Santo Sepolcro, Pisa

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Welcome to Pisa's Baptistery, or Baptistery of Saint John, to give it its full name. This building has in many ways been overshadowed by the more famous Cathedral and Leaning Tower, but the Baptistery is really something special, which I'm sure you will discover. The baptistery was the second building to be constructed in the Piazza dei Miracoli, after the cathedral but before the tower. It was built to be a worthy addition to the cathedral and a further sign of the city's wealth and magnificence. The structure is almost 55 meters high, which is actually slightly higher than the Leaning Tower. At a mighty 107 meters in circumference, it is the largest baptistery in whole Italy, so in scale it certainly delivered on the city's ambitions. The construction of this magnificent building started in mid 12th century, as a replacement for an older baptistery. Inscriptions on a pillar inside the building tells us that it was built by an architect known as "Diotisalvi" -- the same man who built the Church of the Santo Sepolcro, located in central Pisa. Just like many of the other structures here at Piazza dei Miracoli, construction took longer time than expected. The baptistery stood finished in mid 14th century, as several events interrupted the construction phase. The fact that the construction spanned over 200 years actually shows in the way it is designed. If you look at the lower levels of the baptistery outside, you will see an open gallery supported by classical pillars and round arches -- very similar to the Cathedral and the Leaning Tower. This is a typical sign of Italian Romanesque architecture. However, if you look at the upper levels, you will no longer see same round, smooth figures but instead very sharp angles. The arches are also pointing upwards, towards the sky. This is a typical sign of Gothic architecture, a style which became very popular during the later stages of the construction phase. While the vast majority of the construction project was founded by the city of Pisa, rumors say it was partly funded by the citizens themselves. In 1163, an order was given that on the first day of the month every family of Pisa should pay one denaro to the construction project. As you can see, the outside of the baptistery is decorated by several beautiful ornaments and sculptures. If you look at the portal in front of you, you can see that it is flanked by two classical columns, covered in beautiful relief. Just above the entrance, you can see a relief depicting several episodes in the life of Saint John the Baptist. On top of that relief, several smaller sculptures can be seen. The middle one represents Christ, flanked by the Madonna, Saint John and several angels and evangelists. The entrance crowned by a large statue of the Madonna with the child. The outside of the baptistery is highly decorative, but the same is not true for its inside. You will discover that unlike the cathedral inside, the baptistery is surprisingly plain and lacks decoration. The few decorative elements that do exist are however extraordinary. The baptistery is known for its brilliant stained glass windows and its massive baptismal font. The octagonal font at the centre dates from 1246 and is so large it could qualify as a swimming pool. This due to the fact that the baptism conducted here was done by immersion. In the middle of the font you can find a beautiful bronze statue depicting Saint John the Baptist. Another piece to keep an extra eye on is the beautiful pulpit. The pulpit was sculpted in mid 13th century by Nicola Pisano, father of Giovanni Pisano -- the artist who made the pulpit in the cathedral. If you take a look at both of them, you will see distinct similarities in the way they are made. Both are made up of a number of pillars and several pieces of beautiful relief. The one in the baptistery depicts several scenes from the life of Christ. However, what the baptistery is most known for is not any tangible feature. It is famous for its perfect acoustics. One can stand below the edge of the dome and sing a note for several seconds, and the sound will travel around and around the dome for many more seconds. Likewise, applause creates a similar remarkable echo effect. This is usually demonstrated by the staff on a regular basis, so make sure you don't miss hearing this wonderful phenomenon. If you are looking for a good camera shot, I can recommend climbing to the upper balcony. The windows there can provide you an interesting view over the Cathedral and the Leaning Tower. Today, the Baptistery, together with the rest of the Piazza dei Miracoli, has become Pisa's and one of Italy's most important tourist sites. What many people don't know is that the Baptistery, just like the cathedral and the tower, leans. It only leans around 0.6 degrees towards the cathedral, so it can be hard to spot for the human eye.