Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/424

416 became obvious that Giovan-Battista had a great inclination to the study of architecture. He devoted himself thereto very zealously, therefore, diligently labouring in those works with which his father-in-law was then occupied, and soon beginning to display considerable ability as an architect: he studied Vitruvius carefully, whence it happened, that by gradual acquirement, and between what he learned by his own efforts, and that which Girolamo taught him, he soon deserved and attained a good reputation, more particularly as respected fortifications and all other matters relating to war.

In the year 1541, Giovan-Battista lost his second wife, who left him two sons, when he remained until the year 1543, without having taken any resolution as to his future life. Then it happened that, in the month of September of that year, a certain Signor Gustamante, a Spaniard, arrived in San Marino, having been despatched to the Republic to arrange certain affairs for his Imperial Majesty, and he, discovering in Giovan-Battista an excellent architect, was the occasion of his being summoned no long time afterwards to enter the service of Duke Cosimo, as an engineer. Having arrived in Florence accordingly, Giovan-Battista was subsequently sent by his Excellency to all the different fortresses of the state, as his presence was demanded in each by the incidents daily occurring. Among other works San Marino completed the fortifications of Pistoja, which had been commenced many years before, and which he now entirely finished at the desire of the Duke, to his great credit and praise, although the works are not particularly extensive.

A very strong bastion was then constructed at Pisa, under the direction of the same architect, and his modes of proceeding being highly satisfactory to Duke Cosimo, that prince then commanded him to construct the outworks and bastions which defend one of the gates in the wall, which, as we have before related, had been previously built at the Poggio di San Miniato, outside the city of Florence. This wall extends from the gate of San hsiccolo, to that of San Miniato, and the works above-mentioned surround the church and monastery of San Miniato, formerly a species of fortress, on the summit of the Mount which dominates the whole city, and looks on the other side towards the south and east: this work, also, was very highly extolled.