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Veronetta is a district of the historic center of Verona, Italy, on the left bank of the Adige River. It’s included in the city’s UNESCO World Heritage listing.
Introduction to Veronetta
Veronetta was the first true residential district of Verona. It boasts several historic churches, a Roman theatre, and an Austrian castle. In 1801, under occupation by Napoleon, Veronetta was allocated to the Austrians while the French were given the right bank. The city was reunited in 1805.
After a flood in 1882, the entire district of Veronetta fell into disrepair and became a lower class neighborhood. Rehabilitation didn’t begin until 1973 and the neighborhood has since bounced back. Today, Veronetta is a multi-ethnic area with many foreign residents and is also a university district.
Ponte Pietra
To get to Veronetta, you can cross Ponte Pietra (Stone Bridge), which is an ancient Roman arch bridge that connected the city with the left bank of the Adige. It was completed around 100 BC and is the oldest bridge in Verona. The original bridge was made of wood and completed in 148 BC.
Ponte Pietra is 92.8 meters long and 7.2 meters wide. It consists of five arches made of stone blocks, and four piles each 3.5 meters wide. On each pile is a window that was opened to reduce the impact of flooding.
The bridge had to be repaired several times because of flooding. The arch nearest the right bank was rebuilt in 1298 by Alberto I della Scala (d. 1301), and his great-grandson Cansignorio (1340-1375) added an aqueduct in 1368. The bridge was once topped with shops, taverns, and homes, but they were demolished in 1801 along with the tower on the left bank.
Four of the arches were destroyed by retreating Nazi troops on April 24, 1945. The bridge was reconstructed between February 4, 1957, and March 3, 1959, using 529 original stone blocks, 169 reworked originals, and 210 new blocks. There are some nice views of the city along the river from both sides of the bridge.
Archaeological Museum at the Roman Theatre
The Archaeological Museum at the Roman Theatre (Museo Archeologico al Teatro Romano) is a combined attraction, with the museum housed in the former Monastery of St. Jerome just above the theatre. Admission is €9 for adults, €6 for seniors age 65+, €2 for visitors aged 18-25, and free for kids under 18 and holders of the Verona Card (as of May 2025). It’s open daily except Mondays.
Overall, it’s an interesting museum to visit. We enjoyed walking through the theatre and were impressed by the views, and the pieces in the museum were interesting.
Archaeological Museum
The Archaeological Museum (Museo Archeologico), as mentioned earlier, is housed in the former Monastery of St. Jerome (Convento San Girolamo), which was built in the 15th century by the Jesuati. The monastery was suppressed by Napoleon in 1805 and the museum moved in and opened in 1924. It displays several archaeological finds from throughout Verona.
Fifth Floor
The recommended route through the museum is from the fifth floor down to the third floor. The fifth floor contains an introduction to Roman Verona, with works such as busts, bronze figurines, and other artifacts on display. Among the highlights are surgical instruments found in the Doctor’s Tomb, information on the Verona Arena and Roman Theatre, and items from the Sanctuary of Isis and Serapis and other public monuments.
Fourth Floor
On the fourth floor are bronze and marble sculptures that decorated public areas of the city during the Roman period. Some of the items are exhibited in the former refectory as well as three monastic cells. Also on the fourth floor is the cloister. It houses Roman gravestones and funerary inscriptions dating between the end of the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD.
The Church of St. Jerome (Chiesa di San Girolamo) is attached to the cloister. It was built in 1432 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary and St. Jerome. It features a single nave separated from the apse by an arch. The entire church was once frescoed. The 18 painted wooden panels on the ceiling date to the beginning of the 16th century. Today, the church displays several Roman mosaics found in Verona and at villas outside the city. You can also see a few frescoes in the apse.
The Grand Terrace was reopened to visitors in 2002. It displays funerary monuments and fragments from the columns of the portico of the Roman Theatre. There are also amazing views of the city and the theatre below.
Third Floor
On the third floor is the Sacred Inscriptions Room, which is housed in the gatehouse. It was built around 1430 underneath the Church of St. Jerome and served the main entrance to the monastery. Artifacts include a mosaic found at a Roman villa in Piazza Brà, statues, inscriptions, and altars dedicated to various Roman gods.
Roman Theatre
The Roman Theatre (Teatro Romano), which was completed in the late 1st century BC, is below the museum. It’s one of the best preserved Roman theatres in Northern Italy with most of the cavea intact today.
The theatre is roughly 150 meters wide, 107 meters deep, and 60 meters high. The scene building was 71 meters long and had three entrances to the stage. Mechanisms to raise and lower the curtains sat below the stage pit. An arched loggia stood above the cavea.
In the 10th century, houses and churches were built on the ruins, eventually covering the entire structure. The theatre was rediscovered by wealthy merchant Andrea Monga (1794-1861), who purchased the property, demolished the buildings, and carried out excavations between 1834 and 1844. In 1904, the property was acquired by the City of Verona, which continued archaeological excavations until 1914. Every summer since 1948, a stage is set up to host theatrical performances.
Church of SS Siro and Libera
The small Church of SS Siro and Libera (Chiesa dei Santi Siro e Libera), was built atop the highest point of the cavea of the Roman Theatre in 913. According to tradition, the first Christian mass in Verona was celebrated on the spot. The church was restored in the Gothic style in the 14th century. In 1517, it was granted to the Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament, who enlarged and modified it in 1613. The staircase was built between 1697 and 1703. The Brotherhood administered the church until it was suppressed on July 25, 1806.
The lunette above the entrance contains a fresco depicting the Virgin and Child. Underneath the portico are frescoes depicting Christ, St. John the Baptist, and St. Dorothea and St. Siro. Inside is a Baroque altar and wooden benches carved by German artists between 1717 and 1720. There’s also a depiction of the Annunciation by Claudio Ridolfi (1560-1644) and the tomb of painter Giambettino Cignaroli (1706-1770).
Giusti Garden
The Giusti Garden (Giardino Giusti) is an Italian Renaissance garden in Veronetta. It’s considered one of the most beautiful gardens in Europe.
Admission to the Giusti Garden, which is open year-round, is €13 for adults and €9 for students and holders of a Verona Card (as of May 2025). Tickets include entry to the 20th century apartment (Apartamento 900), which wasn’t open to the public during our trip. In our experience, the Giusti Garden isn’t just a pleasant place to visit, it’s also fun to walk through. It felt like there was a nice surprise around every corner.
History of the Giusti Garden
The Giusti Garden is situated on land purchased by wool-dyeing magnate Provolo Giusti in 1406. The land now graced by the garden was occupied by factories for nearly 200 years. They were used for dyeing wool in cauldrons and then hanging it out to dry. The factories were gradually replaced in the 16th century by Palazzo Giusti, built in the style of Michele Sanmicheli (1484-1559). The garden behind it was planted in 1570 under Agostino Giusti (1548-1615), a nobleman and knight of the Republic of Venice.
The garden quickly became famous throughout Europe, attracting high-profile visitors such as emperors, artists, and authors. It was also a popular stop for travelers on the Grand Tour. The garden preserves its original 16th century features and is still cared for by the Giusti family.
Palazzo Giusti
Palazzo Giusti once housed the family’s collection of paintings and antiquities. The main floor is divided into two apartments and a central reception room. The east wing features ceiling decorations painted by Ludovico Dorigny (1654-1742) in 1721, while the Sala dell’Aurora (Dawn Room) in the west wing was frescoed by Francesco Lorenzi (1723-1787) in 1766.
The Courtyard of Honor (Corte d’Onore) is bordered on two sides by a high brick wall with Ghibelline battlements. It was originally used for theatrical performances and concerts held by the Philharmonic Academy of Verona (Accademia Filarmonica di Verona).
Labyrinth
The labyrinth is one of the most popular features of the lower garden. It was redesigned by Luigi Trezza (1752-1823) in 1786 and is made of boxwood hedges.
Parterres
The four French-style parterres were designed in 1765. Each one features a statue with an additional statue in the center. They depict Diana, Venus, Atalanta, Apollo, and Adonis and were all carved by sculptor Lorenzo Muttoni (1726-1784).
Grotto
The paths through the center of the garden lead to the terraces of the upper garden. At the end of one path is the grotto, which was built in 1591 and has a façade resembling a temple. It was once decorated with frescoes on the sides and mirrors on the rear wall. The ceiling was covered with shells, corals, sponges, and mother-of-pearl, some of which are still visible today.
Pavilion
The path from the grotto leads to the pavilion (padiglione), which offers some of the best views of Verona. It was built using 13th century columns.
City Wall
The open space underneath the pavilion borders a 12th century city wall (Cinta Muraria) built atop an earlier wall attributed to Ostrogoth King Theodoric (454-526). The wall contains three niches decorated with sculptures of Bacchus, Ceres, and Venus, although the latter is no longer there. This section of the garden was once planted with citrus trees. They were an important source of revenue and were sold as far away as Russia.
Tower
Further along the trail you’ll come to the tower, which has a winding staircase leading up to the highest terrace. It sits along the 14th century city walls.
Mascherone
At the very top of the garden, directly above the grotto, is the mascherone, which is a belvedere attributed to Bartolomeo Ridolfi (d. 1570). According to the official website, “the mask was designed to belch flames and smoke from its mouth, causing consternation among visitors and guests”. It provides nice views of the garden below and the city as well.
