Baptistery of Saint John
Close to the Pisa Cathedral there is another eye catching religious landmark, namely, the Baptistery of Saint John (Battistero di San Giovanni), briefly, the Baptistery, the construction of which began in mid 12th century and ended more than two centuries after, in 1363. It is to its architect, namely, Diotisalvi, and to his successors, Nicola Pisano and Giovanni Pisano (the later being the sun of the former) that the Baptistery owes its balanced look which combines both Gothic and Romanesque elements.
The establishment impresses by two features: inner decorations are close to nothing and the acoustics is, some say, perfect, such that the amazing effect of singing by oneself and sounding like a choir is possible. This performance is enabled by the fact that the Baptistery is chiefly made of marble, a material which refracts the sound waves instead of absorbing them. One of the main highlights of the Baptistery refers to its pulpit designed by already mentioned Nicola Pisano, an element of extreme significant not only as to its religious work of art value, but as to the entire artistic phenomenon proper, Pisano being renowned as one of the precursors of Italian Renaissance.
- Nume:
- Baptistery of Saint John
- Address:
- Piazza del Duomo, Pisa, Italy
- Telephone number:
- 0039 (0)50 560 547
