ontract for the sacristy
is dated March I, 1452. It cost 600 ducats. He was at Ancona in 1451,
when he undertook the facade of the Loggia de' Mercanti, an ornate work,
which took eight years to build, and has several details resembling
those parts of the cathedral, Sebenico, which are ascribed to Massegna.
In 1556 it was burnt, and was restored by Tipaldi. Barnabei, a
contemporary writer, states that Giorgio also built the adjoining
Palazzo Benincasa. He must have gone backwards and forwards between
Italy and Dalmatia, for in 1455, while he was under contract with the
Sebenico authorities, he completed the fine facade of S. Francesco alle
Scale, Ancona, receiving a bonus of 70 ducats above the price, according
to Lando Feretti. The church was built in 1323. The monastery is now
half barracks and half hospital. Between 1455 and 1459, the facade of S.
Agostino in the same town was built as an addition to a church of 1338,
which also is now a barrack. The foliage, twisted columns, and canopies
are a good deal like the earlier work at Sebenico. In 1460, Giorgio
returned to Sebenico, but in 1464 and 1465 was at Ragusa, where he
helped in building the Torre Menze, and in restoring the palace of the
Rectors. The next year he was at Pago, improving and enlarging the
courtyard of the bishop's palace. It was the Bishop of Ossero, who
thought he was going to obtain the removal of the see to Pago, but
failed to do so. The facade of the cathedral at Ossero has been ascribed
to him, and there is nothing in its design to make his authorship
impossible. In the next year he undertook work on the facade of the
Cappella Grande of the parish church at Pago. In 1470 he went to Rome,
where his compatriot Giovanni Dalmato, the sculptor, of Trau, was at
work on the monument of Paul II. He went as representative of the
procurators to Paul II., in reference to certain charities left by
Bishop Vignacco, who died at Porto, near Rome. In 1472 it is stated that
he had let all the houses which he had in the Venetian dominions. In
this year he commenced the facade of S. Maria, Cittanova, in the
Marche. During his frequent absences from home, his Venetian wife
Elizabeth looked after his affairs, apparently having a power of
attorney. He had many pupils, some of whom continued to work on the
cathedral at Sebenico after his death in 1476.

The cost of the building is stated to have been 80,000 Venetian ducats
of gold. It was thoroughly restored between 1