From the admirably arranged Archives, both Ecclesiastical and Communal, of the City of Siena, we are able to piece together a very nearly complete history of the work, showing, in most cases, why certain exceptions probably were made; and from them, through the medium of the carefully compiled volumes of the late Signor Gaetano Milanesi, I have drawn most of the information which follows.[2] Vasari’s statement, so often quoted by subsequent writers, that Duccio made designs for this pavement, is quite without documentary authority.[3] Duccio died more than fifteen years before the larger Duomo scheme was finally abandoned; whilst the earliest records dealing with work of a _decorative_ nature[4] is dated 1369, and runs as follows: “_a maestro_ Antonio di Brunaccio _vintuna lire a cinque sol per ij braccia e due quarri di tarsie di marmo di lo spazzo di Duomo_.” In the following year (1370) we read “_a maestro_ Sano di Marco _per dodici porporelle per lo spazzo di duomo, a sol: 10 l’una, si danno L. 6._“; “_a_ Francesco di Ser Antonio _per uno braccio e mezzo di compasso per detto spazzo a ragione d’otto lire e mezzo il braccio si danno lire 12. e soldi 15_,” and “_a maestro_ Sano di Marco _per birichuocoli bianchi e rossi pello spazzo di duomo, L. 4. soldi 8_.”[5] Two years later, according to the historian Sigismondo Tizio, the Pavement of the nave from the cupola downwards was begun, and among other things was laid out (_spianata_) the design of the Wheel of Fortune, with figures of men clinging to it. And in the next year (1373) an old chronicler[6] tells us that “_In questo anno si fece il pavimento a pietre tassellate_,” which no doubt refers to the circle containing the emblems of Siena, surrounded by those of the cities friendly and allied to her. Be it noted here that this is the only portion of the floor that is _tessellated_; that is to say, decorated with designs, made up of small squares of different coloured stones, in the manner of ordinary mosaic. Then, in 1374, we find reference[7] to work done, under the direction of Andrea di Minuccio _Operaio_, at the foot of the Choir; which was at that date, and until the commencement of the sixteenth century, situated under the Cupola. Again in 1376, 1380, 1398 and 1405, we read of payments to certain master-workmen, named Matteo di Bartolo, Nanni di Corsino, Sano di Matteo, Luca di Ciecho (or Cecco), and Cecco di Giovanni (or Giovannino di Ciecho), for intarsia work on the Pavement, apparently in decorative friezes, some of which, no doubt, exist still, though we cannot now identify them.