Description of the attraction
The Municipal Museum of Castelvecchio is located in the castle of the same name, built in the Middle Ages. Today, it houses the richest collection of paintings, sculptures, ancient weapons, ceramics and miniatures of those times, as well as several hundred-year-old bells. The museum was founded in 1923, but opened its doors to the public only in the second half of the 1970s after a lengthy renovation led by the architect Carlo Scarpa. His unique style can be seen in the elements of the decoration of doors and stairs, in the interior decoration and even in special fasteners that fix the exhibits of the museum.
Among the sculptures, most of which are made in the Romanesque style, it is worth noting the statues of Saints Sergei and Bacchus in 1179, the 14th century "Crucifix" made of volcanic tuff, the composition "Saints Cecilia and Caterina" from the Church of San Giacomo di Tomba and the statue of Cangrande I della A rock on horseback, transferred here from the Arok Scaligers. Painterly works of art are no less interesting: "Madonna of the Quail" by Pisanello, "Madonna in the Rose Garden" by Stefano da Verona (or Michelino da Bezozzo), "Crucifixion" by Jacopo Bellini, "Madonna and Child" by Gentile Bellini and "Holy Family" by Andrea Mantegna. Other paintings and frescoes from the 14th century can also be seen here. In one of the halls, a huge bell is harnessed from the Del Gardello tower in Piazza dell'Erbe - it was cast in 1370. In another hall, Verona bells of the 14-16th centuries are collected, and you can get into this hall only by walking along a secret passage leading to the keep of the castle. Other significant exhibits of the museum are jewelry from the 15th and 16th centuries, medieval tools and numerous sketches by masters of Italian painting.
Of course, the castle of Castelvecchio itself deserves special attention, built as a defensive fortress on the left bank of the Adige River during the reign of the Scaligers. This is one of the most outstanding examples of Gothic architecture. Its construction lasted from 1354 to 1376. Then it was called San Martino al Ponte after the nearby ancient church of St. Martin. And the current name, which means Old Castle in Italian, was given to it in the 15th century, when a new castle was built on the hill of San Pietro. During the reign of Napoleon, Castelvecchio was partially damaged, then, during the Austrian rule, it housed military barracks, and in 1923 the City Museum was opened.
At first glance, the structure itself is unremarkable - it is made of red brick without any decorations. In the courtyards you can see fragments of the city walls of Verona from the era of Ancient Rome, and along the perimeter of the castle, surrounded by a crenellated fence, there are seven towers. The castle is surrounded by a moat, once filled with the waters of the Adige River, but now dry. It is connected with the left-bank part of Verona by the Scaliger bridge, which was built in 1355.
