Verona [antikvár]

Aerial view of the city. VERONA "GATEWAY TO ITALY" Verona, Urbs Nobilissima, is one of the most beautiful and ancient of all Italian cities - one which is justly famous and beloved both in Italy itself, and indeed, throughout the whole world. Today Verona has about 270 thousand inhabitants, and in the whole district of Veneto it is second only to Venice in wealth and importance. Its climate and accessibility are ideal, and Verona is a vital rail and road junction on the main route connecting Italy to Central Europe. It is a flourishing industrial, commercial and agricultural centre of international importance and is the site of the annual International Agricultural Show and the International Exhibition of Agricultural Machinery - just two of the city's large exhibitions which attract visitors from all over Europe. The city is important in other fields as well - it is the home of the Mondadori firm of publishers, famous the world over. While on the subject of commerce, mention must be made of its wines, fruit, and of its marble, all of which are exported to many countries. Because of its fortunate geographical position and its importance as a European city, Verona has been described as The Gateway to Italy. To travellers approaching from the North there is another sense in which Verona can be thought of as the Gateway to Italy. It is the first city which clearly possesses the appearance, harmony, character, the tradition and beauty of Italy, giving, as it were, a foretaste of the fundamental characteristics of the country as a whole. Verona's undeniable beauty has been celebrated by many foreign visitors who, from the earliest times have continued to pay tribute to the town in poetry and prose. Its beauty is essentially two-fold. Firstly, it is rich in natural beauty with its river, its hills, the nearby Lake Garda, and its background of mountains. Secondly, there is the great architectural beauty of the city itself with its buildings and monuments. Verona