Territorio, Arte e Cultura
Verona
Verona, the Scaligera city, is one of the main cities in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Among Italy’s great art cities, its wealth of art and archaeology has earned it a place on the list of UNESCO world heritage sites.
Verona is famous as the city of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but also for its Arena: a huge first century Roman amphitheatre where concerts and opera are still performed.
Much of the city’s architectural beauty is due to the restoration work of Cangrande della Scala, who made it a refined landmark along the banks of the River Adige. Every year Verona hosts Vinitaly, an annual wine fair that brings together the most important Italian and foreign wine makers.
The “Della Scala” Dynasty
The Signoria della Scala governed the city of Verona from mid 13th century to the end of the 14th, and was one of the most influential families in Northern Italy, in a troubled historic period which also featured the legend of Romeo and Juliet: star-crossed lovers who inspired Shakespeare’s tragedy.
The Della Scala family was rich and powerful and under it, at its height, Verona became an important political and economic power. This can be seen today in the imposing city walls along the hilltops to the north and several castles throughout the province.