Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/77

Rh and models of the Aretine painter and architect, Giorgio Vasari, who has endeavoured to do his best with those old walls, accommodating to them, as much as possible, the new. Many other palaces and churches were constructed in Pisa by Niccola, who was the first, the good method of building having been lost, to found buildings at Pisa on arches raised upon piers, which, in their turn, were supported by piles ; for, where this was not practised, the whole edifice was frequently ruined by the sinking of the foundations, whereas the piles rendered all entirely secure, as experience fully demonstrates. The, belonging to the monks of Camaldoli, was also built by Niccola ; but his most ingenious, most beautiful, and most extraordinary architectural work, was the , of Pisa, near the convent of the Augustine Friars. Externally this building has eight sides, but its form within is circular, with a spiral staircase ascending to the summit ; within the stairs a free space is left, in the manner of a well, while on every fourth stair are placed columns, supporting arches, which follow the spiral line. The roof of the staircase being supported on these arches, the ascent is of such sort that the spectator at the foot sees all who go up ; those who are ascending see those remaining below ; while he who stands in the mid-way can see both those above and those below. This remarkable invention was afterwards applied, with many improvements of proportion and richer ornament, by, in Rome, to the of Pope Julius II, and by , in Orvieto, for Pope Clement VII, as will be related in the proper place. But to return to Niccola : he was no less excellent in sculpture than in architecture ; and on the façade of the, in Lucca, he executed a Deposition of Christ from the Cross, half-relief in marble, which is full of admirable figures, finished with extreme care, the marble being entirely perforated, and the whole completed in a manner which gave hope, to those who were previously pursuing this art with weary steps, that a master was now about to arise, from whose aid and example they might look for greater facilities to their future progress than had yet been enjoyed. This work is under the portico, and above the side-door, on the left hand of him who enters the church. In the year 1240, the plans