Aug 26 - Verona

 Aug 26 - Verona

Out for a walk about town this morning and alongside the arena we came across the props from last nights and tonight’s shows.  It made us think that, with a different show every night during ‘the season’ and the huge amount of stage props used, it must be a logistical nightmare to get everything ‘right on the night’. 

One of the main purposes of our walk today was to visit Verona’s Basilica, San Zeno Maggiore.  However, once we got going, we ended visiting what seemed all of Verona’s other churches and cathedrals!. All pretty special in their own way but four in one day is probably overdoing it a touch! ⛪️🕍


The Basilica, completed in the late 1300’s, is best well known for its Romanesque and stripey architecture, along with its reputation for being the wedding chapel of Romeo and Juliet!

Our next port of call was to the San Fermo Maggiore church, also built in the 14th century, and renowned for its stunning wooden ceiling. It’s bit like an upturned ship’s hull but also has hundreds of small portrait paintings running along its length. 

Our third visit was to the Basilica Di Santa Anastasia, Verona’s largest church.  Although unfinished on the outside the interior is magnificent with some stunning early Renaissance frescoes and decoration. 

Our last church visit of the day was to Verona’s cathedral, the Cattedrale Santa Maria.  Originally consecrated in the 1100’s this was different from the other churches that we visited today in that I thought it was more impressive on the outside compared to the interior. 

Off again to the opera tonight, this time to see Puccini’s Turandot, and what a performance, so much better than yesterday.  We had better seats, the ‘sub-titles’ were easier to see and so it was easier to follow the plot (yesterday was a jumbled collection of ‘acts’), there was a lot more action, plus there were a number of arias that we already knew, Nessus Dorma probably being the most well known.  It was a really good night and I’m glad we went even though it was a last minute decision. 



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