History

Recent History

Verona further cemented its reputation as the city of love in early 2007, when archaeologists unearthed two skeletons thought to be 5000 to 6000 years old, locked in an embrace. The pair date from the Neolithic period and were discovered outside Mantua, about 40km (25mi) south of Verona.

These days the city revels in its prosperity with an intoxicating mix of tourists and trade fairs, literary buffs and romantics, opera-lovers and oenophiles.

Modern Day History

While the population of Verona has historically been predominantly Italian, in postwar years the make-up of the population has changed due to waves of immigration. According to recent figures, around 8% of the population has been identified as non-Italian.

In 2000 the city of Verona was placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. UNESCO writes that 'in its urban structure and its architecture, Verona is an outstanding example of a town that has developed progressively and uninterruptedly over two thousand years, incorporating artistic elements of the highest quality from each succeeding period'.

Pre 20th Century History

Verona's position at the junction of the Adige river valley and the Po plains gave it a strategic location and importance as a trading centre. The city was founded by the Etruscans but brought to prominence by the Romans, who left behind some remarkable attractions for today's visitors, not least the vast Roman Arena and the smaller Teatro Romano (Roman Theatre). It's said that Emperor Caesar came to Verona to relax. The Romans eventually left, but the tradition of fine architecture remained.

Following a period of decline, the early Middle Ages saw a succession of barbarian kings attracted to the town's wealth. The Ostrogoths under Theodoric arrived in the 6th century, followed by the Franks under Charlemagne in the 8th century.

In the 12th century the city became a free comune, or city-state. The city's golden era came during the 13th and 14th centuries under the Della Scala family (also known as the Scaligeri), who were true patrons of the arts. Many of Verona's finest monuments date from this period, including Castelvecchio, the Scaligeri Tombs, and the churches of San Fermo and Sant'Anastasia. It wasn't all wine and roses, however - this period was noted for the savage family feuding of which Shakespeare wrote in his famous play, Romeo and Juliet.

In 1405, after the downfall of the Della Scala dynasty and a brief period of rule by the Viscontis and the Carraresis, the city surrendered to Venice. Verona remained under Venetian rule until the fall of the Republic in 1797. In 1798 Venice and most of the Veneto passed to Austria. The region became a playing piece to be shunted around among the great powers; for an eight-year interlude it was tied to Napoleon's Kingdom of Italy before reverting to Austria in 1814. Verona remained under Austrian rule until it eventually became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1866.