Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 04 (of 10): Filippino Lippi to Domenico PuligoVasari, Giorgio
History
Lives of the Most Eminent Painters Sculptors and Architects, Vol. 04 (of 10): Filippino Lippi to Domenico Puligo
Vasari, Giorgio
Art, Italian; Artists -- Italy -- Biography
The fancy took Bramante to make, in a frieze on the outer facade of
the Belvedere, some letters after the manner of ancient
hieroglyphics, representing the name of the Pope and his own, in
order to show his ingenuity: and he had begun thus, "Julio II, Pont.
Massimo," having caused a head in profile of Julius Caesar to be
made, and a bridge, with two arches, which signified, "Julio II,
Pont.," and an obelisk from the Circus Maximus, to represent "Max."
At which the Pope laughed, and caused him to make the letters in the
ancient manner, one braccio in height, which are there at the
present day; saying that he had copied this folly from a door at
Viterbo, over which one Maestro Francesco, an architect, had placed
his name, carved in the architrave, and represented by a S. Francis
(S. Francesco), an arch (arco), a roof (tetto), and a tower (torre),
which, interpreted in his own way, denoted, "Maestro Francesco
Architettore." The Pope, on account of his ability in architecture,
was very well disposed towards him.
[Illustration: TEMPIETTO
(_After_ Bramante da Urbino. _Rome: S. Pietro in Montorio_)
_Anderson_]
For these reasons he was rightly held worthy by the aforesaid Pope,
who loved him very dearly for his great gifts, to be appointed to
the Office of the Piombo, for which he made a machine for printing
Bulls, with a very beautiful screw. In the service of that Pontiff
Bramante went to Bologna, in the year 1504, when that city returned
to the Church; and he occupied himself, throughout the whole war
against Mirandola, on many ingenious things of the greatest
importance. He made many designs for ground-plans and complete
buildings, which he drew very well; and of such there are some to be
seen in our book, accurately drawn and executed with very great art.
He taught many of the rules of architecture to Raffaello da Urbino;
designing for him, for example, the buildings that Raffaello
afterwards drew in perspective in that apartment of the Pope wherein
there is Mount Parnassus; in which apartment he made a portrait of
Bramante taking measurements with a pair of compasses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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