Piazzas and churches of Verona

Piazza Bra

Piazza Bra is Verona's largest piazza (square) and is also one of the largest in Italy. If we come from Porta Nuova, the southerly access to Verona, we enter Piazza Bra, passing along the Main Gates of the Bra (Portoni della Bra), consisting of two large crenellated arches, which had been part of the walls built in Verona by the Visconti in the XIV century. The Pentagon Tower, also dating from 1300, stands at the side of the arches.
There is a garden in the centre of Piazza Bra, containing the monuments dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II and to the Partisan.
The irregular perimeter of the piazza is delimited by some very fine buildings.
The Palazzo della Gran Guardia (1610, recently restructured) stands on the right of the Bra's Main Gates. Palazzo Barbieri (1838), also known as Gran Guardia Nuova, stands on the next side. Today it is the headquarters of Verona's municipal administration. The most important monument follows: the Arena of Verona, the Roman amphitheatre, built in the 1st century AD.
The third side of Piazza Bra is delimited by a long curving row of buildings of varying size and colour, all with porticoes, which house numerous bars, restaurants, cafés and shops. A broad pavement, the Liston, extends in front of the buildings - it is the preferred haunt of Veronese strollers.

Piazza delle Erbe

Piazza Erbe is probably Verona's most picturesque piazza, which best expresses Verona's vivacious and talented character, through the monuments that surround it - varying so much from one another - and through the characteristic fruit and vegetable market, held every day. If we look at Piazza Erbe from the corner of via Mazzini (Verona's shopping street), we see on the left - after the dark houses of Verona's ancient Hebrew market - the ancient Domus Mercatorum, a low building with porticoes, the old site of the market. With Piazza Erbe as a background, stands Palazzo Maffei (1668), a scenic palazzo surmounted by a loggia with six Roman divinity statues. On its left, stands the Torre del Gardello (a tower), built in 1370 by Cansignorio della Scala. On the other long side of Piazza Erbe the following are particularly worthy of note: Casa Mazzanti, decorated with mythological frescoes of the XVI Century, Domus Nova, Arco della Costa (the large whale bone hung on it is of interest), the Town Hall (recently restructured). The Torre dei Lamberti (tower) stands in the background, with its 83 metres, it is the highest in Verona, and a splendid panorama of Verona can be enjoyed from its top. The Torre dei Lamberti is open to the public.
The following are situated in the centre of Piazza Erbe: a XVI century column exhibiting the Lion of San Marco, the Madonna Verona fountain (1383), a XVI century square-plan aedicula, known as la Berlina.

Piazza dei Signori

Piazza dei Signori is situated just behind Piazza delle Erbe. To reach it, one passes the Arco della Costa (arch). Piazza dei Signori is Verona's most aristocratic and courtly place. If you enter Piazza dei Signori from Piazza delle Erbe, you will see the Town Hall on the right, and a high crenellated XIV century tower beside it. The Palazzo del Capitano stands further ahead - with the famous Porta Bombardiera in its courtyard. With the piazza in the background, stands the Palazzo degli Scaligeri, the ancient seat of the della Scala, the Lords of Verona, and today the prefecture offices. Worthy of note in the courtyard of Palazzo dei Signori are the Renaissance well and the gothic loggia. The piazza's most important monument stands at the side of the Palazzo dei Signori: the Loggia del Consiglio (council) erected between 1476 and 1493. It is the greatest of Verona's Renaissance buildings. Statues of famous Latin poets stand on its upper cornice. The XVIII façade of Domus Nova can be noted on the last side of Piazza dei Signori. The statue of Dante Alighieri can be seen in the centre of the piazza. He Stayed in Verona on two occasions, as a guest of the Scaligeri. Due to the presence of the statue, Piazza dei Signori is often also called Piazza Dante.

Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore

The Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore in Verona is one of the most beautiful examples of Romanesque architecture in Italy. The Basilica of San Zeno is, together with the Arena, the most valuable monument of Verona. The current Basilica was erected in 1120 on the remains of two previous churches. The Romanesque bell tower, from the first half of the XII century, and the XIII century red tower of the ancient Abbey (also referred to by Dante Alighieri) stand at the sides of the Basilica.
Particularly worthy of note on the façade of Saint Zeno in Verona are: the rose window, the portal, the entrance arch with canopy, the bas-reliefs at the sides of the portal, the bronze coffers on the swing leaves of the portal.
The interior of San Zeno in Verona, with its simple Romanesque and gothic forms, is divided into three parts: the plebeian church (about two thirds of the plan), the upper presbytery (or upper church) and the crypt. The interior is decorated by numerous frescoes and statues from the XIII and XIV century. From the nave on the left, one can reach the cloister, very beautiful and attractive, on the eastern side of which stands the Votive Chapel of Saint Benedict, with its splendid grotesque fresco.

Cathedral

The Cathedral of Verona is located in a small piazza (Piazza Duomo) which seems tailor-made. Today the church is the Cathedral of Verona and was consecrated in 1187. It is a successful combination of gothic and Romanesque styles. The element characterising the façade of Verona Cathedral, is the double arched entrance. The right façade is also very interesting. It is the only one entirely visible. It contains the attractive minor door, the apse with its fine relief decorations and the XVI bell tower. There are many frescoes and statues from the XVI-XVIII centuries to be found inside Verona Cathedral.

Church of San Giovanni in Fonte

San Giovanni in Fonte in Verona is a small church that stands at the side of Verona Cathedral and, in ancient times, it was the cathedral's baptistry. The present day shape of three naves and three apses dates back to the XII century. The baptising font inside the church is one of the most important works of Veronese sculpture. It dates back to about 1200, is built according to an octagonal plan, and the exterior is covered with precious bas-relief coffers.

Sant’Elena church

Verona's small hidden jewel at the side of San Giovanni in Fonte, Sant’Elena is famous because here it is said that Dante discussed his thesis De aqua et terra in 1320. The most precious work of Sant'Elena is a stational Cross from the XIV Century.

Church of Sant’Anastasia

Sant’Anastasia is Verona's largest church. It was begun by the order of the Dominicans in 1290 and completed in 1481. The covering of its large façade has remained unfinished and covers only the lower part around the very beautiful double ogive portal, surmounted by a trabeation with poorly preserved reliefs and frescoes from the XV century, from which century the high bell tower also dates. The interior of Sant'Anastasia in Verona is the clearest example of gothic architecture in Verona. However, it maintains memories of the Romanesque tradition. The interior of the church is characterised by the pictorial decorations of the vaults and by the numerous frescoes of the lateral naves, dating from between the XV and the VIII centuries.

Church of San Fermo Maggiore

San Fermo Maggiore stands in the place where the Saints Fermo and Rustico where martyred. The Benedictine friars of Verona began to build the church in the XI century. Right from the beginning, it was conceived as a superimposition of two churches. The lower church, dated 1065, the two minor apses and the bell tower were the fruit of the Benedictine plan. The upper nave and the apse complex of San Fermo Maggiore in Verona were instead built from 1313 onward by minor friars in the Gothic style. What is particular about this splendid church of Verona, is the well blended combination of the proto-Romanesque style of the lower church and the Gothic style of the upper church. There are numerous frescoes and statues inside the church, dating from 1300 to the end of 1500.

Church of San Giorgio in Braida

The Church of San Giorgio in Braida in Verona was built in 1447 on the remains of a former church of the VIII century. The lantern, dome and bell tower are from 1500. Instead, the façade of the church dates back to 1600. Holes cut by French bullets in 1805 can be seen on the house adjoining the church. The interior of San Giorgio in Braida is one of the richest works of art of Verona, with statues and frescoes from the XVI and XVII centuries.

Church of Santa Maria in Organo

Santa Maria in Organo is the Olivetan church of Verona, and owes its present day appearance to a renewal in 1481. In fact, the lower part of the façade was laid over an older façade, which can still be intuited in the upper part. The Renaissance interior with three naves houses frescoes and statues from the XVI-XVIII century. The vestry with its frescoes of monks and popes is particularly beautiful.

Church of San Giovanni in Valle

San Giovanni in Valle is probably Verona's most beautiful church, thanks to its position and simple style. San Giovanni in Valle is very ancient. It was rebuilt after the earthquake which hit Verona in 1117, and was then seriously damaged in the second world war. A typical example of Romanesque architecture in Verona, this church is entirely built in stone, and has three naves and three apses. The façade is very simple, with side windows, a central mullioned window with two lights, and a marble portal of the XV Century. The bell tower, in Romanesque style, dates back to 1700. The interior is spare but very attractive.

Church of San Lorenzo

Although it is one of Verona's lesser known churches, San Lorenzo is without any doubt one of the most beautiful and important. San Lorenzo was built in 1117 on the remains of a paleo-Christian basilica. The exterior reflects the Romanesque character typical of Verona churches, with alternate strips of stone and bricks. The entrance and bell tower hail from the XV century. The special characteristic of this hidden church of Verona lies in the two towers. They are graduated and cylindrical, probably inspired by similar Norman constructions, which were used to climb to the women's galleries. The interior is strictly Romanesque, with some XIII century frescoes.

Church of San Tomaso Cantuariense

The church of San Tomaso in Verona was erected in the XV century in the place where two previous churches had stood. The church is dedicated to Saint Thomas bishop of Canterbury and was consecrated in 1504 although unfinished. The façade has large Gothic windows, which recall the bell tower with its high conical spire. The interior, with one nave only, preserves frescoes and paintings of the XV-XVII century. On the left side of the presbytery there is a large baroque organ, which Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played, when he visited Verona in 1769.

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