D'AREZZO, an Italian painter, sculptor, and architect of great reputation, was born at Arezzo in 1212. He belonged to the Greek school of art, and executed many pictures at his native place in tempera and in fresco. The most celebrated specimens of the latter style of painting executed by Margaritone were to be found in the church of San Clemente, afterwards destroyed by Duke Cosmo de' Medici when rebuilding the old walls of Arezzo. There still remain in Arezzo, however, a few specimens of the frescoes of this artist of great value. One of the most characteristic and important of these pictures was a work executed for the nuns of Santa Margarita, believed by some to be still recognisable among the Florentine pictures collected by the Signors F. Lombardi and Ugo Baldi. But of the "endless number of pictures," as Vasari phrases it, which Margaritone executed for his native city, the one on which the artist himself set the highest value, and "on which he placed his name," was a "San Francesco" painted for the convent of the Friars de' Zoccoli at Sargiano, a work which still exists with his own inscription of "Margarit. de Aretio pingebat." He had a peculiar contrivance to prevent clefts and fissures in wood paintings. That the joinings might not appear after the painting had been completed, he covered the whole surface of the wood with canvas, secured with strong glue made from shreds of parchment, and next applied a layer of gypsum and glue to the outer surface of the canvas.

It is said that Margaritone succeeded better in sculpture than in painting. He improved upon his first efforts, which were executed in the Greek style, on coming in contact with the works of Arnolfo and other distinguished sculptors of Florence. Appointed to construct a tomb at Arezzo for Gregory X., who had died there, he executed a reclining statue in marble of that pontiff, still in good preservation, and a painting of his holiness, now entirely effaced. This masterpiece of art was considered "the best work he had yet produced." On the death of Maestro Lapo, who planned the episcopal buildings of Arezzo, Margaritone superintended the erection of the cathedral after the design of the original architect. A war between Arezzo and Florence in 1289 prevented the completion of this magnificent undertaking. Vasari is of opinion that it was this architect who planned the Governors' palace in the city of Ancona in 1270, and who executed the sculptured ornaments of the front windows of that beautiful edifice. He died at Arezzo in 1289, aged seventy-seven. (Lanzi, Stor. Pitt.)