In the small, refined Vista Verona romantic glances at the heart of the city

Why William Shakespeare chose Verona as the setting for the drama Romeo and Juliet is still a mystery. At the time, medieval Italy was the subject of great interest in England and the Venetian city, with its intricate centre and beautiful palaces, could have been the ideal place to set a thriller love story. But if Verona, like the story, was only the invention of a literary genius, it has to be said that it was able to adopt the narrative and make it part of its cultural heritage. Proof of this is the influx of visitors to the alleged house of Juliet, which exceeds one and a half million every year. We do not know if it is the ideal city, but its small size, large pedestrian zones, secret gardens, market squares, and the Adige River flowing through it, create the perfect setting for a romantic weekend.

And now there is also a small, refined hotel that updates the city's fané hospitality: Vista Verona, a five-star luxury just seconds from the central Via Leoni with its excavations and Roman gate. In the three-storey building, the welcome is familiar. Two minutes to check in and you are in the lounge that heralds the hotel's style: marble, modern and handcrafted design pieces, velvets, books and furnishings to create a residential, comfortable atmosphere. The sixteen suites follow the layout of the period structure and are therefore all different, with the sleeping area separate from the living area, where one can work at a comfortable desk or read in an armchair, using the minibar for a coffee, herbal tea, a soft drink and some snacks. The elegant fabrics and lighting contribute to the soft ambience of a home, where one has the pleasure of stopping by or returning at the end of the day.

The lower part of the building is dedicated to wellness. It is a small oasis, where they offer a welcome treatment (for those staying more than two days): for half an hour, you surrender yourself into the hands of a masseuse, and then relax around the swimming pool which, although tiny, is a gift with its water games and hydromassage, to be completed with the Turkish bath, sauna and ice fountain. There is also a gym that is always open and a room, this one rather large, for treatments for two with a hot tub where one can finish the course in total relaxation. The hotel's centrepiece is the rooftop, above the restaurant where breakfast, lunch (with a classic all-day menu), aperitifs and gourmet dinners accompanied by wines from a beautiful wine cellar are served on the same floor. Above that, edged by well-kept greenery, is the bar overlooking the rooftops and poetic views of the city on four sides.

It is no coincidence that both the hotel and the luxury brand of the LarioHotels Group, headed by Bianca Passera and her nephew Luigi, are called Vista. Hoteliers since the early 1900s, the Passera family have several hotels in Como and, there too, the first Vista in the collection in front of the most glamorous lake. One view is the theme of the collection (and will also be the theme of the new address in Ostuni planned for summer 2025), the other is the concrete approach to sustainability, ranging from the reduction of energy consumption to the empowerment of staff.

And then there is the location, which is strategic in Verona, because on foot you can reach the most interesting places in the city, passing poetic views in any season. Palazzo Maffei with its precious private art collection, the Arena with its bill of operas, ballets and concerts, and the Perbellini 12 Apostoli Restaurant, a new gastronomic destination with its 3 Michelin stars that it has just won. A few steps further on, on the banks of the Adige River, is Castelvecchio, a medieval fortress with interiors designed in 1958 by Carlo Scarpa to house Venetian sculptures and paintings from the Middle Ages to the present day. Masterpieces inside an extraordinary architectural masterpiece.