Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore in Italy, resort of Verona
Rating: 7,5/10 (100 votes)  San Zeno Maggiore is a Romanesque basilica built over the tomb of Zinon of Verona – the first bishop of Vienna. In the 5th century, the ruler Theodoric the Great ordered the construction of a small basilica over the burial of St. In the 9th century, King Pepin ordered the destruction of the church and a new building erected in its place, into which the relics of Zinon were transferred in 807. In the 10th century, this building was also destroyed during the Hungarian invasion, in connection with which the relics of the saint were moved for a while to the Cathedral. In 921, the relics were returned to the crypt of the church, which survived the invasion. In 967, thanks to Emperor Otto the Great, a modern Romanesque temple was built on the site of the ruins of an old church. In 1117, the basilica was badly damaged by an earthquake, but by 1138 it was completely restored. In 1398, large-scale reconstruction works were carried out in the church, during which the roof of the building was completely replaced, the main nave was decorated with a plafond, and a Gothic apse was erected. The church was built in the 11th century. Bell tower. The tower located next to the cathedral, dating back to the 13th century, actually belongs to a Benedictine monastery, which, unfortunately, has not survived to our time. In the 19th century, the temple was abandoned and abandoned by the believers, subsequently greatly dilapidated. In 1993, work was carried out to restore the building. The appearance of the temple was created under the influence of the Ravens and Lombard schools of architecture. The material for the construction was the local golden tuff, decorated with marble inserts depicting episodes of the Last Judgment, which were created by the sculptor Brioloto. The facade of the building is decorated with a network of tall pilasters and a network of arcature belts. The main entrance to the temple was decorated with a portal made in the Gothic style by the master Nicolo. The columns of the portico are supported by sculptures of lions. The portico is decorated with sculptures of John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and 12 symbolic images of the months of the year. Above the portal, in a lunette, you can see the relief image of Saint Zinon surrounded by horse and foot soldiers. On both sides of the portal, in four tiers, there are bas-reliefs of scenes from the New and Old Testaments, as well as scenes from medieval legends . Frescoes XIII – XIV centuries, of which it is worth highlighting the `` image of St. Christopher '', `` Crucifixion of Christ '', `` White Madonna '', `` Baptism '', `` Madonna enthroned with saints. '' The balustrade separating the naves from the presbytery is decorated with statues of Christ and the apostles. In the apse on the left you can see a statue of the smiling Saint Zeno. The Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore, along with other landmarks of Verona, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.  
We also recommend reading Rheinsberg Palace in Germany Topic: Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore in Italy, resort of Verona. |
