Porta di San Ranieri, Bronze sculpture in Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Pisa, Italy
Porta di San Ranieri is a bronze door composed of twenty-four panels mounted on a wooden frame, depicting scenes from the New Testament in detailed compositions. The work measures approximately 4 meters (13 feet) in height and presents biblical episodes arranged in a carefully planned sequence.
Created by artist Bonanno Pisano between 1180 and 1181, the door represents an early example of bronze door art in Italy. It survived a cathedral fire in 1595 and was eventually moved to the museum for protection and preservation.
The panels blend classical and Byzantine artistic traditions in their depiction of biblical stories, arranged to guide the viewer from bottom to top and left to right. Inscriptions accompany each panel, turning the work into a teaching tool that explains the sacred narratives to visitors.
The original door is protected inside the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, while visitors can see a replica mounted in the cathedral's right transept. Both versions are accessible, allowing you to compare the original with its copy.
Each panel bears Latin inscriptions that explain the depicted scenes, serving as a guide for viewers to understand the biblical narratives. This educational approach makes it one of the earliest examples of instructional religious artwork in medieval Europe.
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