Santa Maria Antica is a Roman Catholic church in Verona, Italy. The current church is Romanesque in style and dates to 1185, rebuilt after the earthquake of 1117 destroyed the original building that dated back to the end of the period of Lombard domination in the 7th century. The only surviving remains of the 7th-century building is a fragment of black and white mosaic floor. The current building was dedicated by the patriarch of Aquileia and acted as the private chapel of Verona's ruling Scaligeri family, located beside their family cemetery (the site of the 13th-century Scaliger Tombs). The church has a small tuff bell tower (with three baroque bells) in a purely Romanesque style, with mullioned windows and a brick-covered spire. Around 1630 the three-nave interior was altered to the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

style, though a restoration at the end of the 19th century restored the original Romanesque interior, divided by columns with "sesto rialzato" arches, and with an "incavallature" roof supported by transverse arches, as at the basilica of San Zeno. There are two lateral apses in tuff and cotto, and a central apse with two early 14th-century frescoes. The exterior has alternate bands of tuff and

cotto Cotto may refer to: * Cotto (name), a surname common amongst those of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French or Sephardic Jewish ancestry * Cotto (material), a type of Italian brick tile * Cotto salami, a cooked variety of salami * Cotto Laurel, ...

, with small windows. The side-door is dominated by the arch of

Cangrande I della Scala Cangrande (christened Can Francesco) della Scala (9 March 1291 – 22 July 1329) was an Italian nobleman, belonging to the della Scala family which ruled Verona from 1308 until 1387. Now perhaps best known as the leading patron of the poet Dante ...

, the soberest but most monumental of the family arches. Excavations have found a cemetery near the church, containing fifty 11th-century burials, some aligned north-south, some east-west. The belltower contains two bells cast during the 17th century and rung in the Veronese syle.

Burials

Alberto I della Scala Alberto I della Scala (died 3 September 1301) was lord of Verona from 1277, a member of the Scaliger family. The son of Jacopino della Scala, he was ''podestà'' of Mantua in 1272 and 1275. In 1277, after the assassination of his brother Mastino I ...

Mastino II della Scala Mastino II della Scala (1308 – 3 June 1351) was lord of Verona. He was a member of the famous Scaliger family of Northern Italy. He was the son of Alboino I della Scala and Beatrice da Correggio. At the death of Cangrande I, he and his brother ...

Cansignorio della Scala Cansignorio della Scala (5 March 1340 – 19 October 1375) was Lord of Verona from 1359 until 1375, initially together with his brother Paolo Alboino. Biography He inherited the lordship of Verona at the death of his father Mastino, together wit ...

Alberto II della Scala Alberto II della Scala (1306 – 13 September 1352) was lord of Verona from 1329 until his death. He was a member of the famous Scaliger family of northern Italy. He was the son of Alboino I della Scala and Beatrice da Correggio. He co-ruled wi ...

Gallery

Arche scaligere (Verona) L'arca di Cangrande.jpg, Tomb of Cangrande above the entrance porch. Santa Maria Antica - Verona.jpg, View of the Interior Santa Maria Antica - Altar.jpg, The high altar {{DEFAULTSORT:Maria Antica Verona 12th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Maria Antica Romanesque architecture in Verona Churches completed in 1185 Burial sites of the Scaliger family