Piazza Brà (Verona)

Square in Verona

Piazza Bra Verona — CC BY-SA 2.0 / Son of Groucho

Piazza Bra, or more simply the Bra (from the German “breit”, meaning “broad”), is the largest square in Verona, located in its historical centre.

The widening of the Bra began to turn into the square only in the first half of the sixteenth century, when the architect Michele Sanmicheli completed the Palazzo degli Honorij : this building delimited the western side of the future square, as well as establishing a correct perspective on the Arena . The first attempt to transform the dirt road widening into a place for strolling was, however, by the mayor Alvise Mocenigo, who wanted to create a meeting place for the nascent Veronese bourgeoisie: he was able to inaugurate the first part of the Liston , a paved sidewalk that flanks the Bra connecting Corso Porta Nuova to via Mazzini, in 1770. The Gran Guardia , begun by the Venetians in the seventeenth century and completed by the Austrians in the nineteenth century, delimited the southern side of the square, while in 1836 the architect Giuseppe Barbieri designed the eastern edge, where a hospital, some houses and a small church, in the place of which the Gran Guardia Nuova was built , better known as Palazzo Barbieri. This, initially used as a barracks by the Austrians, became, following the annexation of the Veneto to the Kingdom of Italy , the seat of the municipality of Verona.

The main attraction of the piazza is the colossal Arena di Verona and the open space surrounding this monument offers some fantastic photographic opportunities.

The Piazza Brà (Verona) appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Verona!

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