Donatello's pulpits in Florence return to view after restoration

Restored and once again visible to the public are the two pulpits made by Donatello that are located in the nave of the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence.

The pulpits, facing each other, depict scenes from the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, so one is called the Pulpit of the Passion while the other Pulpit of the Resurrection.

The restoration operation lasted a total of seven years; the one for the Passion Pulpit proved to be longer and more complex due to serious structural problems and the uneven state of preservation of the individual scenes.

The restorations were carried out by theOpificio delle Pietre Dure thanks in part to donations from visitors who in 2013, during the restoration of the Pulpit of the Resurrection, were able to admire the details of the latter from a special scaffold up close, and in part thanks to funding from the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and theOpera Medicea Laurenziana.

The Opificio delle Pietre Dure drew up a preliminary project and carried out an in-depth diagnostic campaign to identify the techniques of construction and the phenomena of degradation of the work. Investigations were also carried out on the characterization of alteration patinas and components of the bronze alloy, as well as an X-ray campaign, in collaboration with theIfac-Cnr Institute of Florence, the Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry of the University of Pisa and the Fundacio’ Bosch i Gimpera of the University of Barcelona.

Source: Corriere Fio rentino - Quinews Florence

Image: Pulpit of the Passion

Donatello's pulpits in Florence return to view after restoration

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.