Friday, April 19, 2024

We left the Lake Como area this morning to travel to Verona, a Roman town dating to the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE.

This UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to two of William Shakespeare’s plays: “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” and “Romeo and Juliet.” During a guided tour, we visited the balcony that is said to be the one Juliet stood on in the play. However, there was no reference to a balcony in Shakespeare’s original play – Juliet stood at a window. Later adaptations added the balcony. Also, the balcony we saw today was built in the 1930s for the 1936 film of “Romeo and Juliet.” I suppose it is more romantic to imagine a love-struck young girl standing outside on a balcony, rather than leaning out of a window.

Under the window is a statue of young Juliet, actually a reproduction of the original statue which was being damaged by a rather inane tradition that has developed. People rub her right breast for luck, not unlike what tourists do to the statue of Molly Malone in Dublin. The area was packed with people who wanted to view the balcony and/or rub the breasts.

Also during the tour, we saw some excavations of areas of the ancient city. Like many old, old cities, there are often a few layers – the older city has deteriorated or been damaged by fire, flood, or earthquakes, and a new city has been built on top. It is possible to see several archaeological sites from Roman times in the city.

There are a number of Roman structures in Verona, although many were destroyed by an earthquake in 1117. Some of the replacements are more reflective of the later Venetian influence. They continue to house businesses, retail shops, restaurants and residences.

The Verona Arena, built in 30 AD, with a capacity of 30,000, is still being used today for concerts and opera performances. The arena has also hosted international rock and pop bands, including Pink Floyd, Rod Stewart, Michael Flatley, Sting and many more well-known artists. In two years, the arena will be home to the closing ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Olympics and the opening ceremonies of the 2026 Winter Paralympics. We passed by the Arena during the day, and found it to be very impressive. It sits on the edge of the busy shopping area of Verona, across from several lively restaurants.

The Arena is brightly lit on this beautiful spring evening. Many people were enjoying the weather in the adjacent plaza. We stayed for a while, reluctant to end this lovely day, but we knew we’d be getting up early the next day to head to our cruise port.