down to our own day. Francesco di Giorgio was a distinguished engineer,nota more particularly in the construction of military engines. Of his ability in this respect, he has given evidence in a frieze paintednota by his hand in the above-named palace of Urbino, and which consists wholly of instruments required for the purposes of war. There are likewise books filled with drawings of such instruments, the best of which are in the possession of Duke Cosimo, who preserves them among his most valued rarities. This artist was so zealous an inquirer into all matters appertaining to ancient military engines and warlike implements, and pursued his investigations into the various modes of construction adopted for the ancient amphitheatres and similar edificesnota so earnestly, that these studies caused him to give less attention to sculpture, but the inquiries here alluded to obtained for him then, and have continued to secure to him, no less honour than could have been derived by his sculptures. All these things rendered Francesco di Giorgio so entirely acceptable to the duke Federigo, whose portrait he executed on a medal as well as in painting, that when he finally returned to Siena, his native city, he found himself to be no less highly honoured than richly rewarded.
For Pope Pius II. Francesco di Giorgio prepared all the designs and models required for the palace and episcopal church of Pienza,nota the native place of that Pope, previously called Corsignano, but raised by him to the dignity of a city, and called Pienza, from his name. These buildings were as magnificent and splendid as in that place they could be; and [1] [2] [3] [4]
- ↑ The talents of Francesco, as an engineer, may be judged of by an examination of the Trattato, &.C., before referred to, and which is accompanied by a large number of designs of fortresses, military engines, 4Scc. The MSS. of this work were long preserved, one in the Magliabecchiana Library; another, in the Public Library of Siena; and a third, formerly in the possession of Scamozzi, may now be seen in the Library of St. Mark’s, Venice. See Rumohr, Ital. Forsch., vol. ii. p. 185.
- ↑ This frieze is not painted, but in relief, it consists of seventy-two bassirilievi, which were removed in 1756 to the upper corridors of the palace, by Cardinal Stoppani. They will be found, with ample explanations, in Bianchini.
- ↑ He assures us in his writings, that he had studied these buildings in Rome, at Capua, in Perugia, and many other parts of Italy.
- ↑ Pius II., declares in his Commentaries, that a Florentine named Bernardo. was the architect of Pienza.
