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Church of St. Valentine

The church of St. Valentine was built in the XII century and is the most important building of the village.

It has been listed for the first time in a Codex kept in the Chapter Library of Verona, where a document tells how the church had to be consecrated a second time on 12th April 1399 by Gilberto, Bishop of Tiberiade, further to the desecration that took place during the wars between the Scaligeri and the Venetian-Florentine troops. The church was the sacred threshold to the village for the people coming from the Molinara road, which allowed the people from Villafranca and Sommacampagna to reach the mills of the river Adige.

During the first half of the XV century the church was frescoed both on the inside and on the outside. The frescoes tell the story of St. Valentine. The porch facing South is also frescoed with a scene of the Crucifixion: Christ is surrounded by the Holy Mary, St. Macario, St. John the Evangelist, St. Valentine and Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross.

Under the porch facing North – and facing the village – various saints are depicted: St. Valentine, an enormous St. Christopher, a Virgin with the Holy Child and some episodes of St. Valentine’s life.

The church has six small windows: two on the façade, two facing North and two facing South.

A great number of frescoes decorate the church. On the South wall there are two series of frescoes: the first narrates episodes of St. Valentine’s life, whereas the lower one depicts St. George and the Dragon, St. Valentine and the snakes, St. James the Greater, two paintings of St. Bartholomew, the Virgin with the Holy Child.

On the North wall there are various frescoes belonging to different authors and centuries. There are three different paintings of St. Valentine, St. Abate, a Cross with a saint on the right and Mary Magdalene on the left.

In the church there are also two oil paintings, next to the side altars: a Deposition of Christ and the Holy Mary on the right, and the Virgin with the Holy Child on the left.

The paintings are by artists that worked in the area between the XIV and the XVI century, belonging to the school of Altichieri, Giovanni Badile, Domenico and Francesco Morone.

In the church there are also precious wooden sculptures: a statue of St. Joseph of Arimathea (XVI century) and St. Valentine on throne (XVI century). 

Informations
  • via San Valentino
    37012 Bussolengo VR
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