Peter Kun Frary, Professor of Music • University of Hawaii, Leeward
Peter Kun Frary, Professor of Music • University of Hawaii, Leeward
Photo by Peter Kun Frary • Canon EOS 40D and EF-s 17-55 2.8 IS USM • Next Image
Across the Piazza del Duomo from the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore lies the Battistero di San Giovanni (Baptistery of St John). The Battistero is home to the famous "Gates of Paradise" bronze doors. The Battistero is the oldest building in Florence and dates from the 11th century.
Of the three sets of Bronze doors, the "Gates of Paradise" by Lorenzo Ghiberti are the most renown and artistically significant. The Gates of Paradise, installed on the east side, are made of gilded cast bronze and and took 27 years to complete.The 10 panels depict Old Testament stories such as Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah's Ark, etc., in three dimensional relief. There are twenty figures along the borders and 24 heads in the roundels. Most of these figures are Church Fathers and apostles. However there is a bust of the artist, Ghiberti, where you might expect a doorknob. I guess that makes old Lorenzo a real knob!
Of course the "Gates of Paradise" currently on the Battistero are reproductions. The originals are nearby in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. Oddly, a copy made in the 1940s is installed in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral.
I took this photo just before sunset, after most tourists were gone. It was dim but thank you Jesus for adjustable ISO, white balance and fast lenses! Early in the day it was impossible to take a picture without being bumped or having a head or limb pop into the frame. Although the doors are immaculate, the exterior of Battistero is in terrible condition and not very photogenic.
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