Arche Scaligere
Last updated on September 23, 2026Why visit Arche Scaligere
The della Scala family buried themselves in the street rather than inside their parish church, which was the whole point: stone canopies on columns, each holding a sarcophagus, each crowned by the dead lord on horseback in full armour, visible to anyone walking past. They are among the finest Gothic funerary monuments in Italy, and they occupy a space barely larger than a courtyard.
Visit if you:
- are fascinated by medieval history, and by how power made itself visible
- want Italian Gothic sculpture at close range and eye level
- like monuments that are part of a street rather than an exhibit
- have five minutes between Piazza dei Signori and the rest of the centre
Skip it if you:
- want to go inside — the tombs are seen through the ironwork from the street
- are planning a visit rather than a stop; twenty minutes covers it fully
Quick Facts
- Type: Monument
- Local name: Arche Scaligere (vedi la pagina italiana)
- Reservation: Not required — tickets on the door
- Typical visit: About 20 minutes
- Built: 14th century
- Built for: the della Scala lords of Verona
- Designed by: Bonino da Campione (Cansignorio’s tomb)
- Architectural style: Italian Gothic
- A coat of arms used as a fence: The wrought-iron enclosure repeats the della Scala emblem -- a ladder, scala -- over and over, turning the family arms into the structure that guards them.
- What the 2004 examination found: Cangrande I’s tomb was opened in 2004 and his body examined; the analysis found lethal levels of digitalis, consistent with the poisoning his contemporaries suspected.
- UNESCO World Heritage Site: Yes
Visit Responsibly
The tombs are exposed white marble that has stood in the open for seven centuries, and their condition shows it. Do not touch the railing's stonework or lean on the enclosure.
This is a narrow street on a busy walking route. Photographers stopping at the railing block it easily -- step aside rather than standing in the flow.
Santa Maria Antica alongside is a working church; keep quiet near its door.
Seeing Cangrande's original statue at Castelvecchio rather than only the copy here is worth the museum ticket, and supports the collection conserving it.
Where it is
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Plan Your Visit
The tombs are visible from the street for free through the iron railing, which is how most people see them and is genuinely adequate -- the enclosure is small and the monuments are tall.
Access inside the enclosure is possible on a ticket, often combined with the Torre dei Lamberti, but opening is limited and seasonal.
They stand beside Santa Maria Antica, a minute's walk from Piazza dei Signori and five from Piazza delle Erbe.
Allow fifteen to twenty minutes. This is a stop within a walk through the centre rather than a destination.
The street outside is level and accessible; the enclosure itself has uneven historic paving.
When to Visit
Morning light is best for photographing the tombs through the railing, which is otherwise awkward.
Any season works for a street-level look, since there is nothing to enter.
Early or late in the day avoids the flow between Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza dei Signori, which is heavy in the middle of the day in season.
To go inside the enclosure, check opening in advance -- it is not reliably open outside the main season.