Vernacular architecture and art. The representation of traditional buildings in Lorenzo Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise in the Baptistery of Florence

Abstract

[EN] In the ten bas-relief panels of the Gates of Paradise of the Florence Baptistery, Lorenzo Ghiberti depicted episodes from the Old Testament, narrated through a succession of scenes, in which the figurative language also fulfils a catechetical function.The master set the Istorie (Stories) of the main characters of the Bible against a background of landscapes depicting territories and architecture known to him, and sculpting in great detail the flora, fauna and human structures. With regard to the latter, in the fifth, sixth and tenth panels, the scenery consists of monumental architecture inspired by the Classical and Renaissance style, while in the second, third, fourth, seventh and eighth panels Ghiberti depicts dwellings and shelters linked to the local tradition. In a single artefact, the goldsmith-sculptor master offers an overview of the heterogeneous built landscape, providing a faithful description of a whole series of vernacular constructions which, due to their importance and diffusion in the area, are also frequently found in other contemporary artistic works. From this point of view, the panels can be considered an unprecedented source to allow the analysis of the salient features of those widespread traditional architectures in the early 15th century, which still characterise the rural landscape surrounding Florence.