Opera magazine
2024-10-14
Piazza del Duomo at the time of Dante
A journey back in time to pre-Renaissance heart of Florence
Journey to discover Piazza del Duomo in Dante's time
What was Piazza del Duomo like before the cathedral you know today, with Giotto’s bell tower and Brunelleschi’s dome, existed? Let’s imagine going back about 740 years, to the time of Dante. By the end of the 13th century, Florence was one of the most economically, demographically, and culturally flourishing cities in Europe. To reflect this historical peak, the city government entrusted Arnolfo di Cambio—one of the era’s most brilliant architects and sculptors—with the task of reshaping the urban landscape. He erected a new, vast, and mighty city wall, a new government palace (later known as Palazzo della Signoria or Palazzo Vecchio), immense basilicas for the new religious orders, modernized existing structures, and began the construction of a new, gigantic cathedral. Until then, the city’s religious center was the octagonal marble prism of the Baptistery of Saint John, already nearly three centuries old in the form we see today. In front of this revered temple, which at that time was not yet graced by the monumental gilded bronze doors or sculptural groups, stood the ancient basilica dedicated to Santa Reparata, the city’s former cathedral. This building, founded in the early Christian period (around the 5th century), had evolved over time into Romanesque forms, but by the late 13th century, it had become inadequate for the growing city of Florence, whose population ranged between 70,000 and 100,000. Despite its basilica layout, with three naves, a raised presbytery, and a crypt, and measuring 50 meters in length and 25 in width, it no longer met the needs of the city.
The basilica had two bell towers on its sides, and the front likely featured a portico. Portions of the external walls were almost certainly adorned with the typical motifs of Florentine Romanesque architecture—white and green marble inlaid in geometric patterns, perhaps also interspersed with mosaics and sculptures. Surrounding this area, as Boccaccio mentions in a story from the Decameron featuring Guido Cavalcanti, there was an ancient cemetery, marked by marble tombs and other types of burials from various periods and craftsmanship. Some of these, dating back to Roman times, were highly valuable, and while several are preserved in the Museum today, others were reused during the Middle Ages and placed in the Baptistery. To the north, near the churchyards of both the Baptistery and Santa Reparata, stood the hospital of Saint John the Evangelist, founded in the 11th century and likely Florence’s first charitable institution. This building was demolished in 1296 when the decision was made to expand the square for the construction of the new cathedral, and its original appearance is now mostly unknown. The irregularly shaped building around were closer to the two temples, making the structures seem more imposing to those who emerged into the square from the narrow, winding streets nearby. The palaces along the sides of the cathedral were “normalized” during the construction of the new building. The southern side, which featured a cemetery, was expanded and regularized in the 19th century with the construction of the three Canons’ Palaces, designed by architect Baccani.
To the west, as today, stood the Bishop’s Palace, though it was in its medieval form before it was modernized by Dosio in the 16th century following the fire that devastated it in 1533. The building originally extended much farther forward and consisted of two separate structures: a "New Bishop’s Palace" on the site of the current one, and an "Old Bishop’s Palace" much farther forward, nearly reaching the Baptistery. A road passed between the two buildings, which were connected by a covered walkway. At the end of the 19th century, as part of the so-called “renovation” of Florence’s historic center, the old Bishop’s Palace was deemed an obstacle to the plan to widen the area around the Baptistery and was demolished. The new palace was given the appearance of Dosio’s facade, though with significant modifications, including changes to its size. From there, stretching southward, the view of the square was blocked by the Pecori houses, which were also demolished in the 19th century. Thus, the square presented an entirely different face from what we see today, resembling more a medieval town than the grand city that would later become a Renaissance powerhouse and, eventually, the capital of a modern kingdom. Arnolfo’s genius truly marked the transition of an era, and even today, those who live in Florence still inhabit his architectural dream.
