Baptistery: Gates of Paradise
In Florence’s Duomo Square, the layers of colorful stone on the Duomo itself usually draw the most attention. But on the baptistery that sits in front of the cathedral’s facade, there is a set of doors that Michelangelo himself thought so highly of that nicknamed them the “Gates of Paradise.” These doors, designed by Lorenzo Ghiberti, deserve more than a passing glance. Here’s why:The baptistery was built in the 11th-12th centuries, but it wasn’t until the early 14th century that the doors you now see were commissioned. A sculptor named Andrea Pisano made the first set of doors in 1329, designing 28 bronze panels showing religious scenes. These were installed on the south side of the baptistery. In 1401, there was a contest to design another set of doors, which was won by goldsmith and sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti. These bronze doors also have 28 panels and are now in the north side of the baptistery. In 1425, Ghiberti was asked to make another set of doors, which took him 27 years to make. This last set is the baptistery’s main attraction, the 10 bronze panels on the east side of the building.What made Ghiberti’s east doors so astounding at the time was that he was able to depict scenes of great depth in an almost-flat sheet of metal. He used the entire square in each panel, rather than framing the scenes in decorative shapes as had been done previously, and he used perspective to make each scene seem to jump from its frame. The ten panels tell Old Testament stories, and they are surrounded by little statues and busts – including one of the artist himself. When the doors were unveiled, a young Michelangelo is reported to have said that they were so beautiful they were worthy of being the “Gates of Paradise” – a nickname that has stuck to this day.