Santo Stefano is a Paleo-Christian,

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

basilica church in central

Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...

, region of

Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

History

A church at this site, built on an Isis dedicated Roman temple, was consecrated in 421, and for four centuries was the burial site for the bishops of Verona. For a time, this served as cathedral of the city. The church was partially damaged during the earthquake of 1117. It was subsequently reconstructed in

Romanesque style Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Ro ...

. The façade is made up of rows of soft stone and brick. During the 10th-century, the crypt was built. The four central dark granite columns are of Egyptian origin. The octagonal lantern with a double row of mullioned windows is an example of

Lombard Romanesque The term Lombard refers to people or things related to Lombardy, a region in northern Italy. History and culture * Lombards, a Germanic tribe * Lombardic language, the Germanic language spoken by the Lombards * Lombards of Sicily, a linguisti ...

. The belltower contains six bells in F#, hung for

Veronese bellringing art Veronese is the Italian word denoting someone or something from Verona, Italy and may refer to: * Veronese Riddle, a popular riddle in the Middle Ages * ''Veronese'' (moth), a moth genus in the family Crambidae * Monte Veronese, an Italian chee ...

The two-storey apse has elements from the early Christian era and from the early Middle Ages. An inventory of 1750 noted the main altarpiece and the choir were decorated by Domenico Brusasorzi. Martino da Verona's ''Annunciation and Coronation of the Virgin'' is located in the left transept. The Tribune was frescoed by Bernardo Muttoni. Some figure above the main altar were painted by

Santo Prunati Santi Prunati (1652 or 1656 – 27 November 1728) was an Italian painter of the Baroque era, born and mainly active in Verona. Biography He was born to Antonio Prunati, and baptized by 22 September. He originally studied with a painter by the na ...

; however the ceiling and the cupola frescoes were mainly by Brusasorzi. He also painted an ''Adoration of the Magi'' for the first altar to right. The next altar on the right had a work by Giulio Carpioni the younger, a relative of

Giulio Carpioni Giulio Carpioni (1613 – 29 January 1678) was an Italian painter and etcher of the early Baroque era. Life Born probably in Venice, Carpioni studied under Alessandro Varotari (''il Padovanino'') and was also influenced by the work of Simone Ca ...

The "Chapel of the Innocents" was commissioned around 1618 by the parish priest, Monsignor Varalli. It was built in

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

style along the southern wall to the right of the entrance. It has an altarpiece depicting the ''Massacre of Innocents'' by

Pasquale Ottino Pasquale Ottino or Ottini (1578–1630), was an Italian painter. Biography Ottino was a pupil, alongside Alessandro Turchi, in the studio of Felice Brusasorci. After the master's death in 1605, he completed alongside Turchi the large canvas depi ...

and a ''Martyrdom of 40 martyrs'' by

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 ...

(L'Orbetto). There are also frescoes by

Marcantonio Bassetti Marco Antonio Bassetti (1586–1630) was an Italian painter. Life He was born in Verona, and was a pupil of Felice Ricci. He then went to Venice where he was particularly influenced by the works of Tintoretto, Veronese and Jacopo Bassano. He is ...

, and an ''Annuciation'' and frescoes of San Carlo and St Francis by Ottino. The first altar on the left had a canvas depicting the ''Virgin and Child with Saints Peter and Andrew'' by

Giovanni Francesco Caroto Giovanni Francesco Caroto (1480 – 1555 or 1558) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance active mainly in his native city of Verona. He initially apprenticed under Liberale da Verona (1445–1526/1529), a conservative painter infused with ...

. To the sides of this altarpiece were paintings of ''Melchisidech'' and the ''Sacrifice of Isaac'' by Francesco Barbieri. The second altar had a ''Virgin and Child with Saints Jerome, Francis, Mauro, Simplicio, and Placido'' by Niccolo Giolfino. A frescoed lunette was completed by Giovanni Battista dal Moro. In the last altar on left is a ''Virgin and Child with Saints Joseph, John the Baptist, Francis, and Anthony of Padua'' by

Alessandro Marchesini Alessandro Marchesini (30 April 1664 – 27 January 1738) was an Italian painter and art merchant of the late-Baroque and Rococo, active in Northern Italy and Venice. He first trained in Verona with Biagio Falcieri and then with Antonio Ca ...

, and a ''Virgin and Child with Saints Vicenzo, Stefano, Anthony Abbot, and Francesco di Paola'' by Santo Prunati. Next to that altar was a ''Holy Spirit descends among the Apostles'' by

Orazio Farinati Orazio Farinati (c. 1559–1616) was a late Mannerist Italian painter. Farinati was born in Verona. He was the principal assistant to his father, the painter Paolo Farinati Paolo Farinati (also known as ''Farinato'' or ''Farinato degli Ube ...

. The crypt has frescoes by Giulio Carpioni younger (''Visitation'' and ''Repose in Egypt''); Paolo Cimengoli (''Annunciation''); and Santo Prunati (''Nativity''), it held a copy of Raphael.Biancolini, page 25-26.

References

{{Authority control

Stefano Stefano is the Italian form of the masculine given name Στέφανος (Stefanos, Stephen). The name is of Greek origin, Στέφανος, meaning a person who made a significant achievement and has been crowned. In Orthodox Christianity the ach ...

Romanesque architecture in Verona