WROUGHT IRON. — The artistic working of wrought iron—i.e., hammered, chased and carved iron—first spread widely in France, Germany and Spain around the 12th century. Even the earliest, most lavish and exuberant works demonstrate the high degree of perfection attained by this craft. Outstanding examples from this period include the screens of the cathedral of Le Puy in France and those of the abbey of Marcévols in Spain; from a century later come the splendid doors of Notre-Dame in Paris and of the cathedral of Saint-Gilles in Saint-Gilles-du-Gard (see CANCELLO).
In Italy, the use of iron as a decorative element became established only in the 14th century, with notable works such as the screens of San Corona in Vicenza, those of the Scaliger tombs in Verona and others, especially in Tuscany, where the use of wrought iron developed remarkably throughout the 14th and 15th centuries.
Documents mention the Sienese Conte di Lello, who, together with his son Jacopo, forged the screens for the cathedral of Orvieto in 1337–38, and Pietruccio di Betto, who, also in 1338, worked at San Miniato al Monte in Florence, as well as numerous other craftsmen active in Tuscan cities. In Siena in 1306, a Frenchman, Bertino di Pietro of Rouen in Normandy, constructed the first public clock; later, in 1348, he forged the screens for the cathedral, adapting his native flamboyant and exuberant style to the refined Sienese tradition.
In Florence, wrought-iron artisans, organized into a guild of blacksmiths since the 13th century, produced practical objects such as lanterns, bells, sconces and lanterns, including the celebrated lanterns made by Niccolò Caparra for the Strozzi family, now in Palazzo Guadagni.
From Gothic experiments, which lent themselves readily to the intricate wrought-iron ornamentation, the craft evolved toward the more serene forms of the Renaissance. Notable among these is the screen of the Cappella Castelli in San Pietro, Bologna, dated 1433.
In the 16th century, decoration became even more restrained, reflecting the architectural styles of Bramante, the Sangallos, Michelangelo, Vignola, Sansovino and others.
Decorative abundance, however, revived with vigour in the Baroque era, with an exuberance rivaling that of the Gothic period, especially north of the Alps. Balcony and window railings were produced (magnificent examples can be seen in houses in Siena, Lucca, Genoa and Venice, as well as in the synagogue in Padua, etc.), along with richly decorated ironwork such as that in the Biblioteca Bertoliana in Vicenza, the Palazzo Aldovrandi in Bologna, the former convent of Santa Maria in Gradi in Viterbo and the Palazzo Salviati in Florence.
