The Florence Baptistery is a religious building in Florence, Italy. It was dedicated to St. John the Baptist. It has the status of a minor basilica which is a title given to some Roman Catholic churches. By canon law, a Catholic church can only be honored with the title basilica unless by apostolic grant or from immemorial custom. It was built between 1059 and 1128 which makes it the oldest building in Florence, Italy.
The architecture of the baptistery is in Florentine Romanesque style. Since early Christian time, the octagon had been a common shape for baptisteries. That shape is used because it has eight sides. The number eight is a symbol of regeneration in Christianity, which signifies the six days of creation, the Day of Rest, and a day of re-creation through the Sacrament of Baptism. Some other early examples structures that used the octagon are the Church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus and the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna.
The doors of the Florence Baptistery are very detailed and well-known. The south door, which is now used as the exit, was made by Andrea Pisano in 1336. It has 28 panels which contain very detailed pictures enclosed in Gothic quatrefoil frames. At first, it was the main entrance which faced the Duomo. In the15th century it was moved to its current location to make room for Lorenzo Ghiberti’s new doors.
The north door is the entrance to the Florence Baptistery. It was built by Lorenzo Ghiberti in 1403 to 1424. It is also divided into 28 panels, and the Gothic frames were copied from Pisano’s south door. On the left hand door, a chronological sequence shows the life of Christ. The lower part of the same door depicts the Evangelists and Doctors of the Church. There are many more important panels on the doors, like Ghiberti’s self-portrait and St. John the Baptist preaching.
The east door was also created by Lorenzo Ghiberti. It was built in 1435-1452 which was most of Ghiberti’s life. Michelangelo once called the east door the “Gate of Paradise” which is what it is still called today. The ten panels do not have Gothic frames like the other doors of the Baptistery. They show scriptural subjects, which are extremely detailed and exquisitely carved. The “Gates of Paradise” are Ghiberti’s most celebrated works of art.
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