and entreaties, he at length prevailed on one of them. Maestro Apollonius, a Greek painter, to accompany him to Florence, here Andrea learned from him to fuse the glass, and prepare the cement used in mosaic. And with Apollonius, Andrea Tafi now undertook the decoration of the tribune of San Giovanni,—the upper part, namely, whereon are depicted the Powers, Thrones, and Dominions. In the same place, when he had become more expert, as will be shown hereafter, Andrea executed the figure of Christ, which stands above the principal chapel. But having mentioned San Giovanni, I will not omit to add that this ancient sanctuary is encrusted, both within and without, with marbles of the Corinthian order ; and not only are all its parts exactly proportioned and finely executed, but the doors and windows, also, are admirably distributed and arranged. Each façade is embellished by two columns of granite eleven braccia high, forming three compartments, over which are the architraves, supported by those columns, whereon the whole weight of the double-vaulted roof is thrown. This roof has been much praised, by modern architects, as a very extraordinary work ; and with justice ; for from this, Filippo di Ser Brunellesco, Donatello, and other artists of their times, perceived how much might be done in this art, and all derived great benefit from that work, and from the church of Sant' Apostolo, in Florence, a building erected in so good a manner that it makes a near approach to the true beauty of the antique, having all its columns, as I have said above, formed of pieces proportioned and fixed with such care, that much may be learnt by studying this edifice in all its parts. I could say much more concerning the excellent architecture of this church, but will add only that the architects deviated widely rom the true path when they reconstructed the marble façade of the church of San Miniato sul Monte, without the city of Florence. This was done on the investiture of the beatified San Giovanni Gualberto, a citizen of Florence, and founder of the order of the Monks of Vallombrosa ; but neither that nor many other works, afterwards executed, were by any means equal to those above named.[1] And the same may be
- ↑ Vasari here seems to contradict the praises which he has justly given to the architecture of this church in the “Introduction to the Lives,” p. 27. — Ed. Flor. 1846.
