At this tyme, bicause I felte myself not well at ease, I departed from the campe, and went out of the waie about halfe a daies ioʳney to Soltania, which in oʳ tonge signifieth Imperiall. This is a citie of the forsaid kinge, which sheweth itself to haue been excellent faire. It is not walled, but it hath a castell walled, though it be decaied, by reason that about iiij years passed it was overthrowen by a lorde called Giusa. The castell is a myle about, and hath wᵗhin it an high churche of iiij iles, and of iiij vaultes high: the great cowpe whereof is bigger than that of SAN JOANNI PAULO in Venice. At thone ende it hath a gate of brasse of iij paces high, wrought letties[94] wise; wᵗhin the which arr divers sepultures of the kings that were in time past. Over against that gate there is an other like vnto it: and on the sides twoo other lesse, one of eche side crosses, so that the great cowpe hath iiij gates, ij great and ij small, the quarters or sydes whereof arr of brasse, iij quarters of a yarde brode and half a yarde thicke, excellently well kerved wᵗʰ leaves and devises aftre their maner; so wrought in wᵗʰ beaten golde and sylver that it is both mervailousle and riche. The letties of those gates haue certein great balles as bigge as loofes, and than certein litell ones like orenges, wᵗʰ branches that knytt loofe to loofe, as I remembre I haue seene it ones graven in woodde in a certein place. The workemanship of the golde and syluer is so excellent that there is no man in oʳ ꝑties that durst take the like in hande wᵗʰout very great tyme. The citie is great enough, conteineng iiij myles in circuite, and is well furnisshed of water. And if it were by none other but by the name only, it appeareth that it hath been very notable. Indede, it is nowe but evill enhabited, having betwene vij and viijᵐˡ people in it; ꝓadventure more.[95]