Madonna Verona
In the center of Piazza
Erbe, the ancient Roman forum and now the heart
of the city, the Madonna Verona fountain is a landmark
and an important symbol for the Veronese. The
monument was commissioned by Cansignorio della Scala,
the last of the greats of the Scala family lords of Verona before
the decline of their power that ended with the annexation to the
Republic of Venice. The occasion for its realization was the
restoration of the aqueduct which, probably since Roman times,
brought water from the springs on the hills of Verona to the city.
The fountain was assembled in such a way as to constitute an allegorical
representation and a highly symbolic tribute
to the city and its history. The large basin
that rests on the bottom pedestal almost certainly comes from the
Roman baths of Verona (Thermae), the
remains of which have never been found but, according to the most
accredited archaeological hypotheses, were located in the area
where today stands the complex of the Cathedral. From the basin
rises a stem on which are carved the effigies of the
kings of Verona, historical or mythological: Vero,
from whom, according to legend, derives the name Verona, Queen
Verona, also mainly legendary, Alboin,
king of the barbarian tribe Lombards, who proclaimed in Verona the
end of the conquer of Italy and the establishment of his dominion,
and Berengario, Duke of Friuli, who made Verona
the capital of his ephemeral kingdom.
On top of this stem rests the statue of Madonna Verona,
not the Virgin Mary, but a medieval queen. Mea domina,
"my lady" in Latin, shortened in madonna, was the title
of respect used for noblewomen. Madonna Verona, with her crown, is
in fact the very personification of the city.
The body of the statue is also from Roman times, it is evident
from the refined drapery of the chiton,
the clothing wrapped around her figure. According to some
historians, supported by the few documents of the time, it could
even be one of the acroterial statues, the
sculpturs of god and goddess that decorated the roof of the main
temple, Capitolium, that stood on one
side of the forum, where today is Palazzo
Maffei. The statue, like many ancient sculptures, had
no arms and head, lost during the dark ages that followed the end
of the Roman Empire and the destruction of the temple. These parts
were rebuilt at the time of the creation of the fountain,
contributing to the dense symbolic meaning of the work: Verona, a
beautiful and rich city represented as a beautiful princess, with
the body representing its Roman origin and the head and arms
symbolizing its development in the Middle Ages, thanks to the rule
of Scala family.
Madonna Verona has in her hands a bronze scroll
bearing the motto placed on the ancient seal of
the Verona municipality: Est iusti latrix
urbs hec et laudis amatrix, that is "this city is the
bearer of justice and lover of praise".
In the exact center of Piazza delle Erbe, the fountain of Madonna Verona is included in every guided tour of the city conducted by licensed tourist guides. For more information please do not hesitate to contact us.