Villafranca di Verona: the passage from Italy to Europe between history, art and many cultural events

Villafranca di Verona is a town in the province of Verona with a timeless charm. Located near the Brenner tunnel, it is a gateway to Europe. As well as Verona, Villafranca was also an important center in Roman times and there are many testimonies about it, such as the epigraphs found on the walls of the Scaligero castle, a place of great interest and importance for the city, in the parade ground, for example, there are many musical and cultural events. Bottagisio Palace is also of great value, as it was the seat of the peace treaty between Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and Napoleon III. While the exterior is very simple but offers a beautiful garden, the interior is rich in frescoes, and houses the museum of the Risorgimento. The palace is completely open to tourists. Among the religious buildings we remember: the oratory of the discipline, which preserves the wooden group 'mourning of the dead Christ', while at a short distance you can admire the majestic and very large cathedral of the city. Last but not least, the oratory of San Rocco, a church much loved by the citizens with wonderful frescoes. The city is also home to the ancient Fantoni café, founded in 1842 by Giovanni, who seems to have been the creator of one of the typical sweets of the area: the sfogliatine. Not just a bar, but a place where history was made because it praised independence in Austrian times. It seems that the poet D'Annunzio also used to pass by, and it seems that the name of the typical liqueur of the area, Acqua di Fiume, is due to him. Among the most important events, the fair of Saints Peter and Paul, held every year in June and animates the city center. Between stalls, exhibitions of all kinds. Another event is the 'bricks at the fair' exhibition for lovers of typical colored collectible bricks.