North Doors of the Baptistery in Florence to be Restored

After the recent restoration of the Gates of Paradise, in April 2013 the North doors of the Baptistery will undergo work to repair the damage caused by centuries of exposure to the elements. The beautiful bronze doors, which weigh 8 tons, were made by Lorenzo Ghiberti between 1402 and 1424.

The restoration will take about two years and upon completion the doors will not be returned to the Baptistery, but will be put on display (next to the original Gates of Paradise) in the new museum, Museo dell’Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, which is currently under construction. The new museum is expected to open in 2015, for the occasion of the Pope’s scheduled visit to Florence. This will mark the first time in history that it will be possible to view the two sets of doors next to each other.

With regard to the Baptistery, as in the case of the Gates of Paradise, the North doors will be replaced by a replicas. Initially, there will be a set of plain doors made of wood and steel. As each of the 28 original decorative panels is restored, its copy will be positioned on the door.

The project was presented to the public on November 7 and has been made possible by the Guild of the Dome Association, an international organization founded to raise funds for the restoration of these works of art.