The advent of fascism

The advent of fascism added another dark chapter to the annals of Verona. As throughout Italy, the jewish population was hit by a wave of anti-semitic propaganda planned since the early thirties and ending with anti-semitic laws (1938) that shut down many businesses and deported many local citizens to Nazi and Italian concentration camps. An Austrian Fort (now a church, the Santuario della Madonna di Lourdes), was used to incarcerate and torture allied troops, jews and anti-fascist suspects especially since 1943, when Verona became part of the Repubblica di Salò.