udge the
labour of giving some little account of them. This church, then, the
architect of which was Antonio di Giorgio of Settignano, was forty
braccia long and twenty wide. At the upper end one ascended by four
treads, or rather steps, to a platform six braccia in extent, on
which stood the high-altar, with many ornaments carved in stone; and
on the said altar was a panel with a rich ornament, by the hand, as
has been related, of Domenico Ghirlandajo. In the centre of the
church was a partition-wall, with a door wrought in open-work from
the middle upwards, on either side of which was an altar, while over
either altar, as will be told, there stood a panel by the hand of
Pietro Perugino. Over the said door was a most beautiful Crucifix by
the hand of Benedetto da Maiano, with a Madonna on one side and a S.
John on the other, both in relief. Before the said platform of the
high-altar, and against the said partition-wall, was a choir of the
Doric Order, very well wrought in walnut-wood; and over the
principal door of the church there was another choir, which rested
on well-strengthened woodwork, with the under part forming a
ceiling, or rather soffit, beautifully partitioned, and with a row
of balusters acting as parapet to the front of the choir, which
faced towards the high-altar. This choir was very convenient to the
friars of that convent for holding their night services, for saying
their individual prayers, and likewise for week-days. Over the
principal door of the church--which was made with most beautiful
ornaments of stone, and had a portico in front raised on columns,
which made a covered way as far as the door of the convent--was a
lunette with a very beautiful figure of S. Giusto, the Bishop, and
an angel on either side, by the hand of the illuminator Gherardo;
and this because that church was dedicated to the said S. Giusto,
and within it those friars preserved a relic of that Saint--that is,
an arm. At the entrance of the convent was a little cloister of
exactly the same size as the church--namely, forty braccia long and
twenty wide--with arches and vaulting going right round and
supported by columns of stone, thus making a spacious and most
commodious loggia on every side. In the centre of the court of this
cloister, which was all neatly paved with squared stone, was a very
beautiful well, with a loggia above, which likewise rested on
columns of stone, and made a rich and beautiful ornament. In this
cloist