Founded in 1891, in the same space where Michelangelo carved the David, Florence’s Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Works) Museum will reopen its doors on October 29, ahead of Pope Francis’s scheduled visit to the city in early November 2015.
The much-awaited opening features 200 works on show after restoration, including Donatello’s Penitent Magdalen, Ghiberti’s North Door and 27 panels embroidered in gold and multi-coloured silk based on designs by Antonio del Pollaiolo. In total, the museum will be home to approximately 750 masterworks in a variety of media.
ph. Andrea Paoletti
The new museum has undergone an extensive renovation that has revamped and expanded the museum’s layout, which houses one of the world’s most important collections of sculpture, including original sculptures, architectural details, liturgical and other items from Florence Cathedral.
Under the direction of Monsignor Timothy Verdon, the museum focuses on the close connection between art and faith and contextualizes the works from the Duomo, linking past and present.
On the ground floor, in the Room of the First Façade (Sala dell’Antica Facciata), visitors will be wowed by a real-life scale reconstruction of the cathedral’s ancient façade created by Arnolfo di Cambio starting in 1296, which was unfinished and eventually destroyed in 1587. In front of this gigantic wall, 20 statues dating to the 14th- and early 15th-century are displayed, works that were originally crafted for the façade by artists of the calibre of Arnolfo di Cambio, Donatello and Nanni di Banco.
ph. Andrea Paoletti
On the first floor, the 36-metre-long Gallery of Giotto’s Bell Tower (Galleria del Campanile di Giotto) leaves onlookers with more than a touch of Stendhal syndrome with its glimpses of the reconstructed façade opposite. Sixteen life-size statues occupy the right-hand side, including Donatello’s prophets Habakkuk and Jeremiah, while tiles that once adorned the bell tower are sublimely displayed on the red left-hand wall.
In rooms that epitomize and condense the very holiness of the cathedral complex, Donatello’s Penitent Magdalene and Michelangelo’s Pietà are embraced by their spiritual surroundings. The former embodies an inner strength with a gaze that reaches deep within the viewer’s soul, while the latter is mysterious and unfathomable in the extreme, to the extent that Michelangelo once sought to destroy the tomb with a hammer.
ph. Andrea Paoletti
Don’t miss the unique view of the Duomo and Brunelleschi’s Cupola from the tiny room at the very top of the museum and the panoramic outdoor terrace on the third floor.
The museum will open from 3 to 6 pm on October 29 for free.
For tickets and for further information, see www.ilgrandemuseodelduomo.it.
