Florence Baptistry (1059-1128) and Door by Ghiberti (1401-23), Florence, Italy

The Italian Renaissance was unofficially ushered in with a competition to design the doors for the Florence Baptistry. The old set was destroyed as a votive offering to spare Florence from the Black Death in 1348. The competition ended in a draw between the artists Brunelleschi and Ghiberti who were ordered to work together. Brunelleschi’s pride lead him to resign leaving the project to the young (21-year old) Ghiberti.