The relocation of these works – known as the Porta dei Martiri and the Porta degli Apostoli – marks an important step in preserving and better understanding the legacy of one of the Renaissance’s most influential sculptors.
Commissioned by the powerful Medici family and created between 1440 and 1442, the two doors reflect Donatello’s mature experimentation with sculptural relief. Each door consists of two large panels structured within an elaborate architectural frame composed of projecting travertine columns, an entablature and a triangular pediment. Within the framework are four bronze panels, each cast using the lost-wax technique and decorated with relief scenes.
The Porta dei Martiri includes figures such as Saints Stephen and Lawrence as well as Cosmas and Damian, each holding a palm branch, a traditional symbol of martyrdom.
The Porta degli Apostoli depicts figures including John the Baptist alongside Evangelists and Fathers of the Church. Surrounding the reliefs are refined decorative friezes punctuated by rosettes, while modern handles designed as intertwined ropes complete the doors’ design.
The restoration was carried out by the Bronze and Ancient Weapons Department of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. Work first focused on the Porta dei Martiri, which was unveiled in 2022 during the major exhibition Donatello, the Renaissance at Palazzo Strozzi, where it contributed to renewed scholarship on the artist’s development.
Restoration of the Porta degli Apostoli – funded by Friends of Florence through a donation from Michael and Sandy Collins – began in June 2024 and was completed on October 1, 2025.
