, is the antechamber of that sacristy, which is held
to be very beautiful in invention, although the coffered ceiling, as
will be described, is not well distributed over the columns. The
same Cronaca also erected the Church of S. Francesco dell'
Osservanza on the hill of S. Miniato, without Florence; and likewise
the whole of the Convent of the Servite Friars, which is a highly
extolled work.

[Illustration: INTERIOR OF SACRISTY

(_After_ Simone [Il Cronaca]. _Florence: S. Spirito_)

_Alinari_]

At this same time there was about to be built, by the advice of Fra
Girolamo Savonarola, a most famous preacher of that day, the Great
Council Chamber of the Palace of the Signoria in Florence; and for
this opinions were taken from Leonardo da Vinci, Michelagnolo
Buonarroti, although he was a mere lad, Giuliano da San Gallo,
Baccio d' Agnolo, and Simone del Pollaiuolo, called Il Cronaca, who
was the devoted friend and follower of Savonarola. These men, after
many disputes, came to an agreement, and decided that the Hall
should be made in that form which it retained down to our own times,
when, as has been mentioned and will be related yet again in another
place, it was almost rebuilt. The charge of the whole work was given
to Cronaca, as a man of talent and also as the friend of the
aforesaid Fra Girolamo; and he executed it with great promptitude
and diligence, showing the beauty of his genius particularly in the
making of the roof, since the structure is of vast extent in every
direction. He made the tie-beams of the roof-truss, which are
thirty-eight braccia in length from wall to wall, of a number of
timbers well scarfed and fastened together, since it was not
possible to find beams of sufficient size for the purpose; and
whereas the tie-beams of other roof-trusses have only one king-post,
all those of this Hall have three each, a king-post in the middle,
and a queen-post on either side. The rafters are long in proportion,
and so are the struts of each king-post and queen-post; nor must I
omit to say that the struts of the queen-posts, on the side nearest
the wall, thrust against the rafters, and, towards the centre,
against the struts of the king-post. I have thought it right to
describe how this roof-truss is made, because it was constructed
with beautiful design, and I have seen drawings made of it by many
for sending to various places. When these tie-beams, thus contrived,
had been drawn up and placed at intervals