Verona's Museums and Galleries (Self Guided), Verona

The Old Castle Museum, better known as the Castelvecchio Museum, is housed within the city’s impressive medieval fortress. Built between 1354 and 1356 by the Scaliger family to protect Verona’s rulers and provide a strategic escape route, the castle later served as a major military stronghold. During the 15th century, it stored weapons and munitions, and by the 18th century it had become the seat of the Venetian military academy. In 1923, the historic structure was transformed into a museum. Its location on the riverbank was deliberately chosen to ensure rapid escape across the bridge toward the Scaligers’ allies in northern territories.

Today, the museum’s collections span from the 12th to the 18th centuries, featuring Veronese sculptures, frescoes, paintings, ceramics, jewelry, weapons, and bells. Highlights include the Sepulcher of Saints Sergius and Bacchus, the Crucifix, the graceful Madonna of the Quail, and depictions of the Holy Family and revered saints. Works by major Italian artists such as Giovanni Bellini, Pisanello, and Paolo Veronese reflect Verona’s rich artistic heritage within the wider context of northern Italy.

The castle has undergone numerous modifications over its 700-year history. A major restoration led by architect Carlo Scarpa between 1958 and 1974 revived its medieval character. Scarpa’s design approach is now considered a masterpiece of 20th-century museum architecture, carefully combining historic structures with modern materials like concrete and iron to highlight the building’s evolution over time.

Exploring the museum is a delight, as its galleries lead through well-organised rooms, passageways, and open courtyards that reveal layers of history. Visitors can also walk along the battlements, where views of the Adige River and the Castelvecchio Bridge complete the experience. The bridge itself, known as Scaligero Bridge, was rebuilt after World War II, reconnecting the castle to its historic defensive route.

Located between the walls of Piazza Bra and Castelvecchio, the Museo Lapidario Maffeiano is the second oldest public library museum in the world. Founded in 1745 by Scipione Maffai, the exhibition hall contains Greek, Etruscan, Roman, and Arab writings, some of which were donated by Maffai. The architect was Alessandro Pompei.

Hundreds of inscriptions, reliefs, and sculptures are located throughout the entrance hall, basement, and two upper rooms. The experience begins in the courtyard, where many writings are arranged underneath the beautiful Italian sky, and ends with a walk over the walls of the Bra that takes you to the Gran Guardia. Three recommended items to view are the largest collection of Greek grave inscriptions housed on the first floor and the Etruscan urns and sarcophagus of a young man on the second level.

The museum is a popular site with tourists, students, and scholars. In addition, many of the inscriptions have English translations. The Museo Lapidario Maffeiano is open from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm Tuesday through Sunday and is closed on Monday. Free admission is offered the first Sunday of each month. Other attractions near the library include the Verona Arena, the Museo Civico di Castelvecchio, and the Via Mazzini.

The House of Juliet is one of the most famous landmarks associated with William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, often visited by those seeking to experience the legendary romance between Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague. Though the story is fictional, the house itself has become a symbol of love and tragedy, drawing countless visitors who are eager to connect with Verona’s most romantic tale.

The house dates back to the 13th century and is believed to have belonged to the Cappelletti family, traditionally linked to Juliet’s fictional lineage. The most famous feature of the house is its balcony, now an enduring emblem of Juliet’s longing in the play. Visitors often picture the moment when Romeo whispers his devotion from below. Although the balcony itself was added during restoration in the 20th century, it remains one of the city’s most photographed sights and a key highlight for fans of Shakespeare’s work.

The building is a fine example of medieval architecture, featuring Gothic elements, a brick façade, and intricately carved details. In the courtyard, a bronze statue of Juliet stands beneath the balcony, and the tradition of rubbing its right breast for good luck in love has made it a popular spot for photos. The walls nearby are covered with love messages, notes, and padlocks left by couples hoping for lasting affection.

Inside, the house has been transformed into a museum, displaying period furnishings, costumes used in film adaptations, and exhibits about the cultural impact of Shakespeare’s tragic story. From its romantic folklore to its historical roots, the House of Juliet continues to inspire visitors from around the world with the enduring power of love and imagination.

The Museo Miniscalchi Erizzo museum is located in a fifteenth century palace on the Via San Mammaso. The 15 room building contains furnishings, bronze, glassware, ceramics, coins, weapons, armor, and artwork from the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries and the Etruscan and Roman periods.

Visitors will enjoy the library, chapel, paintings, and antique furniture that belonged to the Miniscalchi clan, an important Veronese family. Other treats you will enjoy are a wooden ceiling from the fifteenth century, a racing sled from the 1200s, and paintings and busts located along the Great Staircase.

Along with preserving the museum’s works and loaning materials to other organizations, the gallery also conducts guided tours for students and visitors. In addition, exhibitions are conducted on a regular basis.

Some of the more memorable works presented at exhibitions include the Treasures of the Italian Artistic Foundations, the American Pop Art the Sixties, the Hebrew Antiques from the Verona Synagogue, the Historical Glassware by Ercole Barovier, the Ancient Art Fabrics, and Giorgio Morandi Fifty Works of the Magnani Rocca Foundation. The museum is open 11 am to 1 pm and 3:30 pm to 7 pm on Monday through Friday.

The Archaeological Museum was founded in 1924 and hosts archaeological finds both from Verona and its surrounding areas (epigraphs, sculptures, mosaics, bronzes, etc.) as well as pieces from other collections.

About 600 works of art are exhibited in the museum and some 150 more can be seen displayed within the external cloister and the Theatre area whereas some thousands of pieces are preserved in store-rooms.

The whole complex of buildings and cloisters of the former Jesuates convent is itself a monument worth visiting. Many finds, inscriptions, and sarcophaguses are located in the Museum cloisters and in the Theatre external area.

Why You Should Visit:
Worth going for the route that takes you between courtyards, a grand building and the Theatre in an imaginative 5-story exploration of fantastic Roman artifacts, statues, and mosaics.

Tip:
Views from the museum's terrace are sublime at sunset.