ARCHITECT, Italian
(active 1153-1265 in Tuscany)

Exterior view

1153-1265
Photo
Baptistery, Pisa (Tuscany)

The construction of the Pisa Baptistery, dedicated to St John (Battistero di San Giovanni) started in 1153 to replace an older baptistry. When completed, it became the second building, in chronological order, in the Piazza dei Miracoli, near the Duomo di Pisa and the cathedral's free-standing campanile, the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is the largest baptistry in Italy, and is an example of the transition from the Romanesque style to the Gothic style: the lower section is in the Romanesque style, with rounded arches, while the upper sections are in the Gothic style, with pointed arches.