About the place: Church of St. Anastasia. Church of Sant'Anastasia - the apotheosis of Gothic The most interesting elements of the church

Church of St. Anastasia (Italian: Chiesa di Santa Anastasia)

The Gothic Church of St. Anastasia is located in the ancient part of Verona near the Ponte Pietra bridge, where much evidence of Roman civilization remains. This is the largest basilica in the city, the name of which immortalizes the name of the Christian saint, the Great Martyr Anastasia the Patterner, who, according to legend, suffered during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. The church took quite a long time to build, a century and a half: from 1290 to 1400.

According to historical evidence, the authors of the project were two Dominican monks. Their original idea was to build a basilica in honor of St. Peter. However, local residents remembered that once there was another church on this site, named after the Great Martyr Anastasia. Therefore, they continued to name the newly built temple in her honor, even though it was consecrated in honor of St. Peter in 1471.

Appearance

At first glance, the stunning portal of the basilica in the Gothic style attracts attention. The main entrance has two doors and is decorated with bas-reliefs based on biblical motifs. The upper tier of the main facade is not lined, because the external finishing work was never completed.

The bell tower is closely attached to the apse of the basilica, and next to it is the sarcophagus of the viceroy Guglielmo di Castelbarco. In general, the external appearance of the church is quite modest, which cannot be said about its internal contents, which represent a grandiose cultural and historical heritage.

Interior decoration

Inside, the basilica is divided by columns into a central room and two side aisles. At the main entrance there are bowls of holy water made in the 16th century and statues of the “hunchbacks” of St. Anastasia. Columns with bas-reliefs of saints support a vault decorated with floral patterns.

The main altar of the church is decorated with frescoes on the theme of the Last Judgment and the Annunciation. The floor deserves special attention, on which in 1462 the talented master Pietro da Porlezza laid out an amazing mosaic in pastel colors made of natural stone - exactly the same as on the arcade of the entrance portal. The basilica chapels are a real treasury of religious painting and architecture from different eras. Such great masters as Stefano da Zevio, Michele da Firenze, Giovanni Badile, Lorenzo Veneziano and others participated in the creation of masterpieces.

The Basilica of St. Anastasia perfectly harmonizes with the appearance of the historical part of Verona and represents a very interesting point in the excursion program for everyone who visits the city for tourist purposes.

Address: Piazza Sant'anastasia 4, Verona, Italy.

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Basilica of Santa Anastasia in Verona (Italy) - description, history, location. Exact address and website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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Anastasia the Pattern Maker is a merciful saint beloved by the people, who saved Christian prisoners and paid for it with her life. The basilica dedicated to her had long stood in Verona at the bend of the Adige River not far from the ancient Roman bridge, but in 1290 the Dominican monks began building a huge church in its place, which they intended to consecrate in the name of St. Peter, but not the apostle, but the Verona inquisitor. However, the townspeople continued to call it the same - the Basilica of Santa Anastasia. 200 years later, the unfinished church officially returned to its original name.

What to see

On the powerful façade, under a traditional round rose window in a pointed, perspective arch, trimmed with white, blue and pink marble, there is an entrance portal. Above it are bas-reliefs by Rigino di Enrico based on the lives of Saints Anastasia and Peter.

To the left of the entrance you can see the “suspended” sarcophagus of a certain Guglielmo di Castelbarco; it is believed that this is the first structure of this type in Verona; the famous Scaliger Arches were subsequently built following his example.

The interior of the basilica is magnificent, the floor is paved with marble mosaics in the same colors as the arches above the entrance. The interior space is visually divided into three naves by 12 red marble columns; at the entrance there are carved bowls for holy water, which are held on the shoulders of eerie hunchbacks in rags. The author of the statues is unknown, the meaning he put into the composition is lost, but they make a very strong impression.

Practical information

Address: Verona, Piazza S. Anastasia. Website (in English).

How to get there: by buses No. 70, 96, 97 to the stop. P.zza Indipendenza, 4.

Opening hours: from March to October from Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 18:00, on Sunday from 13:00 to 18:00. From November to February: Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 13:30 to 17:00, Sunday from 13:00 to 17:00. Ticket price: 3 EUR, children under 18 years old accompanied by two adults are admitted free. Prices on the page are for April 2019.

There are dozens of churches in Verona, the most ancient of which were founded in early Christian times in the Roman Empire. Almost all of them are incredibly interesting and abound in masterpieces of art, since the great Italian (Venetian) masters had a hand in the creation of many.

This article presents guide to the temples of Verona, after reading which you will find out which of them are worth paying special attention to while walking around this Italian city.

Cathedral

The main cathedral of Verona, sometimes called the Duomo di Verona, is the place where the bishop's see is located. The first Christian churches appeared on the site of the cathedral back in the days of the Roman Empire, but practically nothing has survived from them due to natural disasters. In 1117, a powerful earthquake in Verona finally destroyed everything that still remained on the site of the current cathedral, and after that a new cathedral in the Romanesque style was erected on the same territory. Throughout history, its facade and interior have been reconstructed and renovated several times, which is why today the Duomo looks quite new. Inside the cathedral you can see the works of such outstanding Renaissance masters as the architect and artist Giovanni Falconetto (frescoes), Liberale da Verona, Niccolò Giolfino, Francesco Torbido and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary by the great Titian (this work was completed by Titian in Venice for the Cathedral of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, and later he painted a similar one for the Cathedral of Verona).

Admission is paid (2.5 euros), with a Verona card – free.

Church of St. Anastasia

The church is in the Gothic style, the construction of which took place from 1290 to 1481. It is located near the Peter's Bridge, in one of the most ancient places in the Old Town of Verona, where evidence of the presence of Roman civilization has been preserved. This church is similar in structure to the Venetian church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo.

The most talented craftsmen of the 13th-15th centuries and later worked to create the interior decoration of the Church of St. Anastasia; its interior is amazing and looks like a real art gallery with numerous works by recognized painters and architects. From the outside, notice the church's stunning Gothic portal. Inside the church, the grandest artwork in scale is one of only two surviving works by the Renaissance master Antonio Pisanello (St. George Freeing the Princess). The altars and chapels of the church are decorated with works by such authors as Pietro da Porlezza, Danese Cattaneo, Michele da Firenze, Liberale da Verona, Giolfino and many other Verona artists.

Basilica of San Zeno

Without a doubt, this is one of the oldest and best preserved examples of Romanesque architecture in all of Northern Italy. It was built on the burial site of the first bishop of the city, Zenon of Veronia, who died at the end of the 4th century AD. For several centuries, the relics of St. Zeno were kept at this place in small churches, but only in 806 a basilica befitting the level of the shrine was built here, which can be seen to this day. The terrible earthquake of 1117, which destroyed most of the buildings in Verona, also damaged San Zeno, but its foundation survived. The church's bell tower dates back to the 11th century, and the 13th-century tower was a monastery for the Benedictines, who performed prayers to the glory of God and the Christian saint Zeno. The Monastery of San Zeno was closed in 1770.

The basilica building is made of Verona golden tuff, note the round rose window called “Wheel of Fortune” and powerful bronze doors. Inside are frescoes by local artists of the 13th-14th centuries, among which the most famous work is the triptych by Andrea Mantegna, as well as a statue of the first bishop of Verona, known as the “Smiling Saint”. In the crypt of the basilica, a crystal shrine with the relics of St. Zenon is kept (after the dilapidation of the church and the abandonment of the monastery, the relics were discovered in 1838 by researchers in one of the rooms). The 12th century cloister is also interesting.

Church of San Fermo

This beautiful church was built on the banks of the Adige River on the site of the martyrdom of two early Christian saints - Firma (Fermo) and Rustica (Rustico). This happened around 304 AD under Emperor Maximilian. Around the 5th-6th centuries, the first church was built in memory of the martyrs. For several centuries, clergy (primarily the Bishop of Verona, Saint Annon) took care of the safety of the remains, transferring them to different churches. At this site, buildings replaced each other, until between 1065 and 1114 the Benedictine monks erected a large temple here, consisting of two levels - underground (for storing relics) and upper - for the services themselves. In its present form, the Church of San Fermo was formed in 1261, when it came under the control of Franciscan monks, and the main work was completed in 1350. Over the next centuries, altars, chapels, decorative elements and grave monuments were finally decorated. We can say that the upper part of the church belongs to the Gothic architectural style, and the lower part to the Romanesque.

The church is so beautiful and harmonious from the outside that it is difficult to single out any individual elements of the structure; you want to look at its façade and elegant Gothic details all the time. Inside, it is worth paying attention to the frescoes of the 14th-15th centuries by the same galaxy of talented Verona masters of painting - Liberale da Verona, Turone, Torbido, Pisanello and some others.

Entrance – 2.5 euros, with Verona Card – free.

Monastery of San Giorgio in Braida

On the banks of the Adige River, outside Verona's Old Town, lies the Benedictine monastery of San Giorgio in Braida, whose huge dome inevitably catches the eye as you stroll along the promenade. It was founded in the 11th century, but was subsequently completely rebuilt. Inside there are many beautiful works by Venetian artists - Jacopo Tintoretto, Paolo Veronese, Giovanni Francesco Caroto and others.

Free admission

Basilica di San Stefano

Between the Castle of St. Peter, located on a hill, and the monastery of San Giorgio in Braida lies the oldest Romanesque church in Verona. And it's not even its venerable age (it was consecrated in 421 AD), but its amazing appearance - more than any church in Verona, it looks like it belongs to the Roman era, despite some modernization of the facades. For several centuries, this basilica was the burial place of the bishops of Verona, and the crypt was built in the first half of the 10th century.

The interior of San Stefano is decorated with paintings by 14th-century painters Giacomo da Riva and Martino, and Renaissance masters Paolo Farinati, Giovanni Caroto and Battista del Moro.

Free admission

Article from the Verona daily newspaper "Arena" from the Dossier "Hidden Verona"

Church of Sant'Anastasia in Verona

08/17/10 Restoration recently completed Basilica of Sant'Anastasia, which restored one of the most beautiful churches in the city to its former splendor. Restoration work revealed the extraordinary elegance of the sculptures and the beauty of the picturesque decorations of the church. In addition, architectural details acquired decorative significance. It is necessary to remember, speaking about this church, that the facade remained unfinished; it was not decorated with marble. The facade was cleaned of centuries-old dust and dirt, and we saw the original color of the stones. In particular, the multicolored marble of the portal and entrance portal began to play.

This basilica is known to everyone because of the fresco Pisanello "Saint George Saves" princess of Trebizond from the dragon“, we want to dwell on her sculptural masterpieces. It was the stone that the restoration returned to its original splendor, color and breathed new life. On the friezes framing the lunettes above the entrance, fragments of the original gilding and red-green color appeared, the original color returned to the bas-reliefs above the entrance, we see red Verona marble.

The Church of Sant'Anastasia is the apotheosis of Italian Gothic, fully expressed in the pointed form of arches, stone friezes and decorations in the form of battlements and pinnacles, combining marble with brick.

The entrance portal in the Gothic style is noteworthy, flanked by pilasters on marble pedestals. On the right pilaster, marble reliefs from 1436 with stories from the life of St. Peter the Martyr evoke admiration. The entrance gate of the church is framed by a carved cornice made of alternating stripes of white, blue and pink marble. The magnificent double gate is separated by a carved marble column. On the sides of the architrave are pink marble reliefs with six stories from the Gospel. The entrance portal is crowned by a large lunette with frescoes, divided into three parts by friezes with plant motifs.

As soon as you enter the church, your gaze stops at the foot of two huge columns, where the famous Verona “hunchbacks”, holy water fonts supported by marble sculptures, are located. The Right Hunchback is a work of art Gabriela Cagliari 1495, the father of the famous Verona painter Paolo Veronese. On the left is a red Verona marble statue from 1591, work Paolo Orefice, which the Veronese people call "Pasquino" because they installed it on Easter Day. Inside, the church is divided into three naves by twelve huge marble columns with Gothic capitals decorated with carved leaves. You can't help but notice the colored marble floors dating back to 1462. Pietro from Porlezza.

To the right of the entrance we see a beautiful work of sculpture and architecture, Altar of the Fregoso family 1565. Sculptor's work Danese Cattaneo, on the left is a statue of Giano Fregoso, and at the foot of the altar is buried Ettore Fregoso, an important representative of this noble Veronese family. Opposite, to the left of the entrance to the church, rises a grandiose complex altarpiece of Baldieri, work by an unknown author in 1460. A sculptural triptych of the highest quality dedicated to St. Peter the Martyr. His statue occupies the central niche of the altar; in his hand the saint holds a model of the city of Verona. On the sides are polychrome statues of St. Sebastian and St. Rocco, and in the niches of the pilasters are statues of Saints Domenico, Francis and Anthony abbot on the left and Saints Vincenzo, Battista and Christopher on the right.

On the same side of the church there is a very beautiful Family altar the work of the sculptor Pietro from Porlezza. Here another mystery awaits us: on one of the pedestals of the 16th century column of the altar of the Holy Spirit, figures of two children with masks in their hands are carved. The unusual image inside the church has still not received a clear explanation. Near Faella Chapel with an altar dedicated to St. Erasmus. Fiorio Pindemonte in 1542 ordered the construction of this classical chapel, repeating.