di Veronaround ®

The Verona Cathedral complex conceals a true gem of sacred art. It is not a simple baptistery, but an entire church built to house the baptismal font.

 

The origins of the small church, dedicated to the saint of baptism, date back to the Lombard era (7th century), when the cathedral area already stood on the ruins of ancient Roman baths, a place consecrated to water and supposedly to the cult of Venus. Large portions of mosaics from the Roman baths remain in the excavations that can be visited here.

 

The church was rebuilt in Romanesque style after the great earthquake of 1117, and it is from this period that the large baptismal font, sculpted from red Verona marble by the artist Brioloto, was installed. The font is octagonal, following the numerological tradition in which the number 8 represents transition and rebirth (from pagan to Christian life in this case). The reliefs on the eight faces represent in a very expressive, typically Romanesque way, the scenes of Jesus' childhood, up to his baptism in the Jordan River.