revented from giving equal attention to sculpture; but these studies
brought him and still bring him no less honour than sculpture could have
gained for him. For all these reasons he was so dear to the said Duke
Federigo, whose portrait he made both on medals and in painting, that
when he returned to his native city of Siena he found his honours were
equal to his profits.

For Pope Pius II he made all the designs and models of the Palace and
Vescovado of Pienza, the native place of the said Pope, which was raised
by him to the position of a city, and called Pienza after himself, in
place of its former name of Corsignano. These buildings were as
magnificent and handsome as they could be for that place; and he did the
same for the general form and the fortifications of the said city,
together with the palace and loggia built for the same Pontiff.
Wherefore he ever lived in honour, and was rewarded with the supreme
magistracy of the Signoria in his native city; but finally, having
reached the age of forty-seven, he died. His works date about 1480. He
left behind him his companion and very dear friend, Jacopo Cozzerello,
who devoted himself to sculpture and architecture, making some figures
of wood in Siena, and a work of architecture without the Porta a
Tufi--namely, S. Maria Maddalena, which remained unfinished by reason of
his death. To him we are also indebted for the portrait of the aforesaid
Francesco, which he made with his own hand; to which Francesco much
gratitude is due for his having facilitated the art of architecture, and
for his having rendered to it greater services than any other man had
done from the time of Filippo di Ser Brunellesco to his own.

[Illustration: THE RISEN CHRIST

(_After the bronze by =Lorenzo Vecchietto=. Siena: S. Maria della
Scala_)

_Alinari_]

A Sienese and also a much extolled sculptor was Lorenzo, the son of
Piero Vecchietti who, having first been a highly esteemed goldsmith,
finally devoted himself to sculpture and to casting in bronze; which
arts he studied so zealously that he became excellent in them, and was
commissioned to make a tabernacle in bronze for the high-altar of the
Duomo in his native city of Siena, together with the marble ornaments
that are still seen therein. This casting, which is admirable, acquired
very great fame and repute for him by reason of the proportion and grace
that it shows in all its parts; and whosoever observes this work well
can see that th