VERONICA VERRI. 



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Marcus ^Emilius, Cornelius Nepos, and Vitruvius. 

 Other distinguished natives are Maffei, Fracasto- 

 rius, arid Paolo Veronese. There are many anti- 

 quities in Verona, particularly in the famous collec- 

 tion of Maffei. The most interesting monument of 

 Verona, and one of the most remarkable remains of 

 Roman architecture now existing, is the amphithe- 

 atre, said to have been built by Domitian. The 

 arena, in the centre, and of oval form, is 220 feet 

 by 130. The seats rise in forty-six successive 

 ranges from the arena, capable of containing about 

 22,000 spectators : the outward circumference of 

 the amphitheatre is 1290 feet. The seats, as well 

 as the different passages, the stair-cases and galle- 

 ries, remain entire, the whole consisting of vast 

 blocks of marble, of two stories. Bartol. Giuliari, 

 in his Topografia dell' Anfiteatro di Verona (Ver- 

 ona, 1822), considers the amphitheatre as origin- 

 ally an Etruscan work. (See count Simone Stra- 

 tico's Lettera, and Giuliari's answer.) The acca- 

 demia di agricoltura, commercio ed arti (founded in 

 1769), publishes Memorie, of which the tenth vol- 

 ume appeared in 1824. Verona was, for a time, in the 

 middle ages, free, but, for 170 years, was under the 

 rule of the Scaligers, who were expelled, in 1387, 

 by Galeozzo Visconti, at a later period duke of 

 Milan. After the Viscontis, the Carraras were 

 masters of Verona ; and, in 1405, the Venetians 

 conquered it. They retained it until 1796. (See 

 Cisalpine Republic.} Shakspeare's Romeo and 

 Juliet is founded upon one of the bloody contests 

 of these families. A sarcophagus is yet shown, 

 called the tomb of Juliet. Carli, in his Storia di 

 Verona, and Maffei in his Verona illustrata, have 

 described the antiquities of the city. See also 

 count Bevilacqua Lazise's Statistica della Citta di 

 Verona (Venice, 1823). The chief manufacture of 

 Verona is silk ; but wool and leather are also made 

 here. In 1822, a congress was held here by the 

 principal powers of Europe. The emperors of 

 Austria and Russia, the kings of Prussia, Sardinia 

 and Naples, were personally present. No British 

 minister appeared, because Canning would not ac- 

 knowledge the right of armed interference in the 

 affairs of Spain. He sent Wellington, however, 

 and the English ambassador at Vienna, to Verona. 

 Chateaubriand and Montmorency appeared for 

 France ; Pozzo di Borgo and others for Russia ; 

 Hardenberg for Prussia. Prince Metternich pre- 

 sided. Gentz drew up the protocol. So much is 

 known of the deliberations, that the powers per- 

 mitted France to re-establish the ancient monarchy 

 in Spain by force of arms, and promised assistance 

 if it should be necessary. But, as England did not 

 take part in the conferences, and constantly advised 

 peace, and the French minister Ville'le opposed the 

 strongest arguments to the fanatics who were cla- 

 morous for war, and the statesmen, who had gone 

 from Paris to Verona, supported his views, and as 

 Mina had beaten the army of the faith in Catalonia, 

 France attempted at first, in 1822, to induce the 

 cortes, by negociation, to make a change in their 

 constitution, so as to render it more conformable 

 to the monarchical principle. Respecting the dif- 

 ficulties between Russia and the Porte, it was con- 

 cluded that lord Strangford, who had been invited 

 for that purpose to Verona, should present an ulti- 

 matum to the sultan, in which the strictest fulfil- 

 ment of the treaty of Bucharest (q. v.), of 1811, 

 should be demanded, and the Greek insurgents 

 should not receive any assistance. On account of 

 this arrangement, the Greek deputies, who had al- 



ready arrived in Ancona, were not permitted to 

 proceed any further. Some resolutions were also 

 entered into respecting the Austrian army in Pied- 

 mont and Naples ; measures were taken for the 

 suppression of secret societies, &c. The monarclis 

 left Verona in October. See the articles Laybach, 

 and Intervention. 



VKRONICA, ST. The following is from the 

 Dictionnaire de Theologie (Toulouse, 1817), a 

 strictly Catholic work: " Vuronique is formed of 

 vera icon (true image, that is, of Christ). It is 

 Christ's face imprinted on a kerchief, preserved in 

 St Peter's, at Rome. Some believe that it is the 

 same kerchief which was put on Christ's face in the 

 tomb, according to John xx, 7: others have per- 

 suaded themselves, but without proof, that it is the 

 kerchief with which a holy woman wiped the 

 Saviour's face, when he went to mount Calvary, 

 bearing the cross. This opinion may have origi- 

 nated from the circumstance that some painters 

 often represent the veronique, or true image, sup- 

 ported by the hands of an angel, and others by the 

 hands of a woman. The first time that this image 

 is mentioned is in a ritual, drawn up in 1143, by 

 Benedict, a canon of St Peter's. (See P. Mabil- 

 lon, Museum Italicum, vol. ii, p. 222.) The wor- 

 ship paid to this image is paid in reality to the 

 Saviour." So far the Dictionary. It does not men- 

 tion that the legend, every where propagated, calls 

 the holy woman, mentioned above, St Veronica; 

 just as if a saint should be worshipped under the 

 name of St Ubes, the common corruption of Sctubal. 



VERRES, CAIUS LICINIUS ; a Roman who go- 

 verned the province of Sicily as pretor. The op- 

 pression and rapine of which he was guilty, while 

 in office, so offended the Sicilians, that they brought 

 an accusation against him before the Roman senate. 

 Cicero undertook the cause of the Sicilians, and 

 pronounced those celebrated orations which are still 

 extant. The five memorials which bear the name 

 of secunda actio in Verrem, were drawn up by 

 Cicero after Verres had abandoned his defence as 

 desperate. Verres was defended by Hortensius ; 

 but, as he despaired of the success of his defence, 

 he left Rome, without waiting for his sentence, and 

 lived in great affluence in one of the provinces. He 

 was at last killed by the soldiers of Antony, the 

 triumvir, about twenty-six years after his voluntary 

 exile from the capital. 



VERRI, COUNT ALEXANDER, an Italian writer, 

 born at Milan, in 1741, died in 1816. He entered 

 at first upon the practice of the law; but perceiv- 

 ing the defects of the civil and criminal legislation 

 of his country, he applied himself with great dili- 

 gence to the study of Grotius, Pufendorf, Montes- 

 quieu, and other publicists. In connexion with 

 Carli, Frisi, and Beccaria, he published a periodical 

 work entitled // Cafe, which had great success. In 

 1766, he went to Paris with Beccaria, travelled in 

 England, and returning to Italy, settled himself at 

 Rome, where he wrote two tragedies, Panthea, 

 and the Conspiracy of Milan. His other works are 

 an Essay upon the general History of Italy, from 

 the Foundation of Rome to the present Time ; Com- 

 mentaries and Criticisms upon the principal Grecian 

 Orators ; Roman Nights, which has been translated 

 into German, French and English, and frequently 

 reprinted, and a Life of Erostratus His brothers 

 Peter (born 1728, died 1797) and Charles (born 

 1743, died 1826) also published several valuable 

 works the former on political economy and legisla- 

 tion, the latter on agricultural subjects. 



