Page 200 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Venice & The Veneto

198  THE VENE T O AREA B Y AREA

Street-by-Street: Verona

Since the days of the Roman Empire, the Piazza
Erbe has been the centre of Verona’s commercial
and administrative life. Built on the site of the
ancient Roman forum, it is an enjoyably chaotic
square, bustling with life. Shoppers browse in the
colourful market at stalls sheltered
from the sun by wide-brimmed
umbrellas. The massive towers and
palazzi of the Scaligeri rulers of
Verona have retained their
. Piazza dei Signori
medieval feel, even though This square is bordered by individual Scaligeri
they have been altered and palazzi linked by Renaissance arcades and
adapted many times. carved stone archways.
The 17th-century Palazzo
Maffei is surmounted by a
Statue of Dante balustrade supporting statues
Dante, the medieval poet, of gods and goddesses.
stayed in Verona as a guest of
C O R S O S A N T A N A S T A S I A T S A N T A M A R I A I N C H I A V I C A
the Scaligeri during his period
in exile from his native Florence. C
His statue (1865) looks down
on Piazza dei Signori. A V A L E
T O
P I A Z Z A D E I

Colonna di
San Marco P I S I G N O R I
(1528) is A
surmounted Z Z
by St Mark’s A
Lion, the D
symbol of E L
Venetian rule. L
E

FRANCESCO
E PIAZZA
R
B
E VIVIANI
The fountain of
1368 is topped by a
figure known as the
Madonna of Verona;
in fact, the statue is Torre dei
Roman and probably Lamberti, 84 m V I A C
Piazza delle Erbe symbolizes Commerce. (275 ft) high
Verona’s medieval herb market
is now lined with art galleries, A P P E L L O
upmarket boutiques and inviting
V I A S T E L L A
pavement cafés.
Palazzo della Ragione
The medieval Palace of Reason
features an elegant Renaissance
staircase. It leads from the courtyard
to the modern art gallery on the
upper floor.

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