ohn and Paul, the martyrs, in so inferior a style
to the others mentioned above that it is quite clear that at that
time, art had all but entirely disappeared. The edifices erected in
Tuscany at the same time bear out this view to the fullest extent.
The church outside the walls of Arezzo, built to St Donato, bishop of
that city, who suffered martyrdom with Hilarion the monk, under the
same Julian the Apostate, is in no way superior to the others, and
this is only one of many. It cannot be contended that such a state of
affairs was due to anything but the lack of good architects, since
the church in question, which is still standing, has eight sides, and
was built of the spoils of the theatre, colosseum and other buildings
erected in Arezzo before it was converted to the Christian faith. No
expense has been spared, its columns being of granite and porphyry
and variegated marble which, had formerly adorned the ancient
buildings. For my own part, I have no doubt, seeing the expense
incurred, that if the Aretines had been able to employ better
architects they would have produced something marvellous, since what
they actually accomplished proves that they spared themselves nothing
in order to make this building as magnificent and complete as
possible. But as architecture had lost less of its excellence than
the other arts, as I have often said before, some good things may be
seen there. At the same period the church of S. Maria in Grado was
enlarged in honour of St Hilarion, who had lived in the city a long
time before he accompanied Donato to receive the palm of martyrdom.
But as Fortune, when she has brought men to the top of the wheel,
either for amusement or because she repents, usually turns them to
the bottom, it came to pass after these things that almost all the
barbarian nations rose in divers parts of the world against the
Romans, the result being the abasement of that great empire in a
short time, and the destruction of everything, notably of Rome
herself. That fall involved the complete destruction of the most
excellent artists, sculptors, painters and architects who abandoned
their profession and were themselves buried and submerged under the
debris and ruins of that most celebrated city. The first to go were
painting and sculpture, as being arts which served rather for
pleasure than for utility, the other art, namely architecture, being
necessary and useful for the welfare of the body, continued in use,
but no