Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Among the standout Gothic elements of the interior are the
gobbi,
carved
hunchback beggars who are permanently buckled under the weight of the holy
water fonts at the entrance. Do look for Claudio Ridolfi's Christ being scourged
at the pillar in the Rosary Chapel, which reminds me of a scene from Mel
Gibson's
Passion of the Christ;
and then look up to inspect the damaged but
incredible 15th-century fresco over the dome. In the Giusti Chapel, which is
intended only for legitimate worshiping visitors, see if you can spot the tourists
on their knees pretending to pray so that they can check out the paintings, and
then join them. In the Pellegrini Chapel, the 24 terra-cotta tableaux tell the story
of the life of Christ; while above the chapel is Pisanello's famous fresco of
St.
George Freeing the Princess of Trebisonda,
considered the most important work in
the church.
From Sant'Anastasia, head along Via Duomo to get to
Il Duomo
(
%
045-
592813;
€
2; Mar-Oct Mon-Sat 9:30am-6pm, Sun 1-6pm, Nov-Feb Mon-Sat
10am-4pm, Sun 1:30-5pm),
the city's imposing 12th-century church complex,
recognizable by its red and white stripes. The Romanesque facade features a double-
level porch around the main doorway, which is guarded by two bellicose stone
griffins; you can't get in through there, however, as the tourist entrance is around
the side of the building.
Inside, magnificent detailing abounds, accompanied by the droning of
recorded, chanting monks creating an atmosphere of religious melancholy. You
really need to spend time looking at each of the chapels around the church; as you
enter, the first one on your left features Titian's
Assumption
(1530); take the time
to find Liberale da Verona's surprising, sublime
Adoration of the Magi.
In the
Chapel of the Madonna, note how—in the spirit of baroque overkill—devotees
with their offerings have transformed the Virgin into something more reminiscent
of a Versace or D&G advertisement than a religious icon. In the half-dome of the
main chapel, pay some attention to those delightfully cheerful frescoed figures by
Francesco Torbido, rendered in 1534.
Attached to the main church is
Sant Elena Cathedral
(Verona's first cathedral)
and the baptistery; en route to these, you'll pass through an area of excavation,
where the archaeological remnants of an ancient church have attracted the atten-
tion of coin-tossing believers. The baptistery—known as San Giovanni in Fonte
(St. John of the Spring)—is an especially solemn space enclosed by walls of
exposed pale brickwork, creating a ghostly atmosphere, which I love for the large
baroque crucifix that hangs like a giant mobile from the wooden beams of the
ceiling.
5
Church Savings
Admission to Sant'Anastasia costs
€
2.50 (
€
1 concession), but if you're planning
to visit other churches, you might just as well purchase the
€
5 (
€
4 concession)
combined church ticket, which will also get you into the San Zeno, San Fermo,
and San Lorenzo churches, as well as into the Duomo complex during the after-
noon. Better still, purchase the Verona Card for major savings (see box, above).
