Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/464

prepared the model for the abbey of the Canons-regular of Fiesole, for Cosimo de’ Medici.^[1] The architecture is of a richly-decorated character, and the building is cheerful, commodious, and truly magnificent. The church, of which the vaultings are coved, is lofty, and the sacristy has its due conveniences, as have all the buildings of the monastery.^[2] But the circumstance most worthy of consideration, and most important, is, that having to erect that edifice, properly levelled, on the declivity of the mountain, he availed himself with infinite judgment, of the descent, and placed therein the cellars, laundries, bakehouses, kitchens, stables, wood chambers, and many other offices beside, so that it is not possible to imagine anything more commodious. He thus secured a level space for the edifice,' insomuch that he was able to place the loggia, the refectory, the infirmary, the noviciate, the dormitory, the library, and other principal apartments proper to a monastery, on the same plane: all which was executed at his own cost by the magnificent Cosmo de’ Medici, who was moved to this partly by the piety which he constantly displayed in all matters touching the Christian faith, and partly by the affection which he bore to Don Timoteo da Verona, a most excellent preacher of the above-mentioned order, in whose conversation he took so much pleasure, that, for the better enjoyment thereof, he caused several rooms to be constructed in the monastery for his own use, and occasionally resided in them. On this building, Cosimo expended one hundred thousand scudi, as may be seen on an inscription still remaining there. The model for the fortress of Vicopisano was likewise prepared by Filippo, who moreover designed the old citadel of Pisa, and by whom the Ponte a Mare^[3] was also fortified. In like manner he also gave the design for the new citadel, whereby the bridge was closed by the two towers, and made the model for the fortifications of the harbour of Pesaro. Having then returned to Milan, he prepared the designs of various works for the duke, among others, the plans for the masters who were constructing the cathedral of that city.

1. For the many important buildings erected at the cost of Cosmo, called Father of his country, see his life by Fabbroni.
2. Great changes were made there when the monastery was suppressed.
3. For more minute details respecting this work and the preceding, see Gaye, Carteggio Inedito, i, 544, 545.