The Cathedral Builders: The Story of a Great Masonic Guild

by Leader Scott

Another long list of names from the books, given between 1500 and 1550 by Merzario, proves that the Comacines still reigned supreme in the laborerium, the Solari family preponderating.

As if to connect the last link in the chain with the first, we find the old family of Bono da Campione still prominent. For nearly thirty years, i.e. between 1618 and 1647, Magister Gian Giacomo Bono da Campione sculptured in the laborerium of the Duomo, and there his son Francesco was trained, besides two kinsmen—Carlo Antonio Bono, painter and sculptor, and his son, Giuseppe. All this family worked together in the seventeenth century at the façade of the cathedral, designed by Pellegrini. The fine central door was the work of Gian Giacomo Bono and Andrea Castelli, both Comacines by birth.

As for the names of other Comacines who worked at the façade and on the wondrous roof, one finds them by hundreds in the annals of the Duomo, as collected by Giulini in his Memorie della Città e Campagna di Milano. Here you see names repeated which have been familiar in the guild for centuries; such as the Bono and Solari families, and Luca Beltrami, who worked at the façade in the seventeenth century, and whose ancestors were architects at Modena and Parma two hundred years earlier.

II.—The Certosa of Pavia

MAGISTRI AT THE CERTOSA OF PAVIA

1.	1396	Magister Bernardo da Venezia		These two were the first architects. C.M. for the actual building.
2.	"	M. Jacopo da Campione		C.M. at Milan to visit and superintend.
3.	"	M. Giovanni da Grassi (Graci)		Two of the Duke's architectsfrom Milan, who were alsocalled into council on the first plans.
4.	"	M. Marco da Carona
5.	"	M. Cristoforo da Lonigo		Drew a design for the churchof the convent.
6.	"	M. Domenico Bossi da Campione		Assisted in laying thefoundations.
7.	"	M. Giovanni da Campione (called Bosio)		Sculptured slabs for threereliquaries.
8.	1397	M. Antonio di Marco		Son of Marco Carona daCampione: C.M. of Milan; calledfrom Crema to be C.M. insteadof M. Bernardo.
9.		M. Giovanni Solari of Campione		Two brothers left in chargewhen Antonio returned toCrema. Giovanni was C.M. till1400. Giovanni was the fatherof the celebrated Guiniforte,C.M. of Milan. The Lombardiof Venice were descendants ofthis family.
10.		M. Francesco Solari of Campione
11.	1428	M. Rodari da Castello		Ancestor of Tommaso di Rodari,who sculptured the Renaissancedoor at Como. All three were paid forsculptures in 1428 and 1429.
12.	"	M. Giovanni da Garvagnate
13.	"	M. Giovanni da Como
14.	1429	M. Antonio di Val di Lugano		Employed as builders.
15.		M. Giovanni di Val di Lugano
16.		M. Jacopo Fusina		Frequently mentioned in thebooks of the Fabbrica.
17.	1460	M. Guiniforte Solari		C.M. in place of his fatherGiovanni; designed the façade.
18.		M. Gio. Antonio Amadeo		Pupil of Guiniforte; carved thedoor between the church andcloister. He became famousafterwards in Venice, andsculptured the Colleonemonument at Bergamo.
19.		M. Cristoforo Mantegazza		Came to the Certosa fromtheir apprenticeship toJacopo da Tradate at Milan.Sculptured in the façade ofthe Certosa on Guiniforte'splans.
20.		M. Antonio Mantegazza
21.	1478	M. Giovanni, junior, da Campione		Assisted in the sculptures.
22.		M. Luchino di Cernuscolo
23.	1495	M. Cristoforo Solario (Gobbo)		C.M. at the Certosa. C.M. atMilan in 1506.

Whatever were the faults of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, the world has one great and beautiful legacy to thank him for—the Certosa of Pavia.

It is said that Stefano Maconi, prior of the Certosa at Garignano, suggested to the Duke the building of the finest monastery in Italy; but the funds were certainly provided by Gian Galeazzo, who took a personal and untiring interest in the work.

The first documental proof of this is a deed of gift, dated April 15, 1396, whereby Gian Galeazzo gives to the monastery of the Certosa, landed property to the annual value of 2500 gold florins. On October 6 of the same year, he makes another endowment of property, yielding 5500 gold florins a year, besides an annual subsidy of 10,000 florins from his own private purse.

The history of this beautiful building is much connected with that of Milan cathedral; the same architects—or rather brethren of the same Masonic Lodge—worked at both; and at one time Jacopo da Campione was capo maestro of both works at once, spending a certain proportion of his time at both.