The Baptistery's exterior

Why go

The exterior rewards a slow circuit rather than a quick photograph from the cathedral side. Notice how the eight faces repeat arches, windows and bands of coloured marble. The south doors by Andrea Pisano tell the story of John the Baptist; Ghiberti's later doors add a different sculptural language. The rectangular west apse also reveals a medieval alteration to the original form.

What to look for

• Alternating white Carrara and green Prato marble across the eight-sided walls.
• Andrea Pisano's south doors, with scenes from the life of John the Baptist.
• Ghiberti's bronze doors, commissioned after a competition in 1401.