Verona – Soave – Pianura dei Dogi

Parona, life on the Adige and the renga

A hamlet of Verona since 1827, it had settlements as early as the Paleolithic period and traces of Roman aqueducts. It rises on a large bend of the Adige River in the middle of the communication routes between Brenner, Valpolicella, Pescantina and Garda. A docking point for barges traveling along the Adige River, it served for transshipment of goods, customs control, and to refresh boatmen who could not transit through Verona during Carnival. They thus lingered in taverns where they consumed salt herring, which found a happy combination with local olive oil. This typical dish then suggested the birth of the traditional “Renga Festival” that occurs on Ash Wednesday, at the close of the Verona Carnival.

Avesa

Suggestive hamlet of Verona, between Valpolicella and Valpantena. Near Avesa springs from a resurgence the Lorì, a very short little river that enters the Adige after a few kilometers, best known in connection with the Avesa laundresses, who used to go here in the past to wash clothes on behalf of the hotels, hospitals and wealthy citizens of the entire city. The lavandare of Avesa found mention in the poems of Veronese poet Berto Barbarani. Avesa is also mentioned, as the birthplace of the Moor of Verona, in Primo Levi’s novel La tregua Traces of wash houses can still be seen walking through the village streets. From here it is possible to move to the Borago Valley, on a beautiful nature trail through canyons and waterfalls: https://it.wikiloc.com/percorsi-escursionismo/avesa-val-borago-montecchio-avesa-69012288

Verona, city of music

Verona is many things: every corner teems with history and stories. We propose a pathway on music. But what does this have to do with root tourism? Music shapes our identity, accompanies us in our daily lives and gives soul to a city; music tells the story of each people and living it, makes us fully experience the genius loci. Everyone is familiar with the Arena di Verona, which welcomes us every summer with its resounding Arenian festival of operas and engaging concerts.

Alongside the Arena, there is a system of theaters, schools and museums that grow and narrate this art every day. Extraordinary architecture that can be appreciated even on a simple walk through the city center. From Piazza Bra, where the Arena is located, we move a few dozen meters to the Teatro Filarmonico, which hosts operas, concerts and dance.
Info e contatti: www.arena.it/teatro-filarmonico-verona

The Ristori Theater offers a program of dance, jazz, author and family meetings, dinner shows and the Baroque Festival.
Info e contatti: www.teatroristori.org

The Macchiavelli Cultural Forge marries the classical with the experimental in a billboard full of artistic offerings.
Info e contatti: www.fucinaculturalemachiavelli.com

A special initiative to appreciate the music and museums of Verona is the Museums in Music 2025, from January to December, for eleven Sunday mornings at 11 a.m., at Palazzo Maffei, the Maffeiana Hall of the Philharmonic Theater, and the G. B. Cavalcaselle Fresco Museum at Juliet’s Tomb.
Info e contatti: www.arena.it/teatro-filarmonico-verona/musei-in-musica

Verona Conservatory of Music “Evaristo Felice Dall Abaco” is Verona’s leading institution of music education.A It operates in two locations, in Via Massalongo (near the church of St. Anastasia) and in Stradone San Fermo, in the so-called Casa Boggian, a legacy of the Veronese family of the same name, which had created an important cultural salon in this palace with its Art Nouveau interiors, with high-level literary and musical evenings.
Info e contatti: www.conservatorioverona.it

The Philharmonic Academy is Europe’s oldest music academy, which traces its roots back to the mid-sixteenth century. Preserves a rich historical heritage, from the library to the collection of musical instruments and theatrical costumes; engages in scientific and historiographical research by promoting publishing and recording projects, conferences and exhibitions.
Info e contatti: www.accademiafilarmonica.org

The Guglielmo Marconi Radio Museum in Verona is the only museum in the world recognized by the scientist’s family because it is in possession of the antenna found on the yacht Elettra from which, in 1896, the first WiFi signal in history departed. The exhibition ranges from the 19th century to the present day and is housed at Porta Vescovo, while part of the collection is on display at the former Tourist Office at Via Degli Alpini 9 and can be visited by appointment.
Info e contatti: museodellaradioverona@gmail.com

Est di Verona: da Montorio a Soave

A hamlet of Verona, Montorio Veronese is called the town on the water, a little Venice just a stone’s throw from the Arena of Verona. Holiday resort of the Scaligeri, the lords of Verona, defended by the majestic Castle, which still stands to control the valley.
2 kilometers to walk or bike through the village streets and trails in the countryside.
Track of the route: https://izi.travel/it/7b21-montorio-veronese-e-le-sue-acque/it#
This area, in the spring period, sees an excellent production of tasty cherries.

Soave

Soave is the ideal place to spend an out-of-town trip with the whole family and is one of the few villages in Italy that preserves its ancient medieval walls in excellent condition. Hilly reliefs that hide perched villages, rural courtyards, medieval castles and old Venetian villas, all framed by expanses of vineyards, a true treasure of the area. This is the origin of the famous Soave wine, so beloved by the poet Gabriele D’Annunzio
This is the birthplace of the famous Soave wine, much loved by poet Gabriele Soave, an orange flag of the Italian Touring Club, is a village with a glorious past, and the atmosphere of ancient times still permeates the pretty town surrounded by medieval walls. The place’s main point of interest is the Scaliger Castle, a majestic military fortress from the medieval period that is among the best examples of castle structures in the region. The castle, whose origins date back to the early 10th century, to the time of the Hungarian invasions, can be visited year-round.
Not only wine, in beautiful Soave! In case you are wondering what to accompany this delicious white wine with, it is quickly said. Among the typical products of this area are Soave ham and Brenton sopressa, ideal for tasting Soave at its best and filling your palate with the flavors of the area.
The castle can be visited year-round, with different hours.
Info e contatti: https://www.visitverona.it/it/luoghi/castello-di-soave

Il Melo Decio di Belfiore

The Belfiore Decius Apple is said to be a very old variety, probably known since Roman times, which only in this area has found the right characteristics to develop its best properties. An agricultural scholar in the 1940s explained how the cool soils of the Middle and Lower Veronese are necessary to obtain good Meli Deci apples and how their proper development can only be ensured by the care of farmers who are able to grow large and healthy fruit, resorting to the right methods of pruning, fertilizing and pest defense. Today only in the Belfiore area can be found some sporadic plantings and trees of Melo Decio. In fact, production in almost all of this area of the Veronese region was abandoned during the 1970s and 1980s to make way for varieties in greater demand in the market.
Thanks, however, to the efforts of a small group of growers, today the Decio Apple is a Slow Food Presidium and the local Fruit and Vegetable Consortium has embarked on a campaign to revive the ancient variety, which proposes that grower members replant the Decio.
This fragrant pome is used to make mustards and to flavor and perfume rooms. Local restaurateurs indulge in declining it in a variety of recipes.

Zevio city of Callas

In the lovely town of Zevio lived the family of Giovanni Battista Meneghini, husband of Maria Callas, and it was here that the two resided from 1949 to 1959. The community of Zevio paid tribute to the Divina with an exhibition space that traces her history through objects from prestigious collections: dresses, letters, honors, accessories, and documents.
Info e contatti: www.zeviocittadellacallas.it

Legnago

The community of Zevio paid tribute to the Divina with an exhibition space that traces her history through objects from prestigious collections: dresses, letters, honors, accessories, and documents. It has always been a center of reference for the municipalities of the “Bassa”, territorially distant from the City of Verona. The Adige River has always played a fundamental role in the historical development of Legnago: thanks to its defensive role, it was populated as early as ancient times, becoming a military stronghold until the last world wars. Important cultural centers tell us about its history since the Bronze Age: the Fioroni Civic Museum and the Environmental and Archaeological Center.

The musical heritage is also of considerable interest, the city having been the birthplace of sacred, operatic and classical music composer Antonio Salieri, to whom the theater of the same name is dedicated, and which still hosts rich artistic programs. From Legnago, one can move to discover the Plain of the Doges, thanks to enchanting walking and biking routes along the banks of the Adige River.

Info e contatti: Centro Ambientale e Archeologico – Fondazione Fioroni – Teatro Salieri

The Veronese stortina palio, between Cerea and Nogara

Stortina is a small salami weighing less than two ounces, traditionally consumed in the Lower Veronese area. The production tradition, which has been handed down for generations, is to store it under lard to keep it fresh during the winter. Being small in size, in fact, it could not have kept for long, drying out too quickly. Terracotta pots were filled with the small sausages, alternating with minced and salted lard. A final, thicker layer, called a “cap,” covered the salami until the pot was filled, which was then closed with a lid and stored in the cellar for several months.

At the time of consumption, the cap was removed, as it was rancid, but underneath the stortinas remained soft, fresh and fragrant. They are still eaten this way today, either with fresh bread or with toasted polenta. There is also a version not preserved under lard, which dries more quickly and is similar to a salami.

The name seems to derive from the slightly curved shape that the sausages take on as soon as they are bagged. The characteristic of the product is related to the use of noble pork parts (shoulder, loin, culaccia, ham, and bacon fat) and spicing with garlic macerated in white wine. For the past few years, the stortina has been a Slow Food presidium to safeguard the small and historic production.

For more than 20 years, the Veronese stortina palio has been held in this area: a competition in which different pork butchers compete, presenting their version of the typical salami. Usually, this food event is held between February and March.

In Cerea, the queen of art furniture

During the 20th century, a growing production of art furniture developed in the area between Bovolone, Casaleone, Cerea, Concamarise, Gazzo, Isola della Scala, Isola Rizza, Legnago, Nogara, Oppeano, Salizzole, Sanguinetto and San Pietro di Morubio. The impetus was given in the early twentieth century in Asparetto di Cerea, in the workshop of Giuseppe Merlin, known as “Marangon,” who, originally from a mainly agricultural area, was a carpenter used to repair wagons and tools. Almost by accident, he began repairing old wooden furniture in stately homes in the area. This craftsman’s skill soon came to the fore, and his curiosity led him to study the antique furniture that was entrusted to him, reproducing it with great skill, using the techniques and materials of yesteryear.

His family-run restoration workshop soon gained prominence, transforming into a craft business that employed numerous apprentices. In the wake of this experience, the first People’s School of Drawing was founded in Cerea in 1910, followed later by Sanguinetto and Bovolone, with the aim of training new crafts, teaching young people a trade that could relieve them from the miserable conditions caused by the poverty of the rural economy and the rampant phenomenon of emigration.

Visit the MAAM Museum – Museum of Applied Arts of Furniture: www.villadionisi.com/it/pages/museo-maam-e-fam.html

L’oasi del Busatello a Gazzo Veronese

The Busatello Marsh is a wetland area, representing the last strip of the extensive Tartaro River Marshes, which until the early 20th century covered a vast territory between the provinces of Verona and Mantua. This marsh extends mainly in the municipality of Gazzo Veronese, which also owns the Venetian part of the marsh, about 50 hectares. The entire area has an area of 80 hectares and has been declared a “Wetland of International Importance” under the Ramsar Convention.

The marsh appears as a hanging marsh, compared to the surrounding land, as a result of the reclamation of the Great Veronese Valleys and sediment compaction. More than a thousand animal species inhabit this habitat, including birds, mammals, reptiles and fish. The vegetation is well preserved and has distinctive marsh species.

The Busatello Swamp can be reached from Valcornara Street. For visits, you can contact the City of Gazzo Veronese or WWF Veronese.

Info e contatti: https://www.wwf.it/dove-interveniamo/il-nostro-lavoro-in-italia/oasi/palude-del-busatello/

Isola della Scala and rice

Isola della Scala is a small and lively town located along the course of the Tartaro River, which has marked the history of this town that was once surrounded by mostly marshy land. The area developed during the Roman Empire due to the passage of an important road axis connecting the Roman and Germanic worlds, crossing the Alps to Bavaria.

Only after a few centuries, thanks to the intervention of Benedictine monks and their reclamation work, did the agricultural land improve and finally prosper. Among the most appreciable sights in Isola della Scala are the Scaligera Tower, located at the entrance to the town, and the Santuario della Bastìa, nestled in the countryside. This small church has 15th-century frescoes and venerates a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary, which is believed by popular tradition to be miraculous.

The Isola della Scala area is famous for the cultivation of rice, the town’s symbol, celebrated every September during the Rice Fair. This event attracts fans and chefs from all over Italy to enjoy risotto, a traditional local dish. For the past few years, the Boiled Meat and Autumn Flavors Fair has also been held, where you can taste typical Veronese dishes. Also, in Vigasio, not far away, the Polenta Fair takes place between October and November, another event that celebrates one of the most typical products of peasant cuisine.

Info e contatti: https://isolafiere.it – www.festadellapolenta.it

Villa Balladoro a Povegliano Veronese

Villa Balladoro a Povegliano VeronesePovegliano Veronese is a small and charming town located between the morainic territory of lower Lake Garda and the Plain of the Doges. A place where groundwater resurfaces and collects in the moraine zone, creating natural landscapes with oases and resurgences. These spaces offer nature trails, perfect for hiking, suitable for both adults and children, and are within walking distance of the town center.

The area has a long history, evidenced by important archaeological findings dating back to the Bronze Age and the Celts, which have attracted the attention of studies at the European level. In Povegliano, it is possible to visit the splendid Villa Balladoro, once dedicated to the control of the vast land planted with mulberry trees. The villa fits perfectly into the typical landscape of Veronese agricultural courts, with the manor house overlooking a park, small church, workers’ houses, stables, farmyard, and rustic outbuildings.

Today, Villa Balladoro houses an Archaeological Museum, with finds also from neighbouring municipalities, the valuable Balladoro historical archive and the Municipal Library. The villa is open for tours on the first Sunday of the month, in conjunction with the Povegliano Antiques Market, where visitors can discover objects that connect them to their roots.

Info e contatti: www.gruppogiovanipovegliano.it – Biblioteca Storica e Archivio Balladoro

The free village of Villafranca di Verona

Due to its strategic location, Villafranca had great military importance in history, especially during the Scaliger dynasty. It was founded as a “free village” (hence the later name Villafranca) on March 9, 1185.

The elegant Scaliger Castle was connected to the south to the fortress of Nogarole and to the north to the fortress of Valeggio by drawing the Serraglio, a long line of fortified wall interspersed with towers and forts, of which few traces remain, that reached as far as Gazzo Veronese. Located within the walls are seven small towers, an outstanding choreography for concerts and events. The castle can be visited and hosts a beautiful medieval reenactment every year.

Info e contatti:
www.facebook.com/infopoint.villafrancavr – www.facebook.com/VillafrancanellaStoria

Villafranca was involved in the events of the Risorgimento, and in 1859 it was the protagonist of an important meeting between Emperors Franz Joseph I and Napoleon III to conclude one of the bloodiest military campaigns of the 19th century. The meeting went down in history as the Peace di Villafranca and was a prelude to the unification of Italy. Inside the stately Treaty Palace, where the armistice was signed, is the renovated Museum of the Risorgimento

Villafranca is a city of motors: here is the Nicolis Museum, which tells, through hundreds of cars, motorcycles and bicycles, the evolution of means of transportation over the last two centuries, along with cameras and typewriters, musical instruments, and unobtainable objects.

Info e contatti: www.museonicolis.com

Visitors to Villafranca cannot pass up shopping, along the bustling Corso Vittorio Emanuele. A stop at one of the cozy cafes and pastry shops on the Corso is a must, where you can enjoy the famous “sfogliatine di Villafranca,” soft, crumbly, circular-shaped pastries made with flour, butter, sugar, salt, and eggs. Goodness!

Visita Verona e la Pianura dei Dogi: www.visitverona.it – www.pianuraveronese.com