Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence
Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence a dip in the history with a bed and breakfast in Piazza Duomo
The Baptistery of San Giovanni (Saint John) in Florence, just a few feet from our bed and breakfast near to Piazza Duomo, is the oldest among the monuments in the dramatic square, built in the eleventh century and featuring an octagonal plan.
Baptistery of San Giovanni Florence what to see
Truly monumental works have made it famous: the three bronze doors by Andrea Pisano and Lorenzo Ghiberti and the illustrations that tower above them, made with the same material and in Carrara and Prato marbles, depicting exemplar biblical stories for showing the path to the faithful.
The interiors are complemented by numerous references to the antiquity and the Orient, with monolithic columns, two carved sarcophagi, marble coverings, carpets with oriental zodiac motifs. An encounter between different cultures that is reinforced by strong walls of typical late imperial and Germanic forms.
The baptismal font once stood in the centre of the structure, namely, in the ideal spot to watch the Dome vault and its wedges made in styles reminiscent of Byzantine school with the extraordinary mosaics decorations on a gold background, where the Last Judgement with the risen Christ stands out.
Baptistery of San Giovanni hours and prices
The Baptistery is open and can be visited from 8.15 to 10.15 and from 11.15 to 19.30.
Closing day: every first Tuesday of the month.
Entrance from the North Gate.
Appropriate clothing to a place of worship.
The cost of the cumulative ticket is 15.00 euro per person and it allows access to the Baptistery, to the Crypt of the Duomo, to the Giotto’s Bell Tower, to the Brunelleschi’s Dome and at to the Museo dell’ Opera del Duomo.
Tickets can be purchased directly online.