In the Bapitistery of Parma (1196-1216, Emilia, Italy), renowned for the magnific plastic decoration realized by Benedette Antelami School, there are two baptismal fonts. One is a large octagonal font situated in the center, and the another is small circular font placed in the south east nich. The period of their construction, as well as which of the two fonts was at the same time as the Baptistery, has not yet been made clear. On this respect, the author examines a document dated 1225, kept in the Parma Cathedral Chapter Archives. The document, reference to a little part of which is made in sources belonging to the middle of XIXth century, descrives the scenes of baptism represented in the two fonts as corresponding to the way in which baptism was held between the end of XIIth century and the beginning of XIIIth century. From a close investigation of the document, it has turned out that the large octagonal font is coeval to the Baptistery, whereas the small circular font was realized for the Cathedral of Parma, before the construction of the Baptistery. The author futhermore exmines the simbolical meaning of the octagonal form of one of the fonts. This meaming, handed down from the Early Christian period, is to be interpretated within the context of Italian Medieval City-State.
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