82 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



LMabch, 



liowcveiv tlioufrlit proper to disobey tliese commands, in conse- 

 <iuence of wliich lie was dismissed, and Vignola remained aa sole 

 architect, and he so continued for the space of nine years, up to 

 the time of his death. The lateral cupolas are his, and are well 

 worthy of his master-hand. Milizia's praise of them is as concise 

 as it is expressive: " i'ono ilel J'ii/iiulu e sonn helle!" I am inclined 

 to the opinion, that no other part of St. Peter's was designed by 

 Vignola, luit that he merely put in execution the designs of his 

 great jiredccessor. 



Throiigli the patronage of Cardinale Alexandre Famese, Vig- 

 nola was appointed architect to design the important Church of 

 the Jesuits. This great work was commenced in 15G8, its plan is 

 tliat of a Latin cross, the length is 216 feet, and the width 1 15 feet. 

 The building was only carried up as far as the cornice by Vignola, 

 it was completed by Giacomo della Porta, or according to Milizia, 

 ^''11 restnfii fsayeriito (In Giacomo dclla Porta." 



The garden front of the Palazzo dei Fiorentini, in Campo Marzo, 

 is attributed to \'ignola; it is a graceful composition, and has lately 

 formed the subject of a work by Cavalieri Folchi, a copy of which 

 has been presented to the Institute by the author during the pre- 

 sent session. 



The two lateral loggie of the Capitol are attributed to Vignola 

 by Letarouilly; they are of extreme grace and simplicity, and their 

 effect considerably enhanced by the grand flights of steps upon 

 which they rest. 



The Porta del Popolo is also said to be by Vignola; it is not, 

 however, a very first-rate production, and I am not particularly 

 anxious to claim it for my favourite. Some contend that the front 

 only towards the Via Flaminia is by Vignola, and that towards the 

 city by Michael Angelo. 



I am not aware that there are any other important works at 

 Rome by Barozzi requiring notice. Mr. Donaldson has suggested 

 that parts of the Villa d'Este at Tivoli, particularly the central 

 loggia of the front next the gardens, are by his hand, and 1 am 

 inclined to the same opinion. 



Of Vignola's works at Bologna, my friend Mr. Newman, who 

 was there last year, has kindly lent me a sketch of the Loggia dei 

 Banchi, a wing of San Petronio. Mr. Newman is of opinion, that 

 the facade was altered only, and not altogether designed, by Vig- 

 nola; the lower pilasters without bases, and the proportion of the 

 arches, induce a belief that the upper part alone must be attri- 

 buted to our great master. Mr. Newman has also kindly furnished 

 me with a powerful sketch of the palace built for Achille Bocchi. 

 This is a noble production, and a glorious example of Vignola's 

 genius for the grand and sublime, as well as the refined and ele- 

 gant. Its massive grandeur reminds us of the Florentine palaces. 



Of the great church, Santa Maria degli Angeli, at Assisi, I regret 

 I cannot speak from personal observation, but the difficulty has 

 been obviated through the untiring kindness of our friend Donald- 

 son, he having furnished me with a plan of the building taken by 

 himself in the year 1918. The dimensions are immense ; the extreme 

 length inside the walls being no less than 347 feet, and the width 

 180 feet, but notwithstanding this colossal size, I am far from con- 

 sidering it, in point of architecture, as the greatest work of Vig- 

 nola; the plan presenting no new or striking features, and effect 

 appearing to have been produced by magnitude alone. The first 

 stone was laid 25th March, 1569, only four years before Vignola's 

 death, and Alessi and Giulio Danti are said to have had the super- 

 intendence of the building after V^ignola's designs. 



In the year 1832 this church was considerably damaged by an 

 earthquake, but it has been since repaired, and at the present time, 

 is not merely celebrated as the work of Vignola, but as containing 

 a superb fresco, " The Vision of St. Francis," a capo d'opera by 

 one of our own century, Overbeck ! 



Of the great Ducal palace at Placenza, 1 have no illustration. 

 My friend Mr. Falkener infm-ms me that it is by no means one of 

 Vignola's finest jiroduitions. I will proceed tlierefore to bring 

 before the notice of the meeting Barozzi s greatest w ork, Caprarola I 



Near to Viterbo, and distant about twenty-six miles from Rome, 

 stands this capo d'opera of Vignola. The situation on the sides 

 of Monte Cimino is wild and romantic, commanding magnificent 

 views on all sides, and presenting the most striking points as the 

 spectator approaclies. The bold and rugged site no doubt influenced 

 the architect in giving that fortress-like character to his building, 

 alike suitable to the situation and to the stormy and turbulent 

 times in which it was l)uilt. 



\'asari says that the original design for the fortress of Caprarola 

 was by Antonio San Gallo, who had much practice in engineering 

 and military architecture. 1 do not consider that this circumstance 

 at all detracts from the merit of Vignola's subsequent share of the 



design, for it must have acquired as much (if not more) skill, to 

 adapt his palace to San Gallo's foundations, as to have originated 

 the palace-fortress itself. 



The plan is pentagonal, with bastions at the angles, and while 

 thus partaking of a military character, the architecture of the ele- 

 vation is civil and ])alatial. Terrace surmounts terrace, the one 

 communicating with the other by noble wide flights of steps. The 

 basement is raised upon its sub-basement, excavated from the solid 

 bed of rock, while two beautiful orders, towering proudly above 

 these masses surmount the ])ile. (Jrandeur and sublimitV reign 

 without ; beauty, grace, and harmony preside within. Well, 

 indeed, might old Daniel Barbaro exclaim, when the first view 

 burst upon him, '■'■La presenza e muggiur delta fania." 



The arrangement of the plan is a masterpiece of skill; the 

 circular court one of the most charming and harmonious compo- 

 sitions ever devised. The spiral staircase, with its ascending 

 stories of columns and pilasters, perhaps unrivalled in the world; 

 and w hile we gaze in admiration at the expanse of mind which 

 conceived so great a work, our eye, as well as our imagination and 

 taste, are more than satisfied with the exquisite refinement and 

 purity of the details. Many years have now passed since I saw 

 this grand specimen of Italian architecture; but I have a most 

 vivid recollection of the strong feeling of admiration it produced 

 on myself and fellow travellers. 



Giorgio Vasari, in his 'Life of Taddeo Zucchero,' has given a 

 minute account of this celebrated building, describing the various 

 apartments with their superb embellishments by the brothers 

 Zuccheri and by Tempesta, as well as several perspective views by 

 Vignola's own liand. 



In Le Bas and Debret's work upon the edifices of Vignola will 

 be found the most architectural account of Caprarola. Some of 

 the decorative paintings are given by De Prenner, in a fine work 

 entitled 'Illustri Fatti Farnesiani; and the plans and sections 

 and elevations will be found also in Rossi's "Studio d'Architettura 

 Civile,' and in Percier and Fontaine's 'Maisons de Plaisance de 

 Rome." These celebrated French architects have also included 

 the building in the grounds termed La Palazzina, the refined 

 beauties of which are most elegantly and faithfully represented by 

 them. The happy expression of Vasari with respect to the Villa 

 Farnesiaua at Rome, '•^Non mtirato ma verameitte nato," would in 

 all respects apply to this Palazzina, one of the most exquisite 

 creations of the refined taste and imagination of Vignola. 



I have already made some mention of the part Vignola took in 

 the designs for the Escurial; how far that gigantic royal convent 

 has been erected according to the design furnished by our archi- 

 tect, it is difficult to say. The plan now exhibited belongs to Mr. 

 Donaldson, who, following Milizia, attributes the design to Juan 

 Battista di Toledo. It appears that the palatial bears but a small 

 proportion to the ecclesiastical part of the edifice, which, as a 

 whole, has not been unhappily described by Beckford as being "at 

 once a temple, a palace, a convent, and a tomb." 



Vignola has not merely instructed us by his executed works, but 

 he has left a guide for all time in his admirable treatise upon our 

 art. To him we are indebted for rules, proportions, and maxims, 

 the result of a careful study of the architectural remains of 

 ancient Rome; and, although this great master has founded his 

 orders upon the antique models, he was no servile copyist or imi- 

 tator, but proved himself as eminently successful in his original 

 productions as he w as in his adaptation of the remains of antiquity. 

 His beautiful and original introduction of consoles connecting with 

 the modillions in a crowning cornice has been frequently imitated 

 in continental buildings, and in our own country by M'ren, at St. 

 Paul's, as well as by many other of our principal architects of the 

 past and present day; his playful adaptation of ornaments over 

 his doors and windows, and his ingenious and bold application of 

 rustics, afford us examples of originality well deserving our atten- 

 tion and study. 



In some valuable remarks on the genius of this great artist, 

 I entirely concur with Mr. Cockerell, who has observed that 

 "Vignola was sparing in the use of the orders, not lavishly em- 

 ploying them in a vulgar and common manner, but applying them 

 rather as precious decorations to be tenderly and delicately treated; 

 he relied much upon his door and window dressings, making his 

 window openings extremely small, thus giving great breadth and 

 scale to his facades. The introduction and treatment of rustics 

 in his portones is most masterly, frequently uniting them with the 

 stringcourse of the piano noliile. For his door and window 

 dressings he stands unrivalled." 



It is too much the fashion of the day to underrate the value nf 

 the study of Classic architecture and its revival under the great 



