The Parma city council commissioned the baptistery in 1196 and hired Benedetto Antelami to build it. The article gives no completion date. It calls the building a transition between Romanesque and Gothic and among the most important medieval monuments in Europe.
The exterior is pink Verona marble. The plan is octagonal, with four tiers of open loggias and eight turrets at the top. The large octagonal baptismal basin is also Verona marble. Citizens placed stones in the foundation to commemorate their families.
The frescoes and paintings date to the 13th and 14th centuries. Since the 14th century a south-western font has been used for baptism by affusion. A 3D aerial scan of the tallest turret in May 2022 supported conservation work, and the building is associated with Parma Cathedral.
Comments