Piazza delle Erbe
A city living room on the site of an ancient Roman forum, surrounded by frescoed façades, the Lion of St Mark column and market stalls. It is Verona’s most lively public space.
Piazza delle Erbe was built over a Roman forum and is still the city’s center. The rectangular square has the Baroque Palazzo Maffei at its north end, with statues of Greek gods on the roofline. In the middle stand the 14th-century Madonna Verona fountain (its statue is an original from the Roman period) and the winged Lion of St Mark column, which symbolizes Venetian Republic rule. Also here is the Berlina, a stone canopy where ancient laws were once proclaimed. On the east side, the Case Mazzanti façade still has 16th-century frescoes. During the day, stalls sell fruit and souvenirs, and in the evening the bars around the square fill with people drinking Spritz. Under the Arco della Costa, an arch on the east side of the square, hangs a whale rib. Legend says it will fall only when someone who has never told a lie walks beneath it. Passing through the arch brings you to Piazza dei Signori and the Torre dei Lamberti.
Opening hours
Open all day
Nearby sights
- Torre dei Lamberti & Piazza dei Signori
- Scaliger Tombs (Arche Scaligere)
- Juliet's House
- Via Mazzini
- Basilica of Sant'Anastasia
- Verona Cathedral (Duomo)
- Porta Borsari & Corso Porta Borsari
- San Fermo Maggiore