In May we were finally able to go to Poland to document the bronze doors of Gniezno depicting the life and death of St Adalbert (Wojciech). I would like to take this opportunity to thank Professor Tomasz Węcławowicz: without him we would never have made it. The doors are stunning, both from an iconographic and material science point of view, but you can see for yourself in this spot from Polish Television!
June 2023 was dedicated to Italian doors: in Rome, we documented the bronze doors of San Paolo fuori le mura: after being exposed to a fire 200 years ago, they were restored in the 1960s and are now almost free of corrosion, which was perfect for our analyses but less good for the photographs, as the brass reflected. Thanks to our collaborators at the Vatican Museums, we were able to visit the museum’s laboratories – a truly fantastic experience! And needless to say… Rome is an astonishing and impressive city.
Gates to Paradise: Creating metal doors for 11th-12th century churches 