Verona
Verona
O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
I am here in Verona on a Rick Steves tour.
We are heading to the Dolomites, but first we stop in Verona, get a quick overview of this medieval city, have lunch, and then head to the mountains.
DAY 3
We boarded the bus early and headed to Verona. Stacy used this travel time to educate us on Verona’s architecture and history, such as the basics of the two Italian medieval political factions— the Ghibellines (supporters of the Holy Roman Emperor) and the Guelphs (supporters of the Pope). She pointed out how the architectural style of the ramparts and buildings would help us identify the loyalties of the nobles of the time.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Each time we were on the bus, Stacy gave us history and important information about the next location, making sure we got the most out of our experience. Sometimes she would focus on art, other times it was the people, politics, education, or culture of the region. Her most important lessons however, were the ones where she taught us some basic Italian. The few words and phrases we learned from her were invaluable, especially when we had free time to explore an area and had to communicate on our own.
When we arrived in Verona, we were met by our local guide, Lorella, who took us on a walking tour of the town’s medieval center. We passed by the Roman Arena and then visited the busy Piazza Erbe market square where we stopped for snacks before we were given some free time on our own.
During our free time, we first went to see the legendary Juliet’s Balcony and her famous bronze statue. We were told that male tourists were supposed to take a picture with Juliet’s statue while holding her breast for luck in love. Not wanting to pass up on an important tradition, we waited in a long line for Ignacio to participate. We later realized that we should have explained this tradition before sending the picture to friends and family, because it seemed to raise some questions as to his propriety.
Next, we walked back to the main piazza to find a place for lunch. As we watched both the locals and tourists pass by, we shared a hot margherita pizza. We had pizza in many of the cities we visited and still thoroughly believe that Verona’s was the best. In addition to having a very thin crust, the sauce had a special homemade and rustic taste. It is possible, however, that we especially enjoyed this pizza in particular because of the addition of the incredible ambiance of the piazza, only enhanced by the group of men at another table harmoniously serenading the crowd with a capella versions of Italian songs.
Heading to the Dolomites
Interesting Facts:
In medieval Italy, the city-states were divided by their loyalty to either the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines) or to the Pope in Rome (Guelphs). Their loyalty could be seen in their buildings, most notably in the merlon, or the parapet in medieval fortifications. The Ghibellines used the dove-tailed merlons while the Guelphs had the rectangular ones. Verona was Ghibelline.
Memory Tricks:
Guelps and Ghibellines - Can't remember who's who? It's easy:
​
Guelphs (short word) = Pope (short word)
​
Ghibellines (long word) = Holy Roman Emperor (long words)
It was time to get back on the bus and our next stop was the Dolomite Alps. While on our way to our Alpine hotel in the Pension Seelaus area of Alpe di Siusi, we found ourselves in awe of the majestic Dolomites and the striking scenery. Stacey explained the area had a strong German influence. Not only is German the predominant language, but the German architecture was a clear departure from the Italian architecture we had gotten used to in the last couple of days. For dinner, we dined with our fellow tour members and enjoyed a very heavy, but delicious five-course meal.
This was the first opportunity we had to get better acquainted with our warm and friendly bus driver, Viviano. He quickly became part of our new family, and had everyone’s undivided attention at the table as he performed magic tricks.
