Verona, Italy

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enclosed on two sides by the rapidly flowing Adige and linked with the districts on the left bank by ten bridges. Verona, a city rich in art and architecture, lies about 80km/50mi from Venice and the Adriatic. It is also a considerable commercial center, handling the produce (particularly fruit and vegetables) of the province's fertile irrigated soil.

History

Verona, which still preserved the name of the prehistoric settlement on this site, became a Roman colony in 89 B.C. and thereafter developed into a town of considerable importance, as the remains of the amphitheater and other buildings testify. In the sixth century the Ostrogothic king Theodoric (d. 626) made it one of his royal residences, together with Pavia and Ravenna. During the Frankish period Charlemagne's son Pepin reigned here as king of Italy, and later the Saxon and Hohenstaufen emperors found the town, situated at the end of the road over the Brenner, a convenient base from which to control Italy. From the middle of the 13th century Verona was ruled by the Ghibelline family of Della Scala (the Scaligers), but in 1387 they were expelled by the Viscontis. In 1405 the town passed into the hands of Venice. During the Austrian period (1814-66) Verona became a fortress town, forming with Peschiera, Mantova and Legnago the famous defensive "quadrilaterial". In 1866 it was incorporated in the united Kingdom of Italy.

Art

Verona is notable for its fine Romanesque churches (11th century), but is was also a considerable artistic center in the Renaissance period, particularly in the field of architecture. Its leading architects were the Dominican monk Fra Giocondo (c. 1433-1515) and Michele Sammichele (1484-1559). Sammichele sought to embellish his works of fortifications by the use of classical architectural forms, erected numerous splendid buildings and built the bastioned town walls (1530 onwards).