Walking along the entrance to the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, you will see a curved wall decorated with names of various sizes and fonts. These are the artists, painters, sculptures, and architects that crafted the spectacle of the Duomo Complex. The Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral, the Dome, Giotto’s Bell Tower, and the Baptistery of San Giovanni each stand tall in the center of the historic city of Florence, Italy. Each of these structures’ artistry and history is fascinating. The museum takes visitors through it all and our tour guides can lead you through it.
One of the most breathtaking collections in the museum is from the Baptistery of San Giovani (St. John). It includes three sets of magnificent gates commissioned and completed over the span of 122 years. While the originals stand behind glass at the museum, models guard the Baptistery. If you visit both, you can see how they were originally placed and then closely study each of the gate’s striking panels.
The first set of gates is on the south side of the building. They were designed by Andrea Pisano in 1329 and contain 28 bronze gilded quatrefoil panels. The 20 on top tell the story of St. John the Baptist, while the bottom panels are dedicated to the 8 virtues. The panels feature sculptures that pop out of their frames like giant picture books. Though highly popular at the time, they were the only set until 1401. It was then that Arte di Calimala announced a competition for the next set’s commission.
Each artist that entered had to create one panel for a group of judges. Lorenzo Ghiberti, 21 at the time, won against Filippo Brunelleschi and Jacopo della Quercia, two already established artists. His gates took the artist 21 years to create and were modeled after the first. Like Pisano’s gate, they have 28 bronze panels. Their story focuses on the New Testament, with the 8 bottom panels decorated with the four evangelists and the Church Fathers. His success and its beauty launched his career, allowing him to catch the eye of many commissioners. It also encouraged his next, and objectively most famous, commission. Arte di Calimala asked him to complete the last set of gates. Ghiberit gladly complied, crafting a set that were so divine that they were more popularly know as the Gates of Paradise.
The Gates of Paradise took 27 years to complete and includes 10 panels, several statuettes, and 24 busts. Rather than in bronze, each sculpture are gilded in brilliant gold. The 10 panels each tell a story from the Old Testament. Unlike the other two sets, they use perspective and dimension to tell different essential points of the chosen story. The bottom left panel, for example, tells the popular tale of David and Goliath. The top panel shows Adam and Eve’s banishment from Eden and a middle panel tells the story of Jacob and Esaul. Much of its wonder can only really be understood in person, where one can feel Ghiberti’s talent and dedication to the craft.
Chianti rooster: beyond the legend
Marble sculptures surround these three doors, and stretch up to the high ceiling. They look on with varying degrees of serene piety. The room is pure white. Like any of the best museums, there is an air of quiet contemplation. One can easily observe in peace. The only sound comes from the tour guides who further explain the history of each piece present. More sculptures live beyond this room, including a wooden carving of Mary Magdeline by Donatello and a marble pieta by Michelangelo.
Throughout the museum, you may also find models of the buildings within Duomo. They come with the history of how they were built and who built them. Brunelleschi’s architectural feat in his creation of the Dome is particularly spectacular. Though he was an amateur at the time, historians still theorize about how he managed to construct what is still the largest masonry vault in the world. The structure is incredible, even more so when you are given its history. In fact, the same can be said for many of what you can see in Florence. The art and architecture found in the Duomo are breathtaking even without knowing the context, but they are thrilling with it.
We have several tours for those who wish to get a keen understanding of the city where they can be aided by our certified tour guides. Search “Duomo” on our website to find the best tour for you. With us, you can visit the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and a combination of the other structures within the complex. Check our social media and travel blog to learn more about our guided experiences!
Did the stories on the Chianti Classico rooster intrigue you?
Would you like to take a tour of the Chianti region?
Then we suggest you our Romantic Chianti at Sunset Tour.
We will guide you to explore the area and take you on a visit to a cellar of a famous wine producer. And at the end of the tour, we will toast with some excellent Chianti Classico.
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