Ferrara, in the year 1461, for the Duke Borso; with many others, whom it would take too long to enumerate more particularly.[1] Filippo was unfortunate in some respects; for besides that he had always to be contending with one or another, many of his buildings remained unfinished in his own time, nor have they all been completed at any subsequent period. Among these fabrics was that of the church of the Angeli, and it is indeed much to be regretted, that the monks of the Angeli could not complete the building commenced by Filippo, since after they had spent, on what we now see, more than 3,000 scudi, received partly from the Guild of the Merchants, and partly from the Monte, where the funds were placed, the capital was squandered, and the church remained unfinished as it still continues. Wherefore, as we have remarked in the life of Niccolo da Uzzano,[2] he who desires to leave a memorial of his existence in this kind, let him do it for himself while he has life, and not confide the charge to any man, for what we have said of this church may be said of many other edifices planned by Filippo Brunelleschi.
- ↑ Gualandi, Memorie di Belle Arti, publishes several documents relating to these two masters. Antonio di Cristoforo and Niccolo di Giovanni Baroncelli, both Florentines, laboured together at Ferrara, where they produced various works in bronze. In 1443, Antonio was commissioned to make the model for an equestrian statue of the Marquis Niccolo da Este, in competition with Baroncelli. The two models being presented, that of Antonio was chosen; but in 1450 the two artists executed together the bronze figure of the Marquis Borso da Este, on a horse also of bronze. These statues were thrown down in 1796. For further details respecting these masters and their works, see Gualandi, ut supra, Serie iv, pp. 33-48, and Serie v, pp. 178-183.
- ↑ Bottari thinks it probable that Don Silvano Razzi, who took so large a part in these lives, may have written a “Life of Niccolo da Uzzano”, and cites it here perhaps, speaking in his own person. But Masselli considers the expression to be rather a slight inadvertence of the writer, who meant to say, “as related of Niccolo da Uzzano in the Life of Lorenzo di Bicci”, where the expression above repeated occurs.
