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| | eTrav Pathways - Baptistry and Doors of Paradise (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-26) |
 | | Indeed, the building itself was most probably built on the ruins of a temple to the Roman god, Mars, in the 2nd century BC, when Florence was a Roman province. |
 | | Of course, the Baptistry has undergone many changes, and the building that currently stands in the center of the Piazza San Giovanni (or the Square of St. John the Baptist) was actually built between the 11th and the 13th centuries AD. |
 | | Perhaps to emphasize the uniqueness of their Baptistry, the city elders, Arte di Calimara (the Guild of Wool Importers who were in charge of the building), commissioned Andrea Pisano to build bronze doors for the east entrance, which faces the Cathedral. |
| www.etrav.com /pathways/html/baptistry.asp (817 words) |
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