Just within the ‘heart’ of Florence, overlooking the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, sits the Opera del Duomo. In the 13th century, those who administered it were responsible for helping to fund, build, and supervise the construction of it. Today, it conserves all the works that were created for the Cathedral, Campanile, and the Baptistery… from sculptures, paintings, manuscripts, building equipment, drawings, and my favorite… the models. The construction of the Cathedral and its many parts began with the very important task of building models. These models served as visuals in many ways: to compete in the structures commissions, to view the dimensions and design of the structures, and to first confront any of the problems that may arise when building the actual structure, such as the concerns on how to build the massive dome. These models were built from different materials such as wood or stone, and were constructed large enough so that one could view the interior, even walk inside them!
I find that the enormity of the Cathedral can sometimes be overwhelming, whereas the models give me a different feeling… maybe tranquility. The models are refined, delicate, and crafted... idealistic and abstracted. The hard work, handcraft, and artistry that went into them truly make them beautiful works of art that sometimes I feel the models sitting in the museum can be just as precious and treasures as the one standing just outside. Here is a picture of the entrance to the Opera del Duomo and a part of the Cathedral that I took this morning, and a picture of a few of the actual wooden models for the Duomo borrowed from this site.
1 comment:
I agree Antonella, the Opera is such a fascinating jewel, and often you can be alone with the works there. My favourites are the originals of the competition bronzes for the Baptistry doors, from Ghiberti and Brunelleschi, the amazing Cantorias by Luca Della Robbia and Donatello, and of course, Michelangelo's second Pieta. Seeing the place where the David was sculpted is also quite spooky.
But for me the most haunting of all the wonderful works at the Opera is Donatello’s wooden Magdalene. She seems to be the living (because she is of wood, not stone) embodiment of wretched humility and human devotion.
Post a Comment