One Of Italy's Most Overlooked Tourist Cities With Outstanding Architecture Is Its Most Romantic

Rome, Venice, and Florence attract many tourists from around the world, but a city in northern Italy is wildly overlooked and radiates romance — Verona. The city is famous as the setting of William Shakespeare's legendary love story, "Romeo and Juliet." Just as Romeo falls in love at first sight with Juliet, so do many tourists with Verona, and that isn't just because of the iconic literary masterpiece. Verona has the vibe of a fairy tale. One of the city's most important attractions is a medieval castle, Castelvecchio, built in the 1300s by the ruling family of Verona, the Scala family. 

Throughout Verona, you'll find 2,000 years of architecture, from the Roman period to the Renaissance era and beyond. Since the city has so much history, its architecture neatly combines those of popular tourist cities such as Rome, Venice, and Florence. You'll feel like you're walking through chapters of a history book, especially in Verona's oldest and main square. Piazza delle Erbe has been around since the 14th century and was given its name ("Herbs Square" in English) because it served as a marketplace with fruits and vegetables. Today, people still enjoy fruits and vegetables at the plaza, but instead, they order these items at restaurants ... possibly with an Aperol Spritz!

The city of Verona created a museum, Casa Di Giulietta, to honor Shakespeare's fictional character, Juliet Capulet — and her statue is right outside. Visitors snap a photo with the monument, typically touching her right breast. Legend has it that doing this will bring you good luck in your love life. Don't forget to bring a lock, sign it with your (hopefully not star-crossed) lover, and lock it on the gate, so you can leave a piece of your forever romance in Verona. Also, you can write love letters to Juliet asking for relationship advice, just like in the 2010 film, "Letters to Juliet." While movies often get things wrong about Italy, this was an accurate scene for Hollywood.

Other date ideas in this magical city include visiting the Piazzale Castel San Pietro. You and your partner can take the funicular to the top of San Pietro Hill and see stunning panoramic views of the town. The site has served as a temple and a fortress, and now it's quite an Instagrammable background. Once you've seen the view from above, you can stroll along the Ponte Pietra, which crosses over the River Adige. It's a must-see in the evening when the lights twinkle and reflect along the river, illuminating the bridge for a charming experience. 

Verona has been dubbed "little Rome," and the Arena di Verona is part of the reason — it looks just like the Colosseum, only less than half the size. The Arena di Verona was built four decades before the Colosseum, in 30 A.D., but it still seats audiences for events, while the Colosseum is strictly a museum you can tour. At the Arena, you can see professional opera shows where gladiators used to fight in the first century, and tickets can be as low as 28 euros ($31.30).

Verona also has the "little Rome" nickname because of its preserved artifacts. In Rome, you'll see monuments like the Trevi Fountain and Pantheon. In Verona, you'll find many sites similar to those in Italy's capital. Most attractions have a deep-rooted history or are representations of fabled tales that shaped culture, like the Casa di Giulietta and Dante in Verona, a walking tour centered on "The Divine Comedy." After your day tours, book a cooking class where you can make tortellini or gelato from scratch. That might be better than going to an eatery, as many restaurants near monuments in Italy are costly tourist traps. 

So if you planned a whirlwind of activity even with only one day in Rome, you might be able to do as much, if not more, in "little Rome." One trip to Verona, and you'll be writing love letters addressed to the magical city of romance on your way home.