Featured: Verona

Verona is a city (pop. ~250,000) in north-eastern Italy’s Veneto region most famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. 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 meter is lower.

Location

Verona owes its historical and economical importance to its geographical location, in a loop of the Adige River near Lake Garda. Because of this position, the areas saw regular floodings until 1956, when the Mori-Torbole tunnel was constructed, providing 500 cubic meters of discharge from the Adige river to Lake Garda when there was danger of flooding. The tunnel reduced the risk of flooding from once every seventy years to once every two centuries.

Climate

Verona enjoys a continental climate, even though Lake Garda’s mediterranean climate has a partial influence on the climate of the city. The relative humidity is high throughout the year, especially in winter when it causes fog, mainly from dusk till late morning, although the phenomenon has become increasingly less frequent in recent years.

Climate of Verona - Click to expand

Verona in Modern History

Verona was occupied by Napoleon in 1797, but on Easter Monday – in the Veronese Easters – the populace rose and drove out the French. It was then that Napoleon put an end to the Venetian Republic. Verona became Austrian territory when Napoleon signed the Treaty of Campo Formio on October 12, 1797. The Austrians took control of the city on January 18, 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.

In 1866, on the anniversary of the defeat of Königgrätz, the Austrians evacuated Verona, their strongest fortress in Venetia, which thus became Italian. In 1882 the city was struck by a large flood, which led to the construction of banks that changed the face of the ancient city, weepeing away the mills and the landing places on the river.

During World War II Verona was one of the most bombed cities in the area, due to its strategic position and the presence of ministries of the Republic of Salò. In April 1945 the fleeing Germans destroyed all the bridges. Verona was awarded a Gold Medal for Military Value for its support to the partisan war during the conflict.

Culture

Verona is the setting of the story of Romeo and Juliet. Although the earliest version of the story (before Shakespeare wrote his play) is set in Siena, not Verona — the move was made in Luigi da Porto’s Istoria novellamente ritrovata di due Nobili Amanti — a balcony claiming historical connection to the fictional lovers has become a tourist attraction for lovers; the short passageway leading to the balcony is covered with slips of paper carrying their graffiti, and a bronze statue of Juliet stands under the balcony, one breast polished by those touching it for luck.

Main Sights

Because of the value and importance of its many historical buildings, Verona has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For a list of landmarks in Verona, see Buildings and structures in Verona. Verona preserved many ancient Roman monuments, no longer in use, in the early Middle Ages, but much of this and much of its early medieval edifices were destroyed or heavily damaged by the earthquake of 3 January 1117, which led to a massive Romanesque rebuilding. The Carolingian period Versus de Verona contains an important description of Verona in the early medieval era.

• More information in our article, Verona – Popular Sights