Battistero di San Giovanni, Florence

Located opposite the Florence Cathedral, the Battistero di San Giovanni is believed to be the oldest building of the Piazza del Duomo. Much like the other buildings on the square, the Baptistery’s façade is coated in white and green marble.

The most surprising element of the Battistero’s interior is the dome’s Byzantine mosaic. The golden color of the collage will remind you of the mosaic in the Basilica di San Marco in Venice (if you’ve been to this beautiful city).  

The Baptistery also features the tomb of Antipope John XXIII. The sepulcher was designed by Donatello and his pupil Michelozzo Michelozzi.

Gates of Paradise

The Battistero di San Giovanni has three doors, of which the most important is called the Gates of Paradise. These north doors were sculpted by Lorenzo Ghiberti, a 22-year-old artist that took 26 years to complete (from 1426 until 1452).

The Gates of Paradise is made up of 10 bas-relief bronze panels representing several scenes of the Old Testament. The panels are now copies of the originals since these were moved to the Cathedral Museum in 1990 so they wouldn’t get spoilt by Florence’s harsh winters and summers. Another exact replica of these reliefs can be found in the Harris Museum, in Preston, UK.

Tour + Tickets

If you plan to visit the interior of the Battistero di San Giovanni you can purchase the tour of the Piazza di San Giovanni which includes entrance to this building and to the Duomo Museum, as well as a visit to Giotto's Bell Tower:

• Baptistery & Duomo Museum Tour + Giotto's Bell Tower