Florence Baptistery

As you stand in the Piazza San Giovanni, you are looking at the Battistero di San Giovanni, or the Florence Baptistery. This octagonal structure is one of the oldest and most venerated buildings in the city, with origins that…

The Baptistery is a prime example of 'proto-Renaissance' architecture. Its exterior is divided into three horizontal tiers, each decorated with blind arches and geometric marble inlays. …

On the side facing the Cathedral are the famous 'Gates of Paradise,' a name reportedly given to them by Michelangelo because they were so beautiful they were fit to be the entrance to heaven. These bronze doors were created by…

Many historians say the Renaissance actually began in 1401, sparked by a city-wide competition to design a new set of doors for the Baptistery. The competition was held to thank God for sparing Florence from a devastating plague…

Stepping inside the Baptistery, you are immediately transported from the Renaissance streets of Florence into a glittering, golden realm. The entire ceiling is covered in magnificent 13th-century mosaics, created by Venetian…

In the center of the interior floor, you can see where the original, massive octagonal baptismal font once stood. Although the original font was destroyed in the 16th century, the space remains the spiritual heart of the building. …

Finally, we examine the South Doors, the oldest of the three sets, created by Andrea Pisano between 1330 and 1336. These doors depict the life of Saint John the Baptist in twenty-eight quatrefoil panels. …

As you step back out into the sunlight of the Piazza del Duomo, take one last look at the solid, octagonal form of the Baptistery. You have stood within a building that has been a silent witness to a thousand years of Florentine…