The Museo dell’Opera del Duomo testifies, with its rich heritage, the incredible history behind the Duomo of Florence. The present holy building began being built in the fourteenth century, while before in the same place stood the church of Santa Reparata, built around the fifth century.
This whole story is explained and exhibited in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, which is right behind the apse of Piazza del Duomo 9.
For some centuries the rooms that now house the museum were home to the Opera del Duomo, an institution that had and still has the task of providing maintenance and care of the monumental complex: statues, projects, documents, memorabilia and objects that have formed the nucleus of the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo .
After a first enlargement in preparation for the Jubilee in 2000, the exhibition space has since been expanded: now the 25 rooms cover 6,000 square meters on three floors.
The new display dramatically details the reconstruction in actual dimensions of the inferior part of the old facade of the Duomo di Firenze designed by Arnolfo di Cambio exactly as it appeared in some medieval codes. Because of these, it is now possible to admire the positions in which they were originally imagined to be, Florentine sculptures from 300-400 AD. The original doors of the Battistero, Porta del Paradiso and Porta Nord of Lorenzo Ghiberti were positioned in front. Reading the list of the names of the artists whose works are exhibited in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo can be likened to opening a book on Art History, with names such as Michelangelo, Donatello, Arnolfo di Cambio, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Andrea Pisano, Antonio del Pollaiolo, Luca della Robbia, Andrea del Verrocchio: all great artists who were formed in Florence between the 14th and 16th centuries, who assisted in the construction of the Duomo and whose works are exhibited there today. To protect and preserve these works from damage from pollution and weather, the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo features copies of these works on the outside: the 36 meter Galleria del Campanile di Giotto is now the home to 16 natural sized statues and 54 smaller ones that adorned the belltower.
Even though it was less known to the public than the Uffizi or Pitti museums, the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo holds its place as a place of culture. Its new design places it on par with the other principal european museums for both content and exhibition space.
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