Pride of place on the outside of the Baptistery goes to the three magnificent sets of bronze doors. The south doors, facing towards Piazza della Signoria and Via Calzaioli, are the work of Andrea Pisano and were sculpted in the Gothic style between 1330 and 1338.

They show the life of St John the Baptist. The richly decorated frames of the actual doorways are also in bronze and were made by Vittorio Ghiberti, Lorenzo's son. These doors were originally on the east doorway opposite the Cathedral, but their position was changed in 1452 when the Gates of Paradise were erected in their place.
The east doors that you see today are copies of the celebrated originals made by Lorenzo Ghiberti between 1425 and 1452. The original sculptures can be seen in the Cathedral Museum, and they were so beautiful that they were called the "Gates of Paradise" by Michelangelo himself. They are divided into ten harmonious pictures of biblical stories, ranging from the creation of Adam and Eve to the Queen of Sheba's visit to King Solomon.
The north door looks towards Via de' Martelli. This was Ghiberti's first masterpiece, made in 1424, and is similar in structure to Pisano's south door. It shows stories from the life of Christ and is a good example of how the Gothic style was changing into the Renaissance style.