Why go
Start here before looking at the Renaissance figures above. The reliefs turn the shrine into a visual account of preaching, miracles and the founding of the Dominican order; their tightly arranged figures reward more attention than a quick glance at the chapel.
The full story
Nicola Pisano was commissioned to design the marble sarcophagus in 1264, with work completed in 1267 by a workshop that included other sculptors. The chest replaced a simpler resting place for Dominic’s remains. Its panels tell episodes from his life and the early order, with figures arranged in dense, readable rows. On the front, a scene of the young Napoleone Orsini being restored to life sits near the story of a book surviving a fire at Fanjeaux. Another relief shows angels bringing bread to the friars. The narrative continues around the back, including episodes involving Reginald of Orléans and the order’s approval. The corners hold larger sacred figures, giving the viewer pauses between the smaller stories. The head of the saint is associated with a separate reliquary beneath the sarcophagus, so the carved chest and the later layers should be read as parts of one evolving shrine.