The city of Romeo and Juliet becomes even more romantic at Christmas. But in Verona there is much more, because the city is a mosaic of enchanting beauties where history and traditions compete to amaze you.
The city of Verona, during Christmas, enchants with its unique mixture of history, tradition and celebration: on one side there are the symbols of the past while on the other side popular traditions animate the markets and streets.
This pleasant combination makes the Christmas season in Verona an unforgettable experience for all those who participate.
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Verona at Christmas, the Christmas markets
The city is already known for its romantic atmosphere and millennial history, but it turns into an even more magical place during the Christmas period.
The paved streets are lit with sparkling lights, the old squares come to life with festive decorations and the air is pervaded by the scents of traditional sweets. Christmas in Verona is a unique moment, where traditions blend with the joy of the festivities.
The beating heart of this celebration is the Nuremberg Market, a Christmas market that is set up in Piazza delle Erbe. Why this name? The event is organized in collaboration with the “Christkindlmarkt”, that is the Christmas market held in Hauptmarkt square in Nuremberg.
In fact, the Nuremberg Market is one of the many Christmas markets located between the squares and the main streets of Verona. Among the many places we remember Piazza dei Signori, Cortile del Tribunale and Cortile Mercato Vecchio.
Here, among the adorned stalls, the atmosphere becomes lively and festive. Local artisans exhibit their creations: Christmas decorations, handcrafted nativity scenes and unique objects that capture the attention of visitors.
Master chocolatiers and confectioners delight passersby with their delicacies: fragrant panettone, golden pandori and traditional sweets invite to tasty breaks in the Christmas tour of the city.
Christmas in Verona is an experience that involves all the senses: the smell of mulled wine and roasted chestnuts, the sound of bells ringing at the party and the lights that paint the city in festive colors.
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What to see in Verona during Christmas?
In addition to the Nuremberg Market in Piazza delle Erbe and the other Christmas markets, there are several attractions not to be missed during the Christmas period. What to see in Verona during Christmas?
Among the places not to be missed is the Church of San Giovanni in Foro: it is an ancient church rebuilt in Romanesque style after a fire that houses interesting works of art, including the Renaissance portal, the Black Madonna and the crib left by the soldiers of the First World War.
A short distance from Piazza delle Erbe are the Scaliger Arches, Gothic style sepulchral monuments of great historical importance linked to the Scaligera family, the dynasty that ruled Verona in the Middle Ages.
How to miss the Comet of Piazza Brà? This imposing sculpture made of painted steel is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest archisculpture in the world. Originally built for a special event in the eighties, it has become an unmissable icon of the Christmas holidays in Verona.
Right in Piazza Brà, between December 10th and 13th, there are the Santa Lucia Markets with hundreds of stalls selling toys, handicrafts and Christmas culinary specialties. Here you immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Christmas and look forward to the arrival of “Santa Lussia”. The Saint is celebrated since children with a nursery rhyme in Veronese dialect that evokes his arrival at night with noisy shoes and a beautiful hat:
“Santa Lussia la ven de note
with the shoes coveralls rote
with the Cape belo belo
Santa Lussia la ven from heaven”
Palazzo della Gran Guardia hosts the traditional “International Festival of Cribs from the World”, an exhibition that offers a journey through the artistic representation of the Nativity of hundreds and hundreds of nativity scenes from different parts of the world,
During the Christmas period there is also the famous “Verona Christmas Run”, an exciting opportunity to participate in a Santa Claus theme race along itineraries in the heart of the city.
Capitolare Library, the Christmas gem not to be missed
Verona is steeped in history and the Christmas season can be an opportunity to visit various monuments, including the Capitolare Library.
With its ancient manuscripts and scrolls and majestic architecture, the Capitolare Library tells the story of the city. Its charm is tangible in the yellowed pages of ancient volumes, testimony of a distant past.
It is in this library that Luigi Schiaparelli found one of the first examples of Italian vulgar on the edge of an ancient text the so-called Veronese riddle. Probably written by a amanuense during a break, the text testifies to the language changes.
Not just history. In the timeless setting of the world’s oldest library, you can see ancient pages and precious volumes that bring to light the sacred stories of the Nativity, the adoration of the Magi and other evangelical episodes allowing a total immersion in the atmosphere of Christmas.
In this place full of history and art, Christmas reveals itself in all its depth, uniting past and present in a unique experience that transports back in time through the biblical stories related to this very significant festival.
The desserts of the Veronese tradition
Christmas cakes in Verona represent the perfect fusion of tradition and taste and are an integral part of the festive atmosphere of the holidays.
Among the most loved and characteristic desserts there is definitely the “Pandoro”, the cousin of the Milanese Panettone that can not miss on the tables of Verona during the Christmas period. Next to it is the Nadalin, an ancestor of the Pandoro itself characterized by the eight-pointed star shape.
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A typical high delicacy is the “Torta Russa”, a dessert prepared with macaroons and almonds so called because of the shape that reminds a canopy.
How not to remember the Santa Lucia shortbread? To close this roundup of Christmas delights are these shortcrust pastry cookies made with typical Christmas shapes, from stars to snowmen to saplings.
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