Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 1.djvu/83

Rh there for the purpose of assisting, with other architects, at the mills on the river Arno, which were then in course of construction, at San Gregorio, near the Piazza de’ Mozzi. At length, having received intelligence of his father’s death, he departed for Pisa, where, in consideration of his talents, he was received with great honour by all the city, every one rejoicing that, although Niccola had passed away, yet Giovanni remained to them, the heir to his virtues, as well as to his abilities. Nor were the Pisans disappointed in their expectations when the occasion for putting them to the proof presented itself ; for, resolving to make certain changes in the small, but richly-adorned, the charge of these was entrusted to Giovanni, who, with the aid of his disciples, brought the decorations of that oratory to the perfection which we still see. This work, so far as we can judge of it, must have been considered wonderful in those times, and the rather as, in one of the figures, Giovanni had produced the portrait of his father, in the best manner that he could accomplish.

The people of Pisa, seeing the success of Giovanni in this work, and having long thought — nay, even spoken—of making a general burying-ground for the noble, as well as the plebeian classes of their city, that too many might not be laid in the cathedral, or from some other cause, resolved to confide to Giovanni the construction of the Campo Santo, which is situate on the, towards the walls ; this he completed from good plans and with great judgment, giving it that extent, and enriching it with those ornaments, which we now see ; and as the cost of this work was not restricted, he caused the roof to be covered with lead. The following inscription, graven on marble, was placed on the principal door :— , tempore Domini Friderigi archiepiscopi Pisani, et Domini Tarlati potestatis, operario Orlando Sardella, Johanne Magistro aedificante. This undertaking being completed, Giovanni went, in the same year 1283, to Naples, where he built the for Charles I. To give space for this erection, and for the necessary defences, he was compelled to demolish several houses, and particularly a convent of the friars of St. Fran-