Church of Saint John the Evangelist, Parma, Guia do visitante e o que fazer por perto

The Church of Saint John the Evangelist (San Giovanni Evangelista) is a Benedictine abbey church in Parma, Italy, best known for the dome fresco painted by Correggio in the 1520s. It stands beside a historic monastery and is one of the key places to see Renaissance painting in the city.

The story behind it

The church belongs to a Benedictine monastery that has stood on this spot for centuries. The building seen today was rebuilt around the turn of the 16th century, just as Parma was becoming a centre of Renaissance art. The monks hired the young Correggio to decorate the dome, and he painted the Vision of Saint John on Patmos there between about 1520 and 1524. Christ appears in the sky above the apostles, who are seated around the base of the dome.

Parmigianino, another great painter of Parma, also worked in the church in his early career. His frescoes are known for elegant figures and a clever sense of space, and they sit alongside Correggio's softer play of light and shadow. Together the two make the abbey feel like a small museum of Parma's artistic golden age, though it is still a working place of worship.

What to look for

• Look straight up into the dome to see Correggio's Christ floating above the apostles, painted so that the figures seem to rise out of the architecture.
• Notice how the light in Correggio's frescoes models faces, hands and drapery with very soft shadows.
• Find the frescoes by Parmigianino in the side chapels and compare his long, graceful figures with Correggio's rounder, warmer ones.
• Step back in the square outside and take in the facade, the portico and the bell tower together, as they frame one of the calmest corners of the old town.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about 30 to 45 minutes for the church, longer if you want to study the frescoes closely or see the cloisters.
• Bring a small pair of binoculars or use your phone zoom, because the best paintings are high above you in the dome.
• This is an active church, so dress modestly, keep your voice low and check current opening hours and any limits during services.
• The cathedral and Baptistery are a short walk away, so you can easily combine them into a half day of Parma's main religious and artistic sites.

See it on a quest

You can reach the church on foot as one stop of Parma Mystery: An unusual detective, a self-guided quest through the streets of the city. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you, so you look at the church and its square more closely than you would on a quick visit. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like, with no guide and no set departure time.