Battistero (Baptistery)

Location

Pisa
Italy
IT
General info: 

The circular Baptistery in Pisa is the largest of its kind in Italy, with a circumference of 104 metres / 348 feet.
The building commenced in 1153 by Deotisalvi. More than 100 years later, it was worked on further and the upper part was created in a rather Gothic style and a large dome was added shortly after. The vast interior is fairly plain and features one of the first great Pisano pulpits, sculpted in 1260 by Nicola Pisano and a massive, carved font.

One of the most interesting features in the Baptistery is the simply astonishing acoustics, which echo around the interior. To enjoy these wonderful acoustics it is worth arriving early in the morning, before the building gets too busy. When a choir sings in the Pisa Baptistery it is memorable to say the least.

Getting there: 

The Battistero is located in the centre, right next to the tower.

Costs: 

Admission: 4€
Opening hours: April to September - 08:00 to 19:40, March and October - 09:00 to 17:40, November to February - 09:00 to 16:40

You might be interested in

It’s not a wonder why one of the world’s most picturesque tourist destinations Venice has been chosen as the setting for several Bond films.

In the film Moonraker Bond meets Dr. Holly Goodhead at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. As they travel down, Jaws stops the cables and takes the other cable car down to attack Bond.

Metéora consists of six monasteries, all built on sandstone rock pillars and it is one of the largest and most important monasteries in Greece. The monasteries are all built between the 14th and mid 16th century.

The spectacular opening of Goldeneye: James Bond jumps on a bungee cord along the wall of a giant dam. 7.5 seconds free fall, 220 altitude meters, parallel to the impressive dam.

After the biggest nuclear catastrophe the world has ever seen, the small city of Pripyat got a nickname ‘the ghost city’. Built in 1970 to serve as a home for Chernobyl nuclear plant workers, this city lived only for 16 years.

Mirny is a small town, with less than 40,000 citizens, but is one of the most famous in Russia. It is fairly remote town, surrounded with cold and wild Siberian forests.