CHAPTER V.

MATERIALS AND WORKMANSHIP OF THE PAVEMENT 150

INDEX 157

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

TO FACE PLATE PAGE I. GENERAL VIEW of the Interior of Siena Cathedral, showing the Pavement 1

II. THE ENTIRE PAVEMENT 14 Key Plan to the same, page 15.

III. HERMES TRISMEGISTUS, designed by Giovanni di Maestro Stefano 21

IV. THE BADGES OF SIENA AND THE CONFEDERATE CITIES, 1373. (Author unknown) 24

V. AN ALLEGORY OF FORTUNE, designed by Pinturicchio 27

VI. THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE, 1372. (Author unknown) 30

VII. THE SAMIAN SIBYL, designed by Matteo di Giovanni Bartoli 45

VIII. THE HELLESPONTINE SIBYL, designed by Neroccio di Landi 48

IX. THE EXPULSION OF HEROD, designed by Benvenuto di Giovanni del Guasta (the entire panel) 55

X. THE CHIEF PORTION OF THE SAME PANEL, (in large size to show details) 56

XI. DETAIL OF THE FRIEZE OF LIONS, designed by Bastiano di Francesco 58

XII. THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS, designed by Matteo di Giovanni Bartoli (the entire panel) 61

XIII. THE CHIEF PORTION OF THE SAME PANEL, (in large size to show details) 62

XIV. THE RELIEF OF BETHULIA, designed by Urbano da Cortona(?), or Matteo di Giovanni Bartoli(?), executed by Antonio Federighi 64

XV. DETAIL FROM THE SAME PANEL 66

XVI. ANOTHER DETAIL FROM THE SAME PANEL 68

XVII. THE STORY OF ABSALOM, by Pietro del Minella 79

XVIII. THE SEVEN AGES OF MAN, designed by Antonio Federighi 85

XIX. ELIJAH’S COMPACT WITH AHAB, designed by Domenico Beccafumi 99

XX. SAMSON AND THE PHILISTINES, designed by Paolo di Martino 111

XXI. THE EMPEROR SIGISMUND, designed by Domenico di Bartoli d’Asciano 113

XXII. A CANDLESTICK, designed by Antonio Federighi 119

XXIII. DETAIL FROM THE STORY OF JEPHTHAH, designed by Bastiano di Francesco 129

XXIV. DRAWINGS OF DETAILS. The lily designed by Antonio Federighi(?); border A designed by Domenico Beccafumi 137

XXV. THE STORY OF MOSES AND THE TABLES OF THE LAW, designed by Domenico Beccafumi 139

XXVI. ELIJAH CAUGHT UP TO HEAVEN (from the drawing by Prof. Alessandro Franchi) 154

AUTHORITIES CONSULTED

Milanesi (Gaetano). Documenti per la Storia dell’ Arte Senese. (Porri, Siena, 1856).

Sulla Storia dell’ Arte Toscana, Scritti Varii. (_Discorso sulla Storia Artistica Senese._) (Sordo-Muti, Siena, 1873.)

MS. Notes on the Pavement. Bib. Pubb. Siena. Cod. P. III., 28.

Commentario sulle Vite di piu eccellenti Pittori, Scultori ed Architettori da Giorgio Vasari, vols. i. and v. (G. C. Sansone, Firenze, 1880–81.)

Borghesi (S.) and Bianchi (L.). Nuovi Documenti per la Storia dell’ Arte Senese. (Torrini, Siena, 1898.)

MS. Notes on the Pavement, etc., etc., etc. Bib. Pubb. Siena, Cod. P. II.

Faluschi (Abate Gioacchino). MS. Notes, Bib. Pubb. Siena. Cod. E. V. 13 and E. V. 16.

Tizio (Sigismondo). Historiarum Senensium, vols. iv., v., vi. MS. Bib. Pubb. Siena, Cod. B. III., 9, 10, 11.

Ciaccheri (Abate Giuseppe). MS. Notes, Bib. Pubb. Siena.

Della Valle (Padre Guglielmo). Lettere Senesi, vol. iii. (_Descrizione del Pavimento_, by Alfonso Landi.) (Giovanni Zempel, Rome, 1787.)

Ugurgieri-Azzolini (Padre Isidoro). Pompe Senese. (Pistoia, 1649.)

Gigli (Girolamo). Diario Senese. (Lucca, 1723.)

De Angelis (Padre). Vita di Beato Pier Pettinaio. (Siena, 1802.)

Repetti (Emanuele). Dizionario Geografico-Fisico-Storico della Toscana. (Tofani, Firenze, 1833–45.)

Micheli (Prof. Padre Everardo). Siena e il suo Territorio. (Edifizi Religiosi e Civili). (Sordo-Muti, Siena, 1862.)

Il Pavimento dei Duomo di Siena. (Sordo-Muti, Siena, 1870.)

La Guida Artistica della Citta e Contorni di Siena. (Sordo-Muti, Siena, 1883.)

Benci (Gusmano). Ricordi Artistici di Siena. (Sordo-Muti, Siena, 1875.)

Album di Storia Patria. Bozzetti Repubblicani Senesi, vol. i. _Domenico Beccafumi._ (Giulio Mucci, Siena, 1875.)

Mussini (Luigi). Le Tavole della Biccherna e della Gabella della Repubblica di Siena. (Bargellini, Siena, 1877.)

Il Pavimento dei Duomo di Siena e il Prof. Alessandro Franchi. (Le Monnier, Firenze, 1880.)

Rubini (Ferdinando). Dei Restauri eseguiti nella Chiesa Metropolitana in Siena dal Luglio, 1864, al 31 Dicembre, 1878. (Bargellini, Siena, 1869 and 1879.)

Ridolfi (E.). L’Arte in Lucca, studiata nella sua Cattedrale. (Lucca, 1882.)

Lusini (V.). Storia della Basilica di S. Francesco in Siena. (Siena, 1894.)

Miscellanea Storica Senese, Gennaio-Febbraio, 1898. (Torrini, Siena, 1898.)

Sismondi (Jean Ch. L. Simonde de). Histoire des Républiques Italiennes du Moyen Age. (Treuttel et Würtz, Paris, 1818.)

Piper (Ferdinand). Mythologie der christlichen Kunst, vol. i. (Weimar, 1847.)

Richter (Luise M.). Siena. (Seeman, Leipzig and Berlin, 1901.)

Justi (Cari). Michelangelo. (1901.)

Wagner (Hans Joachim). Domenico di Bartolo Ghezzi. V. Teil der von einer hohen Fakultät angenommen Abhandlung. _Das Dompaviment von Siena und seine Meister._ (W. Fr. Kästner, Göttingen, 1898.)

Lindsay (Lord). Sketches of the History of Christian Art, vol. ii.

Berenson (Bernhard). Central Italian Painters. (Putnam, London and New York, 1899.)

Symonds (John Addington). Introduction to the Study of Dante. (A. and C. Black, London, 1893.)

Norton (Charles E.). Church Building in the Middle Ages. (Harpers, New York, 1880.)

Encyclopædia Britannica. (1880), _Hermes Trismegistus: Sibyls_.

THE SCHEME OF THE PAVEMENT

-------------------------------------+------------------------------+-----------+-----------------+--------------------------- | | Date the | Numbers | The various designs on the | Notes. | work was | corresponding | Names of the Artists. pavement arranged in their | | executed. | to those on the | chronological order. | | | plan (p. 15). | -------------------------------------+------------------------------+-----------+-----------------+--------------------------- | Of these eight artists’ | 1369 | | (1). Antonio di Brunaccio. | work on the Pavement, | 1370 | | (2). Sano di Marco. | no recognizable trace | ” | | (3). Francesco di Ser | now remains. | | | Antonio. | | 1376 | | (4). Matteo di Bartolo. | | 1380 | | (5). Nanni di Corsino. | | 1398 | | (6). Sano di Maestro | | | | Matteo. | | ” | | (7). Luca di Cecco. | | 1405 | | (8). Cecco di Giovanni. | | | | Fortune’s Wheel revolving with | | | | figures of men clinging to it. In | | | | the four corners of the picture are | | | | half-length portraits of Euripides, | | | | Seneca, Epictetus, and Aristotle. | | | | (Milanesi. _Documenti._ Vol. i., | | | | p. 177.) | | 1372 | 37 | | | | | The Arms of the Cities allied and | | | | friendly to Siena. (_Ditto._) | | 1373 | 34 | | | | | A Wheel, in the middle of which | | | | is the Imperial Eagle | | 1373(?) | 35 | | | | | | The Parable of the Mote and the | | | | Beam | | 1374–5 | 38 | | | | | Temperance | The frieze of zig-zags | 1380 | 17 | Prudence | and spikes which frames | ” | 18 | Christian Piety | the five figures Nos. 17–21, | 1406 | 19 | Justice | also dates from 1406. | ” | 20 | Fortitude. (_Mil. Doc._, vol. i., | | ” | 21 | (9). Marchesse d’Adamo p. 177) | | | | and the Comacene Masters | | | | in stone. | | | | King David the Psalmist. (_Siena | | | | (10). Domenico di Niccolo e il suo Territorio_, p. 205.) | | 1423 | 53 | del Coro. Goliath the Giant. (Ditto.) | | ” | 54 | ” The Young David with his Sling | The frieze inclosing | | | (Ditto.) | all these designs, together | ” | 55 | ” Judas Maccabeus | with No. 24, was inlaid | 1424 | 15 | ” Joshua and the King of the Amorites. | by (11) Agostino di Niccolo, | | | Ditto.) | and (12) Bastiano | 1426 | 22 | (13) Paolo di Martino. Samson. (Ditto.) | di Corso da Firenze, and | ” | 14 | ” Moses. (Ditto.) | completed in 1423. | ” | 16 | ” Joshua. (Ditto.) | | ” | 23 | ” | | | | A man, giving alms to a woman, | | | | carrying a child | | 1433 | 39 | Domenico di Niccolo | | | | del Coro. | | | | The Emperor Sigismund enthroned. | | | | Designed by (14) Domenico (_Mil. Doc._, vol. ii., p. 261.) | | 1434 | 13 | di Bartolo da | | | | Asciano. Executed by The Story of Absalom. (_Siena e | | | | (15) Giacomo d’Antonio. il suo Territorio._) | | 1447 | 12 | Designed by (16) Pietro | | | | del Minella. | | | | Solomon | | ” | 24 | | | | | The Parable of the Pharisee and | These three designs | | | the Publican | are in the doorways of | 1448 | 57 | A Jar, labelled _Fel_ (Gall) | the principal façade. | ” | 58 | A similar Jar, labelled _Mel_ | | | | (Honey) | | ” | 59 | | | | | Three designs before doors of | | | | Designed by (17) Nastagio Baptistery. (The Birth, Baptism, | | | | di Guasparre and and Reception of an Infant | | | | executed by (18) Bartolomeo Christian.) | | 1450 | | di Mariano, called | | | | _Il Mandriano_, and (21) | | | | Antonio Federighi. | | | | Design before the Porta del Perdono | | | | Designed by (19) Guasparre (Consecration of the | | | | d’Agostino and Duomo by Pope Alexander III. | | | | executed by (20) Corso [Bandinelli] in 1174.) | Now destroyed. | 1451 | | di Bastiano. | | | | The two Blind men. (_Mil. Doc._, | | | | Executed, after his own vol. ii., p. 437.) | | 1459 | 40 | design, by Antonio | | | | Federighi. | | | | | | | | The Relief of Bethulia by Judith. | The frieze of Reels | 1473 | 25 | Designed by (22) Urbano | around this design was | | | da Cortona(?) or by | executed by the said Urbano, | | | (23) Matteo di Giovanni | (24) Giovanni di | | | Bartoli.(?) Executed by | Maestro Stefano, (25) | | | Antonio Federighi. | Bartolommeo di Domenico | | | | Calabrone, and (26) | | | | Francesco di Bartolomeo. | | | | | | | The Seven Ages of Man | Around it is a frieze of | 1475 | 6 | Executed by Antonio | stags, by the same artist. | | | Federighi. | | | | The Massacre of the Innocents. | | 1481 | 26 | Designed by Matteo di | | | | Giovanni Bartoli. | | | | The Delphic Sibyl | | 1482 | 1 | Executed by (27) Giuliano | | | | di Biagio and (28) | | | | Vito di Marco. | | | | The Cumean Sibyl | | ” | 2 | Executed by (29) Luigi di | | | | Ruggiero, called | | | | _L’Armellino_, and Vito di | | | | Marco. | | | | | | | | The Cuman Sibyl | | ” | 3 | Giovanni di Maestro Stefano. | | | | The Erythrean Sibyl | | ” | 4 | Antonio Federighi. | | | | The Persian Sibyl | | ” | 5 | Urbano di Pietro da | | | | Cortona. | | | | The Sacrifice of Jephthah | | 1483 | 11 | Designed and executed | | | | by (30) Bastiano di | | | | Francesco di Sano. | | | | The Albunean Sibyl | Who executed these | ” | 28 | Designed by (31) Benvenuto | five Sibyls is not known, | | | Giovanni del Guasta. | but it seems possible | | | The Samian Sibyl | that, amongst other masters, | 1483 | 29 | Designed by Matteo di | Giuliano di Biagio may have | | | Giovanni Bartoli. | worked on them. | | | The Phrygian Sibyl | | ” | 30 | Luigi di Ruggiero, called | | | | _L’Armellino_(?) and Vito | | | | di Marco(?). | | | | The Hellespontine Sibyl | | ” | 31 | Designed by (32) Neroccio | | | | di Bartolommeo Landi. | | | | The Libyan Sibyl | | ” | 32 | Designed by (33) Guidoccio | | | | Cozzarelli. | | | | The Expulsion of Herod | The frieze of winged | 1484 | 27 | Designed by Benvenuto | lions which surrounds | | | di Giovanni del Guasta. | this picture, was designed | | | | by Bastiano di Francesco | | | | di Sano. Upon this picture | | | | and upon No. 26 | | | | (above-mentioned), the | | | | following artists were | | | | also employed: Vito di | | | | Marco, (34) Bernardino | | | | d’Antonio, (35) Cristofano | | | | di Pietro Paolo del | | | | Quarantotto, and Bartolomeo | | | | di Domenico Calabrone. | | | | | | | Mercurius Trismegistus | | 1488 | 33 | Designed by Giovanni | | | | di Maestro Stefano(?) | | | | An Allegory of Fortune. (_Mil. | | | | Doc._, vol. iii., p. 13.) | | 1505–6 | 36 | Designed by (36) Bernardino | | | | Betti, called _Pinturicchio_, | | | | and executed by | | | | (37) Paolo Mannucci. | | | | The Story of Elijah and Ahab | | | | | | | | Elijah’s Sacrifice | | 1518–24 | 41 | Designed by (38) Domenico | | | | Beccafumi, called The Compact between Elijah and | | | | _Mecherino_, and executed Ahab, each to prove the Truth | | | | at the same time by (39) of his Deity by Sacrifice | | | 42 | Bernardino di Giacomo, (40) | | | | Giovann’ Antonio Marinelli, The Slaughter of the False Prophets | | | | surnamed _il Mugnaino_, of Baal | | | 43 | (41) Giacomo, and (42) | | | | Bartolommeo di Pietro Gallo, Ahab’s Sacrifice | | | 44 | (43) Niccolo Filippi, and | | | | (44) Cristofano di Carbone. Elijah bids Obadiah bring Ahab | | | | to him | | | 45 | | | | | Ahab meets Elijah | | | 46 | | | | | Moses striking the Rock | | 1525 | 51 | | | | | Moses receives the Tables of the | | | | Law on Mount Sinai. (This picture | | | | is divided into six parts.) | | 1531 | 52 | | | | | (α) Moses receives the Tables of | | | | the Law. | | | | | | | | (β) The Hebrew People wait for | | | | Moses’ Descent from the Mount. | | | | | | | | (γ) The Destruction of the | | | | idolatrous Hebrews. | | | | | | | | (δ) Moses breaks the Tables of | | | | Stone. | | | | | | | | (η) The Hebrews sacrifice to the | | | | Golden Calf. | | | | | | | | (θ) The Hebrews compel Aaron | | | | to make them idols. | | | | | | | | The Story of Abraham’s Sacrifice. | | 1544–46 | 56 | Designed by Domenico At the side of this large picture, | | | | Beccafumi and executed which is placed before the High | | | | by Bernardino di Giacomo. Altar, and on either side of the | | | | Altar itself, are fourteen other | | | | small pictures, seven on each side. | | | | These represent: | | | | | | | | On the right: | | | | 1. Elisha raises the son of the | | | | Shunammite. | | | | | | | | 2. A Prophet, with an open book | | | | before him. | | | | | | | | 3. Eve kneeling. | | | | | | | | 4. A Woman, with an open book | | | | in her hand. | | | | | | | | 5. A Woman holding a hand-mirror, | | | | who represents “Prudence.” | | | | | | | | 6. Melchisedec Sacrificing. | | | | | | | | 7. A seated Woman, with a Child. | | | | | | | | On the left: | | | | 8. The old Tobit with his Son, and | | | | the Angel Raphael. At his feet | | | | a dog. | | | | | | | | 9. A Woman, representing “Charity.” | | | | | | | | 10. Adam kneeling. | | | | | | | | 11. A Prophet, looking up to | | | | Heaven. | | | | | | | | 12. A seated Woman, with a book | | | | in her hand. | | | | | | | | 13. Abel Sacrificing. | | | | | | | | 14. A Woman, in the act of sitting | | | | down, with a Child... | | | | Designed by Domenico The large picture and the smaller | | | | Beccafumi and executed ones are framed by a frieze of | | | | by (45) Pellegrino di half-length figures, which represent | | | | Pietro. the Hebrew People journeying | | | | from Egypt towards the Promised | | | | Land. | | | | | | | | Elijah fed by Ravens | These four designs are | 1780 | 47 | Designed by (49) Carlo Elijah anoints Jehu King of Israel | usually attributed, as is | ” | 48 | Amidei, and executed by Elijah asks bread of the Widow | stated in col. 5; but, as I | ” | 49 | (50) Matteo Pini. Elijah raises the Widow’s son | have argued at length in | ” | 50 | | chap. ii., it is not | | | | improbable that they were | | | | originally designed by (46) | | | | Gio. Battista Sozzini, and | | | | executed by (47) Niccolo | | | | di Girolamo Gori, (48) | | | | Domenico di Pier Giovanni, | | | | and Bernardino di | | | | Jacomo, in 1562. | | | | | | | Hope | Originally designed in | | 7 | Faith | 1780, by Carlo Amidei | | 8 | Charity | and Matteo Pini, but removed | | 9 | (See below.) Religion | in 1878. | | 10 |

In 1875–78, the scenes in the four lozenges, Nos. 47–50, by Carlo Amidei, being considered unsatisfactory, and the ancient scenes 38, 39, 40, being much dilapidated, (51) Professor Alessandro Franchi prepared four new designs of the same subjects for the lozenges, and three more subjects from the same story, for the three hexagons.

Namely: (a) Elijah predicts the manner of Ahab’s death. No. 39.[1]

(b) Ahab mortally wounded, No. 40.

(c) Elijah carried to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire, No. 38.

These designs were executed by (52) Prof. Leopoldo Maccari, with the assistance of the sculptors (53) Antonio and (54) Giuseppe Radicchi.

The same artists also, at the same date, designed and executed, respectively, the figures of the four Theological Virtues (Nos. 7, 8, 9, and 10), as we now see them.

I. GENERAL VIEW OF THE INTERIOR OF SIENA CATHEDRAL, SHOWING THE PAVEMENT]

* * * * *

... “Cast down thine eyes; ’Twere well for thee, to alleviate the way, To look upon the bed beneath thy feet.

* * * * *

So saw I there, but of a better semblance In point of artifice, with figures covered Whate’er as pathway from the mount projects.

* * * * *

Who e’er of pencil master was or stile, That could portray the shades and traits which there Would cause each subtile genius to admire? Dead seemed the dead, the living seemed alive; Better than I saw not who saw the truth, All that I trod upon while bowed I went.

_“La Divina Commedia” of Dante Alighieri, translated by H. W. Longfellow._

* * * * *

... Volgi gli occhi in giue; Buon ti sarà, per alleggiar la via, Veder lo letto delle piante tue.

* * * * *

Si vid’ io li, ma di miglior sembianza Secondo l’ artificio, figurato Quanto per via di fuor dal monte avanza.

* * * * *

Qual di pennel fu maestro o di stile, Che ritraesse l’ombre e i tratti, ch’ ivi Mirar farieno ogn’ ingegno sottile? Morti li morti, e i vivi parean vivi. Non vede me’ di me chi vide il vero, Quant’ io calcai fin che chinato givi.

_“La Divina Commedia” di Dante Alighieri, Il Purgatorio_, Canto xii. L. 13–15, 22–24, 64–69.

THE PAVEMENT MASTERS OF SIENA