▁Sp in elli ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁called ▁' A ret ino ' ▁which ▁means ▁' from ▁Are z zo '. ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁past ▁it ▁was ▁believed ▁that ▁Sp in ello ▁was ▁a ▁pup il ▁of ▁Jac opo ▁del ▁Cas ent ino , ▁a ▁follow er ▁of ▁Gi otto . ▁ ▁However , ▁this ▁is ▁no ▁longer ▁accepted ▁by ▁art ▁histor ians . ▁Sp in ello ' s ▁style ▁was ▁a ▁sort ▁of ▁link ▁between ▁the ▁school ▁of ▁Gi otto ▁and ▁that ▁of ▁S ien a . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁Florence ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁to ▁his ▁master ▁Jac opo ▁while ▁painting ▁fres co es ▁in ▁the ▁church ▁of ▁the ▁Car mine ▁and ▁in ▁Santa ▁Maria ▁Nov ella . ▁Between ▁ 1 3 6 0 ▁and ▁ 1 3 8 4 ▁he ▁was ▁occupied ▁in ▁painting ▁many ▁fres co es ▁in ▁and ▁near ▁Are z zo , ▁almost ▁all ▁of ▁which ▁have ▁now ▁per ished . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁s ack ▁of ▁Are z zo ▁in ▁ 1 3 8 4 ▁Sp in ello ▁returned ▁to ▁Florence , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 3 8 7 - 1 3 8 8 ▁with ▁some ▁assist ants ▁covered ▁the ▁walls ▁and ▁v ault ▁of ▁the ▁sac rist y ▁of ▁San ▁M ini ato ▁of ▁Florence ▁with ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁fres co es , ▁the ▁chief ▁of ▁which ▁represent ▁scenes ▁from ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁Saint ▁Bened ict . ▁These ▁still ▁exist , ▁though ▁in ▁a ▁sad ly ▁restored ▁condition ; ▁they