The New Student's Reference Work/Verona

Vero′na, a city of northern Italy, is situated at the foot of the Tyrolese Alps, on Adige River, 62 miles west of Venice. The fortifications, begun by the Romans and carried on by Charlemagne, were almost destroyed in 1801, but were rebuilt by the Austrians. The present fortifications are a circle of forts far outside the old city-walls. It is a city of palaces; the Scaligeri palace, built in 1370, and those of the Canossa and Pompeii families in the 16th century are among the finest. Among the many churches are the cathedral, consecrated by Urban I in 1187 and having Titian's Assumption on its walls; St. Anastasia, one of the finest Gothic churches in Italy; St. Zeno, rebuilt in the 12th century; and that of San Giorgio, with paintings by Paul Veronese. Among Roman antiquities is a ruined amphitheater, built of marble and seating 22,000 people, much like the Colosseum at Rome. There are some fine streets and squares, many art-collections, an academy of painting and sculpture, a theological seminary, a city library and beautiful bridges across the Adige. Its manufactures are of silk, linen and woolen goods, and it has a trade in sumac, grain and oil. The tomb of Romeo and Juliet has been destroyed, but another has been found to satisfy the curiosity of tourists. Verona was a Roman colony, its walls and gates having inscriptions dating from the 3d century. The ancient moat still remains as a canal around the old part of the city. It was taken by Constantine (312), Theodoric (489) and Charlemagne (774), and afterwards became a free city. For 100 years it was ruled by the Scala family. In the 15th century it was conquered by Venice. The French took the city in 1796, and ceded it to Austria in 1797. Since 1866 it has been a part of the kingdom of Italy. Population 74,271,