The lovely little church of Santa Maria Antica was completed in the 12th century and became the family church of the della Scala princes, who ruled Verona in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Their imposing Gothic tombs almost overshadow it, topped by their effigies in full armor. Look for their symbol: the ladder (scala) was the heraldic emblem of the family and frequently recurs in the elaborate wrought-iron railings.
Above the church door are the sarcophagus and a copy of an equestrian statue of Cangrande della Scala, who died in 1329 (the original is beautifully displayed at Castelvecchio).
