Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore Historical Timeline

Origins

A church stood here over the tomb of Zeno, an African-born bishop of Verona who died around 380 and became the city's patron. The site was outside the walls, as burials had to be.

Turning points

The earthquake of 1117 wrecked the earlier building. The rebuilding that followed, running through the twelfth century, produced the church that stands today -- which is why it is so unusually coherent: it is essentially one campaign rather than an accumulation.

Influential people

The sculptor Nicolò, who also worked on Verona's cathedral, carved the porch and part of the facade around 1138. The reliefs beside the doors were divided between his workshop and that of Guglielmo.

Cultural evolution

A Benedictine abbey grew around the church and became powerful; its tower still stands beside the basilica, and the abbey held authority over a large part of the Veronese countryside.

Present-day significance

Napoleonic suppression dispersed the abbey and took some of its art -- the predella panels of Mantegna's altarpiece went to France and never fully returned. The church is now part of the UNESCO listing that covers the city of Verona.