Dal marmo al gesso. La copia del pergamo di Guglielmo (1159-1162) = From marble to plaster. The copy of Guglielmo's pulpit (1159-1162)

Andrea Pala

;Valerio Deidda

2025-01-01

---

Abstract

Between 1159 and 1162, Guglielmo and his workshop created an extraordinary pulpit for the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Pisa. This pulpit remained in the presbyteral area of the church until the early 14th century, when it was dismantled and replaced by a new one made by Giovanni Pisano (1301/1302-1310). In 1312, Guglielmo's pulpit was transferred to the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Cagliari, where it was placed on a column near the presbytery. It was dismantled again in the 17th century and moved to the counter-façade, thus losing its liturgical function. The continuous relocations and transfers of the pulpit have compromised its conservation, leading to alterations in its form and displacement from its original positions in both Pisa (12th century) and Cagliari (14th century). This paper aims to highlight an aspect of historical-artistic research related to the plaster casts of the pulpit, commissioned by the Opera del Duomo di Pisa at the end of the last century. These replicas of the medieval artifact were displayed in the exhibition halls of the Museo dell'Opera in Pisa and are now stored in the Campaldo deposits of the Pisan primatial. By examining archival documents from the Ministry's peripheral institutes, which detail the various stages of the pulpit's construction, important elements emerge that can aid further research. This investigation employs traditional methodologies alongside modern technologies now available.