Duomo di San Martino Façade Reliefs

This sculptural frieze on Lucca Cathedral (13th c.) shows layered arches with carved foliage, lions, and a corner figure blowing a horn. The mix of dense ornament and elongated figures reflects the transition from Romanesque to Gothic taste in Tuscany. Such portals framed the threshold between city and sacred space, using vivid imagery to prepare worshippers for biblical narratives inside.