Baptistery of Parma

The Baptistery of Parma.

File:Baptistry of Parma Ceiling.jpg

The middle of the painted ceiling.

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

Description

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 domed 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 off the walls and would be literally hanging on. Due to this, the Baptistery had to be painstakingly consolidated and restored with syringes and spatulas.

See also

• Baptistery
• Cathedral of Parma
• Parma
• History of Medieval Arabic and Western European domes

External links

• A short clip of the Baptistery.