Massacre of the Innocents" and "The Martyrdom of S. Laurence." The
figure subjects are not very successful, the arabesques are better; but
the panels with open cupboard doors and objects within are not so well
done as Fra Giovanni's. The stalls were restored in 1868, and a good
deal of new work put in. The choir of the Cathedral of Savona was made
in 1500 by Anselmo de' Fornari, a native of Castelnuovo da Scrivia; Pope
Julius II. (della Rovere), who was born in the city, commissioned it.
The intarsias are on the elbows of the stalls, half-figures of saints
nearly life size, singly or in pairs, among which is a portrait of the
donor, with perspectives of palaces, temples, or interiors on the backs.
The lower stalls have less important subjects, such as censers,
chalices, vases of flowers, animals, armillary spheres, musical
instruments, etc. The cost of these stalls was 1132 scudi d'oro larghi
(10 francs each and a little more) half of which was paid by Julius
II. and half by the Commune of Savona. In the same Cathedral are a fine
lectern, an episcopal throne, two doors of the chapel of our Lady of the
Column, and a fine seat, the "banco dell' opera," commonly called
"Massaria." Upon such a seat sat anciently the four citizens elected by
the Commune to attend to the interests of the Church governed by them.
Within this bench were preserved the diplomas, statutes, and arguments
held to be most important to the greatness of the country. Anselmo de'
Fornari was helped by Elia de' Rocchi, and the commission was given to
them jointly on January 30, 1500, on which date Cardinal della Rovere
promised to pay 570 ducats towards the expenses.

[Illustration: _To face page 78._

Plate 36.--_Panel from lower row of Stalls, Cathedral, Savona._]

Another intarsiatore who worked with Fra Damiano was Giovanni Francesco
Capo di ferro of Lovere, on Lake Iseo. His masterpiece is the choir of
S. Maria Maggiore, Bergamo. When it was determined to commence it in
1521 the presidents of the church fabric sent to various cities of
Italy, especially to Milan, to consult over the model to be selected for
so important a work with the excellent painter and architect M. Bernardo
Zenale da Treviglio. In the archives of the Misericordia is a book
entitled "Fabbrica Chori," in which is noted the great expense of the
designs only, among which were some made by Lorenzo Lotto, by
Alessandro Bonvicini, called Il Moretto; Andrea Previtali, Giacomo de'
Scip