Le statue raccontano...

A different way to visit the historic centre of Verona might be that of having a pleasant walk alongside the statues, which make streets and squares so beautiful and are often not noticed even by the most careful tourist.

These statues tell about renowned scientists and poets who made Verona prestigious and about those people who made history.

The itinerary begins with the great playwright who chose Verona as milieu for his most famous tragedy: “Romeo and Juliet”. Do you know who we are referring to William Shakespeare in person, of course, whose bust is located at Portoni della Brà, near the Museo Lapidario.

Behind you there is Piazza Brà, where you can admire an imposing bronze sculpture on his steed: it represents Vittorio Emanuele II, first king of Italy watching you from above.

Just a bit further you will meet a statue dedicated to those who died for freedom. The statue represents a partisan - memorial to all those who sacrificed themselves for their country.

You are now approaching the Arena. Walking around it, on the right, you can notice a piece of the external ring, which is called “ala” (wing).

Turning left, in via Anfiteatro, you will reach Via Cappello.

But before, stop for a moment in Piazza San Nicolò, where you can admire the particular bronze work “Frutto Oggetto Scultura” made by the sculptor Gino Bogoni: it is a kind of primitive fruit of great plastic effect.

Once arrived at the crossing with Via Cappello, go right, towards the City library, and you will meet the statue of one of the most beloved Italian writers: Emilio Salgari, Veronese author of adventure novels, which made generations of children and adults dream (such as “Pirati della Malesia”) and creator of famous characters, such as Sandokan and Corsaro Nero.

Now you will meet another very special figure, protagonist of a story which has made Verona the most attractive destination for thousands of lovers: Shakespeare’s heroine Juliet.

Go back and in Via Cappello you will reach the famous Juliet’s house. Here a copy of the original statue has been located since 2014 (the original statue being realized by Nereo Costantini in 1969) because the original one was ruined by being constantly touched by the visitors. Infact,  according to legend, one finds the true love after touching the breast of the beautiful girl.

Going towards Via Cappello, you can reach Piazza delle Erbe, heart of the city and ideal place for hosting the statue of the famous Veronese poet Berto Barbarani, who enhanced the dialect of Verona. He seems to look right at the centre of the square, where there is the statue of Madonna Verona, symbol of the city.

Turning now to the right in Via Cairoli and walking till the Gardens of Piazza Indipendenza, you will find another statue waiting for you: Giuseppe Garibaldi by horse, the “hero of the two worlds” who fought for the unification of Italy.

A bit further you can see the bronze statue “Romeo e Giulietta, un sogno sospeso” which once again confirms the importance of Shakespeare’s tragedy for Verona. In fact the statue is located in the very centre of the city, between the popular “Juliet’s house” and the medieval building known as “Romeo’s house”.

Behind you on the outer wall of the Cortile del Tribunale, you can see the memorials of famous Italian patriots and politicians like Cesare Battisti, Giacomo Matteotti and Benedetto Cairoli, while in a marble aedicule there is the bust of Felice Cavallotti, another important Italian politician.

Inside the courtyard you can admire the statue of Johan Von der Schulenburg, a German captain who served the Republic of Venice and defended the Isle of Corfù from the assault of the Turkish forces; he was also military governor in Verona, where he died.
Nearby you will reach Piazza dei Signori, where the statue of Dante Alighieri welcomes you. He was the father of the Italian language and author of the famous “Divina Commedia”. During his exile he found refuge in Verona, by Bartolomeo della Scala, Cangrande’s brother.

Now have a look upwards and you will notice some statues of men, overlooking the square, who had great importance for the city.

On the arch connecting Palazzo della Ragione with Palazzo del Capitanio you can notice the statue of the Veronese historian Onofrio Panvinio.

On the top of the Loggia del Consiglio you can see five statues representing illustrious men of Verona: the architect Marco Vitruvio Pollione, the poet Gaio Valerio Catullo, the writer and naturalist Plinio il Vecchio, the poet Emilio Macro and the historian Cornelio Nepote.

On the arch connecting Loggia del Consiglio with Casa della Pietà there is the statue of Girolamo Fracastoro, Veronese doctor and astronomer. Legend has it that the sphere he has got in his hand, representing the world, will fall on the head of the first gentleman passing under the arch…

On the arch  leading from Piazza dei Signori to volto Barbaro there is the statue of Scipione Maffei, man of letters and prominent figure in the cultural environment of Verona.

Walk finally through the arch between Palazzo della Ragione and Domus Nova, where there is the statue of Enrico Noris, Veronese historian and theologian.

You can now reach Piazza delle Erbe through the Arco della Costa, whose name derives from a rib of whale or maybe of an ancient sea reptile, hanging from the arch for centuries.  

In the near small square XIV Novembre you can notice the statue Civiltà Italica commemorating the victims of the Austrian air raid of 14th November 1915 during the First World War. The monument stands right near the place where the bombardment caused many victims.
While approaching Palazzo Maffei, looking up towards the balustrade upon the façade, you can see six statues of Latin divinities:  Hercules, Juppiter, Venus, Mercury, Apollo and Minerva, observing the square from above.

Turn left and walk along Corso Porta Borsari until the famous Roman Porta. Go through it  and a bit further on the left, in Piazzetta Santi Apostoli, you will see the statue of a Veronese poet of the Romantic age, who was also politician and patriot of the Italian Risorgimento: the great Aleardo Aleardi.

Keeping ahead along Corso Cavour, on the right you can see one of the most significant  palaces of the Renaissance in Verona: Palazzo Canossa. It was built between 1530 and 1537 after the plan of the famous Veronese architect  Michele Sanmicheli, whose statue is located in another part of the city near Pradaval Gardens.

The balustrade of Palazzo Canossa is enriched with the “Allegories”, eight statues symbolizing Arts and Sciences, such as Architecture and History, or Virtues, such as Loyalty and Honour.

Once arrived at the beginning of Via Roma, in front of Castelvecchio, you are welcomed by the statue dedicated to the politician and patriot Camillo Benso di Cavour, first President of the Italian Council.

Continuing along Via Roma you will meet a wrought iron work representing the stylized image of a driver on a racing motorcycle. The monument is dedicated to Bruno Ruffo, Veronese well-known motorcyclist and pilot of the 50s.

You are now arrived at the starting point of the itinerary, which has allowed you to know just some of the numerous statues of the city.

For those who have more time, the monuments of other very important figures should be mentioned, such as the famous painter of the XVI century Paolo Caliari, called the Veronese, and the Veronese doctor and criminologist Cesare Lombroso, besides the already mentioned architect Sanmicheli.

These statues embellish some gardens situated outside the traditional tourist itineraries: Giardini della Giara, Giardini Cesare Lombroso near the Church of San Giorgio and Giardini di Pradaval: they all might be the ideal place for a pleasant pause.

The itinerary is based on the guide “Le statue di Verona” (The Statues of Verona) by Luca Leone, published in August 2015 with the support of Verona Municipality.

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