The Florence Baptistery is part of the Duomo complex, which includes the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and the Campanile. Historians believe that the construction of the Baptistery, also known as the Battistero San Giovanni or Saint John’s Baptistery, began in 1059, making it one of the oldest buildings in Florence.
The octagon-shaped Baptistery is best known for its bronze doors, which feature exquisitely carved depictions of scenes from the Bible. Andrea Pisano designed the southern doors, the first set of doors commissioned for the Baptistery. The southern doors have 28 bronze reliefs: the upper 20 reliefs show scenes from the life of Saint John the Baptist and eight lower reliefs contain representations of virtues, such as Prudence and Fortitude. The Pisano gates were mounted at the southern entrance to the Baptistery in 1336.
Lorenzo Ghiberti and the gates of paradise
Lorenzo Ghiberti is the artist most associated with the Baptistery doors because he and his workshop designed the north and east doors of the building. In 1401, Ghiberti won a competition to design the northern gates. The famous contest, held by the Florence Wool Merchants Guild (Arte di Calimala), pitted Ghiberti against Filippo Brunelleschi, who would become the architect of the Duomo. The north gates are similar to the south gates of Pisano in that they have 28 panels. The 20 main panels show the life of Jesus, from the “Annunciation” to the “Miracle of Pentecost”; below these are eight panels depicting Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Ambrose, Jerome, Gregory, and Augustine.
Ghiberti began work on the north gates in 1403 and they were placed at the north entrance to the Baptistery in 1424.
Due to Ghiberti’s success in designing the northern doors of the Baptistery, the Calimala guild commissioned him to design the eastern doors, which face the Duomo. These doors were cast in bronze, partially gilded, and Ghiberti took 27 years to complete. In fact, the eastern gates surpassed the beauty and artistry of its northern gates: the perspective that Ghiberti was able to achieve on a bas-relief surface still amazes art historians to this day. The eastern doors contain only 10 panels and show 10 highly detailed biblical scenes and characters, including “Adam and Eve in Paradise,” “Noah,” “Moses,” and “David.” They were erected at the east entrance of the Baptistery in 1452.
About 100 years later, when the Renaissance master, Michelangelo, saw the eastern gates, he called them the “Gates of Paradise,” and the name has remained ever since.
To protect them from the elements, all the reliefs currently visible on the Baptistery doors are copies. The originals, as well as the artists’ sketches and casts, are in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo.
Interior Baptistery
While you can inspect the door reliefs without buying a ticket, you must pay admission to see the remarkably beautiful interior of the Baptistery. It is decorated in polychrome marble and its dome is adorned with golden mosaics. Arranged in eight concentric circles, the incredibly detailed mosaics show scenes from Genesis and the Last Judgment, as well as scenes from the lives of Jesus, Joseph, and Saint John the Baptist. The interior also contains the tomb of Antipope Baldassare Coscia, which was sculpted by the artists Donatello and Michelozzo.
Of course, the Baptistery was built to be more than a masterpiece. Many famous Florentines, including Dante and members of the Medici family, were baptized here. In fact, until the 19th century, all Catholics in Florence were baptized at Battistero San Giovanni.
Practical information
Location: Piazza Duomo in the historic center of Florence.
Hours: Sundays from 8:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Tuesday to Friday from 8:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Saturdays from 8:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Admission: A cumulative ticket for the entire Duomo complex costs € 18 and is valid for 72 hours after the first entry.
Information: Visit the website of the Baptistery, or call +39 055 2302885.
