Guided tours: Medieval Verona

After the fall of the Roman Empire, all of a sudden Verona found itself in the middle of barbaric invasions that wave after wave penetrated from north and east into the Italian peninsula. Verona was right on their way. Once again, Verona, in its strategic position in the middle of a road network connecting northern Italy, was fundamental for everybody who wanted to have control over the former empire.
Verona became an important stronghold for all the conquerors who took turns in the control of the peninsula: Odoacer, Theodoric, Alboin, even if Verona didn't remain free from the devastation of wars, famine and invasions that characterized this dark ages. Signs of the devastation of Verona are still visible in the Underground Museum of the Scala Family buildings excavations.
Only with the social rebirth that took place around the year 1000, Verona underwent a new political and architectural development that in two hundred years made it one of the most important town of northern Italy, first rich and influent commune and than powerful seigniory with the Scala family.

The medieval Verona guided sightseeing tour starts from the church of St. Zeno, one of the most important Romanesque style building in Europe, built over a Roman age burial area. St. Zeno is a masterpiece of romanesque architecture, with its fresco decoration, the famous bronze panels of its portal, in which you will taste that blend of mysticism, superstition and popular wisdom represented by medieval culture. The church of St. Zeno still bears signs of Veronese ancient history.
From St. Zeno, along the old Roman road Via Postumia, you will than see Castelvecchio, the old castle built by the Scala family in the fourteenth century, and than the church of St. Lorenzo, with its towers and the church of Saints Teuteria and Tosca, one of the oldest churches in Veneto.
The guided itinerary then continues with a visit to the Cathedral of Verona, with its Library, one of the oldest in Europe, the Duomo itself and the Baptistery.
You will also have the chance to visit the church of St. Anastasia, where the medieval nights of Verona decided to show their power and wealth paying for chapels, altars, paintings and decorated tombs.
The itinerary continue with the visit of the so called house of Romeo, a tower-house from the end of the thirteenth century, the Scala family tombs, masterpiece of gothic architecture, and the old Court of Law of Verona, with its peculiar stripes of bricks and sandstone and the Lamberti Tower.
The guided tour continue with Erbe square, the old Roman forum which in the middle age became the market place, with the fountain of Madonna Verona, the Domus Mercatorum and the Gardello Tower.
The itinerary ends with Juliet's house, another medieval tower-house bringing us back to the age of factions struggles which constitute the scenario in which the legend of Romeo and Juliet developed.

By contacting us with some advance, it is possible to personalize your guided tour with many optional visits both in Verona and its outskirts. In town it is possible to visit the inside of Castelvecchio, with its collection of sculptures and gothic paintings, Juliet's Tomb out of medieval city walls, the churches of St. Fermo, St. Giovanni in Valle or the early Christian grotto of St. Nazaro.
In the outskirt of Verona there are also many examples of medieval art and architecture: the early Christian temple of Santa Maria in Stelle and all the old churches and castle scattered all over the Veronese territory.

For any question or information on the available itineraries in medieval Verona or to book a guided tour please write at:

info@veronissima.com