d cross
which he had sent to the Pope at Avignon, by means of his close
friend Giotto; accordingly he was commissioned to make in bronze one
of the doors of the church of S. Giovanni, for which Giotto had
already made a very fine design. This, as I say, was given to him to
finish, because he was considered the most talented, skilful, and
judicious master of all those who had worked until then, not only in
Tuscany, but throughout Italy. He set to work, resolved to spare
neither time, pains, nor diligence upon the completion of a task of
such importance. Fate was propitious to him in his casting, at a time
when men were ignorant of the secrets known today, so that in the
space of twenty-two years he brought the door to its present stage of
perfection; and what is more, at the same time he made not only the
tabernacle of the high altar of S. Giovanni, with an angel on either
side which were considered most beautiful, but also the small marble
figures about the base of the door of the campanile of S. Maria del
Fiore, after Giotto's design, and about that campanile, in certain
mandorle, the seven planets, the seven virtues, and the seven works
of mercy in small figures in half-relief, which were then much
admired. At the same time he made the three figures of four braccia
high, which were placed in niches in that campanile, on the side
towards the place where the Pupilli now are, that is towards the
south, figures which were considered at the time to be of
considerable merit. But to return to my starting-point, I say that
the bronze door contains scenes in bas-relief from the life of St
John the Baptist, from his birth to his death, most happily conceived
and executed with great care. And although many are of opinion that
these stories do not exhibit that fine design nor that high art which
should be put into figures, yet Andrea merits the highest praise,
because he was the first who undertook to complete a work which
rendered it possible for those who came after him to produce what is
beautiful, difficult and good in the other two doors, and in the
exterior ornaments now to be seen. This work was set in the middle
door of the church, and remained there until Lorenzo Ghiberti made
the present one, when it was removed and set up opposite the
Misericordia, where it is at the present time. I must not omit to say
that in making this door Andrea was assisted by his son Nino, who
afterwards became a much better master than his fa