Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Gate of the Baptistery

As we anticipated yesterday, this night the South Door of the Florence Baptistery was transported from the Opificio delle Pietre dure (which oversaw its restoration, completed in these days) to the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, where the public will once again be able to admire it from December 9, 2019. Two trips were required to transport it, one for each leaf, given the weight of the work (between seven and eight tons). The South Door is one of the masterpieces of Andrea Pisano (Pontedera, c. 1295 - Orvieto, 1348) and is the oldest of the three Doors of the Baptistery of Florence, made between 1330 and 1336. The sculpture, made of gold and bronze, measures 4 meters 94 cm high and 2.95 cm wide. Andrea Pisano, referred to as the “master of doors,” executed the twenty-eight panels of the door, twenty of which feature episodes from the life of St. John the Baptist, patron saint of the Baptistery and the city of Florence, and eight with emblematic figures.

The move began at 11 p.m. on Nov. 4 and ended at 1 a.m. on the 5th. Accompanying the journey were not only the insiders but also numerous passersby intrigued by the unusual “move.” Each door leaf took about an hour to make the short journey, aboard a crane truck. Instead, starting today, operations begin to place the South Door in the Hall of Paradise, inside a specially designed large display case.

The restoration was made possible thanks to the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, which fully financed its restoration, disassembly, transport and placement in the museum. Below are images of the spectacular transport.

Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Door of the Baptistery

Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Gate of the Baptistery

Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Door of the Baptistery

Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Door of the Baptistery

Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Door of the Baptistery

Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Door of the Baptistery

Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Door of the Baptistery

Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Door of the Baptistery

Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Door of the Baptistery

Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Door of the Baptistery

Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Door of the Baptistery

Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Door of the Baptistery

Florence, the spectacular images of the transport of the restored South Gate of the Baptistery

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