Dante loved Verona and they love him back

 

The Piazza dei Signori (Square of the Lords), it's central statue of Dante and the Torre dei Lamberti on the right

Saturday                                                                                        October 16, 2021

When Dante Alighieri was banned from Florence, he came to Verona and remained under the protection of Cangrande della Scala ("the big dog") from 1312 - 1318.   He wrote much of his Paradiso while in Verona and dedicated the whole epic poem to Cangrande.

This year is the 700th anniversary of Dante's death and Verona is having an interesting exhibition celebrating his connection to the town.  In every major place, there is a large poster or placard, (with a QR code for English) that explains details of Dante's life and work.  I enjoyed it, as it made the city's history seem more real, in the places that are still standing from 700 years ago.

Piazza dei Signori was hosting another special exhibition, in addition to being part of the Dante celebration.

Large printed papers were taped all over the pavement of the piazza.  You needed 3 D glasses to see what they were.

The exhibit was an illustration of the disorientation that people with dyslexia feel in unfamiliar places - very impressive.

At the corner of the Palazzos del Governo & Cansignorio are the memorials & tombs of the Scala family

The Chiesa della Santa Maria Antica, a church from the 11th century and the Scala sarcophagi

Another Scala monument, Cansignorio ("lord dog") - he rides on his horse in his knight's armor at the top.

Dante's statue and the Casa della Pieta,  which now houses the Antico Caffe Dante, oldest coffee house in Verona.

Looking at the arches from Piazza dei Signori to Piazza delle Erbe - with a view of the whale rib on the Arco da Costa

This tall and imposing statue of Dante is carved from Carrera marble and was erected in 1865.