Museo dell'Opera del Duomo, Pisa
Housed in an old convent just down the street from the Leaning Tower, the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Pisa displays a variety of religious art from Pisa and elsewhere.
What to See
Room 1 centers on the architecture of Pisa Duomo and its neighbors, with several detailed models and etched glass plans.
Room 3 displays numerous works of art from the Romanesque era, including delicate 12th-century carvings, Moorish-influenced marble decorations, a huge 12th-century wooden crucifix from Burgundy, and a magnificent11th-century Islamic bronze griffin. The griffin was pillaged in the Crusades and decorated the Duomo's cupola for centuries before being replaced by the present copy.
Room 6 features well-worn 13th-century Giovanni Pisano statues from the baptistery. The treasury shelters a precious Pisan relic: the cross that led Pisans on the First Crusade. There are also two Pisanos here: a wooden crucifix and a swaybacked Madonna col Bambino carved from an ivory tusk in 1299.
The last few rooms house important sketches of the Camposanto frescoes produced during their restoration in the early 19th century. The prints are made from a series of etchings produced by Carlo Lasinio, the restorer, and colored by his son. These prints had an important influence on the burgeoning pre-Raphaelite movement when they were first published and they are still the best record of the paintings that went up in flames when the Camposanto was bombed in 1944.
Quick Facts
| Site Information | |
| Names: | Museo dell'Opera del Duomo |
| Location: | Pisa, Tuscany, Italy |
| Faith: | Museum |
| Category: | Museums |
| Visitor Information | |
| Address: | Piazza Arcivescovado 6, Pisa, Italy |
| Coordinates: | 43.722622° N, 10.397047° E (view on Google Maps) |
| Lodging: | View hotels near this location |
| Phone: | 050-560-547 |
Travel Resources
- Pisa Map - our detailed interactive map of Pisa, plus hand-picked links to more
- Pisa Hotels - check availability, maps, photos and reviews, and book at the guaranteed lowest price
- Pisa Guided Tours - sightseeing tours and activities in Pisa
- Pisa Car Rentals - get the lowest rate by comparing multiple car companies at a glance
Article Sources
- Personal visit (May 2, 2008).
- John Moretti, Frommer's Florence, Tuscany & Umbria, 6th edition (January 2008).
Last updated on December 14, 2009.
