Verona historical timeline

Roman Verona

Verona developed at a strategic crossing of the Adige and became a Roman municipality in the first century BCE. Roads linking northern Italy met here, and the city acquired walls, gates, a forum, a theatre and the amphitheatre now known as the Arena.

The Scaligers and Venice

The della Scala, or Scaliger, family made Verona a powerful medieval court during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Castelvecchio, Ponte Scaligero and the family's monumental tombs remain their most visible legacy. Verona came under Venetian rule in 1405 and remained part of the Republic of Venice, apart from interruptions, until 1797.

Austrian rule and modern Italy

After the Napoleonic period, Verona became an important Austrian stronghold in the fortified Quadrilateral. It joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1866. Wartime destruction in the twentieth century was followed by major reconstruction, including Ponte Pietra and Ponte Scaligero.

A living heritage city

UNESCO inscribed the City of Verona as a World Heritage Site in 2000, recognizing the survival of urban structures and monuments from successive periods. The modern city balances this heritage with an active cultural life led by the Arena's opera season, museums, universities and the wine regions surrounding Verona.