Battistero di San Giovanni

The Battistero di San Giovanni is a minor basilica located in the Piazza di San Giovanni in Florence. It is made from green and white marble. It has three doors, the most famous being the Gates of Paradise. It is octagonal in shape and has a Romanesque-style facade.

The talented Lorenzo Ghiberti sculpted these majestic bronze doors and took 26 years to complete. Inside, there is only one room with a dome covered in an ornate golden mosaic. The sepulchre inside was designed by the great artist Donatello and his pupil Michelozzo. The Baptistery is considered the oldest building in the city, constructed sometime in the 11th century. This is where all Florentine Catholics were baptised until the 19th century, including the renowned poet Dante Alighieri. In addition, it contains the tomb of Antipope John XXIII. The two other doors after the Gates of Paradise are the Competiton Doors in the North and the Pisano Doors in the south, made by Andrea Pisano. All three doors are bronze and have intricate engravings depicting religious themes and stories.