Verona is a city on the banks of the Adige river in Veneto north east Italy
it is a famed tourist destination and a Unesco World Heritage site. Verona has been promoted by
Englishman, William Shakespeare. Both the plays Romeo and Juliet and the Two gentlemen of Verona
feature the city. As Romeo once said "there is no world without Verona walls but purgatory torture
hell itself. Hence banished is banished from the world and the world's exile is death."
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Verona was always a key location to cross the Adige river. This strategic crossing joined
multiple strategic roads. The origins of Verona are of course disputed any one of the Arusnates ,
the Raetians or the Euganei, made way for the Cenomani (from France / Gaul) around 550 BC.
Verona was an ally of ancient Rome becoming a Roman colony in 89 bc.
Verona joined the Romans to resist the advantage Teutones (Germanic) and Cimbri (Germanic or Celt)
tribe. The river crossing was replaced by two bridges including Pothumius bridge which was
also an aqueduct. The water as transported was used for naval battles in the Arena
the city boasted a forum near Piazza delle Erbe and the famous Arena was built at this time
emperors frequently lived in Verona and Julius Caesar took a holiday here. Christianity was
beginning to stir in Verona. Alaric I King of the Visigoths invaded northern Italy from Dalmatia
in 403. Alaric was beaten back from Verona by the Roman general Stilicho
a campaign by Attila the Hun was halted near Verona by a group organized by Pope Leo I in 452
As the western Roman empire fell in 476 Verona was one of the last strongholds of Odoacer
against the Ostrogoth army of Theodoric the Great. Theodoric built his key palaces in both Verona
and nearby Ravenna. Verona remained under Gothic rule during the Gothic war of 535-552
Verona only surrendered as the Goth rule finally collapsed in 552
In 569 Verona fell to Alboin King of the Lombards, before he in turn was assassinated in 572.
Adalgisus made his desperate last stand in Verona against Charlemagne in 774
at times Verona was controlled by either the Duchy of Carinthia (Austria) or
the Duchy of Bavaria (Germany.) The increasing wealth of medieval Verona
was defended by its set of defensive towers. In 1164 Verona joined the Veronese league
which included Vicenza Padova and Treviso. Later the Lombard league
in 1167. The Lombard league defeated Frederick I Barbarossa at the battle of Legnano in 1176
The Guelphs and the Ghibellines emerged in Verona due to the tension between the Pope and
the Emperor. Ezzelino III da Romano massacred 11k people from Padua on the Campi di Verona in 1257.
Verona was at war against the counts of San Bonifacio and the House of Este. Can Grande I
was a soldier prince who promoted artists such as Dante Petrarch and Giotto. His rule increased
the sphere of influence to include Padova Treviso and Vicenza. Verona under the family Della Scala
was rich powerful and defended by brand new walls Verona now controlled Brescia Parma and Lucca.
A league of city-states was formed in 1337
Florence Venice the Visconti of Este and the Gonzaga battled the Scaliger family of Verona
for areas of control until only Verona and Vicenza were left alone and isolated. Cangrande II was
a cruel and incompetent tyrant who unwisely relied upon mercenaries to maintain his power
he was killed by his brother Cansignorio who built aqueducts and bridges and formed a state treasury
Cansignorio was in turn killed by his brother Paolo Alboino brother continued to kill brother
until Antonio fled Verona in 1387. So ended the Scaliger dynasty. The Battle of Castagnaro,
saw John Hawkwood, of Padua defeat Giovanni Ordelaffi, of Verona, In 1387
Verona swore loyalty to Venice in 1405. Plague struck between 1511 and 1512
Emperor Maximilian the first who is known as Maximilian the Moneyless
tried to make Verona the capital of a German kingdom in northern Italy. Instead
the control of Verona passed to Charles v of Spain and then to France and then to Venice
Venice invested heavily in the fortifications of Verona as its main mainland
stronghold. A period of peace growth and cultural development for Verona was to follow
Michele Sanmicheli the greatest Venetian architect of his time designed many of the buildings in Verona
Verona would suffer again from outbreaks of the plague
between 1629 and 1633. Napoleon occupied Verona in 1797 but the popular uprising Veronese Easter
drove the French out of the city. As the Venetian republic fell in 1797
Verona now fell into Austrian hands. It changed hands between the French and the Austrians
before finally becoming part of the kingdom of Lombardy Venezia upon Napoleon's defeat in 1814
the third Italian war of Independence in 1866 saw the key Austrian stronghold of Verona
to become part of united Italy as the Austrians fled. A flood in 1882 led to the redevelopment of
large parts of the ancient city that were based around the riverbank. Fascism was a dark chapter
in the history of Verona. The Austrian fort on the site of Santuario della Madonna di Lourdes
was used to hold and interrogate Allied troops Jews and anti-fascists.
After 1943 Verona became part of the Italian Social Republic, also known as the Republic
of Salo, a German puppet state. Verona was heavily bombed during world war ii.
Half of the city was either destroyed or damaged. Galeazzo Ciano the son-in-law of Benito Mussolini
underwent a show trial in 1944 at Castelvecchio which was known as the Verona trial.
He was on trial for conspiring against the German rulers. Ciano was executed on the banks of the
Adige river along with a number of other officers. The fleeing Germans destroyed all the bridges. The
The Shakespearean tragedy about two young star cross lovers Romeo and Juliet has made Verona famous
their doomed love has disastrous consequences for both of their families the Montague and the
Capulets as the play says
"from forth the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life."
Do not miss the following in Verona Piazza delle Erbe, the market square which was rebuilt by Cangrande I and Cansignorio della Scala I,
reusing marble from Roman spas and villas. Verona's famous amphitheater, the Arena is
in Piazza Bra. The arena is largely intact and in active use for theater open-air opera particularly
Aida and pop concerts during the summer. the Gavi Arch was built in the 1st century a.d.
It was destroyed by French troops in 1805 and subsequently rebuilt in 1932.
The Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore was built in the 1100s on top of a 4th century shrine
to Verona's patron St. Zeno, a martyr. It receives a mention in the Divine Comedy by Dante.
Visit Juliet's balcony which looks suspiciously very modern
and repeat the lines "but soft what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun"
Visit the Gothic Scaliger Tombs. Piazza dei Signori has a statue of the famous poet Dante.
Enjoy the view of Torre dei Lamberti but can you walk up the steps, and you'll be pleased to know
Verona is an area popular for wine-making. Tim Parks wrote the book "a season with Verona."
One of the movies filmed in Verona was "Letters to Juliet" starring Amanda Seyfried.
Emilio Salgari was from Verona he wrote swashbuckling tales and his work remains very popular in Italy (I enjoyed these as a child!)