The text below is a part of the biography of Michele Sanmicheli (1484-1559), by Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574) in his Le vite de’ più eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architettori — The lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors and architects — from 1568.

In particular, it is the part related to the construction of the Forte di Sant’Andrea.

The original Florentine text is reproduced after the translation.

Sanmichele and the Sant’Andrea fortress

Then, when Sanmichele returned to Venice, where he was highly praised for the work he had done in the Levant in service of that republic, they decided to build a fortress on the Lido, that is, at the mouth of the port of Venice. They entrusted Sanmichele with this project, telling him that if he had accomplished so much far from Venice, he should consider how much he owed in a matter of such importance, and that it would forever be under the eyes of the Senate and many noblemen.

Moreover, they expected from him, in addition to the beauty and strength of the work, extraordinary skill in securely founding it in a marshy place, surrounded by the sea on all sides and exposed to tides and currents, a structure of great significance.

Therefore, since Sanmichele had not only created a most beautiful and secure model, but had also conceived a way to put it into effect and establish it, he was instructed to commence work without delay; and so, having received from those gentlemen all that was necessary, and having prepared the materials, filled in the foundations, and in addition driven many piles in a double row, he set to work with a very large number of men skilled in those waters to carry out the excavations, and to ensure, with pumps and other instruments, that the water was kept at bay, as it was always seen rising from beneath because the site was in the sea.

One morning, in order to make every effort to begin the foundation, having gathered as many capable men as possible, and all the porters of Venice, with many of the nobles present, suddenly, with incredible swiftness and diligence, they subdued the waters for a short while, so that at once the first stones of the foundations were laid upon the prepared piles; these stones, being very large, occupied a great space and provided an excellent foundation.

And so, continuing without wasting time, to keep the waters drained, the foundations were almost completed in a moment, contrary to the opinion of many, who believed that work to be completely impossible.

After the foundations were laid and allowed to rest sufficiently, Michele built upon them a formidable and marvellous fortress, walling it completely on the outside in a rustic style with enormous Istrian stones, which are extremely hard and can withstand wind, frost, and all bad weather. Therefore, this fortress is not only remarkable in relation to the site on which it is built, but also for the beauty of its walls, the incredible expense of the most impressive construction in Europe today, and it represents the majesty and grandeur of the most famous works produced since the greatness of the Romans.

Because, besides other things, it seems entirely made of one stone, and as if a mountain of solid rock had been carved, it was given that shape, so enormous are the stones of which it is built, and so well joined and fitted together, not to mention the other ornaments, nor the other things that are there, for it could never be said enough to suffice.

Inside, Michele then built a square with sections of pillars and arches, in a rustic style, which would have been a very rare achievement if it had not remained unfinished.

Since this very large construction was brought to completion, as has been said, some malicious and envious people told the signoria that even though it was very beautiful and made with all considerations, it would nevertheless be useless in every need, and perhaps even harmful: because in discharging the artillery, given the great quantity and the size required by the place, it was almost inevitable that it would open up entirely and collapse. Therefore, it seemed prudent to those gentlemen to clarify this matter, as it was of great importance, so they caused a very large quantity of artillery, including the most enormous pieces available in the Arsenal, to be brought there.

And after they had filled all the cannons below and above, and loaded them even more than usual, they were all fired at once, producing such noise, thunder, and earthquake that it seemed as if the world had been destroyed, and the fortress, with so many fires, looked like a volcano and an inferno; yet, nonetheless, the building remained in its same firmness and stability; the most illustrious senate recognized the great worth of Sanmichele, and the wicked, confused and without judgment, who had instilled such fear in everyone that pregnant noblewomen, fearing some great calamity, had left Venice.

Related articles

• The fortress of Sant’Andrea
• Chronology of the Fortress of Sant’Andrea

Localities

Original text

Ritornato poi il san Michele a Vinezia, doue fu molto lodato per l’opera fatte in Leuante in ſervigio di quella Republica, deliberarono di fare vna fortezza ſopra il Lito, cio è alla boccha del porto di Vinezia, perche, dandone cura al ſan Michele, gli diſſero, che ſe tanto haueua operato lontano di Vinezia, che egli penſaſſe quanto era ſuo debito di fare in coſa di tanta importanza, & che ineterno haueua da eſſere in ſu gli occhi del ſenato e di tanti ſignori.

E che oltre ciò ſi aſpettava da lui, oltre alla bellezza e fortezza dell’opera, ſingolare induſtria nel fondare ſicuramente in luogo paludoſo, faſciato d’ogni intorno dal mare, e berſaglio dei fluſſi e rifluſſi, vna macchina di tanta importanza.

Hauendo dunque il san Michele non pure fatto un belliſſimo, e ſicuriſſimo modello, ma anco penſalo il modo da porlo in effetto, e fondarlo, gli fu commeſſo che ſenz’indugio ſi metteſſe mano a lauorare; onde egli hauendo hauuto da que’ ſignori tutto quello che biſognaua, e preparata la materia, e ripieno de’ fondamenti: e fatto oltre ciò molti pali ficcati con doppio ordine, ſi miſe con grandiſſimo numero di perſone perite in quell’acque a fare le cauazioni, & a fare che con trombe, & altri inſtrumenti ſi teneſſero cauate l’acque, che ſi vedeuano ſempre di ſotto riſorgere per eſſere il luogo in mare.

Vna mattina poi, per fare ogni sforzo di dar principio al fondare, hauendo quanti huomini a cio atti ſi potettono hauere, e tutti i facchini di Vinezia, e preſenti molti de’ ſignori, in vn ſubito, con preſtezza, e ſollecitudine incredibile, ſi vinſero per vn poco l’acque di maniera, che in vn tratto ſi gettarono le prime pietre de’ fondamenti ſopra le palificate fatte, le quali pietre eſſendo grandiſsime, pigliarono gran ſpazio, e fecero ottimo fondamento.

Et coſi continuandoſi ſenza perder tempo, a tenere l’acque cavate, ſi fecero quaſi in vn punto que’ fondamenti contra l’openione di molti, che haueuano quella per opera del tutto impoſſibile.

I quali fondamenti fatti, poi che furono laſciati ripoſare a baſtanza, edificò Michele ſopra quelli vna terribile fortezza, e merauiglioſa, murandola tutta di fuori alla ruſtica con grandiſſime pietre d’Iſtria, che ſono d’eſtrema durezza, e reggono a i uenti, al gielo, & a tutti i cattiui tempi, onde la detta fortezza oltre all’eſſere merauiglioſa, riſpetto al ſito nel quale è edificata, è anco per bellezza di muraglia, e per la incredibile ſpeſa delle più ſtupende, che hoggi ſiano in Europa, e rappreſenta maeſtà, e grandezza, delle più famoſe fabbriche fatte dalla grandezza de’ Romani.

Imperocché oltre all’altre coſe, ella pare tutta fatta d’un ſaſſo, & che intagliatoſi vn monte di pietra viua, ſe gli ſia data quella forma, cotanto ſono grandi i maſſi di che è murata, e tanto bene vniti, e commeſſi inſieme, per non dire nulla degl’altri ornamenti, ne dell’altre coſe che vi ſono, eſſendo che non mai ſe ne potrebbe dir tanto, che baſtaſſe.

Dentro poi vi fece Michele vna piazza con partimenti di pilaſtri, & archi, d’ordine ruſtico, che ſarebbe riuſcita coſa rariſſima, ſe non fuſſe rimaſta imperfetta.

Eſſendo queſta grandiſſima macchina condotta al termine, che ſi è detto, alcuni maligni, & inuidioſi diſſero alla ſignoria, che ancor ché ella fuſſe belliſſima, e fatta con tutte le conſiderazioni, ella ſarebbe nondimeno in ogni biſogno in utile, e forſe anco dannoſa, percioche nello ſcaricare dell’artiglieria, per la gran quantità, e di quella groſſezza, che il luogo richiedeua, non poteua quaſi eſſere, che non ſ’apriſſe tutta, e rouinaſſe, onde parendo alla prudenza di que’ ſignori, che fuſſe ben fatto di cio chiarirſi, come di coſa, che molto importaua, fecero condurui grandiſſima quantità d’artiglieria, e delle più ſmiſurate, che fuſſero nell’Arſenaie.

Et empiute tutte le cannoniere di ſotto, e di ſopra, et caricatole ancho più che l’ordinario, furono ſcaricate tutte in vn tempo, onde fu tanto il rumore, il tuono, & il terremoto che ſi ſenti, che parue che fuſſe rovinato il mondo: e la fortezza con tanti fuochi pareva vn mongibello, & vn’inferno; ma non per tanto, rimaſe la fabbrica nella ſua medeſima ſodezza, e ſtabilità; il ſenato chiariſſimo del molto valore del san Michele, & maligni ſcornati, e ſenza giudizio, i quali haueuano tanta paura meſſa in ognuno, che le gentil’ donne grauide, temendo di qualche gran coſa, ſ’erano allontanate da Vinezia.

Vasari (1568), vol. 3, part 2, p. 514–516.