These four circular marble reliefs were created by Girolamo Ticciati in 1732 and depict episodes from the life of Saint John the Baptist. They were originally part of the balustrade surrounding the altar of the Baptistery and formed a cohesive ensemble with the sculptural group The Glory of the Baptist and the relief The Dance of Salome. The entire Baroque arrangement was removed in 1912.

The four episodes succinctly narrate the life of the saint to whom the Baptistery is dedicated. In The Visitation, Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is expecting John the Baptist. The unborn John senses the presence of Jesus and leaps with joy in his mother’s womb. In The Farewell, the young John leaves his parents' home and withdraws to the desert to live in prayer and solitude, preparing himself for his mission. Years later, he meets Jesus and points him out to his disciples as the Lamb of God and the Savior of the world. In the final scene, John Before Herod, the saint rebukes the king for his immoral conduct, an act that leads to his imprisonment and, ultimately, his beheading.