BATTISTERO DI SAN GIOVANNI BATTISTA

Built on a Roman burial ground dating back to the beginning of the 11th century, the Baptistery of San Giovanni Battista is an example of Romanesque architecture. Made of pebbles and bricks, it has a quadrilateral plan with four semi-circular apses separated by strong buttresses which support the octagonal tyburium surmounted by a lantern, added later. The main door features a Roman marble bas-relief portraying a pair of cherubs, and this was probably found among the materials unearthed during digs for the construction of the Baptistery and reused later as a decorative element. The interior of the Baptistery is plain and severe, retaining traces of two frescoes, one of which created by the Maestro di Oropa between 1318 and 1319.