Bonanno Pisano
Illustration — Detail of the San Ranieri gate at Pisa cathedral Bonanno Pisano (born in Pisa) was an Italian sculptor, mixing Byzantine and classical elements. Giorgio Vasari attributed the realization of the Leaning Tower of Pisa to him in his Vite. In the 1180s, he departed for Monreale, in Sicily, where he completed the doors to the cathedral before returning to Pisa, where he died.
Also recorded as Bonanno da Pisa · Bonanno of Pisa · Bonnano Pisano · Bonannus of Pisa
Bonanno Pisano
Carlo Brogi · Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
- Born
- 1150
- Died
- 1180
- Nationality
- Italy
- Occupation
- sculptor · architect
- Known for
- Porta di San Ranieri · Leaning Tower of Pisa
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Documentary summary
Illustration — Detail of the San Ranieri gate at Pisa cathedral Bonanno Pisano (born in Pisa) was an Italian sculptor, mixing Byzantine and classical elements. Giorgio Vasari attributed the realization of the Leaning Tower of Pisa to him in his Vite. In the 1180s, he departed for Monreale, in Sicily, where he completed the doors to the cathedral before returning to Pisa, where he died.
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getty · 500010231 · wikidata · Q892084 · wikipedia · Bonanno Pisano
In this article
The Leaning Tower Of Pisa
The Leaning Tower Of Pisa
Bonanno was buried at the foot of the leaning tower, where his sarcophagus was discovered in 1820.
Bonanno Pisano is said to have used his sculpting skills to contribute to the design of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in 1175, one year after the construction began, since his name was found at the foot of the tower in 1820. Nobody quite knows how he contributed exactly, but is expected to have been one of the sculptors that designed the original blueprints. Between March 1179 and March 1180, he created the bronze Porta Reale of the cathedral of Pisa, which was destroyed in the 1595 fire.
The San Ranieri gate in Pisa
The San Ranieri gate in Pisa
From 1186 on, he constructed the San Ranieri door, at the southern transept of the Duomo, depicting the main episodes of the Life of Christ.
The gate of the cathedral of Monreale
The gate of the cathedral of Monreale
Constructed between 1185 and 1186, the gate is signed Bonanno civis pisanus. It depicts five scenes of the Old Testament at the bottom, starting with Adam and Eve, and five scenes of the New Testament at the top, ending in "Christ and Mary in the glory of Paradise”. • Illustration — The San Ranieri door • Illustration — Left wing of the San Ranieri door • Illustration — The San Ranieri gate in a late 19th ct. photography by Giacomo Brogi • Illustration — Monreale Cathedral gate
Claimed Joseph Bonanno ancestry
Claimed Joseph Bonanno ancestry
The Italian-American mafia boss Joseph Bonanno claimed to be a descendant of Pisano, and was known to joke about the Leaning Tower of Pisa saying that "even that was crooked".
Pisa cathedral, door of St Ranier, bronze, Bonanno Pisano, late 12th ct., detail
MenkinAlRire · Armin Kleiner
Pisa cathedral, door of St. Ranier by Bonanno Pisano, late 12th ct., detail of the right wing with the Baptism of Christ and a relief of the Magi with the Expulsion from Paradise beneath
MenkinAlRire · Armin Kleiner
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q892084: Bonanno Pisano
Scholarly · Wikimedia Foundation
reference work
- “Bonanno Pisano”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority file
- Getty Union List of Artist Names 500010231, Bonanno Pisano.
Unverified · The Getty Research Institute
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References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
Institutional database
Wikidata, structured authority record Q892084: Bonanno PisanoWikimedia Foundation
Verifiedreference work
Partially resolvedauthority file
Getty Union List of Artist Names 500010231, Bonanno Pisano.The Getty Research Institute
Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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