Verona
A Roman art city on the Adige and the gateway to Valpolicella, home to the Arena and host of the Vinitaly wine fair.
About Verona
Verona sits on a loop of the Adige in eastern Veneto, a city whose Roman amphitheatre, medieval piazzas and Scaligeri bridges earned it UNESCO World Heritage status. It became a Roman colonia in 89 BC and grew into one of northern Italy's principal cities. For wine travellers, Verona is above all a gateway: the Valpolicella hills rise just to the north, source of Amarone and Recioto made by drying grapes (the passito method), while Soave's white vineyards lie to the east. Each spring the city hosts Vinitaly, the country's largest wine trade fair, filling its exhibition grounds with producers from across Italy. Between tastings, visitors can catch summer opera in the ancient Arena, walk Piazza delle Erbe, and eat risotto all'Amarone with a glass of the wine that flavours it.
Practical details
Wine tourism notes
Verona is the commercial and cultural gateway to Valpolicella (Amarone, Recioto, Ripasso) to the north and Soave to the east. It hosts Vinitaly, Italy's largest wine trade fair, each spring, and serves as the natural base for cellar visits into the hills of Fumane, Marano and Negrar.
Regional cuisine
Hearty Veronese fare built for big reds: risotto all'Amarone, bigoli with duck ragu, pastissada de caval (horse-meat stew), and Monte Veronese cheese, with pandoro as the local Christmas sweet.
Canonical attractions
- Arena di Verona (Roman amphitheatre)
- Piazza delle Erbe
- Casa di Giulietta
- Ponte Pietra
- Castelvecchio
Editorial notes
Base yourself in Verona and day-trip into Valpolicella (Fumane, Negrar) by car; book cellar visits ahead, and reserve far in advance if visiting during Vinitaly in April.