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subjects are St. Reparata (left), the Assumpion of the Virgin, (center) and
St. John the
Baptist (right). The late 16th century bronze doors by followers of Giambologna were builtto replace Bonanno's originals of 1186 which perished in a
fire. The scenes depicted on
the main portal are episodes from the Life of the Virgin, while the other
two recount the Life of Christ. The upper façade has four rows of
Lombard-style arcading. On the corners of the second row are statues of Evengelists,
while a statue of the Virgin and Child, by Andrea Pisano, and two angels,
by followers of Giovanni Pisano, look down from the summit. the arcading and ornamental
motifs of the façade are continued along the side of the building. Going to the back of
the church at the point where the apse and transept meet on the Leaning Tower side is
Porta di S. Ranieri which serves as the present-day entrance to the
Cathedral. The
bronze doors of 1180, masperpieces by Bonanno, are divided into twenty compartments in
which the Life of Christ is depicted in an extraordinay vigorous style,
influenced by the three-dimensional quality of the Romanesque master,
Wiligelmo, though
not devoid of Byzantine influxes either. The stylistic unity of the architecture is
maintained in the apse, which has blind arcading surmounted by two rows of
loggias. The unusual elliptical dome rising over the crossing was built in 1380 by Lupo di
Gante and Puccio di Gadduccio. it rests upon an octagonal drum and is set off by a
graceful Gothic gallery. |
| THE INTERIOR OF
THE CATHEDRALThe double aisles of the stately
interior are marked by plain granite columns with Corinthian capitals. The upper galleries
on either side of the nave, called matronei, were reserved for female
worshippers.The striped marble facing repeats the pattern of the exterior decoration and
adds a lively coloristic note to the solemn procession of arches along the aisles and
matronei. Towering over the crossing of the aisled transept and the nave is the dome which
rests upon Arab-style pointed arches. The PULPIT in the nave, sculpted by Giovanni Pisano
between 1302 and 1310, is universally considered the master's finest work and ranks as ne
of the greatest sculptures of the Italian Gothic. Dismantled after a fire in 1599, it was
recomposed and placed in its present location in 1926. Unlike the earlier versions
of carved pulpits which were polygonal, Giovanni's is practically round. The pulpit proper
is supported by allegorical statues and columns, two of which rest on crouching
lions. The statues in
the middle are personifications of Theological Virtues. The
sculpted panels around the side are New Testament scenes,
skillfully rendered to exploit the maximum of dramatic tension.
The scenes, each of which is animated by a host of gesticulating |
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figures, represent the Birth of
Christ, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity,
the Adoration of Magi, the Presentations of the Temple, the Flight into
Egypt, the
Slaughter of the Innocents, the Kiss of Judas, the Crucifixion and the Last
Judgement. In
the center of the nave is a 16th century chandelier, popularly known as Galileo's Lamp
since, according to tradition, the great pisan scientist figured out the law of pendulum
movement by observing it swinging bak ad forth. At the far end of the righthand transept
is the CHAPEL of S. RANIERI, inside of which is an containing St. Ranieri's
relics. Above
is a 15th century Sienese mosaic of a Virgin in Glory,
In the left aisle is the TOMB of the EMPEROR of
Luxembourg,
HAROLD VII, the "alto Arrigo" (tall Harry) mentioned in Dante's Divine Comedy.
The tomb of the Emperor, who died in Buonconvento near Siena, was sculpted by the 14th
century master, Tino da Camaino. Below the figure of the emperor is a frieze with the 12
apostles. The two angels in the niche were frescoed in the 1400s by
Ghirlandaio. The huge figure of Christ enthroned between the Virgin and
St. John the
Evangelist wholly dominates the choir zone of the church. |
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