Italy

Stroll arm-in-arm with your loved one along the streets of Verona and you could be forgiven for believing the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet to be true. Well it's not, but not to worry - Verona is one of Italy's loveliest cities and hardly in need of Shakespearean hyperbole.

Before the 20th century

Verona's position at the junction of the Adige river valley and the Po plains gave it a strategic location and importance as a trading centre. The city was founded by the Etruscans but brought to prominence by the Romans, who left behind some remarkable attractions for today's visitors, not least the vast Roman Arena and the smaller Teatro Romano (Roman Theatre). It's said that Emperor Caesar came to Verona to relax. The Romans eventually left, but the tradition of fine architecture remained.

Following a period of decline, the early Middle Ages saw a succession of barbarian kings attracted to the town's wealth. The Ostrogoths under Theodoric arrived in the 6th century, followed by the Franks under Charlemagne in the 8th century.

In the 12th century the city became a free comune, or city-state. The city's golden era came during the 13th and 14th centuries under the Della Scala family (also known as the Scaligeri), who were true patrons of the arts. Many of Verona's finest monuments date from this period, including Castelvecchio, the Scaligeri Tombs, and the churches of San Fermo and Sant'Anastasia. It wasn't all wine and roses, however - this period was noted for the savage family feuding of which Shakespeare wrote in his famous play, Romeo and Juliet.

In 1405, after the downfall of the Della Scala dynasty and a brief period of rule by the Viscontis and the Carraresis, the city surrendered to Venice. Verona remained under Venetian rule until the fall of the Republic in 1797. In 1798 Venice and most of the Veneto passed to Austria. The region became a playing piece to be shunted around among the great powers; for an eight-year interlude it was tied to Napoleon's Kingdom of Italy before reverting to Austria in 1814. Verona remained under Austrian rule until it eventually became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1866.

Modern history

While the population of Verona has historically been predominantly Italian, in postwar years the make-up of the population has changed due to waves of immigration. According to recent figures, around 8% of the population has been identified as non-Italian.

In 2000 the city of Verona was placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. UNESCO writes that 'in its urban structure and its architecture, Verona is an outstanding example of a town that has developed progressively and uninterruptedly over two thousand years, incorporating artistic elements of the highest quality from each succeeding period'.

Recent history

Verona further cemented its reputation as the city of love in early 2007, when archaeologists unearthed two skeletons thought to be 5000 to 6000 years old, locked in an embrace. The pair date from the Neolithic period and were discovered outside Mantua, about 40km (25mi) south of Verona.

These days the city revels in its prosperity with an intoxicating mix of tourists and trade fairs, literary buffs and romantics, opera-lovers and oenophiles.

Top Accommodation

Top Restaurants

Positioned between the rolling plains of the Veneto, the Dolomite mountains and scenic Lake Garda, Verona enjoys a mild climate year-round. The city can be hot, humid and somewhat energy-sapping in summer (thanks to the proximity of the lake), so you'll probably want to break your sightseeing with stops for drinks and/or gelati. In July and August the humidity can bring cracking storms in the evening.

Winter daytime temperatures are cool, but January, February and March see the least rainfall, so you may strike it lucky with days that are crisp and stunning - perfect for sightseeing followed by vino in a cosy bar. The most agreeable temperatures occur in spring and autumn, but this coincides with the rainiest months, so don't forget to pack an umbrella.

Average weather

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Transport

Getting around

Orange-coloured AMT (city transport) buses 11, 12, 13 and 14 (buses 91 or 92 on Sunday and holidays) connect the train station with Piazza Brà (tickets cost €1 and are valid for an hour). Otherwise, it's a 20-minute walk along Corso Porta Nuova. Buy tickets from newsagents and tobacconists before you board the bus.

It's easy to explore the old city centre on foot; few vehicles are allowed in this area.

The train station and Piazza Brà have 24-hour taxi ranks.

You can rent bikes on Piazza Brà.

Getting there and away

Verona-Villafranca airport (www.aeroportoverona.it) is about 12km (7.4mi) southwest of town and accessible by bus to/from the train station (departures every 20min from 6am to 11pm). Flights arrive here from all over Italy and some European cities, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, London and Paris. Ryanair flies from several cities to Brescia (www.aeroportoverona.it), 52km (32.3mi) to the west. Airport buses connect the train station with Brescia airport (one hour).

Verona has rail links with Milan, Mantua, Modena, Florence, Rome and Venice from Porta Nuova station. There are also regular trains serving destinations in Austria, Switzerland and Germany (10 daily to/from Munich). The trip to/from Venice is easiest by train and takes 1.25-2.25hr.

The main intercity bus station is in front of the train station, in an area known as Porta Nuova. Although buses serve many big cities, they are generally only a useful option for those needing to reach provincial localities not served by train.

For those with their own set of wheels, Verona is at the intersection of the Serenissima A4 (Turin-Trieste) and Brennero A22 motorways.