Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore is a magnificent church in Verona, dedicated to Saint Zeno, an early Christian Bishop of the city. One of the Romanesque masterpieces in Italy, the church develops on three levels, and the current structure dates back to the 11th century. SHORT HISTORY It is believed that Saint Zeno of Verona died between the years 372 and 380, and tradition has it that he was buried near the place where the basilica rises today. A first church was built in his honor above his tomb, and by 589, the structure was already restored and enlarged. At the beginning of the 9th century, Pepin of Italy, King of the Lombards, decided to build a larger and more beautiful church, and that the body of the old one to be transformed into a crypt. The consecration of the new building took place on December 8, 806, while on May 21 of the following year, the body of Saint Zeno was moved to the crypt. It seems that the church suffered considerable damage during the Hungarian invasions that took place between 899 and 933, and the city decided to rebuilt it. The reconstruction was commissioned by Bishop Raterio, Read more [...]
Tag: Romanesque in Verona
Church of Santo Stefano
The Church of Santo Stefano is a Catholic church in Verona, located in the Veronetta district, about 300 meters away from the Church of San Giorgio in Braida and Porta San Giorgio, and about 50 meters away from Ponte Pietra. SHORT HISTORY A first Paleo-Christian building was erected here at the beginning of the 5th century. Of this primitive construction, only the general layout and the southern wall remain. During the reign of Theodoric the Great, at the beginning of the 6th century, the building was partially destroyed, but then promptly rebuilt. The stone episcopal chair preserved in the church and the remains of some Veronese bishops, led to the assumption that, in the early Middle Ages, the church was the bishopric of the diocese. In the 11th century, the crypt of the church was added. Unlike many Veronese buildings, Santo Stefano was only partially damaged during the earthquake of 1117. The subsequent reconstruction in Romanesque style involved changes to the apse, the windows and the facade, which was moved to include the narthex. Between 1618 and 1621, the parish priest, Monsignor Varalli, commissioned the Varalli Chapel (or Chapel of the Innocents) built in Baroque style on the southern Read more [...]
Church of San Fermo Maggiore
The Church of San Fermo Maggiore is a church located in the historical center of Verona, dedicated to Saint Fermus, a Christian martyr under Emperor Maximian. SHORT HISTORY According to tradition, Saints Fermus and Rusticus were martyred in Verona in 304 AD, and the locals built a church in their honor in the 5th or 6th century. However, the first traces of this church date back to the 8th century. In 755, the bishop of Verona, Annone, who is now venerated as a saint, received the relics of Saints Fermus and Rusticus and placed them under the altar of the church dedicated to them. Between 1065 and 1143, the Benedictines completely restructured the complex and built two churches in Romanesque style: the lower one to preserve the relics, and the upper one for the daily celebrations. They also started the construction of the bell tower, which was completed only in the 13th century. In 1261, the Franciscans took the place of the Benedictines and rebuilt the upper church. The work was completed around 1350. In the following centuries, inside the church were added chapels, altars and funeral monuments. In 1759, the relics were placed in the altar of the Read more [...]