Churches: The Cathedral of Florence Revisited (Part 3 of 4)

The return visit to the Duomo continues.

During our visit, we toured the cathedral's large, modern museum.  The museum is housed in the ancient workshops of the cathedral, where countless masters labored over the centuries to make the cathedral, baptistery and bell tower wonderful sights to behold. 

The museum today houses many of the cathedral's treasures, protecting them from the weather, theft and drunken vandalism.

The museum is home to masterpieces from the baptistery.  One of those works of art is the Silver Altar, "Altare d'argento".   Several artists worked on the altar over an extended period.  The result, pictured below, is a dazzling display of intricate, 3-dimensional scenes from the life and martyrdom of San Giovanni.   

Other masterpieces moved from the baptistery to the museum include statues above the baptistery's east entrance and the bronze doors from the east entrance, known as the Gates of Paradise.  The bronze doors were badly damaged in the 1966 flood and were moved to the museum for restoration and conservation.  Replicas of the statues and bronze doors now adorn the baptistery (pictured below).

The baptistery with the Gates of Paradise and statues above

The actual statues from above the baptistery's east entrance:  St. John Baptizing Christ by Andrea Sansovino (1505)

The Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti (1425–52)

 

Two panels of the Gates of Paradise are pictured below.

Jacob and Esau panel by Lorenzo Ghiberti from Gates of Paradise (1425–52). Gilt bronze. (Image courtesy Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Florence)

"In the Jacob and Esau Panel, Ghiberti employed a new system of linear perspective to construct the narrative. He arranged the episodes of the story around a vanishing point framed by the central arch of a Renaissance loggia. This panel, with its nearly three-dimensional foreground figures, masterful use of scientific perspective, and impressive architecture, shows that the artist was at the vanguard of Florentine illusionism and storytelling."

Solomon and the Queen of Sheba panel by Lorenzo Ghiberti from Gates of Paradise (1425–52). Gilt bronze.

In the museum, there is a large hole below the floor covered by thick glass.  The hole was discovered during the museum's renovation.  Because of the shape and herring-bone brick pattern, it is believed the hole is actually a model of the cathedral's dome constructed by Renaissance architect Filippo Brunelleschi.  He apparently tested his idea for constructing the largest brick dome in the world and then proceeded to successfully build it.  The dome is still standing after more than five centuries. 

One of greatest works of art in the museum is Michelangelo's last Pieta., pictured below.  Although unfinished and partially destroyed by the artist, it is a moving masterpiece.   

The museum also houses a large collection of relics and reliquaries. 

Reliquary of Santa Reparata:

Reliquary of Saint Peter's Chains:

The museum also has a large collection of models of the cathedral, made during and after its construction.  Some are pictured below.

In an earlier post, the symbol of Florence and the Annuciation, the lily, was featured.  The lily is a prominent symbol in artwork in the museum. In the painting below, the lily is front and center.   

Barabino's painting is a replica of his mosaic over the center door of the cathedral.

Next Up:  It's time to climb up the bell tower.