bsequently in
Pistoia, Pisa, and other places. And because Agostino practised
architecture as well as sculpture, it was not long before he designed
a palace in Malborghetto for the Nine who then ruled in Siena, that
is to say, in the year 1308. The execution of this work won the
brothers such a reputation in their native place, that, when they
returned to Siena after the death of Giovanni, they were both
appointed architects of the State, so that in the year 1317 the north
front of the Duomo was made under their direction, and in 1321 the
building of the wall of the porta Romana, then known as the porta S.
Martino, was begun from their plans in its present style, being
finished in 1326. They restored the Tufi Gate, originally called the
Gate of S. Agata all Arco, and in the same year the church and
convent of S. Francesco were begun from their design, in the presence
of the cardinal of Gaeta, the papal legate. Not long afterwards
Agostino and Agnolo were invited by means of some of the Tolomei who
were staying in exile at Orvieto, to make some sculptures for the
work of S. Maria in that city. Going thither they made in sculpture
some prophets which are now on the facade, and are the finest and
best proportioned parts of that celebrated work. Now in the year 1326
it chanced that Giotto was summoned to Naples by means of Charles,
Duke of Calabria, who was then staying in Florence, to do some things
in S. Chiara and other places there for King Robert, as has been
related in that master's life. On his way to Naples Giotto stopped at
Orvieto to see the work which had been executed there and which was
still being carried on by so many men, wishing to examine everything
minutely. But the prophets of Agostino and Agnolo of Siena pleased
him more than all the other sculptures, from which circumstance it
arose that Giotto not only commended them, but counted them among
the number of his friends, to their great delight, and further
recommended them to Piero Saccone of Pietramala, as the best
sculptors of the day, and the best fitted to make the tomb of Guido,
the lord and bishop of Arezzo, a matter referred to in the life of
Giotto. Thus the fact that Giotto had seen the work of many sculptors
at Orvieto and had considered that of Agostino and Agnolo of Siena to
be the best, gave rise to their being commissioned to make this tomb
after his designs and in accordance with the model which he had sent
to Piero Saccone. They finished t