Giorgio Vasari

“ Among the persons who had predicted this conclusion, was the most reverend Father Marco de’ Medici of Verona, who, in addition to his more serious studies, has ever delighted in those of architecture and still continues to do so. But to his assertions of the fate that would inevitably befall the fabric, he received this reply, “Fra Marco is a very learned man in his own calling of letters, philosophy, and theology; but as to architecture he has not fished deeply enough to render himself worthy of belief.” ”

“ By all these works Giovan-Girolamo obtained so much -credit with the Venetian Signori, that they ordered him a stipend equal in amount to that of San Michele, judging him to be by no means inferior to his kinsman; nay, rather, in matters connected with fortifications, they considered him superior. All this rejoiced San Michele exceedingly: he was in the highest degree delighted to see his own abilities out-stripped by his relative, and to find the art, which old age would prevent himself from carrying further, thus making progress in the person of Giovan-Girolamo. ”

“ In San Giorgio of Verona, which is a monastery belonging to the Priests Regular of San Giorgio-in-Alega, Michele San Michele executed certain works, the Cupola of that church being the principal, and this was a structure of great beauty. It was besides so difficult a work that few believed it likely to succeed, the opinion of many persons being that the building could not possibly support the weight to be imposed thereon, because of the weakness of the buttresses; but these were strengthened by our architect in such a manner that there has never since been any cause to fear disaster. ”

“ The foundations thus made, were suffered to remain for the purpose of settling, during a sufficient space of time, and that having been done, San Michele built upon them a mighty and most admirable fortress, constructing the external walls of rustic masonry formed of large stones of extreme hardness brought from Istria, and capable of resisting the frost, wind, and every extremity of weather. ”

“ In Venice Michele San Michele prepared the model for a convent belonging to the nuns of San Biagio Catoldo, which was highly extolled, and when it was afterwards determined in Verona to rebuild the Lazzaretto, or hospital to serve for those who may be struck by the malady in times of pestilence (the old one, with other houses in the suburb near it, having been demolished) , Michele was called on to make a design, wherein he succeeded to a marvel; it is indeed singularly beautiful: the building was to be erected near the river, and at some distance from the plain. ”

“ San Michele was a man of most orderly and upright life, highly honourable in all his actions; he was of a cheerful disposition, yet grave withal; a man who feared God, and was so rigidly attentive to his religious duties, that he would on no account have commenced any work in the morning until he had first heard mass devoutly, and repeated his prayers. ”

“ It is true that the edifice, having been left unfinished by Michele, for what cause I know not, whether from avarice or want of judgment on the part of those who had given him the commission, was suffered to be brought to a close by others, and these people spoiled it, to the infinite vexation of San Michele, who beheld his work ruined under his eyes in his own lifetime, he being able to do nothing for the prevention of that wrong ”

“ In the hall of the grand council, Paulino executed a very large picture, the subject Frederick Barbarossa presenting himself to the Pope, with a large number of figures in varied habiliments and all of great beauty, insomuch that it does worthily represent the court of a Pontiff and an Emperor as well as the Venetian senate. There are many gentlemen and senators of the republic represented from the life in this picture, which is such, at a word, for grandeur, excellence of design, variety of attitude and beauty, that it is deservedly extolled by all who see it. ”

“ The method of constructing Bastions with three squares, to the end that those on the two sides might guard and defend the ditch and the curtains, from their open embrasures, was likewise of San Michele’s invention; the large central square meanwhile defending itself at the same time that it attacks the enemy. ”

“ San Michele was indeed more kindly and friendly than any man that ever lived, insomuch that he was scarcely made aware of the wants or desires of his friends, before he would instantly set about labouring to fulfil the same, though it were to the spending of his life ”

“ In this work it would seem that San Michele designed to show the manner in which such structures ought to be treated: since he has not adhered to the usual fashion of proceeding, which, as he thought, was better fitted for the altar of a chapel, than for a tomb. His fabric, on the contrary, very rich in its ornaments, although of an exceedingly solid form, has something of a warlike character: among its decorations is the figure of Thetis and two Captives, by the hand of Alessandro Vittoria, [34] which are considered to be very good ones. ”

“ In the erection and decoration of the principal chapel of San Giorgio, in Verona, this artist has moreover acquitted himself in a highly distinguished manner. The building is of the composite order, and is such,—as the Veronese affirm—whether, for size, design, or execution, that they believe none equal to it can be found in Italy. ”

“ Other works have been performed by Domenico, in Verona, Vicenza, and Venice, but it shall suffice me to have mentioned the above. He is an upright man and an excellent artist, well versed, not in painting only, but in music also; Domenico is indeed an accomplished musician, and among the most distinguished members of the truly noble Academy of the Philharmonists in Verona. ”

“ Then the uproar, the thunders, and the earthquake that were heard and felt were such and so vast, as to make it appear as if the whole world were falling to pieces, •while the mass of the building itself, with all its mouths of fire, presented the aspect of a great volcano, or rather of a very hell. ”

“ The gate was left incomplete, therefore, nor will it now very probably be ever completed, since there are not wanting envious persons who censure various parts thereof (as invariably happens in the case of all great works) , labouring to diminish the glory of others by their malignity and evil-speaking, although they have not themselves the genius to produce any thing that can bear a comparison with the performance which they are attempting to depreciate and decry.
The same architect erected another gate in Verona called San Zeno, and this also is very beautiful ”

“ The above-named chapel therefore, being as it is entirely constructed of this beautiful stone on the inside, and executed by some of the best masters in masonry and stone-cutting, who have put it together with much ability, is held to be as fine a production of its kind as any that is in Italy. ”

“ After his own design and by the good counsels of his kinsman San Michele, Giovan-Girolamo likewise restored the great fortress of Corfu, which is esteemed the key of Italy on that side. He there reconstructed two great towers on the land side, making them much larger and stronger than they had previously been, adding embrasures and open squares, which flank the ditches in the modern manner, and according to the invention of San Michele, his kinsman. ”

“ In the same city of Verona there is also still living the painter Bernardino, called India, [56] who, to say nothing of many other works, has depicted the Fable of Psyche in most beautiful figures on the ceiling of a chamber in the house of Messer Antonio del Tiene. He lias also painted a room, with admirable invention, and in a very beautiful manner, for the Count Girolamo da Canossa. [57]
The painter, Eliodoro Forbicini, [58] a youth of a very fine genius, is also much extolled, possessing great facility in all kinds of painting ”

“ Thereupon the Signori determined in their wisdom that it would be desirable to ascertain the truth on that point, as being one of the very first importance; they consequently ordered an immense quantity of artillery, and that of the very heaviest that could be found in the Arsenal, to be brought to the fortress, and having caused all the embrasures, above as well as below, to be filled with cannon, even more heavily loaded than common, they had all fired off together. ”

“ In Padua, San Michele constructed the Bastion called the Cornaro [23] t as he also did that named Santa Croce, both of which are of astonishing size, and are fabricated according to the method which was invented by himself; for the idea of constructing Bastions with acute angles originated with San Michele. Before his time they were made of a circular form, by which the difficulty of defending them was much increased ”

“ These wars having come to an end, San Michele first accompanied the Illustrious Messer Tommaso Mozzenigo, High Admiral of Venice, to strengthen and increase the fortifications of Corfu, and that done they both returned to Sebenico, where the diligence with which Gio van-Girolamo had pressed forward the works for the above-mentioned fortress of San Niccolò was much commended. San Michele soon afterwards returned to Venice, where he was himself highly extolled for the works thus executed in the Levant, and for the service of that Republic ”

“ But this design, truly beautiful, as we have said, and admirably adapted to its purpose in every part, which is now in the possession of Luigi Brugnoli, nephew of San Michele, was nevertheless not put into execution as a whole; the want of judgment and poverty of spirit betrayed by certain of those who had authority, caused the work to be grievously curtailed ”

“ But thus should it always happen to those who leaving good and able masters, involve themselves with ignorant and bungling pretenders.
The above-named Monsignor Luigi Lippomani having then been chosen Bishop of Bergamo, while Monsignor Agostino Lippomani was chosen Bishop of Verona in his place, the latter caused San Michele to reconstruct the model for the before-mentioned Campanile, and to commence that fabric anew. ”

“ Near these figures is a Cupid without wings playing on a harpsicord, to signify that Love is awakened by Music, or that Love is ever the companion of Music; and the artist has made him without wings, to show that he never parts from her. In the same work Paulino depicted Pan, who, according to the poets, is the god of shepherds, holding in his hand pipes or flutes made of the bark of trees, these being such as have been dedicated to him in the manner of vows, by shepherds who had been victorious in the trial of playing on them. ”

“ In the Hall of the Council of Ten in Venice, within an oval, which is larger than any of the others forming the divisions of the ceiling and occupies the centre thereof, as being the principal picture, is another work by Paulino; a figure of Jupiter driving forth the Vices, which is meant to signify that this supreme and absolute ruler expels evil, and also punishes wicked and vicious men. ”

“ In the same monastery San Michele designed and laid the foundations of a very fine Campanile or bell tower, all of hewn stone, partly tufa, and partly of a harder stone. This was brought to a state of considerable forwardness under his own direction, and is now in course of continuance by the above-named Bernardino his nephew, who is conducting it to completion. ”

“ It is indeed manifest that the architect did not intend the structure to serve as a gate and as a platform for artillery at the same time, nor had he the purpose of placing a pediment over the Doric cornice. ↑ These works of San Michele were for the most part destroyed in the operations of 1801. — Förster. ↑ “Vasari is the first writer,” observes a compatriot of his own, “who has claimed for our Italy the honour of having originated the modern manner of fortifying cities.” ”

“ Having arrived in Cyprus, Giovan-Girolamo employed three months in making the circle of the island; and after carefully inspecting all the fortresses, he put every thing that lie bad caused to be done to these strong places into writing and drawings, to the end that he might be able to render his lords an exact acount of the whole. ”

“ His ability becoming known to the Venetian Signori, he was placed among the number of their architects, although still very young, and early received a very considerable stipend, being continually sent, now to one place and now to another, with orders to inspect and set in order the fortresses of the Venetian states: sometimes also to put in execution the designs prepared by San Michele, his kinsman. ”

“ On the inner front of the gate, or that turned towards the city, San Michele constructed a magnificent Loggia of the Doric order, and with rustic masonry on the outer side, but within after the rustic manner wholly, with very large piers having columns, which serve as their decoration, and which on the external side are round, but squared on the interior; they are formed in separate pieces of rustic masonry without bases, and have Doric capitals ”

“ When he had completed that undertaking San Michele constructed, almost from the foundations, the strong defences of Orzi-nuovo in the Bresciano, [7] which is a castle and port, similar to those of Legnago. Being then very pressingly required of the Venetian Signoria, by the Signor Francesco Sforza, last Duke of Milan, those Signori did at length give San Michele permission to attend the Prince, but for three months only. ”