Restoration of Florence Baptistery Dome Mosaics Opens to Public
The dome of the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence, covered with over a thousand square meters of mosaics dating from 1225, is undergoing a major restoration. The Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore has funded the project with €4.6 million, following earlier exterior and interior restorations. The innovative scaffolding, shaped like a mushroom and reaching 31 meters high, allows visitors to climb up and view the mosaics up close starting February 24, 2023, for €65 per person (max 10 per group). The restoration, carried out by Centro di Conservazione Archeologica with Tecno System Appalti and Layher S.p.A., aims to stabilize the ten million tesserae, halt degradation, and restore the gold and vivid colors. The last restoration was from 1898 to 1907 by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. The mosaics, inspired by Cimabue and Coppo di Marcovaldo, depict Genesis, Joseph, Christ, and John the Baptist around a central Last Judgment. The Baptistery received 1,215,000 visitors in 2022.
Key facts
- The dome of the Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence has over 1,000 square meters of mosaics.
- Mosaic work began in 1225 with mosaicists from outside Florence.
- The mosaics are believed to have inspired Dante's Inferno in the Divine Comedy.
- The first restoration was in the mid-14th century by Agnolo Gaddi.
- The Stories of Noah were irretrievably lost in 1819.
- Luigi Ademollo restored the mosaics between 1820 and 1823 with paint additions.
- The last restoration before the current one was from 1898 to 1907 by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure.
- The current restoration started in 2014 with exterior work, followed by interior mosaics.
- The project costs €4.6 million for the dome mosaics alone.
- The scaffolding was assembled in 40 days and offers 600 square meters of walkable surface.
- Visits start February 24, 2023, with a maximum of 10 people per group at €65 each.
- The Baptistery had 1,215,000 visitors in 2022.
Entities
Artists
- Cimabue
- Coppo di Marcovaldo
- Agnolo Gaddi
- Luigi Ademollo
- Dante Alighieri
- Meliore
- Maestro della Maddalena
Institutions
- Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore
- Opificio delle Pietre Dure
- Centro di Conservazione Archeologica
- Tecno System Appalti
- Layher S.p.A.
- Fondazione Friends of Florence
- Soprintendenza ABAP per la città metropolitana di Firenze e le province di Pistoia e Prato
Locations
- Florence
- Italy
- Battistero di San Giovanni
- Florence Baptistery
- Battistero di Firenze
- Pistoia
- Prato
- Baptistery of Florence