The High Altar, designed by Renaissance master Tullio Lombardo and later enhanced by Donatello, is a focal point of liturgical and artistic importance. It received its current form in 1895 when Camillo Boito moved all 30 bronzes by Donatello to the altar.
In the mid-15th century, the Florentine artist Donatello (c. 1386 – 1466) was commissioned to create works for the High Altar. These included the life-size bronze sculptures of the Virgin Mary and six saints. His large Crucifix, which emphasized the humanity of Christ, was not originally intended for the altar but rather the middle of the church.
The four reliefs at the base illustrating the miracles of St Anthony are particularly impressive. Donatello managed to present six levels of perspective in a depth of less than an inch (2 cm).