The church of San Tomaso Becket, commonly known as the church of San Tomaso Cantuariense, is a church situated in the central Verona, near the

Ponte Nuovo Ponte Nuovo is a of the of Deruta in the Province of Perugia, Umbria, central Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Me ...

del Popolo. The present church was built by Carmelites to replace two 14th-century churches, one dedicated to

St Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...

(1316), the other to the Annunciation (1351). The architect

Michele Sammicheli Michele Sanmicheli (also spelled ''Sanmmicheli'', ''Sanmichele'' or ''Sammichele'') (1484–1559), was a Venetian architect and urban planner of Mannerist-style, among the greatest of his era. A tireless worker, he was in charge of designing bui ...

designed the plans during 1545-1550. The façade remains incomplete. The portal of the church was transferred here from Santa Maria Mater Domini in Valdonega. The bell tower, with ten bells, was completed in 1400. The church has artworks by

Paolo Farinati Paolo Farinati (also known as ''Farinato'' or ''Farinato degli Uberti''; c. 1524 – c. 1606) was an Italian painter of the Mannerist style, active in mainly in his native Verona, but also in Mantua and Venice. He may have ancestors among Flore ...

Francesco Torbido Francesco Torbido (Venice 1486–1562) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period, active mainly in Verona and Venice. He is also known as ''il Moro''. Biography He studied in Venice under Giorgione and then went to Verona and married the ...

, Girolamo dai Libri, Antonio Balestra, and

Alessandro Turchi Alessandro Turchi (1578 – 22 January 1649) was an Italian painter of the early Baroque, born and active mainly in Verona, and moving late in life to Rome. He also went by the name Alessandro Veronese or the nickname ''L'Orbetto''. His style ...

. The organ is known to have been used on 27 December 1769, by a young

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

. The bell tower has a ring of ten bells in D, rung with the

Veronese bellringing art Veronese bell ringing is a style of ringing church bells that developed around Verona, Italy from the eighteenth century. The bells are rung full circle (mouth uppermost to mouth uppermost), being held up by a rope and wheel until a note is r ...

Sources

* G.Borelli, Chiese e monasteri di Verona (1980); Banca popolare di Verona, Verona
Guide to churches of Verona
{{Authority control Tomaso Romanesque architecture in Verona 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches completed in 1550 1550 establishments in the Republic of Venice