Official Information
Official website: https://www.basilicasanzeno.it/
Official tickets: On site only
Address: Piazza San Zeno 2, 37123 Verona VR, Italy
View on Google Maps: Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore Location
Opening Hours
Tourist visiting hours vary by season. Roughly November to February, Monday to Friday 10:00–17:00, Saturdays about 09:30–17:30, and Sundays or holidays 13:00–17:30. From March to October, hours are usually longer, often extending to around 18:30. Tickets for San Zeno and the Verona church circuit are purchased on site at the first church visited. Always check the Chiese Verona site or the official basilica website for up-to-date schedules and special closures.
The Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore is regarded as one of northern Italy’s greatest Romanesque monuments and stands at the heart of the city’s religious history. Built over the tomb of San Zeno, Verona’s patron and a 4th-century bishop, the basilica’s dominant form dates from the 11th to 12th centuries. Approaching from the spacious Piazza San Zeno, you are greeted by its warm stone and brick façade and a large rose window known as the “Wheel of Fortune.” The entrance is notable for bronze doors adorned with intricately detailed relief panels showing biblical events and local legends.
Inside, three levels – the raised presbytery, the main nave and the atmospheric crypt – create a unique spatial rhythm that is rare in Italian churches. The church’s walls feature fragments of frescoes from different centuries, and the nave is supported by striped pilasters and stone columns capped by a timbered roof. On the main altar, Andrea Mantegna’s celebrated altarpiece (Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints) highlights the church’s Renaissance legacy, while the crypt contains the revered sarcophagus of San Zeno. The cloister, only steps away, surrounds you with quiet, arcaded galleries and an authentic Romanesque atmosphere, ideal for reflection or sketching.
The basilica is part of Verona’s “Chiese Vive” circuit, which blends religious reverence and cultural tourism. Visitors pay a small entrance fee (sold at the door), but worshipers can access services freely. Modest attire is expected, especially during liturgical times. Allow at least 45 to 60 minutes for a thoughtful visit, more if you wish to study the bronze doors and interior artwork in detail. Slightly outside Verona’s busiest tourist core, the basilica is about a 15–20 minute walk from Piazza Bra, offering a more local feeling and a chance to see ancient city walls and the Adige river along the way.