rmined
that the church begun by friar Elias should be made much larger and
more magnificent. But since there was a scarcity of good architects,
and as the work demanded an excellent one, it being necessary to
erect the building on a very high hill, round the base of which runs
a torrent called Tescio, a German master named Jacopo was brought to
Assisi after much deliberation, as being the best man who was then to
be found. After he had examined the site and understood the wishes of
the friars, who held a chapter general at Assisi for the purpose, he
designed a most beautiful church and convent, making it in three
stories. One of these was underground, while the two others served as
churches, the lower one to be a vestibule with a portico of
considerable size about it, the other as the church proper. The
ascent from the first to the second was managed by means of a very
convenient arrangement of steps, which encircled the chapel and which
were divided into two flights for the sake of greater comfort,
leading up to the second church. He built this in the form of the
letter T, making it five times as long as it was broad, dividing one
nave from the other by great stone pillars, uniting them with stout
arches, between which he set up the vaulting. This truly monumental
work then was carried out from such plans in every detail, except
that he did not use the Cross vaulting on the walls between the body
of the church and the principal chapel, but employed barrel vaulting
for the sake of greater strength. He afterwards placed the altar
before the principal chapel of the lower church, and when this was
finished he deposited the body of St Francis beneath, after a most
solemn translation. And because the tomb of the glorious saint is in
the first or lower church, where no one ever goes, and which has its
doors walled up, there is a magnificent iron railing about the altar,
richly adorned with marble and mosaic which permits the tomb to be
seen. On one side of the building were erected two sacristies and a
lofty campanile, five times as high as it is broad. Above it there
was originally a lofty spire of eight sides, but it was removed
because it threatened to fall down. The work was brought to a
conclusion in the space of four years and no more by the ability of
Master Jacopo the German, and by the industry of friar Elias. After
the friar's death twelve strong towers were erected about the lower
church in order that the vast erec