at the foot of the mountains which divide Italy from Germany, so that
it occupies part both of hill and plain. The river Adige rises in the
valley of Trento, and entering Italy, does not immediately traverse the
country, but winding to the left, along the base of the hills, enters
Verona, and crosses the city, which it divides unequally, giving much
the larger portion to the plain. On the mountain side of the river are
two fortresses, formidable rather from their situation than from their
actual strength, for being very elevated they command the whole place.
One is called San Piero, the other San Felice. On the opposite side of
the Adige, upon the plain, with their backs against the city walls, are
two other fortresses, about a mile distant from each other, one called
the Old the other the New Citadel, and a wall extends between them that
may be compared to a bowstring, of which the city wall is the arc. The
space comprehended within this segment is very populous, and is called
the Borgo of St. Zeno. Niccolo Piccinino designed to capture these
fortresses and the Borgo, and he hoped to succeed without much
difficulty, as well on account of the ordinary negligence of the guard,
which their recent successes would probably increase, as because in
war no enterprise is more likely to be successful than one which by the
enemy is deemed impossible. With a body of picked men, and accompanied
by the marquis of Mantua, he proceeded by night to Verona, silently
scaled the walls, and took the New Citadel: then entering the place with
his troops, he forced the gate of S. Antonio, and introduced the whole
of his cavalry. The Venetian garrison of the Old Citadel hearing an
uproar, when the guards of the New were slaughtered, and again when the
gate was forced, being now aware of the presence of enemies, raised an
alarm, and called the people to arms. The citizens awaking in the
utmost confusion, some of the boldest armed and hastened to the rector's
piazza. In the meantime, Niccolo's forces had pillaged the Borgo of San
Zeno; and proceeding onward were ascertained by the people to be the