Vincenzo Foppa of Brescia, founder of the Lombard school, his life ...

^
Chap. IV. THE ANCONA OF PAVIA 95
was practically a gigantic reliquary rather than an altarpiece. On September
25 the engineer Pietro da Lonate' returned from Pavia, where he had
gone some days before in order to take measurements of the place where the
ancona was to be set up,^ and on the following day Gadio applies to Simonetta
for confirmation of the Duke's orders with regard to the placing of the
structure, being still uncertain as to whether it was destined for the chapel at
Pavia. He notes that in this work there are to be twenty-four arms and
devices carved in wood (all relating to the Sforza family), and he inquires
whether in these twenty-four are to be included the arms of the Duchess and
of the King of France, which by the Duke's orders had been introduced in
other works.
Some weeks later Gadio receives information that the ancona is destined
for Pavia, and moreover that the Duke wishes it to be in its place before
Christmas.'' Benedetto Ferrini, who, as we saw, had seriously retarded the
work, was now no longer at Milan, having gone to Savona, and Gadio was
therefore free to take the whole direction of affairs into his hands. He at
once added to the number of masters who were already at work upon the
carvings, but owing to the failure of Ferrini to give them the designs had
progressed very slowly. In the course of six weeks the work had made such
strides under Gadio's direction that he was able to boast, in writing to the
Duke, that more had been done in this short space of time than had been
accomplished by Ferrini in six months. He further assures Galeazzo that,
though feeling very ill with gout, he will have the woodwork sent to Pavia
and will go there himself to superintend the placing of the ancona.* On the
^ The same who some ten years earlier is constantly mentioned in connection with
works in the hospital : in 1463 he was engaged in preparing large and small windows
for this building from drawings by Filarete (Canetta, Cenni, p. 10 ; Cronologia, 9 and
10; and Meyer, op. cit., p. 94).
- This is mentioned in an unpublished letter of September 22 from Gadio to Simonetta.
Pietro was assisted in taking the measurements at Pavia by a Master Antonio Borro,
apparently one of the carvers, as it is stated that he had made part of the said ancona
("ha facto una parte della ditta anchona"). Gadio adds that Borro and one other were
the only masters at Milan capable of executing the carvings for this work. Considering
this lack of carvers at Milan and Gadio's desire to expedite the work, it is difficult to
understand why he should not have applied to some of the carvers of Pavia, of whom
there were many at this date. Among those known to us from numerous documentary
sources may be mentioned : Baldino de Surso, son of a Maestro Urbanino, and his
brother Andrea ;
Zanetto della Brusata of Ivrea, who was employed in Baldino's workshop
in 1476 ; and Maestro Luigi de Agatis, all of whom were working at Pavia between
1470 and 1480.
^
Beltrami, p. 309 note, letter of September 26.
* Arch, di St., letter of November 5, 1473.
^ Letter, November 5, 1473.