I have drawn much of my knowledge on the Veronese school of painting from Sir A. Henry Layard’s excellent work, Handbook of Painting. The Italian School; based on the Handbook of Kugler (London: Murray, 1887), which was most kindly lent to me by Lady Layard; and to Mr Selwyn Brinton’s The Renaissance in Italian Art, Part II. (London: Simpkin, 1898). My grateful thanks are also due to Prof. Commendatore Carlo Malagola, Head of the State Archives in Venice, for the loan of books and for help as to the means whereby to arrive at much of the information I required. I am also indebted to Cav. Giuseppe Biadego, Bibliotecario of the Biblioteca Comunale of Verona; and to Cav. Dr Riccardo Galli for help during my stay at Verona. Nor must I omit to say a word in praise of the Hôtel de Londres in that city, where comfort and economy are very happily and successfully blended by a most courteous and diligent landlord. My chief thanks though are due to Cav. Pietro Sgulmero, Vice-Bibliotecario of the Library and Vice-Inspector of the Monuments in Verona, who devoted many a spare hour to introducing me to every part of the town, and in imparting to me all he could of the knowledge he possesses in an eminent degree of the history and legends of his native town. My book owes more to him than I am able to express.
“Few towns,” says Mr Selwyn Brinton, “have an individuality more delightsome than Verona—Verona the Worthy (Verona la Degna) as she was called”—and if I shall succeed in endearing that individuality and making it familiar to the traveller wandering through this “worthy” and glorious city, I shall not have laboured in vain.
Palazzo Soranzo,
Venice, January 1902.
CONTENTS
| [CHAPTER I] | |
| PAGE | |
Origin and Growth of the City—Verona under the Romans—Goths and Lombards in Verona—The Adige | [1] |
| [CHAPTER II] | |
The Arena | [23] |
| [CHAPTER III] | |
The Middle Ages—Ezzelino da Romano | [43] |
| [CHAPTER IV] | |
The Scaligers | [66] |
| [CHAPTER V] | |
From the Fall of the Scaligers to the Present Day | [103] |
| [CHAPTER VI] | |
Men of Letters—School of Painting | [124] |
| [CHAPTER VII] | |
The Duomo—S. Giovanni in Fonte—Biblioteca Capitolare—Vescovado—St Anastasia—Piazza delle Erbe | [150] |
| [CHAPTER VIII] | |
Piazza dei Signori—Sta. Maria Antica—Tombs of the Scaligers | [178] |
| [CHAPTER IX] | |
Via Cappello—San Fermo—Museo Civico and Picture Gallery | [199] |
| [CHAPTER X] | |
S. Paolo di Campo Marte—SS. Nazzaro e Celso—The Grotto di S. Nazzaro—St Thomas of Canterbury—Giardino Giusti—Sta. Maria in Organo—S. Giovanni in Valle—Teatro Antico—SS. Siro e Libera—Castle of Theodoric—S. Stefano—S. Giorgio in Braida | [222] |
| [CHAPTER XI] | |
Sant’ Eufemia—Porta dei Borsari—S.S. Apostoli—S. Lorenzo—S. Bernardino—Sta. Trinità—Tomb of Romeo and Juliet—Ponte Rofiolo—Piazza Brà | [250] |
| [CHAPTER XII] | |
San Zeno | [267] |
| [CHAPTER XIII] | |
Verona and its Crown of Castles | [281] |
| [CHAPTER XIV] | |
Plan for seeing the Town—Hotels | [299] |
ILLUSTRATIONS
| PAGE | |
Centrepiece by Andrea Mantegna behind the High Altar at San Zeno (Photogravure) | [Frontispiece] |
Castel S. Pietro from the Adige | [5] |
A Vendor of Fresh Water | [20] |
The Arena | [22] |
The façade of the Duomo | [45] |
Tower of the former Convent of S. Zeno. (The only remaining fragment of the building where the mediæval German emperors stopt on their way to Rome) | [50] |
Church of S. Zeno. Capital in the Nave | [54] |
The Tribuna—Ancient Seat of Judgment, Piazza delle Erbe | [63] |
Old Seal of Verona | [65] |
The Costa. Palazzo of Cangrande in the distance where he entertained Dante | [75] |
The back of Casa Mozzanti. Once inhabited by Alberto della Scala | [85] |
Tomb of Mastino II. della Scala | [91] |
Ponte Scaligeri. Bridge of Castel Vecchio | [95] |
Fountain in the Piazza delle Erbe. (Statue said originally to be of the third century) | [99] |
Shield of the Scaligers, with the “Holy Bird,” the badge of their dignity as Vicars Imperial | [102] |
The Piazza delle Erbe, with the Venetian Column | [111] |
Palazzo del Consiglio. Architect Fra Giocondo | [125] |
Madonna and Child, V. Pisanello, Museo Civico | [137] |
Madonna, SS. Zeno and Lorenzo Giustiniani, Girolamo dai Libri, Church of St George in Braida | [141] |
The Arms of Verona | [149] |
South Door of the Duomo | [151] |
Side Door of Duomo. Detail of Column | [155] |
Detail of Side Door of Duomo | [158] |
Church of St Anastasia from the Adige showing the Houses which stood there before the “muraglioni,” built to defend the town against the Inundations of the Adige, were erected | [161] |
Holy Water Basin in St Anastasia (Figure carved by Gabriel Cagliari, father of Paul Veronese) | [164] |
Madonna and Saints, St Anastasia (ascribed alternately to Francesco Morone and Girolamo dai Libri) | [167] |
Tomb of Guglielmo da Castelbarco | [170] |
Piazza delle Erbe | [173] |
Piazza dei Signori | [179] |
Outside Staircase, Palazzo Publico or della Regione | [182] |
The Outside Staircase, Palazzo della Ragione | [183] |
Fifteenth Century Well in Via Mazzanti | [186] |
Effigy of Cangrande | [189] |
Monument of Giovanni della Scala, Verona | [192] |
Tomb of Cansignorio della Scala | [193] |
Juliet’s House (traditionally) | [201] |
Church of S. Fermo Maggiore: The Madonna and Child and St Anne in Glory, with other Saints below (G. Francesco Caroto) | [205] |
Cavazzola’s Deposition from the Cross | [211] |
Museo Civico, The Madonna and Child enthroned, with St Joseph and the Archangel Raphael (Girolamo dai Libri) | [216] |
Virgin and Child with Saints in Glory (Paolo Morando detto Cavazzola) | [217] |
Window and Balcony in Via Seminario | [225] |
Giardino Giusti | [227] |
The Giusti Garden | [231] |
Doorway of Carved Wood in the Sacristy of S. Maria | [235] |
Choir Stall of Intarsio Work in S. Maria | [239] |
Church of S. Giorgio in Braida, Martyrdom of St George (Paolo Veronese) | [243] |
The Madonna with Holy Women (Moretto du Brescia) | [247] |
Balcony in Via St Eufemia | [251] |
Corso Cavour | [253] |
Fresco by Domenico Morone in the Library of S. Bernardino | [260] |
S. Zeno Maggiore. Choir Screen and Entrance to the Crypt | [269] |
Church of S. Zeno | [273] |
Cloisters, S. Zeno Maggiore | [277] |
Ruins of the Villa of Catullo | [283] |
Castle of Sirmione | [289] |
| PLANS | |
Map of the Town of Verona, from an Engraving in the Biblioteca Comunale of the year 1671 | face page [103] |
Plan of the Town of Verona showing the old walls, from an engraving in the Biblioteca Comunale of the year 1535 | [303] |
Map of the Town | [at end] |
All the half-tone illustrations are reproductions from photographs by Alinari, Florence.