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Highlights: The Baptistery was built by the architect Diotisalvi, as evidenced from an inscription inside the church. It was the second building to be constructed in the Square of Miracles, after the Cathedral but before the Leaning Tower. It complemented the Cathedral and symbolized Pisa’s wealth and prosperity.
Materials used: White marble.
Year of completion: 1363
Current use: As the name suggests, the church stands for the doctrines and beliefs espoused by St. John the Baptist, who was believed to be the precursor of Jesus Christ. Baptism is an initiation ceremony where Christians are formally inducted into the religion. Today, the Pisa Baptistery is used as a regular church with congregational services.
Standard entry
Guided tours
Is Pisa Baptistery access included?
Some tickets offer access
Yes
Yes
Why go for it?
This experience gives you the option to see not just the Leaning Tower, but also the Baptistery, Cathedral and Camposanto in the Square of Miracles. Note that you have to choose entry to these additional sites while booking your ticket.
Benefit from an expert tour guide as you tour the monuments in the Square of Miracles. Gain little-known insights and historical trivia for a more enriching visit.
Starting price
€25
€59
Recommended tickets
Leaning Tower of Pisa Tickets with Optional Monumental Complex
Pisa All-Inclusive Guided Tour of Baptistery, Cathedral & Tower
Here's a sneak peek into the planning, architecture and unique features that went into Italy's largest baptistery.
Built by Guido Bigarelli, the font is an octagonal raised platform in the center of the Baptistery (almost as large as a swimming pool). It contained an immersion basin in which Christians dipped during their baptism ceremony. It also contains a bronze statue of St. John the Baptist. Now, it is barricaded to the public.
The pulpit is one of the main highlights of the Pisa Baptistery’s interiors. Crafted by Nicola Pisano, it demonstrates the transition from late Gothic to Renaissance architecture. Pisano used a drill to carve figures of Mary and scenes from Jesus Christ’s life. The pulpit is supported by many pillars and flourished with beautiful relief.
Reached by a spiral staircase, the women’s gallery is a seating space with a view of the Arabic-inspired floor down below. It also lends a great view of the pulpit and the font.
Before the Baptistery was capped, it had an open conical structure. Hence, the first dome of the Baptistery is cone-shaped to fit the layout, whereas the outer dome is more hemispherical.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the Baptistery is intangible – its acoustics. Due to the construction of the nested domes of differing shapes, music or sounds made at the bottom travel all the way to the top, circling the dome and returning down. In fact, scholars say that the monument itself was modeled to mimic the pipes of a church organ. The resonance and reverberation caused by the skillful architecture make it one of the leading reasons why tourists visit the Baptistery today.
Although the architect was Diotisalvi, it was Nicola and Giovanni Pisano that gave the baptistery its distinct appearance. They added the baptistery's upper part and the dome, and moved from the Gothic towards a more naturalist style. Further, Nicola Pisano designed the pulpit, evolving his art to a realistic and naturalized style.
Not all Leaning Tower of Pisa tickets grant access to the Baptistery. Make sure your ticket specifically includes access to the monument at the time of booking. If visiting is an optional upgrade on a regular ticket, be sure to choose that variant in order to secure entry to the Baptistery.
We strongly suggest reserving your tickets at least 2-3 weeks in advance, especially during peak season. This is also to ensure you get your preferred time slot.
Aim to set aside at least 1 hour for a comfortable and relaxed visit to the Baptistery.
Yes, if you book Pisa All-Inclusive Guided Tour of Baptistery, Cathedral & Tower an expert tour guide will accompany you on your visit.
There are several compelling reasons to visit the Baptistery on your trip to Pisa: it is the largest baptistery in the world, with a circumference of over 100m and a height of +56m. Its two domes offer unique acoustics that make sounds reverberate within the interiors long after the source has ceased. It showcases a unique blend of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, demonstrating the evolution of architectural preferences over two centuries.
Unlike the Duomo dome and similar to the Rome Pantheon dome, you can only gaze up and appreciate the architecture of the structure, but you cannot climb it.
Yes, unlike the Leaning Tower which forbids access to children below the age of 8, the Baptistery is welcome to children.