The Church of San Lorenzo in Verona is a small jewel hidden between the old Via Postumia and the right bank of the Adige. It constitutes a singular building that is quite unique in Italy, thanks to its imposing towers. If you are visiting the city, this building is a must-see and is one of the best preserved examples of Romanesque architecture in Verona.

San Lorenzo, to whom this church was dedicated, was one of the seven deacons of Rome. We know that he came from Spain and that, still young, he met the future Pope Sixtus II in Zaragoza, where he went to finish his studies. The two left Spain to go to Rome, and when Sixtus was appointed pope, he made Lorenzo an archdeacon, that is, administrator of the offerings that were made to the Church. In 258 the emperor Valerian ordered the killing of all deacons, bishops and priests. Pope Sixtus was killed on 6 August, while Lorenzo, who was only 33 at the time, was assassinated on 10 August. He probably died after being placed on a grill set over a blazing fire. Hence the name of the night of San Lorenzo, during which you can admire the shooting stars. In a famous poem, entitled precisely X August, Giovanni Pascoli interprets the shooting stars as tears shed by the saint during his torturous end. Others interpret them as the burning coals on which he was martyred. It is not however known if the saint actually died in this way, as Valeriano did not order torture. It is more likely that he was beheaded, as were Sixtus II and many others.

The church of San Lorenzo dates back to the early Middle Ages but its present appearance is the result of various renovations that took place over the centuries. In fact, in 1117 it was destroyed by an earthquake following which it was radically structured, following the Carolingian style. The bell tower dates back to the fifteenth century, while the rose window and the raised porch that stand out on the façade follow the style of the rest of the building. The church of San Lorenzo was built on the basis of an earlier Christian church, using materials that belonged to previous buildings. After the earthquake the external walls and the apse were raised, while at the end of the century the church was completed by adding the transepts, the women’s galleries and the towers.

From November to February, on weekdays, the church is open from 10.00 to 13.00 and from 13.30 to 16.00. During national holidays, however, it is open from 13.00 to 17.00. From March to October, on weekdays it is open from 8.30 to 18.00 and during national holidays from 13.00 to 18.00. Entry to the church is free of charge for the general public.

Coming from the road, the first thing that will strike you about this church is its marble portal, partly white and partly red, with the arch and the Gothic capitals contrasting with its Renaissance jambs. Above there is a statue of San Lorenzo holding a grill in his hand.

Passing through a small churchyard, you find yourself facing the southern side of the church, with a tower on the left and the bell tower on the right. Observing it, there is an immediate sense that it was built at two different times, in fact the lower part was built by layering pebbles, bricks and stones, while the upper part is built purely from bricks and stones. On the sides of the façade there are two circular towers resting on stone bases, some of which come from the Arena. They were built in a later period than the church itself: the left tower dates back to before the 12th century while the right one has its origins in the 13th century. Within these towers there are the stairs to reach the women’s galleries on the upper floor. These towers clearly demonstrated that the church was built inspired by Nordic architecture, examples of which are its interior in terracotta and tuff.

The plan of the church is a pentapses Benedictine Latin cross, divided into two areas by the transept. The naves are separated by rows of four columns with sculpted capitals, alternating with pillars with a cruciform section. Each nave ends in a semicircular apse. Pay attention to two of the capitals, depicting eagles: they are located at the corners, at the edges of the capitals, with their wings open and the head in profile. In their claws they hold a hare, while the space between the wings of the two birds is filled with a holm oak that ends in a flower. Eagles are thought to have been represented as a reference to a passage from Saint Ambrose, concerning a neophyte who wished to join the Church and approached the baptistery. Above the central nave there are wooden beams that support the roof, while above the side aisles are the galleries, the areas that were reserved purely for women. These are accessed through the scalar towers that are located on the sides of the façade, built after the rest of the building. Also noteworthy is the sixteenth-century altarpiece by Domenico Brusasorzi, located on the main altar, which represents the Virgin with Child among Saints (1566). Equally important are the fragments of frescoes from the 13th and 14th centuries, representing angels and saints. In the apse on the right there is a wooden icon from the 15th century while on the left wall are the funerary monuments of the Valmarana-Nogarola family.