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Castelvecchio and the Scaliger Bridge, Verona

Landmark

Castelvecchio and the Scaliger Bridge

Verona · Veneto

QUICK INFORMATION

CATEGORY
Landmark
COUNTRY
Italy
REGION
Verona · Veneto
DURATION
1 day

ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION

Castelvecchio is the red-brick castle built by the Scaliger ruler Cangrande II della Scala in the 1350s as a fortified residence and a refuge against his own subjects, on the Adige at the western edge of the old town. Its fortified bridge, the Ponte Scaligero, spans the river in three arches and is the most powerful medieval bridge in Verona. The castle was restored and adapted as a museum by the architect Carlo Scarpa between 1958 and 1974, in one of the most celebrated museum restorations of the 20th century, and it now holds the city’s art collection — medieval sculpture, paintings by Pisanello, Bellini, Veronese and Tintoretto, and the city’s medieval arms.

HISTORY & BACKGROUND

The story behind it

Cangrande II della Scala built Castelvecchio between 1354 and 1356 as a fortified residence, with an internal bridge over the Adige that gave him an escape route to the north if the city turned against him. The Scaligers ruled Verona from 1262 to 1387, when they were succeeded by the Visconti and then by Venice. The castle became a barracks and a military school under Austrian rule, and was badly damaged in the Napoleonic wars and the Second World War. The bridge was blown up by the retreating Germans in 1945 and rebuilt in 1951. Between 1958 and 1974 the architect Carlo Scarpa restored the castle and rehung the museum, leaving his distinctive modern interventions — concrete, bronze, water — alongside the medieval fabric.

WHAT TO SEE

What to see here

01

The Scaliger Bridge — the fortified three-arch bridge over the Adige, rebuilt in 1951 after the 1945 destruction, walkable from the castle.

02

The Scarpa restoration — the architect’s modern interventions in the castle, the most celebrated museum design of 20th-century Italy.

03

The sculpture collection — medieval Veronese sculpture, including the equestrian statue of Cangrande I della Scala, moved here from the Scaliger tombs.

04

The picture gallery — paintings by Pisanello, Bellini, Veronese, Tintoretto and the Veronese Renaissance masters.

WHY IT MATTERS

Why it matters

Castelvecchio is the monument that shows the Scaliger Verona that preceded the Venetian one, and the museum inside it is the best place to see the city’s art. The Scarpa restoration is itself a landmark of modern Italian architecture, and the combination of the medieval castle, the modern museum and the fortified bridge makes the site the most architecturally rich in the city. For a visitor, it is the one museum in Verona that rewards a slow visit as much for the building as for the collection.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before you go

Tickets
The museum is ticketed; the castle courtyard and the bridge are free to walk through.
Access
The entrance is on the Corso Castelvecchio, a short walk from the Piazza delle Erbe.
Best Time
Mornings for the museum; the bridge is best in the late afternoon light.
Context
The castle sits at the western edge of the old town, on the Adige, between the old town and the railway station.

MAP & LOCATION

Castelvecchio and the Scaliger Bridge

Castelvecchio and the Scaliger Bridge, Verona, Veneto, Italy

45.4361, 10.9931

Open in OpenStreetMap

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THINGS TO DO

Things to do nearby

01

Attend an opera at the Arena

02

Tour the Valpolicella wine country

03

Walk the Adige riverside to the Roman theatre

FOOD & DRINK

Where to eat nearby

01

Osteria al Duca — a historic osteria near the Piazza delle Erbe for classic Veronese cooking

02

Trattoria al Pompiere — a relaxed trattoria near the Piazza delle Erbe, known for its cured meats and local wines

03

Antica Bottega del Vino — a 19th-century wine bar with 100 wines by the glass and a long Veronese menu

04

Ristorante Greppia — a refined Veronese restaurant near the Arena, the place for risotto all’Amarone

05

Osteria Sottoriva — a riverside osteria under the arcades, honest cooking and a local crowd

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HOTELS & STAYS

Where to stay nearby

01

Due Torri Hotel — a historic hotel in a medieval palace beside the Arena, with frescoed rooms

02

Hotel Milano & Spa — a stylish hotel near the Arena with a spa and a rooftop bar

03

Hotel Antica Porta Leona — a boutique hotel in a Roman-era building near the Arena

04

Hotel Colomba d’Oro — a hotel in a medieval convent near the Piazza delle Erbe, good value for a central base

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NEARBY DESTINATIONS

Continue the journey

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