Baptisteries were built in ancient Rome, where they served as pools in public baths and thermae, however, in the third century AD the term was adopted by Christian communities in order to refer to places where people were baptized. The construction of the Baptistery in Pisa began in the early twelfth century and was completed only in the second half of the sixteenth century. Therefore, the main structure is Romanesque, but its ornamentation bears the hallmarks of the Gothic style. The façade and the interior ornaments were made of white marble, for that reason the entire structure appears to be light, as if woven out of lace. The Baptistery of St John is the largest building of this type in Italy. Its perimeter is 107 meters and inside there are several fonts of different sizes.
