The Minguzzi door
Milan Cathedral's fifth bronze door tells of the Duomo's origins and events. Of the five facade doors, it is the first on the right, chronologically the last to be constructed, in 1964.
It is a work by Luciano Minguzzi, who, during the 1950s, won the competition announced by the Veneranda Fabbrica, which included artists as Lucio Fontana, Francesco Messina, Enrico Manfrini.
The splendour of the Duomo (1965) by Luciano MinguzziVeneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano
The door was inaugurated on January 6, 1965 and is considered by convention to be the Cathedral's concluding element. The construction was financed by Banca Popolare di Milano.
[DO NOT PUBLISH] The splendour of the Duomo (1964) by Luciano MinguzziVeneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano
The door tells episodes from the Cathedral's history, from its foundation to the time of Saint Charles Borromeo.
The episodes are divided into framed tiles, crowded with figures of people and characterized by lively expressiveness, as in the episode Gian Galeazzo Visconti Travels in Procession to the Cathedral Worksite.
The episodes are all easily recognizable, such as Antonio da Saluzzo Reads the Bull of Indulgences.
The Transportation of Marble from Candoglia by River recalls the importance of waterways in starting the great construction venture.
The People and Clergy Working on Excavations and Foundations for the Cathedral is a testimony to the commitment and affection of an enthusiastic citizenry for the new construction.
Evocative are The Laying of the First Stone (in around 1386), and Martin V Solemnly Consecrates the Cathedral's High Altar, a consecration that took place in 1418.
Among other episodes worthy of mention are Saint Charles Distributing Communion to Plague Victims and The Procession of the Idea, or Candlemas.
The splendour of the Duomo (1965) by Luciano MinguzziVeneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano
Together with the tiles dedicated to The Ceremony and Procession of the Holy Nail, a secular tradition that lives on within the Cathedral.
[DO NOT PUBLISH] The splendour of the Duomo (1964) by Luciano MinguzziVeneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano
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