Towards east

Only 10 km from the city is San Martino Buon Albergo (14736 inhabitants), documented in Roman times but which already existed in the Bronze Age, attested by the remains of a fortified village in the nearby hills.

The neighbourhoods of Casette, Marcellise, Mambrotta, Case Nuove and Ferrazze are part of the municipality. If you want to have a better look at the area, you can go for a two hours walk called "il giro delle contrade" which includes the districts of Marcellise, Borgo Casale, Cao di Sopra, Casale di Tavola, Monte Garbi di Sotto, Casale and Marcellise.

In Marcellise, 5 km from San Martino, is Villa Girasole, designed by engineer Angelo Invernizzi. The villa can rotate 360°, following the sun to save energy. Its motors, which currently are not functioning although a restoration project is being carried out, enabled the house to rotate on itself in 9 hours and 20 minutes.

Another noteworthy villa is surronded by precious Soave and Valpolicella vineyards, nestled in the foothills of the Lessini Mountains: La Musella, from the name of the first owners (Muselli), cloth merchants. The complex of villa and gradens was built in the mid-17th century, but the main restoration was carried out by the Veronese architect Giacomo Franco in the 19th century.

Entering the Valley of Mezzane we first reach Lavagno (8404 inhabitants). The old vicus (term used in the Middle Ages to indicate a village) and the castrum (fortified structures) were granted by Conrad II to the bishop of Verona in the 11th century and later by the diocese to the Scaligeri, to the Visconti and to the Serenissima (Republic of Venice).

The hillsides of lower Lessinia are covered with cherry trees and vines and here and there with villas, mostly 15th century. One of these is Villa Verità , also called "Il Boschetto" (The Grove).

Built for Girolamo Verità  by Domenico Curtoni (student of Michele Sanmicheli), the villa contains frescoes by Filippo Maccari and Giorgio Anselmi. It is surrounded by hanging gardens, fountains and a fish pond.

A little more than 5 km away is the village of San Briccio, already inhabited during the Neolithic, where you can enjoy a spectacular view over olive groves and vineyards. Taking a short walk through a green thicket, you reach a fort, recently reopened after restoration. It was built after the annexation of Veneto to Italy and was meant to defend the eastern flank of Verona and the valleys of Illasi and Mezzane, preventing a possible return of the Hasburgs. The architect was an Italian, Enrico Rocchi, although the project is based on a type of structure conceived by the renowned Austrian military engineer Andreas Tunkler (1820-1873).

The fort of San Briccio was built in 1882 in masonry and brick and then covered with masses of turf to cushion the impact of any gunfire. It is surrounded by a rampart and a moat and it is situated in a dominant position, served by military type access roads. However, during the First World War this area was not at the centre of the fighting and the fort has survived virtually intact.

Back in the square of San Briccio, we recommend a stroll along one of the many scenic walks in the Mezzane valley. Before leaving the village, stop at teh 14th century Gothic church of San Giacomo di Grigliano. The frescoes inside were painted by a master of the school of Altichiero, perhaps by Martino da Verona.

Back in the car, descend southwards. You can choose to head towards Illasi (10 min) or towards Mezzane (10 min), important places for the history of eastern Verona.

If you decide to go to Illasi, you will reach the village (5343 inhabitants) which names the valley. This area was inhabited between the end of the Copper and early Bronze Age and was also an important centre during the Roman period. The main symbol of the town is the castle built at the time of Ezzelino III da Romano (12th century). Now reduced to little more than a ruin, it is still quite awesome. Right at the foot of the castle hill are the stately homes of the Pompei, counts of Illasi: the 18th century Villa Perez Pompei Sagramoso and, closer to the centre, Villa Pompei Carlotti, first built in the 17th century by the architect count Alessandro Pompei, and later renovated in te 18th century, as stated by 1737 inscription on the porch.

Unfortunately neither the villas nor the castle can be visited inside. However, if you take a 30 minute walk up to the top of the hill you can see over the beautiful valley and enjoy all these wonders from above.

If you reach the nearby Valley of Mezzane, you will find Mezzane di Sotto (2508 inhabitants) with its hilly neighbourhoods of Mezzane di Sopra, to the east, and Castagnè, to the west. The area was inhabited in prehistoric times, when around the second millennium BC ancient Veneti populations settled here, later giving way to the Romans. Through the centuries many aristocratic families have built their summer homes here, attracted by the amenity of the surroundings and the lush greenery. Among these are Villa Roja Schiavon, Villa Maffei Benini, Villa Giuliari Erbici and Villa della Torre. The first is at the beginning of the town. It has an 18th century layout, and is owned by the Sorelle della Misericordia (Sisters of Mercy) congregation who have turned it into a hospice. The second is in the centre of the town and is the seat of the municipal administration. The latter is an elegant construction of the early 18th century commissioned by Count Carlo Maffei (1706), with frescoes by the Veronese painter Andrea Porta (1719-1805) and is surrounded by a large garden full of statues and a beautiful magnolia grove.

Continuing on the main road north to San Mauro, you can see some more beautiful villas, unfortunately not easily accessible to the public. Among them Villa Giuliari Erbici, built in different periods: the porch and turret are 15th centur, the main building, which has a fresco by Paolo Farinati in a hall on the ground fllor, is 16th century, and the tower on the right wing is 18th century. Finally we find Villa della Torre (now Tommasi), which acquired its present Palladian features during the 16th century. The building houses extraordinary allegorical and mythological frescoes, works of Polo Farinati and his sons Orazio and Giambattista, commissioned by Alvise della Torre, and beautiful stuccos by Bartolomeo Ridolfi.

The grounds are unique, with their botanical garden, winter garden and fishpond.

The symbol of the town is its Romanesque tower, originally the bell tower of the old 12th century church which once stood right here. Another important building in town is the parish church Santa Maria Assunta, built between 1871 and 1889 and designed by Angelo Gottardi. Inside are paintings by Antonio Girola, Claudio Ridolfi, Giovanni Caliari and Girolamo Dai Libri.