eration. He was an
architect as well as sculptor, and was a master in his own right when
twenty years old, and in 1268 he went to Naples to design a church for
the Franciscans; he was also the architect of the episcopal palace
there.

After the death of his father the Pisans were anxious to retain Giovanni
in their service; he first transformed an old church into a new one in
the pointed style of architecture. It was named Santa Maria della Spina,
because a rich merchant had presented one of the thorns from the crown
of Christ to it. This was the first building in Italy of this style of
architecture. Giovanni next built the Campo Santo of Pisa. Many
shiploads of earth had been brought from Palestine to Pisa in order to
make a burial-place in which Christians could be laid in the sacred
earth. Giovanni Pisano inclosed the spot where this earth was laid with
walls and arranged the interior of the inclosure in such a way that it
could be extensively decorated with works of art. He made it the most
beautiful Campo Santo in Italy. Many of the sculptures are by his own
hand. (Fig. 81.)

This allegorical representation of Pisa was the first attempt at making
large statues in Italy since the days of the Emperor Constantine. The
city stands alone, and is a proud princess with a diadem, holding in her
arms two infants to indicate her fruitfulness. Below her are four
statues of the cardinal virtues, Temperance being a nude figure. It is a
very strange work, and in some respects not attractive, but it shows the
originality of the sculptor; the principal figure has much intensity of
expression.

[Illustration: FIG. 81.--CAMPO SANTO OF PISA. _Giovanni Pisano._]

From this monument and his other works in Pisa, Giovanni became famous,
and was called to Siena to build the front of the cathedral. The people
of Siena held out every inducement to him to make his home there, by
freeing him from taxes for life; but after three years he went to
Perugia, where he erected a monument which has been destroyed. After
this time he devoted himself entirely to sculpture, and executed a
variety of works at Arezzo, Pistoja, Florence, Perugia, and Cortona. In
1312 he commenced the rebuilding of the cathedral at Prato.

We have not the space to speak of his works in detail. The Campo Santo
has more of interest than the others, and is Romanesque in its
character; and yet it is true that he employed Gothic forms far more
than any other. Some authors