Christmas Markets in Verona

Founded as a Roman colony in the first century BCE, Verona flourished at the crossroads of major trade routes connecting Italy to northern Europe. The city's golden age under the della Scala family in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries left a legacy of Gothic palaces, fortified bridges, and elegant towers that still define its skyline. Shakespeare immortalized Verona as the setting for Romeo and Juliet, forever linking the city to romance in the popular imagination. Centuries of Venetian rule followed, adding Renaissance splendor to the medieval core before Verona became part of unified Italy in 1866.

Christmas markets have gathered in Piazza dei Signori for several decades, where wooden chalets create a festive atmosphere in the shadow of Dante's statue and medieval palaces. The markets blend Alpine chalet aesthetics with Italian traditions, reflecting the city's position near the Austrian border and its unique cultural heritage.