Gruner, Ludwig [Editor]; Lose, Friedrich [Editor]; Ottolini, Vittore [Editor]: The terra-cotta architecture of North Italy: (XIIth - XVth centuries) ; pourtrayed as examples for imitation in other countries (London, 1867)

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Plates 5 & 6.] of San Gottardo^ in Milan. 25

The name of the architect of the church and campanile of San Gottardo
and of other fine buildings erected by order of Azzo Visconti, remained long
unknown. In our own day, Signor G. L. Calvi, a learned and diligent writer
on mediaeval art,1 has succeeded in discovering ' a slab anciently inserted in the
wall towards the base of the tower;' a slab on which, ' although coated by
repeated whitewashings,' he was able to decipher, ' Magister Franciscus de
Pecoraris de Cremona fecit hoc opus.'

It is to be deplored that the contiguous royal palace, by a barbarous
decree of the Spanish governor Ponze de Leon, has been defaced by a certain
Ambrogio Pessina, who substituted for the fine Lombardic style a clumsy
nondescript, destroying the noble windows of terra-cotta. This palace was
finally modernised by order of the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand, after designs
by Piermarini.

The magnificent sepulchral monument which enclosed the remains of
Azzo Visconti, was broken to pieces at the rebuilding of the church of San
Gottardo, but the fragments were preserved in Milan by the noble family of
Trivulzi. O.

1 Notizie suIla Vita e sulle Op'ere dei principali Scultori Visconti e degli Sforza, raccolte ed csposte da G. L.
e Pittori che fiorirono in Milano durante il governo dei Calvi. Milano, 1859.

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