This distinguished Renaissance pulpit, set against a pier in the nave of the Dominican church of Santa Maria Novella, was designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and realised by his pupil and adopted son Andrea Cavalcanti di Lazzaro, commonly known as Il Buggiano. The work belongs to the mid-15th century and reflects Brunelleschi’s architectural vocabulary: clear geometric structure, classical mouldings, and the controlled interplay of proportion and ornament.
Pulpit Theme Pages
A raised stand for preachers in a Christian church.
This impressive three-decker pulpit, a rare survival of its type, dates from the Jacobean period and reflects the liturgical ordering of parish worship in the early 17th century. Constructed in robust, dark-stained oak, it rises in three diminishing stages, each tier serving a distinct function within the pre-Victorian service.
This plain yet well-proportioned pulpit dates from 1790 and belongs to the restrained Georgian phase of parish furnishing. Constructed in oak, it is hexagonal in form with flat panelled sides and a moulded cornice. The supporting stem is turned and faceted, giving the structure a clear visual lift above the nave floor. A simple flight of wooden steps provides access to the preaching platform, and the reading desk is incorporated into the same structure, reflecting late-18th-century liturgical practice.