Sepulchre of the Della Gherardesca family

This is the top part of a sepulchre dedicated to the Della Gherardesca Family, sculpted by Lupo di Francesco in the first half of the 14th Century. The marble and polychrome sculpture originates from the Church of Saint Francesco. The Gherardeschi or della Gherardesca were a family of the Republic of Pisa of Longobard origin, dating back as early as the 11th Century. They were one of the most prominent in Pisa by the middle of the 13th Century. They were of Ghibelline sympathies and held the county of Donoratico. There is a Gherardesca Chapel in the church of Saint Francis in Pisa.