VIGNOLA, a name commonly given to JAMES BAROZZI, or B.U2OGGIO, from the place of his birth, a small town in the duchy of Modena. He was born in 1507, and was the son of a person of consequence, xvhom the political strife of the day obliged to expatriate himself. James discovered an early inclination fur the arts, and was sent fia: education to Bologna, where, front painting, to which he was first attached, he directed his attention to architecture, and by various designs, upon the principles of Vitruvius, some of which he U0111 monk:met] to the historian Guicciardini, he acquired an early reputation. With a view to fitrther improvement, he went to Rome, and, being admitted into the Academy of De sign, then newly founded, was there employed in measuring the most celebrated remains of antiquity; in the prosecution of %%hid) labour he evinced uncommon taste and precision; so that the abbe Francisco Primaticcio, an able painter and art hitect of Bologna, who was sent to Rome in 1537 by Franeis 1. of France, to procure designs of the ancient build ings and casts of statues, was induced to avail himself of the assistance of Vignola, and on his return took him with him to France, where he drew plans for several eminent structures. After two years' residence in that country, Vig nola returned to Bologna, and was employed in forming a plan for the façade of the church of St. Pet•onins, but, through the envy of his competitors, it was not executed till some years afterwards. In and near this city he built some palaces, and constructed the canal of Naviglio, running thence to Ferrara. Unduly recompensed for this work, he went to Placentia, and planned a palace fbr the Duke of Parma. After his return to Rome, in 1550, he built several churches there ; and, through Ihu interest of Vasari, was appointed architect to Pope Julius III., for whom he built a villa, and near it a small church, dedicated to St. Andrew, in the form of an ancient temple ; and by his command he also brought the Aqua Vergine to Runic. After the death
of Julius, he was employed by Cardinal Alexander Farnese in the construction of' the magnificent palace, or castle, of Caprarola; and he had likewise the charge of' building the church of the Jesuits at flume, an edifice of extraordinary beauty and grandeur ; but it was raised only to the cornice befbre the death of Vignola, and was finished by his disciple, James della Porta. After the decease of Michael Angelo, Vignola was appointed to succeed him as architect of St. Peter's, in conjunction with Piero Ligorio, a Neapolitan ; which engagement, added to his advanced age, obliged him to decline an invitation from Philip 11. to the court of Spain. lie was, however, consulted with regard to the different plans given in for the Escurial ; and one furnished by himself' was highly approved, though not adopted. His other professional labours were interrupted by a commission from Gregory XII I., to settle the limits between the territories of the Church and those of the Duke of Tuscany ; which he executed to the pope's satisfaction. Upon his return from this service, he was seized with a fever, and died in 1573, aged 00. Ibis remains Were soleninly interred in the church of Santa Maria della Rotunda. the ancient Pantheon.
Vignola acquired reputation as an author no than as a practical artist. Ilis rules fir the five orders were formed On the purest taste of antiquity, and have been atwas s reckoned classical and original. Ibis treatise on the sub ject, in three volumes quarto, has been often reprinted, and translated into almost all the European languages. The French translathal, with the commentaries of Davi ler, is most esteemed. Vignola also wrote a treatise on practical perspective, which has passed through many editions.