VERONA — In a City Hall office decorated with ultrasound images of his children, a Crucifix and nesting dolls of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, Mayor Federico Sboarina explained why he had sought to make Verona the first “Pro-Life City” in Italy.

“This is the city of love, the city of Romeo and Juliet,” he said, “and the fruit of love is life.”

Under his leadership, Verona passed an ordinance last year requiring women seeking an abortion, legalized in Italy in 1978, to first consult with anti-abortion groups offering financial assistance.

The measure, which puts additional obstacles in front of women in a country where abortion can already be difficult to obtain, established Verona as Italy’s conservative center, a reputation that will receive further burnishing starting Friday, when this city in Italy’s north plays host to the annual World Congress of Families.

The gathering is an international who’s who of anti-abortion and anti-gay hard-liners and has links to allies of Mr. Putin, who has emerged as a global icon for promoters of societies based on what they call “identity” and “tradition.”