Baptistery of Parma

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the Baptistry of Parma.

The middle of the painted ceiling.

The Baptistry along with the Cathedral of Parma.

The Baptistery of Parma (Italian: Battistero di Parma) is a religious edifice in Parma, northern Italy. The baptistery of the Parma Cathedral, it is considered to be a transition between Romanesque and Gothic architecture, and is one of the most important Medieval monuments in Europe.

[edit] The Baptistery

The Baptistery was commissioned to Benedetto Antelami by the City Council of Parma in 1196. The outside of pink Verona Marble is octagonal. The inside contains sixteen arches, forming alcoves each containing a painted scene. All these are 13th and 14th century frescoes and paintings. The most striking part of the Baptistery, however, is its painted ceiling. Sixteen rays come out of the center of the ceiling, which each correspond to the arches.

However, problems were posed over time as the paintings were not true frescoes. The paint would start to come of the walls and would be literally hanging on. Due to this, the Baptistery had to be painstakingly consolidated and restored with syringes and spatulas.