Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/24

16 traves, friezes, cornices, and ressaults, with four historical delineations painted between the columns, two on each side namely; so that there were in the whole eight of these representations, the subjects of several among them being events from the life of the Emperor Charles, as will be further described in the lives of the artists by whom they were painted.

The splendour of this erection was further enhanced by the addition of two figures in relief, each four braccia and a half high, which were placed on the summit of the two sides of the said arch, and presented the effigies of Rome, her figure standing between two others, representing Emperors of the House of Austria that is to say, those at the one side being Albert and Maximilian, those on the other Frederick and Rudolph. At the angles, on each of the sides were furthermore placed Four Captives, two on each side, with a vast number of Trophies, also in relief, and with the Arms of his Majesty; the whole of which Antonio da Sangallo caused to be executed under his own direction by the most eminent sculptors and the best painters then to be found in Rome. Nor was this all; for not only was the arch directed by Antonio, but every other preparation for the festival to be held on the reception of this great and invincible monarch was arranged under the direction of the same artist.

Our architect then continued the Fortress of Nepi, for the Duke of Castro; with the fortifications of the entire city, which is very beautiful as well as impregnable.

He laid out many streets also in the same place, and prepared designs for numerous houses and palaces by commission from the citizens thereof. His Holiness then caused the bastions of Rome, which are of great strength, to be constructed, and the Gate of Santo Spirito being included among these works; this last was built after the design and under the direction of Antonio, by whom it was adorned with decorations of Travertine, in the rustic manner. This work unites so much strength with its extraordinary magnificence, that it may well bear comparison with the labours of antiquity. Attempts were made, after the death of Antonio, by those who were actuated by envy rather than by considerations of a more reasonable character, to procure the destruction of this gate, and that by very unusual means, but they did not