Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/82

68 so that in a few years he not only became equal to his instructor, but in some respects surpassed him ; wherefore, becoming old, Niccola retired to Pisa, leaving the management of all their labours to his son. Pope Urban IV expired about this time in Perugia, and Giovanni was summoned to that city, to construct the sepulchral monument of that pontiff. This work, executed in marble, was demolished, together with the tomb of Pope Martin IV, when the people of Perugia enlarged their cathedral, so that there remain now but a few relics, scattered over different parts of the church. About the same time, the Perugians, profiting by the skill and industry of a Friar of the Silvestrini, had conducted an abundant water-course into their city, by means of leaden pipes, from the hill of Pacciano, two miles distant ; they now therefore confided the erection of to Giovanni Pisano, with all its ornaments, whether in marble or bronze. Giovanni therefore commenced the work, and constructed a range of three basins, placed one above the other : the first is of marble, raised on twelve steps, each having twelve sides ; the second, also of marble, reposes on columns, rising from the centre of the first ; and the third, which is of bronze, is supported on three figures, and has griffins, also of bronze, in the midst of it, which pour the water forth on all sides. Then, as Giovanni considered himself to have worked successfully in this fountain, he inscribed his name upon it. About the year 1560, as the arches and conduits of the aqueduct, which had cost seventy thousand gold ducats, had become much injured,—nay, were in a great part ruined,—, a sculptor and architect of Perugia, did himself no small credit by most ingeniously reconducting the water to the said fountain in its original course, yet without rebuilding the arches, which would have been an excessively costly work.

This undertaking being completed, Giovanni resolved to leave Perugia and return to Pisa, being desirous of seeing Ins father, now become old, and also indisposed ; but, passing through Florence, he was compelled to delay some time