Visit the Baptistery in Pisa (Battistero di Pisa)

The Romanesque-Gothic Battistero di Pisa, the largest baptistery in Italy, has a rather plain interior but is absolutely worth visiting to hear the magnificent echoes. Niccola Pisano’s pulpit is sometimes seen as the start of the Renaissance.

Visit the interior of the Battistero di Pisa, the largest baptistery in Italy, to hear magnificent echos as impressive as the leaning tower.

The white marble Baptistery is in many ways the most beautiful building on Pisa’s field of miracles. It combines a round Romanesque base with Gothic upper floors with dainty details. The white of the marble is often offset beautifully by the green lawn, red roof, and blue skies. The Romanesque pillars of the white marble cathedral and the famous leaning tower of Pisa are often in the background. The elegant interior is fairly bare but worth seeing and especially worth visiting to hear the magnificent echoes — usually demonstrated twice per hour — and to see Niccola Pisano’s beautifully sculpted pulpit.

Baptistery of Pisa

Baptistery in Pisa with Cathedral and leaning tower in the background

The Baptistery of Pisa is an impressive 55 m (180 ft) high with a diameter of just over 34 m (110 ft) and a circumference of over 100 m (330 ft). It has three stories and is topped with an external dome. The baptistery leans 0.6 degrees towards the cathedral — far less than the campanile (leaning tower) but still noticeable. It is the largest baptistry in Italy, and by some claims unequal in the Christian world.

Construction of the baptistery started in 1152 to designs by Diotisalvi but it was only completed by 1394 with a canopy on top of the round dome. During that period, the Romanesque blind arches of the lower floor were topped by flamboyant Gothic upper floors and an external dome. The dome is covered by lead sheets on the east and red tiles towards the west.

Gothic details of the Baptistery in Pisa

Much of the exterior decorations were done by the talented Niccolo Pisano and his son Giovanni in the late 13th century. The busts of prophets and apostles on the arcades are copies — the originals by Giovanni Pisano are now mostly in the Cathedral Museum. The main portal is decorated with reliefs including the events from the life of John the Baptist carved into the pillars flanking the portal.

Visit the Interior of the Baptistery of Pisa

bronze statue of John the Baptist at the center of the baptismal font in Pisa's magnificent baptistery

Baptismal Font Seen from the Gallery in the Baptistery in Pisa

Niccola Pisano Pulpit in Pisa's Baptistery

The spacious, airy interior of the Battistero de Pisa is elegant and simple with the white marble offset by black lines and detailing. Further decorations are kept to a minimum except for the odd sculpture, painting, and small stained glass windows.

The baptistery has exceptional echos. Usually twice per hour, an attendant demonstrates the echoes by singing a few notes allowing visitors to admire how the echoes bounce off the walls and notes seem to chase each other around the building. These echoes are enhanced by the cylindrical shape of the baptistry topped by a pyramidal-shaped interior roof, rather than the round cupola seen from the outside.

At the center of the baptistery, not surprisingly, is a large baptismal font from 1246. It has four holes where the priests could stand dry while baptizing the faithful by dunking them underwater. The bronze statue of John the Baptist at the center is by Italo Griselli — it was only added in 1929.

Baptismal Font in the Baptistery of Pisa seen from the upper gallery.

The full effect is best seen from the upper gallery. Also from here, it is easier to appreciate the colorful flooring and the symmetrical patterns of the tiled floor.

Niccola Pisano’s Pulpit in Pisa’s Baptistery

The most important artwork in the baptistery of Pisa is the pulpit sculpted by Niccola Pisano in 1260

The pulpit in the baptistery of Pisa by Niccola Pisano in 1260 with a nude Hercules.

The most important artwork in the baptistery is the pulpit sculpted by Niccola Pisano in 1260 — many art historians start the Renaissance from here. Seven pillars, some on lions, carry the pulpit, while the lectern rests on an eagle.

The five relief panels are decorated with scenes from the life of Christ: Nativity (Annunciation, Birth, Shepherds), Three Magi, Presentation in the Temple, Crucifixion, and Final Judgement. Further statues are allegories of the good deeds, the five virtues, prophets, the Evangelists, and John the Baptist (below the eagle).

The most remarkable feature is a naked Hercules — nude sculptures were rare in the Middle Ages. Although obviously not a biblical character, Hercules was sneaked in as a representation of “Strength”.

Niccola’s son Giovanni was clearly inspired by this work when he sculpted the more elaborate pulpit in the cathedral, which also has a prominent naked Hercules. The first free-standing full male nude of the Renaissance was only sculpted in 1340 — Donatello’s David (now in the Bargello in Florence).

Visitor Information for the Baptistery in Pisa

The entrance to the baptistery is through the main portal door facing the cathedral. Ask when the echo will be demonstrated — usually twice per hour — as it is absolutely worth hearing.

Tickets are not sold at the baptistery but at ticket windows in the Sinopie Museum or near the Leaning Tower.

Buy Tickets for Sights in Pisa

Map of the Top Sights at the Field of Miracles in Pisa

Admission to the Field of Miracles (Campo Dei Miracoli) in Pisa and the exterior of all buildings in the area is free and possible at all times.

Tickets are available for the following sights in Pisa:

Cathedral (Duomo) — admission is free but only per time slot ticket. Pick up a free pass in person only from any ticket office. On very busy days, there may be a delay in entering the church or occasionally, no more free tickets available on the day. However, any of the paid tickets below automatically acts as a skip-the-line entry ticket to the duomo on the same day.

Climbing the Leaning Tower (Torre) — €20 per time-slot reservation tickets only. A combination pass with all other sites is around €30.

Baptistery (Battistero) / Camposanto Cemetery / Museum of the Sinopias (Museo delle Sinopie) / Museo dell’ Opera del Duomo (cathedral museum) — €7 for any site or great value at €10 for all sights.

Palazzo dell’ Opera del Duomo — admission depends on the exhibition, if any.

The two ticket offices at the Field of Miracles are inside the Sinopie Museum (near the Baptistery) and in the Palazzo dell’ Opera del Duomo (behind the church near the leaning tower).

Time-slot reservation tickets for the Leaning Tower of Pisa may be bought online at least a day in advance from Opapisa (tickets valid for a year so no refunds for any reason) or resellers such as Tiqets and Get Your Guide, which have much easier cancelation conditions. Opapisa sells tickets at most 20 days in advance while the resellers usually sell several months in advance. A variety of guided tours are available to see the sights on the Fields of Miracles of Pisa with many including climbing the leaning tower.

Opening Hours of Field of Miracles Sites in Pisa

The sights on the Field of Miracles in Pisa are open every day – exact times may be confirmed months in advance at the OpaPisa site.

All the sites are generally open as a minimum from 9:00 (10:00 for the Duomo) to 19:00. From April to September, the opening hours are usually 8:00 (10:00 for the Duomo) to 20:00 with the Camposanto and Tower open until 22:00 on some nights.

Last tickets are sold around half an hour before closing time (but expect an argument at the door if leaving it that late).

Combination tickets are valid for a year after the selected date so refunds are not given if a site is closed on a particular day(s).