WARNING: HEAVY PAGE (sorry...)

VERONA

I live in Verona, a beautiful city, not very big, not too small (about 250'000), in the north-east of Italy. It is the typical Roman style town (street crossing at 90°) with two main streets and the typical Roman entertainment (Arena, Theatre...). Here are some photos taken from postcards.

This is a photo of the main attraction of my city: the Roman Arena. It's very similar to the Rome Colosseum, but smaller and much better conserved: in summer there are always operas, classic and rock concerts, art expositions and so on. On the left you can see the "ala" (wing) or, actually, what remains of it. At the time of the Romans (Arena was built in the 1st century AD) there was a complete circle, but it has been nearly destroyed by time... They say that if you listen to a concert under that fragment of "ala", the sound is clearer. I've tried during an opera, and that's true! Romans knew the acoustic laws...

This is the Arena in winter (Xmas time) with the big steel star coming out (Christ's star, Italy is a Catholic country, exept for me, I think...). On the right, behind the star, there's our town hall, Palazzo Barbieri, built in 1800.

This is always the same place, Piazza Brà (Brà square), and here you can see the fountain. It is a gift (don't know why, actually). Behind there's always the Arena and the town hall.

This is the other big attraction of Verona: the house of Juliet, with the famous balcony where Romeo and Juliet kissed (in mind of William Shakespeare). Notice the bronze statue of Juliet: the right breast is very shine. The reason is that is tradition to have a photo with Juliet touching her right breast! Everybody, men, women, children have photos like this! Don't ask me why! Just don't know... Perhaps is a lucky gesture!

This is a famous bridge in Verona, perhaps the oldiest: the "Ponte Pietra" (rock bridge). It was destroied by germans in the second world war, while they were running away from americans that were arriving, and later rebuilt with the original rocks (those white rocks). I have a photo somewhere with my grandmother and her sister in 1946 where you can see them and behind the rebuilding of the bridge! If I'm able to find it, I'll pubblish it. By the way, the river's name is Adige and it is the second italian river after Pò river (in lenght).

This photo is the same place, but with higher angle so that you can see a part of the "ancient" center of Verona.

This place is called "Piazza Erbe" (Vegetables Square) as in this place there has always been the biggest vegetables market of Verona. On the right you can see "Piazza Dante" (Dante Square), a place for very rich Lords in the old ages, for tourists now.

And last but not least, the Roman Theatre of Verona. It was discovered only 100 years ago and it is very old (2000 years!). It is still used now, like Arena, and it is very strange and exiting listening to something in a place that has been built 2 milleniums ago for the same reason you are there for...