Orsanmichele Tabernacle

What it is

This marble tabernacle in the church of Orsanmichele in Florence was made by the sculptor Andrea di Cione, known as Orcagna, between 1352 and 1360. It houses a painted image of the Madonna and is decorated with carved reliefs, colored glass, and mosaic.

Why it matters

According to the curator's note, the shrine was funded by the surge of donations Florentines made to the Madonna of Orsanmichele during the 1348 plague outbreak. It stands as a monument to how people responded to the Black Death with religious devotion and public giving, and shows how the pandemic reshaped the art and architecture that followed it.

Look closer

• Why might people give money to a religious shrine during a deadly epidemic?
• What do the materials and craftsmanship tell you about who paid for this work?
• What does this object leave out about the suffering of the plague years?