Delphi Collected Works of Grant Allen, page 926
I have said little of these works, again, merely because they do not need explanation. What they most require is appreciative study. Observe in this hall the fine wooden ceiling.
Room VI. has a good collection of seals, and some singularly ugly Gobelins tapestry.
CHAPTER XI.
OR SAN MICHELE.
Half-way down the Via Calzaioli, on the right, as you go toward the Signoria, stood at the end of the thirteenth century a market or loggia of somewhat the same type as that still to be seen in the Mercato Nuovo. It was covered with a vaulted roof, supporting a granary (horreum), with a much-revered statue of Our Lady, and another of the Archangel Michael; whence the existing name, Or San Michele, or “Granary of St. Michael.” In 1350, the original loggia was altered into a church, preserving much the same shape, and with a strong vaulted roof, raised on powerful piers, so as to support the great grain-loft in two stories above it. This church was in particular the Shrine of the Trades, and, above all, of the Arts and Crafts of Florence. It stood close to the Palazzo Vecchio, or Palace of the Signoria, — that is to say, of the Guilds which had practically usurped the government of the city.
In the great plague of 1348, Florence suffered terribly. Many persons who had lost all their relatives in the pestilence, dying themselves, left their fortunes to a certain miraculous picture of Our Lady (by Ugolino da Siena) in Or San Michele which was greatly venerated. After the plague, again, several survivors also made rich thank-offerings for their preservation to the same Madonna. The sum thus accumulated was so enormous that the Company of Or San Michele commissioned Andrea Orcagna to build with it a costly shrine or tabernacle for the picture, which still remains one of the most splendid works of art to be seen in Florence.
GIOVANNA DA BOLOGNA. — ST. LUKE THE EVANGELIST.
If possible, choose a Thursday for this excursion; it is the day of the flower-market, when the Mercato Nuovo is seen to the greatest picturesque advantage. Turn out of the Via Tornabuoni, along the Via Porta Rossa, as far as the Mercato Nuovo. Observe its architecture, which, though much later in date (1514), will help you to understand that of Or San Michele. Then continue on into the Via Calzaioli, and go to Or San Michele itself, which stands on your left hand, looking less like a church than a square (or rather oblong) three-storied warehouse, — as in the point of fact it was, save for its ground floor. Notice, first, the beautiful architecture of this ground floor, — the church proper, — and then the windows and cornices of the granary above it. Observe the conjunction of round arches with Gothic detail. Walk round it once for the general effect. Then, return to the Via Calzaioli, to examine the niches and sculpture in detail. There are three niches at either end, east and west, and four on each side, north and south. The statues in the niches were each given by one of the guilds of craftsmen or professions. The arms of the various guilds who gave them are in circles above their gifts.
Begin on the east side, to the right. In the first niche stands St. Luke the Evangelist, by Giovanni da Bologna (1602); beneath it, his winged bull. This is the latest of the series, and was given by the Judges and Notaries. The second niche, itself a beautiful work by Donatello, well worthy of notice, contains a Christ and the doubting Thomas, by Verrocchio (1483), a very characteristic example of this great though rather dry sculptor; given by the Merchants. In the third niche stands St. John the Baptist of Florence, by Ghiberti (1414), with a robe covering his camel-hair garment; given by the Cloth Dealers. This is the ascetic saint in the desert. Note also the little figures between the niches, and those on the summits of the mullions in the windows.
On the south side, in the first niche, is St. John the Evangelist, by Baccio da Montelupo, (1515); given by the Silk Weavers. On the niche above, and in the circle, are the arms of the Guild. The second niche once contained a beautiful mediæval Madonna and Child, now removed to the centre of the church. Observe its architecture. Above it stands a charming Madonna and Child, by Luca della Robbia, in a dainty tabernacle. The third niche contains the statue of St. James, by Nanni di Banco; given by the Furriers. The little relief below represents the decapitation of the saint; that above, his assumption. On either side are the arms of the Company, quartering the lamb of St. John the Baptist. In the fourth niche is St. Mark the Evangelist, by Donatello (1413); given by the Joiners. Beneath his feet is his winged lion. In each case observe the architecture of the niches.
GHIBERTI AND MICHELOZZO. — ST MATTHEW.
Going to the west side, stand under the archway which connects the church with the Guildhall of the Guild of the Wool-Combers beside it. Over the shop behind you, notice the O. S. M., for Or San Michele, which you will observe abundantly on pictures and sculpture elsewhere. The Guildhall, with its beautiful wooden canopy, has the symbol of the Guild, the lamb and flag of St. John, many times repeated. In the first niche is St. Eligius (St. Eloy), the sainted blacksmith, by Nanni di Banco (a noble figure); given by the Farriers. Notice, in the niche, their symbol, the pincers. Beneath is a relief of St. Eligius in his forge performing a famous miracle: in order to shoe a refractory horse, he cut off its leg and then miraculously restored it. In the circle above, observe the pincers. In the second niche stands St. Stephen, by Donatello, in deacon’s robes, holding in his hand the stone of his martyrdom; above his head, the arms of the Guild of Wool-Weavers, which gave it, repeated also higher up in the circle. In the third niche is St. Matthew, by Ghiberti and Michelozzo, the gift of the Money-changers, whose patron he was (as he sat at the receipt of custom); above it, their arms; and, on either side, two charming figures composing an Annunciation, by Niccolò d’Arezzo (1400). Look up from this corner at the view of the building.
On the north side, in the first niche, is St. George, by Donatello, — a copy, — the original is in the Bargello; beneath it, a relief of the saint killing the dragon. In the second niche are the Quattro Santi Coronati, or Four Holy Craftsmen, Roman builders and sculptors of the early Church, martyred because they would not make images of pagan deities. (See Mrs. Jameson.) The figures are by Nanni di Banco. Beneath is a relief of the four saints in their workshop, engaged in sculpture and masonry; in the circle above, arms of the four trades who gave them, — Bricklayers, Carpenters, Smiths, and Masons, — whose implements may be seen in the four smaller circles — pincers, hammer, trowel, and angle. In the third niche, St. Philip, by Nanni di Banco, the gift of the Shoemakers; their arms above it. The fourth niche contains a figure of St. Peter the Apostle, with keys and book, a very youthful work by Donatello, still almost Gothic in character. It forms the starting-point for his later development. Trace him hence upward. (His early works here may be compared for drapery, etc., with those of Piero di Giovanni Tedesco from this very church in the Arcade at the Bargello. With the St. George, he throws off the Gothic style, and begins to feel his wings. Thence, see the Donatello room at the Bargello.) Above this figure, in the circle, are the arms of the Butchers, — a goat rampant, by Della Robbia.
Now, enter the church, by the second door to the right, on the west side. The interior is very peculiar. It is divided by piers in the centre into two aisles or passages, and has no regular nave, choir, or transepts. (This arrangement is probably borrowed from the original loggia.) All the frescoes in this church, attributed to Jacopo da Casentino (Landini), but probably by many assistants, are greatly faded and little discernible. Note, however, to the left as you enter, the namesake St. Michael, trampling on the dragon, with kneeling lady donor. Beneath, a curious fresco with the wild legend of the appearance of the saint on Monte Galgano. (See Mrs. Jameson.)
By far the most important object in this church, however, is the great Gothic Shrine, by Orcagna, which faces you at the end of the right aisle as you enter. This magnificent work occupied Orcagna for ten years, and was finished in 1359. Sit down in front of it for awhile, to take in its splendid architectural arrangement. It is a canopy in marble, inlaid with mosaic, gold, and lapis lazuli: and it is enriched with endless pinnacles, columns, and statuettes, in lavish profusion. The whole is clamped together with metal clamps; and though shaken and rent by earthquake, it stands firm and solid in its Gothic grandeur. Study the general scheme for some time before you proceed to examine the reliefs, which bridge over the gap between Andrea Pisano and Ghiberti. They are all by Orcagna.
Now, begin on the left-hand side to examine in detail the sculpture of the base. The reliefs on the altar represent episodes in the history of the Madonna, with the three theological Graces between them. On the left-hand side, in the centre, stands Faith. In the first panel, the Birth of the Virgin is represented with all the conventional details; in the second panel, the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, with the High Priest above, the Madonna (now headless) half-way up the steps, St. Joachim and St. Anna on either side, and the Virgins of the Lord in attendance close by, (Compare with the frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi and Giovanni da Milano at Santa Croce.) The piers at the angles, supporting the roof, have allegorical Virtues, after the Gothic taste of the period. On the front, in the centre, is Hope; in the first panel, the Marriage of the Virgin, where the attitudes of Joseph and Mary, the budded staff, the angry suitor striking, the impatient suitor breaking his staff, and all the details, are conventional. Compare with the frescoes. The arrangement persists as late as the Sposalizio by Perugino (now at Caen); imitated by Raphael (in the Brera at Milan), and by Luini at Saronno. (But it did not begin with Orcagna.) In the second panel is the Annunciation, also with the usual conventional features. Notice O. S. M., to right and left on the piers.
The picture over the altar, to contain which this marvellous work was built, was originally a Madonna and Child, with adoring angels, by Ugolino da Siena: the one which now replaces it is by Bernardo Daddi, somewhat after the fashion of the Cimabue in Santa Maria Novella, though of course with technical work in the style of the School of Giotto. Ugolino’s was the miraculous image which collected during the plague the money employed in building this Tabernacle. Lafenestre attributes the present altar-piece to Don Lorenzo Monaco: it is no part of my task to give critical opinions, but I confess I fail to see in it any mark of Don Lorenzo’s handicraft.
On the right side, in the centre, is Charity, with her flaming crown, nursing an infant. In the first panel is the Nativity, with announcement to the Shepherds; in the second panel, the Adoration of the Magi, where the figures and positions are again conventional. Do not omit such minor features as the beautiful angels on the frame of Daddi’s picture, nor the statuettes on the piers. The minor Virtues in relief below have their names inscribed upon them. At the back, below, in the centre, is a door to hold the relic; in the first panel, the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, where priest, altar, fire, etc., are all conventional; in the second panel, the Angel announcing the death of the Virgin. (Distinguish this subject from an Annunciation. In it, the angel bears three palms or seven stars.) The back, above, is occupied by a large relief of the Death and Assumption of the Madonna; below, Our Lady on her bier, with Christ receiving her soul, like a new-born baby; the Apostles in attendance, with other saints, to right and left, and adoring angels. Above is the Madonna in a mandorla, with aged features (very unusual), raised by angels; to the left, St. Thomas, with his hands raised to catch the Sacra Cintola, once held (I think) by the Madonna, but now broken off, with her thumb. (Perhaps it was in metal.) This is the original of the Nanni di Banco on the north door of the Cathedral, where, however, the two trees to the right are replaced by a tree and a bear. Compare them.
Do not rest satisfied with verifying this brief description alone, but sit long, and observe the other details, such as the candlestick angels at the corners, supported by beautiful inlaid twisted pillars, with lions and lionesses alternately on their bases. Note also in detail the exquisite decorative work of the friezes, piers, and arches; the beautiful scallop-shells; and the character of the inlay. Every portion of this gorgeous work deserves long and close study.
After looking at this magnificent masterpiece of Orcagna, it may be difficult for you to interest yourself in the other works in this singular church. The corresponding place in the left aisle is filled by the altar of St. Anne, erected in gratitude for that saint’s aid in the expulsion of Walter de Brienne, Duke of Athens. The usual conventional group of St. Anne holding on her knees the Madonna and Child is by Francesco di San Gallo. The central arch on the left contains a niche with the wonder-working Madonna from the outside of the church, transported hither in 1781, in order to preserve it from further injury by the weather. It is a regal crowned Madonna, almost recalling the French type, and is attributed to Simone Talenti(?). Of the frescoes, comparatively few can now be deciphered. Among the most noticeable are St. Bartholomew, with his knife, on the pier to the left of Orcagna’s shrine; beneath him, a predella of the flaying of the saint; under the next pier, a Trinity. The little scene below can be easily recognised. Under the last pier on the right is a St. George, which remotely suggested Donatello’s treatment; below it, the Combat with the Dragon. Under the last pier, in the centre, is St. Stephen, with his stone on his head; beneath, his martyrdom. Many of the others may be spelt out on bright mornings.
I advise you to sit for some time in this church, to observe its architecture and decoration, and also to familiarise yourself with the details of Orcagna’s great tabernacle.
CHAPTER XII.
SAN MINIATO.
It is not often at Florence that one reaches down to the very earliest stratum of Christian hagiology, as one so often does at Rome or Ravenna. Santa Reparata and San Zanobi, indeed, are local saints belonging to the period of the early persecutions; but the ancient church of Santa Reparata has given way before the progress of the cult of Our Lady to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, while the body of San Zanobi now reposes in a Renaissance shrine, all glorious from the hands of Lorenzo Ghiberti. At San Miniato del Monte, however, we do really come upon a saint of the earliest layer of Christian martyrology, still enshrined in a church of early date and of fine Romanesque architecture. Minias or Miniatus, according to the legend, was a prince of Armenia, who served Rome in the legions of Decius (about 254 A.D.). Accused of Christianity when the emperor was encamped outside the city of Florence, on the hill which now bears his name, Miniatus confessed the truth, and was condemned to be thrown to the beasts in the amphitheatre — who of course declined to harm him. The usual varied attempts to kill him which followed, all failed in the usual way; but at last he was beheaded, a fate which no saint, not even St. Denis, could ever permanently survive. From a very early period, it is probable that a church on this site covered his remains, which still exist here. The present basilica (such is its official title), a beautiful specimen of Tuscan-Romanesque architecture, dates in part from the year 1010. With the group of buildings about it, forming part originally of a Benedictine monastery, it is conspicuous from almost every part of the Lungarno. Choose a bright day on which to visit it. Read beforehand the legend of St. Benedict.
SAN MINIATO DEL MONTE.
Another saint, however, with whose history it is also necessary to be acquainted in order fully to understand San Miniato, is a much later one, San Giovanni Gualberto, the founder of Vallombrosa (985-1073). Giovanni was a member of a wealthy Florentine family. An assassin murdered his brother Hugo. By the custom of vendetta, which then universally obtained, Giovanni ought to have killed the murderer. As he mounted one Good Friday toward San Miniato, with armed followers, he unexpectedly met the murderer, defenceless, at a turn of the road. The assassin, taken by surprise, fell at his feet and begged for mercy, for love of Christ and Our Lady. Giovanni, moved by pity, forgave him, and went on to San Miniato, where he threw himself trembling before a crucifix. Instantly, the Christ on the cross nodded his head in approval. Deeply stirred by this incident, Giovanni became a Benedictine monk in the monastery of San Miniato: but afterward, finding the discipline too lax for him, he retired to Vallombrosa, where he founded a sterner and more ascetic order. The crucifix which performed the miracle, and many other mementoes of the saint, still remain at San Miniato. (See the beautiful legend in full in Mrs. Jameson.)
Remember, therefore, three things about this church: that it is the church of a Benedictine monastery, and therefore full of pictures of St. Benedict; that it is the church of the early local Armenian martyr San Miniato, over whose body it is raised; and that it was hallowed by its association with San Giovanni Gualberto.
Walk or drive as far as the Porta San Niccolò. Then take the zigzag path up the hill, as far as the Piazzale Michelangiolo, on the Viale dei Colli. From this point there is a fine view of Florence. In the centre of the Piazzale stands a copy in bronze of Michael Angelo’s David (at the Belle Arti), originally intended to replace the marble figure removed from outside the Palazzo Vecchio, but afterward placed in its present site because the dark background, which suited the marble, destroyed the effect of the bronze copy. At its base are similar copies of Day, Night, Dawn, and Dusk from the Tombs of the Medici at San Lorenzo.
The small church, among cypresses, a little farther up, is attached to the Franciscan monastery of San Salvatore al Monte; it was built by Cronaca in the year 1504. Its internal proportions are simple but pleasing. Above the High Altar is a Crucifixion, with St. Francis close to the Cross, and the Madonna and St. John. (The Franciscans always attach special importance to the cross and crucifix.) Over the left door is a Pietà, by Giovanni della Robbia. Notice throughout the Franciscan character of the decorations.
Continue up the hill as far as the fort, erected by Michael Angelo in 1529, and defended by him for eleven months against the imperial troops, who besieged the town to restore the Medici. Pass in by the gate of Michael Angelo’s fortress, with the Medici balls now triumphantly displayed on its doorway, and ring the bell at the door in front of you. (The custode expects a few soldi.) Stand on the platform in front of the church, to observe the façade and the Palace to the right of it (about 1294).
