Documentary Reveals Secrets of Florence Baptistery

A new documentary titled "San Giovanni. La Porta per il Paradiso" explores the history, structure, and art of the Baptistery of Florence, the city's oldest and most mysterious monument. Produced by the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore in collaboration with Kove, the 52-minute film is written and directed by Tommaso Santi. It features restorers, art historians, architecture historians, and archivists. The documentary covers the extensive restoration overseen by the Opera Santa Maria del Fiore, including external facades, roofing, internal marble walls with mosaic decoration, and the 13th-century polychrome mosaics of the vault. It traces the origins of the Baptistery of San Giovanni and the decorative phases that made it unique, noting its mention by Dante Alighieri in exile. The beauty was made possible by the joint effort of the Church and the Arte di Calimala, the most powerful guild of the Florentine Republic. The premiere will take place on February 21, 2024, at 6:00 PM at Cinema La Compagnia in Florence, with free admission.