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Chap. VIII. CHAPEL OF THE PODESTA. 261 cliapel of the Podesta was entered through a door at one of the small ends, above which was a fresco of the Inferno. On the opposite side, the wall, lighted by a window, was adorned with a fresco of Paradise, and, on the remaining spaces, were incidents from the lives of the Magdalen and Mary of Egypt. 1 Gianozzo Manetti in his Specimen Historiae, Filippo Villani, and Vasari, concur in stating that the chapel was painted by Giotto, and that, in it, were portraits of Dante Alighieri, Brunetto Latini, and Corso Donati. Villani adds, that Giotto’s own portrait was there, executed by himself “alio specchio”. But this evidence is almost super fluous to any visitor of the chapel itself, who is acquainted with the style of the master. In the first scene which adorns the side walls, S. Mary of Egypt kneels and receives the blessing of bishop Zosimus enthroned in a church. 1 The long face to the right of the entrance is pierced with two windows. The frescos are all high on the spaces, being dis tant at their base about 11 feet from the ground. The long face to the left is divided into a double course of 4 frescos, com mencing at the bottom, near the door, with a scene from the life of S. Mary of Egypt, and con tinuing with the communion of the Saint, a scene from the life of Mary Magdalen and the Noli me tangere. The only remains here visible are those of the Mag dalen in part, and a portion of another figure holding a heart. Above in the same order, the Marys at the sepulchre, a sub ject now destroyed, the resurrec tion of Lazarus, and the Magda len anointing the feet of Christ. All these subjects are divided by a beautiful ornament, at the corners of which are lozenges containing half figures of angels. One of these, pouring water from a vase, is excessively graceful. On the opposite side, right and left of the windows, is a double course of single frescos, repre senting the dance of the daughter of Herodias, — a subject now almost effaced, the miracle of the merchant of Marseilles and an episode now obliterated. — Be tween the two windows, a winged angel, with a palm and book, is depicted, at the foot of which, on a scroll, was an inscription now illegible, below which, on a bor der, another inscription was placed, of which the words “hoc opus”.... still remain. In the sides of the windows are painted shields of arms, and roses; and in the key of one, a head of the Saviour. The vaulted ceiling is divided into four parts, framed in the same ornament as the rest, inter rupted by lozenges in which figu res of angels, now almost gone, were depicted. In the centre, the Lamb stands on an altar supported by two hypogriffs, and around it are the symbols of the 4 Evan gelists. The ceiling was painted blue with gold stars, but is now white, the blue having fallen out. In one of the lozenges is still an angel holding a censer.