With the Duomo being the center of things spiritual in Florence, it was inevitable that
many of the great artists of Florence would cross paths with it at one time or another,
often being contracted to create some sort of decoration for the Campanile, Baptistery
or Duomo itself. It was also inevitable that someone would eventually notice that
centuries of being outdoors was taking a toll on these decorations, and that it would
be desirable to move them indoors for their protection. The Museo dell'Opera del
Duomo (Museum of the Works of the Duomo), located just behind the Duomo, was
established in 1891 for this purpose. Over the years, many works have been moved to
the museum from their original indoor and outdoor positions, with copies often being
installed in the original locations. In the museum, the original pieces have undergone
restoration where possible and have been placed on display.
Madonna of the Glass Eyes, Arnolfo di Cambio (late 13th C.)
Madonna of the Glass Eyes and Nella
Connie with Doctors of the Church, Piero di Giovanni Tedesco
St. Sebastian, Giovanni del Biondo
St. Sebastian and Quatrefoils
St. Reparata, Lorenzo di Niccolò (15th C.)
Reliquary of St. Jerome, Antonio di Salvi Salvucci (15th C.)
Room of the Porta della Mandoria
The Creation of Eve, Donatello (c. 1410)
Madonna and Child Between Two Angels, Andrea della Robbia (1489)
The museum has a central courtyard which is the location at which Michelangelo carved
his statue of David (originally intended as a Duomo decoration). The statue, after
standing in front of the Palazzo Vecchio for centuries, is now in the Galleria
dell'Accademia, which we'll see later. The courtyard is now used to display some
statues which originally decorated the baptistery, and some of the original panels of
Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise. The original doors remained in place until 1966,
but were damaged when the Arno flooded disastrously during that year. The doors now
on the Baptistery are copies (very good ones), and the some of the original panels
have been placed on display in the courtyard.
Baptism of Christ, Sansovino, Danti and Spinazzi (1502-1792)
Baptistery with Copy of Baptism of Christ
Baptism of Christ and Solomon and Queen of Sheba Panel
The Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
The Fall of Jericho
The Fall of Jericho Panel
The Fall of Jericho Panel (Baptistery copy)
Abraham and the Sacrifice of Isaac
The Labors of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel
The Beheading of John the Baptist, Vincenzo Danti (1569-70)
Also on display in the museum are a number of drawings and models depicting plans for
development of the Duomo, many of which never came to pass but are works of art in
their own right.
Designs for Façade
Model for Façade, Accademia del Disegno (1635)
Model of Cathedral
Models for Never-Completed Dome Balcony
Model of Dome Lantern
Death-Mask of Filippo Brunelleschi (1446)
One of the most interesting works in the museum is an unfinished Pieta which
was sculpted by Michelangelo and intended for his own tomb. Part way through the
work, Michelangelo became frustrated due to what he felt was the poor quality of
the stone and abandoned it, giving it some disgusted whacks with his hammer. It
was later repaired according to Michelangelo's models, and a figure of Mary
Magdalene was added on the left by another artist, Tiberio Calcagni. Looking at
the statue, it's pretty obvious the comparatively lifeless Mary Magdalene was done
by someone else. The hooded figure in the middle represents Nidodemus, and is
thought to be a self-portrait of Michelangelo.
Pieta del Duomo, Michelangelo and Tiberio Calcagni (1547-55)
Pieta del Duomo
There were two amazing choir lofts on display which were once in the Duomo.
Choir Loft, Luca della Robbia (c. 1430)
Della Robbia Choir Loft and original Panels
Della Robbia Panel with Donatello Statue and Choir Loft
Choir Loft, Donatello (c. 1430)
Some weathered decorations that originally graced the campanile were also on view.
Campanile with Copies of Statues near Base
Beardless Prophet, Donatello
Habacuc, Donatello
Campanile with Panel Copies near Base
Gionitus, Inventor of Astronomy, The Art of Building and Medicine
The Creation of Eve, Andrea Pisano
Original Campanile Panels
And a few other pieces:
Magdalene, Donatello (1455)
Magdalene and Silver Cross
The Silver Cross (1457-59)
Bust of St. Zenobius, Monte di Giovanni (16th C.)
Restorers at Work
Duomo and Scaffolding
Outside Museum Entrance
From the Duomo Museum, we struck out northeastward along the Via dei Servi to keep our
appointment with David, at the Galleria dell'Accademia.