File:Florence and her treasures (1911) (14785975763).jpg

Identifier: florencehertreas00vaug (find matches)
Title: Florence and her treasures
Year: 1911 (1910s)
Authors: Vaughan, Herbert M. (Herbert Millingchamp), 1870-1948
Subjects: Art
Publisher: New York, The Macmillan Company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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; but the popular taste of Florence insisted on thepresent arrangement, which is undoubtedly more suitable,although the architect was loth to abandon his original andmore ornate design. The effect of this fagade, especiallywhen viewed by electric light after dusk, is magnificent inthe extreme, with its bright mosaics, its coloured marbles, itsmasses of white statuary, its huge richly decorated wheel-window, and its innumerable coats-of-arms, which afford aperfect study in contemporary Florentine heraldry. Amongstthese latter may be noticed the shields of the Royal Houseof Savoy, of the late reigning Grand-Ducal House of Tuscany,and of Pope Pius IX, above the main portal. Its three door-ways are rilled with ornate bronze doors, of which the centralpair, by Passaglia, were opened in state by King Victor-Emmanuel III and Queen Elena in May, 1903, the oldcarved wooden doors being removed and placed in SantaCroce. In addition to those of the fagade, the cathedral owns four •;,- I A ■-
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THE CATHEDRAL AND CAMPANILE PP- 33* 3S ^ THE CATHEDRAL 35 entrances, two on the south side and two on the north side.Of these, that on the south near the Campanile (usuallyclosed) is surmounted by a Virgin and Child, attributed toNiccolo Aretino. The next door on the south side, thePorta dei Canonici, opposite the residences of the canons, ismore elaborate ; but it is far inferior to the north-east door,called sometimes the Porta delta Mandorla, on account ofthe almond-shaped bas-relief of the Virgin presenting hergirdle (cintola) to S. Thomas, a beautiful work, attributed byVasari to Jacopo della Quercia, but nowadays commonlyassigned to Nanni di Antonio di Banco (1413-20). Theportal itself is a fine specimen of the work of Niccolo Aretino,who gained thereby the nickname of Della Porta . Thefourth, or north-west doorway, has twisted marble columnsresting on crouching lions. The interior, though bare and rendered dingy by the drabcolouring on walls and pillars, is singularly imposing.

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