The Florence Baptistry

Surely this little building contains one of the most amazing concentrations of art in the world. It was built between 1059 and 1128, but decorating it took another 350 years.

The building is in a Romanesque style, and the interior incorporates some genuine Roman architectural elements. It seems that during the Renaissance most Florentines believed this was an actual Roman building, an old temple of Mars converted to Christian use. So when they set about recreating the classical world, the classical building they thought they knew best was not classical all, but a product of the dark ages they abhorred.

The ceiling of the interior is covered with wonderful mosaics, mainly dating to 1240 to 1300.

Even more famous are the three exterior doors. What is now the south door was created by Andrea Pisano in the 1330s.

In 1401 the cloth merchants' guild announced a contest for the design of a north door for the Baptistry in the pattern of Pisano's door. The two finalists were  Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi; the sample panels they submitted for the judging still survive in the Bargello museum. When the 21-year-old Ghiberti won, Brunelleschi stormed off in a huff to Rome. But this turned out to be to his and his city's lasting fame, since it was during this voluntary exile that Brunelleschi made the studies of Roman architecture that eventually allowed him to design the great dome of Florence's cathedral.

Most famous of all is the south door, also by Ghiberti. You can see that the mature Ghiberti discarded the quatrefoils and used a completely new design: larger panels entirely covered with gilt instead of only the figures. This is the door that Michelangelo said was beautiful enough to the be the gates of paradise. (And he was not exactly known for praising anyone else's work.)

Whatever you think of Renaissance art, this has a splendor rarely matched. And this does not even come close to exhausting the treasures of the baptistry -- there are frescoes, statues, tombs, and more.