page_title: Baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte, Naples
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte, Naples / Description
caption_attribution_description: Italiano: Battistero di San Giovanni in Fonte (Napoli)
context_page_description: The Baptistery of San Giovanni is a Paleochristian baptistery attached to the Santa Restituta church in Naples, Italy. It is the oldest surviving baptistery from medieval Europe.
context_section_description: The baptistery is approximately 7 × 7 meters. The interior is octagonal with a domed roof. The piscina, 2 meters across and 45 cm deep, is made of earthenware. The piscina was not deep enough for the baptized to be fully submerged. Instead of full immersion, the baptized stood in the piscina and the water was poured over their head three times. This is evidenced by baptism iconography located in the Roman Catacombs.
  The baptistery was once a freestanding building. The original entrance consisted of two openings in the western wall. This establishes the original orientation of the building as east to west, not the north to south that we see today. This is also supported by the orientation of the mosaics. Today, one enters the baptistery through a chapel behind the main apse in S. Restituta. Additionally, the baptistery can be entered through a porch on the northern side of the building. This porch connects the baptistery to the archiepiscopal palace.
caption: Samaritan Woman at the Well in the Baptistery of San Giovanni
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