For standing up to corruption and overreach.
After trying to recruit allies in Verona and other spots to retake (unsuccessfully) Florence, and then wandering around Italy for eight years, Dante was welcomed by his friend Cangrande della Scala where he wrote and planned his literary revenge against the Pope. He did stick it to the Pope in the end, in his book, Inferno.
The Scaglieri (della Scala) dynasty ruled Verona from the late 13th to late 14th century. This was not a family to take a lesson on power and politics from (or for some, maybe they were). The first della Scala was elected as podestà in 1259 and proceeded to turn this office into his own family inheritance. When he wasn't reelected in 1262, he did what any power hungry politician does; he staged a coup! Power passed from one della Scala to another; brothers, uncles, sons with more and more bad behaviour mixed in (a bit of murder here, fratricide there, all with a heavy dose of paranoia).
As the power passed to the next generations, things got worse and paranoia grew (poor family role models). By the time Cangrande II took over, he was so paranoid that he built the Castelvecchio behind me, not only with all the protections of a castle, but with a hidden escape route, the Ponte Scaligero over the Adige River, in case the locals or other noble families got fed up with his oppressive rule.
In the end, it didn't save him. He was taken out by his own brothers.
Facebook video URL: https://www.facebook.com/656191360/videos/pcb.10162317393936361/2230519164382935 We were walking along one of the lovely, quiet streets and heard what sounded like a massive party.
The Romans built the Porta dei Borsari in the 1st century AD as the main western entrance to Verona. It was part of the city walls along the Via Postumia, the Roman road connecting Genoa to Aquileia. Its name, Borsari is a nod to the tax collectors who stood at the gate and charged tolls to those passing along this trade route. Grain, timber, resin, wine, olive oil, amber, slaves and soldiers passed through this gate, busy enough for two way traffic and the taxes were a boon to the city. This strategic spot is what made Verona such an important Roman city, wealthy enough to build the 8th largest are arena in the empire!
Instead of going to the family-friendly Turandot show at the Arena, we went to the Accademia Filarmonica di Verona. What a stylish concert hall; plush seats and quite the opposite of the Roman stone block seats at the Arena!
We heard (and saw) Missa Solemnis, which Beethoven considered to be his greatest piece. He composed it between 1819–182 when he was completely deaf. Here's the whole group out for their bows with the soloists in the front. They performed behind the orchestra and when the woman on the far right came out the audience was surprised to see her at about 7 months pregnant! No need for the Baby Beethoven CDs in that household! That kid is probably already a math genius.
Facebook video URL: https://www.facebook.com/656191360/videos/pcb.10162317393936361/26929189800105338 Such a fun street band! They amassed quite a crowd and then they were done, they beckoned the crowd to follow them through the streets while they continued to play. We saw them about an hour later, still playing but the followers were long gone. They were getting ready to pull together another crowd.
Facebook video URL: https://www.facebook.com/656191360/videos/pcb.10162317393936361/2470102270100665 I couldn't leave out a bit of the drum solo…
Arches, towers, brickwork and beautiful angles.
A perfect aperitivi end to our day in Verona!