Italy Trip #26: Florence Del Doumo Museum: Golden Doors, Unattractive Statue

 Welcome to the 26th blog of our Italy tour. On this blog we'll show you Golden Doors and Ugly Statue in the Opera Del Duomo Museum of Florence.

1) GOLDEN DOORS - The central courtyard displays Ghiberti's original Gates of Paradise as their restoration is completed: the original doors facing the Duomo can be admired in their magnificent golden splendor and up close. 

Tom at the Golden Doors

Rob in front of the replica doors

The Gates of Paradise

  These were originally on the "Baptistry" building outside the Cathedral. They faced the Cathedral and were removed and restored, now housed in the museum. There are replicas in their place.  We took a picture of Tom at the real doors and Rob at the replica doors on the Baptistry building outside. 

close up of door handles

close up of door figures in 3-D

3-D FIGURES:  The figures on the door were carved in 3-D, so we took some close up photos. 



2) THE MOST UNATTRACTIVE STATUE - One of the most grotesque statues (in our opinion) was of Mary Magdelene of the bible. According to Turismo.inotscana.it, "A late work by the great artist Donatello, whose other pieces in this museum demonstrate his wide stylistic range, Mary Magdalen is shown as a penitent hermit, all traces of worldly beauty gone. The browned wood gives her the

Mary Magdelene

appearance of a mummy but this wasn’t entirely intentional – it was originally covered with gesso and some elements, like her hair, were gilded (highlighted with gold leaf). Made in the mid 1450s, the elder Donatello was surely thinking about ageing and death; this state of mind must have been a factor in the creation of this and other works like the pulpits in San Lorenzo."

NEXT: THE WORKSHOP TO REPAIR ARTWORK FOR THE CATHEDRAL