L’Adige di Verona The Verona Congress of the Holy Alliance. And his (uncomfortable) legacy
(by Giorgio Massagan) From 9 to 14 October 1822, exactly 200 years ago, Verona experienced one of its best moments on the scene of the great European diplomacy. After those data, the Austrians destined it to become the most important military base in Lombardy-Veneto. They built important fortified and / or functional structures for the armed forces and sewed on it the role of city-fortress, closing it to external social and political solicitations and to the Risorgimento and cultural influences of the time, with the exception of a few and isolated patriots and martyrs.
During the Verona Congress of the Holy Alliance in the autumn of 1822, the city hosted the crowned heads of Europe. It was the conference that confirmed and defined the Restoration on the ashes of the Napoleonic revolution. The main city buildings, about sixty, were sold to very expensive rents to the most important political figures of the time.
Only theemperor Franz Joseph Ithe landlord, was able to take advantage of Erbisti palace, in via Leoncino, without paying anything. The prince of Metternich stayed at castellani palace in piazzetta Broilo; viceroy Ranieri a Giuliari palace; Marie Louise of Austria a Peccana house in via xx settembre; the king of Prussia, Frederick William a Fracastoro palace in Corso Porta Nuova; The Duke of Wellington a Astori palace in vicolo Sant’Eufemia; the Tsar Alexander I a Canossa palace; The king of Sardinia Carlo Felice a Giusti palace a Veronetta.
It was an important congress, where the resolution presented by the Duke of Wellington was approved which recognized the slave trade as “shameful”; where the veto of the succession of Carlo Alberto to the throne of Sardinia was lifted and where the military intervention of the French against the Spanish liberals was decided. This last resolution caused a break with Great Britain, which was in total disagreement and reacted by leaving the Alliance.
This was the last appearance of Verona on the scene of great European politics and it was also the last opportunity to open its palaces, its theaters and to exhibit its cultural and monumental heritage. After that congress, Verona was destined to become a fortress city, closed and militarized. Some legacy of the military occupation of Verona, the city is still suffering.
A clear example is the difficulty of creating a Great Museum of Castelvecchio due to the presence, in the spaces necessary for the enlargement, of the Unified Military Club, not determined to change its location.