Immersed in the countryside surrounding Verona, near the River Adige, you will find Veronella, also known by its old name of Cucca. The name change came about thanks to a previous mayor, Antonio Alberto Serego della Scala, Count of Serego, who in 1902 decided to change the name that was considered undignified.Today, Veronella is a small town that retains the layout of a medieval village. It lends itself to leisure activities where history mixes with modernity. Though modest in size, Veronella and its municipality boast man-made and natural monuments, and tell a story that spans from ancient times to the present day.The Serego family left an indelible mark on this area. The history of this family began in 936 AD, with Riprando Marassi: a valiant commander of Germanic origin, he crossed the Alps and settled in the Marca Trevigiana, where his and his family’s fortune began.In the 13th century, Riprando Marassi’s descendants arrived in Vicenza and Sarego. They added the title of Counts of Sarego and Lords of Meledo to their surname of Marassi. Over the centuries, Marassi stopped being used while Sarego remained, evolving into the more elegant Serego.Towards the end of the 14th century, Cortesia di Serego arrived in Verona as First Commander of Antonio Della Scala, and married his sister Lucia Della Scala. In 1382, he received the estates of Cucca (Veronella) from Antonio in recognition of his military valour.The union of the di Serego and della Scala families can still be seen in the coat of arms, which is still embedded in the walls of certain buildings in Veronella: the “scala” or ladder is an element that makes up the coat of arms, the crossed swords evoke the family’s military origins and the double-headed eagle indicates that nobility was conferred by the Holy Roman Emperor.In the 16th century, some members of the Serego family including Alberto, Federico, Brunoro and Annibale strived to clear the marshes in the area by means of a water drainage canal system: an example of this is the “Fossa Sarega” in Albaredo d’Adige.With the Serego family, Veronella achieved maximum splendour, displayed in the Corte Grande, a meeting place for artists and intellectuals, including architect Andrea Palladio, as well as an important place for rural life.