Apse The double arch over the altar is decorated with busts of Christ, the Virgin Mary, the apostles and prophets, divided into compartments and decorated with leaves, possibly later work from the end of the 13th century. On the rectangular apse is a frieze with cherubim and seraphim between
clipei, over which are the
vault mosaics by Brother Jacopo, which show some connection with those in San Marco Basilica in Venice. At either end are mixti-linear figures with inscribed tablets above them – on these are four very ornate capitals in lively colours with very articulated lines, on which four
telamons kneel, their heads leant forward enhancing the impression of the figures as turning wheels. The telamons have a lively plasticity and resemble sculptures by the workshop of
Benedetto Antelami on the facade of
Fidenza Cathedral.
Jacob Burckhardt saw them as a significant original artistic invention and a precursor of later atlantides like the ones on the
ceiling of the Sistine Chapel: although carrying symbolic meaning, they predominantly are meant decoratively to fill space and structure it, a task foreign to Byzantine art. Between the telamons on the left sits the patron saint John the Baptist on a large throne, a cushion protruding from under him on both sides. Similarly, on the right a Madonna enthroned presents an oversized Christ Child on her lap blessing the faithful – both those figures are heavily restored, particularly the heads. The thrones are modelled on
Carolingian and
Ottonian miniature painting. •
Dominions – the order of the universe depends on them; they are shown with a long sceptre surmounted by a three-leafed clover, a symbol of the
Holy Trinity •
Virtues – charged with dispensing God's grace; they call demons out of small possessed men seated on blocks beside them •
Powers – charged with distributing powers to humanity and shown wearing crested helmets •
Principalities – charged with watching over the nations and shown holding crusader banners •
Archangels – the major counsellors sent from heaven, they are shown dressed in elegant robes and holding
cartouches, symbolising God's messages • Angels – the closest rank of angel to humans and thus put in charge of their preoccupations According to
Pietro Toesca, the artist behind the first register was the same brother Jacopo who worked on the rectangular apse, assisted by Venetian masters. towards the
Heavenly Jerusalem. Another angel in gem-decorated clothes opens the gateway to a small man, dragging him by the hand. In the city three large patriarchs sit holding small sweetbreads in their laps amidst extraordinary colourful plants in a green flower-dotted meadow, the latter symbolised by a band. In the front row of the elect are a king and a Dominican friar, followed by three virgins, bishops, a monk and a priest. Art historians unanimously attribute the composition of the scene of Hell to Coppo di Marcovaldo, with less skillful areas by other hands. Devils also throw the damned into pits, impale and mutilate them, burn them on spits, throw them around and force them to drink molten gold. One group of damned souls is wrapped in flames. File:Mosaici del battistero, giudizio universale.jpg|
Last Judgement File:Mosaici del battistero, paradiso 06 gerusalemme celeste.jpg|
The Heavenly Jerusalem File:Shabbytravel Baptistery.jpg|
Apostles and Hell File:Coppo di Marcovaldo, Hell.JPG|
Satan Stories from Genesis In the first register below the angelic hierarchies are stories from the
Book of Genesis, three in each segment. Anti-clockwise, these show:
Stories of Joseph In the second register below the angelic hierarchies are stories from the life of Joseph, also divided into three per segment and read anti-clockwise:
Lives of Mary and Christ Stories of St John the Baptist The Baptistery is dedicated to
John the Baptist and the scenes from his life occupy the lowest register on the dome. They run in the same sequence as the other scenes, though with more scenes due to the longer space available in this register:
Women's galleries The last part of the interior to have mosaics added were the women's galleries between approximately 1300 and 1330. These show angels and saints and their style agrees with Giovanni Villani's written evidence, which dates their completion to 1330 and probably dates the start of work to around 1300–1315. There are no art historical studies specifically on the mosaics of the women's galleries, though Venturi briefly notes that they were produced after 1300. The vault has a central motif of a starry sky, symbolic of the Empyrean, surrounded by angels with unclear attributes, possibly another set of angelic hierarchies.
Other mosaics A frieze of panels runs around the base of the dome, showing saints, dating to the late 14th century from drawings by
Lippo di Corso. They show saints: •
Ambrose •
Gregory Nazianzenus (?) •
Jerome •
Augustine •
Stephen •
Leo •
Isidore •
Philip (?) •
Sylvester •
Nicholas of Bari •
Unknown Martyr Deacon •
Ignatius •
Dionysius •
Unknown Deacon •
Basil •
Protasius (?) •
Gregory the Great •
Cyprian the Bishop •
Vincent •
Fulgentius •
Martin •
Unknown Deacon •
Zanobius •
Hilarius •
Lawrence (?) •
John Chrysostom (?) The women's galleries instead bear panels of prophets and patriarchs, attributed to the late 13th century Gaddo Gaddi by Vasari, who also states they were produced without studio assistance, though modern art historians also recognise the hands of his workshop and Andrea Tafi in them. They show: •
Isaiah •
Jeremiah •
Daniel •
Ezekiel •
Hosea •
Joel •
Obadiah •
Amos •
Micah •
Jonah (?) •
Nahum •
Habbakuk •
Zephaniah •
Haggai •
Zaccarias •
Malachi •
David •
Solomon •
Matathias •
Judas Macabeus •
Nehemiah •
Esra •
Zerubbabel •
Jozadak (?) •
Elisha •
Onias •
Samuel •
Joshua •
Noah •
Baruch •
Isaac •
Abraham •
Enoch ==References==