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And, come December, a real novelty... The great Arnolfo
[Susan Glasspool]
Although you may never have heard of Arnolfo di Cambio, you will certainly remember him after visiting the fascinating exhibition at the Opera of Santa Maria del Fiore. In his time he laid down the rules for the great monumental architecture of the future, inspiring other, more famous architects, like Brunelleschi, as well as the Renaissance that followed. You only have to go as far as Piazza della Signoria to see one of his splendid constructions - Palazzo Vecchio - which, externally at least, is more or less as it was when he built it. A building you can find repeated in different sizes and layouts in many towns and villages in Tuscany: a high tower attached to a square or rectangular construction.
He also built the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, which he constructed around the older Cathedral of Santa Reparata, pulled down in the final stages of the new building. He was so famous and respected in his day that, after completing Santa Maria del Fiore, the City Council exempted him from paying taxes (lucky man! - dare we ask the same?), a really great honour.
He was not born in Florence, but in Colle Val d’Elsa, sometime between 1240 and 1245, and his buildings and sculpture can also be found in Siena, Rome, Orvieto and Perugia.
Created to celebrate the seventh centenary of his death, this is, funnily enough, the first monographic exhibition to be dedicated to his sculpture. You can admire about 90 sculptures in all, some from local collections, others from elsewhere in Italy and abroad, as well as sculpture, paintings and goldsmithery by other artists of the same period. The aim is to offer an overall idea of the city as it was in Arnolfo’s time. The re-assembly of some of the decorative parts of the facade (again by Arnolfo), which was torn down in the late 16th century along with its sculptures, marbles and mosaics, is really fascinating.
Arnolfo from the origins of the
Florentine Renaissance
Opera of Santa Maria del Fiore
Piazza Duomo, 9 - Florence Tel. 055.2302885
Hours: 9.30am-6.30pm
Sundays and holidays 9am-1.40pm
Entrance: Euro 6,00.
From December 21st 2005 to April 21st 2006
www.arnolfoafirenze.it
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http://www.arnolfoafirenze.it