At the time when Nicholas Y. had thrown the city of Rome into utter confusion with his peculiar manner of building, Leon Batista Alberti arrived in that city, where, by means of his intimate friend Biondo da Forli,[1] he became known to the pontiff. The latter had previously availed himself of the counsel of Bernardo Rossellino, a Florentine sculptor and architect, as will be related in the life of Antonio his brother; and Bernardo, having commeneed the restoration of the papal palace, with other works in Santa Maria Maggiore, thenceforward proceeded by the advice of Leon Batista, such being the will of the Pope. Thus the pontiff, with the counsel of one of these two, and the execution of the other, brought many useful and praiseworthy labours to conclusion: among these was the Fountain of the Acqua Yergine, which had been ruined, and was restored by him. He likewise caused the fountain of the Piazza de’ Trevi to be decorated with the marble ornaments which we now see there,[2] among which are the arms of Pope Nicholas himself, and those of the Roman people.
Leon Batista thence proceeded to Sigismondo Malatesta of Rimini, for whom he made the model of the church of San Francesco, that of the Façade more particularly, which was constructed in marble, and of the southern side, where there are very large arches with burial places for the illustrious men of that city. In fine, he completed the whole fabric in such a manner that it is beyond dispute one of the most renowned temples of Italy. Within this church are six very beautiful chapels, one of which, dedicated to San Geronimo, is most sumptuously adorned; various relics brought from elerusalem being preserved in it. This chapel likewise contains the sepulchre of the above-named Sigismondo, with that of his wife,[3] very richly constructed of fine
- ↑ “Flavio Biondo, of ForlT, of the Bavaldini family, principal secretary, first of Eugenius IV., and afterwmrds of Nicholas V. He was the author of many valuable w’-orks. —Masselli.
- ↑ Bottari notifies that these ornaments had long been removed, even in his day. The fountain was restored and richly decorated by Clement XII., after the designs of the Roman architect, Niccolo Saivi.
- ↑ The celebrated Isotta, of Rimini, an account of whose learning and other extraordinary merits will be found in vol. ii. of the Raccolta Milanese (1757) It is in a short treatise by Mazzuchelli, Entitled, Notizie intorno ad Isotta.
