Verona

Verona has a locked-in-time character recalling medieval and Renaissance heydays

Suspend all disbelief regarding the real-life existence of Romeo and Juliet, and your stay in Verona can be magical. After Venice, this is the Veneto's most-visited city. Verona reached a cultural and artistic peak during the 13th and 14th centuries under the puissant and often cruel Scaligeri dynasty that took up rule in the late 1200s. In 1405 it surrendered to Venice, which remained in charge until Napoléon’s invasion in 1797.

During Venetian rule, Verona became a prestigious urban capital and controlled much of the Veneto and as far south as Tuscany; the magnificent medieval palazzi, towers, churches, and stagelike piazzas you see today are picture-perfect testimony to its centuries-old influence and wealth.

For some reason, visitors spend remarkably little time in this beautiful medieval city. While it has a short list of attractions, it is a handsome town to stay in and travel through at a leisurely pace. See the Teatro Romano is known for its summer Shakespeare Festival. At Piazza dei Signori, frequent free concerts (jazz, tango, classical) keep everyone out until the wee hours. Other important events are the famous 4-day horse fair, Fieracavalli, in early November, and the 5-day VinItaly wine fair in mid-April.

© 2009, Wiley Publishing, Inc.