Église San Giovanni in Fonte, Romanesque church in Verona, Italy.
San Giovanni in Fonte is a three-aisled Romanesque basilica with a central nave longer than the side aisles, ending in three semicircular apses. Its south side, facing Piazza Vescovado, alternates red brick and white tuff courses, while the west facade is plain tuff with a bifora window. At the centre of the nave stands an octagonal font carved with eight relief scenes.
A chapel dedicated to John the Baptist is first documented in 981; a Lombard-era predecessor probably stood on the site. Bishop Bernardo had the present church rebuilt from 1123, finished in the late 1130s, though whether the 1117 earthquake or his reform of the Veronese church prompted it is debated. The octagonal font with its eight relief scenes was carved later in the 12th century, attributed to Brioloto de Balneo.
Inside, frescoes survive from the 12th to the 14th century, not the 15th; the Madonna della Misericordia in the right apse is the most visible. In 1575 Bishop Agostino Valier set up an oratory here to teach the catechism to young people, a role the church kept after 1805.
Access is through the city center of Verona, where it sits directly beside the Cathedral. Regular visiting hours work best in early morning or late afternoon when there are fewer visitors crowding the space.
The octagonal font is attributed to Brioloto de Balneo, who carved its eight faces with scenes from the infancy of Christ, from the Annunciation to the Baptism of Christ. The south-west side apse was absorbed into the bishop's palace built in 1502 and can no longer be seen from outside.
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