Baptistery of Parma
Battistero di Parma
An octagonal baptistery built of pink Verona marble, a masterpiece of the transition from Romanesque to Gothic.
Designed and built in 1196 by sculptor Benedetto Antelami, the baptistery has an octagonal exterior of pink Verona marble, with four tiers of open arcades rising one above another. Inside, the plan is sixteen-sided. The dome and walls are covered with 13th-century Byzantine-style frescoes, and Antelami's sculpted reliefs of the months and seasons decorate it. Together with the cathedral and the bishop's palace, it forms Cathedral Square, the most beautiful architectural ensemble in Parma. Admission is charged. A combined ticket costs about €10 and includes the Diocesan Museum.
Opening hours
Approx. 10:00–17:30
Nearby sights
- Parma Cathedral
- Camera di San Paolo
- San Giovanni Evangelista
- Museo Glauco Lombardi
- Piazza Garibaldi
- Santa Maria della Steccata
- Teatro Regio di Parma
- Palazzo della Pilotta & Teatro Farnese