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Piazza delle Erbe

Verona's Ancient Market Square

Where Roman forum meets medieval marketplace

Explore the Square Get Early Access

🏛️ Essential Visitor Information

📍

Historic Center

Heart of medieval Verona

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Market 7am-7pm

Cafes open until late

☀️

Morning Visit

Best for market atmosphere

🏰

Torre dei Lamberti

Climb for panoramic views

🧭 Why Visit

Herbs, gossip, and aperitivo , the Erbe is Verona's daily theater, ringed by frescoed houses and crowned by the Lamberti tower, with market umbrellas by day and golden café light by night. Sit, order, and watch the city perform itself.

🏛️ A Little History

The square's buildings are a timeline you can drink under: the baroque Palazzo Maffei with its rooftop gods, the Mazzanti houses' faded Renaissance murals, the Gardello tower whose 1370 bell was among Europe's first public clocks.

💡 Did You Know?

A whale rib has hung under the Arco della Costa for centuries; legend says it falls on the first honest person to walk beneath , it has outlasted popes, kings, and every visiting lawyer. The market stalls' white umbrellas appear in paintings going back generations.

The Market

The Square Itself

Two thousand years of trading on the same ground, under painted houses that were once a Roman forum.

Piazza delle Erbe in Verona looking down its length past the market stalls
Down the Length of ItThe square runs long and narrow because the Roman forum did, and the market never moved.
The frescoed Case Mazzanti in Verona with the Torre dei Lamberti rising behind them
Painted HousesThe Case Mazzanti still carry their sixteenth century frescoes, with the Torre dei Lamberti behind them.
The painted facades and balconies of the Case Mazzanti in Verona in evening light
Evening on the FrescoesLate sun is when the painted facades actually read. In flat light you walk past them.
The Casa dei Mercanti in Verona with an iron street lamp in front of it
The Casa dei MercantiThe merchants' house, rebuilt in the nineteenth century on a Scaligeri original, still on the market side of the square.
In the Middle

What Stands in It

A fountain, a column, a canopy. Everything in the middle of the square is a piece of civic government.

The Madonna Verona fountain in Piazza delle Erbe with the frescoed houses behind it
The Madonna VeronaCansignorio della Scala set this fountain up in 1368 around a Roman statue that was already a thousand years old.
The column of Saint Mark in Piazza delle Erbe, Verona, against the front of Palazzo Maffei
The Column of Saint MarkRaised in 1523, when Verona belonged to Venice and everybody was expected to know it.
The winged lion of Saint Mark on its capital above Piazza delle Erbe in Verona
The Winged LionVenice's lion on its capital. It was pulled down when Napoleon arrived and put back afterwards.
The Gothic capitello, a canopied stone tribune, standing in Piazza delle Erbe in Verona
The CapitelloThe canopied tribune where Verona's officials were formally installed. Civic ceremony, out in the open, in the middle of the market.
Above It

The Towers

Verona measured power in height, and three towers still argue about it over this square.

The brick Torre del Gardello above Palazzo Maffei in Piazza delle Erbe, Verona
The Torre del GardelloBuilt in 1370 and the oldest surviving public clock tower in the city, though the clock itself has moved on.
The Torre dei Lamberti in Verona rising over the rooftops of Piazza delle Erbe
The Lamberti Over the SquareBegun in 1172 and not finished until 1463, which is why the bottom and the top do not match.
The Domus Mercatorum and the Torre dei Lamberti in Verona in warm evening light
The Domus Mercatorum at EveningThe last light comes down the square and lands on this end of it.

Live Prices & Availability

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⏰ Best Times

  • Visit early morning to see locals shopping at the market
  • Return for evening aperitivo when the square comes alive
  • Buy Torre dei Lamberti tickets online to skip queues

📸 Photo Tips

  • Best photos from the fountain looking toward Palazzo Maffei
  • Torre dei Lamberti offers the best aerial square views

🛍️ Shopping

  • Market prices are negotiable, especially for multiple items
  • Look for Pandoro cake and Monte Veronese cheese

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the market open?
The daily market runs Monday-Saturday 7am-7pm, and Sunday 7am-1pm. The square's cafes and restaurants stay open much later, typically until 11pm or midnight.
Can I climb Torre dei Lamberti?
Yes! The tower is open daily with both stairs (368 steps) and an elevator to the top. The elevator costs €1 more but saves significant effort. Views are spectacular.
Why is this square important?
Built on the ancient Roman forum, it's been Verona's commercial heart for 2000 years. The medieval architecture, frescoes, and continuous market tradition make it unique in Italy.
Where should I eat here?
For authentic experience, try the historic cafes under the arcades. Prices are higher but the atmosphere is unmatched. For budget options, grab panini from the market stalls.

Explore More of Verona

📷 Gallery

Palaces and Gates

Sanmicheli's Verona, and the Roman Gate That Came First

📷 Gallery

Castelvecchio

Medieval Fortress & Renaissance Art Museum

📷 Gallery

Santa Anastasia

Verona's Largest Church, and Its Most Painted

📷 Gallery

Verona Cathedral

The Duomo, and the Church Everyone Walks Past

📷 Gallery

San Fermo Maggiore

Two Churches, One Building, One on Top of the Other

Torre dei Lamberti

84 Meters Above Verona's Terracotta Rooftops

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