most beautiful that there had been in the world up
to that time. And he added to it a staircase, by which it might be
possible to go into S. Pietro, so commodious and so well built that
nothing better, whether ancient or modern, has yet been seen; and
likewise the Pauline Chapel, where the Sacrament has to be placed, which
is a work of extraordinary charm, so beautiful and so well proportioned
and distributed, that through the grace that may be seen therein it
appears to present itself to the eye with a festive smile.

Antonio built the Fortress of Perugia, at the time when there was
discord between the people of that city and the Pope; and that work, for
which the houses of the Baglioni were thrown to the ground, was finished
with marvellous rapidity, and proved to be very beautiful. He also built
the Fortress of Ascoli, bringing it in a few days to such a condition
that it could be held by a garrison, although the people of Ascoli and
others did not think that it could be carried so far in many years;
wherefore it happened that, when the garrison was placed in it so
quickly, those people were struck with astonishment, and could scarce
believe it. He also refounded his own house in the Strada Giulia at
Rome, in order to protect himself from the floods that rise when the
Tiber is swollen; and he not only began, but in great part completed,
the palace that he occupied near S. Biagio, which now belongs to
Cardinal Riccio of Montepulciano, who has finished it, adding most
ornate apartments, and spending upon it vast sums in addition to what
had been spent by Antonio, which was some thousands of crowns.

But all that Antonio did to the benefit and advantage of the world is as
nothing in comparison with the model of the venerable and stupendous
fabric of S. Pietro at Rome, which, planned in the beginning by
Bramante, he enlarged and rearranged with a new plan and in an
extraordinary manner, giving it dignity and a well-proportioned
composition, both as a whole and in its separate parts, as may be seen
from the model made of wood by the hand of his disciple, Antonio
L'Abacco, who carried it to absolute perfection. This model, which gave
Antonio a very great name, was published in engraving after the death of
Antonio da San Gallo, together with the ground-plan of the whole
edifice, by the said Antonio L'Abacco, who wished to show in this way
how great was the genius of San Gallo, and to make known to all men the
opinion of t