In 1529, Sansovino became chief architect and superintendent of properties (Protomaestro or
Proto) to the
Procurators of San Marco, making him one of the most influential artists in Venice. The appointment came with a salary of 80 ducats and an apartment near the clocktower in San Marco. Within a year his salary was raised to 180 ducats per year. His main achievements are a group of prominent structures and buildings in central Venice found near
Piazza San Marco, specifically the rusticated
Zecca (public mint), the highly decorated
Loggetta and its sculptures adjoining the
Campanile, and various statues and
reliefs for the
Basilica of San Marco. He also helped rebuild a number of buildings, churches, palaces, and institutional buildings including the churches of
San Zulian,
San Francesco della Vigna,
San Martino,
San Geminiano (now destroyed), Santo Spirito in Isola, and the church of the Incurabili. Among palaces and buildings are the Scuola Grande della Misericordia (early plans), Ca' de Dio,
Palazzo Dolfin Manin,
Palazzo Corner, Palazzo Moro, and the Fabbriche Nuove di
Rialto. His masterpiece is the Library of Saint Mark's, the
Biblioteca Marciana, one of Venice's most richly decorated Renaissance structures, which stands in front of the Doge's palace, across the piazzetta. Construction spanned fifty years and cost over 30,000 ducats. In it he successfully made the architectural language of
classicism, traditionally associated with severity and restraint, palatable to the Venetians with their love of surface decoration. This paved the way for the graceful architecture of
Andrea Palladio. He died in
Venice and his tomb is in the Baptistery of
St. Mark's Basilica. His most important follower in the medium of sculpture was
Alessandro Vittoria; another disciple was the architect and sculptor
Danese Cattaneo. ==Gallery==