Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 3.djvu/447

Rh clearly proved by the many noble works undertaken and honourably carried through by his means.

This noble, therefore, being one who, in addition to his many other fine qualities, had a great delight in works of architecture, the knowledge of which is worthy of any prince however great, had studied the works of Vitruvius, of Leon Battista Alberti, and of others who have written on that subject, and desired to put the knowledge which he had acquired into practice. Having seen the designs of Falconetto, therefore, and perceiving the intimate acquaintance with his subject which was possessed by that artist, with the luminous explanations which he gave on every question that could arise respecting architecture; seeing all this, I say, and observing his profound knowledge of the most minute points connected therewith, Luigi Cornaro conceived so great a liking for him, that he caused him to dwell in his own house, where he entertained him honourably for the space of twenty years, during which period it was that the remainder of Giovan-Maria’s life endured.

Very numerous were the labours executed in those years byFalconetto for Messer Luigi Cornaro; and the latter, feeling a desire to behold and to examine those antiquities of Home which he had seen in the drawings of the artist, took the latter with him, and proceeded to that city, where, having Falconetto constantly in his company, he took care to examine every building minutely. This done, they both returned to Padua, where Messer Luigi, with the advice and after the designs of Giovan-Maria, set himself to erect that most beautiful and richly adorned Loggia, now to be seen in the Casa Cornara, which is near the Santo; and afterwards he proceeded to construct the Palace itself, which was built after a model prepared by Messer Luigi with his own hand: on this Loggia the name of Giovan-Maria is sculptured, it will be found on one of the pilasters. By the same architect is the grand and magnificent Doric