Description of the attraction
Palazzo Maffei is a palace in Verona, built in the 15th century in the northwest corner of Piazza delle Erbe. In 1629, the owner of the Palazzo, the noble city dweller Marcantorio Maffei, decided to expand his possessions by adding a third floor - his idea was implemented only in 1668. The architect remained unknown.
The façade of the majestic and elegant Palazzo is made in the Baroque style. On the ground floor there are five arched vaults, each with a window with an elegant balcony inside. The windows are separated from each other by Ionic semi-columns, decorated with huge mascaras. The second floor is designed in the same style as the first, but its windows are smaller and the frames are separated by pilasters. At the very top of the facade, you can see a balustrade with statues of Roman deities - Hercules, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Apollo and Minerva. All of them, except for the statue of Hercules, are carved from local marble. And the statue of Hercules, as historians believe, once adorned the ancient temple, which was located in the era of Ancient Rome on the site of the present Piazza del Erbe, which at that time served as a Roman forum. The remains of this temple can still be seen today near Palazzo Maffei.
Inside the Palazzo there is an extravagant spiral stone staircase that leads from the basement to the very roof of the building. Interestingly, the ladder is not supported by any support. And right in front of Palazzo Maffei there is a column crowned with the lion of St. Mark - the symbol of the Venetian Republic.
