Battistero di Belluno

Belluno's Baptistery brings together the dedication of San Martino and the devotion to the Madonna delle Grazie. Its history includes the transfer of the baptismal function from an older building and the preservation of religious art from another church.

Why it matters

The building developed after 1516 on the foundations of San Martino. In 1555, following the demolition of the medieval baptistery, it inherited that building's function and title. These successive identities connect it with the changing arrangement of Belluno's cathedral precinct.

What to notice

The baptismal font is accompanied by a wooden Saint John the Baptist attributed to Andrea Brustolon. A marble relief of the Baptism of Christ provides another expression of the same subject. The fourteenth-century image of the Madonna delle Grazie represents a different strand of local devotion.

Context and history

The Madonna came from Sant'Andrea after the earthquake of 1873 and the loss of that church. Votive offerings associated with the image testify to its place in Belluno's religious life. The baptistery's artistic identity thus reflects both baptism and the preservation of a cherished Marian image.