Santa Maria in Organo was the church of a Benedictine abbey dating back to the eight century. It was built on a branch of the river Adige which ran right in front of the church until 1882 when new banks where built and this secondary branch was filled up. The building was restored and rebuilt many times through the centuries. The façade that still stands nowadays was designed by Michele Sanmicheli in sixteenth century who covered the Romanesque structure with a new, Renaissance structure made of white marble. The upper part of the façade still shows the layers of tuff and bricks typical of Romanesque and Gothic style. The elegant bell tower was designed by Giovanni da Verona and completed in 1533.
The structure of the church is a latin cross with important works of art such as the frescoes by Domenico Morone and canvas by Francesco Torbido and Guercino. Mantegna too contributed to the decoration of the church with a large altar piece now in Castello Sforzesco Museum in Milan.
The most impressive work of art of Santa Maria in Organo church is the wooden choir with its magnificent wooden carvings and tarsias by Giovanni da Verona, made with wood of different colours arranged together to create beautiful views of Verona.
A visit to Santa Maria in Organo can be part of a guided itinerary to the left bank of the river Adige.
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Verona Guided Itinerary