The small Romanesque church of Santa Maria Antica is dwarfed by the ornate gothic tombs of the Scaligeri family. The Scaligeri were the powerful family of Verona in the early middle ages. Rather than construct their tombs at the Duomo or another big religious edifice, they instead chose to be buried at their small parish church.
There is a small fee to enter the courtyard. If possible, take one of the tours that periodically passes by the tombs. There are lots of interesting historical and decorative details that you will likely otherwise miss. However, you can't fail to notice all of the depictions of ladders. This was the heraldric symbol of the Scaligeri, since their name derives from Della Scala, or "of the ladder." And what social climbers they were!
Ironically the more ornate the tomb, the less effective the person being honored. The relatively simple tomb over the entrance of the church is to Cangrande I, the founder of the "Big Dog" dynasty and the leader who helped expand Verona's power. The two wedding-cake fantasy creations honor Mastiff II, who died in 1351, and Cansignorio, who died in 1375. But by the mid 14th century, Verona was a shell of its former power, thanks to some bad tactical decisions by these gentlemen.