Verona Cathedral

Verona Cathedral (

.

It was erected after two Palaeo-Christian churches on the same site had been destroyed by an earthquake in 1117. Built in Romanesque style, the cathedral was consecrated on September 13, 1187. The structure was later modified by several renovation interventions, although the plan has remained unchanged.

Exterior

The

and the Hand of God are set above in the barrel vault of the first story of the porch. Set into the walls on either side of the portal are figures of Roland and Oliver, who as holy warriors, remind one of the constant need to provide protection to the church.

The

.

Interior

The current appearance of the interior dates from the 15th-century renovations. It has a nave and two aisles divided by tall pilasters in red Verona marble, which support Gothic arcades. The first three chapels on each side are in the same style, and house mostly Renaissance artworks by Veronese artists. The nave ends with the main Chapel (Cappella Maggiore), also by Sanmicheli.

Library

The Chapter Library of Verona Cathedral (Biblioteca Capitolare della Cattedrale di Verona) is claimed to be the world's oldest library in continuous function.^[1] Such is its importance that it has been dubbed the “Queen of ecclesiastical collections”.^[2] Many ancient works of the Classical tradition have survived only because of the Chapter Library, including:

• the only surviving corpus of Catullus (Verona Codex, now lost);
• the
  ad Quintum, ad Brutum by Cicero, rediscovered by Petrarch
  (exemplar now lost);
• the
  Barthold Niebuhr
  ;
• the fasti consulares of Verona, a list of Roman consuls from 439 to 494;
• the Laterculus Veronensis, a list of Roman dioceses;

It holds also important early Christian writings, such as:

• the
  Leonine Sacramentary, the oldest liturgical book of the Roman Rite
  ;
• the Verona Palimpsest, containing early Church Orders;
• the Codex Veronensis, containing an old version of the Latin Psalter;
• the Codex Veronensis (R) is a diglot psalter in Greek and Latin

The following signature in a life of

Church of Verona”, confirming that he finished the work in the consulship of Agapitus (517).^[3]

Gallery

• 
  Central nave
• 
  Main Chapel
• 
  The Chapter Library
• 
  View from the cathedral cloister with Sanmicheli's bell tower

See also

• Jacquet de Berchem

References

1. ^ "History - Biblioteca Capitolare Verona". Biblioteca Capitolare Verona. Archived from the original on 19 May 2021. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
2. ^ Library, Yale University (1990). The Yale University Library Gazette. Yale University Library. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
3. ^ International Dictionary of Library Histories, p. 242, at Google Books

External links

Media related to Duomo (Verona) at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website (in Italian)

45°26′49″N 10°59′49″E / 45.447045°N 10.996849°E / 45.447045; 10.996849