Description of the attraction
The Baptistery of San Giovanni is a major religious landmark in Pisa, located on the Field of Miracles and is part of an architectural complex that also includes the Cathedral, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Campo Santo cemetery. In 1986, the entire complex was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The construction of the baptistery began in 1152 on the site of a previously existing baptismal building and was completed in 1363. The architect of the building was Diotisalvi, whose initials and the date "1153" can be read on the two columns inside. The baptistery is 54.86 meters high and 107.24 meters in circumference - it is the largest baptistery in Italy. It is made in an interesting transitional style - it shows features of both Romanesque (in the lower part with its circular arches) and Gothic styles (in the pointed arches of the upper level). The entire structure is made of marble, which is typical of Italian architecture.
The portal of the baptistery, facing the facade of the Cathedral of Pisa, is framed by two classical columns, and its internal vertical beams are made in the Byzantine style. The architrave is divided into two tiers: the lower one depicts episodes from the life of St. John the Baptist, and the upper one shows Christ with the Madonna and John the Baptist, surrounded by angels and evangelists.
The interior of the building is striking, despite the lack of decorations. The octagonal baptismal font in the center dates from 1246 by Guido Bigarelli da Como. And the bronze sculpture of John the Baptist in the center of the font is the creation of Italo Griselli. Nicola Pisano, the father of Giovanni Pisano, who later made the pulpit for the Cathedral, worked on the pulpit from 1255 to 1260. The scenes that adorn the pulpit, especially the classical figure of the nude Hercules, are the finest work of the sculptor who became the forerunner of the Italian Renaissance.
Built on the same soft ground as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the baptistery is inclined 0.6º towards the cathedral. The original form of the building, according to Diotisalvi's plan, was different. Perhaps it looked like the Pisa church of Santo Sepolcro with its pyramidal roof. After the death of Diotisalvi, work on the baptistery was continued by Nicola Pisano, who changed the style somewhat. He also added a dome-shaped outer roof. This presence of two roofs - an inner pyramidal and an outer domed one - created amazing acoustics inside the baptistery.
