Local wedding planner Giulia Bolla plans a Valentine’s-worthy interlude in Verona, from strolling along the River Adige to popping the question at Castel San Pietro.
One look at Verona’s medieval alleyways and magnificent Roman Arena (Arena di Verona) and it’s easy to see why Shakespeare chose this picture-perfect northern Italian town as the setting for his seminal tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. Hordes of tourists flock daily to the 14th-Century structure known as Juliet’s house (Casa di Giulietta), wading through crowds to behold its stone balcony and snap selfies with the courtyard’s bronze statue of the doomed heroine.
But Verona’s locals can think of far more romantic things to do in the city. We spoke to Giulia Bolla, a Verona-based wedding planner for lovestruck locals and lovebirds from abroad, for her hometown’s best romantic experiences. “Shakespeare gave us a nice gift. It’s our lifeblood,” said Bolla. “But why do couples really love coming here? It’s because this city is a tiny jewel. The River Adige flows through the historic centre and then there are all the beautiful hills. It’s completely walkable, so when couples come for the weekend, they get the full experience.”
Giulia Bolla comes from one of Verona’s notable generational wine making families. She has been a wedding planner for the past 10 years, helping her clients achieve the wedding of their dreams against her city’s dreamiest backdrops.
Verona’s connection to the most famous love story of all time – and its proximity to Valpolicella wine country – has made it a popular destination for weddings and proposals, especially on Valentine’s Day. But for Bolla, the best way to experience Verona is to simply stroll the streets. “I tell my couples to spend two days minimum here and just explore on foot, along the river,” she said. “You have to see the Roman Arena because it’s our most important monument, but there are so many spots where you can explore those narrow alleyways and just look around you.”
Here are wedding planner Giulia Bolla’s favourite romantic interludes in the fair city of Verona.
1. Best view (and place to get engaged): Castel San Pietro
It’s easy to get distracted by Verona’s street level details – cobblestones and Romanesque mullioned windows as far as the eye can see – but one of Bolla’s favourite romantic Verona experiences is hundreds of metres above ground.
A number of the city’s structures have been dubbed the real-life sites of scenes from Romeo and Juliet, like Juliet’s Tomb (Tomba di Giulietta) and most notably, Juliet’s House on Via Cappello. Locals aren’t impressed by the crowds nor the departure from historical accuracy. “They’re fakes,” Bolla said. “She wasn’t a real person, and the balcony isn’t real, either. Neither was Romeo’s House (Casa di Romeo).” Nonetheless, it’s hard to imagine skipping Juliet’s House during your trip to Verona, even with the tourist throngs. But prepare yourself: “You can book online,” said Bolla. “But there will always be lines.”
“A very romantic thing to do at sunset would be to take a stroll over Ponte Pietra, the bridge that faces the Roman Arena,” she said. “Then you can get the cable car – it’s right there – and ride up to Castle San Pietro.”
Castel San Pietro (St Peter’s Castle) on St Peter’s Hill dates to the 14th Century, though the current structure was built in the 1800s after the original building was destroyed by French soldiers. “There’s a beautiful view of the city. So many couples who go up there take photos and so many get engaged there,” said Bolla. “There’s a beautiful place called Re Teodorico where you can have an aperitivo, even at lunchtime. And then the walk down is wonderful because you can see all the Roman excavations along the road, along the Roman Arena. This is a really lovely thing to do.”
2. Best for strolls under the moonlight: Castelvecchio
Moonlit strolls become even more romantic when there’s a medieval castle involved. “There’s Castelvecchio, where you can go at night, when it’s all lit up,” said Bolla of the imposing red brick Gothic castle with its footbridge arching over the River Adige, built by the Della Scala family between 1354 and 1356. “They were one of the most important families,” said Bolla. “Even there, when you cross that bridge at night, our city’s medieval bridge, with all those lights twinkling, it’s like time-traveling back to the past.”
For Bolla, one of Verona’s most romantic attributes is its layers of history. “I think [couples] come here and find themselves in a different dimension,” she said. “Everything slows down and they can enjoy it as a couple.”
3. Best for hopeful wanderers: the banks of the River Adige
Verona may be ancient, but it’s humming with modern life. The city centre’s medieval palazzos and Roman ruins peek through flagship shops, boutiques, restaurants and bars in the city’s main – and most touristy – thoroughfares and piazzas, like Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza Brà. For a more local (and intimate) nightlife experience, Bolla suggests heading towards the banks of the teeming River Adige.
“Even Veronese couples do that,” said Bolla. “There are lots of tiny little bars in that area, and there’s the view of Castel San Pietro and the Roman Arena.”
Bolla’s pick for a riverside aperitivo is the historic Cappa Café off Piazzetta Brà Molinari, overlooking Ponte Pietra, the Roman Arena and Castel San Pietro. This slick bar with its atmospheric interior arches serves creative cocktails, desserts and ample aperitivo platters heaped with salumi and cheese. But Bolla still recommends that couples leave things at least partially to chance.
“That’s what I think Verona is,” said Bolla. “The opportunity for couples to have a nice stroll and find places that really speak to them.”
4. Best for a romantic dinner for two: Osteria Ponte Pietra
Intimate dining experiences are a must when you’re on a sweet lovers’ escape. “A super, super romantic dinner would be at this restaurant that has these little tables, again, in the Roman Arena area, with this tiny little terrace on the River Adige,” said Bolla. “It’s called Osteria Ponte Pietra. And, yes, locals go there.”
Osteria Ponte Pietra, its dimly lit interiors decorated with 19th-Century furniture, serves elegant Italian fare, including ravioli di faraona (guinea fowl ravioli) and veal cheek with Jerusalem artichoke chips. “And then there’s another restaurant that has very traditional food and it’s very beautiful,” said Bolla. “It’s called the Locanda di Castelvecchio. That’s also a very romantic place for a couple.”
The Locanda di Castelvecchio, just a few paces away from Castelvecchio, was a pharmacy in the 18th Century and then a delicatessen for nearly 200 years. Diners pass underneath its wood-panelled ceilings on the way to the candlelit dining room, where guests can sample the deeply traditional Veronese menu. “Their specialty is the bolliti,” said Bolla – cuts of boiled meat served with sauces like Verona’s iconic pearà, made with breadcrumbs, ox marrow, broth and black pepper. “Veronese women who don’t know how to make pearà get cancelled!” said Bolla. “No, I’m joking.”
5. Best hidden diamond: The terrace at Hotel Milano
“Another romantic thing you can do that I think is really nice is the terrace inside the Hotel Milano,” said Bolla. “It’s a little terrace where you can have an aperitivo with a view of the [Roman] Arena. That’s another really beautiful place.”
Hotel Milano & Spa – a boutique hotel just around the corner from the Roman Arena – is a relative newcomer to Verona’s hospitality scene, offering beautifully appointed rooms and an exclusive spa experience featuring Finnish sauna and an outdoor rooftop jacuzzi with a stunning panoramic view of the Arena.
“Not many people know about it,” said Bolla. “Even a lot of locals don’t know it’s there. You go to the hotel, and on the top floor there’s this little terrace. You can even rent it out. It feels like you could just reach out and touch the Arena.”
6. Best for being alone: the Cloister of the Canons (Canonical Museum)
Bolla admits that solitude for two is hard to find in tiny, tourist-packed Verona. “It’s tough to be alone here!” she said. “But there’s a lovely place near the Dome of Verona, inside the Chapel of Saint Helena.”
The Chapel of Saint Helena, located in Verona’s Cathedral of Saint Assunta complex, is home to both Verona’s ancient Chapter Library, dating to at least the 6th Century, and Bocca’s pick for couples longing to be alone: the Cloister of the Canons. The 12th-Century cloister, with its perfectly manicured green lawns and rows of pointed arches, sits atop the remains of 4th- and 5th-Century Roman ruins and Paleo-Christian mosaics. “It’s really ancient, really beautiful,” said Bolla. “I often tell my couples to take photos there because no one will bother you there; there’s almost never anyone around. That could be another nice place to get engaged. And it’s so beautiful. You can see the excavations underneath from the Roman era. That’s another hidden gem.”
7. Best site for a civil wedding ceremony and post-wedding photos: Scala della Ragione and the Notaries’ Chapel
You’re spoiled for choice for romantic backdrops and beautiful wedding venues in Verona, but Bolla has narrowed it down even further. “Another place that I think is beautiful is near the Piazza dei Signori and the courtyard of the old marketplace,” she said. “It’s where there’s a staircase called the Scala della Ragione.”
The Scala della Ragione is located inside the Palazzo della Ragione, Verona’s ancient court of law. The staircase was added to the structure in 1447; its loggia roof annexed during the Renaissance. “It’s super long,” said Bolla. “Couples like going there to take photos right after they get married because it’s so scenic. There’s a room in that building where you can have a civil ceremony.”
Civil wedding ceremonies are increasingly more common in Italy, and Verona has various scenic options. “One is Juliet’s Tomb,” said Bolla. “There’s a gorgeous space in there. Then there’s Juliet’s House and then [inside the Palazzo della Ragione], where the staircase is, there’s the Notaries’ Chapel (Cappella dei Notai). It’s gorgeous. It’s all wooden and covered in frescoes.”
The Notaries’ Chapel, a dramatic structure used by the city’s notaries since the late 14th Century, features ribbed, pointed vaults and precious religious artworks depicting the life of Saints Zeno and Daniel, and meditations on salvation and judgment.
“You can go to the Scala della Ragione whenever you want, it’s open,” said Bolla. “But, to get married in the Notaries’ Chapel, you’ll need a wedding planner with you.”
