Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/431

Rh Friuli: Bergamo, Vicenza, Peschiera, and other places that is to say, of all which as well as of the works demanded by each, San Michele gave his masters minute intelligence by pen, writing to them at length concerning all those matters.

Being then commanded by the same Signori to proceed into Dalmatia, with orders to fortify the cities and other places of that province, he inspected the whole district accordingly, restoring and setting in order with great diligence wherever he found the necessity most pressing. But as he could not himself suffice to all that was required, he there left Giovan-Girolamo, his nephew, who having admirably fortified Zara, erected even from the foundations that most admirable fortress called San Niccolb, which commands the entrance to the port of Sebenico.

Michele was next despatched in great haste to Corfu, the fortifications of which he restored in many places, and having done that, he proceeded to perform services of similar kind in all the strong towns of Cyprus and Candia. But notwithstanding the cares bestowed in that quarter on this occasion, our architect was compelled to return thither almost immediately afterwards, seeing that those islands were in imminent danger of being lost to Venice by reason of the war then threatening with the Turks. After having inspected the fortresses of the Venetian dominions in Italy, therefore, San Michele hastened to press forward the defences of Canea, Candia, Retimo and Settia, which he completed with incredible rapidity, his cares being more particularly directed to those of Canea and Candia, which he rebuilt from their foundations and rendered impregnable. Napoli di Romania likewise being about that time assailed by the Turks, was, partly by the ability displayed by San Michele in the fortifying and strengthening of the place, and partly by the bravery of Agostino Clusoni, a most valiant Veronese Captain, who defended it by his arms—Napoli di Romania, I sav, was enabled to withstand all the assaults of the enemy, nor was it once taken or subjugated.

These wars having come to an end, San Michele first accompanied the Illustrious Messer Tommaso Mozzenigo, High Admiral of Venice, to strengthen and increase the