Piazza dei Miracoli

The First Phase: Diotisalvi’s work - The current Baptistery structure was mainly conceived by Diotisalvi, who was in charge of its construction from 1152 to about 1180 ca., until the completion of the top of the arches in the first order and of the inside columns and piers, excluding the capitals. He probably also conceived the small loggia of the second order which accurately resembles the Cathedral façade. Diotisalvi’s project was influenced by the political and civil events marking the Cathedral foundation: events related to the Holy Wars were reflected in the Baptistery shape, which was conceived to resemble the Holy Sepulchre. In 1185 solemn ceremonies, like the appointment of the Operaio del Duomo, took place inside it: therefore there must have been a roof in place. Its faithfulness to the original plan has not been confirmed, because the work was performed by a very different workshop of Lombard origin, and is recognisable in the corbels supporting the external ambulatory vaults.Consistent with Diotisalvi’s style, instead, is the great portal decoration with strong Byzantine influence, which presumably dates back to the 13th century, according to comparison with accurately dated works by the same workshop.......Nicola and Giovanni Pisano - Around the middle of the 13th century, works on the Baptistery was given an impetus probably related to the authoritative Archbishop Federico Visconti, who at that time was responsible for the revocation of the Pope’s interdict on the city. The city indeed had been compromised because it had joined the Empire. The construction of the baptismal font and of the presbytery balustrade built in 1246 by the Lombard architect Guido Bigarelli followed resumption of the work and the arrival of Nicola Pisano who, with his son, extensively modified Diotisalvi’s structure. Indeed not only did Nicola build the pulpit (1260), which became a model for this kind of fixture, but also crowned the external arcades with a solemn series of busts placed within a complex structure of niches, enriched with decorations later completed by Giovanni. He is also likely to have been the architect of the second order, regularly interrupted by large openings framed by tympana and pediments, encircled by dentils echoing classical style...............The Third Phase: Cellino di Nese’s Workshop - Finally, the construction of the women’s galleries and the daring double-dome roof reached completion under Cellino di Nese, Master builder of the Baptistery since 1362.In 1384-86 the Baptistery had already gained its current aspect: in Scenes from Saint Ranieri’s Life placed in the Camposanto, Antonio Veneziano depicted it complete with the dome and the cupola. Like the Cathedral, the construction of the lead-plated roof came to a halt probably due to economic difficulties and was later completed with ad hoc large roofing tiles to fit the unusual dome border.