Florence Baptistry

On Friday 9/19 Sarah and I set out to go to the Uffizi Gallery. We bipassed the long line and went into a special room where Sarah and her friends with their museum passes usually go to get in quickly and free of charge. We were just going to pay for me, still bipassing the line. Even though Stephanie and others had successfully used this trick, the mean woman was going to charge me 14 euros to get in since I did not wait in line. We declined to be abused in such a manner. Apparently it is only successful if you get someone at leat a little friendly.
So we left. By the way, it was raining outside (as opposed to raining inside) so we were hoping to do something indoors. Of course every one of the 12 million tourists in Florence would be trying to do indoor things as well so we tried to find something without a long line. Their should be special badges for Florentines to get into the sights without a line. Of course I am not a tax-paying Florentine so it wouldn't really matter to me. I'm just getting tired of tourists. I was hoping that the cold weather would drive some of them away, but no such luck so far.


Sarah decided that we should go into the Battistero di San Giovanni, or the Baptistery of St. John. By the way, I've seen it spelled baptistRY and baptistERY. Apparently both are correct. So this baptistry is directly across from the Duomo, but the Duomo had a larger line. Oh, also, I took the outdoor shots on a different day when it was not raining.
It is one of the oldest buildings in Florence, being built between 1059 and 1128. It is believed that there was an earlier octagonal baptistry built here in the late 4th century. The exterior has alternating pieces of white Carrara marble and green Prato marble.


This grumpy man is standing in front of one of the three great bronze double doors that were built between the 14th and 16th centuries.


Here is a close-up of the East Doors that are referred to by some as the Gates of Paradise.


The less glorious backside of the Gates of Paradise.


Sarah chose this site to visit because of the mosaics on the inside. It was a precursor to probably the best known mosaics in the world that we would see the following day in Ravenna's San Vitale. These were beautiful as well.


It's kind of hard to get a proper feel for them from a picture. I know that I always say that my pictures don't do the artwork or scenery justice, but it's true. You all should come and visit and see them all for yourselves (I say to my two readers).


Each section of the ceiling shows a different theme. This largest image shows Jesus at the Last Judgement.


To His right we see those who are saved.


And to His left we see those who are damned. Dante (along with almost all other Florentines at the time) was baptised here and was familiar with these scenes.


The top row shows the choir of angels. Each successive row shows stories of the Bible such as those of the Book of Genesis or those of St. John the Baptist.


The mosaics were worked on by different artists at different times from 1225 to some time in the 14th century.