Hey Steemians and Hiveians,
today we continue with our little "digital city tour", anyway I try to bring Verona to your home as good as possible in times of Corona ;)
The Ponte Pietra bridge - with Roman, Scaligerian and Venetian influences
During the city tour we walked along the river Adige, which partly divides Verona. That was very good, because we visited the city tour at noon in the sunshine and there were trees lining the promenade. From the bank we also saw the bridge Ponte Pietra. Ponte Pietra is a roman bridge and it was built around 100 B.C. Because the bridge collapsed over time, it have been restored again and again in some parts. For this reason it does not look uniform, it is made of different materials. But I think that is what gives it a very picturesque character. By the way, you can see this "building method" very often in Verona. Many buildings and sights here are marked by different epochs and influences. Ponte Pietra consists on elements of the Roman times, the Scale period and the affiliation to Venice.
The House of Julia - a crowded courtyard and a flood of love notes
Further we walked to probably the main traction of Verona: the house of Juliet. I must say that this is the main attraction I had been looking forward to most in Verona. Personally, I found the balcony and the house relatively unspectacular, but a lot of people crowded the entrance gate. No other sight in Verona was as crowded as the house of Juliet. Maybe it was also due to the fact that we visited the house around noon, i.e. at the main time. We didn't even get all the way to the balcony and got lost in the crowd. I thought the balcony was nice, but nothing more. Nevertheless, it should not be missing on Verona's travel list. Even though Juliet and Romeo of course never really existed and William Shakespeare never visited Verona, one always connects this city directly with the lovers.
But before you get to see the balcony and the statue of Julia in the courtyard, you have to squeeze through a very narrow entrance. Here you will be surprised by thousands of little pieces of paper in different colours - hung up by lovers who swear their infinite love. The slips of paper extend from the floor to the ceiling. According to popular belief, those who hang their vows of love on the wall here will be faithful to their partner for the rest of their lives and will be happy. Even though I honestly don't believe in such a thing, I still found the notes on the wall quite nice - for taking pictures for sure ;)
Also touching the right breast of Nereo Constantini's bronze figure of Juliet in the small courtyard is said to bring good luck in wooing the adored one.
During the city tour we did not see a single sight from the inside. So if you have more time, you can certainly visit its inside after the tour. Because the House of Julia should have a lot to offer, especially inside: The house is characterized by beautiful Gothic from the 14th century. In the individual rooms and halls there are numerous exhibits from the time of Romeo and Juliet and thus give the visitor a good impression of life in Verona at that time.
Pozzo dell´amore - a fountain of love in the heart of Verona
Speaking of love - the "Fountain of Love" was also a destination of the city's celebration. The Fountain of Love Pozzo dell Amore can be found in a dead end street of Pozzo San Marco. As the city guide explained us, the fountain is rather an insider tip. And that was true: When we arrived there were only a few tourists there. Very different from the House of Julia. The story of Corrado and Isabella also comes from this place: Corrado, who could not understand Isabella's reticence, accused her of being as cold as the water of the fountain. Isabella accepted this as a challenge and the two threw themselves into the water. Corrado did not return. In desperation, Isabella followed him to his death. The legend encourages passers-by to throw a coin into the well. Of course I also threw some money into it - if it brings luck ;).
So that was my second part of the city tour. A last part will follow soon - there I would like to show you once again the last beautiful sights we visited in Verone. A small conclusion from me: The house of Julia is unfortunately very crowded, but I could imagine that you can discover many beautiful historical things in the museum inside. And also although it is very crowded there, I would decide again and again to visit the House of Juliet. But what I think is at least as beautiful was the fountain I showed you last in this article - some of its arches were even formed from hearts.
If you liked my article, I would be very happy about an upvote or a comment - see you next time!