The art of living long / a new and improved English version of the treatise by the celebrated Venetian centenarian Luidi Cornaro ; with essays by Joseph Addison, Lord Bacon, and Sir William Temple.

  • Cornaro, Luigi, 1475-1566.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The art of living long / a new and improved English version of the treatise by the celebrated Venetian centenarian Luidi Cornaro ; with essays by Joseph Addison, Lord Bacon, and Sir William Temple. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    The health of the place was impaired by stagnant waters, for the drainage of which no means had as yet been provided; and he, who for those times was learned in hydrostatics, reduced the marshes to dry land, improved the condition of the atmosphere, and thereby caused a great increase in the number of settlers. He first built the parish church, dedicated to the prophet Zacharias. He then constructed a noble, though not very large, palace, with porticos and courtyards, as becomes a villa. All these buildings are the work of Giovanni Maria [Falconetto]. A majestic doorway forms the entrance to the palace. It has two Ionic columns on the sides, a rich cornice, and a majestic frontispiece, which bears, carved in the center of its upper part, a large eagle with wings outspread. This edifice has two stories; the first is vaulted, the second has rafted ceilings. The lower part of the church facade, — which is in Doric style, — as well as the doorway and windows, reminds one of the style of Fal- conetto. The altar bears the same character, and has a fine terra-cotta bas-relief of good workmanship, representing a scene in the life of the prophet Zacharias.” One cannot imagine where Temanza obtained his informa- tion about the priority of the building of the church, or the certainty that all these edifices were due to Falconetto, though his writings are decidedly of value; for, as early as 1802, vandal hands had begun to destroy these monuments. As good fortune would have it, in that very year, on the eighth of July, Brandolese happened to be there; and he gave to Count de Lazzara the following narrative of his experience: “I proceeded eagerly to Codevigo, to learn what remained there of Falconetto’s work. The church does not exist any more, except, as you know, the Doric part of the facade; and of these remains I admired the model and the elegance of different parts. On entering the church to see the altar, I found that the place where it used to exist was in the course of reconstruction, and saw the original pieces thrown carelessly on the ground. I in- quired what was to be the fate of this fine monument, and learned that it was to be reduced and refitted for a new chapel.