Mazzanti Houses

The architectural complex of the Case Mazzanti, one of the oldest buildings in Verona, develops along the east side of Piazza Erbe.

Particular signs of these buildings are the amazing painted facades, an admirable example of the ornamental painting such in vogue during the Renaissance, a period during which the city of Verona was called "Urbs Picta" (painted city), precisely because of this custom. The practice, which was initially thought to be aimed at protecting buildings from the weather, was in fact purely decorative. Among the rare examples of well-preserved architectural decorations are the Case Mazzanti, used in the 12th century by the Della Scala family as a granary. It was only in 1527, when the Mazzanti family bought the building from Giovanni Gonzaga (who in turn had received it from Emperor Maximilian of Austria), that the painter Alberto Cavalli frescoed the facades.

The building has a multi-storey structure, which extends from Volto Barbaro to Corso Sant'Anastasia. On the ground floor of the main facade were located under the arched porticoes the shops that used to serve the market in Piazza delle Erbe, now occupied by bars and restaurants. The houses are marked by windows, especially those on the top floor are characterized by a round arch. At the back of the houses there is a steep and narrow staircase and a well with iron guides that allowed you to lower the bucket directly from the house to collect water. During the history of Verona the Mazzanti Houses were in the possession of noble and powerful families and were the site of important events for the city such as the assassination of Mastino I della Scala or the outbreak of the Pasque Veronesi.