The marble cathedral is the most imposing monument in Florence. Yet only a few steps away from its main door stands another important building in the city. The Baptistry may be dwarfed and often overlooked due to the bigger and towering structure of the church, yet it is one of the
most valuable attractions in the city.
The Baptistry, which is dedicated to St. John, is the oldest building in Florence. Many historians agree that the original Roman structure of the building dates back to the 5th century. The
marble design though that has adorned it until today represents the Romanesque style of the 11th and 12th centuries. Then in the 13th century, the old apse of the Baptistry was replaced by the "scarsella."
The "beautiful baptistry" as
Dante Alighieri once described is mostly made up of materials from the ruins of other buildings. (By the way, Dante was baptized here.) One of the most interesting parts of the building is the gallery that runs around its interior walls. The section which is also called "matroneo" derived from the Latin word "matrona" was reserved exclusively for the women. What is most remarkable is the mosaic art that adorns the interior of the baptistry from its dome down to its walls.
