Verona
an ancient city of northern Italy; capital of the province of the same name; picturesquely situated at the foot of the Tyrolese Alps, and on both banks of the Adige; 72 miles W. by N. of Venice. It is a member of the famous Quadrilateral, having fortifications of unusual strength, and is interesting no less as a great center of historical associations than as a celebrated home of art, rich in classical and mediæval monuments of architecture. The Adige is here crossed by five bridges, and on the tongue of land on the W. side lies by far the greater part of the city. Foremost among the antiquities is the amphitheater, probably erected under Diocletian (A. D. 284), and which brings out in its full perfection the massive grandeur of the true Roman style. It is 106 feet high and 528 yards in circumference, and rises in 45 tiers of gray marble steps, capable of accommodating 25,000 spectators sitting and 70,- 000 standing. Most of the outside range of arches is lost, but the internal seats have been wonderfully preserved by a custom of repairing them which has gone on unbrokenly through all the ages, and which has become a part of the history of the building. Another antiquity, the great gate of Verona, the Porta de Borsari, now spanning one of the busiest streets, was VERONA erected by Gallienus in A. D. 265. Among the other Roman remains is the Arco dei Leoni. In the architecture of Verona there is a gap extending from the 3d to the 12th century from the amphitheater in the days of Diocletian to the Church of San Zeno in the time of Friedrich Barbarossa. The latter edifice is the great example of what Freeman very aptly calls "the barbaric form of Italian Romanesque." The nave in its present form was begun in 1139, and the choir dates from the 13th century. A notable feature is the great Campanile; the projecting portal rests on lions of red marble, the interior has an open roof supported by fine pillars and columns. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Matricolare is an imposing Gothic structure of the 14th century. At the portal are Roland and Oliver, the paladins of Karl the Great, and over the altar is a celebrated Assumption by Titian. The little church of St. Stephen on the E. or Thecdoric's side of the river at one time disputed with the great Duomo the first place among the churches of Verona, as the seat of her bishops in life, and their resting place in death. Other notable churches are the Gothic S. Anastasia (begun 1261), with marble façade; S.
Giorgio in Braida (1604), designed by Sammicheli, and adorned with pictures by Tintoretto, Veronese, etc.; S. Fermo Maggiore, of the 14th century, with rich interior; and S. Nazzaro e Celso, a work of the Renaissance. Verona has many fine palaces, including the Palazzo del Consiglio ("La Loggia"), restored in 1873, with statues of famous Veronese, comprising Cornelius Nepos, Catullus, Vitruvius, the younger Pliny, Æmilius Macer, etc.; and the Palazzo Pompei alla Vittoria, now containing the Civic Museum and valuable picture gallery. A unique Gothic structure is the tomb of the Della Scala family, who were presidents of the republic of Verona for upward of a century. On the left bank of the Adige rises the Castello S. Pietro, the stronghold of Theodoric, which was remodeled by Galeazzo Visconti in 1393, and which, after being dismantled by the French (1801), was refortified by the Austrians in 1849. The adjoining Giardino Giusti is noted for its venerable cypresses, some of which are over 400 years old, and attain a height of 120 feet.
The seat of a bishop, a prefect, a tribunal, a commander-general, etc., Verona has numerous educational and benevolent institutions. There is an important transit trade with Germany, and among the leading manufactures are silks, woolens, cottons, musical instruments, furniture, VERONESE etc. Verona is one of the oldest towns of Italy, its earliest inhabitants being either the Euganei or the Celtic Cenomani. It became a flourishing colony under the Romans. Here Decius defeated the Emperor Philip in 249, Constantine overthrew the army of Maxentius in 312, and Stilicho hurled back the hosts of Alaric in 403. After his defeat of Odoacer (489) at Verona, Theodoric made it his alternative residence, and it was subsequently called Wälsch-Bern, or Dietrichs-Bern, to distinguish it from "Verona in montibus." The city suffered during the Ghibelline wars, but prospered under the Scaligers (1262-1387), who were succeeded by the Visconti and Carrara families. It escaped the tyranny of hereditary rulers by transferring its allegiance in 1405 to Venice, whose fortunes it subsequently shared.
The city was several times bombarded by Austrian airplanes during the World War. Pop. about 75,000.