The creation the of the bronze sculpture of Perseus, the hero holding the head of Medusa in one hand and the sword with which he just slayed her in the other, was – ironically – a truly epic process. Word of Benvenuto Cellini, the artist who created one of the most famous sculptures in Piazza della Signoria.
The metal fume fever, the flame that was too weak for fusion, the fire that broke out in the atelier, the lack of tin that forced the artist to fuse his own crockery, are only few of the curious facts linked to the creation of the bronze placed under the Loggia dell'Orcagna. But the real secret is hidden in the statue itself: on its back, between the helm, nape and hair, the sculptor has inserted his self-portrait.
A double masterpiece!
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