Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 2.djvu/452

444 repeated at the second range, thereby diminishing the strength of the walls to. such a degree, that, as the building was not provided with buttresses, or counterpoise at the base, it became dangerous to construct the cupola, more particularly as respected the angles of the eight sides, whereon the weight of that erection must repose. Thus it came to pass, that on the death of Ventura, there was no architect to be found who was bold enough to attempt the vaulting of the church. Nay, they had even brought great beams and planks to the place, with the intention of making a roof after the manner of those used for rustic buildings; but that method not pleasing the citizens of Pistoja, they would not suffer the work to be executed, and thus the church remained in that uncovered state for many years. At length, in the year 1561, the wardens of the building made supplication to the Duke Cosimo, entreating him to grant them the favour of causing the cupola to be completed: wherefore, to do them pleasure, that sovereign commanded Giorgio Vasari to proceed tliither and take order for discovering some method by which the work might be accomplished. The latter repaired to Pistoja accordingly, and made a model according to which the fabric was raised to the extent of eight braccia above the cornice left by Ventura, for the purpose of adding buttresses for its support: he likewise decreased the width of the passage between the windows, gave additional strength to the angles and to all the masonry beneath the spaces which Ventura had left in the walls, and bound the whole moreover firmly together with very strong clamps of iron doubled at the angles, whereby the building was rendered sufficiently secure to permit of its being vaulted without danger. His Excellency some time afterwards went himself to Pistoja when he found the arrangements to his satisfaction, and gave orders that the whole