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

Chap. IX. THE SITE OF POPPA'S HOUSE AT BRESCIA 225
once stood — " is given in Ser Venturino's lease drawn up by the notary Marco
Loda in 1455.'
Some remains of an old wall or tower may still
be seen in the basement of
a house formerly known as Casa Vergine, which stands at the corner of the
Via Trieste and Via di Porta Nuova. The
late Monsignor Fe d' Ostiani'-and Cavaliere
Pietro da Ponte, the greatest authorities
on Brescian topography, both identify
this with the remains of the "tower or
fort." If this identification be correct,
we should be justified in assuming that
the house now standing at the corner of
Via Pendente and Via di Porta Nuova
occupies the site of Foppa's house. It
lies to the south of Casa Vergine and
faces east into Via Porta Nuova, the
entrance being from the south in Via
Pendente.''
* See Libro Istro., f. 26, December 23, 1455,
and also f. 3, Investitura di Marco Bovarno,
whose house joined that of Venturino. As
these houses, like that of Foppa, were evidently
long leaseholds charged with rents payable to
the quarter, we may look upon these leases as
models of the agreements of other leaseholders
and may assume that Foppa's contract on purchasing
his house contained similar conditions.
Ser Matteo Caccia, therefore,
before selling the house would have given notice of his
intention to the administrators of the quarter, more especially having regard to the
transfer of the "livello" or rent charge. Having obtained their sanction, he would
then have had the contract drawn up incorporating a clause by which the purchaser
agreed to pay the same charge to the quarter as his predecessor, the amount of the
sum and the date of payment being noted. Foppa having become the owner of the
house handed a copy of the contract to the syndics of the quarter requesting them to
grant a new lease in perpetuity, which was done. By this act the syndics formally
recognized Foppa's rights as owner of the house, while the painter on his part, by
paying the above "livello," tacitly admitted the superior title of the quarter as owner
of the fee. Such leases were for life, and on the death of the holder had to be renewed
by the successor ; this at least was the rule, but often the heir allowed some years to
pass before fulfilling the necessary formalities. In the case of Foppa's heir, seven
years or more elapsed before the new lease was drawn up.
- Storia, etc., nelle Vie di Brescia, VI, p. 48.
^
We must, however, bear in mind that Capilupi in his MS. history of the quarter
Q
PLAN SHOWING THE SITE OF FOPPA'S HOUSE