Verona

Verona, the largest city in the region after Venice, is a place of great provincial energy. With a rich Roman and Etruscan past, feudal families dominated Verona. In 1263 the Scaligeri family began their 124-year rule of Verona. In 1387 Verona fell to the Visconti of Milan, and a succession of outsiders—Venice, France, and Austria—then ruled the city until the Veneto was united with Italy in 1866.

Verona is a vibrant trading center and one of the most prosperous in northern Italy. Its ancient center boasts many magnificent Roman ruins, second only to those of Rome itself, and fine palazzo built of rosso di Verona, the local pink-tinged limestone, by the city’s medieval rules.

As a setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Verona is still a magnet for lovers. Aesthetically pleasing, swathed in pale pink stone curling along the banks of the River Adige, streets paved with marble and lined with discreet restaurants and designer shops.