Originally a Roman forum, Piazza delle Erbe is ringed with buzzing cafes and some of Verona’s most sumptuous buildings, including the elegantly baroque Palazzo Maffei, which now houses several shops at its northern end. Just off the piazza, the monumental arch known as the Arco della Costa is hung with a whale’s rib. Legend holds that the rib will fall on the first just person to walk beneath it. So far, it remains intact, despite visits by popes and kings.
From Monday to Saturday the square is cluttered with a souvenir market.
