The House of Della Scala, whose members were known as Scaligeri (Italian: [skaˈliːdʒeri]) or Scaligers (/ˈskælɪdʒərz/; from the Latinized de Scalis), was the ruling family of Verona and mainland Veneto (except for Venice) from 1262 to 1387,[1] for a total of 125 years.

A powerful league was formed against him in 1337: Florence, Venice, the Visconti, the Este and the Gonzaga all joined, and after a three-year war, the Scaliger dominions were reduced to Verona and Vicenza.

His son Cangrande II (1351–1359) was a cruel and suspicious tyrant; not trusting his own subjects, he surrounded himself with German mercenaries, but was killed by his brother Cansignorio (1359–1375), who beautified Verona with palaces, provided it with aqueducts and bridges and founded the state treasury.

Guglielmo (1404), natural son of Cangrande II, was more fortunate: with the support of the people, he drove out the Milanese, but he died ten days thereafter, and Verona then submitted to Venice (1405).

[3] Guglielmo's sons dispersed widely: Brunoro [it] went to Germany, while Nicodemo [it] followed an ecclesiastical career, becoming Bishop of Freising; most of the siblings died and were buried in Vienna.