One of the oldest buildings in the city, the Florence Baptistry served its titular religious function for notable Florentines including Dante Alighieri and the Medici Family. Besides its important religious role, the Baptistry was also seen as a pinnacle of Florentine art and architecture leading up to the Renaissance. Constructed between 1059 and 1128, the Baptistry exemplifies the Florentine Romanesque style with its façade of white and green marble, geometric panels, domed arches, and octagonal dome. The interior art includes byzantine mosaics depicting traditional religious themes such as the Last Judgement.

While representing art from multiple periods across its long life, the Baptistry is often touted as the birthplace of the Florentine Renaissance. This distinction is due to its three sets of bronze doors, particularly the north and east doors completed by Ghiberti between the years of 1401-1452. The artist was commissioned to design bonze panels for north doors after winning a competition against other notable artists including Brunelleschi and Donatello. After gaining acclaim for the realistic and emotion filled depictions of the New Testament scenes on these doors, the artist received a commission for the east doors, which were so magnificent they were dubbed “The Gates of Paradise” by Michelangelo and were later recognized as the foundation of Renaissance sculpture.

“Baptistry of San Giovanni.” Il Grande Museo Del Duomo, www.museumflorence.com/monuments/3-baptistry.

Levinson, Gilon. “ Florence, Baptistry: Colored Accents, Designer Doors.” Architecture Past Present & Future, 2009, www.architectureppf.com/chapter_6/Florence_Baptistry.aspx.

Image: By Ricardo André Frantz (User:Tetraktys) (taken by Ricardo André Frantz) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AFlorenca133b.jpg