The Castelvecchio Castle was built in the 14th century during the reign of the Scaliger dynasty. It was part of the city’s defensive structures, a well-fortified fortress, a marvel of military architecture of that time. Initially, it was called San Martino al Ponte – named after the church that was nearby. The castle was designed after the example of all fortresses of that time – high walls surrounded by deep moats filled with water. Such a system – “moat-mound” was common for fortifying medieval cities. The site chosen for the new fortress was where an ancient Roman fort had stood in antiquity – fragments of its foundations remained. Centuries later, the cruel tyrant of Verona, Cangrande II della Scala, ordered the construction of the castle.
In the late 18th century, it was the residence of Napoleon. The locals were initially very loyal to his soldiers, but soon they began looting and pillaging. In 1796, a rebellion of the townspeople began, resulting in significant damage to the castle. After restoration in the mid-19th century, it housed an Austrian garrison for some time.
The Castelvecchio Castle looks simple and austere – walls made of red brick, without any decorations, with crenellated walls. The crenellations resemble the letter M. This is associated with the legend of two opposing clans, the Guelphs and Ghibellines, who did not recognize each other. The rivalry reached the point where even the crenellations on their castles were made differently. The Guelphs had pointed ones, resembling bird wings, while the Ghibellines had rectangular ones. This was done so that everyone could see from afar who owned the building. The inner courtyard is interestingly designed. Its shape resembles an irregular trapezoid, and along its perimeter, there are 7 watchtowers.
The Scaliger Bridge connects the left bank of Verona with Castelvecchio. They were built simultaneously, in the Romanesque style, and together represent a magnificent ensemble of medieval architecture. The Scaliger Bridge adjacent to the castle is named after the ruling Scaliger dynasty. By the order of the monarch Cangrande II della Scala, it was designed by the renowned architect of the Middle Ages, Guglielmo Bevilacqua. He also oversaw all the work. The construction lasted more than 10 years and was completed in 1355. The bridge became the only road connecting Castelvecchio with the city. It is a very powerful and at the same time aesthetic structure, with the same arrow slits and pointed crenellations as the castle, its length is over 100 meters. It consists of three arches of different lengths, which rest on two pentagonal towers. The arches form three spans, the length of the largest being 50 meters. The bridge was so strong and reliable that it stood without reconstructions for about 500 years. It was blown up by the Germans during their retreat from Verona in 1945. After the war, the bridge was restored to its original state, based on preserved drawings and descriptions, using fragments found in the river.
Today, the Castelvecchio Castle houses a historical museum. One of its halls is entirely dedicated to the history of the castle itself. The exhibition is a rich collection of medieval painting and sculpture. Part of it is located in the inner courtyards (visiting the museum is paid).
