Chapel of the Crucifix

Abstract

The tabernacle at San Miniato al Monte in Florence was commissioned by Piero di Cosimo de' Medici (Piero the Gouty) and was intended to hold the miraculous crucifix of St. Giovanni Gualberto. (The crucifix purportedly bowed to the saint.) Michelozzo designed the tabernacle, and Luca della Robbia made the glazed terracotta decoration of the ceiling and roof. The underside of the barrel vault is covered with glazed terracotta octagonal coffers in blue and white. The exterior of the vault is covered with tri-coloured tiles: white, green, and purple (substituting for red, a colour unobtainable in a glaze). The richly colored and finely executed architectural ornament recalls the opulence of Roman imperial architecture. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.