A bronze replica of the south door of the Baptistery was unveiled today on the feast day of Florence’s patron saint John the Baptist.
Cardinal Giuseppe Betori blessing the replica of the south door of Florence Baptistery
Paid for by the cathedral’s governing body Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore and crafted by Florence-based Galleria Frilli, the replica will replace the original by Andrea Pisano, which is undergoing restoration at the city’s Opificio delle Pietre Dure.
Standing four metres high, measuring 94 centimetres by 2.94 metres and weighing 800 kilos, like the original, the replica was made using the same techniques as 700 years ago.
This is the third baptistery door for which a reproduction has made. The conservative method began 39 years ago when Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise were removed for restoration and a bronze and gold copies made by Galleria Frilli’s Aldo Marinelli were switched in their stead. The north door was replaced with a reproduction in 2013.
After restoration, the original will be displayed in the Opera del Duomo Museum alongside the two other baptistery doors.
