31. Lingua-It: (12) Verona
I chose to study at Lingua-It in Verona, Northern Italy, because the city is less than an hour from Venice, and close to Padua, Mantua, and Vicenza. It is also an hour away from Lago di Garda, the touted scenic beauty, and in the heart – or near the heart –of the Valpolicella and Soave vineyards.
Verona is a city full of Roman ruins, with a Roman arena at one of its two major piazzas, Piazza Bra. The city has done an excellent job in preserving the ruins, often under glass, which you can see as you walk along the streets or in piazzas. Then there are the straight streets engineered and built by the Romans.
Verona has been described as a “smaller Florence,” and the similarity holds in terms of having a river divide the city into two parts, but it lacks the calibre of paintings one can find at the Pitti or Uffizi palaces. Verona’s collection of paintings is located at the Castello Vecchio and there are some very interesting pieces. But don’t take my word for it since I’m no expert! Apparently, what Verona does have is some excellent Gothic and Roman churches. I must confess that I would not have visited them if two friends who are art historians had not visited me and taken me on a tour of the churches. Unlike Perugia, one has to pay to visit them. If you do visit Verona, I strongly recommend that you spend a day visiting San Zeno, the Doumo, and Santa Anastasia. A good guidebook will list the others that one should visit.
If you are so inclined, you can also visit the home and “tomb” of Juliet of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ fame. I am surprised the city fathers have not hired someone to carve her name on the “tomb”. Still, I can recommend visiting the house where her tomb is located, not for the tomb but for the other artefacts displayed at that location. As for her “house,” well, I didn’t bother . . ..
Do remember to buy a Verona Card. Unlike Perugia, where your card is good for a whole year, in Verona it is good for three days. You can buy cards that last longer but they cost too much. This difference in availability sums up for me the difference between Perugia, a university city of culture, and Verona, a city of commerce. If you are thinking of visiting the sites on a weekend, remember that most of them are closed on Mondays. So do your touring on Friday to Sunday.
What struck me about Verona is its cleanliness and orderliness. It appears as if the sweepers are out ensuring that the city remains clean at all times. In the old city at least, I did not see needles or spaced out junkies and, in fact, the city seems to be a very safe place. I have since heard that there are some bad areas in the outskirts, but then, what city does not have these afflictions? Even the number of hawkers in Verona are few, unlike Perugia, which abounds with hawkers and, I’m told, now (2007) with druggies.
Perhaps one reason for this sense of law and order in Verona is that the municipal government is right of centre. The police are always around the corner to ensure that common sense reigns. When at 5 p.m. the city turns into one large cocktail party as people take to the cafes and bars to have their aperitif, you won’t see drunks or any such stupidity.
Historically, Verona is very much a Northern European city, having been for many years part of the Austrian Empire. Then, of course, there was the less than savoury flirtation with Fascism and Hitler’s jackbooted boys. The proximity to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and its historical connections result in Verona becoming the playland for tourists from these countries. In September the place was crawling with Germans, and probably, at other times too. Of course, the city responds with signs in German and waiters and clerks who will speak to you if not in German then in the international language of commerce -- English. In practical terms what this means for someone trying to practise the language is that Verona may not be the best choice. However, walk away from the tourist centres like Piazza Bra, Piazza Erbe, or the Duomo and you can find restaurants where they will speak Italian to you. But hide your dictionary!
Verona is a city full of Roman ruins, with a Roman arena at one of its two major piazzas, Piazza Bra. The city has done an excellent job in preserving the ruins, often under glass, which you can see as you walk along the streets or in piazzas. Then there are the straight streets engineered and built by the Romans.
Verona has been described as a “smaller Florence,” and the similarity holds in terms of having a river divide the city into two parts, but it lacks the calibre of paintings one can find at the Pitti or Uffizi palaces. Verona’s collection of paintings is located at the Castello Vecchio and there are some very interesting pieces. But don’t take my word for it since I’m no expert! Apparently, what Verona does have is some excellent Gothic and Roman churches. I must confess that I would not have visited them if two friends who are art historians had not visited me and taken me on a tour of the churches. Unlike Perugia, one has to pay to visit them. If you do visit Verona, I strongly recommend that you spend a day visiting San Zeno, the Doumo, and Santa Anastasia. A good guidebook will list the others that one should visit.
If you are so inclined, you can also visit the home and “tomb” of Juliet of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ fame. I am surprised the city fathers have not hired someone to carve her name on the “tomb”. Still, I can recommend visiting the house where her tomb is located, not for the tomb but for the other artefacts displayed at that location. As for her “house,” well, I didn’t bother . . ..
Do remember to buy a Verona Card. Unlike Perugia, where your card is good for a whole year, in Verona it is good for three days. You can buy cards that last longer but they cost too much. This difference in availability sums up for me the difference between Perugia, a university city of culture, and Verona, a city of commerce. If you are thinking of visiting the sites on a weekend, remember that most of them are closed on Mondays. So do your touring on Friday to Sunday.
What struck me about Verona is its cleanliness and orderliness. It appears as if the sweepers are out ensuring that the city remains clean at all times. In the old city at least, I did not see needles or spaced out junkies and, in fact, the city seems to be a very safe place. I have since heard that there are some bad areas in the outskirts, but then, what city does not have these afflictions? Even the number of hawkers in Verona are few, unlike Perugia, which abounds with hawkers and, I’m told, now (2007) with druggies.
Perhaps one reason for this sense of law and order in Verona is that the municipal government is right of centre. The police are always around the corner to ensure that common sense reigns. When at 5 p.m. the city turns into one large cocktail party as people take to the cafes and bars to have their aperitif, you won’t see drunks or any such stupidity.
Historically, Verona is very much a Northern European city, having been for many years part of the Austrian Empire. Then, of course, there was the less than savoury flirtation with Fascism and Hitler’s jackbooted boys. The proximity to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and its historical connections result in Verona becoming the playland for tourists from these countries. In September the place was crawling with Germans, and probably, at other times too. Of course, the city responds with signs in German and waiters and clerks who will speak to you if not in German then in the international language of commerce -- English. In practical terms what this means for someone trying to practise the language is that Verona may not be the best choice. However, walk away from the tourist centres like Piazza Bra, Piazza Erbe, or the Duomo and you can find restaurants where they will speak Italian to you. But hide your dictionary!
posted by Toby1939 at 11:53 AM
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