Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/469

The same architect made the model for the Church of San Giuseppe at Santo Nofri,^[1] and also erected the portal thereof, which was his last work. He superintended the erection of the Campanile of Santo Spirito in Florence also, but this remained unfinished, and is now in course of completion, by command of the Signor Duke Cosimo, after the design given by Baccio.^[2] The bell-tower of San Miniato-in-Monte is also by this master; it was much battered by the artillery from the camp,^[3] but was not destroyed; and the fabric obtained no less credit for the injury which it had done to the enemy, than for the beauty and excellence with which Baccio had constructed it. The love of his fellow citizens, and his high deserts, having caused Baccio to be appointed architect of Santa Maria del Fiore, he gave the design for constructing the gallery which encircles the cupola, a part of the work left incomplete by Pippo Brunelleschi, when he was overtaken by death. Filippo had indeed prepared the designs for its construction, but the negligence of those who had charge of the work having permitted them to come to an evil end, they had been lost. Baccio, therefore, prepared a new design and model for this construction, and put them in execution so far as regarded the side towards the Bischeri;^[4] hut when Michelagnolo, on his return from Rome, perceived that for the erection of this gallery they were cutting away the projecting stones which Filippo Brunelleschi had left remaining, and not without a purpose in doing so, he made such a clamour about it that the work was disdontinued, Buonarroti declaring that Baccio appeared to him to have set up a cage for crickets, whereas, so magnificent a building as he had to handle required something more important in its character, with a very different design from that of Baccio, and with more art and grace than the latter had displayed in his work; adding that he would himself show him what he ought to do. Michelagnolo then made a model accordingly, Avhen a long discussion was held on the subject by numerous artists and citizens acquainted with such matters, in the

1. Sant’ Onofrio.
2. Piacenza, and even Milizia, speak with commendation of this tower.
3. That of the Prince of Orange namely, in the year 1529.—Bottari.
4. The Via dei Balestrieri rather, the name of Bischeri having been discontinued, and being no longer understood.