Church of San Fermo Maggiore

The Church of San Fermo Maggiore in Verona is one of the most fascinating and historically rich religious complexes in the city, characterized by an extraordinary combination of Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles. Located in the Veronetta district, near the Adige River, this church is dedicated to the saints Fermo and Rustico, martyrs of the 3rd century. According to tradition, the two saints were martyred in the very place where the church stands, giving the building a deep religious and historical significance. The Church of San Fermo is unique because it is composed of two superimposed buildings: a lower church, built between 1065 and 1143 on the remains of a 5th-century paleochristian church, and an upper church, built by the Franciscan friars in the early decades of the 14th century. This double architectural level allows the history to be read through its stones, with the lower part preserving the Romanesque style and the upper part fully expressing the Gothic style. The facade of the church is divided into two parts by a gallery of blind arches. The lower part, in tuff, belongs to the Romanesque church, while the upper part, with alternating bands of tuff and brick, is typically Gothic. The Romanesque portal, with its deep multiple-corded molding, is surmounted by a lunette with a statue of San Francesco and a 14th-century sepulchral altar housing the remains of Aventino Fracastoro. A distinctive element of the facade is the bronze door, made by master Luciano Minguzzi, with 24 panels telling the story of the saints Fermo and Rustico. Upon entering the upper church, one is immediately struck by the magnificent wooden nave ceiling, adorned with a double gallery of painted arches with busts of saints. This 14th-century ceiling is an exceptional example of craftsmanship and contributes to creating a solemn and fascinating atmosphere. The single nave, in the shape of a Latin cross, is surrounded by five apses and enriched with a series of side altars. Inside the upper church, numerous paintings and frescoes from the 13th to the 17th century can be admired. Among these, stand out the fresco fragment with music-playing angels by Stefano da Verona, various paintings by Domenico Brusasorci, the Crucifixion fresco by Turone, and works by Francesco Torbido, Battista del Moro, Liberale da Verona, and Alessandro Turchi, known as l’Orbetto. Special attention is deserved by some youthful sculptures by Michele Sanmicheli and the mausoleum of Nicolò Brenzoni, an authentic masterpiece of late Gothic art, adorned with sculptures by the Florentine Nanni di Bartolo and frescoes by Pisanello. A point of great interest is the Brenzoni Chapel, where the famous Brenzoni Monument, created by Nanni di Bartolo, is located. This monument includes a representation of the Resurrection of Christ, surrounded by angels, sleeping soldiers, and cherubs lifting curtains, creating a theatrical effect of great impact. Above the monument is a fresco of the Annunciation, one of the early important works of Pisanello, known for its delicacy and refinement. Through a door in the right transept, one can access the Romanesque cloister, from which a staircase leads to the lower church. This underground space, also in the shape of a Latin cross but with three naves, still retains the intimate and austere atmosphere of the original Romanesque church. Here, ancient frescoes and original architecture can be admired, testifying to the long history of devotion and worship that characterizes San Fermo Maggiore. The history of the church is also marked by dramatic events, such as the flood of the Adige in 1757, which severely damaged the lower church, forcing the religious to transfer the relics of the saints Fermo and Rustico to the upper church. During the Napoleonic occupation at the end of the 18th century, the Franciscans were forced to abandon the convent, which passed to the secular clergy and became a diocesan parish.