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The Gothic façade of the Orvieto Cathedral is one of the great masterpieces of the Late Middle Ages. The three-gable design is attributed to Maitani, who had clearly undergone some influence by the design scheme for the façade in Tuscan Gothic style of the Siena Cathedral by Giovanni Pisano (1287-97) and the plan for façade of the Florence Cathedral by Arnolfo di Cambio (1294-1302).
The most exciting and eye-catching part is its golden frontage, which is decorated by large bas-reliefs and statues with the symbols of the Evangelists standing on the cornice above the sculptured panels on the piers. The symbols were created by Maitani and collaborators between 1325 and 1330. In 1352 Matteo di Ugolino da Bologna added the bronze Lamb of God above the central gable and the bronze statue of St Michael on top of the gable of the left entrance.
The bas-reliefs on the piers depict biblical stories from the Old and New Testament. They are considered among the most famous of all 14th-century sculpture. These marbles from the fourteenth and fifteenth century are the collective and anonymous work of at least three or four masters with assistance of their workshops. It is assumed that Maitani must have worked on the reliefs on the first pier from the left, as work on the reliefs began before 1310. The installation of these marbles on the piers began in 1331.
Above this decoration are glittering mosaics created between 1350 and 1390 after designs by artist Cesare Nebbia. The original pieces have been replaced and redesigned in later centuries.
Central to the mosaics is the large rose window built by the sculptor and architect Orcagna between 1354 and 1380. In the niches above the rose window stand the twelve apostles, while in niches on both sides twelve Old Testament prophets are represented in pairs. The spandrels around the rose window are decorated with mosaics representing the four Doctors of the Church. The frame of the rose window holds 52 carved heads, while the centre of the rose window holds a carved head of Christ.
The three bronze doors which give access to the entrance of the cathedral were made by the Sicilian sculptor Emilio Greco (1913-1995).
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