The Bronze Door of Monte Sant'Angelo on Mount Gargano: Use and Perception

The article investigates the use and perception of the door, and examines how its function, form and iconography encouraged interaction with the viewer. The first part discusses the door’s location within the sacred topography of the sanctuary and refer to its patronage and historical significance. The second part focues on its inscriptions and iconography, which stressed the salvific role of the pilgrimage to the shrine of the Archangel and engaged the viewer in close observation, prayer, and movement. The last part deals with the door’s materiality and daily use, which affected the way it was received throughout history.