The Baptistery of St. John the Baptist is one of the three main components of the architectural ensemble of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the famous symbol of Florence.
A traveler who enters Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo) from the main entrance to the Duomo will certainly mark the squat building in the foreground. This unusual structure is the baptismal church named after the heavenly patron Saint Florence of St. John. In Italian, the name of the baptistery is: Baptistery di San Giovanni.
Construction history
The place where the baptismal building now stands out has long been considered sacred for the inhabitants of this part of the Italian lands. There is information that in the 1st century AD, in this part of Cathedral Square, a temple was built dedicated to one of the inhabitants of Olympus, possibly martial Mars. In the 7th century A.D. the building underwent significant changes in order to be transformed into a Romanesque basilica by the 9th century.
In 897, the name of the building was associated with the name of St. John. And in the 11th century, a religious building got its wonderful shape of a regular octahedron. As such, the building was consecrated by the grace of Pope Nicholas II.
The 12th century turned out to be iconic for this attraction. In 1128 she received the status of a baptistery. Over the course of this century, builders built up the roof and crowned it with a small lantern. Active work was also carried out on cladding the walls of the building with polychrome marble, white and greenish-gray. At the very beginning of the 13th century, the baptismal received an extension in the form of a rectangular pulpit (scarsella).
By the way, from 9 to 12 centuries, the baptistery combined the functions of a cathedral and a baptismal house. In order for parishioners to freely attend priests and participate in the baptismal rite, there are three pairs of gates in the baptistery building. Believe me, each of them has a special meaning.
Goal
The first talented medieval master put his hand to the decoration of the portals Andrea Pisano. The bronze doors, otherwise called the South Gate to the baptismal house, were entrusted to his cares. Work on the South Gate took 6 long years, starting in 1330. On the golden bronze surface of the valves, Pisano engraved scenes from the life of John the Baptist, providing them with allegorical images of Virtues. 28 paintings, created not without the help of jewelry masters, cause admiration and awe among the guests of Florence.
After a long and intense competition, the northern entrance to the Baptistery of St. John received at its disposal Lorenzo Ghiberti.
One of the losers of the rivals was himself Brunneleschi, author of the unsurpassed dome of the Duomo Cathedral. Ghiberti piled over the North Gate from 1401 to 1424, covering them with drawings on the theme of the New Testament and the Gospel.
Near the North Gate there is a column dedicated to the first bishop of Florence, Saint Zinovius. His relics were placed in the Duomo, where they are stored to this day. According to the legend of local residents, the tomb with the remains of the saint made the old elm green in the middle of a harsh winter. On the site of that wonderful elm, a marble monument was subsequently erected.
The North Gate was so impressed with the customers from the merchants' guild that Lorenzo Ghiberti began almost without delay to work on the third portal of the Baptistery, Vostochny. The flight of the creative thought of the master was so comprehensive that he needed his own workshop for working with bronze. The total period of work on the East Gate was 27 years. With the money allocated by the guild of merchants, Ghiberti created the real Gates of Paradise.
The eastern gate is divided into 10 separate bronze paintings, each 5 by 2 in size. All paintings are illustrations of stories from the Old Testament, framed by saints. Legend has it that the name "Gates of Paradise" was given to Michelangelo himself at the eastern entrance to the baptistery, amazed at the refined details and the beauty of the drawings. A shine fresher than finished bronze only added to the incredible impression of the gate leaves.
Interior decoration
The exterior decoration of the three-tier baptistery is in harmony with the giotto's bell tower, which rises upward, and the building of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. However, the interior decoration of the baptismal building is striking in its depth of study and enormous value.
The white marble dome of the Baptistery from the inside is a fantastic sight.. Eight ceiling faces converge at one point - a tiny patch of natural light, high under the very lantern-lamp. The rays of daylight fill the volume with the most beautiful frescoes in all of Florence and Tuscany. The ceiling was painted by various Italian masters from the 13th to the 14th centuries.
The image of Jesus is especially distinguished, surrounded by heavenly angels, worldly deeds, and mortal sins. The scene of the Last Judgment occupies three adjacent faces of the dome. The remaining planes are painted with scripture scenes. Here you can admire the creation of life on Earth, as well as the Heavenly Hierarchy, find the figures of John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary. A special contribution to the creation of frescoes was made by the artist Coppo di Marcovaldo.
A narrow horizontal tier decorated with windows and faces of saints separates the dome from the wall. The walls, or the so-called lower order of the building, have a classic Romanesque finish. That is, the vertical separation of space thanks to the columns. Paired windows with rounded arches are decorated with fancy stucco and carry a more decorative load than a functional one.
If you lower your gaze even lower, you can enjoy the combination of columns and large geometric ornaments. This ensemble organically links the richly painted ceiling and the modest floor decor.
The Baptistery Department, decorated with frescoes of the late 13th century, will not leave indifferent visitors. Also inside the baptism of St. John are the sarcophagus of Bishop Ranieri and the memorial of John XXIII. Two talented Italians - Mikelozzo and Donatello (Donatello) immediately worked on the creation of the tomb of the self-proclaimed pope.
Near the wall of the baptistery, a baptismal spring was modestly located. Many generations of Florentines owe him a rite of passage to the Catholic faith. From the 9th century until the end of the 19th century, the sacrament of baptism was performed twice a year in this source. At one time, Dante Alighieri was so impressed with the greatness of the baptistery that he mentioned the baptismal source in his most significant work, Divine Comedy.
As a special reminder of the past of the great city, the tomb of one of the representatives of the Medici family is located in the baptistery building. Another nice detail is the wooden statue of Magdalena, made by the master Donatello in the middle of the 15th century.
How to get and work time
The baptismal center is located in the center of Florence on the Duomo square, right in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The following bus numbers can be reached Piazza del Duomo: 6, 17, 14, 22, 23, 36, 37, 71.
The baptismal hall receives visitors on all days from 11:15 to 19:00, except Sunday; on Sunday - from 8:30 to 14:00. On major church holidays, the baptistery is open from 8:30 to 19:00.
In order to enjoy the beauty and grandeur of buildings on Cathedral Square, guests of the city are invited to buy a comprehensive ticket worth 10 euros. For this money, the traveler will be able to visit:
- The cathedral and rise under its dome;
- Baptistery of San Giovanni;
- Giotto's bell tower;
- Crypt of Santa Reparata;
- The Duomo Museum.
The validity of such a ticket is 24 hours from the moment of visiting the first attraction.
I really hope that you will be able to find the time and inspiration to visit such a grandiose Florentine landmark as the Baptistery of St. John. A stunning mixture of grandeur, beauty and an inescapable sense of contact with the story itself. Cathedral Square, along with all its buildings - this is a real storehouse of strong impressions. And then, to replace delight and surprise, peace and tranquility creep into the soul. I wish you only pleasant emotions!
