Verona, Pisa & Forence
Verona
Verona became Roman around 300BC and became a Roman city in 49BC. After the fall of Rome Verona was occupied by many other countries until, in 1866, after the Third Italian war of independence, it became part of Italy. Among its ancient buildings is the Roman Amphitheatre, completed around 30AD, the third largest in Italy after Rome and Capua. Verona is also famous as the setting of two of Shakespeare’s plays, Romeo and Juliet and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Pisa
Built at the mouth of the Arno river, remains have been discovered there dating back to the 5th century BC. It was referred to as “The Old City” by ancient writers of this time. One, a 5th century BC author called Servius, wrote that a town was founded there around 800 years earlier, by modern reckoning around 1300BC. Pisa was the birthplace of Galileo, born 1564. He is known to history as the father of modern physics. It is said he once conducted an experiment from the top of Pisa’s famous leaning tower to prove that falling objects of different weights fall at the same speed.
Florence
Florence is the capital city of Tuscany. It was founded by Julius Caesar in 59BC as a settlement for his retired soldiers. During the medieval period it became one of the wealthiest and important cities in the world. The development of modern art known as the Italian Renaissance began here and the Florentine dialect would form the basis for the modern Italian language. Florence became the Capital City of Italy in 1865 but was replaced by Rome 6 years later.
