The most beautiful churches in Verona: a journey from Romanesque to Gothic
The
splendor of Verona's religious architecture, from the Basilica of
San Zeno to the Church of Santa Anastasia: a journey from Romanesque
to Gothic.
Verona is not only a romantic backdrop: the city is in fact a precious treasure chest of sacred buildings, masterpieces of art and faith, such as the Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore and the Church of Santa Anastasia. These two churches are among the most extraordinary monuments of the city's architectural heritage and represent Verona's spiritual legacy.
Considered
one of the most spectacular examples of Italian Romanesque
architecture, the Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore is a must-see.
Located slightly outside
the historic center, where the former
San Zeno abbey once stood,
the church dedicated to Verona's patron saint fully expresses the
evocative power of medieval art.
The key elements of the
Basilica
include the imposing façade in local pink stone, featuring the rose
window known as the "Wheel of Fortune." The reliefs decorating
this unique Romanesque masterpiece depict the vicissitudes of human
life, subjected to the ever-changing will of fortune, in an eloquent
synthesis of the sacred and the profane.
Another masterpiece of
the Basilica is the bronze doors— the oldest in Northern Italy—
which narrate through images episodes from the Old and New
Testament.
The interior is just as striking, with the elevated
presbytery dominated by Andrea Mantegna's great Altarpiece, a
splendid masterpiece of Italian art that marks the beginning of the
Renaissance in Verona.
The
elegance of the Gothic: the Church of Santa Anastasia.
Unlike
the Basilica of San Zeno, Santa Anastasia is located in the heart of
the city, so we move along the river from Corso Porta Borsari to the
characteristic small Santa
Anastasia square.
Santa
Anastasia is the largest church in Verona, a monumental example of
Gothic architecture, built from the late 13th century by the
Dominicans. It is an imposing brick structure whose unfinished façade
does not prepare the visitor for the splendor within, entirely
frescoed and adorned with altars and chapels. Anyone stepping through
the entrance is left speechless by the richness of the wall paintings
and by the original mosaic floor, featuring key colors black
and white, that symbolize
the emblem of the
Domenican friars, along
with Verona's red marble—the color of Christ's blood and
passion.
The upward projection created by the twelve majestic
columns guides the eye to admire the scrollwork and vegetal motifs
framing portraits of Dominican Saints
and Church Fathers, ideally accompanying the faithful on their path
toward the main altar.