Battistero - overview by Mikebond
The Battistero (baptistry) is located next to the Duomo. It provides a great example of transition from Romanesque to Gothic. It was planned by Benedetto Antelami (the author of the Deposition in the cathedral) and firstly built in rose marble between 1196 and 1216. It was achieved at the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th century.The building has an octagonal plan, but doesn't look heavy thanks to the several loggias. There are also some false portals. Moreover, you can see beautiful decorations with religious references. The recent restorations even revealed traces of colour. You can also see a row of panels portraying animals, situated at the bottom of the building. Unfortunately, you cannot distinguish it very well from my pictures.
The baptistry has three portals. You can read more about them in the next tip.
