New Museo dell'Opera del Duomo di Pisa Opens After Five-Year Renovation

After five years of renovations, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo di Pisa has reopened in the former Seminario Vescovile building in Piazza del Duomo. The museum, managed by the Opera della Primaziale Pisana, spans 3,000 square meters and displays 380 works. The exhibition design by architect Giuseppe Lo Presti of the Florentine studio Magni&Guicciardini (the same team behind the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo di Firenze) rejects the white cube model, using materials like encaustic (historically used in the Duomo), sandstone, Corian, resin, and gold leaf. The museographic program, coordinated by Prof. Marco Collareta, privileges connections to the square's monuments, especially on the first floor. The opening sequence focuses on Pisan sculpture, with video and graphic supports clarifying Islamic and Provencal influences, including the 12th-century bronze Griffin. Display cases by Goppion feature humidity and air quality control. The first floor houses sacred furnishings and vestments, including the wooden sculpture of Cristo Bergognone. The museum also includes a bookshop, a café with panoramic terrace, an auditorium, and future educational spaces. The reopening follows the inauguration of the Museo delle Navi Antiche Pisane, signaling a vibrant cultural scene in Pisa.