The churches of Verona, Verona

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The Church of San Giorgietto, errected by Domenicans at the end of 13th and the beginning of 14th century, is adjacent to the Santa Anastasia. In 1424 the church assumpted name of San Pietro Martire and passed into brotherhood of the same name.
It has significant examples of the 14th century sculptures work, the tomb of Bavarino de'Crescenzi from 1346, which is above the main entrance and L'arco di Giuglielmo Bastelbarco which is situated at the arch above entrance to the convent. Besides, this church preserves valuable 14th century frescoes in its interiors.

Slightly out of the center is the impressive Basilica de St Zeno and is one of Verona's most visited churches. Its dedicated to St Zeno who is the patron saint of verona. After taking a look at the outside of the building in its Romanesque style with the giant wheel of fortune the inside is very impressive. It is filled with 14th C frescoes. Examples of renaissance style Andrea Mantegna's alterpiece with Mary and the angels. Small entry fee of 3€

Just before Ponte Navi is the wonderful San Fermo Maggiore. A mixture of styles it seems due to numerous add-ons on top of the original romanesque structure. Head into the basicilia for some impressive sights. There is a lower church, reached by stairs, that is in the shape of a cross and has some impressive frescoes from the 16th and 17th centuries

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There are several nice churches in Verona, but the one that stands out in my mind as I reflect back upon my trip is the church of Santa Anastasia, whose construction began at the end of the 13th century. Perhaps because the facade was never completed, I wasn't expecting the kind of beauty I found inside. The high vaulted ceiling is decorated with beautiful frescoes that bring light and originality to the church. Of course, there are many works of art by Italian masters on display in the church, and there are leaflets available in many languages that describe the most significant paintings and architectural features.

The church of Santa Anastasia is also included in the Verona Card.

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San Zeno Maggiore is often described as one Italy's nicest Romanesque-style churches. Even though a first church was built on the site at the beginning of the 9th century to house the remains of St. Zeno, the patron saint of Verona, it was very badly damaged during the 1117 earthquake. The present building, along with its 72 m high bell tower and beautiful cloisters, dates back to the 12th century and it has influenced the architecture of several other churches in Northern Italy and around the world. Some of the church's most famous features include the 48 bronze pannels that depict the life of St. Zeno as well as Andrea Mantegna's magnificient altarpiece, part of which was unfortunately stolen by Napoleon's troops and has never been returned (it can now be found at the Louvre). From the main church there is a wide staircase that leads down to the crypt where St. Zeno's body can be seen wearing a silver mask.

Admission to San Zeno Maggiore is included in the Verona Card.

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Just like San Zeno Maggiore was built to house the remains of St. Zeno, the beautiful church of San Fermo is believed to have been built on the very site where the martyrs St. Firmus and St. Rusticus were tortured to death in 304. In 765, the bishop of Verona retrieved the two saints' bodies (they had been buried in Trieste) and brought them to the little church of San Fermo, which quicky proved to be too small to accommodate all the people coming to see the relics and pray. The present church dates back to the 12th century and it's made up of an upper and a lower section. The upper church was used for religious services, while the lower section was initially built especially to house the two saints' remains - they were eventually moved up to the upper level to avoid being flooded by the Adige River. Both sections are still in use today and are open to visitors.

Admission to San Fermo is included in the Verona Card.

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Built in the Romanesque style, Santa Maria Assunta is Verona's main cathedral. It dates back to the 12th century and it was built on the site where two churches that were destroyed in the 1117 earthquake used to stand. In fact, it's still possible to see the remains of those two churches by stepping through the side door that leads to the church of Santa Elena and the San Giovanni in Fonte baptistery, which might be the cathedral's most interesting features along with Titian's "Assunta" (not to be confused with the one in Venice). The small church of Santa Elena dates back to the 9th century and although it was damaged during the earthquake, it was quickly restored. A glass panel laid on the floor of the altar makes it possible to see some architectural remains. The baptistery is also quite impressive - it was carved out of one single marble block at the beginning of the 12th century and the eight sculpted panels that make up its orthogonal shape are in remarkable condition.

Entrance to the cathedral is included in the Verona Card.

San Zeno, who was of African descent, was the eight bishop of Verona. He died in 380, and the first church was built here in his memory. The terrible earthquake of 1117 wrecked it, so this one was completed here in the 13th and 14th centuries. This is one of the finest examples of late Romanesque architecture in nothern Italy.