Baptistry San Giovanni

The Baptistry of San Giovanni is an octagonal Romanesque baptistry in the Piazza del Duomo in Florence, Italy, notable for its architecture, mosaic interior and celebrated bronze doors. It dates to the medieval period and has been the civic baptistry of Florence for centuries.

The exterior is faced in alternating white and green marble and the building’s octagonal form is a prominent element of the cathedral complex. Outside, the three sets of bronze doors draw attention, while inside visitors view the densely worked mosaic programme that covers the dome and apse.

The baptistry’s doors and interior mosaics are major highlights for art and architecture visitors, with the east doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti particularly famous for their gilded relief panels. The building is compact but richly ornamented, so many visitors spend 30 to 60 minutes to see both outside and inside features.

Built in the medieval era on the site of earlier Christian structures, the baptistry served as Florence’s principal place for baptisms and civic ritual. Over time it acquired major artworks including the commission of bronze doors by notable Renaissance artists and a mosaic programme produced by workshops of Italian and Venetian craftsmen.

Sited in the heart of Florence, the baptistry stands directly in front of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and adjacent to Giotto’s Campanile in the Piazza del Duomo, forming part of the core historic ensemble of the city centre.

• Location and architecture: The baptistry stands directly in front of Florence Cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo and is octagonal in plan, clad in white and green marble bands.
• Doors and preservation: The east doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti, known as the 'Gates of Paradise', are 15th-century bronze panels that are among the building's most famous works; replicas occupy the exterior with originals conserved inside or elsewhere for preservation in many cases.

What to See #

• Bronze doors and panels: The three pairs of external bronze doors on the baptistry are the most visited features, with the east doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti known as the 'Gates of Paradise' for their gilded relief panels.
• Mosaic interior: Interior mosaic program covering the dome and apse depicts biblical scenes executed by a workshop of artists over several centuries and is a principal interior attraction.