The Amphitheatre in Verona one of the biggest and undoubtedly the best conserved of the roman monuments. It is better known as the 'Arena', the Latin word for sand, which was used to cover the area where the games and entertainments were held. It is one of the greatest and most prestigious archaeological monuments in Europe and its size makes it the third largest amphitheatre in Europe, after the Coliseum in Rome and the Amphitheatre Campano in Campania beside Naples . Even though it is known that the Arena was built in the first century A.D. during the last years of the emperor Augustus, neither Historians nor Architects have yet agreed on the exact date of the construction. Originally the Arena was situated outside the initial roman city walls. It has stood the test of time, even though the strength of the construction has been severely tried by earthquakes.
To construct the Arena in such a strong and resistant way, the Romans chiselled in to the Pastello Mountain and laid down cement foundations to form a plateau. A complex sewer system was designed to guarantee reliable drainage; three large circular sewers opened out under the ground of the three concentric tunnels, which made up the supporting structure of the first tier. Two other sewers lay under the principal axes of the building, major and minor, and directed the flow of the whole system towards the river Adige (studies have been carried out on one of these drains as far as 100 metres outside the grounds of the amphitheatre). The drains are of large dimensions, around 2 metres in height and of various widths, built with pebbles bound by mortar, which had horizontal rows of 3 bricks alternating through them. The covers for the drains were obtained by using slabs of stone. This technique is very similar to that used in the drainage system of Verona, which was part of the first urbanistic system of the city and was put into practise straight after 49 A.D. This would also make us be inclined to believe that a specific date for the construction of the Amphitheatre cannot be after the first decades of the imperial age.
The Arena has two tiers of arches and stands in a profound depression of around 2 metres when compared to road level. Originally the surrounding external walls were developed with three tiers of marbled arches. However, on May 21st, 1117 an earthquake caused the external ring of the arena to collapse, leaving only one wing on the northwest of the building. This wing is composed of 5 columns and 4 interposed arches in each of the three tiers. It is more than 30 metres in height, not including the above crowning part of the wall. The remaining wing gives us an indication of the original façade, which consisted of 73 columns made of 'Veronese stone'. This particular stone came from the town land of Sant'Ambrogio in Valpolicella near Verona and was also used to erect the doors and the other monuments referable to the 1st century A.D. Each column had squared sections, with each side of each square measuring 2 metres. Altogether there were 72 vaults on each tier. The arches opened out onto a corridor of nearly four and a half metres in width, which was positioned around the level of the second ring. This corridor/walk-way had passages and staircases leading off from it and was covered over to allow the spectators to position themselves easily on the steps, and to take shelter from the rain and the sun.
The Arena forms an ellipsis with its major internal axes measuring 75,68 m. and its minor one measuring 44,43 m. The external axes, including also the outer wall, which, as was already mentioned, has more or less completely disappeared, reaches 152 and 123 metres. The 45 rows of marble steps in the auditorium, which have an average height of 45 cm, are made up of a block of stone which is 40 metres thick, and are sustained by arches and walls laid out in the form of 4 rings.
The outermost ring served as the façade of the building. This second ring, which is on view today, following the disappearance of the 1st façade, was reinforced with a very resistant conglomerate of cement, pebbles from the river and fragments of bricks or cotta tiles.The Stage erected in the Summer in the Arena is the biggest in the world. It measures 47 metres by 28. Small garrets are positioned around the circumference of the Amphitheatre and those positioned behind the stage are used as changing rooms for the artists, who reach the stage by descending a steep wooden staircase.
The good state of preservation of the monument is clearly due to the way it has always been utilized. In the past the amphitheatre was an important venue for culture and entertainment, as well as a harmonious meeting point for society. From the very beginning of its existence, the Arena hosted gladiatorial fights, circuses, jousts, tournaments and equestrian shows. From the 18th century onwards, theatrical performances became a constant feature.
The first performance of the Festival dates back to August 10th, 1913 when Aida by Giuseppe Verdi was performed. Since then the Arena has been identified with opera and has progressively improved in two respects: the artistic standard is high and performances attract a wide-ranging audience. The opera season in the Arena, organized by the Arena di Verona Foundation, brings over half a million people to Verona every year and over fifteen thousand spectators flow into the amphitheatre every evening of the season: a truly cosmopolitan audience, with people from both inside and outside Europe.
Piazza Bra
Phone 045.8003204
Open: 9 am - 7pm, except of monday

The heart of the Veronese beats in Piazza Bra and not simply because the world-famous Arena is the piazza's centrepiece. Walking in piazza Bra after a while you get used to the sight of it and tend not to notice it any more. The 'liston' of the Piazza Bra, or the paving stones laid in 1770 to facilitate the elegant passage of the bourgeoisie, is what saved it from mediocrity at the end of the 1700's.
Today the piazza is crowned with many palaces that carry the names of the most important Veronese families.

This bustling marketplace—the palazzi-flanked Square of the Herbs—sits on the former site of the Roman Forum where chariot races once took place. The herbs, spices, coffee beans, and bolts of silks and damasks that came through Verona after landing in Venice from faraway Cathay have given way to the fresh and aromatic produce of one of Italy’s wealthiest agricultural regions—offset by the inevitable ever-growing presence of T-shirt and french-fry vendors, as the piazza has become something of a tourist trap. But the perfume of fennel and vegetables fresh from the earth still assaults your senses in the early morning, mixing with the cacophony of vendors touting plump tomatoes, dozens of different variations of salad greens, and picture-perfect fruits that can’t possibly taste as good as they look, but do. Add to this the canary lady, the farmer’s son who has brought in a half a dozen puppies to unload, and the furtive pickpocket who can spot a tourist at 50 paces—and you have one of Italy’s loveliest little outdoor markets. Take a rest on one of the steps leading up to the small, 14th-century fountain in the piazza’s center and a Roman statue dubbed The Virgin of Verona.

To reach the Piazza dei Signori from the Piazza delle Erbe, exit under the Arco della Costa. The perfect antidote to the color and bustle of the Piazza delle Erbe, the serene and elegant Piazza dei Signori is a slightly somber square, one of Verona’s innermost chambers of calm. Its center is anchored by a large 19th-century statue of the “divine poet” Dante, who found political exile from Florence in Verona as a guest of Cangrande I and his Scaligeri family (in appreciation, Dante wrote of his patron in his poem, Paradiso). If entering from the Archway, you’ll be facing the Scaligeri’s 13th-century crenellated residence before it was taken over by the governing Venetians. Left of that, behind Dante’s back, is the Loggia del Consiglio (Portico of the Counsel), a 15th-century masterpiece of Venetian Renaissance style. Opposite that and facing Dante is the 12th-century Romanesque Palazzo della Ragione, whose courtyard and fine Gothic staircase should be visited. This piazza is Verona’s finest microcosm, a balanced and refined assemblage of historical architecture. Secure an outdoor table at the square’s legendary command post, the Antico Caffè Dante, and take it all in over a late-afternoon Campari and soda.

Entering from Piazza Erbe, to the right is the Palazzo del Comune (built in the 12th century), and the Scaligeri palace that was once the Tribunal. On the far side is the Palazzo del Governo, also built by the Scaligeri; while to the left is the loggia by Fra' Giocondo (1476-1493), an elegant example of Renaissance architecture and home to the Council during Venetian rule.
The basement of the ex-Tribunal provides a suggestive archaeological journey, with remains that date from Roman times up to the 14th century. It also houses the temporary exhibitions held by the International Photography Centre, inaugurated in 1996.

The oldest extant Roman monument in Verona dates from the time of Augustus when the Arena was built and Verona was a strong Roman outpost at the crossroads of the Empire’s ancient north/south, east/ west highways. There is something almost surreal about attending an open-air performance of Shakespeare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona or Romeo and Juliet here— even if you can’t understand a word (see “Festivals & Markets,” earlier in this section). Classical concerts and ballet and jazz performances are also given here, with evocative views of the city beyond. A small archaeological museum (same hours as the site itself) housed above in a lovely old monastery is included in the admission ticket. On Sundays (only), the promenade is open to the public.
The view of Verona from the Roman Theater is beautiful any time of day, but particularly during the evening performances—the ancient Romans knew a thing or two about dramatic settings. For other views, you can take a rickety elevator to the 10th-century Church of Santa Libera above the theater, or to the former monastery and cloisters of San Girolamo, which now houses a small archaeological museum. Above this is the Castel San Pietro, whose foundations go back to the times of the Romans and whose terraces offer the best view in town.

Close to the Castel San Pietro is the well-known, multitiered Giardino Giusti gardens, whose formal 16th-century layout and geometricaldesigns of terraces, fountains, statuary, and staircases inspired, among many, Mozart and Goethe.
Via Giardino Giusti 2
Phone./Fax 045.8034029
The gardens are open daily from 9am to dusk
admission: 5€

A 5-minute walk west of the Arena amphitheater on the Via Roma and nestled on the banks of the swift-flowing Adige River, the “Old Castle” is a crenellated fairy-tale pile of brick towers and turrets, protecting the bridge behind it.
It was commissioned in 1354 by the Scaligeri warlord Cangrande II to serve the dual role of residential palace and military stronghold. It survived centuries of occupation by the Visconti family, the Serene Republic of Venice, and then Napoléon, only to be destroyed by the Germans during World War II bombing.
Its painstaking restoration was initiated in 1958 by the acclaimed Venetian architect Carlos Scarpa, and it reopened in 1964. It is now a fascinating home to some 400 works of art. The ground-floor rooms, displaying statues and carvings of the Middle Ages, lead to alleyways, vaulted halls, multileveled floors, and stairs, all as architecturally arresting as the Venetian masterworks from the 14th to 18th centuries— notably those by Tintoretto, Tiepolo, Veronese, Bellini, and the Verona-born Pisanello—found throughout. Don’t miss the large courtyard with the equestrian statue of the warlord Cangrande I (a copy can be seen at the family cemetery at the Arche Scaligeri) with a peculiar dragon’s head affixed to his back (actually his armor’s helmet, removed from his head and resting behind him).
Corso Castelvecchio 2 (at Via Roma, on the Adige River)
Admission 3.10€
Free 1st Sun of each month.
Mon 1:45–7:30pm; Tue–Sun 8:30am–7:30pm
(Last admission 45 min. before close)
www.comune.verona.it/Castelvecchio/cvsito

The bridge was constructed for defensive reasons, but it is also a very beautiful work, and a middle age Engineering master piece.

Its biggest arch is 48 meters big. The bridge, built in 1355, has suffered many modifications, and it was almost completely destroyed in the Second World War.

It was reconstructed using the original materials.

Around mid 1st century A.D., The Arch was built to honour several members of the Gens Gavia, an illustrious family that may have been of Veronese origin. The site was chosen with care, on a road of great transit, the Postumia, at the margins of the plateau where the city could develop: the precise point where it rose is marked by a grey marble rectangle that is visible from the roadway.
During medieval times the arch became a city gate and included the scala walls and Clock Tower of Castelvecchio.
The entire base of the arch is under the level of the roadway, except for a corner that is visible from the castle moat.
The Arch was one of the roman monuments of Verona that was most widely studied and admired during the renaissance.
In 1805, the French Military Engineers decreed its demolition, to improve the transitability of the course of military mule trains.
The Arch stones lay for decades piled first in Citadella Square and later under the Arena arches.
Finally the Arch was rebuilt, with its authentic pieces, in 1932, alongside Castel vecchio and facing the Adige, not far from its original location.
The construction is entirely of white Veronese stone, probably from the Valpolicella.
Despite its vicissitudes, the Arch is one of the rare surviving examples, in our territory, of a meaningful type of construction in the history of Roman architecture. Although the arch was often cited in archaeological literature and has been the subject of specific study, its architectural form and dating have continued to fuel lively discussion among scholars.

The outer front, placed against the first construction - entirely in brick - in the 1st century AD is all that remains of this entrance to the Roman city in Via Postumia.Its current name comes from the "borsari" (bursars) who collected duties in the Middle Ages.The gate, in local white limestone has two arches and above, a double row of windows. The architrave bears an inscription to commemorate the restoration of the city walls in 265 AD by the emperor, Gallieno.

The Roman gate takes its name from a sarcophagus lid bearing two lions and now found in the gardens at the end of the street opposite S.Fermo.
The remains of one of the two polygonal towers can still be seen below the roadway, as can - next to a house - part of the facade that overlooked the city. This facade still contains a brick section from the oldest part of the gate (mid 1st century BC), faced with local white stone that was added halfway through the 1st century AD. In the prospect, slim spiral columns flank the large upper exedra.

Exit the Piazza dei Signori opposite the Arch of the Rib and immediately on your right, at the corner of Via delle Arche Scaligeri, are some of the most elaborate Gothic funerary monuments in Italy— the raised outdoor tombs of the canine-obsessed Scaligeri family (seen behind the original decorative grillwork), powerful and often ruthless rulers of Verona. The most important are those by the peculiar names of Mastino I (Mastiff the First, founder of the dynasty, date of death unknown), Mastino II (Mastiff the Second, d. 1351), and Cansignorio (Head Dog, d. 1375). The most interesting is found over the side door of the family’s private chapel Santa Maria Antica—the tomb of Cangrande I (Big Dog, d. 1329), with cani (dogs) holding up a scala (ladder), both elements that figure in the Scaligeri coat of arms. That’s Cangrande I—patron of the arts and protector of Dante—and his steed you see above (the original can be seen in the Museo Castelvecchio). Recently restored, these tombs are considered one of the country’s greatest medieval monuments. Entry is only to the neighboring Torre dei Lamberti; the tomb area itself is closed to visitors.Around the corner on V. d. Arche Scaligeri 2 is the alleged 13th-century home of Juliet’s significant other, Romeo Montecchi (Montague, in Shakespearian), which incorporates the popular Osteria del Duca.

"There is no world without Verona walls": the pen of William Shakespeare has lent Verona fame and immortality with his tale of two star-crossed lovers, Romeo Montecchi (Montagu) and Juliet Capuleti (Capulet).
The story of their tragic love is set in two precise locations - Juliet's house and the tomb.
The Capulet House, best known as "Juliet's House", dates back to the thirteenth century. It is tower-shaped and belonged to the Dal Cappello family, whose coat-of-arms is visible above the inner arch-way of the court-yard. The brick façade is decorated by elegant gothic windows standing on either side of the famous balcony on which Juliet is said to have spoken to Romeo.
The house has several storeys and tickets can be bought to visit it. The interior contains the furniture of a typical fourteenth century aristocratic household, enhanced by a wide range of medieval ceramics. Antonio Avena's masterful restoration (carried out in 1935) brought to life the elegant frescoes within, and which highlight inlaid wooden chests, brick fireplaces, wooden staircases and landings.
At the far end of the courtyard stands Nereo Costantini's bronze statue of Juliet visited by thousands of tourists every year from all over the world.
Romeo's house is situated in "Via Arche Scaligere". It is an authentic medieval house which belonged to the 13th century Counts of Cagnolo Nogarola. The latter were part of the Della Scala entourage. The archway is gothic and is enclosed by crenellated walls. The interior cannot be visited but the nearby restaurant contains some of its rooms. The Montagu family is said to have occupied these rooms. The façade bears an inscription with the famous words: "Oh Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?..." "Tut! I have lost myself; I am not here: This is not Romeo, he's some other where." (Act 1, scene 1).
Via Cappello 23 - Phone 045.8034303
mon 1.30 pm - 7.30 pm; tue-sun 9 am - 7 pm

The Stone Bridge is located in one of the most panoramic and suggestive sites in Verona. Regardless of the vicissitudes and reconstructions the bridge has undergone, it remains one of the most important monuments or Roman Verona. It is legitimate to date the bridge prior to 89 B.C. – the year when Verona became a Latin colony – an initial bridge across the Adige, perhaps in wood, may have been built in this site following the construction of the Postumia Road, which ran from Genoa to Aquileia, in 148 B.C. When the Adige was in spate, or through the intervention of man, the bridge collapsed in 1007, 1153 and 1232 and 1239.
In 1503 the bridge was rebuilt in stone, but collapsed and was rebuilt in wood. In 1508 the City Council asked the Architect Fra’ Giocondo to superintend the construction of the Roman bridge. On 25 April 1945 the bridge was mined by the retreating Germans and was blown up. Only the first arch on the right bank remained standing. In 1957 the first stone was laid for the reconstruction of the arches destroyed and finally, on 7 March 1959, the bridge was inaugurated, to crown an extremely faithful reconstruction.
The bridge blown up by the Germans had five arches of different sizes: the two towards the left bank of the Adige were Roman and built of stone; of the other three, the one closest to the right bank was still the one built in 1298, while the other two had been rebuilt in 1520.
In the Roman part there were apertures similar to elongated windows. A round hole was located above the third piling, in the middle of the bridge.
The Stone Bridge can be considered a programme of constructions from different époques.

Begun in the 12th century and not finished until the 17th century, the city’s main church still boasts its original main doors and portal, magnificently covered with low reliefs in the Lombard Romanesque style that are attributed to Niccolo, whose work can be seen at the Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore. You enter, however, way around to the right. The church was built upon the ruins of an even more ancient paleo-Christian church dating from the late Roman Empire. Visit the Cappella Nichesola, the first chapel on the left, where Titian’s serene but boldly colorful Assumption of the Virgin is the cathedral’s principal treasure, with an architectural frame by Sansovino (who also designed the choir). Also of interest is the semicircular screen that separates the altar from the rest of the church, attributed to Sanmicheli. To its right rises the 14th-century tomb of Saint Agatha. The excavations of S. Elena church, also in the Duomo complex, reveal a bit of 6th-century mosaic floor; the Baptistery contains a Romanesque font carved with scenes from the Nativity cycle. Don’t leave the area without walking behind the Duomo to the river: Here you’ll find the 13th-century Torre di Alberto della Scala tower and nearby Ponte della Pietra bridge, the oldest Roman monument in Verona (1st century B.C.; rebuilt in the 14th c.). There has been a crossing at this point of the river since Verona’s days as a 1st-century Roman stronghold when the Teatro Romano wasbuilt on the river’s northern banks and the Arena at its hub.
Single admission 2€.
Mar–Oct Mon–Sat 9:30am–6pm, Sun 1–6pm;
Nov–Feb Mon–Sat 10am–4pm,Sun 1:30–4pm

The Basilica of Saint Anastasia is definitely the most important gothic style religious monument in Verona.
Construction on the church started around 1290 and lasted a century. It was supported by the Scala family, however the name of the architect is not known.
The site chosen for the construction is very near to Lords’ Square, where the Scala family had their palaces; therefore Saint Anastasia presumably became the official church of their court.
The church is in the Italian gothic style, with three crossed naves and five polygonal apses. It was admirably restored in 1878-1881.
The unfinished façade has a magnificent twin portal with polychrome marble, base relief and frescoes; on the left, there is the suspended arch of Guglielmo of Castelbarco.
The wall, up to the portal, dates from the years of Castelbarco (1315-1320). He also built the perimeter wills. The renaissance style marble panels date from the XV century and narrate the life of St. Peter the Martyr: following the Napoleonic pillage, only two of these remain.
The inside of the majestic church, with its twelve great white marble columns with gothic capitals, is divided into three naves joined by a crossed vaulted ceiling. The plan of the church is a Latin cross, with a great apse flanked by four chapels. So as you enter the nave and turn right after reaching the baptistery and the plaque with the bust of the poet Bartolomeo Lorenzi, you gradually encounter sixteen splendid altars and marvellous chapels, with works by Pietro da Porlezza, Danese, Cattaneo, Michele da Firenze, Liberale da Verona and Giolfino. The pensile tomb of Cortesia di Serego, walled in the presbyterial area in front of the “Judgement” by Turone, is of great interest. Above the Pellegrini chapel there is a famous fresco by Pisanello, “St. George and the princess”. There is little information about the bell tower: it rises light and quickly over the last chapel on the left as you look at the main altar. The style dates from the early 1400s.

Dedicated to Saints Fermo and Rustico, early 6th century martyrs, the basilica was given to the Benedictines in the 10th century and completely rebuilt in Cluniac style, with three naves and apsidal transept, in the period 1065-1143.
Only the lower church, with a central nave supported by a row of columns, and notable remains of frescoes, dates back to the Romanesque period.
In the 13th century, the abbey complex passed to the Franciscans, who rebuilt the upper church and the bell tower in gothic style.
The modern bronze door by Luciano Minguzzi (1984-88) was fitted in 1997. Inside, as well as the wood ceiling in the form of a keel, there are frescoes by Altichiero, Turone, Martino and Stefano da Verona, and also the Brenzoni funeral monument, with its splendid Annunciation by Pisanello (1424-26).

A Benedictine Monastery, built during the Lombard era, St. Maria in Organo is the oldest monastery known in the city of Verona.
The monastery and its church were both rebuilt following the 1117 earthquake, and were again rebuilt during the period from halfway through the fifteenth century to mid sixteenth century, by the Olivetani, who had been called upon to support the abbacy following the Scala and Visconti dilapidation.
In the second half of the sixteenth century the abbacy hosted twenty-six monks.
The church and monastery were visited by illustrious foreign travellers, who all left enthusiastic written accounts of what they had seen, prior to the destructive blows inflicted by Napoleon’s army and the successive dominations.
The artistic patrimony suffered inevitable losses.
The altarpiece, by Mantegna, is now at the Brera Gallery in Milan.
The façade is unfinished and is divided into two distinct parts, the upper part is the oldest, and is built of tuff and fired brick, while the lower part is the work of Sammicheli and is in white marble.
The bell tower was built in the XV century. The interior is in Romanesque style with gothic elements; it is two storeys high and is divided into three naves. The central nave has many frescoes; the ones on the right are by Caroto and the ones on the left are by Giolfino.
Descending from the presbytery, it is possible to visit the subterranean church (or crypt), which is a rare and interesting example of pre-Romanesque architecture, with capital belonging to the first church and a famous marble altarpiece dated 1300, which is attributed to Giovanni of Rigino.
The most famous works inside the church are the wood inlays of the choir and sacristy, which depict urban scenes, allegories, still life pictures, etc.
It was realised at the end of the fifteenth century by the olivetan Frà Giovanni da Verona.
The complex gained the immediate admiration of Vasari, who defined the sacristy as the most beautiful one in Italy.

This paleochristian church dates back to the early 12th century, but it was continually added to until the 18th century. In particular, the interior was totally altered, and the three naves reduced to one. It contains an altarpiece by Turchi and a Pentecost by Brentana.
The outer walls, apse and beautiful bell tower have kept their Romanesque style and there was probably a cantilever doorway on the facade.
The chapel, dedicated to two martyred saints is next to the church. It was begun in the 5th century and consecrated in 751, and is one of Verona's oldest religious buildings. The Greek cross layout is perhaps due to its funereal role.
From the 14th century onwards, the chapel was used by the Bevilacqua family.

The Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore is considered one of the great achievements of Romanesque architecture. The present structure is the 3rd on this site, built from 1123-1135, over the 4th century shrine to Verona's patron saint, St Zeno. The splendid façade dominates the large square, and is flanked with a beautiful 72 meter tall bell tower, which is mentioned by Dante in Canto 18 of Purgatory in the Divine Comedy.
The weathered Veronese stone gives a warm golden glow and the restrained lines of the pillars, columns, cornices and the gallery with its double windows give the façade an air of harmonious elegance. The huge Rose Window is decorated as a Wheel of Fortune. The lintels above the portal have carvings of the months of the year. Each side of the doorway is embellished with 18 bas-relief panels of biblical scenes, and the inner bronze door has panels have 48 primitive but forceful depictions from the life of St Zeno. The meaning of some of the scenes is now unknown, but the extraordinarily vivid, barbaric energy of the figures is a superb blend of traditional and Ottonian influences. The interior of the church is divided into a Lower Church, occupying about 2/3 of the structure, and the Upper Church, occupying the remainder. The walls are covered with 12th and 14th century frescos and the ceiling of the nave is a magnificent example of a ship's keel ceiling. The vaulted crypt contains the tomb of St Zeno (d.380), the first Bishop of Verona as well as the tombs of several other saints. North of the church is a pleasant cloister. The church also houses the tomb of King Pippin of Italy (777-810).

The primitive nucleus of the church – the floor and lateral wall plan – probably dates from the V century, when the worship of the first martyr Stephen was introduced in the Veronese Christian community. St. Stephen’s remains were found in 415.
The Romanesque church of St. Stephen was probably the Cathedral of Verona until the VIII century. In the VII century, in fact, the deterioration of the building imposed an almost complete rebuilding project.
Nothing remains of this restructuring, with the exception of the capitals, because they did not sustain heavy damage during the earthquake of 1117 – the entire church, except for the apse, was rebuilt by Romanesque artisans during the first half of the XII century.
The façade is built of brick and tuff, with the usual frame of climbing arches, a luminous central cross, a simple rose window and a small pensile prostyle over the main entrance.
The rose window and lateral windows were opened in the nineteenth century.
The octagonal bell tower, with double lancet windows divided by plates, is completely built of brick and is rather short and heavy.
The interior of the church has three naves, but with a single ceiling, which has a cross, crypt and raised presbytery. The gallery that runs around the apse, with its columns and capitals, suggests that in ancient times there were lateral women’s galleries here. In the lower church, on the right, at the entrance, there is a noteworthy baroque Chapel dedicated to Saints Innocenti. The dome was frescoed by Pasquale Ottino. Ottino also realised the altarpiece, which depicts the Massacre of the Innocents. This Chapel, built between 1618 and 1621, consists of a parallelepiped, upon which a cylinder is fixed. The interior is intensely decorated with mannerist and extremely refined stuccoes. The frescoes are conserved better in the upper church. To the left of the presbytery, there is a splendid Enunciation and Coronation of the Virgin, by Martino da Verona.

The current church was built at the beginning of the XII century over the remains of a previous early Christian building, built around the V or VI century and restored after 793. The new church, in the Romanesque style, was built around 1110, re-utilising part of the previous construction material. After the earthquake of 1117, the perimeter walls of the apses were raised. At the end of the century the church was completed with the addition of the transept, the women’s gallery and cylindrical towers. The two different phases of construction (1110 and post-1117) are recognisable because of the difference between the lower wall, built with river rock arranged like a fish spine, alternated with rows of tuff and fired brick, and the upper wall, where only tuff and fired brick were utilised. But the beauty and suggestiveness of the building, created by the equilibrium of the individual architectural parts, the warm chromatics of the materials and the calibrated play of light through the narrow splay windows, were later destroyed by additions and remodelling.
The façade, which is on the left side, is pressed between two graduated towers, from which access was gained to the women’s galleries.
The red marble door, with sculpted decorations, is surmounted by a prostyle with elegant renaissance arches. The external face is built with bands of tuff and brick.
The plan is a Latin pentapses Benedictine cross, divided into two areas by the transept. Intimate and suggestive, the interior is divided into three naves concluding with three apses and a transept with two spans, terminating with a small apse, which has the same orientation as the larger ones. The presence of the women’s galleries, which are still intact, is rare and precious. They open on three sides along the upper floor of the smaller naves and the counter face: the women’s galleries are as large as the two lateral naves and face the altar above them, like a loggia.

Towards 1046, a Benedictine monastery was built on the banks of the Adige River. It was almost totally demolished during the initial decades of the 19th century. Alongside the monastery a Romanesque church was immediately built, of which nothing remains today. As testimony of its presence there remains the bell tower, which dates from the XII century.
In 1442, the monastery was given to the Canonicals of St. Giorgio in alga of Venice, who rebuilt the church. The façade of the Church and the Canonical house, built in 1791, both bear traces of French rifle fire, from a battle that took place in October of 1805, when the French came from Castelvecchio to assault Austrian Verona: a plaque today commemorates this event.
The façade was realised in the 17th century and is in white marble, with two orders of shortened pillars. Underneath they are ionic and on top they are Corinthian; the two lateral niches accommodate the statues of St. George and St. Lawrence Giustiniani.
The rest of the church is in brick. The bell tower was designed by Brugnoli; some think it was designed by Sammicheli or even by Palladio.
The dome demands attention because of its gracefulness, but also because of the masterful way in which it was built. Sammicheli had to work on a pre-existent building on this site.
On the side of the church facing the Adige River, the reconstructed cloister of the old monastery adds a suggestive note to the environment. The interior has a single nave and is simple and grandiose at the same time: finished between 1536 and 1543, it unites majesty and beauty, also because of the art treasures it contains.
Above the large door, an initial painting masterpiece, an exquisite work by Tintoretto, shows the Baptism of Christ. There are four lateral chapels on each side. Underneath the dome, there is the choir with its underlying marble altar, which depicts the miracle of St. Barnaby, by Veronese.
Two large paintings can be seen in the presbytery: one is by Farinati, the Multiplication of bread, and the other is by F. Brusasorzi, Manna in the desert; in the back there is another masterpiece by Veronese, the martyrdom of St. George.