then been chosen Bishop of Bergamo, while Monsignor Agostino Lippomani was chosen Bishop of Verona in his place, the latter caused San Michele to reconstruct the model for the before-mentioned Campanile, and to commence that fabric anew. Monsignor Girolamo Trevisani, a Domenican monk, who succeeded the last-named Lippomani in the bishopric, is now proceeding with the work, which he causes to be continued, though very slowly, after the same model— an exceedingly beautiful one. The staircase is now constructed within the tower, and in such a manner that the strength and durability of the Campanile incurs no danger.
For the Signor Counts della Torre of Verona, San Michele built a handsome chapel at their villa of Fumane; it is in the form of a round temple, and has the altar in the midst of it.[1] In the church of the Santo, at Padua, a magnificent tomb vas constructed, after his designs, for Messer Alessandro Contarini,[2] Procurator of San Marco, and who had been Proveditor, or Commissary-general, to the Venetian armies. In this work it would seem that San Michele designed to show the manner in which such structures ought to be treated: since he has not adhered to the usual fashion of proceeding, which, as he thought, was better fitted for the altar of a chapel, than for a tomb. His fabric, on the contrary, very rich in its ornaments, although of an exceedingly solid form, has something of a warlike character: among its decorations is the figure of Thetis and two Captives, by the hand of Alessandro Vittoria,[3] which are considered to be very good ones. There is besides a portrait from the life of Contarini, a half-length figure wearing a cuirass, which was executed in marble by the sculptor Danese of Carrara.[4] Other decorations there are likewise in abundance, captives, trophies,
- ↑ The building is octagonal, but the altar, which is in a very bad manner, is certainly not by San Michele. —Masselli. Förster adds that there is a tomb of the Counts Della Torre in the Church of San Francesco at Verona, which is said to be by that architect.
- ↑ This work is attributed to Agostino Zeno by some authorities. See Compendiosa Narrazione di Padova, Venice, 1706.
- ↑ They are those on the left of the spectator. The sculptor, Alessandro Vittoria, was a native of Trent, and is mentioned again by Vasari, in the Life of Jacopo Sansovino.
- ↑ Mentioned in other places, as our readers will remember, and to be further named in the Life of Jacopo Sansovino.
