Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore

The Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore stands on Piazza San Zeno in the western part of Verona, in Italy's Veneto region, and is widely regarded as one of the finest Romanesque churches in northern Italy. It was begun in the twelfth century over the tomb of Zeno, Verona's patron saint and its eighth bishop, and building continued into the fourteenth century. The facade is built of tufa and brick bands and is dominated by a large rose window, known as the Wheel of Fortune, above a protruding porch supported by columns resting on marble lions. The main doors are covered with bronze panels, cast in different periods, showing scenes from the Bible and the life of St Zeno. Inside, the nave is lined with alternating columns and piers and covered by a timber ship's-keel ceiling, while the walls carry fragments of medieval frescoes. Visitors descend into the crypt, which holds the saint's tomb and a forest of small columns, and see the Mantegna altarpiece in the apse, a copy of the original panels that were taken to France under Napoleon and partly returned. The adjoining cloister and the freestanding bell tower add to the complex. A visit takes 45 to 60 minutes. Photo angles include the facade seen from the square, the porch lions, and the nave looking toward the apse. Crowds are modest compared with central Verona, with tour groups arriving mid-morning, and quiet times are early weekday mornings. Note that on Sundays the church opens only from 1PM. The basilica is on the four-church Chiese Vive ticket, which is good value if visiting several churches. It lies about 25 minutes on foot from Piazza Bra, and the walk passes through a quieter neighbourhood with cafes around the square, including the traditional trattorie of the San Zeno district. Visitors are expected to dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and silence is requested during services.