Baptistery of St. John, Pisa 
Pisa's baptistery is the largest baptistery in Italy. Photo
Ernie Bello.
Photo
Brian Jeffery Beggerly.
Closer look at the entrance side of the baptistery. Photo
Maurizio Neri.
Closer look at the sculptured portal. Photo
Kok Leng Yeo.
View from above, with pulpit on the left. Photo
Hedrok.
Nicola Pisano's masterpiece pulpit. Photo
Manel Zaera.
Interior of the dome, added in the 1300s. Photo
Maurizio Neri.Begun in 1153 in a Romanesque style and completed in the 1300s in the Gothic style, the Baptistery (Battistero di San Giovanni) in Pisa is the largest in Italy. It contains some important furnishings, including a font and Pisano pulpit.
History
Construction on the baptistery began in the Romanesque style under Diotisalvi in 1153. Nicola and Giovanni Pisano gave the upper part a Gothic transformation between 1277 and 1297 and Cellino di Nese added the Gothic dome in the 1300s. It was finally completed in 1363.
What to See
Italy's largest baptistery (54.86m tall and 104m in circumference), the Battistero di San Giovanni is also slightly taller than the Leaning Tower across the square. As it shares the same unstable ground as the tower, the baptistery also has a slight lean of 0.6 degrees towards the cathedral.
The lower register of the baptistery is 12th-century Romanesque (with round blind arches), while the upper parts are predominantly 13th-century Gothic (with pointed arches).
Most of the exterior statues and decorations by Giovanni Pisano have been removed to the nearby Museo dell'Opera del Duomo and only a few have been replaced with copies.
The interior is fairly plain, but includes two great treasures: the first of the great Pisano pulpits and the large baptismal font in the center.
The baptistery's pulpit is a masterpiece carved in 1255-60 by Nicola Pisano. It was the prototype for a series of four monumental pulpits he created with his son Giovanni (the last, Giovanni's greatest work, is in Pisa's Duomo; the other two are in Pistoia and Siena).
The pulpit's high reliefs, which depict scenes from the life of Christ, are strongly influenced by classical art - including the Roman sarcophagi and Greek vase now in the Camposanto. Many of the figures look like pagan gods christianized as Madonnas and saints.
The central baptismal font was carved and inlaid by the idiosyncratic Guido Bigarelli da Como. In the center is a 20th-century statue of St. John the Baptist, to whom the baptistery is dedicated.
The baptistery is renowned for its perfect acoustics - choir concerts held inside can be heard from miles away. You can test the acoustics by arriving when it is least crowded (such as first thing in the morning), getting as close to the center as possible and sounding a loud note - it will echo around the room as it fades.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Battistero di San Giovanni; Baptistery of St. John; Pisa Baptistery |
| Type of site: | Baptistery |
| Faith: | Roman Catholic |
| Status: | Museum |
| Dates: | 1153; renovations from 1277 |
| Architecture: | Romanesque and Gothic |
| Location: | Piazza del Duomo, Pisa, Tuscany, Italy |
| Phone: | 050-560-547 |
| Hours: | Apr-Sept: daily 8am-7:30pm Mar and Oct: daily 9am-5:30pm Nov-Feb: daily 9am-4:30pm |
| Cost: | €5 (combination tickets available) |
Map
Below is a location map and aerial view of Pisa's Baptistery. Using the buttons on the left, zoom in for a closer look or zoom out to get your bearings. Click and drag the map to move around. For a larger view, see our Pisa Map or get our free Google Earth download.
Sources
- John Moretti, Frommer's Florence, Tuscany & Umbria, 6th edition (January 2008).
- Piazza del Duomo, Pisa - UNESCO World Heritage List
Travel Resources
- Map of Pisa Hotels - interactive map from TripAdvisor showing hotel ratings
- Pisa Hotel Reviews - unbiased reviews from fellow travelers
- Pisa Travel Forum - tips, advice, invaluable information
- Car Rentals in Pisa - good deals on a large fleet from AutoEurope
- Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour in Pisa - buy a ticket before you leave home
