1310 · Orcagna · Ippolito Scalza · Emilio Greco
The Cathedral Facade
One of the great masterpieces of Italian Gothic: golden mosaics, biblical bas-reliefs, rose window, spires, and bronze doors.
Lorenzo Maitani · early fourteenth century
The Grand Theater of Stone and Gold
The facade of Orvieto Cathedral is considered one of the highest achievements of Italian Gothic art. Its monumental design is attributed to Lorenzo Maitani, active on the site around 1310, with the celebrated three-gabled scheme matching the three naves inside.
In subsequent centuries, the facade was enriched with sculptures, reliefs, mosaics, and the contributions of great masters such as Andrea di Cione, known as Orcagna, and Ippolito Scalza, down to the twentieth-century bronze doors by Emilio Greco.
Five Elements
What to see on the facade
01 — The Bas-reliefs
The Book of Stone
The four piers flanking the portals tell the whole story of salvation in marble: the Creation, the Old Testament, the New Testament and the Last Judgement. They form a carved Bible, conceived also for those who could not read.
Originally the reliefs were also painted and partially gilded. Today primarily the marble and the extraordinary sculptural quality remain.
02 — The Rose Window
The Face of Christ at the Center
At the centre of the facade opens the magnificent rose window, attributed to Orcagna and dated to 1358. At its heart appears the face of Christ, surrounded by refined marble decoration. Around the great square are set heads of saints and prophetic figures, while above stand the statues of the Apostles.
03 — The Sculptures and Spires
Verticality, Reliefs, Light
The facade is a complex sculptural organism: statues, reliefs, columns and decorative elements build a unique effect of upward thrust and visual richness. The spires were completed at the end of the sixteenth century by Ippolito Scalza.
04 — The Mosaics
Gold and Sacred Narrative
The golden mosaics narrate above all episodes from the life of Mary, to whom the cathedral is dedicated. Among the subjects recorded by the official website are the Annunciation to Anne, the Nativity of Mary, the Presentation at the Temple and the Marriage of the Virgin; above a side door there is also the Baptism of Christ.
Documents of the Opera del Duomo show that the master mosaicists enjoyed privileged pay and could negotiate very favourable terms.
05 — The Bronze Doors
Emilio Greco and the Twentieth Century
In 1962 the Opera del Duomo commissioned the three bronze doors from Emilio Greco. Delivered in 1964, they were installed on 11 August 1970, after a long debate about the relationship between a modern intervention and a historic monument.
Only the central door is sculpted, and it represents the Works of Mercy.
Opening hours and tickets may change during the year. Up-to-date information is always published on the official channels of the Opera del Duomo.
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