Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore (San Zeno Maggiore Church), Verona

Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore (San Zeno Maggiore Church), Verona (must see)

The Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore was constructed between 967 and 1398 AD. It features Romanesque architecture and is famed as the site of Romeo and Juliet's marriage.

The Basilica was built on the site where Saint Zeno was buried after his death in 371. Zeno of Verona was the eighth bishop of Verona. The Basilica was built with distinctive cream-colored tuff.

On the left, the early 13th-century monastery is built with red brick. To the right of the Basilica, visitors will see the slender 12th-century bell tower.

Master Briolato designed the stunning rose window, shaped as "the wheel of fortune." Underneath the rose window, 12th-century bronze doors show an exorcism scene.

A Roman tomb in the wall of the Basilica is thought to hold the remains of King Pipin.

The interior features 12th to 15th-century frescoes. Visitors will also find a marble 12th-century statue of San Zeno. Mantegna's 1459 altarpiece depicts Majesty of the Virgin.

A crypt lies beneath the main altar, where Saint Zeno's corpse is located in a transparent sarcophagus.

Tip:
Make sure to use the audio guide (included in admission) – it is excellent on details.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Verona. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The GPSmyCity App

Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore (San Zeno Maggiore Church) on Map

Sight Name: Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore (San Zeno Maggiore Church)
Sight Location: Verona, Italy (See walking tours in Verona)
Sight Type: Religious
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Verona, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Verona

Create Your Own Walk in Verona

Creating your own self-guided walk in Verona is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Verona Introduction Walking Tour

Verona Introduction Walking Tour

The embodiment of a true romance on the Italian soil, the city of Verona has been immortalized by William Shakespeare in his famous "Romeo and Juliet". There is also another, lesser-known play by Shakespeare set in Verona, called “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”. Whilst there's no evidence that the bard had ever set foot in Italy, let alone in this town, Verona's presence in...  view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles
Verona's Museums and Galleries

Verona's Museums and Galleries

Art and history have been the pillars supporting the elegant city of Verona for centuries. Among other things here, you will find the abundance of grand museums and galleries holding unique collections of art and cultural treasures suiting all tastes.

Whatever your interest – ancient or modern art, archaeology, frescoes, Roman inscriptions, natural history, antique furniture, or wine – be...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.3 Km or 1.4 Miles
Verona's Palaces

Verona's Palaces

It's no secret that Italy boasts some of the most remarkable palatial architecture in the world. A good portion of it is found in the incredibly charming city of Verona, the long history of which stretches all the way back to ancient Rome and is reflected in an array of Romanesque and Renaissance gates and bridges, but, most notably, the monumental palaces.

Walking the streets of Verona,...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Romeo and Juliet Tour

Romeo and Juliet Tour

William Shakespeare's insightful tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, immortalized both the doomed young lovers and its setting, the fair city of Verona. While it's uncertain whether or not Romeo and Juliet were real people, the Montague and Capulet families were Veronese aristocratic families. Relive the classic love story as you walk Verona.

Casa de Giulietta, House of Juliet, is a must-see....  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.9 Km or 2.4 Miles