To the left of the main façade of the cathedral is another building of great cultural interest: the ancient Chapter Library, where amanuensis monks produced texts on parchment as early as 517 AD.
On open days, you can admire the impressive Archdeacon Pacificus monumental hall and the Canonical Museum.
Walking along the side of the Cathedral to the right of the façade, you can reach the entry to the Baptistery and the small Church of Sant'Elena, which are part of the Cathedral complex.
An atrium, with ancient columns and remains of the early Christian pavement, leads into the baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte, built around 1123 in Romanesque style.
Inside, divided into three naves by colonnades, is the 13th century baptismal font, an octagonal marble basin decorated with reliefs depicting episodes related to the Holy Family.
You should know that there is a precise reason why baptismal fonts often had this shape. The number 8, in fact, has a very important meaning for the Christian religion: it represents the eighth day of Genesis.
As the Bible says, after the six days of creation and the seventh day, the Sabbath, for rest, the eighth day represents the resurrection of Christ and thus eternity. Baptism for Christians is in fact considered the beginning of a new life.
On the way out, next to the baptistery is the small Church of Sant'Elena, the first construction of which dates back to 813, but was rebuilt about three hundred years later, following the terrible earthquake in 1117 that devastated Verona, the strongest ever in the Po Valley area. You will find evidence of the earliest origins of this church right in the middle of its floor, where archaeological excavations have unearthed part of the first foundations.
Here's an interesting fact: the earthquake that occurred in January 1117 was so violent that it caused damage not only in Verona, which was the epicenter, but also in Veneto and Emilia Romagna. Written records show that it was even felt in France, in Reims.
