Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/249

 MASACCIO MASCAGNI 237 22 ; English course, 60), and a library of 2,000 volumes. The grounds embrace 65 acres, and contain three buildings, recently erected at a cost of $50,000. The situation is noted for its healthfulness and beauty. MASACCIO, a Florentine painter, whose real name was TOMMASO GUIDI, born at San Gio- vanni, near Florence, early in the 15th cen- tury, died in 1443. He is said to have been a pupil of Masolino da Panicale, and from his personal habits was called Tommasaccio (short- ened to Masaccio), " slovenly Thomas." While a young man he visited Rome, and painted there in the chapel of Santa Caterina in the church of San Clemente a series of frescoes from the life of St. Catharine, and other sub- jects, which are the earliest works ascribed to him with any certainty. In 1434 he returned to Florence. His frescoes illustrating the life of St. Peter, in the Brancacci chapel of the Carmelite church, introduced a marked im- provement in painting. The subjects were the "Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Para- dise," the "Tribute Money," "Peter raising a Youth to Life," "Peter and John healing the Cripple," "Peter and John distributing Alms," and "Peter baptizing Converts," in which the figure of a young man who has thrown off his garment and is shivering with sudden cold is celebrated in the history of art. MAS i FCERA. See CHILI, and JUAN FER- NANDEZ. MASANIELLO (a contraction of TOMMASO ANI- ELLO), an Italian popular leader, born in Amalfi in 1620, assassinated in Naples, July 16, 164V. He was a fisherman, but headed a successful re- volt against the duke of Arcos, who as viceroy of Philip IV. of Spain, in order to defray the expenses of a war against France, had levied a tax on fruit and vegetables, the food of the common people. On July 7, 1647, a dispute in the market place as to which of two parties should pay the odious tax collected a crowd, into which Masaniello, who was a great favor- ite with the populace, ran shouting, " No taxes, no taxes ! long live the king of Spain ! down with the bad government ! " After speak- ing a few eloquent words, he was made by ac- clamation chief of the angry populace, which poured through the streets, demolishing the tax gatherers' houses, burning palaces, opening prisons, and driving the viceroy into the castle. An impromptu commonwealth was organized, and Masaniello was proclaimed " captain gen- eral of the Neapolitan people." After an un- successful attempt by some nobles to make away with him, which resulted in the slaughter of the would-be assassins, the viceroy accepted articles drawn up by the insurgents, which abolished the imposts upon eatables, restored the privi- leges bestowed by Charles V., and granted a general amnesty, the Neapolitans to remain in arms until the articles should have been rati- fied by the king of Spain. This negotiation completed, Masaniello threw off the rich robes he had assumed, declared himself again a fish- erman, and knelt at the feet of the cardinal arch- bishop of Naples. But the people would not suffer him to resign. The next day, after a feast with the duke of Arcos, he became delir- ious, whether from the effects of over-good fortune or of poison, and his whole nature changed. The reign of freedom now rapidly became a reign of terror. For four days long- er the people obeyed him; but on July 16, nine days after he became chief, he was assas- sinated in a convent, where he had taken ref- uge from their jeers. His body was dragged through the streets and subjected to all kinds of outrage, and his head was sent to the vice- roy. The next day head and body were put together by the fickle populace, who, to the number of 80,000, followed the remains to the tomb, where military honors were paid by order of the viceroy. He was killed as a tyrant, but was subsequently revered by the people as a liberator. Auber's opera of La muette de Portici, also known as Masaniello, is founded upon his nine days' career. Ca- rafa de Colobrano also wrote an opera, Masa- niello, which is now obsolete. MAS i TIERRA. See JUAN FERNANDEZ. MASAYA, an inland city of Nicaragua, in the department of Granada, 15 m. S. E. of Mana- gua ; pop. about 12,000, nearly all Indians. It has not a single public edifice worthy of no- tice ; but the suburbs, consisting of immense flower and fruit gardens dotted with Indian huts, are remarkably picturesque. The water supply is raised by a steam pump to the town, from a lagoon of the same name, with an area of 10 sq. m., a short distance S. of and 368 ft. lower than Masaya. The chief industries are agriculture, and the manufacture of earthen- ware, hats, mats, hammocks, and some cotton and pita tissues. The feast of San Geronimo, the patron of one of the four cantons into which the town is divided, is annually attended by about 50,000 persons. In the vicinity is a volcano of the same name, 2,972 ft. high, the last great eruption of which occurred March 16, 1772, when a torrent of lava was poured out, which covers a portion of land 2 m. wide, forming a gloomy barren waste in the midst of the luxuriant vegetation by which it is sur- rounded. Not far from the city are rocks and ruins covered with antique red paintings and rude hieroglyphics. MASCAGNI, Paolo, an Italian anatomist, born at Castelleto, near Siena, in 1752, died in Flor- ence, Oct. 19, 1815. He became professor of anatomy at the university of Siena in 1774, and in 1784 obtained a prize from the French academy of sciences. In 1787 appeared his most important work, Vasorum Lymphatico- rum Corporis Humani Historia et Iconogra- phia. From 1801 till his death he was pro- fessor of anatomy, physiology, and chemistry in the hospital of Santa Maria at Florence. He left Anatomia per uso degli studiosi di scultura epittura (Florence, 1816), and Anatomia uni- versa, with illustrations (Pisa, 1823-'31).