Overview
For many centuries, Piazza delle Erbe was the fulcrum of the social, economic and religious life of Verona. In Roman times it housed the Forum, the length of which is retained by the current square.
In the municipal period it was the seat of political power, and with the Scaligeri it became a lively center of arts and commerce. First under Venetian and then Austrian rule, it hosted the civil and criminal court, but it always remained the favorite meeting place and market of the Veronese people.
The square is surrounded by buildings and monuments that have marked the history of Verona. These include the Palazzo del Comune, the Torre dei Lamberti, Palazzo Maffei and the ancient Torre del Gardello.
The oldest monument in Piazza Erbe is the fountain with the statue, known as Madonna Verona. It is a Roman statue which, according to an epigraph of the fourth century, was transferred with solemn ceremony to the Forum, around 380.
Also worth mentioning is the capital known as Tribuna, a monument used in the past for various ceremonies such as the installation of the Podestà and the white, marble column, in front of Palazzo Maffei, surmounted by the lion of San Marco, symbol of the Republic of Venice.
Even today the central area, called the toloneo, hosts the market every day, while the square is always a very lively place thanks to the many bars, cafes, taverns and shops all around it.
