Verona UNESCO

A city steeped in history. A brand waiting to be coherent.

Verona, nestled along the Adige River, is a labyrinth of medieval alleyways and palaces shaped by centuries. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, the city needed a visual identity system capable of communicating its essence, not as a museum piece, but as a living cultural presence.

The brief required a brand capable of speaking both locally and internationally, across physical and digital touchpoints, from billboards to apps.

Why Verona is a UNESCO site.

Verona, founded in the 1st century BC, experienced periods of expansion in the 13th and 14th centuries under the Scaligeri family, then under the Venetian Republic from the 15th to 17th centuries. After Rome, it is Italy's second city for preserved Roman ruins: the Arena, the Roman Theatre, the Ponte Pietra, the Arco dei Gavi, the Leoni and Borsari gates. Beyond its Roman heritage, it bears witness to the Scaligeri's political power, the Venetian Republic's development, and the Austro-Hungarian fortifications. It is a city of culture, art, and layered time.

The Arena, abstracted.

The logo was developed through an iterative sketching process, exploring Verona's most significant visual references: its bridges, walls, arches, and most iconically, the Roman Arena. The final mark abstracts the Arena's concentric form into a series of parallel lines, creating a symbol that is immediately legible as Veronese without being illustrative. Versatile across black, red, and white backgrounds, the mark works at every scale and in every context.

Type and colour.

The typeface is GT Super, a serif chosen for its elegance and historical weight, capable of bridging Verona's Roman past and its contemporary cultural presence. The colour palette is built on three tones: white, black, and an intense crimson red. The red evokes the passion of the city and connects directly to the Roman style found in its monuments, while recalling the vibrancy of its markets, festivals, and traditions.

From urban billboards to postcards.

The identity system was applied across multiple formats, including billboards, posters, and a postcard series built around the concept of “Verona at your fingertips”, turning the city's landmarks into tangible objects to hold, share, and keep.

Institutional merch.

The institutional merchandise line extends the identity into everyday objects for both the organisation and its visitors. The system covers: headed paper, entrance tickets (19×6cm), business cards (5.5×8.5cm), staff badges, a brochure, a tote bag, and a t-shirt. Each object maintains the visual rigour of the brand system while adapting to its specific format and function.

Letterhead, tickets, staff badge and business card

Brochure

T-shirt and tote bag

Verona Amore merch.

Verona is famous not only for its architectural and cultural heritage, but as the city of love. To enrich the merchandise offer and consolidate this dimension of Verona's identity, we developed a dedicated sub-brand: Verona Amore. Maintaining full visual coherence with the main identity, the line uses thematic elements that resonate with visitors from around the world. The collection includes a tote bag, t-shirt, wine bag, and love lock, each object connecting the UNESCO brand to the romantic narrative that defines Verona globally.

T-shirt and tote bag

Lock and wine bag

Navigation as a brand experience.

The wayfinding system transforms the physical experience of moving through Verona into a branded encounter. The system includes a starter totem for entry points, a monumental totem for major landmarks, and directional indicators throughout the city. Each element maintains the visual language of the identity while prioritising legibility and orientation for visitors navigating Verona's layered urban fabric.

Verona in real time.

The social media plan runs on recurring formats that turn residents and visitors into contributors to the brand.

VeronApp. An alternative to the traditional city visit.

VeronApp guides tourists through personalised itineraries based on their interests, as well as standard routes designed to immerse visitors in the different historical periods that shaped Verona. A short quiz at onboarding profiles the user and generates a tailored experience. Detailed information on every heritage site is available throughout. The app transforms passive tourism into an active, personalised encounter with the city.