The medieval heart of the city
On the site of the Roman forum, Piazza delle Erbe is the oldest square in Verona and still its living heart. Long and irregular, it is surrounded by medieval towers and palaces with frescoed façades, such as the Case Mazzanti, and filled every day with market stalls under white umbrellas. In the middle stand the Fountain of Madonna Verona, with a Roman statue, the "Capitello" where the podestà was invested, and a column with the Lion of St Mark, recalling Venetian rule.
Above the square rises the Torre dei Lamberti, 84 metres high, begun in 1172 and completed in the fifteenth century with an octagonal belfry; its two bells, the Marangona and the Rengo, once marked the hours of work and called the citizens to council. A lift and 368 steps lead to the top, with the best view of Verona and its roofs, the Adige and the hills. Through the Arco della Costa, from which hangs a whale rib, legend says it will fall on the first person who passes under it without having sinned, you reach Piazza dei Signori, with a statue of Dante, who was a guest of Cangrande della Scala, the Loggia del Consiglio and the palaces of the Scaliger lords. Nearby are the Arche Scaligere, the Gothic tombs of the family.
Tip: the Galleria d'Arte Moderna Achille Forti, in Palazzo della Ragione, has the same ticket as the tower.
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