A Guide to
​St Peter's Basilica

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Chapel of the Baptistery

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Chapel of the Baptistery

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Chapel of the Baptistery (Carlo Fontana)

The Chapel of the Baptistery was designed by Carlo Fontana (1638-1714). The altarpiece, which depicts the Baptism of Christ (1722), is a copy of a painting by Carlo Maratta (1625-1713) that hangs in the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli.

The Font

The gilded bronze cover of the font rests on the upturned lid of a porphyry sarcophagus, which was used for the tomb of the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II (r. 973-83). It may also have formed part of the tomb of the Emperor Hadrian (r. 117-138) in the mausoleum he built, now the Castel Sant' Angelo. ​

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