Verona: Historical Background
Verona's
origins date back to ancient times: the first settlements- in the area
were the city was to be founded - date back to prehistoric times. In the
Ist Century B.C. Verona was already a flourishing colony
of the Roman Empire; later on,
in 49 B.C., the city became a fully integrated part of the empire.
Thanks
to its geographical position - Verona being located both at the opening
of the River Adige Valley into the main Po Valley and at the crossroads
of some of the most important Roman roads - Verona was a strategic and
commercial centre of great importance and enjoyed immense cultural and
artistical development.
The
old city, enclosed in a "bend" of the river Adige, retains the traditional
grid lay-out of Roman towns. The Forum - the heart of the city's religious
and civil life - was at the centre of the street network. A number of monuments
of this time can still be
seen
: the two gates (Porta Borsari and Porta Leona), the Roman Theatre and
the magnificent amphiteather (the Arena).
Piazza Brà and the
Arena
According
to tradition, S.Zeno, Verona's black Bishop, after whom one of the most
outstanding city churches was built, introduced Christianity
to the city in the IV Century. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire
Verona came under the rule of various dominations (Ostrogoths, Longobards,
Franks), due to its location at the "gate" of the Po Valley for Northern
and Central European incomers.
St.Zeno's Church
In
the XII Century Verona became a free
commune and with this freedom
it began a programme of updating its architectural image, which hadn't
changed since Roman times, and so new religious and civil buildings were
erected. After the major earthquake of 1117 St.Zeno's church and the Cathedral
had to be rebuilt. The area of the ancient forum (today's Piazza delle
Erbe) was still at the core of Verona's political and economic life.
Between
1226 and 1259 Verona fell under the rule of Ezzelino da Romano, a tyrant
famous for his cruelty.
After
Ezzelino's death the political power was taken over by the various trading
associations, who elected Mastino della Scala as their representative.
Thus the family rule of the Scaligeri
Clan established itself, and
within a century Verona became the prestigious capital of a state that
at the height of its power included most of the Veneto region and reached
even as far as Tuscany.
Inside of the Arena
Dante
Alighieri, Italy's greatest medieval poet, exiled from Florence, was a
guest of Cangrande I della Scala, whose court spurred the cultural and
artistical revival of Verona.
Under
the rule of Cangrande, who hoped to turn Verona into the capital of a great
kingdom, the city walls were extended to include uninhabited surrounding
areas, thus making the boundaries of the city until the last century. During
the Scaligeri domination Piazza dei Signori was built next to Piazza delle
Erbe, with the Palace of the Commune (Palazzo del Comune), the "Domus Nova"
(the House of Justice) and the Scaligeri palaces.
Next
to the palaces the splendid Scaligeri graves were erected, a masterpiece
of Veronese medieval art. St.Martin's Castle (today's Castelvecchio) was
built towards the end of the Scaligeri domination as a means of defence
against the city rather than against outer enemies.
Casa Mazzanti
After
the fall of the Scaligeri family, in 1405 Verona forsook itself to the
Republic of Venice,
that kept its rule over the city and its territory until the french invasion
of 1796.
Under
the rule of Venice Verona flourished as an artistical and cultural centre.
In the first half of the XVI Century Venice thought it necessary to reorganise
Verona's defence works. The new fortifications were planned by the Veronese
architect Michele Sanmicheli, who laid the foundations for the city development
in the following centuries. Moreover, Sanmicheli started replanning the
area surrounding the Arena, which was to become the new heart of the city.
Ponte Pietra
After
a short period of French domination,
in 1801 Verona fell under Austrian rule. In fact, for a few years the river
Adige bacame the border between the French, who occupied the area of the
main city centre, and the Austrians, who had the other side. From 1805
to 1814 Verona was annexed to the newly founded Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy
and from 1814 to 1866 became finally part of the Austrian
Empire.
In
the XIX Century Verona played an important political and military role.
Its fortifications were rearranged and enlarged, so that Verona became
the most important of the four strogholds making up the so-called "Quadrilatero"
(together with Mantua, Peschiera and Legnago), which was the pivot of the
austrian defense system.
Verona
and its territory joined the Kingdom
of Italy in 1866.
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