Corte Sgarzerie Cryptoporticus

A minute from Piazza delle Erbe, under a small courtyard most people walk past, runs a vaulted Roman gallery of the first century BC.

It is a cryptoporticus -- a half-buried arcade whose job was structural. Verona's forum stood on sloping ground, and this gallery was built to carry and level the terrace on which the Capitolium, the temple of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, was raised.

The courtyard above is called Corte Sgarzerie after the wool trade that worked there for centuries, and the loggia over the entrance is named for the mangano, the press that finished the cloth.

Access is irregular, which is the main thing to know.

This is a small, lightly managed archaeological site rather than a staffed museum. When it is open, it is usually because volunteers or municipal archaeologists have opened it -- stay with the group and follow what you are asked.

Do not touch the vaults or piers. Roman brick and mortar in a damp underground space is more fragile than it looks.

No flash where asked, and keep to the marked footing; the floor is uneven and partly original.

The courtyard above is surrounded by homes and businesses. Keep noise down, particularly in a group.

Turning up for the announced openings is what demonstrates demand for a site like this staying accessible at all.

Access is limited and irregular. The site is not open on daily museum hours; it is unlocked for guided visits, heritage days and occasional events.

Check with Verona's tourist office or the municipal archaeology programme before making a trip for it. Turning up and finding it shut is the common experience.

The courtyard above is public and always open, and worth two minutes on its own for the loggia even when the gallery below is not accessible.

It is a minute's walk from Piazza delle Erbe, off Via Pellicciai.

Allow thirty minutes when a visit is running.

The gallery is underground and reached by steps, with uneven footing and low light. It is not accessible, and sensible shoes help.