Pisa Baptistery
Diotisalvi; Nicola Pisano; Giovanni Pisano · Pisa, Italy · 1363
Pisa Baptistery is the circular western anchor of the Piazza dei Miracoli and the largest baptistery in Italy. Diotisalvi began the lower Romanesque drum, while Nicola and Giovanni Pisano developed the richly carved Gothic galleries above. A double roof gives the building its distinctive profile and contributes to the remarkable acoustics of the interior. The open central space focuses attention on the font and Nicola Pisano's pulpit, while the exterior's repeated arches connect visually to the cathedral and tower. The date is a conventional completion point for a structure built and decorated over more than two centuries.