similar to Legnago. San Michele being
then sought for with great insistence by Signor Francesco Sforza, last
Duke of Milan, the Signori consented to grant him leave, but for three
months only. Having therefore gone to Milan, he inspected all the
fortresses of that State, and gave directions in every place for all
that it seemed to him necessary to do, and that with such credit and
so much to the satisfaction of the Duke, that his Excellency, besides
thanking the Signori of Venice, presented five hundred crowns to San
Michele. And with this occasion, before returning to Venice, Michele
went to Casale di Monferrato, in order to see that very strong and
beautiful fortress and city, the architecture of which was the work of
Matteo San Michele, an excellent architect, his cousin; and also an
honoured and very beautiful tomb of marble erected in S. Francesco in
the same city, likewise under the direction of Matteo.

Having then returned home, he had no sooner arrived than he was sent
with the above-named Duke of Urbino to inspect La Chiusa, a fortress
and pass of much importance, above Verona, and then all the places in
Friuli, Bergamo, Vicenza, Peschiera, and others, of all which, and of
what seemed to him to be required, he gave minute information in
writing to the Signori. Having next been sent by the same Signori to
Dalmatia, to fortify the cities and other places of that province, he
inspected everything, and carried out restorations with great
diligence wherever he saw the necessity to be greatest; and, since he
could not himself despatch all the work, he left there Gian Girolamo,
his kinsman, who, after fortifying Zara excellently well, erected from
the foundations the marvellous fortress of S. Niccolo, over the mouth
of the harbour of Sebenico.

Meanwhile Michele was sent in great haste to Corfu, and restored the
fortress there in many parts; and he did the same in all the places in
Cyprus and Candia. Even so, not long afterwards--on account of a fear
that the island might be lost, by reason of the war with the Turks,
which was imminent--he was forced to return there, after having
inspected the fortresses of the Venetian dominion in Italy, to
fortify, with incredible rapidity, Canea, Candia, Retimo, and Settia,
but particularly Canea and Candia, which he rebuilt from the
foundations and made impregnable. Napoli di Romania being then
besieged by the Turks, what with the diligence of S. Michele in
fortifying it and fu