Verona
Verona is a comune in the province of inProvince::Verona (VR) in the region of inRegion::Veneto. It has a population of about Population::265,000 people and is a popular tourist destination with great artistic heritage. It is also a World Heritage Site in recognition of the architectural splendour of the city.
Amongst other sites is the house where the famous balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet was supposed to have taken place.
History
Verona (Veronia) was a city in 550 BCE built on the intersection of several roads and its strategic importance in the region has helped forge its history. The city became a Roman colony in 89 BCE. In 489 CE it fell to Goth invaders who held it until 552. Later it was conquered by Lombards, Charlemagne and others, changing hands often.
Despite this the city grew in wealth through the following centuries and the general turmoil of power struggles in the region during that time and disasters such as when the plague struck the city in the early 1630s killing 33,000 people from a total population of 54,000.
In 1797 Napoleon occupied the city but the French were driven out by a popular uprising on Easter Monday. Following this the city was ceded to Austria who took control until it became part of Italy in 1866.
During the Second World War, the Jewish population of the city was persecuted with deportations to Nazi concentration camps. Also an old Austrian fort was used to imprison and torture Allied troops, Jews and anti-Fascist suspects, especially after 1943 when Verona became part of Mussolini's Salo Republic. Violence and retribution increased in the city until it was liberated in 1945 by Allied forces and Partisans.
Because of its proximity to Yugoslavia, during the Cold War Verona was the base for a strong NATO military presence with many American forces stationed there.
Sights
Most sights in Verona are closed on Mondays. If you are planning on visiting many touristic sights then a Verona Card can help; it allows visitors to get into the main monuments and churches and can be bought at sights and tobacconists, and also can be used as a ticket on the bus.
- Santa Maria Matricolare - Verona Cathedral
Other churhes in the centre include San Giovanni in Fonte, San Lorenzo, San Fermo, Santa Anastasia, Sant'Eufemia, and Santa Maria in Organo.
- Piazza delle Erbe - historical buildings around the square and herb stalls
- Arena di Verona - the Roman arena
Multimedia
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The video shows a quick tour of the city.
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