Verona

Verona

Description of Verona

Location: Veneto Region, Verona Province  Map

Verona is an Italian town of 257 683 inhabitants, the capital of the homonymous province located in Veneto. It is the second largest city in the region by population after the capital, Venice , and the twelfth nationwide.

Known to be the site of the Romeo and Juliet tragedy, Verona has developed progressively and continuously for two thousand years, integrating high-quality artistic elements from the different periods that have followed one another, including the Della Scala family's government between the thirteenth and sixteenth centurie , and that of the Venetian Republic between the beginning of the fifteenth and the end of the eighteenth century; for its art and architecture and its urban structure, "an excellent example of a fortified city", Verona has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Though close to the more popular tourist destination of Venice, many people consider Verona a more relaxed and pleasant place to visit. There are many tourists, but the number of tourists per square metre is lower.

IAT Verona (Tourist information), Via Degli Alpini, 9 (Piazza Bra), ☎ +39 045 8068680, e-mail: iatverona@provinciadiveronaturismo.it. M-Sa 10:00-13:00, 14:00-18:00.

 

Travel Destinations in Verona

Civil architectures

1 Arena di Verona, Piazza Bra, ☎ +39 045 8003204. Full ticket €6; reduced ticket for groups of more than 15 people, students between 14 and 30 and seniors €4.50; reduced ticket for school groups between 8 and 14 years €1.00. Mon 1.30pm-7.30pm, Tue-Sun 8.30am-7.30pm. It is a Roman amphitheater located in the historic center of Verona, an icon of the Venetian city. It is one of the large buildings that have characterized Roman playful architecture and is the ancient amphitheater with the best degree of conservation, thanks to the systematic restorations carried out since the 1600s. In summer it hosts the famous opera festival and many international singers and musicians stop by. The lack of written sources about the inauguration of the amphitheater makes it very difficult to provide a certain chronology, so much so that in the past, from various studies, very different dates have emerged, a period of time ranging from the 1st to the 3rd century, although by now it is shown that it cannot have been built after the 1st century, so it was built between Emperor Augustus and Emperor Claudius.
2 Juliet's House, Via Cappello 23, ☎ +39 045 8034303, fax: +39 045 8062652, castelvecchio@comune.verona.it. Full ticket €6; reduced ticket for groups of more than 15 people, students between 14 and 30 and seniors €4.50; reduced ticket for school groups between 8 and 14 years €1.00. Mon 1.30pm-7.30pm, Tue-Sun 8.30am-7.30pm (last entry at 6.45pm). The site is one of the major attractions for tourists visiting Verona. This attention often makes the courtyard of the house very crowded, on which moreover souvenir shops have been opened for tourists. The passageway that gives access to the courtyard is entirely covered in graffiti and love-themed tickets left by many visitors.
The building, which certainly already existed in the 12th century, derived from the union of several houses around a central courtyard.
3 Tomb of Juliet, Via del Pontiere 35. Mon 1.30pm-7.30pm, Tue-Sun 8.30am-7.30pm. It is located in Verona inside the former convent of the Capuchin friars dating back to the 13th century, today the "G.B. Cavalcaselle" Museum of Frescoes. Tradition and imagination want it to be the burial place of Giulietta Capuleti, protagonist of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
4 Roman Theater, Rigaste Redentore 2, ☎ +39 045 800360. Mon 1.45pm-7.30pm, Tue-Sun 8.30am-7.30pm. The Archaeological Museum of Verona can be visited with the same theater access ticket. It rises in the northern part of the city, at the foot of Colle San Pietro. It was built at the end of the 1st century BC, a period in which Verona saw the monumentalization of the San Pietro hill. Before its construction, between the Pietra bridge and the Postumio bridge, walls were built on the Adige, parallel to the theater itself, to defend it from eventual river floods. Only the remains of the work remain visible, because over time it has undergone, in addition to natural events, also burial under dilapidated buildings. The "discoverer in modern times" of the theater was Andrea Monga (1794-1861), a wealthy merchant, who after having bought the whole area carried out extensive demolition and excavations. Only in 1904 was the whole area purchased by the municipality of Verona, which continued the work. Today the cavea and the steps remain, many arches of loggias and important remains of the scene. The load-bearing walls of the stage building also remain. On the top of the hill, in 1851 the remains of the temple that crowned the magnificent original structure of the theater were found; the complex rose from the bank of the Adige to extend with various terraces up to the top of the hill with a drop in altitude of about 60 metres.
5 Piazza delle Erbe (Piazza Erbe). Square that stands on the site of the ancient Roman forum. Square known for its market and for the fact that well-known palaces overlook it, such as Palazzo Maffei with the Torre del Gardello, the Case Mazzanti, the Domus Mercatorum (merchant's house) and the Torre dei Lamberti with the Palazzo della Ragione (or Town Hall). At the center of it are the Fountain of the Madonna of Verona, the Capitello (or Tribuna) and, in front of Palazzo Maffei, a column with a statue of the Lion of Marciano on top.
6 Piazza dei Signori (Piazza Dante). Many buildings overlook it, such as the Palazzo della Ragione (where the Veronese podestà resided, today a museum of modern art) with the Torre dei Lamberti, the Palazzo del Capitanio, or the court or Cansignorio (built in the Scaliger age by Cansignorio was originally a palace-fortress, then in the Venetian age it became the seat of the Captain. Under the Austrians it became a court and finally, in the post-unification period, it became a prison. Today it is set up for various exhibitions), the Loggia del Council and the Palazzo del Podestà (now the prefecture). At the center of the square is the statue of Dante Alighieri (hence Piazza Dante). To the north-east of the square are the Scaliger Arches, tombs of some Veronese lords, all of the Della Scala family, and the church of Santa Maria Antica.
7 Scaliger Tombs, Via Santa Maria Antica 4. €1. Tue-Sun 10am-1pm and 3pm-6pm. They are a monumental Gothic-style funerary complex of the Scaligeri family, intended to contain the arks (or tombs) of some illustrious representatives of the family, including that of the greatest lord of Verona, Cangrande della Scala, to whom Dante dedicates Paradise. The arks were made in the 14th century by various sculptors. Arriving from Piazza dei Signori, leaning against the wall of the church of Santa Maria, is the tomb of Mastino I della Scala, with a simple sarcophagus that recalls Roman use. A little further on is the isolated tomb of Alberto I della Scala which, richly historiated, architecturally repeats that of Mastino I. Next to the external wall there are then three simple tombs, probably belonging, in order, to Bartolomeo I, Cangrande II and Bartolomeo II della Scala (the latter perhaps by Bailardo Nogarola). Above the side door of Santa Maria Antica is the magnificent ark of Cangrande I, the greatest Scaliger lord. The sarcophagus of Cangrande is supported by four dogs holding the Scaliger coat of arms: three statues can be seen on the front, while Verona can be seen on the back. Above the sarcophagus is the reclining statue of Cangrande. Four Corinthian columns support the canopy, which soars upwards, culminating in the remarkable equestrian statue of Cangrande della Scala. Then there is the ark of Mastino II della Scala: his sarcophagus rests on four pillars, and above it the statue of him lies stretched out. At the top of the ark is the equestrian statue of the Lord, enclosed in solid armor. Finally the last ark, that of Cansignorio della Scala, the richest and most animated. The tomb of Giovanni della Scala was instead moved here in 1831 from the church of Santi Fermo e Rustico to the Navi bridge, and is now located at the end of the cemetery, on the outside wall of a house. The original statues of Cangrande and Mastino II have been transferred to the Castel Vecchio museum, so there are copies in the cemetery.

 

Religious architecture

8 Basilica of San Zeno, Piazza San Zeno, info@basilicasanzeno.it. Winter: Mon-Sat 1.30pm-5pm, Sun 12.30pm-5pm. Summer: Mon-Sat 8:30-18:00, Sun 12:30-18:00. It is considered one of the Romanesque masterpieces in Italy. It is spread over three levels and the current structure was set up in the X-XI century. The saint's name is sometimes reported in two other ways, and thus the basilica of Verona is sometimes named: San Zeno Maggiore or San Zenone. Among the many works of art, it houses a masterpiece by Andrea Mantegna, the San Zeno Altarpiece.
9 Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria Matricolare), Piazza Duomo. It is the main Catholic place of worship in the city. The cathedral is located in the medieval area of Verona, inside the loop of the Adige, not far from the Ponte Pietra, and on the southern side of the bishop's citadel. The current structure stands in the place where it was built in the 4th century (of which some mosaics can be seen in the cloister and in the nearby church of S. Elena) probably by Bishop Zeno, the first Christian church in the city. The construction of a new cathedral was begun only three years later, in 1120, and ended in the year 1187; on 13 September of that same year, it was solemnly consecrated by Pope Urban III. Over the centuries, especially in the 16th and 16th centuries, the church has undergone various alterations which, however, did not concern either its plan or its orientation. The current arrangement of the façade dates back to the sixteenth century, previously lower and without the rose window and the two large lateral mullioned windows. Inside there are numerous works of art, of particular importance is the painting depicting the Assumption of the Virgin (1535) by Titian.
10 Church of Sant'Anastasia, Piazza Sant'Anastasia 2. Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun and holidays 1pm-6pm. The present church was begun in 1290 and was never completed. Some believe that the drawing and the project dates back to fra' Benvenuto da Bologna and fra' Nicola da Imola, but there are no documents on the matter. The church of Santa Anastasia takes its name from a pre-existing church, from the Gothic era, dedicated by Theodoric to Anastasia of Sirmium. The facade structure is divided into three sections which correspond to the internal naves. The facade is unfinished and is mainly in terracotta. The church was built by the Dominicans and has a similar structure to the basilica of Santi Giovanni e Paolo, which also belongs to the same order and was built almost simultaneously. The symmetrical façade has a central hut with the upper part having in its center a simple rose window with an external circular sector and the internal part divided into six sections divided by a horizontal diameter. The lower part is occupied by the 15th century door divided into two sections with two pointed arches above and around the Gothic portal of 1330 with a series of five overlapping pointed arches. The arches are supported by ornamental columns made of red, white and black marbles. Above the arches stands the portal. Inside numerous works of art, including the Monument to Courtesy Serego, the Pellegrini Chapel with the fresco-masterpiece by Pisanello San Giorgio and the princess, from the mid-15th century, the Cavalli Chapel with the Adoration altarpiece, the only work certain of Altichiero da Zevio.
11 Church of San Bernardino, Stradone Antonio Provolo, 28, ☎ +39 045 596497, fax: +39 045597305, info@sanbernardinoverona.it. Free entry. Mon 15:00-18:30, Tue-Fri 8:00-12:00 and 15:00-18:30, Sat and public holidays 8:00-12:00 and 15:30-18:00. The building, annexed to a Franciscan convent, dates back to the 15th century and is in Gothic style, but the current appearance is affected by numerous interventions carried out over the following centuries which have led to an extremely rich sedimentation of artistic styles. The most important of the side chapels added from the late 15th century to the end of the 16th century are: the Pellegrini chapel (designed by the famous Verona architect Michele Sanmicheli, it was begun in 1529 in a classical style and has a central plan surmounted by a dome; thanks to the references to ancient architecture, the great harmony of the parts and the limpid distribution of light, is considered one of the masterpieces of the Veronese architect), the Avanzi chapel (it is a small art gallery, enriched with numerous paintings by Morone, Cavazzola, Caroto , Giolfino and Paolo Veronese; the canvas painted by the latter, the ''Resurrection of the daughter of Giairo'', was taken to Vienna and replaced with a copy), the great chapel of San Francesco (frescoed in 1522 by Giolfino with scenes from the life of the saint). The walls inside the church, albeit bare, are noteworthy for the combination of decorative elements of discordant styles: the organ with a slender line dating back to 1481 (one of the oldest in Europe); the Renaissance altar from 1572, inspired by the architecture of an ancient temple; the painted wooden pulpit, contemporary to the organ; the Baroque altar, added in 1725 and in strong contrast with the other decorations of the church. On the main altar is a triptych inspired by Mantegna by Francesco Bengalino dating back to 1462, which depicts the Madonna and Child enthroned with Saint Bernardino, Saints Peter, Paul and Francis and Saints Jerome, Louis of Toulouse and Anthony of Padua . Inside the convent, the Sala Morone, built starting from 1494 and used as a library, is worth a visit. The walls are covered with about 300 square meters of frescoes by Domenico Morone (according to others Giolfino, Paolo Morando or Girolamo dai Libri). The room is now owned by the municipality of Verona and is used as a conference room.

 

Military architectures

12 Scaliger Bridge (Castelvecchio Bridge). The bridge was built between 1354 and 1356 under the lordship of Cangrande II della Scala in order to ensure the Castelvecchio fortress under construction an escape route towards Tyrol in the event of a revolt by one of the enemy factions within the city. The sturdiness of the bridge allowed it to pass five centuries of history unscathed until, in 1802, the French, following the treaty of Lunéville, cut off the tower on the countryside side and eliminated the battlements, as previously done for the towers of the castle to place batteries of cannons, used in the infamous Veronese Easter, rebuilt by the Austrians in 1820 on the orders of Emperor Francis I of Austria. The bridge was blown up on 24 April 1945 by the retreating Germans, together with all the other bridges in Verona, including the Roman Ponte Pietra. Immediately after the war it was decided to rebuild it together with other important monuments of the city lost during the Second World War. The first works began at the end of 1945 and saw the clearing of the rubble from the bed of the river Adige, while in the second phase, begun in 1949, the stone ashlars found intact were relocated to their original position, thanks to the photographic documentation and the survey built shortly before the destruction of the Scaliger bridge. Furthermore, thanks to the study of the chromatisms of the stone, it was possible to trace the quarry from which the blocks were extracted in the Middle Ages, located in the territory of San Giorgio di Valpolicella, from which the new stones were thus extracted to replace the damaged originals.
13 Castelvecchio, Corso Castelvecchio 2, ☎ +39 045 8062611, fax: +39 045 8010729, castelvecchio@comune.verona.it. Full ticket €6; reduced ticket for groups of more than 15 people, students between 14 and 30 and seniors €4.50; reduced ticket for school groups between 8 and 14 years €1.00. Mon 1.30pm-7.30pm, Tue-Sun 8.30am-7.30pm. It is a castle currently used to house the Civic Museum of Castelvecchio, it is the most important military monument of the Scaligera lordship. The new castle was located between the head of the wall to the right of the Adige, near the Upper Chain, and the head of the wall to the left of the Adige, near the Porta San Giorgio. The functional and architectural essence of its position is that of constituting an element of urban defense inseparable from the river, and at the same time predisposed to project its action beyond the river itself. The bridge, for the exclusive use of the castle, served as an escape or access route for aid coming from the Adige Valley, thus preventing the river from becoming an insurmountable barrier. But within the complex urban defense system it could be used to organize sorties in order to operate tactically on the opposite river banks. The castle was conceived as the fulcrum of the entire defensive system, and its main tower as the center of visual control of the city, to the left and right of the Adige, and of the surrounding landscape.
14 Castel San Pietro (Castel San Pietro tax office). The revenue barracks of Castel San Pietro or more simply Castel San Pietro, originally called Aerarialcasernen Castel San Pietro, is a military building located on the San Pietro hill in Verona, in an elevated point and characterized by a wide panoramic view of the Scaliger city, and for this reason it is a privileged destination for tourists and Veronese who can also reach the square in front of the castle via the Castel San Pietro funicular. The building was designed by k.k. Austrian Genie-Direktion Verona stationed in the city and built between 1852 and 1858, when the remains of the curtain wall of the pre-existing castle, built at the end of the fourteenth century, were also restored.

 

Archaeological sites

15 Porta Borsari. Known in antiquity as the Iovia gate due to the presence of the nearby temple dedicated to Jupiter Lustral, it is one of the gates that opened along the Roman walls of Verona. The construction of the structure dates back to the second half of the 1st century BC. however the part that has remained intact dates back to the first half of the 1st century. Porta Borsari was the main entrance to the Roman city, entering the important via Postumia on the decumanus maximus.
16 Porta Leoni. Porta Leoni is one of the gates that opened along the Roman walls of Verona. Built in the 1st century BC. and restructured in the following century, it connected the cardinal point of the city with the vicus Veronensium, or with the branch of the Via Claudia Augusta which continued towards Hostilia.

17 Arch of the Gavi. The Gavi arch, located along the ancient Via Postumia in Verona, just outside the walls of the Roman city, is a very rare case of honorary and monumental arch for private use in Roman architecture. It was in fact built around the middle of the 1st century to celebrate the gens Gavia.
During the Renaissance this was one of the most appreciated of the Veronese antiquities, also thanks to the presence of the signature of a Vitruvius, which recalls the well-known Roman architect, author of the treatise De architectura. The monument was then described by humanists and antiquarians, reproduced in detail and studied in proportions and decorations, finally taken up as a model by architects and painters, such as Palladio, Sangallo, Serlio, Falconetto, Sanmicheli, but also Bellini and Mantegna. He had a great influence in particular on Veronese art, as the overall scheme for the construction of portals, altars and chapels in the main churches of Verona was copied.
The arch no longer stands in its original position as it was demolished by the French military engineers in 1805, however the numerous reliefs that had previously been produced made it possible to reassemble it by anastylosis and restore it in 1932, when it was relocated to the small square of Castelvecchio. where it is today.

 

Events and parties

List of events in Verona: Events in Verona.
Events
Vinitaly, Viale del Lavoro 8 (c/o Verona Fiere), ☎ +39 045 8298111. It is an international exhibition of wine and spirits, which has been held in Verona since 1967, on an annual basis. Vinitaly covers over 95,000 m², has more than 4,000 exhibitors a year and registers around 150,000 visitors per edition. The show brings together producers, importers, distributors, restaurateurs, technicians, journalists and opinion leaders. Every year it hosts over fifty thematic tastings of Italian and foreign wines and offers a conference program that addresses the main issues related to the supply and demand of the wine market.
Fieragricola Verona (c/o Verona Fiere), ☎ +39 045 8298111, fieragricola@veronafiere.it. International fair of agriculture, agricultural machinery, animal husbandry, agro-supplies, renewable energies and services.
Fieracavalli (c/o Verona Fiere), ☎ +39 045 8298119, info@fieracavalli.it. It is a trade fair dedicated to horses and riding which takes place in Verona annually from 1898 to the beginning of November. It is considered the largest equestrian event in Italy.

Parties
Verona Carnival, Piazza San Zeno (held on Gnoccolaro Friday), ☎ +39 045 592829. Dating back to the late Middle Ages, the Verona Carnival (the original name is Bacanàl del Gnoco) has its roots in the times of Tommaso Da Vico, a 16th-century doctor who left in his will the obligation to annually distribute food and food to the population of the San Zeno district (where the homonymous Basilica is located). At least this is what the popular tradition tells us.

 

What to do

Lamberti Tower. Climb to its top or take the lift to enjoy a splendid view of Verona.
Take a short walk to Castel San Pietro to admire the viewpoint over the city centre.
Hire a tour guide for a guided sightseeing tour or a "wine tour" in Valpolicella or Soave.
Visit the Christmas markets during the winter holidays.
Guided tour of the historic centre., info@veronissima.com. Take a guided tour of the historic center of Verona.

 

History of Verona

Foundation

The area on which Verona stands has been inhabited since the Neolithic , when there was the probable presence of a village near the southern area of San Pietro hill along the Adige river , one of the few wading points of the river. The hill of San Pietro is in fact an area rich in finds, and there were even found the remains of the houses that formed the old village. During the protohistoric period in the Verona area came the Cenomani Gauls , which settled in the west, up to the Adige River, and most probably the hill village was inhabited together by the Cenomani and the Venetians.

The Latin historians have accredited to Euganei , Reti , Veneti , Etruschi or Galli Cenomani the origins of Verona: the historian Polibio states that in his time (II century BC) the Venetian ethnic group was still numerous among the population of the city, and indeed the Venetian presence is well documented, particularly at the San Pietro hill, and this assertion is based on the Venetian foundation hypothesis; the hypothesis of the foundation by the Reti and together of the Euganei was instead formulated by Pliny the Elder (of the first among other things the presence is ascertained by the numerous findings in the Veronese territory of their ceramics ); that by the Cenomani Gauls was instead supported by Tito Livio.

 

Ancient history

The first contacts between Rome and Verona are documented around the III century BC: there were immediate relations of friendship and alliance. Probably the first contacts were in 390 BC, when the Gauls of Brennus invaded the same Rome: perhaps thanks to a diversion of the Venetians, the Gauls may have been forced to come to terms with the Romans. Cenomani and Veneti Gauls helped the Romans several times, even in the conquest of Cisalpine Gaul. In 174 BC, following the subjugation of Gallia cisalpina and the beginning of a new period of colonization of the Po Valley , the great strategic importance of Verona began to reveal itself. The Roman senate asked Cenomani and Veneti for the extension of the fortified castrum they had granted him on the San Pietro hill, while Roman settlers and indigenous peoples laid the foundations for the construction of a new city within the bend of the Adige.

Thanks to Cesare Verona, he obtained, in 49 BC, Roman citizenship and, through the Lex Roscia, he was given the rank of a city and granted fields of 3,700 km²: the town could then boast the name of Res publica Veronensium.

During the Republican period Verona developed and its economy grew: in this period the city, now moved in the bend of the Adige, began to grow and modernize. During the imperial period the city became an even more important strategic node, as it was used as a temporary base for the legions. Under the emperor Vespasiano the city reached the peak of wealth and splendor: the last great work, in the first century, was the Arena, built because the city, which had now exceeded 25,000 inhabitants, needed of a large building to allow all the inhabitants to attend the shows.

Verona then found itself also invested by the barbarian invasions, being the first bastion of Italy to descents from northern Europe. For this reason the emperor Gallieno, in 265, had the city walls enlarged to include the Arena, fortifying it in only seven months.

 

The city became important because it was at the intersection of several roads. Stilicho defeated Alaric and his Visigoths here in 403. But, after Verona was conquered by the Ostrogoths in 489, the Gothic domination of Italy began. Theoderic the Great was said to have built a palace there. It remained under the power of the Goths throughout the Gothic War (535–552), except for a single day in 541, when the Byzantine officer Artabazes made an entrance. The defections that took place among the Byzantine generals with regard to the booty made it possible for the Goths to regain possession of the city. In 552 Valerian vainly endeavored to enter the city, but it was only when the Goths were fully overthrown that they surrendered it.

In 569, it was taken by Alboin, King of the Lombards, in whose kingdom it was, in a sense, the second most important city. There, Alboin was killed by his wife in 572. The dukes of Treviso often resided there. Adalgisus, son of Desiderius, in 774 made his last desperate resistance in Verona to Charlemagne, who had destroyed the Lombard kingdom. Verona became the ordinary residence of the kings of Italy, the government of the city becoming hereditary in the family of Count Milo, progenitor of the counts of San Bonifacio. From 880 to 951 the two Berengarii resided there. Otto I ceded to Verona the marquisate dependent on the Duchy of Bavaria.

 

In the years following 1000, northern Italy was devastated by numerous wars, but Verona remained loyal to the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire during the long investiture struggle with the Papacy. The birth of the Commune took place in 1136 with the election of the first consuls, while two parties were emerging which would later be called Guelphs and Ghibellines. Verona was at first particularly struck by the struggle between these two factions, also because in the countryside there were the main forces of the Guelph party (with the greatest exponents the Counts of Sambonifacio), while the city was predominantly Ghibelline (among the major exponents of the Montecchi, made famous by the drama Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare).

Verona was also the papal seat for five years. Pope Lucius III in 1181 established the Pontifical Curia in the city and in his death, in 1185, was buried in the choir of the Cathedral . In the Conclave that was held in Verona in the same year Pope Urban III was elected. Urban was determined to excommunicate the emperor Federico Barbarossa but the Veronese, fearing retaliation by Federico, protested against such a procedure taken within their walls to the point that Urban, in 1186, decided to move together with the Curia in Ferrara, where he died a few months later.

 

When Ezzelino III da Romano was elected podestà in 1226, he converted the office into a permanent lordship. In 1257 he caused the slaughter of 11,000 Paduans on the plain of Verona (Campi di Verona). Upon his death, the Great Council elected Mastino I della Scala as podestà, and he converted the "signoria" into a family possession, though leaving the burghers a share in the government. Failing to be re-elected podestà in 1262, he effected a coup d'état, and was acclaimed capitano del popolo, with the command of the communal troops. Long internal discord took place before he succeeded in establishing this new office, to which was attached the function of confirming the podestà. In 1277, Mastino della Scala was killed by the faction of the nobles.

The reign of his son Alberto as capitano (1277–1302) was a time of incessant war against the counts of San Bonifacio, who were aided by the House of Este. Of his sons, Bartolomeo, Alboino and Cangrande I, only the last shared the government (1308); he was great as warrior, prince, and patron of the arts; he protected Dante, Petrarch, and Giotto. By war or treaty, he brought under his control the cities of Padua (1328), Treviso (1308) and Vicenza. At this time before the Black death the city was home to more than 40,000 people.

Cangrande was succeeded by Mastino II (1329–1351) and Alberto, sons of Alboino. Mastino continued his uncle's policy, conquering Brescia in 1332 and carrying his power beyond the Po. He purchased Parma (1335) and Lucca (1339). After the King of France, he was the richest prince of his time. But a powerful league was formed against him in 1337 – Florence, Venice, the Visconti, the Este, and the Gonzaga. After a three years war, the Scaliger dominions were reduced to Verona and Vicenza (Mastino's daughter Regina-Beatrice della Scala married to Barnabò Visconti). Mastino's son Cangrande II (1351–1359) was a cruel, dissolute, and suspicious tyrant; not trusting his own subjects, he surrounded himself with Brandenburg mercenaries. He was killed by his brother Cansignorio (1359–1375), who beautified the city with palaces, provided it with aqueducts and bridges, and founded the state treasury. He also killed his other brother, Paolo Alboino. Fratricide seems to have become a family custom, for Antonio (1375–87), Cansignorio's natural brother, slew his brother Bartolomeo, thereby arousing the indignation of the people, who deserted him when Gian Galeazzo Visconti of Milan made war on him. Having exhausted all his resources, he fled from Verona at midnight (19 October 1387), thus putting an end to the Scaliger domination, which, however, survived in its monuments.

The year 1387 is also the year of the famous Battle of Castagnaro, between Giovanni Ordelaffi, for Verona, and John Hawkwood, for Padua, who was the winner.

Antonio's son Canfrancesco attempted in vain to recover Verona (1390). Guglielmo (1404), natural son of Cangrande II, was more fortunate; with the support of the people, he drove out the Milanese, but he died ten days after, and Verona then submitted to Venice (1405). The last representatives of the Scaligeri lived at the imperial court and repeatedly attempted to recover Verona by the aid of popular risings.

From 1508 to 1517, the city was in the power of the Emperor Maximilian I. There were numerous outbreaks of the plague, and in 1629–33 Italy was struck by its worst outbreak in modern times. Around 33,000 people died in Verona (over 60 per cent of the population at the time) in 1630–1631.

In 1776 was developed a method of bellringing called Veronese bellringing art. Verona was occupied by Napoleon in 1797, but on Easter Monday the populace rose and drove out the French. It was then that Napoleon made an end of the Venetian Republic. Verona became Austrian territory when Napoleon signed the Treaty of Campo Formio in October 1797. The Austrians took control of the city on 18 January 1798. It was taken from Austria by the Treaty of Pressburg in 1805 and became part of Napoleon's Kingdom of Italy, but was returned to Austria following Napoleon's defeat in 1814, when it became part of the Austrian-held Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia.

 

The Congress of Verona, which met on 20 October 1822, was part of the series of international conferences or congresses that opened with the Congress of Vienna in 1814–15 - and marked the effective breakdown of the "Concert of Europe".

In 1866, following the Six Weeks War, Verona, along with the rest of Venetia, became part of United Italy.

The advent of fascism added another dark chapter to the annals of Verona. As throughout Italy, the Jewish population was hit by the Manifesto of Race, a series of anti-Semitic laws passed in 1938, and after the invasion by Nazi Germany in 1943, deportations to Nazi concentration camps. An Austrian Fort (now a church, the Santuario della Madonna di Lourdes), was used to incarcerate and torture Allied troops, Jews and anti-fascists, especially after 1943, when Verona became part of the Italian Social Republic.

As in Austrian times, Verona became of great strategic importance to the regime. Galeazzo Ciano, Benito Mussolini's son-in-law, was accused of plotting against the republic; in a show trial staged by the Nazi and fascist hierarchy at Castelvecchio (the Verona trial), Ciano was executed on the banks of the Adige with many other officers on what is today Via Colombo. This marked another turning point in the escalation of violence that would only end with the final liberation by allied troops and partisans in 1945.

After World War II, as Italy entered into NATO, Verona once again acquired its strategic importance, due to its closeness to the Iron Curtain. The city became the seat of SETAF (South European Allied Terrestrial Forces) and had during the whole duration of the Cold War period a strong military presence, especially American, which is decreasing only in these recent years. Now Verona is an important and dynamic city, very active in terms of economy, and also a very important tourist attraction thanks to its history, where the Roman past lives side by side with the Middle Age Verona, which in some senses brings about its architectural and artistic motifs.

 

 

Transport

Getting here

on the plane
Verona-Villafranca Airport (Valerio Catullo, IATA: VRN), Caselle di Sommacampagna (VR) (The airport is located within the municipal boundaries of Villafranca di Verona, but is only 12 km from the city centre), ☎ +39 045 8095666, fax: +39 045 8619074. Valerio Catullo Airport of Verona-Villafranca is connected by domestic flights with Rome-Fiumicino Airport, Naples-Capodichino Airport, Bari-Palese-Macchi Airport, Crotone Airport, Catania-Fontanarossa Airport, Palermo-Punta Raisi Airport, Olbia- Costa Smeralda, Alghero Fertilia Airport, Cagliari Elmas Airport.
It is easily accessible thanks to the bus service (called the Aerobus) that connects the airport to the Verona Porta Nuova train station. The service, which costs 6 euros, is guaranteed every day, with connections every 20 minutes from 5:20 am to 11:35 pm.

By car
Verona is an important motorway junction, so the city is easily accessible by car: the A4 motorway connects the city to Milan and Venice, while the A22 motorway connects it to Bologna, and thus to southern Italy, to Trento and then to northern Europe.

The easiest way to reach the city center is to take the exit at the Verona Sud junction, located along the A4 motorway, since from here you immediately head towards the center along the long straight axis of the road, which bears the name of viale delle Nazioni in the first section, therefore, viale del Lavoro. Viale Piave and finally Corso Porta Nuova. Shortly before the end of Corso Porta Nuova, you can park your car in two large covered car parks located next to Piazza Bra, Cittadella and Arena. Parking fees in these car parks, which are open 24 hours a day, are EUR 2 for the first hour, EUR 4.50 for the second, EUR 7 for the third and EUR 15 for daily parking. sabait.it - Arena Parking. apcoa.it - Ciutadella car park.

Along Viale del Lavoro, opposite the Verona Exhibition Center, there is also an exchange car park that allows you to park daily for 5 euros. The daily stop also includes a return bus ticket from the city center, guaranteed by ATV lines 21 and 22, which runs from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm, every 10 minutes. portale.comune.verona.it - Exchange car park in a former fruit and vegetable market.

On the boat
The nearest naval port where large passenger transport ships arrive is in Venice, from where you can easily reach Verona by train from Venice Santa Lucia FS station, getting off at Verona Porta Nuova FS station.

By train
Verona Porta Nuova station, Piazzale XXV aprile, ☎ 892021. Verona Porta Nuova station is the main railway station of the city of Verona, located on the lines Milan-Venice, Verona-Brenner, Verona-Bologna, Verona-Mantova. Verona Rovigo. In addition, the train station is easily accessible from Rome with 10 high speed connections operated by Frecciargento, while Frecciabianca connects the city with Milan and Venice with 42 daily connections, with Udine with 2 connections, with Trieste with 6 connections and with Turin with 14 connections. connections, always daily.
Station Verona Porta Vescovo.

By bus
Bus station. There is a network of suburban buses that connect Verona with various cities in the province.

By train
Verona Porta Nuova station, Piazzale XXV aprile, ☎ 892021. Verona Porta Nuova station is the main railway station of the city of Verona, located on the lines Milan-Venice, Verona-Brenner, Verona-Bologna, Verona-Mantova. Verona Rovigo. In addition, the train station is easily accessible from Rome with 10 high speed connections operated by Frecciargento, while Frecciabianca connects the city with Milan and Venice with 42 daily connections, with Udine with 2 connections, with Trieste with 6 connections and with Turin with 14 connections. connections, always daily.

By car
Verona can be reached by road:
SS11 Milan-Venice (Brescia-Verona-Padua-Mestre)
SS12 from Abetone or from Brenero: Brenero-Pisa (Bolzano-Trento-Verona-Modena-Lucca)
SS62 Verona-Parma
SS434 Verona Rovigo (Legnago)
A4 "Serenissima": Milan-Venice (exit Verona sud)
A22 Modena-Brenero (exit Verona Nod)

 

Get around

By public transport
Within the city, you can easily get around using Verona Transport Company public transport or ATV. The terminus of many vehicles is at the Verona Porta Nuova railway station square, where the departure and arrival area of almost all city and suburban buses is located: not all lines have a stop here.

The city ticket costs €1.30 and is valid for 90 minutes from the time of validation, allowing you to travel throughout Verona's city network. Otherwise, for 4 euros, you can buy a city day ticket, which allows you to make an unlimited number of trips on the same day. There are also booklets with one-way tickets. Urban network of Verona

The Verona Urban Transport Network is the local public transport system in the city of Verona and its urban area. It consists of 23 bus routes on weekdays and 10 on public holidays, which capillary cover the entire city and the municipalities of the hinterland (Negrar, San Pietro Incariano, Bussolengo, Lugagnano, Caselle di Sommacampagna, Alpo, Castel d'Azzano ). , San Giovanni Lupatoto, Stallaven).

Most of the lines make radial north-south and east-west connections and run along the main lines through the historic center, passing through major landmarks such as Porta Nuova Station, Piazza Bra, Castelvecchio, San Fermo and Borgo Trent Hospital.

Opening hours
The service schedule varies depending on the line: it starts in full at 5.10 and ends around 21.20 (the departure time of the last flights). The service is provided 364 days a year, except May 1st. There is a discount for Christmas, New Year and Easter. Schedule includes 3 types of schedule type:
weekday hours
Saturday schedule (with cancellation of some flights)
holiday hours (with reduced travel frequency)

The winter timetable is valid from September to June, while the summer timetable is valid during the summer months (also in this case with a reduction in the frequency of flights or rerouting of some lines). On school days, various specific services are provided, as well as an increase in the capacity of some lines. For several years, the timetable has also been featured on Google Maps through the Google Transit program and a dedicated smartphone app.

Evening service
At the end of the daytime service, the evening service is switched on, consisting of 9 lines connecting the most important areas of the city with the historical center, railway stations and hospitals. Evening service is open from 20:20 to 01:00 from Sunday to Friday, and on Fridays and Saturdays the service is open no later than 02:50.

Meaning
The color of the buses is mostly green, with a blue stripe under the belt and a special color that changes shades depending on how the sunlight hits it, in the part above the windows. Some buses have special liveries for promotional purposes. All buses are equipped with an external route indicator indicating the line, destination and important intermediate stops.

Inside the most recent cars, there is a display that informs the user which bus stop is coming next. In addition, the latest buses put into service have video surveillance on board to make the journey safer for both users and traveling staff.

Information for passengers
Information for passengers and notices of any changes in the service are published on the company's website. In addition, public transport schedules have been published on Google Maps, and therefore, in addition to being able to calculate routes and routes, it is possible to view the schedule of the stops you are at through Google Now.

At all poles of city lines there is a schedule showing the average time to the main stops, which is in the range of 3-7 minutes. At various stops, especially in the historic center, there are poles or sheds equipped with LED displays that show line waiting times in real time, as well as service messages and dates.

lines
Each line is identified by a number and the destination it leads to (some lines, even with the same number, have routes that end in different places).

11 Bussolengo/Chievo → San Michele Norte (Borgo Frugose)
12 Borgo Nuovo → San Michele Sud (Via Dolomiti)
13 Lugagnano/Croce Bianca → Montorio/Mizzole
21 Negrar/San Pietro Incariano → Palazzina/San Giovanni Lupatoto
22 Villa Monga → Polyclinic/San Giovanni Lupatoto
23 Avesa → Santa Lucia/ZAI
24 Quinzano → Sant'Elisabetta/Caselle di Sommacampagna
30 Saval → Via Carinelli
31 Saval → Markana
32 San Massimo → San Felice Extra
33 Basson → Santa Croce

By taxi
Unione Radiotaxi Verona provides transport services in ordinary taxis, as well as taxis for the disabled, collective taxis for important events at the Verona Fair, connection to Verona-Villafranca Airport and rental cars with a driver, and operates 24 hours a day. day, every day of the year.

The main taxi ranks are located at the Verona Porta Nuova and Verona Porta Vescovo stations, at Piazza Bra, Piazza Erbe and Piazza San Zeno, at Castelvecchio, at the Verona Fair, at the Passalacqua car park, at the Borgo Trento Hospital. and the Borgo Roma hospital, and in the car park in front of the Valerio Catullo airport.

TAXI (switchboard) +39 045 532666

By car
On this site you can rent a car in Verona.

Parking for campers, Via Gianattilio dalla Bona, 8. 24 hours 10 euros. The recreation area is very popular among vacationers, also because of the relative proximity to the city center.

 

Shopping

The shopping streets of the historic center are:
Mazzini street
Via Sant'Anastasia
Corso Portoni Borsari
Markets of Santa Lucia, Piazza Brà. From 10 to 13 December. Market of stalls linked to the traditional feast of Santa Lucia. In the background is the illuminated Christmas star, which stretches out from inside the Arena towards the square.

 

Where to eat

Modest prices
Gusto Piadinerie, Stradone Porta Palio 4, ☎ +39 389 654 5684. Piadine with ingredients to compose but also pizzas and other products. It can be eaten on the spot, even if there are few tables and there is the possibility of home delivery.
Gelateria Savoia, Via Roma 1/b, ☎ +39 0458002211, savoiama@email.it.

There are numerous fast food chains in the city:
Burger King Verona, Via Carlo Montanari 10 above the Saba Arena car park, ☎ +39 045 8033839. Mon-Sun 11am-10pm. The services are: King Drive, Play King, Wifi, Parties.
Burger King Verona, Piazzale XXV Aprile 4. Mon-Sun 10:00-22:00. This Burger King is located at the Verona Porta Nuova station. The restaurant offers its customers a WiFi internet connection. Home delivery available.
KFC Verona Adigeo, Viale delle Nazioni 1, ☎ +39 045 8532155. Mon-Sun 09:00-23:00.
KFC Verona Corso Milano, Corso Milano 92. Mon-Sun 11:00-23:00.
La Piadineria, Via Nizza 6, ☎ +39 045 9299246.
La Piadineria Adigeo, Viale delle Nazioni 1, ☎ +39 045 580029. Mon-Sun 11:30-15:00 and 18:30-21:00.
McDonald's Verona Porta Nuova, Corso Porta Nuova 14, ☎ +39 045 597422. Sun-Thu 07:00-24:00, Fri-Sat 07:00-02:00.
McDonald's Adigeo, Viale delle Nazioni 1, ☎ +39 045 2095134. Mon-Sun 09:00-22:00.
McDonald's Verona Corso Milano, Corso Milano 62, ☎ +39 045 8103241. Mon-Sun 07:00-24:00.
McDonald's Verona Fiera, Viale del Lavoro 25, ☎ +39 045 581462. Mon-Sun 07:00-24:00. The services are McDrive and McCafé
McDonald's Verona Preare, Via Preare 52, ☎ +39 045 2094990. Mon-Sun 07:00-24:00. The services are McDrive and McCafé
McDonald's Villafranca, Via Borgo Bello 29 (12 km away), ☎ +39 045 2095035.
Subway Verona, Corso Cavour 50, ☎ +39 045 2222489. Sun-Sat 11am-10pm, Tues 11am-10am.

Average prices
At the Duomo, Via Duomo 7, ☎ +39 045 8004505. edit
Roadhouse Restaurant Verona, Via del Lavoro 23, ☎ +39 045 8230546. Sun-Thu 12:00-14:30 and 18:30-22:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-14:30 and 18:30-22 :30.

 

Where to stay

Modest prices
1 StraVagante Hostel, Via Gianattilio dalla Bona, 8 (600 meters from the station), ☏ +39 045 554 7968. Check-in: 2pm-8pm, check-out: 8am-10am. A design hostel with the quality of a hotel. There is also the possibility to have lunch or dinner in the attached restaurant. best quality.

Average prices
2 Il Ghiro B&B, Via Luigi Negrelli 21 (10 minutes from Porta Nuova station: behind the church on the left via Palladio, at the traffic light on the right via Albere, 100 meters on the left Via Negrelli. 20 minutes from the Arena. The airport is about 7 km away and is served by shuttles from the station), ☎ +39 3294959620, ghiro@ilghiro.net. Double 40/60€. Check-in: to be agreed, check-out: 10.00. Two beautiful large and bright double rooms with double bed or single beds with a choice of shared or private bathroom. An abundant and varied breakfast is served in the breakfast room and is included in the price, unless otherwise specified. Access to the rooms is autonomous and independent. The familiar but discreet welcome. Wi-Fi in the room is free. In a very convenient position for the motorways, outside the ZTL and with free parking.

High prices
3 Hotel Villa del Quar, Via Quar, 12, ☎ +39 045 6800681, info@hotelvilladelquar.it. 5-star hotel housed in an ancient 16th-century Venetian villa and located a few kilometers from the center of Verona. Inside the hotel there is also the Arquade restaurant and a well-stocked wine cellar. Thanks also to the natural setting in which it is inserted, the Hotel is suitable for ceremonies and important events.

 

Safety

Red Cross, ☎ +39 045 8621870.
Emergency medical service, ☎ +39 045 8075627.
Borgo Roma Hospital, Piazzale L.A. Dark 10, ☎ +39 045 8121111.
Borgo Trento Hospital, Piazzale Aristide Stefani 1, ☎ +39 045 8121111.
Municipal Police, ☎ +39 045 8078411.
Verona Police Headquarters, ☎ +39 045 8090411.