Church

The oratory of San Micheletto is situated in Grezzana, on the ancient (and once only) road that connected the city of Verona to Lessinia. In the 11th century, a capital or altar stood in its place. During the period of transhumance (livestock migration), this was a destination for shepherds and cowherds, who stopped here to pray – in spring, for Saint Michael to protect their families, and at the end of September (i.e. on their way home), with a prayer of thanks. By virtue of its distance from the houses, the church was used as a quarantine station during the plague of 1630 and was later home to the Confraternity of San Michele. Eventually, with Napoleon's dissolution of the brotherhoods, the church was transferred to the Ronca family. The two colours of the façade underline the division of the church from what is now the sacristy, which was once the home of the hermit guardian. The last owners, the siblings Giovanna and Don Mario Ronca, donated the church to the parish of Grezzana in 1999, including the furnishings. A citizens' committee took responsibility for raising funds to fully restore the oratory, which was inaugurated in September 2002.