The Baptistery is placed in front of the Cathedral Dome and it represents the oldest construction in Florence. This monument (dedicated to Saint John The Baptist) is a prestigious example of the Romanesque -Tuscan architecture, even Dante was baptised in this sacred place.

External view of the Baptistery of Saint John The Baptist

External view of the Baptistery of Saint John The Baptist

This monument is characterized by an octagonal base and its external part is covered by green and white marbles where three wonderful bronze doors are set according to the cardinal points. The most ancient among them, the Southern one, was made by the Pisano and it is ornamented with 28 compartments representing some stories of The Baptist. The Northern door is a work by Ghilberti even if he probably collaborated also with Donatello and Paolo Uccello. Here there is the representation of some stories of the New Testament and of figures of the Evangelists and of some Doctors of The Church.

The Northern door by Gilberti

The Northern door by Ghilberti

 

The beautiful Eastern door, called “Heaven’s Door”, is divided into 10 panels ornamented with biblical scenes.

 

The Eastern door, or “Heaven’s Door”

The Eastern door, or “Heaven’s Door”

The little quadrangular tribune dates back to the 1220. The Baptistery’s inner part is covered by the same green and white marbles of the external façade, the dome, that dates back to the XIIth century, is ornamented with splendid Venetian mosaics: many Florentine artists worked for this work and, among them, there probably was even Cimabue. 

 

The Baptisterys dome

The Baptistery's dome



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