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
| Names: | Museo dell'Opera del Duomo |
| Type of site: | Museum |
| Location: | Piazza Arcivescovado 6, Pisa, Italy |
| Phone: | 050-560-547 |
| Hours: | Apr-Sept: daily 8am-7:20pm Mar and Oct 9am-5:20pm Nov-Feb 9am-4:20pm |
| Cost: | €5 (combination ticket with other sights available) |
Location Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Pisa. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Pisa Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Sources
- John Moretti, Frommer's Florence, Tuscany & Umbria, 6th edition (January 2008).
Travel Resources
- Map of Pisa Hotels - interactive map from TripAdvisor
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