Giorgio Vasari

“ Now about this time the great hall of the Council in the palace of the Signoria at Florence was on the point of being constructed, by the advice of Fra Girolamo Savonarola, who was then a very celebrated preacher; opinions on the subject were therefore demanded from Leonardo da Vinci, Michelagnolo Buonarroti, who was at that time still a young man, Giuliano da San Gallo, Baccio D’Agnolo, and Simone del Pollaiuolo, called II Cronaca, who was a devoted friend and follower of Savonarola. ”

“ THE FLORENTINE ARCHITECT SIMONE, CALLED IL CRONACA.
[born 1455—died 1509.]
Many are the men of genius by whom rare and excellent works would undoubtedly be produced, if, at their entrance into life, they had been thrown into contact with such as were both able and willing to direct their activity towards the mode of exertion best suited to their powers and endowments. ”

“ Nay, not unfrequently, for the mere sake of bringing forward those who are willing to depend wholly on their patronage, (such is the force of an ill-understood ambition,) men will often reject the meritorious designs which may be presented to them, while they cause the most worthless to be put in execution; whence it follows, that their own fame is diminished by the poverty and insufficiency of the work; for all who have judgment in such matters, consider the artist and his employer to be of one mind, since they are conjoined in one and the same work. ”

“ And furthermore, that every thing might be in harmony, the architect caused exceedingly beautiful ornaments of ironwork to be constructed for all parts of the palace, all which, together with the frames or lanterns for holding torches, which are placed at the angles of the edifice, were executed with the utmost ability and diligence by Niccold Grosso Caparra, a smith of Florence. ”

“ No expense nor other obstacle is suffered to impede his plans; for which cause all the fortifications and other edifices, public or private, when he has taken them in hand, afford proof of the greatness of his mind; being rendered no less beautiful than useful, and no less useful than beautiful. ”

“ In like manner all the other stones of this palace have been so carefully finished, and are conjoined with such admirable skill, that they have not so much the appearance of having been added one to another as that of being all in one piece. ”

“ But, on the other hand, how many have been the princes, who, however little they know themselves, have yet, from the circumstance of having met with masters of judgment and excellence, obtained no less glory after their death for the buildings erected by them, than they enjoyed during their lives, from the dominion which they exercised over the nations. ”

“ This work was likewise much commended, but it would have been still more highly extolled, had the ascent not been rendered incommodious by its too great steepness, since it is certain that the steps might have been made to rise more gradually, even in the same amount of space, because that has been done for the Duke Cosimo, by Giorgio Vasari, opposite to those erected by Cronaca, and with no greater extent of room to work in: this last-mentioned staircase being of so gentle an ascent and so commodious, that the mounting them is but very little more fatiguing than going over level ground ”

“ The cornice here referred to was copied by Cronaca from an antique example which may be found at Spogliacristo, and which the architect had copied with its exact measurements, while he was in Rome, where it is esteemed to be among the most beautiful of the many preserved in that city. It is true that he enlarged this work to the proportions required for the palace that he was constructing, to the end that it might form a suitable finish, and with its ressaults might complete the roof of the building. ”

“ But it too frequently happens, that those great or rich men who have the ability to do this, have neither the knowledge nor the requisite will. Many of these persons, for example, desiring to erect some great and important edifice, will not give themseh'es the trouble to seek an architect of adequate endoTvments and of highly elevated mind, but on the contrary, place their glory and reputation in the hands of ignoble and dishonest persons, by whom their name is discredited and their memory disgraced in the very works which should have contributed to their lasting honour. ”

“ In the centre of the Flail were benches for the citizens; these were placed along the length and across the width of the building, and in the centre of the Tribune, as well as at the angles, were passages, each having six steps, for the use of the ushers and others, who were required by their offices to bring forward the different parties appearing before the magistrates. ”

“ A convenient space of sixty braccia in extent has also been left in both of the side-walls, for the purpose of executing three pictures in each, [15] to correspond with the ceiling and to include the space of seven compartments on each side, the subjects whereof are also taken from the wars of Pisa and Siena. These mural-paintings are so large, that no space of greater extent has yet been seen filled with historical pictures, either among the ancients or the moderns. ”

“ The ante-room of that Sacristy is also admired and considered a very fine work, although the distribution of the parts above the columns cannot as I propose to remark hereafter, [9] be called a very judicious one. [10] Our architect also built the church of San Francesco dell Osservanza which is situate on the declivity of San Miniato, outside tlie gates of Florence, [11] as he likewise did the whole of the convent belonging to the Servite monks, which has been highly commended. ”