BATTISTERO SAN GIOVANNI
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Baptistery standing like a splendid anthology of Florentine art in the Piazza del Duomo, in Florence.
The Baptistery of St. John stands as a splendid anthology of Florentine art. It is necessary to enter the oldest monument in Piazza del Duomo even if most visitors only linger on its famous gates. The eight-slice dome is sumptuous with incredible 13th century mosaics inspired by Byzantine art. The baptismal font of 1371 was made by Donatello, Portigiani and Michelozzo, as well as the tomb of Pope John XIII. Like the cathedral, the baptistery has undergone over the centuries repairs, reconstructions and new consecrations so that it will even become the second basilica of the city after San Lorenzo, but before Santa Reparata. The church of Saint-Jean lost its basilica status in 1128 and became the baptistery of today.
As for the doors that made it so famous, they are made of bronze and decorated with bas-reliefs. The best known are those of Paradise on the east side, made by Ghiberti after 25 years of work. Michelangelo said of these doors: "They are so beautiful that they could be used as an entrance to paradise! ». A masterpiece of the Quattrocento, they mark a turning point in the history of bas-reliefs. Covered in gilded bronze, they have five bas-reliefs each, relating episodes from the Old Testament. Observers will see in the frames of the statues of patriarchs (Isaac, Joseph, Moses...) the portraits of contemporary artists of that period. Moreover, Ghiberti did not hesitate to place his own.
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