San Giovanni in Valle

About

San Giovanni in Valle is a Romanesque-style, Catholic church located on the street of the same name in Verona, region of Veneto, Italy. San Giovanni is one of the oldest churches in Verona, it arose on the site of a pagan necropolis and a Roman temple. Little or nothing is known about the early building, however some elements, such as its location in the area where the castrum of Theodoric the Great stood (in the vallum of the castle, hence the name), suggest that in the beginning it may have been the Arian cathedral of Verona, as opposed to the Catholic church of Santo Stefano.

In any case, only part of the present crypt remains of this early church, as the rest of the building was severely damaged in the earthquake that struck Verona in 1117. As early as 1120 the reconstruction of what would later be the present building in the Romanesque style began, while in 1164 its consecration took place at the hands of the bishop of Verona Ognibene. During the Middle Ages a collegiate church of clerics also resided there.

In 1300 it was decided to enlarge the hall of the building by lengthening the nave by one bay, the pre-existing narthex was then incorporated into the church and the facade...