A day in Verona - Castelvecchio is a good place to start

Verona's Ponte Scaligero is an excellent entry point into the Citta Antica (old city).

Saturday                                                                                            October 16, 2021

Today started out sunny, with the promise of warmth, and it fit well with our plans to spend the day in Verona.  We last visited there on a trip to Venice and the region with Elizabeth and were looking forward to reacquainting ourselves to the charms of this historic city.  It's only a 10 minute drive down the hill from our agriturismo.

All of the "tourist" towns we have visited in Italy lately have upped their game for parking.  Most places have great underground garages close to the old city sights, and the city centers have generally banned cars and motorbike.  We had a number of options for places to park, and chose the garage next to the Arsenale Franz Josef park, right next to the Castelvecchio bridge.

Sunrise over Verona and our agriturismo location

The Arsenale Franz Josef I,  built as an armory in the 1850's, is now a park and natural history museum.

Cute little turret at the end of the walls for the Arsenale Franz Josef I complex

Verona's Castelvecchio, the Castelvecchio Bridge (Ponte Scaligero) and the Adige River

The bridge is 120 meters long, and was rebuilt to recreate the original after it's destruction in WW II.

This bridge was built in the 1350's, by the Scaligeri rulers, supposedly to allow them to escape the city in case there was a rebellion.  A combination of red brick and white marble, the bridge has three arching spans, decreasing in length from the towers. The bridge's first arch was the world's largest span at the time of it's construction (48m).

The bridge was destroyed during WW II by the retreating German army.  It was rebuilt in 1949 with the remains of the bridge that were left along the river bed.

Windows pierce the walls of the bridge, allowing views of the Adige River - and here, the Ponte della Vittoria.

View from the Castelvecchio Bridge looking west to San Zeno church.

Defensive barbicans punctuate the bridge, featuring an architectural classic of the Scaligeri - fish tail shaped merlons.

A view of the western section of the Castelvecchio's battlements and tower.

The portcullis gate between the Castelvecchio bridge and the castle complex.

Inside the Castelvecchio bailey (courtyard) with its battlements and the left bridge tower.  

The Scaligeri family ruled over Verona in the 1300s and were key players in the war between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines (Pope vs. Holy Roman Empire).  Cangrande II (his name means "big dog") built the Castelvecchio and it's bridge, but was assassinated in 1351 by his brother before the building was completed. In the photo above, there is a statue of the ruler Mastino II ("Mastiff") - father of these two brothers -  in full and accurate knight's regalia from 1350.

The Castelveccchio palace is now a museum with strong Roman and medieval collections.

Carved doorway arch of the castle; Scaligeri "fishtail" merlons topping the battlements in the reflection.

Courtyard fountain with contemporary glass spheres adding reflected interest.

The Castelvecchio has seven towers - this one tops the main portcullis/gate into the castle bailey from the city.

Another view of the main tower and gate of the Castelvecchio.

A view through the main portcullis arch into the castle courtyard and one of the bridge towers.

Outside the tower, gate, drawbridge and portcullis of Verona's Castelvecchio.