de, another larger ornament of extraordinary cost and
grandeur for the outer facade. The hall being awry and out of square,
this ornament was to reduce that outer side to a square form; and
there was to be a projection of six braccia right round the walls of
the Palazzo Vecchio, with a range of columns fourteen braccia high
supporting other columns, between which were to be arches, forming a
loggia below, right round the Palace, where there are the Ringhiera
and the Giants. Above this, again, was to be another range of
pilasters, with arches between them in the same manner, running all
the way round the windows of the Palazzo Vecchio, so as to make a
facade right round the Palace; and above these pilasters was to be yet
another range of arches and pilasters, after the manner of a theatre,
with the battlements of that Palace, finally, forming a cornice to the
whole structure.
Knowing that this was a work of vast expense, Baccio and Giuliano
consulted together that they should not reveal their conception to the
Duke, save only with regard to the ornament of the audience-chamber
within the hall, and that of the facade of Fossato stone on the side
towards the Piazza, stretching to the length of twenty-four braccia,
which is the breadth of the hall. Designs and plans of this work were
made by Giuliano, and with these in his hand Baccio spoke to the Duke,
to whom he pointed out that in the large niches at the sides he wished
to place statues of marble four braccia high, seated on
pedestals--namely, Leo X in the act of restoring peace to Italy, and
Clement VII crowning Charles V, with two statues in smaller niches
within the large ones, on either side of the Popes, which should
represent the virtues practised and put into action by them. For the
niches four braccia high between the pilasters, in the central facade,
he wished to make upright statues of Signor Giovanni, Duke Alessandro,
and Duke Cosimo, together with many decorations of various fantasies
in carving, and a pavement all of variegated marbles of different
colours.
This ornament much pleased the Duke, thinking that with this
opportunity it should be possible in time to bring to completion, as
has since been done, the body of that hall, with the rest of the
decorations and the ceiling, in order to make it the most beautiful
hall in Italy. And so great was his Excellency's desire that this work
should be done, that he assigned for its execution such a sum of money
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