Why go
The chapel rewards looking from its central font to the bronze figure at the back, then around the painted walls. Pinturicchio's scenes follow episodes in John the Baptist's life, while portraits add another layer to the decoration. The compact setting lets you see how sculpture, painting and the chapel's purpose work together.
The full story
The Chapel of Saint John the Baptist is inside the cathedral, in the left transept. Its dedication explains the central font and the bronze statue of the saint by Donatello at the back. Pinturicchio painted a cycle of frescoes in the early sixteenth century, including scenes of John's birth, his time in the desert and his preaching. Portraits connected to the chapel's patron appear alongside the narrative scenes. This arrangement is worth reading as a whole: the font marks the chapel's religious purpose, the statue establishes its central figure, and the frescoes extend his story across the walls. Some paintings were repainted or replaced in later centuries, so the chapel also records a history of care and change. Keep it distinct from the separate Baptistery of San Giovanni below the cathedral, whose own font and sculptural programme belong to another space.