The kings
The niche of the north-west arch holds the statues of King Solomon and of the QUEEN OF SHEBA, who had gone to Solomon to hear his wisdom. The solemn and noble robes, elegantly moved by long folds, are inspired by Roman classicism. The scroll in Solomon’s left hand bears the inscription SALAMON-REGINA AUSTRI (from the Gospel according to Matthew 12:42). The king’s mouth is slightly open, in the attitude of one about to speak.
The prophets
The north-eastern niche contained the first two sitting figures with beards and solemn robes: on the left King David with a crown on his head and a scroll in his left hand, and on the right an elderly man wearing a headdress who can be identified as the prophet Habakkuk. The scrolls show a single continuous text among the group of kings, as if to put them “in a conversation” among themselves, something that is also suggested by the slightly open mouths of the statues.
The Archangels
The two statues of the archangels originally stood in the two niches above the northern portal of the Baptistery. The figure on the right can be identified as the Archangel Michael, because of the still legible M in the scroll. Several references to Roman sculpture can be found in this statue: for example the removable head, which harks back to the multi-purpose use that was popular among Romans. The figure on the left, according to historical chronicles, is that of the Archangel Gabriel.
