Guide To the Florence Baptistery Doors and Gates of Paradise

The Florence Baptistery, right in front of the Duomo, is another must-see landmark with its three magnificent bronze doors on the North, East, and South sides. Their fame stems not only from their uncontested beauty but also from the stories and experiences behind their realization. In this guide, learn all about the Gates of Paradise and the other Florence Baptistry doors.

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Discover the Florence Baptistery Doors

The Florence Baptistery, or the Baptistery of St. John, sits opposite the famous Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) and is one of the city’s most ancient churches. As you explore, the cathedral and the piazza, don’t miss the opportunity to see the Baptistery’s bronze doors. In this guide, we’ll cover the history and significance of each door to prepare you for your visit.

• The East Door
• The South Door
• The North Door
• Guided tours with the Florence Baptistery

The East Door 

The history of the Florence Baptistery’s East Door

The work on the East door drew its inspiration from the Old Testament. According to the famous Italian historian and architect, Giorgio Vasari, Michelangelo named this door “Heaven’s Door” after seeing it for the first time.

Lorenzo Ghiberti worked on this portion of the Baptistery doors from 1425 until 1452. What we see today, however, is a copy of the original panels. Removed after the tragic Florence alluvion in 1966, the originals are currently in the Museum dell’Opera del Duomo.

Why was Ghiberti chosen?

In 1424, the Florence jury entrusted Ghiberti with the decoration of the door. He did not have to compete with other artists. The jury also decided to grant the artist total freedom as long as he portrayed some of the stories from the Old Testament selected by the fine historian Leonardo Bruni. 

Ghiberti chose the Salvation as the main theme. By carefully organizing the panel dispositions, he wanted to remind people of the importance of God’s sacrifice and to create a rising emotional journey.

What does the East Door depict?

The first two upper panels show Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel. The lower panels portray various characters from the Old Testament such as Noah, Joseph, and Abram. When viewed in sequence, you experience a rising sense of drama in the panels and, at the same time, the salvational power of God.

Also, this door is one of the first examples of the use of modern perspective in art. Ghiberti spent the last years of his life working on these panels. During the final period of decoration, he was helped by influential Renaissance artists such as Donatello, Michelozzo, and Cennini.

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The South Door

Who created the Florence Baptistery South Door panels?

The city of Florence searched for a long time for the right artist to decorate this door. The first artisan entrusted with the work was Piero di Jacopo. However, they found the final result disappointing and decided not to display these panels. Instead, they chose to keep looking for another artist.

In 1329, they chose Andrea Pisano who worked on the project until 1336. It took more than a whole year for them to trust in Pisano’s potential. He was studied by the jury for a long time and had to pass several exams related to architectural drawing and panel decorating.

What does the South Door depict?

Pisano decided to decorate the first 20 panels with the most important episodes from the life of John the Baptist, dedicating the South Door to the history of John the Baptist. For the remaining eight panels, Pisano decided to reproduce the four theological virtues and the four human virtues.

The final message of these panels is the eternal contrast between life (left panels) and death (right panels). To find the real peculiarity of these panels, we have to observe their style and they seem to have a Gothic influence. This would show Florence was already exchanging and absorbing ideas from other countries. These panels are proof that, despite the absence of papers or the internet, ideas and styles were constantly exchanged in Europe.

The North Door 

The famous Gates of Paradise

Sixty-five years after Pisano’s South Door, the Florence administration decided to run a public contest to find an artist to decorate the North Door. Among other names, those of Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi appeared. There are still many rumors about the actual winner of the contest.

Ghiberti affirms in his autobiography that he was the only winner, while other sources mention a tie between the two artists. Despite the rumors, the Florentine administration entrusted Ghiberti with the decoration of the doors and his work started in 1402.

The artist promised the jury he would work alone, helped only by his father, and would produce three panels every year. The jury signed a contract with the artist and committed to paying Ghiberti and his father 200 florins per year.

What do the Gates of Paradise depict?

In the decorated panels, the artist portrayed all the stories from the New Testament from the Annunciation to the Pentecost. The panels should be viewed starting from the bottom upwards. Ghiberti chose this disposition to underline the sense of tragedy in the Christ Passion.

You can see Ghiberti’s self-portrait in the 26th panel, which was probably the first self-portrait executed during the Renaissance. Every panel is finely decorated and detailed with plants and landmarks. Ghiberti was one of the first artists to show a deep interest not only in the main characters of a scene but also in the background.

The Gates of Paradise are unique because of this very detail and Florence carefully preserves this masterpiece from the Renaissance. Many people worldwide enjoy their beauty and evocative power.

Guided Tours With the Florence Baptistery Doors

With all of the city’s art, history, and beautiful architecture, Florence is a great city to see with a passionate guide. They’ll bring all the landmarks and works of art to life with historical insight and fascinating stories.

In our Florence in a Day Combo Tour with David and Uffizi, our expert local guide will describe the history, architecture, and significance of the Florence Duomo and the Baptistery including its magnificent doors. You’ll also see the city’s important artworks in the Uffizi and Accademia galleries and explore the city’s historical landmarks all in 6.5 hours.

If you’re short on time, you can also see the Baptistery doors with our guide on the 3-hour Florence Walking Tour with Statue of David.

Not ready to book a tour? Check out our article on the best Florence tours to take and why.