«S|R, Studi e Restauri»
I cori di Santa Maria del Fiore e le proposte di adeguamento liturgico

Issue n. 2
Series directed by Francesco Gurrieri and Bruno Santi

by Antonio Lattuchella

The second Quaderno from the S|R series unites and systematically examines the complex and fascinating history of the ‘choir’ of Santa Maria del Fiore: or, rather, of the ‘choirs’ – varying in structure – that have graced the heart of the Florentine cathedral to date.

The opportunity offered by a specific thesis, summarized and integrated here, immediately seemed interesting and perfectly in keeping with the slant of these Quaderni. The work done by Antonio Lattuchella, introduced by his thesis supervisors, fully summarizes the entire history, from the time the presbytery was first delimited (1380) up to the most recent proposals – still not implemented – by Sabatini, Morozzi and Bartoli. All of these were very worthy (and difficult) attempts to reconcile the transformation of liturgical functions while respecting the architecture and its inescapable function. The outcome is a complex and singular account paralleling cultural and stylistic changes, in which the focus of the problem always revolves around the octagonal form (which naturally echoed the authoritative geometry of the dome overhead) modelled above all by Baccio Bandinelli. Three centuries later, Gaetano Baccani systematically dismantled it, leading to the dispersion of numerous marble sections.

Thanks to this work, the choir now has its own “registry” and legitimate documentation. These are the motivations that inspired the Quaderni.