The area around the city of Verona has been very much influenced by agriculture. Land to the north, towards the Val d’Adige, is characterized by serried vineyards; the southern area, through which the Adige River flows, is to this day characterized by broad, flat expanses of rice paddies.
More than in other parts of Italy, many of the villas built in the countryside around Verona and Veneto are associated with farming, the original reason for settlements in this area; only in later centuries did they become places for leisure. When it comes to the local villas, the area’s diverse morphology, ranging from gently rolling vineyards to flat, cultivated plains, has resulted in a great deal of diversity. Given how strongly they are rooted in the type of landscape where they were built, many of these villas are particularly striking, and never banal.
Vine-growing across much of the province has spawned a successful economy based on canny exploitation of the local area; more recently, cultural advancement has emerged as an activity alongside traditional winemaking.