The Cathedral Builders Part 34

6. " *M. Andrea degli Argani da From the Campione school at Modena Modena; was architect to the Duke of Milan. Called to to Milan in 1387 as counsel.

7. " *M. Lazaro da Campione 8. " *M. Rolando or Orlando 9. " *M. Zambono (Giovanni Buono Descendant of Zambono, who da Bissone) was C.M. at Padua 1264, and at Parma 1280.

10. " *M. Fontana da Campione Probably an ancestor of Giov.

Fontana, the master of Palladio; and of Matteo Fontana, architect of Belluno cathedral in 1517.

11. " *M. Cressino da Campione 12. " *M. Giovanni da Azzo 13. " *M. Giovanni da Trnzano 14. *M. Martino da Arogno 15. *M. Ruggero } da Marogia: } brothers. 16. *M. Giorgio } 17. *M. Alberto } All Lombards who worked } under Giovanni da Bissone 18. *M. Airolo } (No. 9); the latter was his } son.

19. *M. Giovannino da Bissone } 20. 1387 Magister } Antonio } di Guido, } brothers 21. M. Giovanni } 22. M. Adamo 23. M. Giovanni di Furno 24. M. Adriolo da Campione 25. M. Guglielmo di Marco Son of Marco da Frixone, architect at Crema; called to Milan as expert, Oct. 1387.

26. M. Leonardo Zepo } Two Masters deputed to take } note of Magister Andrea's 27. M. Simone da Cavagnera } suggestion, Oct. 1387.

28. 1388 *M. Ambrogio Pongione } Gave his vote at a meeting } of the lodge on March 20, } 1388.

} 29. *M. Bonino da Campione } Voted at the same meeting.

} Had been sculptor of the } Scaliger tomb at Verona in } 1375.

} 30. *M. Gasparo da Birago } A famous iron-worker.

} Magister of the lodge.

31. " *Magister Ambrogio da } Melzo } } 32. *M. Pietro da Desio } } All these * voted with the 33. *M. Filippo Orino } chief architect Simone at the } same meeting, March 20, 1388.

34. *M. Ridolfo di Cinisello } } 35. *M. Antonio da Trnzano } (son of Giovanni da } Trnzano) } 36. 1390 M. Niccola del Bonaventura Made a design for the windows of the choir at Milan: not accepted: discharged from the lodge on July 21, 1390.

37. 1391 M. Giovanni da Campione Sometimes called John from Fernach. He brought 100 stone-carvers into the _laborerium_ in 1391.

38. 1399 M. Antonio A. Padern { Two rising Masters in 1399, { who fought the great 39. " M. Marco da Carona { dispute with the French { architects.

40. " M. Lorenzo degli Spazi, di Brought 188 stone-carvers Val d'Intelvi with him to Milan. He was in 1396 C.M. at Como, and probably went to Milan with all his workmen, when the works there were suspended on Gian Galeazzo's death.

41. 1400 M. Jacopo da Tradate In 1400 he was chief sculptor.

42. " M. Samuele, his son Sculptured his father's tomb in 1402.

43. 1400 M. Bertollo da Campione } } 44. M. Giorgio de Sollario } (Solari) } } 45. M. Guglielmo di Giorgio } (his son) } } 46. 1410 { M. Giovanni de Solari } _Magistri_ working under to { } Jacopo da Tradate at the 47. 1440 { M. Giovanni di Reghezio } sculptures for Milan } cathedral.

48. M. Jacopo da Lanzo } } 49. M. Michele di Benedetto da } Campione } } 50. M. Francesco Solari } } 51. M. Giovanni da Cairate } 52. { *M. Cristoforo da Chiona All these marked * were 1420 { master architects, each 53. to { *M. Arasmino Solari da building a certain part of 1440 { Arogna the cathedral.

{ 54. { *M. Franceschino da Can.o.bbio Was C.M. in 1448.

55. *M. Leonardo da Sirtori Son or grandson of Magister Guarnerio (No. 2).

56. *M. Paolino da a.r.s.enigo Son or grandson of Magister Simone (No. 1).

57. *M. Filippino degli Argani Son of Andrea degli Argani (No. 6), whom he succeeded as architect to the Visconti.

Designed the choir window at Milan. Entered the lodge as novice, 1400; graduated master, 1404; C.M. 1417.

58. 1450 M. Giorgio di Filippo His son: became C.M. in his turn in 1450.

59. 1451 M. Giovanni Solari: son of C.M. from 1451 to 1470. He Marco da Carona. forms a link with Venice.

60. 1470 M. Guiniforte or Boniforte C.M. in 1470-1481. Built the (son of Giovanni Solari) Ospedale Maggiore and church of Le Grazie at Milan.

61. 1481 Magister Pietro Antonio: his Went to Russia in 1481.

son 62. 1468 { M. Martino da Mantegazza to { 63. 1492 { M. Dolcebono Rodari Entered the lodge in 1490; was sent to Rome for training. His relative, Tomaso Rodari, was more famous than he, and sculptured the Renaissance door at Como.

64. M. Gerolamo della Porta Was employed later in Rome and Naples.

65. M. Salomone, son of Giovan One of the line descending de Gra.s.si from Magister Graci, founder of the lodge at Padua.

66. 1471 M. Bartolommeo de Gorgonzola C.M. for the cupola of Milan cathedral.

67. 1488 M. Leonardo da Vinci Engaged for the cupola, but resigned.

68. M. Antonio da Padern Rectified the mistakes of (descendant of the older John of Gratz.

Antonio, No. 88) 69. M. Giovanni Antonio } Joint architects to finish } cupola and cathedral of 70. M. Amedeo or Omodeo } Milan. Amedeo worked } afterwards in Venice.

} 71. M. Gio. Giacome di } Dolcebono was son of Dolcebono } Dolcebono Rodari.

72. M. Francesco di Giorgio of } Siena } Were called to advise on } the plans of the above 73. M. Luca Fancelli of } three.

Florence } 74. 1506 M. Andrea Fusina Descendant of Jacopo f.u.xina.

Andrea was elected C.M. to replace Dolcebono in 1506.

75. 1502 M. Cristoforo Gobbo Sculptured Adam and Eve on the facade of Milan cathedral, etc.

76. { M. Gian Giacomo Bono da } { Campione } { } A later offshoot of the old 77. 1618 { M. Frances...o...b..no, his son } family of Bono or Buono, who to { } have furnished _Magistri_ 78. 1647 { M. Carlo Antonio Bono, a } since 1152.

{ relative } { } 79. { M. Giuseppe Bono, his son } ----+--------+------------------------------+------------------------------

All these marked * were engaged on Oct. 4, 1387, to work with Magister Simone. The second batch given below and marked joined the Lodge on Oct. 9, five days after.

FOREIGN ARCHITECTS IN MILAN LODGE

----+--------+------------------------------+---------------------------- 80. 1389 Anichino or Annex of Was paid for the model of a Freiburg dome which was not used.

" Giacobino de Bruge Fell ill, and was supported by the lodge.

81. 1391 Ulrico di Ensingen Came for a few months.

" Heinrich di Gmunden Entered, July 1391; left, June 1392.

82. 1399 Jean Mignot de Paris Came from Paris.

83. Jean Campanias from Normandy Campanias did not stay long.

84. Ulrich de Frissengen } Worked at Milan for a short } time.

85. Aulx di Marchestein } 86. 1482 Giovanni da Gratz Engaged, 1482; discharged, 1488.

I.--THE COMACINES UNDER THE VISCONTI

History repeats itself. We began the story of the Comacines in Lombardy with their works under the invading Longobards, we end it with their works under the usurping Visconti. The first era shows their early Roman-Lombard style in its purity; the last shows the culmination of their later Italian-Gothic style in its fulness.

Like Florence, Siena, Pisa, Pistoja, and other cities, Milan, on freeing herself from Longobard and French tyrants, had become a commune, but she could not escape the usual fate of a mediaeval commune, _i.e._ party faction, and the supremacy of a dominant family.

As Florence had her Guelphs and Ghibellines, Pistoja her Bianchi and Neri, so Milan had her two warring families, the Torriani and Visconti. The conflict was long, but in the end the Visconti dominated. Matteo I. reigned over Cremona, Lodi, Bergamo, Pavia, Alexandria, and Vercelli. Azzo Visconti subjugated Piacenza and Como, etc. Luchino added Asti, Bobbio, and Parma; while his brother, the Archbishop Giovanni, acquired Brescia, Genoa, and Bologna. His nephews, Bernab and Galeazzo II., divided the state, and lost part of it. Genoa freed herself from Galeazzo, while Bernab's vices and cruelties caused rebellion everywhere.

Galeazzo's son, Gian Galeazzo, who was only fifteen when his father died in 1378, married Isabella of France, he being then seventeen, and she a child still. By this he gained, as his bride's portion, the estate of Vertus in Champagne, and his descendants kept up the t.i.tle, which became Italianized into Conte di Virtu. His second wife was his cousin, Caterina, daughter of Bernab. To a.s.sure himself of her heritage, he imprisoned his uncle in the castle of Trezza, where he died a few months after, some say by poison. However this be, Gian Galeazzo immediately rode into Milan, where he was proclaimed Signore of Milan. Wenceslaus, Emperor of Germany, had already created him his Vicar-general in Lombardy, so that his power was great. So great was it that he was able to oust the Scaligers from Verona in 1386; the Carraresi from Vicenza and Padua in 1387. In 1395 he induced Wenceslaus to nominate him Duke of Milan, and to make the t.i.tle hereditary. Then, emulating his Longobardic predecessors, he began a march of conquest southwards; took Perugia, Spoleto, and a.s.sisi in 1400; Lucca in 1401; then he bought Pisa from the Appiani, and Siena capitulated. Florence was next in his list, but luckily for her he died at this juncture, and Florence escaped.[265]

These were the princes under whose auspices the cathedral of Milan arose, a mountain of sculpture white as snow. In olden times there were twin churches standing on the site of Milan cathedral: S. Maria Maggiore, the winter church, and S. Thecla, the _estiva_, or summer church. Santa Maria had two Baptisteries, one for male children, the other for female. They both had marvellous towers: that of S. Maria was two hundred and forty-five _braccia_ (about four hundred and seventy feet) high, and of "admirable beauty." This tower was thrown down and the church destroyed in the siege of Milan, 1162. After the Peace of Costanza, Sta. Maria was restored by public offerings, and the Milanese ladies, like the ancient Roman dames, threw their jewels into the treasury. The facade of this restoration was of black and white marble in squares, and the church was so large that it could contain 7000 people.

By the fourteenth century Milan had become so wealthy and powerful that it determined to build a church more beautiful than any before it. To Gian Galeazzo is generally given the whole credit of this initiative, but doc.u.ments seem to prove it was a general move on the people's part. On May 12, 1386, Monsignor Antonio dei Marchesi, Archbishop of Milan, addressed a circular letter to his clergy, saying that the church of the Blessed Virgin was old and dilapidated, and "the hearts of the faithful" intended to rebuild it, which work being very costly, the Archbishop prayed all his clergy to "inst.i.tute offerings in their churches, and to pray G.o.d to bless the work."

Again a year later he circulated another letter, to ask that all the offerings thus gathered should be transmitted to Milan before the _fete_ of St. Martin, as the faithful were anxious to continue the work begun. Gian Galeazzo did his part by promulgating two edicts; one dated October 12, 1386, inst.i.tuting a _questua_ (collection) in all the Ducal State for the benefit of the funds for the Duomo; the second, dated February 7, 1387, decreed that all the money from the _paratici_ of the city, which shall be paid as offerings during the _fete_ of the Madonna in February of this and following years, shall be dedicated to the building fund. The results of all these appeals and decrees, and the small part the Visconti had in the giving, appears in a letter from the deputies of the Fabbrica or Opera, addressed to Gian Galeazzo, on August 3, 1387, saying--"Offerings have been made with great devotion by every kind of person, rich and poor, who have copiously and liberally aided the building. Now, O Signore, we pray that you and your lady mother, your consort, and daughter, may also transmit your devout oblations to subsidize the church."

This is the way the funds were found, and now who were the builders?

We have seen in a former chapter that the Visconti patronized the Campionese school of architect-sculptors, and as the Comacines had been a.s.sociated with Milan for centuries, it was not necessary to look far for architects. Indeed the very first batch of names which meets our eye in the books of the _laborerium_ are all of the Lombard Guild.

Here is chief architect Simone da a.r.s.enigo written down as _ingegnere generale_; or _capo maestro_, Guarnerio da Sirtori; Marco, Jacopo, e Zeno, da Campione; and Andrea from Modena; where we have seen the Campione Masters established a school.

On October 16, 1387, a meeting was held by the commission of the Duomo to discuss a project proposed by the administrators of the Fabbrica, for forming a regular organization, and electing the proper officials.

It was decided--

1. To confirm the present deputies as superintendents of the work.

(Here we have the Tuscan _Operai_.)

2. To elect a treasurer-general.

3. To nominate a good and efficient accountant.

4. Also a good and efficient _spenditore_ (in Tuscany this is the _Provveditore_).

5. To confirm the election of Magister Simone da a.r.s.enigo as head architect of the building, and to nominate enough capable Masters to a.s.sist him. (In Tuscany _capo maestro_ and _Maestri_.)

6. To confirm (considering their eminence in their art) Dionisolo di Brugora and Ambrogio da Sala (an island in Lake Como near Comacina) in their offices, and to choose others equally good to aid in the building.

7. To elect two or more _probi uomini_ (arbiters).

8. To elect lawyer, notary, and _sindaci_ (consuls) of the art.