The entrance opens at the top of the hill, from the main square of Monteforte d’Alpone, next to the loggia with round arches supported by marble columns. Once through the elegant early 16th-century portal, which bears the coat of arms of Cardinal Marco Cornaro at the top, we find the 14th-century tower on the left, supported by sturdy stone and terracotta pillars.
A little further on is the entrance to the charming cloister, surrounded by red marble columns. The corner columns display the episcopal insignia and the coat of arms of Ermolao Barbaro. In the center of the courtyard stands the marble well, flanked by two small columns that support the pulley used to draw water from the cistern below.
Three commemorative plaques are set into the walls of the cloister; the one made of dark marble, located on the north side, commemorates the work carried out between 1808 and 1815 by Bishop Innocenzo Liruti. The other two are strangers to the building. One is the tombstone of Giovanni Venturi, the archpriest of Monteforte, who died in 1623; the other commemorates the reconstruction of the bridge over the Alpone River, carried out in 1732 at the expense of Bishop Francesco Trevisani.
On the eastern side of the cloister, a staircase begins that leads to the upper loggia, which is surrounded by red marble columns supporting the architrave.
All around are numerous rooms that were once used to accommodate the bishops and their entourages. The most interesting rooms are located on the south side, where there is a hall with a beautiful 15th-century coffered wooden ceiling. The adjacent room is adorned with fine Empire-style decorations, attributed to Don Leonardo Manzati, while the tempera paintings by an unknown artist, depicting scenes from the life of Jesus and St. Peter’s Basilica, date from the second half of the 19th century.
Both the entryway and the bedroom are also decorated. The chapel, located inside the Gothic tower, has a ribbed vault and is adorned with a fresco depicting the “Birth of the Virgin,” an excellent copy of the painting created in 1534 by Francesco Torbido in the presbytery of Verona Cathedral, commissioned by Bishop Giberti. Outside the chapel, a fine sculpture of the Madonna and Child, dating from the 13th–14th centuries, is temporarily on display.
Once you’ve gone down the stairs, we recommend taking a look at the rear facade of the building, which features a beautiful 16th-century portal commissioned by Bishop Giberti. As you pass through the archway, you enter the wine bar and restaurant, located in the old episcopal cellars. The marble coat of arms of Ermolao Barbaro stands out against the low-arched vault.
