Donatello in the monumental complex of Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore

To tie in with its Donatello, the Renaissance exhibition, the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi has developed an initiative entitled Donatello in Tuscany designed to allow visitors to explore the region in the footsteps of this “master of masters” and his work.

The journey winds through 16 points of interest in Florence, including the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, which houses works by Donatello in the Baptistery, in the Cathedral and in the Opera del Duomo Museum.

DONATELLO AND THE OPERA DEL DUOMO. 12 ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECES

To get to know Donatello it is absolutely necessary to visit the complex of Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, since here you can see a large number of his art works. The great sculptor worked on the construction site of the Cathedral and the Baptistery from his youth to his last years.

Many of his masterpieces are now preserved in the Museum. The young prophet - his first documented sculpture assignment - and the Christ Man of Sorrows, both from the Mandorla Door are displayed in the Galleria delle sculture. His beautiful St. John the Evangelist, from the medieval facade of the Cathedral, is in the Sala del Paradiso while the Galleria del Campanile houses his famous marble prophets from Giotto’s bell Tower, among which stand out the famous "Zuccone" and the Sacrifice of Isaac. Furthermore, in a large room of the first floor there is his majestic Cantoria in marble and mosaic and the tile with the Creation of Eve. The Penitent Magdalene, made in polychrome wood and dating back to 1455, is a masterpiece of western art and a entire room of the ground floor is dedicatied to it. In the Baptistery, we can admire the funerary monument of Baldassarre Coscia, which is the first Renaissance tomb in the history of art. Finally, in the presbytery area of the Cathedral, the light passes through the stained glass window depicting the Coronation of Mary, made according to his design. 

It is possible to download the pdf DONATELLO AND THE OPERA DEL DUOMO. 12 ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECES at this link.

Enjoy the visit!