The baptistery of Parma was commissioned in 1196, so counts as medieval. It is considered to mark the transition from Romanesque to Gothic. Benedetto Antelami was the architect, and also an important contributor to the wide range of sculptures, inside and out.
Another octagonal building. There are three doorways, each with impressive lunettes; we will look at two of them. First the north gate, with depiction of the Virgin Mary, patron saint of Parma.
Below is the west door: the lunette shows the Last Judgement.
All arround the baptistery is a decorative frieze showing a mixture of animals, real and imaginary. This is known as a zoophorus.
