▁Chap el ▁and ▁was ▁chosen ▁by ▁the ▁Comm une ▁of ▁Florence ▁in ▁ 1 3 3 4 ▁to ▁design ▁the ▁new ▁camp an ile ▁( bell ▁tower ) ▁of ▁the ▁Florence ▁C athedral ▁are ▁among ▁the ▁few ▁cert aint ies ▁about ▁his ▁life . ▁Al most ▁every ▁other ▁aspect ▁of ▁it ▁is ▁subject ▁to ▁controvers y : ▁his ▁birth ▁date , ▁his ▁birth place , ▁his ▁appearance , ▁his ▁app rent ices hip , ▁the ▁order ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁created ▁his ▁works , ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁he ▁painted ▁the ▁famous ▁fres co es ▁in ▁the ▁Upper ▁Bas il ica ▁of ▁Saint ▁Francis ▁in ▁Ass isi ▁and ▁his ▁bur ial ▁place . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁and ▁career ▁ ▁Trad ition ▁holds ▁that ▁Gi otto ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁a ▁farm house , ▁perhaps ▁at ▁Col le ▁di ▁Rom agn ano ▁or ▁Rom ign ano . ▁Since ▁ 1 8 5 0 , ▁a ▁tower ▁house ▁in ▁nearby ▁Col le ▁V esp ign ano ▁has ▁bor ne ▁a ▁pla que ▁claim ing ▁the ▁honor ▁of ▁his ▁birth place , ▁an ▁assertion ▁that ▁is ▁commer cially ▁public ized . ▁However , ▁recent ▁research ▁has ▁presented ▁document ary ▁evidence ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Florence , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁black sm ith . ▁His ▁father ' s ▁name ▁was ▁Bond one . ▁Most ▁authors ▁accept ▁that ▁Gi otto ▁was ▁his ▁real ▁name , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁likely ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁an ▁abbre viation ▁of ▁Am bro gio ▁( Am bro gi otto ) ▁or ▁Ang elo ▁(