18 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Restoration of the Duomo of Florence has revealed original polychrome paint

During the restoration of the Porta dei Cornacchini and the marble cladding of the northern side of Florence’s Duomo, extensive traces of color were revealed on the Virgin with Child and Adoring Angels group of marble sculptures.

The restoration, which began in September 2021, confirmed that the sculptures were originally multicolored.

The sculptures, dating from 1359-1360, are displayed in an arched niche above the Porta dei Cornacchini, a door in the cathedral’s north wall. While the marble in the background is colorful — the Duomo is known for its white, pink, and green marble cladding, which gives the cathedral its distinct appearance — the sculptures themselves were previously thought to have been left in their natural white marble.

This is the first time, Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore noted, that such extensive traces of colors have been found on sculptures adorning the exteriors of the Florence Duomo. Since restoration work began, experts have cleaned more than 10,000 square feet of marble.

porta dei cornacchini

This process revealed numerous traces of paint, including the brown iris of Mary’s left eye, the teal of her cloak, the red on the outside of her cloak, and the rich brocade pattern on the gown worn by the Christ Child. This is the first time that such large sections of polychrome paint have been found on the exterior sculpture of a cathedral. Previous discoveries were only tiny glimpses – some gilding and light blue stains on other sculptures.

The find has led to the image of the Duomo as one in color, with white, green, and pink on the exteriors and red and gold mosaics on the facade.

 “The exciting find of multiple colors of the figures on Porta dei Cornacchini of the Florence cathedral,” said Duomo museum director Timothy Verdon. “It reminds us that Florence at the end of the 14th century and beginning of the 15th was a very colourful city. The cathedral also had painted statues with gilding on the wings of angels and on clothing – thus, a celebration. A celebration that we forgot and are beginning to rediscover.” In the eyes of the cardinal and bishop of Florence, Giuseppe Betori, “it can seem strange that so much importance has been given to the door of a church. But, in reality. the door of a church is very important since it is the connection between what is celebrated inside the building and the normal life of people.”

The restoration is made possible by the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore with the fundamental contribution of the CR Firenze Foundation and under the high supervision of the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the metropolitan city of Florence and the provinces of Pistoia and Prato.

Related Articles

Ancient Funerary Stones Looted from Yemen Will Be Exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum

14 September 2023

14 September 2023

The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) has signed a historic agreement with the Yemeni government to temporarily keep and display...

The Oldest Odin Inscription in the World Found in the Vindelev treasure

8 March 2023

8 March 2023

Scientists have identified the earliest known inscription referring to the Norse god Odin on part of a gold disc unearthed...

New discoveries show that Claros continued to serve as an oracle center after Christianity

14 September 2022

14 September 2022

Game boards and forked cross motifs dating to the fifth and seventh centuries AD were discovered at the ancient Greek...

Researchers use AI to read words on ancient Herculaneum scroll burned by Vesuvius

13 October 2023

13 October 2023

Researchers used artificial intelligence to extract the first word from one of the first texts in a charred scroll from...

Luxurious Feather Beds of Iron Age Warriors

27 March 2021

27 March 2021

According to a new study, two warriors from the 7th century in Sweden were buried in graves where they were...

2000-Year-Old Roman Origins Confirmed for Elche’s Monumental L’Assut de l’Argamassa Dam

17 May 2025

17 May 2025

An archaeological research project has unveiled that the imposing L’Assut de l’Argamassa dam in Elche, Spain, long suspected to be...

2,400-year-old Battlefield of Alexander the Great’s First Persian Victory found in Türkiye

27 December 2024

27 December 2024

After 20 years of research, archaeologists in Türkiye have pinpointed the exact location of the legendary Battle of Granicus, where...

One of the Oldest Tin-Bronze Knife in the Eurasian Steppe Discovered in a Unique Bronze Age Cemetery in Uygur ­Autonomous Region

29 January 2025

29 January 2025

Chinese archaeologists have recently uncovered a large and uniquely structured cemetery dating back to 2800-2600 BC, located about two kilometers...

New research reveals the true function of Bronze Age daggers

30 April 2022

30 April 2022

A new study led by Newcastle University has revealed that the analysis of Bronze Age daggers has shown that they...

Stunning carved stone depicting a mystery naked horseman is discovered at the Roman fort of Vindolanda

30 June 2021

30 June 2021

Near Hadrian’s Wall in northern England, archaeologists discovered a carved sandstone slab portraying a naked horseman. During the annual excavations...

The history of Kültepe Mound in central Turkey goes back another 300 years

12 December 2021

12 December 2021

In Kültepe, where the first written documents of Anatolia were unearthed, the date based on 5 thousand years was updated...

Italian Research Team May Have Found Plato’s Burial Site in Athens

23 April 2024

23 April 2024

Graziano Ranocchia, a papyrologist at the University of Pisa, said he found Plato’s exact burial place based on papyri findings...

Burial Cave in Israel May Belong to Herodian Princess Salome: From Royal Tomb to Christian and Islamic Pilgrimage Site

6 July 2025

6 July 2025

A recently reexamined Second Temple-period burial cave in southern Israel—long revered as the resting place of a Christian saint—may actually...

Dog Kajtuś uncovers Poland’s biggest treasure of the past 100 years

21 April 2022

21 April 2022

A dog named Kajtuś discovered the biggest treasure found in Poland in the last 100 years. The treasure was found...

Ceremonial cave site from Postclassic Maya period discovered in Yucatán Peninsula

21 December 2021

21 December 2021

Archaeologists have discovered a ceremonial cave site in Chemuyil on the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, that dates from the Postclassic Maya...