Baptistery of San Giovanni

A popular tourist destination is the Baptistery of San Giovanni, located in Florence. This is almost the oldest building in the city, which is its pearl. A baptistery is an extension to a church or even a separate building intended for baptism.

It was built in the fifth century, but acquired its familiar modern appearance between the eleventh and twelfth centuries. From above, the building has the shape of an octagon with a protruding entrance. Its construction was carried out by three architects in turn: Arnolfo di Cambio, Giotto, Andrea Pisano. In the 9th and 19th centuries, all the locals were baptized here, and a sacred spring is located especially for this purpose near the wall. The poet Dante was also baptized here, he mentioned this place in his "Divine Comedy".

Architecture of the Baptistery of San Giovanni

The gates, of which there are three (north, south and east), deserve special attention. These are huge bronze doors that took more than a hundred years to make. The south gate was created by Andrea Pisano. The doors consist of twenty-eight panels. A whole competition was announced for the creation of the north gate, which lasted for a whole year. A jury of 34 judges had to choose the one who would be entrusted with the creation of the southern doors. The winner was Lorenzo Ghiberti. The northern gate is designed in the same style as the southern one.

Ghiberti, who had previously distinguished himself, worked on the most famous eastern gate together with his son Vittore. The double doors are divided into ten squares. White and green marble were chosen as the main materials, maintaining the same style as other buildings in the city.

The most famous craftsmen of that time worked on the interior of the Baptistery of San Giovanni, and thanks to restorations and careful attitude, modern tourists can touch a piece of the past. The interior itself is simple, elegant and beautiful, and contains no frills. Columns and frescoes are visible everywhere. The marble dome is decorated with the famous Byzantine mosaic, which is very popular with tourists (especially the fresco "Jesus with angels"). This fascinating structure, combining faith, history and art, has given scientists a lot of food for thought regarding its dating.

The inhabitants of Florence in the Middle Ages believed that the Baptistery of San Giovanni was an ancient building dating back to Roman times, a pagan temple turned into a church. And in fact, most of the marble cladding of the baptistery – along with numerous ancient fragments and inscriptions – really comes from the ruins of Roman Florence, quite possibly from a pagan temple.

Information for visiting the Baptistery of San Giovanni

If you happen to visit Italy or even Florence specifically, then you just have to visit this place. A huge number of visitors come to the Baptistery of San Giovanni every day, because a ticket costs only 5 euros, and the Baptistery itself is open from 8:30 to 14:00 on Sundays and from 11:15 to 19:00 on all other days of the week. It is simply impossible to lose sight of this place. Many people go to Florence specifically just for the sake of it, it will not be difficult to get to it, and it is its main attraction.