The baptistry is one of the oldest buildings in Florence. It may have been started as early as the 5th century, but it is mainly an 11th century Romanesque building. Dante was baptised here.
The octagonal building is mostly famous for its beautiful gilded bronze doors, particularly those from the 15th century facing the cathedral, called The Gate of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti. The 10 panels depict scenes from the Old Testament.
Inside, the 13th century gold mosaics in the dome were created by artists from Venice. There are several themes, including Christ in Majesty and The Last Judgement.
It is certainly worth the 4 euro entry fee.
Beautiful pictures of the golden details of the door.
Thank you for sharing.
By: Mirella on March 22, 2010
at 3:35 pm