,transcriber's note3 ,obvious printer's errors have been corrected4 ,hyphenation and accentuation have been standardised1 all other inconsistencies are as in the original4 ,the author's spelling has been maintained4 ,bold text is marked with 4 ,,lives ,,of ,,the ,,most ,,eminent ,,painters ,,sculptors ,,architects ,,by ,,giorgio ,,vasari3 ,,volume ,,vii4 ,,tribolo ,,to ,,il ,,sodoma #aiad ,,newly ,,translated ,,by ,,gaston ,du ,c4 ,,de ,,vere4 ,,with ,,five ,,hundred ,,illustrations3 ,,in ,,ten ,,volumes ,illustration3 #aeaa-aegd ,,philip ,,lee ,,warner1 ,,publisher ,,to ,,the ,,medici ,,society1 ,,limited #g ,,grafton ,,st4 ,,london1 ,w4 #aiab-ad ,,contents ,,of ,,volume ,,vii ,,page ,,niccol1 ,,called ,,tribolo #a ,,pierino ,,piero ,,da ,,vinci #ci ,,baccio ,,bandinelli #ec ,,giuliano ,,bugiardini #aje ,,cristofano ,,gherardi1 ,,called ,,doceno #aae ,,jacopo ,,da ,,pontormo #ade ,,simone ,,mosca #ahc ,,girolamo ,,and ,,bartolommeo ,,genga1 ,,and ,,giovan ,,battista ,,san ,,marino #aig ,,michele ,,san ,,michele #bae ,,giovanni ,,antonio ,,bazzi1 ,,called ,,il ,,sodoma #bdc ,,index ,,of ,,names #bei ,,illustrations ,,to ,,volume ,,vii ,,plates ,,in ,,colour ,,facing ,,page ,,giuliano ,,bugiardini ,portrait of a ,lady ,florence3 ,pitti1 #adj #ajf ,,jacopo ,,da ,,pontormo ,portrait of an ,engraver ,paris3 ,louvre1 #abda #agd ,,paolo ,,veronese 7,,paolino or ,,caliari7 ,industry ,venice3 ,doges' ,palace1 ,sala ,anticollegio #baf ,,giovanni ,,antonio ,,bazzi 7,,il ,,sodoma7 ,the ,vision of ,s4 ,catharine ,siena3 ,s4 ,domenico #bdd ,,plates ,,in ,,monochrome ,,niccol 7,,tribolo7 ,the ,hercules ,fountain ,florence3 ,villa ,reale di ,castello #bd ,,niccol 7,,tribolo7 ,the ,assumption of the ,virgin ,bologna3 ,s4 ,petronio #a ,footnote #a3 ,illustrated with ,two ,angels1 by ,madonna ,properzia de' ,rossi1 vol4 v41 p4 #abf4 ,,pierino 7,,piero7 ,,da ,,vinci ,ugolino della ,gherardesca and his ,sons in the ,tower of ,famine ,oxford3 ,ashmolean ,museum #dh ,,baccio ,,bandinelli ,the ,martyrdom of ,s4 ,lorenzo ,hereford3 ,w4 ,j4 ,davies' ,collection #fd ,,baccio ,,bandinelli ,statue of ,hercules and ,cacus ,florence3 ,piazza della ,signoria #gb ,,baccio ,,bandinelli ,statue of ,giovanni delle ,bande ,nere ,florence3 ,piazza di ,s4 ,lorenzo #hj ,,baccio ,,bandinelli ,reliefs from the ,choir ,screen ,florence3 ,duomo #hh ,,giuliano ,,bugiardini ,the ,martyrdom of ,s4 ,catharine ,florence3 ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 ,rucellai ,chapel #aaj ,,giorgio ,,vasari and ,,cristofano ,,gherardi 7,,doceno7 ,detail3 ,the ,supper of ,s4 ,gregory the ,great ,bologna3 ,accademia1 #aih #abb ,,jacopo ,,da ,,pontormo ,the ,adoration of the ,magi ,siena3 ,s4 ,agostino #adf ,,jacopo ,,da ,,pontormo ,duke ,cosimo ,i4 de' ,medici ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #abgj #aeb ,,jacopo ,,da ,,pontormo ,the ,visitation ,florence3 ,,ss4 ,annunziata1 ,cloister #aed ,,jacopo ,,da ,,pontormo ,joseph and his ,kindred in ,egypt ,london3 ,n4 ,g41 #aaca #aeh ,,jacopo ,,da ,,pontormo ,detail3 ,vertumnus ,fresco ,poggio a ,caiano3 ,villa ,reale #afj ,,jacopo ,,da ,,pontormo ,detail3 ,vertumnus ,fresco ,poggio a ,caiano3 ,villa ,reale #afb ,,jacopo ,,da ,,pontormo ,the ,descent ,from the ,cross ,florence3 ,s4 ,felicita #afh ,,jacopo ,,da ,,pontormo ,the ,martyrdom of the ,forty ,saints ,florence3 ,pitti1 #ahb #agj ,,simone ,,mosca and ,,michele ,,san ,,michele ,the ,altar of the ,three ,kings ,orvieto3 ,duomo #aij ,,simone ,,mosca ,the ,salutation ,orvieto3 ,duomo #aib ,,girolamo ,,genga ,madonna and ,child with ,saints ,milan3 ,brera1 #bjb #bjj ,,michele ,,san ,,michele ,porta del ,palio ,verona #bbb ,,michele ,,san ,,michele ,cappella de' ,pellegrini ,verona3 ,s4 ,bernardino #bbd ,,michele ,,san ,,michele ,see also at p4 #aij above ,palazzo ,grimani ,venice #bcj ,,paolo ,,veronese 7,,paolino or ,,caliari7 ,the ,feast in the ,house of ,levi ,venice3 ,accademia1 #bjc #bch ,,paolo ,,veronese 7,,paolino or ,,caliari7 ,venice ,enthroned1 with ,justice and ,peace ,venice3 ,ducal ,palace #bdj ,,giovanni ,,antonio ,,bazzi 7,,il ,,sodoma7 ,scene from the ,life of ,s4 ,benedict ,monte ,oliveto ,maggiore #bdf ,,giovanni ,,antonio ,,bazzi 7,,il ,,sodoma7 ,scene from the ,life of ,s4 ,benedict ,monte ,oliveto ,maggiore #bdf ,,giovanni ,,antonio ,,bazzi 7,,il ,,sodoma7 ,detail3 the ,marriage of ,alexander and ,roxana ,rome3 ,villa ,farnesina #bdh ,,giovanni ,,antonio ,,bazzi 7,,il ,,sodoma7 ,s4 ,sebastian ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #abgi #bej ,,giovanni ,,antonio ,,bazzi 7,,il ,,sodoma7 ,s4 ,ansano ,siena3 ,palazzo ,pubblico #beb ,,giovanni ,,antonio ,,bazzi 7,,il ,,sodoma7 ,s4 ,francis ,siena3 ,s4 ,bernardino1 ,oratory #beb ,,giovanni ,,antonio ,,bazzi 7,,il ,,sodoma7 ,the ,adoration of the ,magi ,siena3 ,s4 ,agostino #bed ,,giovanni ,,antonio ,,bazzi 7,,il ,,sodoma7 ,the ,sacrifice of ,isaac ,pisa3 ,duomo #bef ,,niccol1 ,,called ,,tribolo ,,life ,,of ,,niccol1 ,,called ,,tribolo ,,sculptor ,,and ,,architect ,raffaello the carpenter1 surnamed ,il ,riccio de' ,pericoli1 who lived near the ,canto a ,monteloro in ,florence1 had born to him in the year #aejj1 as he used to tell me himself1 a male child1 whom he was pleased to call at baptism1 like his own father1 ,niccol2 and having perceived that the boy had a quick and ready intelligence and a lofty spirit1 he determined1 although he was but a poor artisan1 that he should begin straightway by learning to read and write well and cast accounts4 ,sending him to school1 therefore1 it came about1 since the child was very vivacious and so high-spirited in his every action1 that he was always cramped for room and was a very devil both among the other boys at school and everywhere else1 always teasing and tormenting both himself and others1 that he lost his own name of ,niccol and acquired that of ,tribolo#b to such purpose1 that he was called that ever afterwards by everyone4 ,footnote #b3 ,teasel4 ,now1 ,tribolo growing1 his father1 in order both to make use of him and to curb the boy's exuberance1 took him into his workshop and taught him his own trade2 but having seen in a few months that he was ill suited for such a calling1 being somewhat delicate1 thin1 and feeble in health1 he came to the conclusion that if he wished to keep him alive1 he must release him from the heavier labours of his craft and set him to wood-carving4 ,having heard that without design1 the father of all the arts1 the boy could not become an excellent master therein1 ,raffaello resolved that he should begin by devoting all his time to design1 and therefore made him draw now cornices1 foliage1 and grotesques1 and now other things necessary to such a profession4 ,and having seen that in doing this the boy was well served both by his head and by his hand1 and reflecting1 like a man of judgment1 that with him ,niccol could at best learn nothing else but to work by the square1 ,raffaello first spoke of this with the carpenter ,ciappino1 who was the very familiar friend of ,nanni ,unghero2 and with his advice and assistance1 he placed ,niccol for three years with the said ,nanni1 in whose workshop1 where both joiner's work and carving were done1 there were constantly to be found the sculptor ,jacopo ,sansovino1 the painter ,andrea del ,sarto1 and others1 who afterwards became such able masters4 ,now ,nanni1 who had in those days a passing good reputation for excellence1 was executing many works both in joinery and in carving for the villa of ,zanobi ,bartolini at ,rovezzano1 without the ,porta alla ,croce1 for the palace of the ,bartolini1 which ,giovanni1 the brother of that ,zanobi1 was having built at that time on the ,piazza di ,s4 ,trinita1 and for the house and garden of the same man in ,gualfonda2 and ,tribolo1 who was made to work by ,nanni without discretion1 always having to handle saws1 planes1 and other common tools1 and not being capable1 by reason of the feebleness of his body1 of such exertions1 began to feel dissatisfied and to say to ,riccio1 when he asked for the cause of his discontent1 that he did not think that he could remain with ,nanni in that craft1 and that therefore ,raffaello should see to placing him with ,andrea del ,sarto or ,jacopo ,sansovino1 whom he had come to know in ,unghero's workshop1 for the reason that with one or the other of them he hoped to do better and to be sounder in health4 ,moved by these reasons1 then1 and again with the advice and assistance of ,ciappino1 ,riccio placed ,tribolo with ,jacopo ,sansovino1 who took him willingly1 because he had known him in the workshop of ,nanni ,unghero1 and had seen that he worked well in design and even better in relief4 ,jacopo ,sansovino1 when ,tribolo1 now restored to health1 went to work under him1 was executing in the ,office of ,works of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 in competition with ,benedetto da ,rovezzano1 ,andrea da ,fiesole1 and ,baccio ,bandinelli1 the marble statue of ,s4 ,james the ,apostle which is still to be seen at the present day at that place together with the others4 ,and thus ,tribolo1 with these opportunities of learning1 by working in clay and drawing with great diligence1 contrived to make such proficience in that art1 for which he felt a natural inclination1 that ,jacopo1 growing to love him more and more every day1 began to encourage him and to bring him forward by making him execute now one thing and now another4 ,whereupon1 although ,sansovino had in his workshop at that time ,solosmeo da ,settignano and ,pippo del ,fabro1 young men of great promise1 seeing that ,tribolo1 having added skill in the use of chisels to his good knowledge of working in clay and in wax1 not only equalled them but surpassed them by a great measure1 he began to make much use of him in his works4 ,and after finishing the ,apostle and a ,bacchus that he made for the house of ,giovanni ,bartolini in ,gualfonda1 and undertaking to make for ,m4 ,giovanni ,gaddi1 his intimate friend1 a chimney-piece and a water-basin of hard sandstone for his house on the ,piazza di ,madonna1 he caused some large figures of boys in clay1 which were to go above the great cornice1 to be made by ,tribolo1 who executed them so extraordinarily well1 that ,m4 ,giovanni1 having seen the beautiful manner and the genius of the young man1 commissioned him to execute two medallions of marble1 which1 finished with great excellence1 were afterwards placed over certain doors in the same house4 ,meanwhile there was a commission to be given for a tomb1 a work of great magnitude1 for the ,king of ,portugal2 and since ,jacopo had been the disciple of ,andrea ,contucci of ,monte ,sansovino1 and had the reputation not only of having equalled his master1 a man of great renown1 but of having a manner even more beautiful1 that work1 through the good offices of the ,bartolini1 was allotted to him4 ,whereupon ,jacopo made a most superb model of wood1 all covered with scenes and figures of wax1 which were executed for the most part by ,tribolo2 and these proving to be very beautiful1 the young man's fame so increased that ,matteo di ,lorenzo ,strozzi--,tribolo having now left ,sansovino1 thinking that he was by that time able to work by himself--commissioned him to make some children of stone1 and shortly afterwards1 being much pleased with them1 two of marble that are holding a dolphin which pours water into a fish-pond1 a work that is now to be seen at ,san ,casciano1 a place eight miles distant from ,florence1 in the villa of that ,m4 ,matteo4 ,while these works were being executed by ,tribolo in ,florence1 ,m4 ,bartolommeo ,barbazzi1 a ,bolognese gentleman who had gone there on some business1 remembered that a search was being made in ,bologna for a young man who could work well1 to the end that he might be set to making figures and scenes of marble for the faade of ,s4 ,petronio1 the principal church of that city4 ,wherefore he spoke to ,tribolo1 and having seen some of his works1 which pleased him1 as also did the young man's ways and other qualities1 he took him to ,bologna1 where ,tribolo1 with great diligence and with much credit to himself1 in a short time made the two ,sibyls of marble that were afterwards placed in the ornament of that door of ,s4 ,petronio which leads to the ,della ,morte ,hospital4 ,these works finished1 arrangements were being made to give him greater things to do1 and he was receiving many proofs of love and affection from ,m4 ,bartolommeo1 when the plague of the year #aebe began in ,bologna and throughout all ,lombardy2 whereupon ,tribolo1 in order to avoid that plague1 made his way to ,florence4 ,after living there during all the time that this contagious and pestilential sickness lasted1 he departed as soon as it had ceased1 and returned1 in obedience to a summons1 to ,bologna1 where ,m4 ,bartolommeo1 not allowing him to set his hand to any work for the faade1 resolved1 seeing that many of his friends and relatives had died1 to have a tomb made for himself and for them4 ,and so ,tribolo1 after finishing the model1 which ,m4 ,bartolommeo insisted on seeing completed before he did anything else1 went in person to ,carrara to have the marbles excavated1 intending to rough-hew them on the spot and to lighten them in such a manner1 that they might not only be easier to transport1 as indeed they were1 but also that the figures might come out larger4 ,in that place1 in order not to waste his time1 he blocked out two large children of marble1 which were taken to ,bologna with beasts of burden1 unfinished as they were1 together with the rest of the work2 and after the death of ,m4 ,bartolommeo1 which caused such grief to ,tribolo that he returned to ,tuscany1 they were placed1 with the other marbles1 in a chapel in ,s4 ,petronio1 where they still are4 ,having thus departed from ,carrara1 ,tribolo1 on his way back to ,florence1 stayed in ,pisa to visit the sculptor ,maestro ,stagio da ,pietrasanta1 his very dear friend1 who was executing in the ,office of ,works of the ,duomo in that city two columns with capitals of marble all in open work1 which were to stand one on either side of the high-altar and the ,tabernacle of the ,sacrament2 and each of these was to have upon the capital an ,angel of marble one braccio and three quarters in height1 with a candelabrum in the hand4 ,at the invitation of the said ,stagio1 having nothing else to do at that time1 he undertook to make one of those ,angels3 which being finished with all the perfection that could be given to a delicate work of that size in marble1 proved to be such that nothing more could have been desired1 for the reason that the ,angel1 with the movement of his person1 has the appearance of having stayed his flight in order to uphold that light1 and the nude form has about it some delicate draperies which are so graceful in their effect1 and look so well on every side and from every point of view1 that words could not express their beauty4 ,but1 having consumed much time in executing this work1 since he cared for nothing but his delight in art1 and not having received for it from the ,warden the payment that he expected1 he resolved that he would not make the other ,angel1 and returned to ,florence4 ,there he met with ,giovan ,battista della ,palla1 who at that time was not only causing all the sculptures and pictures that he could to be executed for sending to ,king ,francis ,i in ,france1 but was also buying antiques of all sorts and pictures of every kind1 provided only that they were by the hands of good masters2 and every day he was packing them up and sending them off4 ,now1 at the very moment when ,tribolo returned1 ,giovan ,battista had an ancient vase of granite1 of a very beautiful shape1 which he wished to arrange in such a manner that it might serve for a fountain for that ,king4 ,he therefore declared his mind to ,tribolo1 and what he proposed to have done2 and he1 setting to work1 made him a ,goddess of ,nature1 who1 raising one arm1 holds that vase1 the foot of which she has upon her head1 with the hands1 the first row of breasts being adorned with some boys standing out entirely detached from the marble1 who are in various most beautiful attitudes1 holding certain festoons in their hands1 while the next range of breasts is covered with quadrupeds1 and at her feet are many different kinds of fishes4 ,that figure was finished with such diligence and such perfection1 that it well deserved1 after being sent to ,france together with other works1 to be held very dear by the ,king1 and to be placed1 as a rare thing1 in ,fontainebleau4 ,afterwards1 in the year #aebi1 when preparations were being made for the war against ,florence and the siege1 ,pope ,clement ,,vii1 wishing to study the exact site of the city and to consider in what manner and in what places his forces could be distributed to the best advantage1 ordained that a plan of the city should be made secretly1 with all the country for a mile around it--the hills1 mountains1 rivers1 rocks1 houses1 churches1 and other things1 and also the squares and streets within1 together with the walls and bastions surrounding it1 and the other defences4 ,the charge of all this was given to ,benvenuto di ,lorenzo della ,volpaia1 an able maker of clocks and quadrants and a very fine astrologer1 but above all a most excellent master in taking ground-plans4 ,this ,benvenuto chose ,tribolo as his companion1 and that with great judgment1 for the reason that it was ,tribolo who suggested that this plan1 for the better consideration of the height of the mountains1 the depth of the low-lying parts1 and all other particulars1 should be made in relief2 the doing of which was not without much labour and danger1 in that1 staying out all night to measure the roads and to mark the number of braccia between one place and another1 and also to measure the height of the summits of the belfries and towers1 drawing intersecting lines in every direction by means of the compass1 and going beyond the walls to compare the height of the hills with that of the cupola1 which they had marked as their centre1 they did not execute such a work save after many months2 but they used great diligence1 for they made it of cork1 for the sake of lightness1 and limited the whole plan to the space of four braccia1 and measured everything to scale4 ,having then been finished in this manner1 and being made in pieces1 that plan was packed up secretly and smuggled out of ,florence in some bales of wool that were going to ,perugia1 being consigned to one who had orders to send it to the ,pope1 who made use of it continually during the siege of ,florence1 keeping it in his chamber1 and seeing from one day to another1 from letters and despatches1 where and how the army was quartered1 where skirmishes took place1 and1 in short1 all the incidents1 arguments1 and discussions that occurred during that siege2 all greatly to his satisfaction1 for it was in truth a rare and marvellous work4 ,the war finished--during the progress of which ,tribolo executed some works in clay for his friends1 and for ,andrea del ,sarto1 his dearest friend1 three figures of wax in the round1 of which ,andrea availed himself in painting in fresco1 on the ,piazza1 near the ,condotta1 portraits from nature of three captains who had fled with the pay-chests1 depicted as hanging by one foot--,benvenuto1 summoned by the ,pope1 went to ,rome to kiss the feet of his ,holiness1 and was placed by him in charge of the ,belvedere1 with an honourable salary4 ,in that office1 having often conversations with the ,pope1 ,benvenuto1 when the occasion arose1 did not fail to extol ,tribolo as an excellent sculptor and to recommend him warmly2 insomuch that1 the siege finished1 ,clement made use of him4 ,for1 designing to give completion to the ,chapel of ,our ,lady at ,loreto1 which had been begun by ,leo and then abandoned on account of the death of ,andrea ,contucci of ,monte ,sansovino1 he ordained that ,antonio da ,san ,gallo1 who had the charge of executing that fabric1 should summon ,tribolo and set him to complete some of those scenes that ,maestro ,andrea had left unfinished4 ,tribolo1 then1 thus summoned by ,san ,gallo by order of ,clement1 went with all his family to ,loreto1 whither there likewise went ,simone1 called ,mosca1 a very rare carver of marble1 ,raffaello da ,montelupo1 ,francesco da ,san ,gallo the younger1 ,girolamo ,ferrarese the sculptor1 a disciple of ,maestro ,andrea1 ,simone ,cioli1 ,ranieri da ,pietrasanta1 and ,francesco del ,tadda1 all invited in order to finish that work4 ,and to ,tribolo1 in the distribution of the labours1 there fell1 as the work of the greatest importance1 a scene in which ,maestro ,andrea had represented the ,marriage of ,our ,lady4 ,thereupon ,tribolo made an addition to that scene1 and had the notion of placing among the many figures that are standing watching the ,marriage of the ,virgin1 one who in great fury is breaking his rod1 because it had not blossomed2 and in this he succeeded so well1 that the suitor could not display with greater animation the rage that he feels at not having had the good fortune that he desired4 ,which work finished1 and also that of the others1 with great perfection1 ,tribolo had already made many models of wax with a view to executing some of those ,prophets that were to go in the niches of that chapel1 which was now built and completely finished1 when ,pope ,clement1 after seeing those works and praising them much1 and particularly that of ,tribolo1 determined that they should all return without loss of time to ,florence1 in order to finish under the discipline of ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti all those figures that were wanting in the sacristy and library of ,s4 ,lorenzo1 and the rest of the work1 after the models of ,michelagnolo and with his assistance1 with the greatest possible speed1 to the end that1 having finished the sacristy1 they might all together be able1 thanks to the proficience made under the discipline of so great a man1 also to finish the faade of ,s4 ,lorenzo4 ,and in order that there might be no manner of delay in doing this1 the ,pope sent ,michelagnolo back to ,florence1 and with him ,fra ,giovanni ,angelo de' ,servi1 who had executed some works in the ,belvedere1 to the end that he might assist him in carving the marbles and might make some statues1 according as he should receive orders from ,michelagnolo1 who caused him to make a ,s4 ,cosimo1 which was to stand on one side of the ,madonna1 with a ,s4 ,damiano1 allotted to ,montelupo1 on the other4 ,these commissions given1 ,michelagnolo desired that ,tribolo should make two nude statues1 which were to be one on either side of that of ,duke ,giuliano1 which he himself had already made2 one was to be a figure of ,earth crowned with cypress1 weeping with bowed head and with the arms outstretched1 and lamenting the death of ,duke ,giuliano1 and the other a figure of ,heaven with the arms uplifted1 all smiling and joyful1 and showing her gladness at the adornment and splendour that the soul and spirit of that lord conferred upon her4 ,but ,tribolo's evil fortune crossed him at the very moment when he was about to begin to work on the statue of ,earth2 for1 whether it was the change of air1 or his feeble constitution1 or because he had been irregular in his way of living1 he fell ill of a grievous sickness1 which1 ending in a quartan fever1 hung about him many months1 to his infinite vexation1 since he was tormented no less by his grief at having had to abandon the work1 and at seeing that the friar and ,raffaello had taken possession of the field1 than by the illness itself4 ,however1 wishing to conquer that illness1 in order not to be left behind by his rivals1 whose name he heard celebrated more and more every day1 feeble as he was1 he made a large model of clay for the statue of ,earth1 and1 when he had finished it1 began to execute the work in marble1 with such diligence and assiduity1 that the statue could be seen already all cut out in front1 when ,fortune1 who is always ready to oppose herself to any fair beginning1 by the death of ,clement at a moment when nothing seemed less likely1 cut short the aspirations of all those excellent masters who were hoping to acquire under ,michelagnolo1 besides boundless profits1 immortal renown and everlasting fame4 ,stupefied by this misfortune and robbed of all his spirit1 and being also ill1 ,tribolo was living in utter despair1 seeming not to be able either in ,florence or abroad to hit upon anything that might be to his advantage2 but ,giorgio ,vasari1 who was always his friend and loved him from his heart1 and helped him all that he could1 consoled him1 saying that he should not lose heart1 because he would so contrive that ,duke ,alessandro would give him something to do1 by means of the favour of the ,magnificent ,ottaviano de' ,medici1 into whose service ,giorgio had introduced him on terms of no little intimacy4 ,wherefore ,tribolo1 having regained a little courage1 occupied himself1 while measures were being taken to assist him1 with copying in clay all the figures of marble in the ,sacristy of ,s4 ,lorenzo which ,michelagnolo had executed--namely1 ,dawn1 ,twilight1 ,day1 and ,night4 ,and he succeeded in doing them so well1 that ,m4 ,giovan ,battista ,figiovanni1 the ,prior of ,s4 ,lorenzo1 to whom he presented the ,night in return for having the sacristy opened for him1 judging it to be a rare work1 presented it to ,duke ,alessandro1 who afterwards gave it to ,giorgio ,vasari1 who was living with his ,excellency1 knowing that ,giorgio gave his attention to such studies2 which figure is now in his house at ,arezzo1 with other works of art4 ,having afterwards copied1 likewise in clay1 the ,madonna made by ,michelagnolo for the same sacristy1 ,tribolo presented it to the above-named ,m4 ,ottaviano de' ,medici1 who had a most beautiful ornament in squared work made for it by ,battista del ,cinque1 with columns1 cornices1 brackets1 and other carvings very well executed4 ,meanwhile1 by the favour of him who was ,treasurer to his ,excellency1 and at the commission of ,bertoldo ,corsini1 the proveditor for the fortress which was being built at that time1 out of three escutcheons that were to be made by order of the ,duke for placing on the bastions1 one on each1 one four braccia in height was given to ,tribolo to execute1 with two nude figures representing ,victories2 which escutcheon1 finished by him with great diligence and promptitude1 with the addition of three great masks that support the escutcheon and the figures1 so pleased the ,duke1 that he conceived a very great love for ,tribolo4 ,now shortly afterwards the ,duke went to ,naples to defend himself before the ,emperor ,charles ,v1 who had just returned from ,tunis1 against many calumnies that had been laid upon him by some of his citizens2 and1 having not only defended himself1 but also obtained from his ,majesty his daughter ,signora ,margherita of ,austria for wife1 he wrote to ,florence that four men should be appointed who might cause vast and splendid decorations to be prepared throughout the city1 in order to receive the ,emperor1 who was coming to ,florence1 with proper magnificence4 ,and ,i1 having to distribute the various works at the commission of his ,excellency--who ordained that ,i should act in company with the said four men1 who were ,giovanni ,corsi1 ,luigi ,guicciardini1 ,palla ,rucellai1 and ,alessandro ,corsini--gave the greatest and most difficult labours for that festival to ,tribolo to execute1 which were four large statues4 ,the first was a ,hercules that has just killed the ,hydra1 six braccia in height1 in the round and overlaid with silver1 which was placed at that corner of the ,piazza di ,s4 ,felice that is at the end of the ,via ,maggio1 with the following inscription in letters of silver on the base3 ,,ut ,,hercules ,,labore ,,et ,,rumnis ,,monstra ,,edomuit1 ,,ita ,c,,sar ,,virtute ,,et ,,clementia1 ,,hostibus ,,victis ,,seu ,,placatis1 ,,pacem ,,orbi ,,terrarum ,,et ,,quietem ,,restituit4 ,two others were colossal figures eight braccia high1 one representing the ,river ,bagrada1 which was resting upon the skin of the serpent that was brought to ,rome1 and the other representing the ,ebro1 with the horn of ,amaltheia in one hand and in the other the helm of a ship2 both coloured in imitation of bronze1 with inscriptions on the bases2 below the ,ebro1 ,,hiberus ,,ex ,,hispania1 and below the other1 ,,bagradas ,,ex ,,africa4 ,the fourth was a statue five braccia in height1 on the ,canto de' ,medici1 representing ,peace1 who had in one hand an olive branch and in the other a lighted torch1 with which she was setting fire to a pile of arms heaped up on the base on which she was placed2 with the following words3 ,,fiat ,,pax ,,in ,,virtute ,,tua4 ,he did not finish1 as he had hoped to do1 the horse seven braccia in length that was set up on the ,piazza di ,s4 ,trinita1 upon which was to be placed the statue of the ,emperor in armour1 because ,tasso the wood-carver1 who was much his friend1 did not show any promptitude in executing the base and the other things in the way of wood-carving that were to be included in the work1 being a man who let time slip through his fingers in arguing and jesting2 and there was only just time to cover the horse alone with tin-foil laid upon the still fresh clay4 ,on the base were to be read the following words3 ,,imperatori ,,carolo ,,augusto ,,victoriosissimo1 ,,post ,,devictos ,,hostes1 ,,itali ,,pace ,,restituta ,,et ,,salutato ,,ferdin4 ,,fratre1 ,,expulsis ,,iterum ,,turcis ,,africaque ,,perdomita1 ,,alexander ,,med4 ,,dux ,,florenti1 ,d4,d4 ,his ,majesty having departed from ,florence1 a beginning was made with the preparations for the nuptials1 in expectation of his daughter1 and to the end that she and the ,vice-,queen of ,naples1 who was in her company1 might be commodiously lodged according to the orders of his ,excellency in the house of ,m4 ,ottaviano de' ,medici1 an addition was made to his old house in four weeks1 to the astonishment of everyone2 and ,tribolo1 the painter ,andrea di ,cosimo1 and ,i1 in ten days1 with the help of about ninety sculptors and painters of the city1 what with masters and assistants1 completed the preparations for the wedding in so far as appertained to the house and its decorations1 painting the loggie1 courtyards1 and other spaces in a manner suitable for nuptials of such importance4 ,among these decorations1 ,tribolo made1 besides other things1 two ,victories in half-relief that were one on either side of the principal door1 supported by two large terminal figures1 which also upheld the escutcheon of the ,emperor1 pendent from the neck of a very beautiful eagle in the round4 ,the same master also made certain boys1 likewise in the round1 and large in size1 which were placed on either side of some heads over the pediments of various doors2 and these were much extolled4 ,meanwhile1 as the nuptials were in progress1 ,tribolo received letters from ,bologna1 in which ,messer ,pietro del ,magno1 his devoted friend1 besought him that he should consent to go to ,bologna1 in order to make for the ,madonna di ,galliera1 where a most beautiful ornament of marble was already prepared1 a scene likewise of marble three braccia and a half in extent4 ,whereupon ,tribolo1 happening to have nothing else to do at that time1 went thither1 and after making a model of a ,madonna ascending into ,heaven1 with the ,apostles below in various attitudes1 which1 being very beautiful1 gave great satisfaction1 he set his hand to executing it2 but with little pleasure for himself1 since the marble that he was carving was that ,milanese marble1 saline1 full of emery1 and bad in quality2 and it seemed to him that he was wasting his time1 without feeling a particle of that delight that men find in working those marbles which are a pleasure to carve1 and which in the end1 when brought to completion1 show a surface that has the appearance of the living flesh itself4 ,however1 he did so much that it was already almost finished1 when ,i1 having persuaded ,duke ,alessandro to recall ,michelagnolo from ,rome1 and also the other masters1 in order to finish the work of the sacristy begun by ,clement1 was arranging to give him something to do in ,florence2 and ,i would have succeeded1 but in the meantime1 by reason of the death of ,alessandro1 who was murdered by ,lorenzo di ,pier ,francesco de' ,medici1 not only was this design frustrated1 but the greatness and prosperity of art were thrown into utter ruin4 ,having heard of the ,duke's death1 ,tribolo condoled with me in his letters1 beseeching me1 after he had exhorted me to bear with resignation the death of that great ,prince1 my gracious master1 that if ,i went to ,rome1 as he had heard that ,i1 being wholly determined to abandon ,courts and to pursue my studies1 was intending to do1 ,i should obtain some commission for him1 for the reason that1 if assisted by my friends1 he would do whatever ,i told him4 ,but it so chanced that it became in no way necessary for him to seek commissions in ,rome4 ,for ,signor ,cosimo de' ,medici1 having been created ,duke of ,florence1 as soon as he had freed himself from the troubles that he had in the first year of his rule by routing his enemies at ,monte ,murlo1 began to take some diversion1 and in particular to frequent not a little the villa of ,castello1 which is little more than two miles distant from ,florence4 ,there he began to do some building1 in order that he might be able to live there comfortably with his ,court1 and little by little--being encouraged in this by ,maestro ,pietro da ,san ,casciano1 who was held to be a passing good master in those days1 and was much in the service of ,signora ,maria1 the mother of the ,duke1 and had also always been the master-builder and the former servant of ,signor ,giovanni--he resolved to conduct to that place certain waters that he had desired long before to bring thither4 ,whereupon a beginning was made with building an aqueduct that was to receive all the waters from the hill of ,castellina1 which was at a distance of a quarter of a mile or more from ,castello2 and the work was pursued vigorously with a good number of men4 ,but the ,duke recognizing that ,maestro ,pietro had neither invention nor power of design enough to make in that place a beginning that might afterwards in time receive that ornamentation which the site and the waters required1 one day that his ,excellency was on the spot1 speaking of this with such men as ,messer ,ottaviano de' ,medici and ,cristofano ,rinieri1 the friend of ,tribolo and the old servant of ,signora ,maria and of the ,duke1 they extolled ,tribolo in such a manner1 as a man endowed with all those parts that were requisite in the head of such a fabric1 that the ,duke gave ,cristofano a commission to make him come from ,bologna4 ,which having been straightway done by ,rinieri1 ,tribolo1 who could not have received any better news than that he was to serve ,duke ,cosimo1 set out immediately for ,florence1 and1 arriving there1 was taken to ,castello1 where his most illustrious ,excellency1 having heard from him what he thought should be done in the way of decorative fountains1 gave him a commission to make the models4 ,whereupon he set his hand to these1 and was engaged upon them1 while ,maestro ,pietro da ,san ,casciano was executing the aqueduct and bringing the waters to the place1 when the ,duke1 who meanwhile had begun1 for the security of the city1 to surround with a very strong wall the bastions erected on the hill of ,san ,miniato at the time of the siege after the designs of ,michelagnolo1 ordained that ,tribolo should make an escutcheon of hard stone1 with two ,victories1 for an angle of the summit of a bastion that faces ,florence4 ,but ,tribolo had scarcely finished the escutcheon1 which was very large1 and one of those ,victories1 a figure four braccia high1 which was held to be a very beautiful thing1 when he was obliged to leave that work incomplete1 for the reason that1 ,maestro ,pietro having carried well on the making of the aqueduct and the bringing of the waters1 to the full satisfaction of the ,duke1 his ,excellency wished that ,tribolo should begin to put into execution1 for the adornment of that place1 the designs and models that he had already shown to him1 ordaining him for the time being a salary of eight crowns a month1 the same that was paid to ,san ,casciano4 ,now1 in order that ,i may not become confused in describing the intricacies of the aqueducts and of the ornaments of the fountains1 it may be well to say briefly some few words about the site and position of ,castello4 ,the villa of ,castello stands at the roots of ,monte ,morello1 below the ,villa della ,topaia1 which is halfway up the slope2 it has before it a plain that descends little by little1 for the space of a mile and a half1 down to the ,river ,arno1 and exactly where the ascent of the mountain begins stands the palace1 which was built in past times by ,pier ,francesco de' ,medici1 after a very good design4 ,the principal front faces straight towards the south1 overlooking a vast lawn with two very large fish-ponds full of running water1 which comes from an ancient aqueduct made by the ,romans in order to conduct water from ,valdimarina to ,florence1 and provided with a vaulted cistern under the ground2 and so it has a very beautiful and very pleasing view4 ,the fish-ponds in front are divided in the middle by a bridge twelve braccia wide1 which leads to an avenue of the same width1 bounded at the sides and covered above by an unbroken vault of mulberry-trees1 ten braccia in height1 thus making a covered avenue three hundred braccia in length1 delightful for its shade1 which opens on to the high road to ,prato by a gate placed between two fountains that serve to give water to travellers and animals4 ,on the eastern side the same palace has a very beautiful pile of stable-buildings1 and on the western side a private garden into which one goes from the courtyard of the stables1 passing straight through the ground-floor of the palace by way of the loggie1 halls1 and chambers on the level of the ground2 from which private garden one can enter by a door on the west side into another garden1 very large and all filled with fruit-trees1 and bounded by a forest of fir-trees that conceals the houses of the labourers and others who live there1 engaged in the service of the palace and of the gardens4 ,next1 that part of the palace which faces north1 towards the mountain1 has in front of it a lawn as long as the palace1 the stables1 and the private garden altogether1 and from this lawn one climbs by steps to the principal garden1 a place enclosed by ordinary walls1 which1 rising in a gentle slope1 stretches so well clear of the palace as it rises1 that the mid-day sun searches it out and bathes it all with its rays1 as if there were no palace in front2 and at the upper end it stands so high that it commands a view not only of the whole palace1 but also of the plain that is in front and around it1 and likewise about the city4 ,in the middle of this garden is a forest of very tall and thickly-planted cypresses1 laurels1 and myrtles1 which1 laid out in a circular shape1 have the form of a labyrinth1 all surrounded by box-hedges two braccia and a half in height1 so even and grown with such beautiful order that they have the appearance of a painting done with the brush2 in the centre of which labyrinth1 at the desire of the ,duke1 ,tribolo1 as will be described below1 made a very beautiful fountain of marble4 ,at the principal entrance1 where there is the first-mentioned lawn with the two fish-ponds and the avenue covered with mulberry-trees1 ,tribolo wished that the avenue should be so extended that it might stretch for a distance of more than a mile1 covered and shaped in like manner1 and might reach as far as the ,river ,arno1 and that the waters which ran away from all the fountains1 flowing gently in pleasant channels at the sides of the avenue1 and filled with various kinds of fishes and crayfish1 might accompany it down to that river4 ,as for the palace--to describe what has still to be done as well as that which has been finished--he wished to make a loggia in front of it1 which1 passing by an open courtyard1 was to have on the side where the stables are another palace as large as the old one1 with the same proportion of apartments1 loggie1 private garden1 and the rest2 which addition would have made it a vast palace1 with a most beautiful faade4 ,after passing the court from which one enters into the large garden of the labyrinth1 at the main entrance1 where there is a vast lawn1 after climbing the steps that lead to that labyrinth1 there came a level space thirty braccia square1 on which there was to be--and has since been made--a very large fountain of white marble1 which was to spout upwards above ornaments fourteen braccia in height1 while from the mouth of a statue at the highest point was to issue a jet of water rising to the height of six braccia4 ,at either end of the lawn was to be a loggia1 one opposite to the other1 each thirty braccia in length and fifteen in breadth2 and in the middle of each loggia was to be placed a marble table twelve braccia in length1 and on the outside a basin of eight braccia1 which was to receive the water from a vase held by two figures4 ,in the middle of the above-mentioned labyrinth ,tribolo had thought to achieve the most decorative effect with water by means of jets and a very beautiful seat round the fountain1 the marble basin of which was to be1 even as it was afterwards made1 much smaller than that of the large principal fountain2 and at the summit it was to have a figure of bronze spouting water4 ,at the end of this garden1 in the centre1 there was to be a gate with some children of marble on both sides spouting water1 with a fountain on either side1 and in the corners double niches in which statues were to be placed1 as in the others that are in the walls at the sides1 at the opposite ends of the avenues that cross the garden1 which are all covered with greenery distributed in various ways4 ,through the above-mentioned gate1 which is at the upper end of this garden1 above some steps1 one enters into another garden1 as wide as the first1 but of no great depth in the direct line1 in comparison with the mountain beyond4 ,in this garden were to be two other loggie1 one on either side1 and in the wall opposite to the gate1 which supports the soil of the mountain1 there was to be in the centre a grotto with three basins1 with water playing into them in imitation of rain4 ,the grotto was to be between two fountains placed in the same wall1 and opposite to these1 in the lower wall of the garden1 were to be two others1 one on either side of the gate2 so that the fountains of this garden would have been equal in number to those of the other1 which is below it1 and receives its water from the first1 which is higher4 ,and this garden was to be all full of orange-trees1 which would have had--and will have1 whenever that may be--a most favourable situation1 being defended by the walls and by the mountain from the north wind and other harmful winds4 ,from this garden one climbs by two staircases of flint1 one on either side1 to a forest of cypresses1 fir-trees1 holm-oaks1 laurels1 and other evergreen trees1 distributed with beautiful order1 in the middle of which1 according to ,tribolo's design1 there was to be a most lovely fish-pond1 which has since been made4 ,and because this part1 gradually narrowing1 forms an angle1 that angle1 to the end that it might be made flat1 was to be blunted by the breadth of a loggia1 from which1 after climbing some steps1 might be seen in front the palace1 the gardens1 the fountains1 and all the plain below and about them1 as far as the ,ducal ,villa of ,poggio a ,caiano1 ,florence1 ,prato1 ,siena1 and all that is around for many miles4 ,now the above-named ,maestro ,pietro da ,san ,casciano1 having carried his work of the aqueduct as far as ,castello1 and having turned into it all the waters of ,castellina1 was overtaken by a violent fever1 and died in a few days4 ,whereupon ,tribolo1 undertaking the charge of directing all the building by himself1 perceived that1 although the waters brought to ,castello were in great abundance1 nevertheless they were not sufficient for all that he had made up his mind to do2 not to mention that1 coming from ,castellina1 they did not rise to the height that he required for his purposes4 ,having therefore obtained from the ,lord ,duke a commission to conduct thither the waters of ,petraia1 a place more than one hundred and fifty braccia above ,castello1 which are good and very abundant1 he caused a conduit to be made1 similar to the other1 and so high that one can enter into it1 to the end that thus those waters of ,petraia might come to the fish-pond through another aqueduct with enough fall for the fish-pond and the great fountain4 ,this done1 ,tribolo began to build the above-mentioned grotto1 proposing to make it with three niches1 in a beautiful architectural design1 and likewise the two fountains that were one on either side of it4 ,in one of these there was to be a large statue of stone1 representing ,monte ,asinaio1 which1 pressing its beard1 was to pour water from its mouth into a basin that was to be in front of it2 from which basin the water1 issuing by a hidden channel1 and passing under the wall1 was to flow to the fountain that there is at the present day behind the wall1 at the end of the slope of the garden of the labyrinth1 pouring into the vase on the shoulder of the figure of the ,river ,mugnone1 which is in a large niche of grey-stone decorated with most beautiful ornaments1 and all covered with sponge-stone4 ,this work1 if it had been finished in all its perfection1 even as it is in part1 would have had great similarity to the reality1 since the ,mugnone rises from ,monte ,asinaio4 ,for the ,mugnone1 then1 to describe that which has been done1 ,tribolo made a figure of grey-stone1 four braccia in length1 and reclining in a very beautiful attitude1 which has upon one shoulder a vase that pours water into a basin1 and rests the other on the ground1 leaning upon it1 with the left leg crossed over the right4 ,and behind this river is a woman representing ,fiesole1 wholly naked1 issuing from among the sponge-stones and rocks in the middle of the niche1 and holding in the hand a moon which is the ancient emblem of the people of ,fiesole4 ,below this niche is a very large basin supported by two great ,capricorns1 which are one of the devices of the ,duke2 from which ,capricorns hang some festoons and masks of great beauty1 and from their lips issues the water from that basin1 which is convex in the middle1 and has outlets at the sides2 and all the water that overflows pours away from the sides through the mouths of the ,capricorns1 and then1 after falling into the hollow base of the vase1 flows through the herb-beds that are round the walls of the garden of the labyrinth1 where there are fountains between the niches1 and between the fountains espaliers of oranges and pomegranates4 ,in the second garden described above1 where ,tribolo had intended that there should be made the ,monte ,asinaio that was to supply water to the ,mugnone1 there was to be on the other side1 beyond the gate1 a similar figure of the ,monte della ,falterona2 and even as this mountain is the source of the ,river ,arno1 so the statue representing that river in the garden of the labyrinth1 opposite to the ,mugnone1 was to receive the water from the ,falterona4 ,but since neither the figure of that mountain nor its fountain has ever been finished1 let us speak of the fountain and figure of the ,river ,arno1 which were completed by ,tribolo to perfection4 ,this river1 then1 holds its vase upon one thigh1 lying down and leaning with one arm on a lion1 which holds a lily in its paw1 and the vase receives its water through the perforated wall1 behind which there was to be the ,falterona1 exactly in the manner in which1 as has been described1 the statue of the ,river ,mugnone also receives its water2 and since the long basin is in every way similar to that of the ,mugnone1 ,i shall say no more about it1 save this1 that it is a pity that the art and excellence of these works1 which are truly most beautiful1 are not embodied in marble4 ,then1 continuing the work of the conduit1 ,tribolo caused the water from the grotto to pass under the orange-garden and then under the next garden1 and thus brought it into the labyrinth1 where1 forming a circle round all the middle of the labyrinth1 in a good circumference round the centre1 he laid down the central pipe1 through which the fountain was to spout water4 ,after which1 taking the waters from the ,arno and the ,mugnone1 and bringing them together under the level of the labyrinth by means of certain bronze pipes that were distributed in beautiful order throughout that space1 he filled that whole pavement with very fine jets1 in such a manner that it was possible by turning a key to drench all those who came near to see the fountain4 ,nor is one able to escape either quickly or with ease1 because ,tribolo made round the fountain and the pavement1 in which are the jets1 a seat of grey-stone supported by lion's paws1 between which are sea monsters in low-relief2 which was a difficult thing to do1 because he chose1 since the place was sloping and the square lay on the slant1 to make it level1 and the same with the seat4 ,having then set his hand to the fountain of the labyrinth1 he made on the shaft1 in marble1 an interwoven design of sea monsters cut out in full relief1 with tails intertwined so well1 that nothing better of that kind could be done4 ,and this finished1 he executed the tazza with a piece of marble brought long before to ,castello1 together with a large table1 also of marble1 from the ,villa dell',antella1 which ,m4 ,ottaviano de' ,medici formerly bought from ,giuliano ,salviati4 ,by reason of this opportunity1 then1 ,tribolo made that tazza sooner than he might otherwise have done1 fashioning round it a dance of little children attached to the moulding which is beside the lip of the tazza2 which children are holding festoons of products of the sea1 cut out of the marble with beautiful art4 ,and so also the shaft which he made over the tazza1 he executed with much grace1 with some very beautiful children and masks to spout water4 ,upon that shaft it was the intention of ,tribolo to place a bronze statue three braccia high1 representing ,florence1 in order to signify that from the above-named ,mounts ,asinaio and ,falterona the waters of the ,arno and ,mugnone come to ,florence2 of which figure he had made a most beautiful model which1 pressing the hair with the hands1 caused water to pour forth4 ,then1 having brought the water as far as the space thirty braccia square1 below the labyrinth1 he made a beginning with the great fountain1 which1 made with eight sides1 was to receive all the above-mentioned waters into its lowest basin--namely1 those from the waterworks of the labyrinth1 and likewise those of the great conduit4 ,each of these eight sides1 then1 rises above a step one-fifth of a braccio in height1 and each angle of the eight sides has a projection1 as have also the steps1 which1 thus projecting1 rise at each angle in a great step of two-fifths of a braccio1 in such a way that the central face of the steps withdraws into the projections1 and their straight line is thus broken1 which produces a bizarre effect1 and makes the ascent very easy4 ,the edges of the fountain have the shape of a vase1 and the body of the fountain--that is1 the inner part where the water is--curves in the form of a circle4 ,the shaft begins with eight sides1 and continues with eight seats almost up to the base of the tazza1 upon which are seated eight children of the size of life1 all in the round and in various attitudes1 who1 linked together with the legs and arms1 make a rich adornment and a most beautiful effect4 ,and since the tazza1 which is round1 projects to the extent of six braccia1 the water of the whole fountain1 pouring equally over the edge on every side1 sends a very beautiful rain1 like the drippings from a roof1 into the octagonal basin mentioned above1 and those children that are on the shaft of the tazza are not wetted1 and they appear to be there in order not to be wetted by the rain1 almost like real children1 full of delight and playing as they shelter under the lip of the tazza1 which could not be equalled in its simplicity and beauty4 ,opposite to the four paths that intersect the garden are four children of bronze lying at play in various attitudes1 which are after the designs of ,tribolo1 although they were executed afterwards by others4 ,above this tazza begins another shaft1 which has at the foot1 on some projections1 four children of marble in the round1 who are pressing the necks of some geese that spout water from their mouths2 and this water is that of the principal conduit coming from the labyrinth1 and rises exactly to this height4 ,above these children is the rest of the shaft of this pedestal1 which is made with certain cartouches which spurt forth water in a most bizarre manner2 and then1 regaining a quadrangular form1 it rises over some masks that are very well made4 ,above this1 then1 is a smaller tazza1 on the lip of which1 on all four sides1 are fixed by the horns four heads of ,capricorns1 making a square1 which spout water through their mouths into the large tazza1 together with the children1 in order to make the rain which falls1 as has been told1 into the first basin1 which has eight sides4 ,still higher there follows another shaft1 adorned with other ornaments and with some children in half-relief1 who1 projecting outwards1 form at the top a round space that serves as base to the figure of a ,hercules who is crushing ,antus1 which was designed by ,tribolo and executed afterwards by others1 as will be related in the proper place4 ,from the mouth of this ,antus he intended that1 instead of his spirit1 there should gush out through a pipe water in great abundance1 as indeed it does2 which water is that of the great conduit of ,petraia1 which comes with much force1 and rises sixteen braccia above the level where the steps are1 and makes a marvellous effect in falling back into the greater tazza4 ,in that same aqueduct1 then1 come not only those waters from ,petraia1 but also those that go to the fish-pond and the grotto1 and these1 uniting with those from ,castellina1 go to the fountains of the ,falterona and ,monte ,asinaio1 and thence to the fountains of the ,arno and ,mugnone1 as has been related2 after which1 being reunited at the fountain of the labyrinth1 they go to the centre of the great fountain1 where are the children with the geese4 ,from there1 according to the design of ,tribolo1 they were to flow through two distinct and separate conduits into the basins of the loggie1 where the tables are1 and then each into a separate private garden4 ,the first of these gardens--that towards the west--is all filled with rare and medicinal plants2 wherefore at the highest level of that water1 in that garden of simples1 in the niche of the fountain1 and behind a basin of marble1 there was to be a statue of sculapius4 ,the principal fountain described above1 then1 was completely finished in marble by ,tribolo1 and carried to the finest and greatest perfection that could be desired in a work of this kind4 ,wherefore ,i believe that it may be said with truth that it is the most beautiful fountain1 the richest1 the best proportioned1 and the most pleasing that has ever been made1 for the reason that in the figures1 in the vases1 in the tazze1 and1 in short1 throughout the whole work1 are proofs of extraordinary diligence and industry4 ,after this1 having made the model of the above-mentioned statue of sculapius1 ,tribolo began to execute it in marble1 but1 being hindered by other things1 he did not finish that figure1 which was completed afterwards by the sculptor ,antonio di ,gino1 his disciple4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,hercules ,,fountain 7,after ,niccol ,tribolo4 ,florence3 ,villa ,reale di ,castello7 ,on the side towards the east1 in a little lawn without the garden1 ,tribolo arranged an oak in a most ingenious manner1 for1 besides the circumstance that it is so thickly covered both above and all around with ivy intertwined among the branches1 that it has the appearance of a very dense grove1 one can climb up it by a convenient staircase of wood similarly covered with ivy1 at the top of which1 in the middle of the oak1 there is a square chamber surrounded by seats1 the backs of which are all of living verdure1 and in the centre is a little table of marble with a vase of variegated marble in the middle1 from which1 through a pipe1 there flows and spurts into the air a strong jet of water1 which1 after falling1 runs away through another pipe4 ,these pipes mount upwards from the foot of the oak so well hidden by the ivy1 that nothing is seen of them1 and the water can be turned on or off at pleasure by means of certain keys2 nor is it possible to describe in full in how many ways that water of the oak can be turned on1 in order to drench anyone at pleasure with various instruments of copper1 not to mention that with the same instruments one can cause the water to produce various sounds and whistlings4 ,finally1 all these waters1 after having served so many different purposes1 and supplied so many fountains1 are collected together1 and flow into the two fish-ponds that are without the palace1 at the beginning of the avenue1 and thence to other uses of the villa4 ,nor will ,i omit to tell what was the intention of ,tribolo with regard to the statues that were to be as ornaments in the great garden of the labyrinth1 in the niches that may be seen regularly distributed there in various spaces4 ,he proposed1 then--acting in this on the judicious advice of ,m4 ,benedetto ,varchi1 who has been in our times most excellent as poet1 orator1 and philosopher--that at the upper and lower ends there should be placed the four ,seasons of the year--,spring1 ,summer1 ,autumn1 and ,winter--and that each should be set up in that part where its particular season is most felt4 ,at the entrance1 on the right hand1 beside the ,winter1 and in that part of the wall which stretches upwards1 were to go six figures that were to demonstrate the greatness and goodness of the house of ,medici1 and to denote that all the virtues are to be found in ,duke ,cosimo2 and these were ,justice1 ,compassion1 ,valour1 ,nobility1 ,wisdom1 and ,liberality1 which have always dwelt in the house of ,medici1 and are all united together at the present day in the most excellent ,lord ,duke1 in that he is just1 compassionate1 valorous1 noble1 wise1 and liberal4 ,and because these qualities have made the city of ,florence1 as they still do1 strong in laws1 peace1 arms1 science1 wisdom1 tongues1 and arts1 and also because the said ,lord ,duke is just in the laws1 compassionate in peace1 valorous in arms1 noble through the sciences1 wise in his encouragement of tongues and other culture1 and liberal to the arts1 ,tribolo wished that on the other side from the ,justice1 ,compassion1 ,valour1 ,nobility1 ,wisdom1 and ,liberality1 on the left hand1 as will be seen below1 there should be these other figures3 ,laws1 ,peace1 ,arms1 ,sciences1 ,tongues1 and ,arts4 ,and it was most appropriately arranged that in this manner these statues and images should be placed1 as they would have been1 above the ,arno and ,mugnone1 in order to signify that they do honour to ,florence4 ,it was also proposed that in the pediments there should be placed portrait-busts of men of the house of ,medici1 one in each--over ,justice1 for example1 the portrait of his ,excellency1 that being his particular virtue1 over ,compassion that of the ,magnificent ,giuliano1 over ,valour ,signor ,giovanni1 over ,nobility the elder ,lorenzo1 over ,wisdom the elder ,cosimo or ,clement ,,vii1 and over ,liberality ,pope ,leo4 ,and in the pediments on the other side it was suggested that there might be placed other heads from the house of ,medici1 or of persons of the city connected with that house4 ,but since these names make the matter somewhat confused1 they have been placed here in the following order3 ,,summer4 ,,the ,,mugnone4 ,,gate4 ,,the ,,arno4 ,,spring4 ,,arts4 ,l ,l ,,liberality4 ,,tongues4 ,o ,o ,,wisdom4 ,,sciences4 ,g ,g ,,nobility4 ,,arms4 ,g ,g ,,valour4 ,,peace4 ,i ,i ,,compassion4 ,,laws4 ,a ,a ,,justice4 ,,autumn4 ,,gate4 ,,loggia4 ,,gate4 ,,winter4 ,all these ornaments would have made this in truth the richest1 the most magnificent1 and the most ornate garden in ,europe2 but these works were not carried to completion1 for the reason that ,tribolo was not able to take measures to have them finished while the ,duke was in the mind to continue them1 as he might have done in a short time1 having men in abundance and the ,duke ready to spend money1 and not suffering from those hindrances that afterwards stopped him4 ,the ,duke1 indeed1 not being contented at that time with the great quantity of water that is to be seen there1 was thinking of trying to obtain the water of ,valcenni1 which is very abundant1 in order to join it with the rest1 and then to conduct it from ,castello by an aqueduct similar to the one which he had made to the ,piazza in front of his ,palace in ,florence4 ,and of a truth1 if this work had been pressed forward by a man with greater energy and more desire of glory1 it would have been carried at least well on2 but since ,tribolo1 besides that he was much occupied with various affairs of the ,duke's1 had not much energy1 nothing more was done4 ,and in all the time that he worked at ,castello1 he did not execute with his own hand anything save the two fountains1 with the two rivers1 the ,arno and the ,mugnone1 and the statue of ,fiesole2 this arising from no other cause1 so far as one can see1 but his being too much occupied1 as has been related1 with the many affairs of the ,duke4 ,among other things1 the ,duke caused him to make a bridge over the ,river ,mugnone on the high road that goes to ,bologna1 without the ,porta a ,s4 ,gallo4 ,this bridge1 since the river crosses the road obliquely1 ,tribolo caused to be built with an arch likewise oblique1 in accordance with its oblique line across the river1 which was a new thing1 and much extolled1 above all because he had the arch put together of stones cut on the slant on every side in such a manner that it proved to be very strong and very graceful2 in short1 this bridge was a very beautiful work4 ,not long before1 the ,duke had been seized with a desire to make a tomb for ,signor ,giovanni de' ,medici1 his father1 and ,tribolo1 being eager to have the commission1 made a very beautiful model for it1 in competition with one that had been executed by ,raffaello da ,montelupo1 who had the favour of ,francesco di ,sandro1 the master of arms to his ,excellency4 ,and then1 the ,duke having resolved that the one to be put into execution should be ,tribolo's1 he went off to have the marble quarried at ,carrara1 where he also caused to be quarried the two basins for the loggie at ,castello1 a table1 and many other blocks of marble4 ,meanwhile1 ,messer ,giovan ,battista da ,ricasoli1 now ,bishop of ,pistoia1 being in ,rome on business of the ,lord ,duke's1 he was sought out by ,baccio ,bandinelli1 who had just finished the tombs of ,pope ,leo ,x and ,clement ,,vii in the ,minerva2 and he was asked by ,baccio to recommend him to his ,excellency4 ,whereupon ,messer ,giovan ,battista wrote to the ,duke that ,bandinelli desired to serve him1 and his ,excellency wrote in reply that on his return he should bring him in his company4 ,and ,bandinelli1 having therefore arrived in ,florence1 so haunted the ,duke in his audacity1 making promises and showing him designs and models1 that the tomb of the above-named ,signor ,giovanni1 which was to have been made by ,tribolo1 was allotted to him2 and so1 taking some pieces of marble of ,michelagnolo's1 which were in the ,via ,mozza in ,florence1 he hacked them about without scruple and began the work4 ,wherefore ,tribolo1 on returning from ,carrara1 found that in consequence of his being too leisurely and good-natured1 the commission had been taken away from him4 ,in the year when bonds of kinship were formed between the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo and the ,lord ,don ,pedro di ,toledo1 ,marquis of ,villafranca1 at that time ,viceroy of ,naples1 the ,lord ,duke taking ,don ,pedro's daughter1 ,signora ,leonora1 to wife1 preparations were made in ,florence for the nuptials1 and ,tribolo was given the charge of constructing a triumphal arch at the ,porta al ,prato1 through which the bride1 coming from ,poggio1 was to enter2 which arch he made a thing of beauty1 very ornate with columns1 pilasters1 architraves1 great cornices1 and pediments4 ,that arch was to be all covered with figures and scenes1 in addition to the statues by the hand of ,tribolo2 and all those paintings were executed by ,battista ,franco of ,venice1 ,ridolfo ,ghirlandajo1 and ,michele1 his disciple4 ,now the principal figure that ,tribolo made for this work1 which was placed at the highest point in the centre of the pediment1 on a dado wrought in relief1 was a woman five braccia high1 representing ,fecundity1 with five little boys1 three clinging to her legs1 one on her lap1 and another in her arms2 and beside her1 where the pediment sloped away1 were two figures of the same size1 one on either side4 ,of these figures1 which were lying down1 one was ,security1 leaning on a column with a light wand in her hand1 and the other was ,eternity1 with a globe in her arms1 and below her feet a white-haired old man representing ,time1 and holding in his arms the ,sun and ,moon4 ,i shall say nothing as to the works of painting that were on that arch1 because everyone may read about them for himself in the description of the festive preparations for those nuptials4 ,and since ,tribolo had particular charge of all decorations for the ,palace of the ,medici1 he caused many devices to be executed in the lunettes of the vaulting of the court1 with mottoes appropriate to the nuptials1 and all those of the most illustrious members of the house of ,medici4 ,besides this1 he had a most sumptuous decoration made in the great open court1 all full of stories2 on one side of the ,greeks and ,romans1 and on the other sides of deeds done by illustrious men of that house of ,medici1 which were all executed under the direction of ,tribolo by the most excellent young painters that there were in ,florence at that time--,bronzino1 ,pier ,francesco di ,sandro1 ,francesco ,il ,bacchiacca1 ,domenico ,conti1 ,antonio di ,domenico1 and ,battista ,franco of ,venice4 ,on the ,piazza di ,s4 ,marco1 also1 upon a vast pedestal ten braccia in height 7in which ,bronzino had painted two very beautiful scenes of the colour of bronze on the socle that was above the cornices71 ,tribolo erected a horse of twelve braccia1 with the fore-legs in the air1 and upon it an armed figure1 large in proportion2 and this figure1 which had below it men dead and wounded1 represented the most valorous ,signor ,giovanni de' ,medici1 the father of his ,excellency4 ,this work was executed by ,tribolo with so much art and judgment1 that it was admired by all who saw it1 and what caused even greater marvel was the speed with which he finished it2 among his assistants being the sculptor ,santi ,buglioni1 who was crippled for ever in one leg by a fall1 and came very near dying4 ,under the direction of ,tribolo1 likewise1 for the comedy that was performed1 ,aristotile da ,san ,gallo executed marvellous scenery1 being truly most excellent in such things1 as will be told in his ,life2 and for the costumes in the interludes1 which were the work of ,giovan ,battista ,strozzi1 who had charge of the whole comedy1 ,tribolo himself made the most pleasing and beautiful inventions that it is possible to imagine in the way of vestments1 buskins1 head-dresses1 and other wearing apparel4 ,these things were the reason that the ,duke afterwards availed himself of ,tribolo's ingenuity in many fantastic masquerades1 as in that of the bears1 in a race of buffaloes1 in the masquerade of the ravens1 and in others4 ,in like manner1 in the year when there was born to the said ,lord ,duke his eldest son1 the ,lord ,don ,francesco1 there was to be made in the ,temple of ,s4 ,giovanni in ,florence a very magnificent decoration which was to be marvellous in its grandeur1 and capable of accommodating one hundred most noble young maidens1 who were to accompany the ,prince from the ,palace as far as the said temple1 where he was to receive baptism4 ,the charge of this was given to ,tribolo1 who1 in company with ,tasso1 adapting himself to the place1 brought it about that the temple1 which in itself is ancient and very beautiful1 had the appearance of a new temple designed very well in the modern manner1 with seats all round it richly adorned with pictures and gilding4 ,in the centre1 beneath the lantern1 he made a great vase of carved woodwork with eight sides1 the base of which rested on four steps1 and at the corners of the eight sides were some large caulicoles1 which1 springing from the ground1 where there were some lions' paws1 had at the top of them certain children of large size in various attitudes1 who were holding with their hands the lip of the vase1 and supporting with their shoulders some festoons which hung like a garland right round the space in the middle4 ,besides this1 ,tribolo had made in the middle of the vase a pedestal of wood with beautiful things of fancy round it1 upon which1 to crown the work1 he placed the ,s4 ,john the ,baptist of marble1 three braccia high1 by the hand of ,donatello1 which was left by him in the house of ,gismondo ,martelli1 as has been related in the ,life of ,donatello himself4 ,in short1 this temple was adorned both within and without as well as could possibly be imagined1 and the only part neglected was the principal chapel1 where there is an old tabernacle with those figures in relief that ,andrea ,pisano made long ago2 by reason of which it appeared that1 every other part being made new1 that old chapel spoilt all the grace that the other things together displayed4 ,wherefore the ,duke1 going one day to see those decorations1 after praising everything like a man of judgment1 and recognizing how well ,tribolo had adapted himself to the situation and to every other feature of the place1 censured one thing only1 but that severely--that no thought had been given to the principal chapel4 ,and then he ordained on the spot1 like a person of resolute character and beautiful judgment1 that all that part should be covered with a vast canvas painted in chiaroscuro1 with ,s4 ,john the ,baptist baptizing ,christ1 and the people standing all around to see them or to be baptized1 some taking off their clothes1 and others putting them on again1 in various attitudes2 and above this was to be a ,god the ,father sending down the ,holy ,spirit1 with two fountains in the guise of river-gods1 representing the ,jor and the ,dan1 which1 pouring forth water1 were to form the ,jordan4 ,jacopo da ,pontormo was requested to execute this work by ,messer ,pier ,francesco ,riccio1 at that time major-domo to the ,duke1 and by ,tribolo1 but he would not do it1 on the ground that he did not think that the time given1 which was only six days1 would be enough for him2 and the same refusal was made by ,ridolfo ,ghirlandajo1 ,bronzino1 and many others4 ,now at this time ,giorgio ,vasari1 having returned from ,bologna1 was executing for ,messer ,bindo ,altoviti the altar-piece of his chapel in ,s4 ,apostolo at ,florence1 but he was not held in much consideration1 although he had friendship with ,tribolo and ,tasso1 because certain persons had formed a faction under the protection of the above-named ,messer ,pier ,francesco ,riccio1 and whoever was not of that faction had no share in the favours of the ,court1 although he might be able and deserving4 ,this was the reason that many who1 with the aid of so great a ,prince1 would have become excellent1 found themselves neglected1 none being employed save those chosen by ,tasso1 who1 being a gay person1 got ,riccio so well under his thumb with his jokes1 that in certain affairs he neither proposed nor did anything save what was suggested by ,tasso1 who was architect to the ,palace and did all the work4 ,these men1 then1 having a sort of suspicion of ,giorgio1 who laughed at their vanities and follies1 and sought to make a position for himself rather by means of the studies of art than by favour1 gave no thought to his claims2 but he was commissioned by the ,lord ,duke to execute that canvas1 with the subject described above4 ,this work he executed in chiaroscuro1 in six days1 and delivered it finished in the manner known to those who saw what grace and adornment it conferred on the whole decoration1 and how much it enlivened that part of the temple that stood most in need of it1 amid the magnificence of that festival4 ,tribolo1 then 7to return to the point whence1 ,i know not how1 ,i digressed71 acquitted himself so well1 that he rightly won the highest praise2 and the ,duke commanded that a great part of the ornaments that he placed between the columns should be left there1 where they still are1 and deservedly4 ,for the ,villa of ,cristofano ,rinieri at ,castello1 while he was occupied with the fountains of the ,duke1 ,tribolo made for a niche over a fish-pond which is at the head of a fowling-place1 a river-god of grey-stone1 of the size of life1 which pours water into a very large basin of the same stone2 which figure is made of pieces1 and put together with such diligence and art1 that it appears to be all of one block4 ,tribolo then set his hand1 at the command of his ,excellency1 to attempting to finish the staircase of the library of ,s4 ,lorenzo--that1 namely1 which is in the vestibule before the door2 but after he had placed four steps in position1 not finding either the plan or the measurements of ,michelagnolo1 by order of the ,duke he went to ,rome1 not only to hear the opinion of ,michelagnolo with regard to that staircase1 but also to make an effort to bring him to ,florence4 ,but he did not succeed either in the one object or in the other1 for ,michelagnolo1 not wishing to leave ,rome1 excused himself in a handsome manner1 and as for the staircase he declared that he remembered neither the measurements nor anything else4 ,tribolo1 therefore1 having returned to ,florence1 and not being able to continue the work of that staircase1 set himself to make the pavement of the said library with white and red bricks1 after the manner of some pavements that he had seen in ,rome2 but he added a filling of red clay to the white clay mixed with bole1 in order to produce various effects of carving in those bricks2 and thus he made in that pavement a copy of the ceiling and coffered work above--a notion that was highly extolled4 ,he then began1 but did not finish1 a work that was to be placed on the main tower of the defences of the ,porta a ,faenza1 for ,don ,giovanni di ,luna1 the castellan at that time--namely1 an escutcheon of grey-stone1 and a large eagle in full relief with two heads1 which he made in wax to the end that it might be cast in bronze1 but nothing more was done with it1 and of the escutcheon only the shield was finished4 ,now it was the custom in the city of ,florence to have almost every year on the principal piazza1 on the evening of the festival of ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 towards nightfall1 a girandola--that is1 a contrivance full of fire-trumpets1 rockets1 and other fireworks2 which girandola had the form now of a temple1 now of a ship1 sometimes of rocks1 and at times of a city or of an inferno1 according as it pleased the designer2 and one year the charge of making one was given to ,tribolo1 who1 as will be described below1 made it very beautifully4 ,of the various manners of these fireworks1 and particularly of set pieces1 ,vannoccio of ,siena and others give an account1 and on this subject ,i shall enlarge no further2 but ,i must say something as to the nature of these girandole4 ,the whole structure1 then1 is of wood1 with broad compartments radiating outwards from the foot1 to the end that the rockets1 when they have been lighted1 may not set fire to the other fireworks1 but may rise in due order from their separate places1 one after another1 filling the heavens in proper succession with the fire that blazes in the girandola both above and below4 ,they are distributed1 ,i say1 at wide intervals1 to the end that they may not burn all at once1 and may produce a beautiful effect2 and the same do the mortars1 which are bound to the firm parts of the girandola1 and make the most beautiful and joyous noises4 ,the fire-trumpets1 likewise1 are fitted in among the ornaments1 and are generally contrived so as to discharge through the mouths of masks and other suchlike things4 ,but the most important point is to arrange the girandola in such a manner that the lights that burn in certain vases may last the whole night1 and illuminate the piazza2 wherefore the whole work is connected together by a simple match of tow steeped in a mixture of powder full of sulphur and aquavit1 which creeps little by little with its fire to every part which it has to set alight1 one after another1 until it has kindled the whole4 ,now1 as ,i have said1 the things represented are various1 but all must have something to do with fire1 and must be subject to its action2 and long before this there had been counterfeited the city of ,sodom1 with ,lot and his daughters flying from it1 at another time ,geryon1 with ,virgil and ,dante on his back1 according as ,dante himself relates in the ,inferno1 and even earlier ,orpheus bringing ,eurydice with him from those infernal regions1 with many other inventions4 ,and his ,excellency ordained that the work should not be given to any of the puppet-painters1 who for many years past had made a thousand absurdities in the girandole1 but that an excellent master should produce a work that might have in it something of the good2 wherefore the charge of this was given to ,tribolo1 who1 with the ingenuity and art wherewith he had executed all his other works1 made one in the form of a very beautiful octagonal temple1 rising with its ornaments to the total height of twenty braccia4 ,this temple he represented as the ,temple of ,peace1 placing on the summit an image of ,peace1 who was setting fire to a great pile of arms which she had at her feet2 and these arms1 the statue of ,peace1 and all the other figures that made this structure one of great beauty1 were made of pasteboard1 clay1 and cloth steeped in glue1 put together with extraordinary art4 ,they were1 ,i say1 of these materials1 to the end that the whole work might be the lighter1 since it was to be suspended at a great height from the ground by a double rope that crossed the ,piazza high in the air4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that the fireworks having been placed in it too thickly1 and the fuses of tow being too near one to another1 when they were set alight1 such was the fury of the conflagration1 and so great and so violent the blaze1 that everything caught fire all at once1 and was burned in a flash1 whereas it should have continued to burn for an hour at least2 and what was worse1 the fire seizing on the woodwork and on all that should have been preserved1 the ropes and every other thing were consumed in a moment1 which was no small loss1 and gave little pleasure to the people4 ,but with regard to workmanship1 it was more beautiful than any other girandola that had ever been made up to that time4 ,the ,duke1 then1 resolving to erect the ,loggia of the ,mercato ,nuovo for the convenience of his citizens and merchants1 did not wish to lay a greater burden than he could bear on ,tribolo1 who1 as chief engineer to the ,capitani di ,parte and the commissioners of the rivers and the sewers of the city1 was always riding through the ,florentine dominions1 engaged in bringing back to their proper beds many rivers that did damage by breaking away from them1 in repairing bridges1 and in other suchlike works2 and he gave the charge of this enterprise to ,tasso1 at the advice of the above-mentioned ,messer ,pier ,francesco1 his major-domo1 in order to change that ,tasso from a carpenter into an architect4 ,this was certainly against the wishes of ,tribolo1 although he did not show it1 and even acted as the close friend of ,tasso2 and a proof that this is true is that ,tribolo perceived many errors in ,tasso's model1 but1 so it is believed1 would by no means tell him of them4 ,such an error1 for example1 was that of the capitals of the columns that are beside the pilasters1 whereby1 the columns not leaving enough space1 when everything had been drawn up1 and the capitals had to be set into position1 the corona above those capitals would not go in1 so that it was found necessary to cut away so much that the order of the architecture was ruined2 besides many other errors1 of which there is no need to speak4 ,for the above-named ,messer ,pier ,francesco the same ,tasso executed the door of the ,church of ,s4 ,romolo1 and a window with knee-shaped brackets on the ,piazza del ,duca1 in an order of his own1 substituting capitals for bases1 and doing so many other things without measure or order1 that it might have been said that the ,german ,order had begun to return to life in ,tuscany by means of this man2 to say nothing of the works that he did in the ,palace in the way of staircases and apartments1 which the ,duke has been obliged to have destroyed1 because they had no sort of order1 measure1 or proportion1 and were1 on the contrary1 all shapeless1 out of square1 and without the least convenience or grace4 ,all these things were not done without some responsibility falling on ,tribolo1 who1 having considerable knowledge in such matters1 should not1 so it seemed1 have allowed his ,prince to throw away his money and to do him such an affront to his face2 and1 what was even more serious1 he should not have permitted such things to ,tasso1 who was his friend4 ,well did men of judgment recognize the presumption and madness of the one in seeking to exercise an art of which he knew nothing1 and the dissimulation of the other1 who declared that he was pleased with that which he certainly knew to be bad2 and of this a proof may be found in the works that ,giorgio ,vasari has had to pull down in the ,palace1 to the loss of the ,duke and the great shame of those men4 ,but the same thing happened to ,tribolo as to ,tasso1 in that1 even as ,tasso abandoned wood-carving1 a craft in which he had no equal1 but never became a good architect1 and thus won little honour by deserting an art in which he was very able1 and applying himself to another of which he knew not one scrap1 so ,tribolo1 abandoning sculpture1 in which it may be said with truth that he was most excellent and caused everyone to marvel1 and setting himself to attempt to straighten out rivers1 ceased to win honour by pursuing the one1 while the other brought him blame and loss rather than honour and profit4 ,for he did not succeed in his tinkering with rivers1 and he made many enemies1 particularly in the district of ,prato1 on account of the ,bisenzio1 and in many places in the ,val di ,nievole4 ,duke ,cosimo having then bought the ,palace of the ,pitti1 of which there has been an account in another place1 and his ,excellency desiring to adorn it with gardens1 groves1 fountains1 fish-ponds1 and other suchlike things1 ,tribolo executed all the distribution of the hill in the manner in which it still remains1 accommodating everything in its proper place with beautiful judgment1 although various things in many parts of the garden have since been changed4 ,of this ,pitti ,palace1 which is the most beautiful in ,europe1 mention will be made in another place with a more suitable occasion4 ,after these things1 ,tribolo was sent by his ,excellency to the island of ,elba1 not only that he might see the city and port that the ,duke had caused to be built there1 but also that he might make arrangements for the transport of a round piece of granite1 twelve braccia in diameter1 from which was to be made a tazza for the great lawn of the ,pitti ,palace1 which might receive the water of the principal fountain4 ,tribolo1 therefore1 went thither and caused a boat to be made on purpose for transporting the tazza1 and then1 after giving the stone-cutters directions for the transportation1 he returned to ,florence2 where he had no sooner arrived1 than he found the whole country full of murmurings and maledictions against him1 since about that time floods and inundations had done infinite havoc in the neighbourhood of those rivers that he had patched up1 although it was1 perhaps1 not altogether through his fault that this had happened4 ,however that may have been1 whether it was the malignity of some of his assistants1 or perchance envy1 or that the accusation was indeed true1 the blame for all that damage was laid on ,tribolo1 who1 being a man of no great spirit1 and rather wanting in resolution than otherwise1 and doubting that the malice of some enemy might make him lose the favour of the ,duke1 was in a state of great despondency1 when1 being of a feeble habit of body1 on the #bjth of ,august in the year #aeej1 there came upon him a most violent fever4 ,at that time ,giorgio ,vasari was in ,florence1 for the purpose of having sent to ,rome the marbles for the tombs that ,pope ,julius ,,iii caused to be erected in ,s4 ,pietro a ,montorio2 and he1 as one who sincerely esteemed the talents of ,tribolo1 visited and comforted him1 beseeching him that he should think of nothing save his health1 and that1 when cured1 he should return to finish the work of ,castello1 letting the rivers go their own way1 for they were more likely to drown his fame than to bring him any profit or honour4 ,this1 which he promised to attempt to do1 he would1 ,i believe1 have done at all costs1 if he had not been prevented by death1 which closed his eyes on the #gth of ,september in the same year4 ,and so the works of ,castello1 begun and carried well forward by him1 remained unfinished2 for although some work has been done there since his day1 now in one part and now in another1 nevertheless they have never been pursued with the diligence and resolution that were shown when ,tribolo was alive and when the ,lord ,duke was hot in the undertaking4 ,of a truth1 he who does not press great works forward while those who are having them done are spending money willingly and devoting their best attention to them1 brings it about that those works are put on one side and left unfinished1 which zeal and solicitude could have carried to perfection4 ,and thus1 by the negligence of the workers1 the world is left without its adornment1 and they without their honour and fame1 for the reason that it rarely happens1 as it did to this work of ,castello1 that on the death of the first master he who succeeds to his place is willing to finish it according to his design and model with that modesty with which ,giorgio ,vasari1 at the commission of the ,duke1 has caused the great fish-pond of ,castello to be finished after the directions of ,tribolo1 even as he will do with the other things according as his ,excellency may desire from time to time to have them done4 ,tribolo lived sixty-five years1 and was interred by the ,company of the ,scalzo in their place of burial4 ,he left behind him a son called ,raffaello1 who has not taken up art1 and two daughters1 one of whom is the wife of ,david1 ,tribolo's assistant in building all the works at ,castello1 who1 being a man of judgment and capable in such matters1 is now employed on the aqueducts of ,florence1 ,pisa1 and all the other places in the dominion1 according as it may please his ,excellency4 ,,pierino 7,,piero7 ,,da ,,vinci ,,life ,,of ,,pierino 7,,piero7 ,,da ,,vinci ,,sculptor ,although those men are generally the most celebrated who have executed some work excellently well1 nevertheless1 if the works already accomplished by any man foreshadow those that he did not achieve as likely to have been numerous and much more rare1 if some accident1 unforeseen and out of the common use1 had not happened to interrupt him1 it is certain that such a man1 wherever there may be one willing to be just in his appreciation of the talent of another1 will be rightly extolled and celebrated both on the one count and on the other1 and as much for what he would have done as for what he did4 ,the sculptor ,vinci1 therefore1 should not suffer on account of the short duration of his life1 or be robbed thereby of the praise due to him from the judgment of those who shall come after us1 considering that he was only in the first bloom both of his life and of his studies at the time when he produced and gave to the world that which everyone admires1 and was like to bring forth fruits in greater abundance1 if a hostile tempest had not destroyed both the fruits and the tree4 ,i remember having said in another place that in the township of ,vinci1 in the lower ,valdarno1 there lived ,ser ,piero1 the father of ,leonardo da ,vinci1 most famous of painters4 ,to this ,ser ,piero1 after ,leonardo1 there was born1 as his youngest son1 ,bartolommeo1 who1 living at ,vinci and attaining to manhood1 took for his wife one of the first maidens of that township4 ,bartolommeo was desirous of having a male child1 and spoke very often to his wife of the greatness of the genius with which his brother ,leonardo had been endowed1 praying ,god that ,he should make her worthy that from her there might be born in his house another ,leonardo1 the first being now dead4 ,in a short time1 therefore1 according to his desire1 there was born to him a gracious boy1 to whom he wished to give the name of ,leonardo2 but1 being advised by his relatives to revive the memory of his father1 he gave him the name of ,piero4 ,having come to the age of three years1 the boy had a most beautiful countenance1 with curly locks1 and showed great grace in every movement1 with a quickness of intelligence that was marvellous2 insomuch that ,maestro ,giuliano del ,carmine1 an excellent astrologer1 and with him a priest devoted to chiromancy1 who were both close friends of ,bartolommeo1 having arrived in ,vinci and lodged in ,bartolommeo's house1 looking at the forehead and hand of the boy1 revealed to the father1 both the astrologer and the chiromancer together1 the greatness of his genius1 and predicted that in a short time he would make extraordinary proficience in the mercurial arts1 but that his life would also be very short4 ,and only too true was their prophecy1 for both in the one part and in the other 7when one would have sufficed71 in his life as well as in his art1 it needs must be fulfilled4 ,then1 continuing to grow1 ,piero had his father as his master in letters1 but of himself1 without any master1 giving his attention to drawing and to making various little puppets in clay1 he showed that the divine inclination of his nature recognized by the astrologer and the chiromancer was already awakening and beginning to work in him4 ,by reason of which ,bartolommeo judged that his prayer had been heard by ,god2 and1 believing that his brother had been restored to him in his son1 he began to think of removing ,piero from ,vinci and taking him to ,florence4 ,having then done this without delay1 he placed ,piero1 who was now twelve years of age1 with ,bandinelli in ,florence1 flattering himself that ,baccio1 having been once the friend of ,leonardo1 would take notice of the boy and teach him with diligence2 besides which1 it seemed to him that ,piero delighted more in sculpture than in painting4 ,but afterwards1 coming very often to ,florence1 he recognized that ,bandinelli was not answering with deeds to his expectations1 and was not taking pains with the boy or showing interest in him1 although he saw him to be willing to learn4 ,for which reason ,bartolommeo took him away from ,bandinelli1 and entrusted him to ,tribolo1 who appeared to him to make more effort to help those who were seeking to learn1 besides giving more attention to the studies of art and bearing even greater affection to the memory of ,leonardo4 ,tribolo was executing some fountains at ,castello1 the villa of his ,excellency2 and thereupon ,piero1 beginning once more his customary drawing1 through having there the competition of the other young men whom ,tribolo kept about him1 set himself with great ardour of spirit to study day and night1 being spurred by his nature1 which was desirous of excellence and honour1 and being even more kindled by the example of the others like himself whom he saw constantly around him4 ,wherefore in a few months he made such progress1 that it was a marvel to everyone2 and1 having begun to gain some experience with the chisels1 he sought to see whether his hand and his tools would obey in practice the thoughts within him and the designs formed in his brain4 ,tribolo1 perceiving his readiness1 and having had a water-basin of stone made at that very time for ,cristofano ,rinieri1 gave to ,piero a small piece of marble1 from which he was to make for that water-basin a boy that should spurt forth water from the private part4 ,piero1 taking the marble with great gladness1 first made a little model of clay1 and then executed the work with so much grace1 that ,tribolo and the others ventured the opinion that he would become one of those who are counted as rare in that art4 ,tribolo then gave him a ,ducal ,mazzocchio#c to make in stone1 to be placed over an escutcheon with the ,medici balls1 for ,messer ,pier ,francesco ,riccio1 the major-domo of the ,duke2 and he made it with two children with their legs intertwined together1 who are holding the ,mazzocchio in their hands and placing it upon the escutcheon1 which is fixed over the door of a house that the major-domo then occupied1 opposite to ,s4 ,giuliano1 near the ,priests of ,s4 ,antonio4 ,when this work was seen1 all the craftsmen of ,florence formed the same judgment that ,tribolo had pronounced before4 ,footnote #c3 ,see note on p4 #acb1 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,after this1 he carved a boy squeezing a fish that is pouring water from its mouth1 for the fountains of ,castello4 ,and then1 ,tribolo having given him a larger piece of marble1 ,piero made from it two children who are embracing each other and squeezing fishes1 causing water to spout from their mouths4 ,these children were so graceful in the heads and in their whole persons1 and executed with so beautiful a manner in the legs1 arms1 and hair1 that already it could be seen that he would have been able to execute the most difficult work to perfection4 ,taking heart1 therefore1 and buying a piece of grey-stone1 two braccia and a half in length1 which he took to his house on the ,canto alla ,briga1 ,piero began to work at it in the evenings1 after returning from his labours1 at night1 and on feast-days1 insomuch that little by little he brought it to completion4 ,this was a figure of ,bacchus1 who had a ,satyr at his feet1 and with one hand was holding a cup1 while in the other he had a bunch of grapes1 and his head was girt with a crown of grapes2 all after a model made by himself in clay4 ,in this and in his other early works ,piero showed a marvellous facility1 which never offends the eye1 nor is it in any respect disturbing to him who beholds it4 ,this ,bacchus1 when finished1 was bought by ,bongianni ,capponi1 and his nephew ,lodovico ,capponi now has it in a courtyard in his house4 ,the while that ,piero was executing these works1 few persons as yet knew that he was the nephew of ,leonardo da ,vinci2 but his labours making him well known and renowned1 by this means his parentage and his birth were likewise revealed4 ,wherefore ever afterwards1 both from his connection with his uncle and from his own happy genius1 wherein he resembled that great man1 he was called by everyone not ,piero1 but ,vinci4 ,now ,vinci1 while occupied in this manner1 had often heard various persons speaking of the things connected with the arts to be seen in ,rome1 and extolling them1 as is always done by everyone2 wherefore a great desire had been kindled in him to see them1 hoping to be able to derive profit by beholding not only the works of the ancients1 but also those of ,michelagnolo1 and even the master himself1 who was then alive and residing in ,rome4 ,he went thither1 therefore1 in company with some friends2 but after seeing ,rome and all that he wished1 he returned to ,florence1 having reflected judiciously that the things of ,rome were as yet too profound for him1 and should be studied and imitated not so early in his career1 but after a greater acquaintance with art4 ,at that time ,tribolo had finished a model for the shaft of the fountain in the labyrinth1 in which are some ,satyrs in low-relief1 four masks in half-relief1 and four little boys in the round1 who are seated upon certain caulicoles4 ,vinci having then returned1 ,tribolo gave him this shaft to do1 and he executed and finished it1 making in it some delicate designs not employed by any other but himself1 which greatly pleased all who saw them4 ,then1 having had the whole marble tazza of that fountain finished1 ,tribolo thought of placing on the edge of it four children in the round1 lying down and playing with their arms and legs in the water1 in various attitudes2 and these he intended to cast in bronze4 ,vinci1 at the commission of ,tribolo1 made them of clay1 and they were afterwards cast in bronze by ,zanobi ,lastricati1 a sculptor and a man very experienced in matters of casting2 and they were placed not long since around the fountain1 where they make a most beautiful effect4 ,there was in daily intercourse with ,tribolo one ,luca ,martini1 the proveditor at that time for the building of the ,mercato ,nuovo1 who1 praising highly the excellence in art and the fine character of ,vinci1 and desiring to help him1 provided him with a piece of marble two-thirds of a braccio in height and one and a quarter in length4 ,vinci1 taking the marble1 made with it a ,christ being scourged at the ,column1 in which the rules of low-relief and of design may be seen to have been well observed2 and in truth it made everyone marvel1 considering that he had not yet reached the age of seventeen1 and had made in five years of study that proficience in art which others do not achieve save after length of life and great experience of many things4 ,at this time ,tribolo1 having undertaken the office of superintendent of the drains in the city of ,florence1 ordained in that capacity that the drain in the old ,piazza di ,s4 ,maria ,novella should be raised from the ground1 in such a way that1 becoming more capacious1 it might be better able to receive all the waters that ran into it from various quarters4 ,for this work1 then1 he commissioned ,vinci to make the model of a great mask of three braccia1 which with its open mouth might swallow all the rain-water4 ,afterwards1 by order of the ,ufficiali della ,torre1 the work was allotted to ,vinci1 who1 in order to execute it more quickly1 summoned to his aid the sculptor ,lorenzo ,marignolli4 ,in company with this master he finished it1 making it from a block of hard-stone2 and the work is such that it adorns the whole ,piazza1 with no small advantage to the city4 ,it now appeared to ,vinci that he had made such proficience in art1 that it would be a great benefit to him to see the principal works in ,rome1 and to associate with the most excellent craftsmen living there2 wherefore1 an occasion to go there presenting itself1 he seized it readily4 ,there had arrived from ,rome an intimate friend of ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti1 ,francesco ,bandini1 who1 having come to know ,vinci by means of ,luca ,martini1 and having praised him highly1 caused him to make a model of wax for a tomb of marble that he wished to erect in his chapel in ,s4 ,croce2 and shortly afterwards1 on returning to ,rome1 ,vinci having spoken his mind to ,luca ,martini1 ,bandini took him in his company4 ,there ,vinci remained a year1 studying all the time1 and executed some works worthy of remembrance4 ,the first was a ,christ on the ,cross in low-relief1 rendering up ,his spirit to ,his ,father1 which was copied from a design done by ,michelagnolo4 ,for ,cardinal ,ridolfi he added to an antique head a breast in bronze1 and made a ,venus of marble in low-relief1 which was much extolled4 ,for ,francesco ,bandini he restored an ancient horse1 of which many pieces were wanting1 and made it complete4 ,and in order to give some proof of gratitude1 where he could1 to ,luca ,martini1 who was writing to him by every courier1 and continually recommending him to ,bandini1 it seemed good to ,vinci to make a copy in wax1 in the round and two-thirds 7of a braccio7 in height1 of the ,moses of ,michelagnolo that is on the tomb of ,pope ,julius ,,ii in ,s4 ,pietro in ,vincula1 than which there is no more beautiful work to be seen2 and so1 having made the ,moses of wax1 he sent it as a present to ,luca ,martini4 ,at the time when ,vinci was living in ,rome and executing the works mentioned above1 ,luca ,martini was made by the ,duke of ,florence proveditor of ,pisa1 and in his office he did not forget his friend1 and therefore wrote to him that he was preparing a room for him and was providing a block of marble of three braccia1 so that he might return from ,rome at his pleasure1 seeing that while with him he should want for nothing4 ,vinci1 attracted by this prospect and by the love that he bore to ,luca1 resolved to depart from ,rome and to take up his abode for some time in ,pisa1 where he looked to find opportunities of practising his hand and making trial of his ability4 ,having therefore gone to ,pisa1 he found that the marble was already in his room1 prepared according to the orders of ,luca2 but1 on proceeding to begin to carve from it an upright figure1 he perceived that the marble had in it a crack that diminished it by a braccio4 ,wherefore1 having resolved to change it into a recumbent figure1 he made a young ,river ,god holding a vase that is pouring out water1 the vase being upheld by three children1 who are assisting the ,river ,god to pour the water forth2 and beneath his feet runs a copious stream of water1 in which may be seen fishes darting about and water-fowl flying in various parts4 ,this ,river ,god finished1 ,vinci made a present of it to ,luca1 who presented it to the ,duchess1 to whom it was very dear2 and then1 her brother ,don ,garzia di ,toledo being at that time in ,pisa1 whither he had gone by galley1 she gave it to that brother1 who accepted it with much pleasure for the fountains of his garden in the ,chiaia at ,naples4 ,in those days ,luca ,martini was writing some observations on the ,commedia of ,dante1 and he pointed out to ,vinci the cruelty described by ,dante1 which the ,pisans and ,archbishop ,ruggieri showed towards ,count ,ugolino della ,gherardesca1 causing him to die of hunger with his four sons in the tower that is therefore called the ,tower of ,hunger2 whereby he offered to ,vinci the occasion for a new work and the idea of a new design4 ,wherefore1 while he was still working at the ,river ,god described above1 he set his hand to making a scene in wax more than a braccio in height and three-quarters in breadth1 to be cast in bronze1 in which he represented two of the ,count's sons already dead1 one in the act of expiring1 and the fourth overcome by hunger and near his end1 but not yet reduced to the last breath2 with the father in a pitiful and miserable attitude1 blind and heavy with grief1 and groping over the wretched bodies of his sons stretched upon the ground4 ,in this work ,vinci displayed the excellence of design no less than did ,dante the perfection of poetry in his verses1 for no less compassion is stirred by the attitudes shaped in wax by the sculptor in him who beholds them1 than is roused in him who listens to the words and accents imprinted on the living page by the poet4 ,and in order to mark the place where the event happened1 he made at the foot of the scene the ,river ,arno1 which occupies its whole width1 for the above-named tower is not far distant from the river in ,pisa2 while upon that tower he placed an old woman1 naked1 withered1 and fearsome1 representing ,hunger1 much after the manner wherein ,ovid describes her4 ,the wax model finished1 he cast the scene in bronze1 and it gave consummate satisfaction1 being held by the ,court and by everyone to be no ordinary work4 ,duke ,cosimo was then intent on enriching and beautifying the city of ,pisa1 and he had already caused the ,piazza del ,mercato to be built anew1 with a great number of shops around it1 and had placed in the centre a column ten braccia high1 upon which1 according to the design of ,luca1 was to stand a statue representing ,abundance4 ,martini1 therefore1 having spoken to the ,duke and presented ,vinci to his notice1 easily obtained for him from his ,excellency the commission for that statue1 the ,duke being always eager to assist men of talent and to bring fine intellects forward4 ,vinci executed a statue of travertine1 three braccia and a half in height1 which was much extolled by everyone2 for at the feet of the figure he placed a little child1 who assists her to support the ,cornucopia1 carved with much softness and facility1 although the stone is rough and difficult to work4 ,illustration3 ,,ugolino ,,della ,,gherardesca ,,and ,,his ,,sons ,,in ,,the ,,tower ,,of ,,famine 7,after the wax relief by ,pierino ,piero da ,vinci4 ,oxford3 ,ashmolean ,museum7 ,reproduced by permission of the ,visitors of the ,ashmolean ,museum4 ,luca afterwards sent to ,carrara to have a block of marble quarried five braccia in height and three in breadth1 from which ,vinci1 who had once seen some sketches by ,michelagnolo of ,samson slaying a ,philistine with the jawbone of an ass1 proposed to make two figures of five braccia from his own fancy1 after that subject4 ,whereupon1 while the marble was on its way1 he set himself to make several models1 all varying one from another1 and then fixed on one of them2 and after the block had arrived he began to carve it1 and carried it well on1 imitating ,michelagnolo in cutting his conception and design little by little out of the stone1 without spoiling it or making any sort of error4 ,he executed all the perforation in this work1 whether undercut or at an easy angle1 with great facility1 laborious as it was1 and the manner of the whole work was very delicate4 ,but since the labour was very fatiguing1 he sought to distract himself with other studies and works of less importance2 and thus he executed during the same time a little tablet of marble in low-relief1 in which he represented ,our ,lady with ,christ1 ,s4 ,john1 and ,s4 ,elizabeth1 which was held1 as it still is1 to be a rare work4 ,this came into the hands of the most illustrious ,duchess1 and it is now among the choice things in the study of the ,duke4 ,he then set his hand to a scene of marble1 one braccio high and one and a half wide1 partly in half-relief and partly in low-relief1 in which he represented the restoration of ,pisa by the ,duke1 who is in the work present in person at the restoration of that city1 which is being pressed forward by his presence4 ,round the ,duke are figures of his virtues2 in particular a ,minerva representing his wisdom and also the arts revived by him in that city of ,pisa1 who is surrounded by many evils and natural defects of the site1 which besiege her on every side1 and afflict her in the manner of enemies2 but from all these that city has since been delivered by the above-mentioned virtues of the ,duke4 ,all these virtues round the ,duke1 with all the evils round ,pisa1 were portrayed by ,vinci in his scene with most beautiful gestures and attitudes2 but he left it unfinished1 to the great regret of those who saw it1 on account of the perfection of the things in it that were completed4 ,the fame of ,vinci having grown and spread abroad by reason of these works1 the heirs of ,messer ,baldassarre ,turini da ,pescia besought him that he should make a model of a marble tomb for ,messer ,baldassarre2 which finished1 it pleased them1 whereupon they made an agreement that the tomb should be executed1 and ,vinci sent ,francesco del ,tadda1 an able master of marble-carving1 to have the marble quarried at ,carrara4 ,and when that master had sent him a block of marble1 ,vinci began a statue1 and carved out of the stone a figure blocked out in such a manner that one who knew not the circumstances would have said that it was certainly blocked out by ,michelagnolo4 ,the name of ,vinci was now very great1 and his genius was admired by all1 being much more perfect than could have been expected in one so young1 and it was likely to grow even more and to become greater1 and to equal that of any other man in his art1 as his own works bear witness1 without any other testimony2 when the term prescribed for him by ,heaven1 being now close at hand1 interrupted all his plans1 and caused his rapid progress to cease at one blow1 not suffering that he should climb any higher1 and depriving the world of many excellent works of art with which1 had ,vinci lived1 it would have been adorned4 ,it happened at this time1 while ,vinci was intent on the tomb of another1 not knowing that his own was preparing1 that the ,duke had to send ,luca ,martini to ,genoa on affairs of importance2 and ,luca1 both because he loved ,vinci and wished to have him in his company1 and also in order to give him some diversion and recreation1 and to enable him to see ,genoa1 took him with him on his journey4 ,there1 while ,martini was transacting his business1 at his suggestion ,messer ,adamo ,centurioni commissioned ,vinci to execute a figure of ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 of which he made the model4 ,but soon he was attacked by fever1 and1 to increase his distress1 at the same time his friend was also taken away from him2 perchance to provide a way in which fate might be fulfilled in the life of ,vinci4 ,for it became necessary that ,luca1 in the interests of the business entrusted to him1 should go to ,florence to find the ,duke2 wherefore he parted from his sick friend1 to the great grief of both the one and the other1 leaving him in the house of the ,abate ,nero1 to whom he straitly recommended him1 although ,piero was very unwilling to remain in ,genoa4 ,but ,vinci1 feeling himself growing worse every day1 resolved to have himself removed from ,genoa2 and1 having caused an assistant of his own1 called ,tiberio ,cavalieri1 to come from ,pisa1 with his help he had himself carried to ,livorno by water1 and from ,livorno to ,pisa in a litter4 ,arriving in ,pisa at the twenty-second hour in the evening1 all exhausted and broken by the journey1 the sea-voyage1 and the fever1 during the night he had no repose1 and the next morning1 at the break of day1 he passed to the other life1 not having yet reached the age of twenty-three4 ,the death of ,vinci was a great grief to all his friends1 and to ,luca ,martini beyond measure2 and it grieved all those who had hoped to see from his hands such works as are not often seen4 ,and ,messer ,benedetto ,varchi1 who was much the friend of his abilities and of those of every master1 afterwards wrote the following sonnet in memory of his fame3 ,come potr da me1 se tu non presti ,o forza1 o tregua al mio gran duolo interno1 ,soffrirlo in pace mai1 ,signor superno1 ,che fin qu nuova ognor pena mi desti8 ,dunque de' miei pi cari or quegli1 or questi1 ,verde sen voli all'alto ,asilo eterno1 ,ed io canuto in questo basso inferno ,a pianger sempre e lamentarmi resti8 ,sciolgami almen tua gran bontade quinci1 ,or che reo fato nostro1 o sua ventura1 ,ch' era ben degno d' altra vita1 e gente1 ,per far pi ricco il cielo1 e la scultura ,men bella1 e me col buon ,martin dolente1 ,n' ha privi1 o piet1 del secondo ,vinci4 ,,baccio ,,bandinelli ,,life ,,of ,,baccio ,,bandinelli ,,sculptor ,,of ,,florence ,in the days when the arts of design flourished in ,florence by the favour and assistance of the elder ,lorenzo de' ,medici the ,magnificent1 there lived in the city a goldsmith called ,michelagnolo di ,viviano of ,gaiuole1 who worked excellently well at chasing and incavo for enamels and niello1 and was very skilful in every sort of work in gold and silver plate4 ,this ,michelagnolo had a great knowledge of jewels1 and set them very well2 and on account of his talents and his versatility all the foreign masters of his art used to have recourse to him1 and he gave them hospitality1 as well as to the young men of the city1 insomuch that his workshop was held to be1 as it was1 the first in ,florence4 ,of him the ,magnificent ,lorenzo and all the house of ,medici availed themselves2 and for the tourney that ,giuliano1 the brother of that ,magnificent ,lorenzo1 held on the ,piazza di ,s4 ,croce1 he executed with subtle craftsmanship all the ornaments of helmets1 crests1 and devices4 ,wherefore he acquired a great name and much intimacy with the sons of the ,magnificent ,lorenzo1 to whom his work was ever afterwards very dear1 and no less useful to him their acquaintance and friendship1 by reason of which1 and also by the many works that he executed throughout the whole city and dominion1 he became a man of substance as well as one of much repute in his art4 ,to this ,michelagnolo the ,medici1 on their departure from ,florence in the year #adid1 entrusted much plate in silver and gold1 which was all kept in safe hiding by him and faithfully preserved until their return1 when he was much extolled by them for his fidelity1 and afterwards recompensed with rewards4 ,in the year #adhg there was born to ,michelagnolo a son1 whom he called ,bartolommeo1 but afterwards1 according to the ,florentine custom1 he was called by everyone ,baccio4 ,michelagnolo1 desiring to leave his son heir to his art and connection1 took him into his own workshop in company with other young men who were learning to draw2 for that was the custom in those times1 and no one was held to be a good goldsmith who was not a good draughtsman and able to work well in relief4 ,baccio1 then1 in his first years1 gave his attention to design according to the teaching of his father1 being assisted no less to make proficience by the competition of the other lads1 among whom he chose as his particular companion one called ,piloto1 who afterwards became an able goldsmith2 and with him he often went about the churches drawing the works of the good painters1 but also mingling work in relief with his drawing1 and counterfeiting in wax certain sculptures of ,donato and ,verrocchio1 besides executing some works in clay1 in the round4 ,while still a boy in age1 ,baccio frequented at times the workshop of ,girolamo del ,buda1 a commonplace painter1 on the ,piazza di ,s4 ,pulinari4 ,there1 at one time during the winter1 a great quantity of snow had fallen1 which had been thrown afterwards by the people into a heap in that piazza2 and ,girolamo1 turning to ,baccio1 said to him jestingly3 ,baccio1 if this snow were marble1 could we not carve a fine giant out of it1 such as a ,marforio lying down8 ,we could so1 answered ,baccio1 and ,i suggest that we should act as if it were marble4 ,and immediately1 throwing off his cloak1 he set his hands to the snow1 and1 assisted by other boys1 taking away the snow where there was too much1 and adding some in other places1 he made a rough figure of ,marforio lying down1 eight braccia in length4 ,whereupon the painter and all the others stood marvelling1 not so much at what he had done as at the spirit with which he had set his hand to a work so vast1 and he so young and so small4 ,baccio1 indeed1 having more love for sculpture than for goldsmith's work1 gave many proofs of this2 and when he went to ,pinzirimonte1 a villa bought by his father1 he would often plant himself before the naked labourers and draw them with great eagerness1 and he did the same with the cattle on the farm4 ,at this time he continued for many days to go in the morning to ,prato1 which was near the villa1 where he stayed the whole day drawing in the ,chapel of the ,pieve from the work of ,fra ,filippo ,lippi1 and he did not cease until he had drawn it all1 imitating the draperies of that master1 who did them very well4 ,and already he handled with great skill the style and the pen1 and also chalk both red and black1 which last is a soft stone that comes from the mountains of ,france1 and with it1 when cut to a point1 drawings can be executed with great delicacy4 ,these things making clear to ,michelagnolo the mind and inclination of his son1 he also changed his intention1 like the boy himself1 and1 being likewise advised by his friends1 placed him under the care of ,giovan ,francesco ,rustici1 one of the best sculptors in the city1 whose workshop was still constantly frequented by ,leonardo da ,vinci4 ,leonardo1 seeing the drawings of ,baccio and being pleased with them1 exhorted him to persevere and to take to working in relief2 and he recommended strongly to him the works of ,donato1 saying also that he should execute something in marble1 such as a head or a low-relief4 ,baccio1 encouraged by the comforting advice of ,leonardo1 set himself to copy in marble an antique head of a woman1 of which he had shaped a model from one that is in the house of the ,medici4 ,this1 for his first work1 he executed passing well1 and it was held very dear by ,andrea ,carnesecchi1 who received it as a present from ,baccio's father and placed it in his house in the ,via ,larga1 over that door in the centre of the court which leads into the garden4 ,now1 ,baccio continuing to make other models of figures in clay in the round1 his father1 wishing not to fail in his duty towards the praiseworthy zeal of his son1 sent for some blocks of marble from ,carrara1 and caused to be built for him1 at the end of his house at ,pinti1 a room with lights arranged for working1 which looked out upon the ,via ,fiesolana4 ,whereupon he set himself to block out various figures in those marbles1 and one1 among others1 he carried well on from a piece of marble of two braccia and a half1 which was a ,hercules that is holding the dead ,cacus beneath him1 between his legs4 ,these sketches were left in the same place in memory of him4 ,at this time was thrown open to view the cartoon of ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti1 full of nude figures1 which ,michelagnolo had executed at the commission of ,piero ,soderini for the ,great ,council ,chamber1 and1 as has been related in another place1 all the craftsmen flocked together to draw it on account of its excellence4 ,among these came ,baccio1 and no long time passed before he outstripped them all1 for the reason that he understood nudes1 and outlined1 shaded1 and finished them1 better than any of the other draughtsmen1 among whom were ,jacopo ,sansovino1 ,andrea del ,sarto1 ,il ,rosso1 who was then very young1 and ,alfonso ,berughetta the ,spaniard1 together with many other famous craftsmen4 ,baccio frequented the place more than any of the others1 and had a counterfeit key2 and it happened that1 ,piero ,soderini having been deposed from the government about this time1 in the year #aeab1 and the house of ,medici having been restored to power1 during the confusion caused in the ,palace by the change of government1 ,baccio entered in secret1 all by himself1 and tore the cartoon into many pieces4 ,of which not knowing the reason1 some said that ,baccio had torn it up in order to have some pieces of the cartoon in his possession for his own convenience1 some declared that he wished to deprive the other young men of that advantage1 so that they might not be able to profit by it and make themselves a name in art1 others said that he was moved to do this by his affection for ,leonardo da ,vinci1 from whom ,michelagnolo's cartoon had taken much of his reputation1 and others1 again1 perhaps interpreting his action better1 attributed it to the hatred which he felt against ,michelagnolo and afterwards demonstrated as long as he lived4 ,the loss of the cartoon was no light one for the city1 and very heavy the blame that was rightly laid upon ,baccio by everyone1 as an envious and malicious person4 ,baccio then executed some pieces of cartoon with lead-white and charcoal1 among which was a very beautiful one of a nude ,cleopatra1 which he presented to the goldsmith ,piloto4 ,having already acquired a name as a great draughtsman1 he was desirous of learning to paint in colours1 having a firm belief that he would not only equal ,buonarroti1 but even greatly surpass him in both fields of art4 ,now he had executed a cartoon of a ,leda1 in which ,castor and ,pollux were issuing from the egg of the swan embraced by her1 and he wished to colour it in oils1 in such a way as to make it appear that the methods of handling the colours and mixing them together in order to make the various tints1 with the lights and shades1 had not been taught to him by others1 but that he had found them by himself1 and1 after pondering how he could do this1 he thought of the following expedient4 ,he besought ,andrea del ,sarto1 who was much his friend1 that he should paint a portrait of him in oils1 flattering himself that he would thereby gain two advantages in accordance with his purpose2 one was that he would see the method of mixing the colours1 and the other was that the painted picture would remain in his hands1 which1 having seen it executed and understanding it1 would assist him and serve him as a pattern4 ,but ,andrea perceived ,baccio's intention as he made his request1 and was angry at his want of confidence and astuteness1 for he would have been willing to show him what he desired1 if ,baccio had asked him as a friend2 wherefore1 without making any sign that he had found him out1 and refraining from mixing the colours into tints1 he placed every sort of colour on his palette and mingled them together with the brush1 and1 taking some now from one and now from another with great dexterity of hand1 counterfeited in this way the vivid colouring of ,baccio's face4 ,the latter1 both through the artfulness of ,andrea and because he had to sit still where he was if he wished to be painted1 was never able to see or learn anything that he wished3 and it was a fine notion of ,andrea's1 thus at the same time to punish the deceitfulness of his friend and to display with this method of painting1 like a well-practised master1 even greater ability and experience in art4 ,for all this1 however1 ,baccio did not abandon his determination1 in which he was assisted by the painter ,rosso1 whom he afterwards asked more openly for the help that he desired4 ,having thus learned the methods of colouring1 he painted a picture in oils of the ,holy ,fathers delivered from the ,limbo of ,hell by the ,saviour1 and also a larger picture of ,noah drunk with wine and revealing his nakedness in the presence of his sons4 ,he tried his hand at painting on the wall1 on fresh plaster1 and executed on the walls of his house heads1 arms1 legs1 and torsi1 coloured in various ways2 but1 perceiving that this involved him in greater difficulties than he had expected1 through the drying of the plaster1 he returned to his former study of working in relief4 ,he made a figure of marble1 three braccia in height1 of a young ,mercury with a flute in his hand1 with which he took great pains1 and it was extolled and held to be a rare work2 and afterwards1 in the year #aecj1 it was bought by ,giovan ,battista della ,palla and sent to ,france to ,king ,francis1 who held it in great estimation4 ,baccio devoted himself with great study and solicitude to examining and reproducing the most minute details of anatomy1 persevering in this for many months and even years4 ,and certainly one can praise highly in this man his desire for honour and excellence in art1 and for working well therein2 spurred by which desire1 and by the most fiery ardour1 with which1 rather than with aptitude or dexterity in art1 he had been endowed by nature from his earliest years1 ,baccio spared himself no fatigue1 never relaxed his efforts for a moment1 was always intent either on preparing for work or on working1 always occupied1 and never to be found idle1 thinking that by continual work he would surpass all others who had ever practised his art1 and promising this result to himself as the reward of his incessant study and endless labour4 ,continuing1 therefore1 his zealous study1 he not only produced a great number of sheets drawn in various ways with his own hand1 but also contrived to get ,agostino ,viniziano1 the engraver of prints1 to engrave for him a nude ,cleopatra and a larger plate filled with various anatomical studies1 in order to see whether this would be successful2 and the latter plate brought him great praise4 ,he then set himself to make in wax1 in full-relief1 a figure one braccio and a half in height of ,s4 ,jerome in ,penitence1 lean beyond belief1 which showed on the bones the muscles all withered1 a great part of the nerves1 and the skin dry and wrinkled2 and with such diligence was this work executed by him1 that all the craftsmen1 and particularly ,leonardo da ,vinci1 pronounced the opinion that there had never been seen a better thing of its kind1 nor one wrought with greater art4 ,this figure ,baccio carried to ,cardinal ,giovanni de' ,medici and to his brother the ,magnificent ,giuliano1 and by its means he made himself known to them as the son of the goldsmith ,michelagnolo2 and they1 besides praising the work1 showed him many other favours4 ,this was in the year #aeab1 when they had returned to their house and their government4 ,at this same time there were being executed in the ,office of ,works of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore certain ,apostles of marble1 which were to be set up within the marble tabernacles in those very places in that church where there are the ,apostles painted by the painter ,lorenzo di ,bicci4 ,at the instance of the ,magnificent ,giuliano there was allotted to ,baccio a ,s4 ,peter1 four braccia and a half in height1 which after a long time he brought to completion2 and1 although it has not the highest perfection of sculpture1 nevertheless good design may be seen in it4 ,this ,apostle remained in the ,office of ,works from the year #aeac down to #aefe1 in which year ,duke ,cosimo1 in honour of the marriage of ,queen ,joanna of ,austria1 his daughter-in-law1 was pleased to have the interior of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore whitewashed1 which church had never been touched from the time of its erection down to that day1 and to have four ,apostles set up in their places1 among which was the ,s4 ,peter mentioned above4 ,now in the year #aeae1 ,pope ,leo ,x passing through ,florence on his way to ,bologna1 the city1 in order to do him honour1 ordained1 among many other ornaments and festive preparations1 that there should be made a colossal figure of nine braccia and a half1 which was to be placed under an arch of the ,loggia in the ,piazza near the ,palace2 and this was given to ,baccio4 ,this colossal figure was a ,hercules1 and from the premature words of ,baccio men expected that it would surpass the ,david of ,buonarroti1 which stood there near it2 but the act did not correspond to the word1 nor the work to the boast1 and it robbed ,baccio of much of the estimation in which he had previously been held by the craftsmen and by the whole city4 ,pope ,leo had allotted the work of the ornamentation in marble that surrounds the ,chamber of ,our ,lady at ,loreto1 with the statues and scenes1 to ,maestro ,andrea ,contucci of ,monte ,sansovino1 who had already executed some of these with great credit to himself1 and was then engaged on others4 ,now at this time ,baccio took to ,rome1 for the ,pope1 a very beautiful model of a nude ,david who was holding ,goliath under him and was cutting off his head2 which model he intended to execute in bronze or in marble for that very spot in the court of the house of the ,medici in ,florence where there once stood the ,david of ,donato1 which1 at the spoiling of the ,medici ,palace1 was taken to the ,palace that then belonged to the ,signori4 ,the ,pope1 having praised ,baccio1 but not thinking that the time had come to execute the ,david1 sent him to ,loreto to ,maestro ,andrea1 to the end that ,andrea might give him one of those scenes to do4 ,having arrived in ,loreto1 he was received lovingly by ,maestro ,andrea and shown much kindness1 both on account of his fame and because the ,pope had recommended him1 and a piece of marble was assigned to him from which he should carve the ,nativity of ,our ,lady4 ,baccio1 after making the model1 began the work2 but1 being a person who was not able to endure a colleague or an equal1 and had little praise for the works of others1 he also began to speak hardly before the other sculptors who were there of the works of ,maestro ,andrea1 saying that he had no design1 and he said the same of the others1 insomuch that in a short time he made himself disliked by them all4 ,whereupon1 all that ,baccio had said of ,maestro ,andrea having come to his ears1 he1 like a wise man1 answered him lovingly1 saying that works are done with the hands and not with the tongue1 that good design is to be looked for not in drawings but in the perfection of the work finished in stone1 and1 finally1 that in future ,baccio should speak of him in a different tone4 ,but ,baccio answering him arrogantly with many abusive words1 ,maestro ,andrea could endure no more1 and rushed upon him in order to kill him2 but ,bandinelli was torn away from him by some who intervened between them4 ,being therefore forced to depart from ,loreto1 ,baccio had his scene carried to ,ancona2 but he grew weary of it1 although it was near completion1 and he went away leaving it unfinished4 ,this work was finished afterwards by ,raffaello da ,montelupo1 and placed together with the others of ,maestro ,andrea2 but it is by no means equal to them in excellence1 although even so it is worthy of praise4 ,baccio1 having returned to ,rome1 obtained a promise from the ,pope1 through the favour of ,cardinal ,giulio de' ,medici1 always ready to assist the arts and their followers1 that he should be commissioned to execute some statue for the court of the ,medici ,palace in ,florence4 ,having therefore come to ,florence1 he made an ,orpheus of marble1 who with his playing and his singing is charming ,cerberus1 and moving ,hell itself to compassion4 ,he imitated in this work the ,apollo of the ,belvedere at ,rome1 and it was very highly praised1 and rightly1 because1 although the ,orpheus of ,baccio is not in the attitude of the ,apollo ,belvedere1 nevertheless it reproduces very successfully the manner of the torso and of all the members4 ,the statue1 when finished1 was carried by order of ,cardinal ,giulio1 while he was governing ,florence1 into the above-mentioned court1 and placed on a carved base executed by the sculptor ,benedetto da ,rovezzano4 ,but since ,baccio never paid any attention to the art of architecture1 he took no heed of the genius of ,donatello1 who had made for the ,david that was there before a simple column on which rested a cleft base in open-work1 to the end that one entering from without might see from the street-door the inner door1 that of the other court1 opposite to him2 and1 not having such foresight1 he caused his statue to be placed on a broad and wholly solid base1 of such a kind that it blocks the view of him who enters and covers the opening of the inner door1 so that in passing through the first door one does not see whether the palace extends farther inwards or finishes in the first court4 ,cardinal ,giulio had caused a most beautiful villa to be erected below ,monte ,mario at ,rome1 and wished to set up two giants in this villa2 and he had them executed in stucco by ,baccio1 who was always delighted to make giants4 ,these figures1 eight braccia in height1 stand one on either side of the gate that leads into the wood1 and they were held to be reasonably beautiful4 ,while ,baccio was engaged on these works1 never abandoning his practice of drawing1 he caused ,marco da ,ravenna and ,agostino ,viniziano1 the engravers of prints1 to engrave a scene drawn by him on a very large sheet1 in which was the ,slaughter of the ,innocents1 so cruelly done to death by ,herod4 ,this scene1 which was filled by him with a quantity of nudes1 both male and female1 children living and dead1 and women and soldiers in various attitudes1 made known the fine draughtsmanship that he showed in figures and his knowledge of muscles and of all the members1 and it won him great fame over all ,europe4 ,he also made a most beautiful model of wood1 with the figures in wax1 of a tomb for the ,king of ,england1 which in the end was not carried out by ,baccio1 but was given to the sculptor ,benedetto da ,rovezzano1 who executed it in metal4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,martyrdom ,,of ,s4 ,,lorenzo 7,after the painting by ,baccio ,bandinelli4 ,hereford3 ,w4 ,j4 ,davies' ,collection7 ,m4,s4 ,there had recently returned from ,france ,cardinal ,bernardo ,divizio of ,bibbiena1 who1 perceiving that ,king ,francis possessed not a single work in marble1 whether ancient or modern1 although he much delighted in such things1 had promised his ,majesty that he would prevail on the ,pope to send him some beautiful work4 ,after this ,cardinal there came to the ,pope two ,ambassadors from ,king ,francis1 and they1 having seen the statues of the ,belvedere1 lavished all the praise at their command on the ,laocoon4 ,cardinals de' ,medici and ,bibbiena1 who were with them1 asked them whether the ,king would be glad to have a work of that kind2 and they answered that it would be too great a gift4 ,then the ,cardinal said to them3 ,there shall be sent to his ,majesty either this one or one so like it that there shall be no difference4 ,and1 having resolved to have another made in imitation of it1 he remembered ,baccio1 whom he sent for and asked whether he had the courage to make a ,laocoon equal to the original4 ,baccio answered that he was confident that he could make one not merely equal to it1 but even surpassing it in perfection4 ,the ,cardinal then resolved that the work should be begun1 and ,baccio1 while waiting for the marble to come1 made one in wax1 which was much extolled1 and also executed a cartoon in lead-white and charcoal of the same size as the one in marble4 ,after the marble had come and ,baccio had caused an enclosure with a roof for working in to be erected for himself in the ,belvedere1 he made a beginning with one of the boys of the ,laocoon1 the larger one1 and executed this in such a manner that the ,pope and all those who were good judges were satisfied1 because between his work and the ancient there was scarcely any difference to be seen4 ,but after setting his hand to the other boy and to the statue of the father1 which is in the middle1 he had not gone far when the ,pope died4 ,adrian ,,vi being then elected1 he returned with the ,cardinal to ,florence1 where he occupied himself with his studies in design4 ,after the death of ,adrian and the election of ,clement ,,vii1 ,baccio went post-haste to ,rome in order to be in time for his coronation1 for which he made statues and scenes in half-relief by order of his ,holiness4 ,then1 having been provided by the ,pope with rooms and an allowance1 he returned to his ,laocoon1 a work which was executed by him in the space of two years with the greatest excellence that he ever achieved4 ,he also restored the right arm of the ancient ,laocoon1 which had been broken off and never found1 and ,baccio made one of the full size in wax1 which so resembled the ancient work in the muscles1 in force1 and in manner1 and harmonized with it so well1 that it showed how ,baccio understood his art2 and this model served him as a pattern for making the whole arm of his own ,laocoon4 ,this work seemed to his ,holiness to be so good1 that he changed his mind and resolved to send other ancient statues to the ,king1 and this one to ,florence2 and to ,cardinal ,silvio ,passerino of ,cortona1 his ,legate in ,florence1 who was then governing the city1 he sent orders that he should place the ,laocoon at the head of the second court in the ,palace of the ,medici4 ,this was in the year #aebe4 ,this work brought great fame to ,baccio1 who1 after finishing the ,laocoon1 set himself to draw a scene on a sheet of royal folio laid open1 in order to carry out a design of the ,pope1 who wished to have the ,martyrdom of ,s4 ,cosimo and ,s4 ,damiano painted on one wall of the principal chapel of ,s4 ,lorenzo in ,florence1 and on the other that of ,s4 ,laurence1 when he was put to death by ,decius on the gridiron4 ,baccio then drew with great subtlety the story of ,s4 ,laurence1 in which he counterfeited with much judgment and art figures both clothed and nude1 different attitudes and gestures in the bodies and limbs1 and various movements in those who are standing about ,s4 ,laurence1 engaged in their dreadful office1 and in particular the cruel ,decius1 who with threatening brow is urging on the fiery death of the innocent ,martyr1 who1 raising one arm to ,heaven1 recommends his spirit to ,god4 ,with this scene ,baccio so satisfied the ,pope1 that he took steps to have it engraved on copper by ,marc',antonio ,bolognese1 which was done by ,marc',antonio with great diligence2 and his ,holiness created ,baccio1 in order to do honour to his talents1 a ,chevalier of ,s4 ,pietro4 ,after these things ,baccio returned to ,florence1 where he found that ,giovan ,francesco ,rustici1 his first master1 was painting a scene of the ,conversion of ,s4 ,paul2 for which reason he undertook to make in a cartoon1 in competition with his master1 a nude figure of a young ,s4 ,john in the desert1 who is holding a lamb with the left arm and raising the right to ,heaven4 ,then1 having caused a panel to be prepared1 he set himself to colour it1 and when it was finished he exposed it to view in the workshop of his father ,michelagnolo1 opposite to the descent that leads from ,orsanmichele to the ,mercato ,nuovo4 ,the design was praised by the craftsmen1 but not so much the colouring1 because it was somewhat crude and painted in no beautiful manner4 ,but ,baccio sent it as a present to ,pope ,clement1 who had it placed in his guardaroba1 where it may still be found4 ,as far back as the time of ,leo ,x there had been quarried at ,carrara1 together with the marbles for the faade of ,s4 ,lorenzo in ,florence1 another block of marble nine braccia and a half high and five braccia wide at the foot4 ,with this block of marble ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti had thought of making a giant in the person of ,hercules slaying ,cacus1 intending to place it in the ,piazza beside the colossal figure of ,david formerly made by him1 since both the one and the other1 ,david and ,hercules1 were emblems of the ,palace4 ,he had made several designs and various models for it1 and had sought to gain the favour of ,pope ,leo and of ,cardinal ,giulio de' ,medici1 saying that the ,david had many defects caused by the sculptor ,maestro ,andrea1 who had first blocked it out and spoiled it4 ,but by reason of the death of ,leo the faade of ,s4 ,lorenzo was for a time abandoned1 and also this block of marble4 ,now afterwards1 ,pope ,clement having conceived a desire to avail himself of ,michelagnolo for the tombs of the heroes of the house of ,medici1 which he wished to have constructed in the ,sacristy of ,s4 ,lorenzo1 it became once more necessary to quarry marbles2 and the head of these works1 keeping the accounts of the expenses1 was ,domenico ,buoninsegni4 ,this man tried to tempt ,michelagnolo to make a secret partnership with him in the matter of the stone-work for the faade of ,s4 ,lorenzo2 but ,michelagnolo refused1 not consenting that his genius should be employed in defrauding the ,pope1 and ,domenico conceived such hatred against him that he went about ever afterwards opposing his undertakings1 in order to annoy and humiliate him1 but this he did covertly4 ,he thus contrived to have the faade discontinued and the sacristy pushed forward1 which two works1 he said1 were enough to keep ,michelagnolo occupied for many years4 ,and as for the marble for the making of the giant1 he urged the ,pope that it should be given to ,baccio1 who at that time had nothing to do2 saying that through the emulation of two men so eminent his ,holiness would be served better and with more diligence and promptitude1 rivalry stimulating both the one and the other in his work4 ,the counsel of ,domenico pleased the ,pope1 and he acted in accordance with it4 ,baccio1 having obtained the marble1 made a great model in wax1 which was a ,hercules who1 having fixed the head of ,cacus between two stones with one knee1 was constraining him with great force with the left arm1 holding him crouching under his legs in a distorted attitude1 wherein ,cacus revealed his suffering and the strain of the weight of ,hercules upon him1 which was rending asunder every least muscle in his whole body4 ,hercules1 likewise1 with his head bent down close against his enemy1 grinding and gnashing his teeth1 was raising the right arm and with great vehemence giving him another blow with his club1 in order to dash his head to pieces4 ,michelagnolo1 as soon as he had heard that the marble had been given to ,baccio1 was very much displeased2 but1 for all the efforts that he made in this matter1 he was never able to turn the ,pope from his purpose1 so completely had he been satisfied by ,baccio's model2 to which reason were added his promises and boasts1 for he boasted that he would surpass the ,david of ,michelagnolo1 and he was also assisted by ,buoninsegni1 who said that ,michelagnolo desired everything for himself4 ,thus was the city deprived of a rare ornament1 such as that marble would undoubtedly have been when shaped by the hand of ,buonarroti4 ,the above-mentioned model of ,baccio is now to be found in the guardaroba of ,duke ,cosimo1 by whom it is held very dear1 and by the craftsmen as a rare work4 ,baccio was sent to ,carrara to see this marble1 and the ,overseers of the ,works of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore were commissioned to transport it by water1 along the ,river ,arno1 as far as ,signa4 ,the marble having been conveyed there1 within a distance of eight miles from ,florence1 when they set about removing it from the river in order to transport it by land1 the river being too low from ,signa to ,florence1 it fell into the water1 and on account of its great size sank so deep into the sand1 that the ,overseers1 with all the contrivances that they used1 were not able to drag it out4 ,for which reason1 the ,pope wishing that the marble should be recovered at all costs1 by order of the ,wardens of ,works ,pietro ,rosselli1 an old builder of great ingenuity1 went to work in such a manner that1 having diverted the course of the water into another channel and cut away the bank of the river1 with levers and windlasses he moved it1 dragged it out of the ,arno1 and brought it to solid ground1 for which he was greatly extolled4 ,tempted by this accident to the marble1 certain persons wrote verses1 both ,tuscan and ,latin1 ingeniously ridiculing ,baccio1 who was detested for his loquacity and his evil-speaking against ,michelagnolo and all the other craftsmen4 ,one among them took for his verses the following subject1 saying that the marble1 after having been approved by the genius of ,michelagnolo1 learning that it was to be mangled by the hands of ,baccio1 had thrown itself into the river out of despair at such an evil fate4 ,while the marble was being drawn out of the water1 a difficult process which took time1 ,baccio found1 on measuring it1 that it was neither high enough nor wide enough to enable him to carve the figures of his first model4 ,whereupon he went to ,rome1 taking the measurements with him1 and made known to the ,pope how he was constrained by necessity to abandon his first design and make another4 ,he then made several models1 and out of their number the ,pope was most pleased with one in which ,hercules had ,cacus between his legs1 and1 grasping his hair1 was holding him down after the manner of a prisoner2 and this one they resolved to adopt and to carry into execution4 ,on returning to ,florence1 ,baccio found that the marble had been conveyed into the ,office of ,works of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore by ,pietro ,rosselli1 who had first placed on the ground some planks of walnut-wood planed square1 and laid lengthways1 which he kept changing according as the marble moved forward1 under which and upon those planks he placed some round rollers well shod with iron1 so that by pulling the marble with three windlasses1 to which he had attached it1 little by little he brought it with ease into the ,office of ,works4 ,the block having been set up there1 ,baccio began a model in clay as large as the marble and shaped according to the last one which he had made previously in ,rome2 and he finished it1 working with great diligence1 in a few months4 ,but with all this it appeared to many craftsmen that there was not in this model that spirited vivacity that the action required1 nor that which he had given to his first model4 ,afterwards1 beginning to work at the marble1 ,baccio cut it away all round as far as the navel1 laying bare the limbs in front1 and taking care all the time to carve the figures in such a way that they might be exactly like those of the large model in clay4 ,at this same time ,baccio had undertaken to execute in painting an altar-piece of considerable size for the ,church of ,cestello1 and for this he had made a very beautiful cartoon containing a ,dead ,christ surrounded by the ,maries1 with ,nicodemus and other figures2 but1 for a reason that we shall give below1 he did not paint the altar-piece4 ,he also made at this time1 in order to paint a picture1 a cartoon in which was ,christ taken down from the ,cross and held in the arms of ,nicodemus1 with ,his ,mother1 who was standing1 weeping for ,him1 and an ,angel who was holding in his hands the ,nails and the ,crown of ,thorns4 ,setting himself straightway to colour it1 he finished it quickly and placed it on exhibition in the workshop of his friend ,giovanni di ,goro1 the goldsmith1 in the ,mercato ,nuovo1 in order to hear the opinions of men and particularly what ,michelagnolo said of it4 ,michelagnolo was taken by the goldsmith ,piloto to see it1 and1 after he had examined every part1 he said that he marvelled that so good a draughtsman as ,baccio should allow a picture so crude and wanting in grace to leave his hands1 that he had seen the most feeble painters executing their works in a better manner1 and that this was no art for ,baccio4 ,piloto reported ,michelagnolo's judgment to ,baccio1 who1 for all the hatred that he felt against him1 recognized that he spoke the truth4 ,certainly ,baccio's drawings were very beautiful1 but in colours he executed them badly and without grace1 and he therefore resolved to paint no more with his own hand2 but he took into his service one who handled colours passing well1 a young man called ,agnolo1 the brother of the excellent painter ,franciabigio1 who had died a few years before4 ,to this ,agnolo he desired to entrust the execution of the altar-piece for ,cestello1 but it remained unfinished1 the reason of which was the change of government in ,florence1 which took place in the year #aebg1 when the ,medici left ,florence after the sack of ,rome4 ,for ,baccio did not think himself safe1 having a private feud with a neighbour at his villa of ,pinzirimonte1 who was of the popular party2 and after he had buried at that villa some cameos and little antique figures of bronze1 which belonged to the ,medici1 he went off to live in ,lucca4 ,there he remained until the time when the ,emperor ,charles ,v came to receive his crown at ,bologna2 whereupon he presented himself before the ,pope and then went with him to ,rome1 where he was given rooms in the ,belvedere1 as before4 ,while ,baccio was living there1 his ,holiness resolved to fulfil a vow that he had made when he was shut up in the ,castello di ,s4 ,angelo2 which vow was that he would place on the summit of the great round tower of marble1 which is in front of the ,ponte di ,castello1 seven large figures of bronze1 each six braccia in length1 and all lying down in different attitudes1 as it were vanquished by an ,angel that he wished to have set up on the centre of the tower1 upon a column of variegated marble1 the ,angel being of bronze with a sword in the hand4 ,by this figure of the ,angel he wished to represent the ,angel ,michael1 the guardian and protector of the ,castle1 whose favour and assistance had delivered him and brought him out of that prison2 and the seven recumbent figures were to personify the seven ,mortal ,sins1 demonstrating that with the help of the victorious ,angel he had conquered and thrown to the ground his enemies1 evil and impious men1 who were represented by those seven figures of the seven ,mortal ,sins4 ,for this work his ,holiness caused a model to be made2 which having pleased him1 he ordained that ,baccio should begin to make the figures in clay of the size that they were to be1 in order to have them cast afterwards in bronze4 ,baccio began the work1 and finished in one of the apartments in the ,belvedere one of those figures in clay1 which was much extolled4 ,at the same time1 also1 in order to divert himself1 and wishing to see how he would succeed in casting1 he made many little figures in the round1 two-thirds of a braccio in height1 as of ,hercules1 ,venus1 ,apollo1 ,leda1 and other fantasies of his own1 which he caused to be cast in bronze by ,maestro ,jacopo della ,barba of ,florence2 and they succeeded excellently well4 ,he presented them afterwards to his ,holiness and to many lords2 and some of them are now in the study of ,duke ,cosimo1 among a collection of more than a hundred antique figures1 all very choice1 and others that are modern4 ,at this same time ,baccio had made a scene of the ,deposition from the ,cross with little figures in low-relief and half-relief1 which was a rare work2 and he had it cast with great diligence in bronze4 ,when finished1 he presented it in ,genoa to ,charles ,v1 who held it very dear2 and a sign of this was that his ,majesty gave ,baccio a ,commandery of ,s4 ,jago1 and made him a ,chevalier4 ,from ,prince ,doria1 also1 he received many courtesies2 and from the ,republic of ,genoa he had the commission for a statue of marble six braccia high1 which was to be a ,neptune in the likeness of ,prince ,doria1 to be set up on the ,piazza in memory of the virtues of that ,prince and of the extraordinary benefits that his native country of ,genoa had received from him4 ,this statue was allotted to ,baccio at the price of a thousand florins1 of which he received five hundred at that time2 and he went straightway to ,carrara to block it out at the quarry of ,polvaccio4 ,while the popular government was ruling ,florence1 after the departure of the ,medici1 ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti was employed on the fortifications of the city2 and there was shown to him the marble that ,baccio had blocked out1 together with the model of the ,hercules and ,cacus1 the intention being that if the marble had not been cut away too much ,michelagnolo should take it and carve from it two figures after his own design4 ,michelagnolo1 having examined the block1 thought of a different subject2 and1 abandoning the ,hercules and ,cacus1 he chose the subject of ,samson holding beneath him two ,philistines whom he had cast down1 one being already dead1 and the other still alive1 against whom he was aiming a blow with the jawbone of an ass1 seeking to kill him4 ,but even as it often happens that the minds of men promise themselves at times certain things the opposite of which is determined by the wisdom of ,god1 so it came to pass then1 for1 war having arisen against the city of ,florence1 ,michelagnolo had other things to think about than polishing marble1 and was obliged from fear of the citizens to withdraw from the city4 ,afterwards1 the war being finished and peace made1 ,pope ,clement caused ,michelagnolo to return to ,florence in order to finish the ,sacristy of ,s4 ,lorenzo1 and sent ,baccio to see to the completion of the giant4 ,baccio1 while engaged in this1 took up his abode in the ,palace of the ,medici2 and1 writing almost every week to his ,holiness in order to make a show of devotion1 he entered1 besides dealing with matters of art1 into particulars relating to the citizens and those who were administering the government1 with an odious officiousness likely to bring upon him even more ill-will than he had awakened before4 ,whereupon1 when ,duke ,alessandro returned from the ,court of his ,majesty to ,florence1 the citizens made known to him the sinister policy that ,baccio was pursuing against them2 from which it followed that his work of the giant was hindered and retarded by the citizens by every means in their power4 ,illustration3 ,,hercules ,,and ,,cacus 7,after the marble by ,baccio ,bandinelli4 ,florence3 ,piazza della ,signoria7 ,alinari ,at this time1 after the war of ,hungary1 ,pope ,clement and the ,emperor ,charles held a conference at ,bologna1 whither there went ,cardinal ,ippolito de' ,medici and ,duke ,alessandro2 and it occurred to ,baccio to go and kiss the feet of his ,holiness4 ,he took with him a panel1 one braccio high and one and a half wide1 of ,christ being scourged at the ,column by two nude figures1 which was in half-relief and very well executed2 and he gave this panel to the ,pope1 together with a portrait-medal of his ,holiness1 which he had caused to be made by ,francesco dal ,prato1 his familiar friend1 the reverse of the medal being the ,flagellation of ,christ4 ,this gift was very acceptable to his ,holiness1 to whom ,baccio described the annoyances and impediments that he had experienced in the execution of his ,hercules1 praying him that he should prevail upon the ,duke to give him the means to carry it to completion4 ,he added that he was envied and hated in that city2 and1 being a very devil with his wit and his tongue1 he persuaded the ,pope to induce the ,duke to see that his work should be brought to completion and set up in its place in the ,piazza4 ,death had now snatched away the goldsmith ,michelagnolo1 the father of ,baccio1 who during his lifetime had undertaken to make for the ,wardens of ,works of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 by order of the ,pope1 a very large cross of silver1 all covered with scenes in low-relief of the ,passion of ,christ4 ,this cross1 for which ,baccio had made the figures and scenes in wax1 to be afterwards cast in silver1 ,michelagnolo had left unfinished at his death2 and ,baccio1 having the work in his hands1 together with many libbre of silver1 sought to persuade his ,holiness to have it finished by ,francesco dal ,prato1 who had gone with him to ,bologna4 ,but the ,pope1 perceiving that ,baccio wished not only to withdraw from his father's engagements1 but also to make something out of the labours of ,francesco1 gave ,baccio orders that the silver and the scenes1 those merely begun as well as those finished1 should be given to the ,wardens of ,works1 that the account should be settled1 and that the ,wardens should melt all the silver of that cross1 in order to make use of it for the necessities of the church1 which had been stripped of its ornaments at the time of the siege2 and to ,baccio he caused one hundred florins of gold and letters of recommendation to be given1 to the end that he might return to ,florence and finish the work of the giant4 ,while ,baccio was at ,bologna1 ,cardinal ,doria1 having heard that he was about to depart1 went to the pains of seeking him out1 and threatened him with many reproaches and abusive words1 for the reason that he had broken his pledge and failed in his duty by neglecting to finish the statue of ,prince ,doria and leaving it only blocked out at ,carrara1 after taking five hundred crowns in payment2 on which account1 said the ,cardinal1 if ,andrea could get ,baccio into his hands1 he would make him pay for it at the galleys4 ,baccio defended himself humbly and with soft words1 saying that he had been delayed by a sufficient hindrance1 but that he had in ,florence a block of marble of the same height1 from which he had intended to carve that figure1 and that when he had carved and finished it he would send it to ,genoa4 ,and so well did he contrive to speak and to excuse himself that he succeeded in escaping from the presence of the ,cardinal4 ,after this he returned to ,florence1 and caused the base for the giant to be taken in hand2 and1 himself working continuously at the figure1 in the year #aecd he finished it completely4 ,but ,duke ,alessandro1 on account of the hostile reports of the citizens1 did not take steps to have it set up in the ,piazza4 ,the ,pope had returned to ,rome many months before this1 and desired to erect two tombs of marble in the ,minerva1 one for ,pope ,leo and one for himself2 and ,baccio1 seizing this occasion1 went to ,rome4 ,thereupon the ,pope resolved that ,baccio should make those tombs after he had succeeded in setting up the giant on the ,piazza2 and his ,holiness wrote to the ,duke that he should give ,baccio every convenience for placing his ,hercules in position there4 ,whereupon1 after an enclosure of planks had been made all round1 the base was built of marble1 and at the foot of it they placed a stone with letters in memory of ,pope ,clement ,,vii1 and a good number of medals with the heads of his ,holiness and of ,duke ,alessandro4 ,the giant was then taken from the ,office of ,works1 where it had been executed2 and in order to convey it with greater ease1 without damaging it1 they made round it a scaffolding of wood1 with ropes passing under the legs and cords supporting it under the arms and at every other part2 and thus1 suspended in the air between the beams in such a way that it did not touch the wood1 little by little1 by means of compound pulleys and windlasses and ten pairs of oxen1 it was drawn as far as the ,piazza4 ,great assistance was rendered by two thick1 semi-cylindrical beams1 which were fixed lengthways along the foot of the scaffolding1 in the manner of a base1 and rested on other similar beams smeared with soap1 which were withdrawn and replaced by workmen in succession1 according as the structure moved forward2 and with these ingenious contrivances the giant was conveyed safely and without much labour to the ,piazza4 ,the charge of all this was given to ,baccio d',agnolo and the elder ,antonio da ,san ,gallo1 the architects to the ,office of ,works1 who afterwards with other beams and a double system of compound pulleys set the statue securely on its base4 ,it would not be easy to describe the concourse and multitude that for two days occupied the whole ,piazza1 flocking to see the giant as soon as it was uncovered2 and various judgments and opinions were heard from all kinds of men1 every one censuring the work and the master4 ,there were also attached round the base many verses1 both ,latin and ,tuscan1 in which it was pleasing to see the wit1 the ingenious conceits1 and the sharp sayings of the writers2 but they overstepped all decent limits with their evil-speaking and their biting and satirical compositions1 and ,duke ,alessandro1 considering that1 the work being a public one1 the indignity was his1 was forced to put in prison some who went so far as to attach sonnets openly and without scruple to the statue2 which proceeding soon stopped the mouths of the critics4 ,when ,baccio examined his work in position1 it seemed to him that the open air was little favourable to it1 making the muscles appear too delicate4 ,having therefore caused a new enclosure of planks to be made around it1 he attacked it again with his chisels1 and1 strengthening the muscles in many places1 gave the figures stronger relief than they had before4 ,finally1 the work was uncovered for good2 and by everyone able to judge it has always been held to be not only a triumph over difficulties1 but also very well studied1 with every part carefully considered1 and the figure of ,cacus excellently adapted to its position4 ,it is true that the ,david of ,michelagnolo1 which is beside ,baccio's ,hercules1 takes away not a little of its glory1 being the most beautiful colossal figure that has ever been made2 for in it is all grace and excellence1 whereas the manner of ,baccio is entirely different4 ,but in truth1 considering ,baccio's ,hercules by itself1 one cannot but praise it highly1 and all the more because it is known that many sculptors have since tried to make colossal statues1 and not one has attained to the standard of ,baccio1 who1 if he had received as much grace and facility from nature as he took pains and trouble by himself1 would have been absolutely perfect in the art of sculpture4 ,desiring to know what was being said of his work1 he sent to the ,piazza a pedagogue whom he kept in his house1 telling him that he should not fail to report to him the truth of what he might hear said4 ,the pedagogue1 hearing nothing but censure1 returned sadly to the house1 and1 when questioned by ,baccio1 answered that all with one voice were abusing the giants1 and that they pleased no one4 ,and you1 asked ,baccio1 what do you say of them8 ,i speak well of them1 he replied1 and say1 may it please you1 that they please me4 ,i will not have them please you1 said ,baccio1 and you1 also1 must speak ill of them1 for1 as you may remember1 ,i never speak well of anyone2 and so we are quits4 ,thus ,baccio concealed his vexation1 and it was always his custom to act thus1 pretending not to care for the censure that any man laid on his works4 ,nevertheless1 it is likely enough that his resentment was considerable1 because when a man labours for honour1 and then obtains nothing but censure1 one cannot but believe1 although that censure may be unjust and undeserved1 that it afflicts him secretly in his heart and torments him continually4 ,he was consoled in his displeasure by an estate1 which was given to him in addition to his payment1 by order of ,pope ,clement4 ,this gift was doubly dear to him1 first because it was useful for its revenue and was near his villa of ,pinzirimonte1 and then because it had previously belonged to ,rignadori1 his mortal enemy1 who had just been declared an outlaw1 and with whom he had always been at strife on account of the boundary of this property4 ,at this time a letter was written to ,duke ,alessandro by ,prince ,doria1 asking that he should prevail upon ,baccio to finish his statue1 now that the giant was completely finished1 and saying that he was ready to revenge himself on ,baccio if he did not do his duty2 at which ,baccio was so frightened that he would not trust himself to go to ,carrara4 ,however1 having been reassured by ,cardinal ,cibo and ,duke ,alessandro1 he went there1 and1 working with some assistants1 proceeded to carry the statue forward4 ,the ,prince had himself informed every day as to how much ,baccio was doing2 wherefore1 receiving a report that the statue was not of that excellence which had been promised1 he gave ,baccio to understand that1 if he did not serve him well1 he would make him smart for it4 ,baccio1 hearing this1 spoke very ill of the ,prince2 which having come to the ,prince's ears1 he determined to get him into his hands at all costs1 and to take vengeance upon him by putting him in wholesome fear of the galleys4 ,whereupon ,baccio1 seeing certain persons spying and keeping a watch upon him1 became suspicious1 and1 being a shrewd and resolute man1 left the work as it was and returned to ,florence4 ,about this time a son was born to ,baccio from a woman whom he kept in his house1 and to this son1 ,pope ,clement having died in those days1 he gave the name of ,clemente1 in memory of that ,pontiff1 who had always loved and favoured him4 ,after the death of ,pope ,clement1 he heard that ,cardinal ,ippolito de' ,medici1 ,cardinal ,innocenzio ,cibo1 ,cardinal ,giovanni ,salviati1 and ,cardinal ,niccol ,ridolfi1 together with ,messer ,baldassarre ,turini da ,pescia1 being the executors of the ,pope's will1 had commissions to give for the two marble tombs of ,leo and ,clement1 which were to be placed in the ,minerva4 ,for these tombs ,baccio in the past had already made the models2 but the work had been promised recently to the ,ferrarese sculptor ,alfonso ,lombardi through the favour of ,cardinal de' ,medici1 whose servant he was4 ,this ,alfonso1 by the advice of ,michelagnolo1 had changed the design of the tombs1 and he had already made the models for them1 but without any contract for the commission1 relying wholly on promises1 and expecting every day to have to go to ,carrara to quarry the marble4 ,while the time was slipping away in this manner1 it happened that ,cardinal ,ippolito died of poison on his way to meet ,charles ,v4 ,baccio1 hearing this1 went without wasting any time to ,rome1 where he was first received by the sister of ,pope ,leo1 ,madonna ,lucrezia ,salviati de' ,medici1 to whom he strove to prove that no one could do greater honour to the remains of those great ,pontiffs than himself1 with his ability in art1 adding that ,alfonso was a sculptor without power of design and without skill and judgment in the handling of marble1 and that he was not able to execute so honourable an undertaking save only with the help of others4 ,he also used many other devices1 and so went to work in various ways and by various means that he succeeded in changing the purpose of those lords1 who finally entrusted to ,cardinal ,salviati the charge of making an agreement with ,baccio4 ,at this time the ,emperor ,charles ,v had arrived in ,naples1 and in ,rome ,filippo ,strozzi1 ,anton ,francesco degli ,albizzi1 and the other exiles were seeking to arrange with ,cardinal ,salviati to go and set his ,majesty against ,duke ,alessandro2 and they were with the ,cardinal at all hours4 ,baccio was also all day long in ,salviati's halls and apartments1 waiting to have the contract made for the tombs1 but not able to bring matters to a head1 because of the ,cardinal's preoccupation with the affairs of the exiles2 and they1 seeing ,baccio in those rooms morning and evening1 grew suspicious of this1 and1 fearing lest he might be there to spy upon their movements and give information to the ,duke1 some of the young men among them agreed to follow him secretly one evening and put him out of the way4 ,but ,fortune1 coming to his aid in time1 brought it about that the two other ,cardinals1 with ,messer ,baldassarre da ,pescia1 undertook to finish ,baccio's business4 ,knowing that ,baccio was worth little as an architect1 they had caused a design to be made by ,antonio da ,san ,gallo1 which pleased them1 and had ordained that all the mason's work to be done in marble should be executed under the direction of the sculptor ,lorenzetto1 and that the marble statues and scenes should be allotted to ,baccio4 ,having arranged the matter in this way1 they finally made the contract with ,baccio1 who therefore appeared no more about the house of ,cardinal ,salviati1 withdrawing himself just in time2 and the exiles1 the occasion having passed by1 thought nothing more about him4 ,after these things ,baccio made two models of wood1 with the statues and scenes in wax4 ,these models had the bases solid1 without projections1 and on each base were four fluted ,ionic columns1 which divided the space into three compartments1 a large one in the middle1 where in each there was a ,pope in full pontificals seated upon a pedestal1 who was giving the benediction1 and smaller spaces1 each with a niche containing a figure in the round and standing upright1 four braccia high2 which figures1 representing ,saints1 stood on either side of those ,popes4 ,the order of the composition had the form of a triumphal arch1 and above the columns that supported the cornice was a marble tablet three braccia in height and four braccia and a half in width1 in which was a scene in half-relief4 ,in the scene above the statue of ,pope ,leo1 which statue had on either side of it in the niches ,s4 ,peter and ,s4 ,paul1 was his ,conference with ,king ,francis at ,bologna1 and this story of ,leo in the middle1 above the columns1 was accompanied by two smaller scenes1 in one of which1 that above ,s4 ,peter1 was the ,saint restoring a dead man to life1 and in the other1 that above ,s4 ,paul1 that ,saint preaching to the people4 ,in the scene above ,pope ,clement1 which corresponded to that mentioned above1 was that ,pontiff crowning the ,emperor ,charles at ,bologna1 and on either side of it are two smaller scenes1 in one of which is ,s4 ,john the ,baptist preaching to the people1 and in the other ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist raising ,drusiana from the dead2 and these have below them in the niches the same ,saints1 four braccia high1 standing on either side of the statue of ,pope ,clement1 as with that of ,leo4 ,in this structure ,baccio showed either too little religion or too much adulation1 or both together1 in that he thought fit that the first founders--after ,christ--of our religion1 men deified and most dear to ,god1 should give way to our ,popes1 and placed them in positions unworthy of them and inferior to those of ,leo and ,clement4 ,certain it is that this design of his1 even as it was displeasing to ,god and to the ,saints1 so likewise gave no pleasure to the ,popes or to any other man1 for the reason1 it appears to me1 that religion--and ,i mean our own1 the true religion--should be placed by mankind before all other interests and considerations4 ,and1 on the other hand1 he who wishes to exalt and honour any other person1 should1 ,i think1 be temperate and restrained1 and confine himself within certain limits1 so that his praise and honour may not become another thing--,i mean senseless adulation1 which first disgraces the praiser1 and also gives no pleasure to the person praised1 if he has any proper feeling1 but does quite the contrary4 ,baccio1 in doing what ,i have described1 made known to everyone that he had much goodwill and affection indeed towards the ,popes1 but little judgment in exalting and honouring them in their sepulchres4 ,the models described above were taken by ,baccio to the garden of ,cardinal ,ridolfi at ,s4 ,agata on ,monte ,cavallo1 where his lordship was entertaining ,cibo1 ,salviati1 and ,messer ,baldassarre da ,pescia to dinner1 they having assembled together there in order to settle all that was necessary in the matter of the tombs4 ,while they were at table1 then1 there arrived the sculptor ,solosmeo1 an amusing and outspoken person1 who was always ready to speak ill of anyone1 and little the friend of ,baccio4 ,when the message was brought to those lords that ,solosmeo was seeking admittance1 ,ridolfi ordered that he should be ushered in1 and then1 turning to ,baccio1 said to him3 ,i wish that we should hear what ,solosmeo says of our bestowal of these tombs4 ,raise that door-curtain1 ,baccio1 and stand behind it4 ,baccio immediately obeyed1 and1 when ,solosmeo had entered and had been invited to drink1 they then turned to the subject of the tombs allotted to ,baccio2 whereupon ,solosmeo reproached the ,cardinals for having made a bad choice1 and went on to speak all manner of evil against ,baccio1 taxing him with ignorance of art1 avarice1 and arrogance1 and going into many particulars in his criticisms4 ,baccio1 who stood hidden behind the door-curtain1 was not able to contain himself until ,solosmeo should have finished1 and1 bursting out scowling and full of rage1 said to ,solosmeo3 ,what have ,i done to you1 that you should speak of me with such scant respect8 ,dumbfounded at the appearance of ,baccio1 ,solosmeo turned to ,ridolfi and said3 ,what tricks are these1 my lord8 ,i want nothing more to do with priests6 and took himself off4 ,the ,cardinals had a hearty laugh both at the one and at the other2 and ,salviati said to ,baccio3 ,you hear the opinion of your brothers in art4 ,go and give them the lie with your work4 ,illustration3 ,,statue ,,of ,,giovanni ,,delle ,,bande ,,nere 7,after the marble by ,baccio ,bandinelli4 ,florence3 ,piazza di ,s4 ,lorenzo7 ,brogi ,baccio then began the work of the statues and scenes1 but his performances by no means corresponded to his promises and his duty towards those ,pontiffs1 for he used little diligence in the figures and scenes1 and left them badly finished and full of defects1 being more solicitous about drawing his money than about working at the marble4 ,now his patrons became aware of ,baccio's procedure1 and repented of what they had done2 but the two largest pieces of marble remained1 those for the two statues that were still to be executed1 one of ,leo seated and the other of ,clement1 and these they ordered him to finish1 beseeching him that he should do better in them4 ,but ,baccio1 having already drawn all the money1 entered into negotiations with ,messer ,giovan ,battista da ,ricasoli1 ,bishop of ,cortona1 who was in ,rome on business of ,duke ,cosimo's1 to depart from ,rome and go to ,florence in order to serve ,cosimo in the matter of the fountains of his villa of ,castello and the tomb of his father1 ,signor ,giovanni4 ,the ,duke having answered that ,baccio should come1 he set off for ,florence without a word1 leaving the work of the tombs unfinished and the statues in the hands of two assistants4 ,the ,cardinals1 hearing of this1 allotted those two statues of the ,popes1 which still remained to be finished1 to two sculptors1 one of whom was ,raffaello da ,montelupo1 who received the statue of ,pope ,leo1 and the other ,giovanni di ,baccio1 to whom was given the statue of ,clement4 ,they then gave orders that the masonry and all that was prepared should be put together1 and the work was erected2 but the statues and scenes were in many parts neither pumiced nor polished1 so that they brought ,baccio more discredit than fame4 ,arriving in ,florence1 ,baccio found that the ,duke had sent the sculptor ,tribolo to ,carrara to quarry the marble for the fountains of ,castello and the tomb of ,signor ,giovanni2 and he so wrought upon the ,duke that he wrested the tomb of ,signor ,giovanni from the hands of ,tribolo1 demonstrating to his ,excellency that the marbles for such a work were already in great measure in ,florence4 ,thus1 little by little1 he penetrated into the confidence of the ,duke1 insomuch that both for this reason and for his arrogance everyone was afraid of him4 ,he then proposed to the ,duke that the tomb of ,signor ,giovanni should be erected in the ,chapel of the ,neroni1 a narrow1 confined1 and mean place1 in ,s4 ,lorenzo1 being too ignorant or not wishing to suggest that for so great a ,prince it was proper that a new chapel should be built on purpose4 ,he also prevailed on the ,duke to demand from ,michelagnolo1 on ,baccio's behalf1 many pieces of marble that he had in ,florence2 and when the ,duke had obtained them from ,michelagnolo1 and ,baccio from the ,duke1 among those marbles being some blocked out figures and a statue carried well on towards completion by ,michelagnolo1 ,bandinelli1 taking them all over1 hacked and broke to pieces everything that he could find1 thinking that by so doing he was avenging himself on ,michelagnolo and causing him displeasure4 ,he found1 moreover1 in the same room in ,s4 ,lorenzo wherein ,michelagnolo worked1 two statues in one block of marble1 representing ,hercules crushing ,antus1 which the ,duke was having executed by the sculptor ,fra ,giovanni ,agnolo4 ,these were well advanced2 but ,baccio1 saying to the ,duke that the friar had spoilt that marble1 broke it into many pieces4 ,in the end1 he constructed all the base of the tomb1 which is an isolated pedestal about four braccia on every side1 and has at the foot a socle with a moulding in the manner of a base1 which goes right round1 and with a fillet at the top1 such as is generally made for pedestals2 and above this a cyma three-quarters of a braccio in height1 which goes inwards in a concave curve1 inverted1 after the manner of a frieze1 on which are carved some horse's skulls bound one to another with draperies2 and above the whole was to be a smaller pedestal1 with a seated statue of four braccia and a half1 armed in the ancient fashion1 and holding in the hand the baton of a condottiere captain of armies1 which was to represent the person of the invincible ,signor ,giovanni de' ,medici4 ,this statue was begun by him from a block of marble1 and carried well on1 but never finished or placed on the base built for it4 ,it is true that on the front of that base he finished entirely a scene of marble in half-relief1 with figures about two braccia high1 in which he represented ,signor ,giovanni seated1 to whom are being brought many prisoners1 soldiers1 women with dishevelled hair1 and nude figures1 but all without invention and without revealing any feeling4 ,at the end of the scene1 indeed1 there is a figure with a pig on the shoulder1 which is said to have been made by ,baccio to represent ,messer ,baldassarre da ,pescia1 in derision2 for ,baccio looked upon him as his enemy1 since about this time ,messer ,baldassarre1 as has been related above1 had allotted the two statues of ,leo and ,clement to other sculptors1 and1 moreover1 had so gone to work in ,rome that ,baccio had perforce to restore at great inconvenience the money that he had received beyond his due for those statues and figures4 ,during this time ,baccio had given his attention to nothing else but demonstrating to ,duke ,cosimo how much the glory of the ancients had lived through their statues and buildings1 saying that his ,excellency should seek to obtain in the same way immortality for himself and his actions in the ages to come4 ,then1 after he had brought the tomb of ,signor ,giovanni near completion1 he set about planning to make the ,duke begin some great and costly work1 which might take a very long time4 ,duke ,cosimo had ceased to inhabit the ,palace of the ,medici1 and had returned with his ,court to live in the ,palace in the ,piazza1 which was formerly occupied by the ,signoria2 and this he was daily rearranging and adorning4 ,now he had said to ,baccio that he had a desire to make a public audience-chamber1 both for the foreign ,ambassadors and for his citizens and the subjects of the ,state2 and ,baccio1 with ,giuliano di ,baccio d',agnolo1 went about thinking how to suggest to him that he should erect an ornamental work of ,fossato stone and marble1 thirty-eight braccia in width and eighteen in height4 ,this ornamental work1 they proposed1 should serve as the audience-chamber1 and should be in the ,great ,hall of the ,palace1 at that end which looks towards the north4 ,the audience-chamber was to have a space of fourteen braccia in depth1 the ascent to which was to be by seven great steps2 and it was to be closed in front by a balustrade1 excepting the entrance in the middle4 ,at the end of the hall were to be three great arches1 two of which were to serve for windows1 being divided up by columns1 four to each1 two of ,fossato stone and two of marble2 and above this was to curve a round arch with a frieze of brackets1 which were to form on the outer side the ornament of the faade of the ,palace1 and on the inner side to adorn in the same manner the faade of the hall4 ,the arch in the middle1 forming not a window1 but a niche1 was to be accompanied by two other similar niches1 which were to be at the ends of the audience-chamber1 one on the east and the other on the west1 and adorned with four round ,corinthian columns1 which were to be ten braccia high and to form a projection at the ends4 ,in the central faade were to be four pilasters1 which were to serve as supports between one arch and another to the architrave1 frieze1 and cornice running right round both above the arches and above the columns4 ,these pilasters were to have between one and another a space of about three braccia1 and in each of these spaces was to be a niche four braccia and a half in height1 to contain statues1 by way of accompaniment to the great niche in the middle of the faade and the two at the sides2 in each of which niches ,baccio wished to place three statues4 ,baccio and ,giuliano had in mind1 in addition to the ornament of the inner faade1 another larger ornament of extraordinary cost and grandeur for the outer faade4 ,the hall being awry and out of square1 this ornament was to reduce that outer side to a square form2 and there was to be a projection of six braccia right round the walls of the ,palazzo ,vecchio1 with a range of columns fourteen braccia high supporting other columns1 between which were to be arches1 forming a loggia below1 right round the ,palace1 where there are the ,ringhiera and the ,giants4 ,above this1 again1 was to be another range of pilasters1 with arches between them in the same manner1 running all the way round the windows of the ,palazzo ,vecchio1 so as to make a faade right round the ,palace2 and above these pilasters was to be yet another range of arches and pilasters1 after the manner of a theatre1 with the battlements of that ,palace1 finally1 forming a cornice to the whole structure4 ,knowing that this was a work of vast expense1 ,baccio and ,giuliano consulted together that they should not reveal their conception to the ,duke1 save only with regard to the ornament of the audience-chamber within the hall1 and that of the faade of ,fossato stone on the side towards the ,piazza1 stretching to the length of twenty-four braccia1 which is the breadth of the hall4 ,designs and plans of this work were made by ,giuliano1 and with these in his hand ,baccio spoke to the ,duke1 to whom he pointed out that in the large niches at the sides he wished to place statues of marble four braccia high1 seated on pedestals--namely1 ,leo ,x in the act of restoring peace to ,italy1 and ,clement ,,vii crowning ,charles ,v1 with two statues in smaller niches within the large ones1 on either side of the ,popes1 which should represent the virtues practised and put into action by them4 ,for the niches four braccia high between the pilasters1 in the central faade1 he wished to make upright statues of ,signor ,giovanni1 ,duke ,alessandro1 and ,duke ,cosimo1 together with many decorations of various fantasies in carving1 and a pavement all of variegated marbles of different colours4 ,this ornament much pleased the ,duke1 thinking that with this opportunity it should be possible in time to bring to completion1 as has since been done1 the body of that hall1 with the rest of the decorations and the ceiling1 in order to make it the most beautiful hall in ,italy4 ,and so great was his ,excellency's desire that this work should be done1 that he assigned for its execution such a sum of money as ,baccio wished and demanded every week4 ,a beginning was made with the quarrying and cutting of the ,fossato stone1 in order to make the ornamentation in the form of the base1 columns1 and cornices2 and ,baccio required that all should be done and carried to completion by the stone-cutters of the ,office of ,works of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore4 ,this work was certainly executed by those masters with great diligence2 and if ,baccio and ,giuliano had urged it on1 they would have finished and built in all the ornaments of stone very quickly4 ,but ,baccio gave his attention to nothing save to having the statues blocked out1 finishing few of them entirely1 and to drawing his salary1 which the ,duke gave him every month1 besides paying for his assistants and meeting every sort of expense that he incurred in the work1 and giving him five hundred crowns for one of the statues finished by him in marble2 wherefore the end of this work was never in sight4 ,even so1 if ,baccio and ,giuliano1 being engaged on a work of such importance1 had brought the head of that hall into square1 as they could have done1 instead of putting right only half of the eight braccia by which it was awry1 and leaving several parts badly proportioned1 such as the central niche and the two large ones at the sides1 which are squat1 and the members of the cornices1 which are too slight for so great a body2 if1 as they might have done1 they had gone higher with the columns1 thus giving greater grandeur1 a better manner1 and more invention to that work2 and if1 also1 they had brought the uppermost cornice into touch with the level of the original old ceiling above1 they would have shown more art and judgment1 nor would all that labour have been spent in vain and wasted so thoughtlessly1 as has since been evident to those to whom1 as will be related1 it has fallen to put it right and finish it4 ,for1 in spite of all the pains and thought afterwards devoted to it1 there are many defects and errors in the door of entrance and in the relation of the niches in the side-walls1 in which it has since been seen to be necessary to change the form of many parts1 although it has never yet been found possible1 without demolishing the whole1 to correct the divergence from the square or to prevent this from being revealed in the pavement and the ceiling4 ,it is true that in the manner in which they arranged it1 even as it now stands1 there is proof of great craftsmanship and pains1 and it deserves no little praise for the many stones worked with the bevel-square1 which slant away obliquely by reason of the hall being awry2 and as for diligence and excellence in the working1 laying1 and joining together of the stones1 nothing better could be seen or done4 ,but the whole work would have succeeded much better if ,baccio1 who never held architecture in any account1 had availed himself of some judgment more able than that of ,giuliano1 who1 although he was a good master in wood and had some knowledge of architecture1 was yet not the sort of man to be suitable for such a work as that was1 as experience has proved4 ,for this reason the work was pursued over a period of many years1 without much more than half being built4 ,baccio finished and placed in the smaller niches the statue of ,signor ,giovanni and that of ,duke ,alessandro1 both in the principal faade1 and on a pedestal of bricks in the great niche the statue of ,pope ,clement2 and he also brought to completion the statue of ,duke ,cosimo4 ,in the last he took no little pains with the head1 but for all this the ,duke and the gentlemen of the ,court said that it did not resemble him in the least4 ,wherefore ,baccio1 having already made one of marble1 which is now in one of the upper apartments in the same ,palace1 and which looked very well and was the best head that he ever made1 defended himself and sought to cover up the defects and worthlessness of the new head with the excellence of the old4 ,however1 hearing that head censured by everyone1 one day in a rage he knocked it off1 with the intention of making another and fixing it in its place2 but in the end he never made it at all4 ,it was a custom of ,baccio's to add pieces of marble both small and large to the statues that he executed1 feeling no annoyance in doing this1 and making light of it4 ,he did this with one of the heads of ,cerberus in the group of ,orpheus2 in the ,s4 ,peter that is in ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore he let in a piece of drapery2 in the case of the ,giant of the ,piazza1 as may be seen1 he joined two pieces--a shoulder and a leg--to the ,cacus1 and in many other works he did the same1 holding to such ways as generally damn a sculptor completely4 ,having finished these statues1 he set his hand to the statue of ,pope ,leo for this work1 and carried it well forward4 ,then1 perceiving that the work was proving very long1 that he was now never likely to attain to the completion of his original design for the faades right round the ,palace1 that a great sum of money had been spent and much time consumed1 and that for all this the work was not half finished and gained little approval from the people1 he set about thinking of some new fantasy1 and began to attempt to remove from the ,duke's mind the thought of the ,palace1 believing that his ,excellency also was weary of that work4 ,thus1 then1 having made enemies of the proveditors and of all the stone-cutters in the ,office of ,works of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 which was under his authority1 while the statues that were destined for the audience-chamber were1 after his fashion1 some only blocked out and others finished and placed in position1 and the ornamentation in great part built up1 wishing to conceal the many defects that were in the work and little by little to abandon it1 he suggested to the ,duke that the ,wardens of ,works of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore were throwing away his money and no longer doing anything of any importance4 ,he said that he had therefore thought that his ,excellency would do well to divert all that useless expenditure of the ,office of ,works into making the octagonal choir of the church and the ornaments of the altar1 the steps1 the dases of the ,duke and the magistrates1 and the stalls in the choir for the canons1 chaplains1 and clerks1 according as was proper for so honourable a church4 ,of this choir ,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco had left the model in that simple framework of wood which previously served as the choir in the church1 intending in time to have it executed in marble1 in the same form1 but more ornate4 ,baccio reflected1 besides the considerations mentioned above1 that in this choir he would have occasion to make many statues and scenes in marble and in bronze for the high-altar and all around the choir1 and also for two pulpits of marble that were to be in the choir1 and that the base of the outer side of the eight faces might be adorned with many scenes in bronze let into the marble ornamentation4 ,above this he thought to place a range of columns and pilasters to support the cornice right round1 and four arches distributed according to the cross of the church2 of which arches one was to form the principal entrance1 opposite to another rising above the high-altar1 and the two others were to be at the sides1 one on the right hand and another on the left1 and below these last two were to be placed the pulpits4 ,over the cornice was to be a range of balusters1 curving right round above the eight sides1 and over the balusters a garland of candelabra1 in order1 as it were1 to crown the choir with lights according to the seasons1 as had always been the custom while the wooden model of ,brunelleschi was there4 ,illustration3 ,,reliefs ,,from ,,the ,,choir ,,screen 7,after ,baccio ,bandinelli4 ,florence3 ,duomo7 ,alinari ,pointing out all this to the ,duke1 ,baccio said that his ,excellency1 with the revenues of the ,office of ,works--namely1 of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore and of its ,wardens--and with that which his liberality might add1 in a short time could adorn that temple and give great grandeur and magnificence to the same1 and consequently to the whole city1 of which it was the principal temple1 and would leave an everlasting and honourable memorial of himself in such a structure2 and besides all this1 he said1 his ,excellency would be giving him an opportunity of exerting his powers and of making many good and beautiful works1 and also1 by displaying his ability1 of acquiring for himself name and fame with posterity1 which should be pleasing to his ,excellency1 since he was his servant and had been brought up by the house of the ,medici4 ,with these designs and these words ,baccio so moved the ,duke1 that1 consenting that such a structure should be erected1 his ,excellency commissioned him to make a model of the whole choir4 ,departing from the ,duke1 then1 ,baccio went to his architect1 ,giuliano di ,baccio d',agnolo1 and discussed the whole matter with him2 and1 after they had gone to the place and examined everything with diligence1 they resolved not to depart from the form of ,filippo's model1 but to follow it1 adding only other ornaments in the shape of columns and projections1 and enriching it as much as they could while preserving the original design and form4 ,but it is not the number of parts and ornaments that renders a fabric rich and beautiful1 but their excellence1 however few they may be1 provided also that they are set in their proper places and arranged together with due proportion2 it is these that give pleasure and are admired1 and1 having been executed with judgment by the craftsman1 afterwards receive praise from all others4 ,this ,giuliano and ,baccio do not seem to have considered or observed1 for they chose a subject involving much labour and endless pains1 but wanting in grace1 as experience has proved4 ,the design of ,giuliano1 as may be seen1 was to place at the corners of all the eight sides pilasters bent round the angles1 the whole work being composed in the ,ionic ,order2 and these pilasters1 since in the ground-plan they were made1 with all the rest of the work1 to diminish towards the centre of the choir and were not even1 necessarily had to be broad on the outer side and narrow on the inner1 which is a breach of proportionate measurement4 ,and since each pilaster was bent according to the inner angles of the eight sides1 the extension-lines towards the centre so diminished it that the two columns that were one on either side of the pilaster at the corner caused it to appear too slender1 and produced an ungraceful effect both in it and in the whole work1 both on the outer side and likewise on the inner1 although the measurements there are correct4 ,giuliano also made the model of the whole altar1 which stood at a distance of one braccio and a half from the ornament of the choir4 ,for the upper part of this ,baccio afterwards made in wax a ,christ lying dead1 with two ,angels1 one of whom was holding ,his right arm and supporting ,his head on one knee1 and the other was holding the ,mysteries of the ,passion2 which statue of ,christ occupied almost the whole altar1 so that there would scarcely have been room to celebrate ,mass1 and ,baccio proposed to make this statue about four braccia and a half in length4 ,he made1 also1 a projection in the form of a pedestal behind the altar1 attached to it in the centre1 with a seat upon which he afterwards placed a seated figure of ,god the ,father1 six braccia high and giving the benediction1 and accompanied by two other ,angels1 each four braccia high1 kneeling at the extreme corners of the predella of the altar1 on the level on which rested the feet of ,god the ,father4 ,this predella was more than a braccio in height1 and on it were many stories of the ,passion of ,jesus ,christ1 which were all to be in bronze1 and on the corners of the predella were the ,angels mentioned above1 both kneeling and each holding in the hands a candelabrum2 which candelabra of the ,angels served to accompany eight large candelabra placed between the ,angels1 and three braccia and a half in height1 which adorned that altar2 and ,god the ,father was in the midst of them all4 ,behind ,god the ,father was left a space of half a braccio1 in order that there might be room to ascend to kindle the lights4 ,under the arch that stood opposite to the principal entrance of the choir1 on the base that ran right round1 on the outer side1 ,baccio had placed1 directly under the centre of that arch1 the ,tree of the ,fall1 round the trunk of which was wound the ,ancient ,serpent with a human face1 and two nude figures were about the ,tree1 one being ,adam and the other ,eve4 ,on the outer side of the choir1 to which those figures had their faces turned1 there ran lengthways along the base a space about three braccia long1 which was to contain the story of their ,creation1 either in marble or in bronze2 and this was to be pursued along the faces of the base of the whole work1 to the number of twenty-one stories1 all from the ,old ,testament4 ,and for the further enrichment of this base he had made for each of the socles upon which stood the columns and pilasters1 a figure of some ,prophet1 either draped or nude1 to be afterwards executed in marble--a great work1 truly1 and a marvellous opportunity1 likely to reveal all the art and genius of a perfect master1 whose memory should never be extinguished by any lapse of time4 ,this model was shown to the ,duke1 and also a double series of designs made by ,baccio1 which1 both from their variety and their number1 and likewise from their beauty--for the reason that ,baccio worked boldly in wax and drew very well--pleased his ,excellency1 and he ordained that the masonry-work should be straightway taken in hand1 devoting to it all the expenditure administered by the ,office of ,works1 and giving orders that a great quantity of marble should be brought from ,carrara4 ,baccio1 on his part1 also set to work to make a beginning with the statues2 and among the first was an ,adam who was raising one arm1 and was about four braccia in height4 ,this figure was finished by ,baccio1 but1 since it proved to be narrow in the flanks and somewhat defective in other parts1 he changed it into a ,bacchus1 and afterwards gave it to the ,duke1 who kept it in his ,palace many years1 in his chamber2 and not long ago it was placed in a niche in the ground-floor apartments which his ,excellency occupies in summer4 ,he had also made a seated figure of ,eve of the same size1 which he had half finished3 but it was abandoned on account of the ,adam1 which it was to have accompanied4 ,for1 having made a beginning with another ,adam1 in a different form and attitude1 it became necessary for him to change also the ,eve1 and the original seated figure was converted by him into a ,ceres1 which he gave to the most illustrious ,duchess ,leonora1 together with an ,apollo1 which was another nude that he had executed2 and her ,excellency had them placed in the ornament in front of the fish-pond1 the design and architecture of which are by ,giorgio ,vasari1 in the gardens of the ,pitti ,palace4 ,baccio worked at these two figures with very great zeal1 thinking to satisfy the craftsmen and all the world as well as he had satisfied himself2 and he finished and polished them with all the diligence and lovingness that were in him4 ,he then set up these figures of ,adam and ,eve in their place1 but1 when uncovered1 they experienced the same fate as his other works1 and were torn to pieces with savage bitterness in sonnets and ,latin verses1 one going to the length of suggesting that even as ,adam and ,eve1 having defiled ,paradise by their disobedience1 deserved to be driven out1 so these figures1 defiling the earth1 deserved to be expelled from the church4 ,nevertheless the statues are well-proportioned1 and beautiful in many parts2 and although there is not in them that grace which has been spoken of in other places1 and which he was not able to give to his works1 yet they display so much art and design1 that they deserve no little praise4 ,a lady who had set herself to examine these statues1 being asked by some gentlemen what she thought of these naked bodies1 answered1 ,about the man ,i can give no judgment2 and1 being pressed to give her opinion of the woman1 she replied that in the ,eve there were two good points1 worthy of considerable praise1 in that she was white and firm2 whereby she contrived ingeniously1 while seeming to praise1 covertly to deal a shrewd blow to the craftsman and his art1 giving to the statue the praise proper to the female body1 which it is also necessary to apply to the marble1 the material1 and which is true of it1 but not of the work or of the craftsmanship1 for by such praise the craftsmanship is not praised4 ,thus1 then1 that shrewd lady hinted that in her opinion nothing could be praised in that statue save the marble4 ,baccio afterwards set his hand to the statue of the ,dead ,christ1 which likewise not succeeding as he had expected1 he abandoned it when it was already well advanced1 and1 taking another block of marble1 began another ,christ in an attitude different from the first1 and together with that the ,angel who supports the head of ,christ on one leg and with one hand ,his arm2 and he did not rest until he had finished entirely both the one figure and the other4 ,when arrangements were made to set it up on the altar1 it proved to be so large that it occupied too much space1 and there was no room left for the ministrations of the priest2 and although this statue was passing good1 and even one of ,baccio's best1 nevertheless the people--the ordinary citizens no less than the priests--could never have their fill of speaking ill of it and picking it to pieces4 ,recognizing that to uncover unfinished works injures the reputation of a craftsman in the eyes of all those who are not of the profession1 or have no knowledge of art1 or have not seen the models1 ,baccio resolved1 in order to accompany the statue of ,christ and to complete the altar1 to make the statue of ,god the ,father1 for which a very beautiful block of marble had come from ,carrara4 ,and he had already carried it well forward1 making it half nude after the manner of a ,jove1 when1 since it did not please the ,duke and appeared to ,baccio himself to have certain defects1 he left it as it was1 and even so it is still to be found in the ,office of ,works4 ,baccio cared nothing for the words of others1 but gave his attention to making himself rich and buying property4 ,he bought a most beautiful farm1 called ,lo ,spinello1 on the heights of ,fiesole1 and another with a very beautiful house called ,il ,cantone1 in the plain above ,san ,salvi1 on the ,river ,affrico1 and a great house in the ,via de' ,ginori1 which he was enabled to acquire by the moneys and favours of the ,duke4 ,having thus secured his own position1 ,baccio thenceforward cared little to work or to exert himself2 and although the tomb of ,signor ,giovanni was unfinished1 the audience-chamber of the ,great ,hall only begun1 and the choir and altar behindhand1 he paid little attention to the words of others or to the censure that was laid upon him on that account4 ,however1 having erected the altar and set into position the marble base upon which was to stand the statue of ,god the ,father1 he made a model for this and finally began it1 and1 employing stone-cutters1 proceeded to carry it slowly forward4 ,there came from ,france in those days ,benvenuto ,cellini1 who had served ,king ,francis in the matter of goldsmith's work1 of which he was the most famous master of his day2 and he had also executed some castings in bronze for that ,king4 ,benvenuto was introduced to ,duke ,cosimo1 who1 desiring to adorn the city1 showed also to him much favour and affection1 and commissioned him to make a statue of bronze about five braccia high1 of a nude ,perseus standing over a nude woman representing ,medusa1 whose head he had cut off2 which work was to be placed under one of the arches of the ,loggia in the ,piazza4 ,while he was executing the ,perseus1 ,benvenuto also did other things for the ,duke4 ,now1 even as it happens that the potter is always the jealous enemy of the potter1 and the sculptor of the sculptor1 ,baccio was not able to endure the various favours shown to ,benvenuto4 ,it appeared to him a strange thing1 also1 that ,benvenuto should have thus changed in a moment from a goldsmith into a sculptor1 nor was he able to grasp in his mind how a man who was used to making medals and little things1 could now execute colossal figures and giants4 ,baccio could not conceal his thoughts1 but expressed them freely1 and he found a man able to answer him2 for1 ,baccio saying many of his biting words to ,benvenuto in the presence of the ,duke1 ,benvenuto1 who was no less proud than himself1 took pains to be even with him4 ,and thus1 arguing often on the matters of art and their own works1 and pointing out each other's defects1 they would utter the most slanderous words of one another in the presence of the ,duke1 who1 because he took pleasure in this and recognized true genius and acuteness in their biting phrases1 had given them full liberty and licence to say whatever they pleased about one another before him1 provided that they did not remember their quarrel elsewhere4 ,this rivalry1 or rather1 enmity1 was the reason that ,baccio pressed forward his statue of ,god the ,father2 but he was no longer receiving from the ,duke those favours to which he had been accustomed1 and he consoled himself for this by paying court and doing service to the ,duchess4 ,one day1 among others1 that they were railing at one another as usual and laying bare many of each others' actions1 ,benvenuto1 glaring at ,baccio and threatening him1 said3 ,prepare yourself for another world1 ,baccio1 for ,i mean to send you out of this one4 ,and ,baccio answered3 ,let me know a day beforehand1 so that ,i may confess and make my will1 and may not die like the sort of beast that you are4 ,by reason of which the ,duke1 who for many months had found amusement in their quarrels1 bade them be silent1 fearing some evil ending1 and caused them to make a portrait-bust of himself from the girdle upwards1 both to be cast in bronze1 to the end that he who should succeed best should carry off the honours4 ,amid this rivalry and contention ,baccio finished his figure of ,god the ,father1 which he arranged to have placed in the church on the base beside the altar4 ,this figure was clothed and six braccia high1 and he erected and completely finished it4 ,but1 in order not to leave it unaccompanied1 he summoned from ,rome the sculptor ,vincenzio de' ,rossi1 his pupil1 wishing to execute in clay for the altar all that remained to be done in marble2 and he caused ,vincenzio to assist him in finishing the two ,angels who are holding the candelabra at the corners1 and the greater part of the scenes on the predella and the base4 ,having then set everything upon the altar1 in order to see how his work1 when finished1 was to stand1 he strove to prevail on the ,duke to come and see it1 before he should uncover it4 ,but the ,duke would never go1 and1 although entreated by the ,duchess1 who favoured ,baccio in this matter1 he would never let himself be shaken1 and did not go to see it1 being angered because among so many works ,baccio had never finished one1 even after his ,excellency had made him rich and had won odium among the citizens by honouring him highly and doing him many favours4 ,for all this his ,excellency was disposed to assist ,clemente1 the natural son of ,baccio--a young man of ability1 who had made considerable proficience in design--because it was likely to fall to him in time to finish his father's works4 ,at this same time1 which was in the year #aeed1 there came from ,rome1 where he had been working for ,pope ,julius ,,iii1 ,giorgio ,vasari of ,arezzo1 in order to serve his ,excellency in many works that he was intending to execute1 and in particular to decorate the ,palace on the ,piazza1 and to renovate it with new constructions1 and to finish the ,great ,hall1 as he was afterwards seen to do4 ,in the following year ,giorgio ,vasari summoned from ,rome and engaged in the ,duke's service the sculptor ,bartolommeo ,ammanati1 to the end that he might execute the other faade in the above-named ,hall1 opposite to the audience-chamber begun by ,baccio1 and a fountain in the centre of that faade2 and a beginning was straightway made with executing a part of the statues that were to go into that work4 ,baccio1 perceiving that the ,duke was employing others1 recognized that he did not wish to use his services any longer2 at which1 feeling great displeasure and vexation1 he had become so strange and so irritable that no one could have any dealings with him either in his house or out of it1 and to his son ,clemente he behaved very strangely1 keeping him in want of everything4 ,for this reason ,clemente1 who had made a large head of his ,excellency in clay1 in order to execute it in marble for the statue of the audience-chamber1 sought leave of the ,duke to depart and go to ,rome1 on account of his father's strangeness2 and the ,duke said that he would not fail him4 ,baccio1 at the departure of ,clemente1 who had asked leave of him1 would not give him anything1 although the young man had been a great help to him in ,florence1 and1 indeed1 ,baccio's right hand in every matter2 nevertheless1 he thought nothing of getting rid of him4 ,the young man1 having arrived in ,rome at an unfavourable season1 died in the same year both from over-study and from wild living1 leaving in ,florence an example of his handiwork in an almost finished head of ,duke ,cosimo in marble1 which is very beautiful1 and was afterwards placed by ,baccio over the principal door of his house in the ,via de' ,ginori4 ,clemente also left well advanced a ,dead ,christ who is supported by ,nicodemus1 which ,nicodemus is a portrait from life of ,baccio2 and these statues1 which are passing good1 ,baccio set up in the ,church of the ,servites1 as we shall relate in the proper place4 ,the death of ,clemente was a very great loss to ,baccio and to art1 and ,bandinelli recognized this after he was dead4 ,baccio uncovered the altar of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore1 and the statue of ,god the ,father was criticized4 ,the altar has remained as was described above1 nor has anything more been done to it since2 but the work of the choir has been continued4 ,many years before1 there had been quarried at ,carrara a great block of marble ten braccia and a half in height and five braccia in width1 of which having received notice1 ,baccio rode to ,carrara and made a contract for it with him to whom it belonged1 giving him fifty crowns as earnest-money4 ,he then returned to ,florence and so pestered the ,duke1 that1 by the favour of the ,duchess1 he obtained the commission to make from it a giant1 which was to be placed in the ,piazza1 at the corner where the ,lion was2 on which spot was to be made a great fountain to spout water1 in the middle of which was to be a ,neptune in his chariot1 drawn by sea-horses1 and this figure was to be carved out of the above-mentioned block of marble4 ,for this figure ,baccio made more than one model1 and showed them to his ,excellency2 but the matter stood thus1 without anything more being done1 until the year #aeei1 at which time the owner of the marble1 having come from ,carrara1 asked to be paid the rest of the money1 saying that otherwise he would give back the fifty crowns and break it into several pieces1 in order to sell it1 since he had received many offers4 ,orders were given by the ,duke to ,giorgio ,vasari that he should have the marble paid for2 which having been heard throughout the world of art1 and also that the ,duke had not yet made a free gift of the marble to ,baccio1 ,benvenuto1 and likewise ,ammanati1 bestirring themselves1 each besought the ,duke that he should be allowed to make a model in competition with ,baccio1 and that his ,excellency should deign to give the marble to him who had shown the greatest ability in his model4 ,the ,duke did not deny to either of them the right to make a model1 or deprive them of the hope that he who should acquit himself the best might be chosen to execute the statue4 ,his ,excellency knew that in ability1 judgment1 and design ,baccio was still better than any of the sculptors who were in his service1 if only he would consent to take pains1 and he welcomed this competition1 in order to incite ,baccio to acquit himself better and to do the most that he could4 ,bandinelli1 having seen this competition on his shoulders1 was greatly troubled by it1 fearing the loss of the ,duke's favour more than any other thing1 and once more he set himself to making models4 ,he was most assiduous in waiting on the ,duchess1 and so wrought upon her1 that he obtained leave to go to ,carrara in order to make arrangements for having the marble brought to ,florence4 ,having arrived in ,carrara1 he had the marble so reduced in size--as he had planned to do--that he made it a sorry thing1 and robbed both himself and the others of a noble opportunity and of the hope of ever making from it a beautiful and magnificent work4 ,on returning to ,florence1 there was a long contention between ,benvenuto and him1 ,benvenuto saying to the ,duke that ,baccio had spoilt the marble before it had been assigned to him4 ,finally the ,duchess so went to work that the marble became ,baccio's2 and orders were given that it should be taken from ,carrara to the sea-shore1 and a boat was made ready with the proper appliances1 which was to convey it up the ,arno as far as ,signa4 ,baccio also caused a room to be built up in the ,loggia of the ,piazza1 wherein to work at the marble4 ,in the meantime he had set his hand to executing cartoons1 in order to have some pictures painted which were to adorn the apartments of the ,pitti ,palace4 ,these pictures were painted by a young man called ,andrea del ,minga1 who handled colour passing well4 ,the stories painted in the pictures were the ,creation of ,adam and ,eve1 and their ,expulsion from ,paradise by the ,angel1 a ,noah1 and a ,moses with the ,tables2 which finished1 he then presented them to the ,duchess1 seeking to obtain her favour in his difficulties and contentions4 ,and1 in truth1 if it had not been for that lady1 who loved him for his abilities and held him on his feet1 ,baccio would have fallen headlong down and would have lost completely the favour of the ,duke4 ,the ,duchess also made much use of ,baccio in the ,pitti garden1 where she had caused to be constructed a grotto full of tufa and sponge-stone formed by the action of water1 and containing a fountain2 and for this ,baccio had caused his pupil1 ,giovanni ,fancelli1 to execute in marble a large basin and some goats of the size of life1 which spout forth water1 and likewise1 for a fish-pond1 after a model made by himself1 a countryman who is emptying a barrel full of water4 ,for these reasons the ,duchess was constantly helping and favouring ,baccio with the ,duke1 who finally gave him leave to begin the great model of the ,neptune2 on which account he once more sent to ,rome for ,vincenzio de' ,rossi1 who had previously departed from ,florence1 with the intention of making him help to execute it4 ,while these preparations were in progress1 ,baccio was seized with a desire to finish the statue of the ,dead ,christ supported by ,nicodemus1 which his son ,clemente had carried well forward2 for he had heard that ,buonarroti was finishing one in ,rome that he had begun to carve from a large block of marble1 containing five figures1 which was to be placed on his tomb in ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore4 ,out of emulation with him ,baccio set to work on his group with the greatest assiduity1 with assistants1 until he had finished it4 ,and meanwhile he was going about among the principal churches of ,florence1 seeking for a place where he might set up that work and also make a tomb for himself2 but for long he found no place for the tomb that could content him1 until he resolved on a chapel in the ,church of the ,servites which belongs to the family of the ,pazzi4 ,the owners of this chapel1 at the request of the ,duchess1 granted the place to ,baccio1 without divesting themselves of the rights of ownership and of the devices of their house that were there2 and they granted him only this1 that he should erect an altar of marble and place upon it the statues mentioned above1 and make his tomb at the foot of it4 ,afterwards1 also1 he came to an agreement with the friars of that convent with regard to the other matters appertaining to the celebration of ,mass4 ,during this time1 then1 ,baccio was causing the altar and the marble base to be built1 in order to place upon it the above-named statues2 and1 when he had finished it1 he proposed to lay in that tomb1 in which he wished to be laid himself together with his wife1 the bones of his father ,michelagnolo1 which1 at his death1 he had caused to be placed in a vault in the same church4 ,these bones of his father he chose to lay piously in that tomb with his own hands2 whereupon it happened that either because he felt sorrow and a shock to his mind in handling his father's bones1 or because he exerted himself too much in transferring those bones with his own hands and in rearranging the marbles1 or from both reasons together1 he was so overcome that he felt ill and had to go home1 and1 his malady growing daily worse1 in eight days he died1 at the age of seventy-two1 having been up to that time robust and vigorous1 and without having ever suffered much illness during the whole of his life4 ,he was buried with honourable obsequies1 and laid beside his father's bones in the above-mentioned tomb constructed by himself1 on which is this epitaph3-- ,d4 ,o4 ,m4 ,,baccius ,,bandinell4 ,,divi ,,jacobi ,,eques ,,sub ,,hac ,,servatoris ,,imagine1 ,a ,,se ,,expressa1 ,,cum ,,jacoba ,,donia ,,uxore ,,quiescit1 ,,an4 ,s4 ,,mdlix4 ,he left behind him both sons and daughters1 who were the heirs to his many possessions in lands1 houses1 and money1 which he bequeathed to them2 and to the world he left the works in sculpture described by us1 and designs in great numbers1 which are in the possession of his family1 and in our book there are some executed with the pen and with chalk1 than which it is certain that nothing better could be done4 ,the marble for the giant was left more in dispute than ever1 because ,benvenuto was always about the ,duke1 and wished1 in virtue of a little model that he had made1 that the ,duke should give it to him4 ,on the other hand1 ,ammanati1 being a sculptor of marbles and more experienced in such works than ,benvenuto1 considered for many reasons that this work belonged to him4 ,now it happened that ,giorgio ,vasari had to go to ,rome with the ,cardinal1 the son of the ,duke1 when he went to receive his hat1 and ,ammanati gave to ,vasari a little model of wax showing the shape in which he desired to carve that figure from the marble1 and a piece of wood reproducing the exact proportions--the length1 breadth1 thickness1 and inclination from the straight--of the marble1 to the end that ,giorgio might show them in ,rome to ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti and persuade him to declare his opinion in the matter1 and so move the ,duke to give him the marble4 ,all this ,giorgio did most willingly1 and it was the reason that the ,duke gave orders that an arch should be partitioned off in the ,loggia of the ,piazza1 and that ,ammanati should make a great model as large as the giant was to be4 ,having heard this4 ,benvenuto rode in a great fury to ,pisa1 where the ,duke was1 and said to him that he could not suffer that his genius should be trampled underfoot by one who was inferior to himself1 and that he desired to make a great model in competition with ,ammanati1 in the same place2 and the ,duke1 wishing to pacify him1 granted him leave to have another arch of the ,loggia partitioned off1 and caused to be given to him materials for making1 as he desired1 a large model in competition with ,ammanati4 ,while these masters were engaged in making their models1 after having made fast their enclosures in such a manner that neither the one nor the other could see what his rival was doing1 although these enclosures were attached to each other1 there rose up the ,flemish sculptor ,maestro ,giovan ,bologna1 a young man not inferior in ability or in spirit to either of the others4 ,this master1 being in the service of the ,lord ,don ,francesco1 ,prince of ,florence1 asked his ,excellency to enable him to make a giant which might serve as a model1 of the same size as the marble2 and the ,prince granted him this favour4 ,maestro ,giovan ,bologna had as yet no thought of having the giant to execute in marble1 but he wished at least to display his ability and to make himself known for what he was worth2 and1 having received permission from the ,prince1 he1 also1 began a model in the ,convent of ,s4 ,croce4 ,nor was ,vincenzio ,danti1 the sculptor of ,perugia1 a younger man than any of the others1 willing to fail to compete with these three masters1 not in the hope of obtaining the marble1 but in order to demonstrate his spirit and genius4 ,and so1 having set to work on his own account in the house of ,messer ,alessandro1 the son of ,m4 ,ottaviano de' ,medici1 he executed a model good in many parts and as large as the others4 ,the models finished1 the ,duke went to see those of ,ammanati and of ,benvenuto2 and1 being more pleased with that of ,ammanati than with that of ,benvenuto1 he resolved that ,ammanati should have the marble and make the giant1 because he was younger than ,benvenuto and more practised in marble4 ,the disposition of the ,duke was strengthened by ,giorgio ,vasari1 who did many good offices with his ,excellency for ,ammanati1 having perceived that1 in addition to his knowledge1 he was ready to endure any labour1 and hoping that from his hands there would issue an excellent work finished in a short time4 ,the ,duke would not at that time see the model of ,maestro ,giovan ,bologna1 because1 not having seen any work by him in marble1 it did not seem to him that he could entrust to that master1 as his first work1 so great an undertaking1 although he heard from many craftsmen and other men of judgment that ,giovan ,bologna's model was in many parts better than the others4 ,but if ,baccio had been alive1 there would not have been all that contention among those masters1 because without a doubt it would have fallen to him to make the model of clay and the giant of marble4 ,this work1 then1 was snatched from ,baccio by death1 but the same circumstance brought him no little glory1 in that it revealed by means of those four models--the reason of the making of which was that ,baccio was not alive--how much better were the design1 judgment and ability of him who placed on the ,piazza the ,hercules and ,cacus1 as it were living in the marble2 the excellence of which work has been made evident and brought to light even more by the works that have been executed since ,baccio's death by those others1 who1 although they have acquitted themselves in a manner worthy of praise1 have yet not been able to attain to the beauty and excellence that he placed in his work4 ,afterwards ,duke ,cosimo1 for the marriage of ,queen ,joanna of ,austria1 his daughter-in-law1 seven years after the death of ,baccio1 caused the audience-chamber in the ,great ,hall1 begun by ,baccio1 of which we have spoken above1 to be finished2 and he chose that the head of this work of completion should be ,giorgio ,vasari1 who has sought with all diligence to put right the many defects that would have been in it if it had been continued and finished after the original design followed in the beginning by ,baccio4 ,thus that imperfect work has now been carried with the help of ,god to completion1 and is enriched on its side faces by the addition of niches and pilasters1 and statues set in their places4 ,moreover1 since it was laid out awry and out of square1 we have taken pains to make it even in so far as has been possible1 and have raised it considerably with a corridor of ,tuscan columns at the top2 and as for the statue of ,leo begun by ,baccio1 his pupil ,vincenzio de' ,rossi has finished it4 ,besides this1 that work has been adorned with friezes full of stucco-work1 with many figures large and small1 and with devices and other ornaments of various kinds1 and under the niches and in the partitions of the vaulting have been made many and various designs in stucco and many beautiful inventions in carving2 all which things have enriched the work in such a manner1 that it has changed its form and has gained not a little in beauty and grace4 ,for whereas1 according to the first design1 the ceiling of the ,hall being twenty-one braccia above the floor1 the audience-chamber did not rise higher than eighteen braccia1 so that between it and the old ceiling there was a space of only three braccia2 now1 after our design1 the ceiling of the ,hall has been raised so much that it has risen twelve braccia above the old ceiling and fifteen above the audience-chamber of ,baccio and ,giuliano1 so that the ceiling is now thirty-three braccia above the floor of the ,hall4 ,and it certainly showed great spirit in his ,excellency1 that he should resolve to cause to be finished in the space of five months for the above-named nuptials the whole of a work of which more than a third still remained to do1 although it had taken more than fifteen years to arrive at the condition in which it was at that time2 so eager was he to carry it to completion4 ,but it was not only ,baccio's work that his ,excellency caused to be completely finished1 but also all the rest of what ,giorgio ,vasari had designed2 beginning again from the base that runs over the whole of that work1 with a border of balusters in the open spaces1 which forms a corridor that passes above the work in the ,hall1 and commands a view on the outer side of the ,piazza and on the inner side of the whole ,hall4 ,thus the ,princes and other lords will be able to see1 without being seen1 all the festivals that may be held there1 with much pleasure and convenience for themselves1 and then to retire to their apartments1 passing by the private and public staircases through all the rooms in the ,palace4 ,nevertheless1 to many it has caused dissatisfaction that in a work of such beauty and grandeur that structure was not made square1 and many would have liked to have it pulled down and then rebuilt true to square4 ,but it has been judged to be better to continue the work in that way1 in order not to appear presumptuous and malign towards ,baccio1 and also because otherwise we would have seemed not to have the power to correct the errors and defects found by us but committed by others4 ,but1 returning to ,baccio1 we must say that his abilities were always recognized during his lifetime1 yet will be recognized and regretted much more now that he is dead4 ,and even more would he have been acknowledged for what he was1 when alive1 and beloved1 if he had been so favoured by nature as to be more amiable and more courteous1 because his being the contrary1 and very rough with his tongue1 robbed him of the goodwill of other persons1 obscured his talents1 and brought it about that his works were regarded with ill will and a prejudiced eye1 and therefore could never please anyone4 ,and although he served one nobleman after another1 and was enabled by his talent to serve them well1 nevertheless he rendered his services with such bad grace1 that there was no one who felt grateful to him for them4 ,moreover1 his always decrying and maligning the works of others brought it about that no one could endure him1 and1 whenever another was able to pay him back in his own coin1 it was returned to him with interest2 and before the magistrates he spoke all manner of evil without scruple about the other citizens1 and received from them as good as he gave4 ,he brought suits and went to law about everything with the greatest readiness1 living in one long succession of law-suits1 and appearing to triumph in them4 ,but since his drawing1 to which it is evident that he gave his attention more than to any other thing1 was of such a kind and of such excellence that it atones for his every natural defect and makes him known as a rare master of our art1 we therefore not only count him among the greatest craftsmen1 but also have always paid respect to his works1 and have sought not to destroy but to finish them and do them honour1 for the reason that it appears to us that ,baccio was in truth one of those who deserve honourable praise and everlasting fame4 ,we have deferred to the end the mention of his family name1 because it was not always the same1 but varied1 ,baccio having himself called now ,de' ,brandini1 and now ,de' ,bandinelli4 ,in his early prints the name ,de' ,brandini may be seen engraved after that of ,baccio2 but afterwards he preferred the name ,de' ,bandinelli1 which he retained to the end and still retains1 and he used to say that his ancestors were of the ,bandinelli of ,siena1 who once removed to ,gaiuole1 and from ,gaiuole to ,florence4 ,,giuliano ,,bugiardini ,illustration3 ,,giuliano ,,bugiardini3 ,,portrait ,,of ,a ,,lady 7,florence3 ,pitti1 #adj4 ,panel7 ,,life ,,of ,,giuliano ,,bugiardini ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,before the siege of ,florence the population had multiplied in such great numbers that the widespread suburbs which lay without every gate1 together with the churches1 monasteries1 and hospitals1 formed as it were another city1 inhabited by many honourable persons and by good craftsmen of every kind1 although for the most part they were less wealthy than those of the city1 and lived there with less expense in the way of customs-dues and the like4 ,in one of these suburbs1 then1 without the ,porta a ,faenza1 was born ,giuliano ,bugiardini1 who lived there1 even as his ancestors had done1 until the year #aebi1 when all the suburbs were pulled down4 ,but before that1 when still a mere lad1 he began his studies in the garden of the ,medici on the ,piazza di ,s4 ,marco1 in which1 attending to the study of art under the sculptor ,bertoldo1 he formed such strait friendship and intimacy with ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti1 that he was much beloved by ,buonarroti ever afterwards2 which ,michelagnolo did not so much because of any depth that he saw in ,giuliano's manner of drawing1 as on account of the extraordinary diligence and love that he showed towards art4 ,there was in ,giuliano1 besides this1 a certain natural goodness and a sort of simplicity in his mode of living1 free from all envy and malice1 which vastly pleased ,buonarroti2 nor was there any notable defect in him save this1 that he loved too well the works of his own hand4 ,for1 although all men are wont to err in this respect1 ,giuliano in truth passed all due bounds1 whatever may have been the reason--either the great pains and diligence that he put into executing them1 or some other cause4 ,wherefore ,michelagnolo used to call him blessed1 since he appeared to be content with what he knew1 and himself unhappy1 in that no work of his ever fully satisfied him4 ,after ,giuliano had studied design for some time in the above-named garden1 he worked1 together with ,buonarroti and ,granacci1 under ,domenico ,ghirlandajo1 at the time when he was painting the chapel in ,s4 ,maria ,novella4 ,then1 having made his growth and become a passing good master1 he betook himself to work in company with ,mariotto ,albertinelli in ,gualfonda2 in which place he finished a panel-picture that is now at the door of entrance of ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore in ,florence1 containing ,s4 ,alberto1 a ,carmelite friar1 who has under his feet the ,devil in the form of a woman1 a work that was much extolled4 ,it was the custom in ,florence before the siege of #aecj1 at the burial of dead persons of good family and noble blood1 to carry in front of the bier a string of pennons fixed round a panel that a porter bore on his head2 which pennons were afterwards left in the church in memory of the deceased and of his family4 ,now1 when the elder ,cosimo ,rucellai died1 ,bernardo and ,palla1 his sons1 in order to have something new1 thought of having not pennons1 but in place of them a quadrangular banner four braccia wide and five braccia high1 with some pennons at the foot containing the arms of the ,rucellai4 ,these men therefore giving this work to ,giuliano to execute1 he painted on the body of the said banner four great figures1 executed very well--namely1 ,s4 ,cosimo1 ,s4 ,damiano1 ,s4 ,peter1 and ,s4 ,paul1 which were truly most beautiful paintings1 and done with more diligence than had ever been shown in any other work on cloth4 ,these and other works of ,giuliano's having been seen by ,mariotto ,albertinelli1 he recognized how careful ,giuliano was in following the designs that were put before him1 without departing from them by a hair's breadth1 and1 since he was preparing in those days to abandon art1 he gave him to finish a panel-picture that ,fra ,bartolommeo di ,san ,marco1 his friend and companion1 had formerly left only designed and shaded with water-colours on the gesso of the panel1 as was his custom4 ,giuliano1 then1 setting his hand to this work1 executed it with supreme diligence and labour1 and it was placed at that time in the ,church of ,s4 ,gallo1 without the gate of that name4 ,the church and convent were afterwards pulled down on account of the siege1 and the picture was carried into the city and placed in the ,priests' ,hospital in the ,via di ,s4 ,gallo1 and then from there into the ,convent of ,s4 ,marco1 and finally into ,s4 ,jacopo tra ,fossi on the ,canto degli ,alberti1 where it stands at the present day on the high-altar4 ,in this picture is the ,dead ,christ1 with the ,magdalene1 who is embracing ,his feet1 and ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist1 who is holding ,his head and supporting it on one knee4 ,there1 likewise1 are ,s4 ,peter1 who is weeping1 and ,s4 ,paul1 who1 stretching out his arms1 is contemplating his ,dead ,master2 and1 to tell the truth1 ,giuliano executed this picture with so much lovingness and so much consideration and judgment1 that he will be always very highly extolled for it1 even as he was at that time1 and that rightly4 ,and after this he finished for ,cristofano ,rinieri a picture with the ,rape of ,dina that had been likewise left incomplete by the same ,fra ,bartolommeo2 and he painted another picture like it1 which was sent to ,france4 ,not long afterwards1 having been drawn to ,bologna by certain friends1 he executed some portraits from life1 and1 for a chapel in the new choir of ,s4 ,francesco1 an altar-piece in oils containing ,our ,lady and two ,saints1 which was held at that time in ,bologna1 from there not being many masters there1 to be a good work and worthy of praise4 ,then1 having returned to ,florence1 he painted for ,i know not what person five pictures of the life of ,our ,lady1 which are now in the house of ,maestro ,andrea ,pasquali1 physician to his ,excellency and a man of great distinction4 ,messer ,palla ,rucellai having commissioned him to execute an altar-piece that was to be placed on his altar in ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 ,giuliano began to paint in it the ,martyrdom of ,s4 ,catharine the ,virgin4 ,mountains in labour6 ,he had it in hand for twelve years1 but never carried it to completion after all that time1 because he had no invention and knew not how to paint the many various things that had a part in that martyrdom2 and1 although he was always racking his brain as to how those wheels should be made1 and how he should paint the lightning and the fire that consumed them1 constantly changing one day what he had done the day before1 in all that time he was never able to finish it4 ,it is true that in the meantime he executed many works1 and among others1 for ,messer ,francesco ,guicciardini--who had returned from ,bologna and was then living in his villa at ,montici1 writing his history--a portrait of him1 which was a passing good likeness and pleased him much4 ,he took the portrait1 likewise1 of ,signora ,angela de' ,rossi1 the sister of the ,count of ,sansecondo1 for ,signor ,alessandro ,vitelli1 her husband1 who was then on garrison-duty in ,florence4 ,for ,messer ,ottaviano de' ,medici he painted in a large picture1 copied from one by ,fra ,sebastiano del ,piombo1 two full-length portraits1 ,pope ,clement seated and ,fra ,niccol della ,magna standing2 and in another picture1 likewise1 with incredible pains and patience1 he portrayed ,pope ,clement seated1 and before him ,bartolommeo ,valori1 who is kneeling and speaking to him4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,martyrdom ,,of ,s4 ,,catharine 7,after the painting by ,giuliano ,bugiardini4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 ,rucellai ,chapel7 ,alinari ,next1 the above-named ,messer ,ottaviano de' ,medici having besought ,giuliano privately that he should take for him the portrait of ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti1 he set his hand to it2 and1 after he had kept ,michelagnolo1 who used to take pleasure in his conversation1 sitting for two hours1 ,giuliano said to him3 ,michelagnolo1 if you wish to see yourself1 get up and look1 for ,i have now fixed the expression of the face4 ,michelagnolo1 having risen and looked at the portrait1 said to ,giuliano1 laughing3 ,what the devil have you been doing8 ,you have painted me with one of my eyes up in the temple4 ,give a little thought to what you are doing4 ,hearing this1 ,giuliano1 after standing pensive for a while and looking many times from the portrait to the living model1 answered in serious earnest3 ,to me it does not seem so1 but sit you down again1 and ,i shall see a little better from the life whether it be true4 ,buonarroti1 who knew whence the defect arose and how small was the judgment of ,bugiardini1 straightway resumed his seat1 grinning4 ,and ,giuliano looked many times now at ,michelagnolo and now at the picture1 and then finally1 rising to his feet1 declared3 ,to me it seems that the thing is just as ,i have drawn it1 and that the life is in no way different4 ,well1 then1 answered ,buonarroti1 it is a natural deformity4 ,go on1 and spare neither brush nor art4 ,and so ,giuliano finished the picture and gave it to ,messer ,ottaviano1 together with the portrait of ,pope ,clement by the hand of ,fra ,sebastiano1 as ,buonarroti desired1 who had sent to ,rome for it4 ,giuliano afterwards made for ,cardinal ,innocenzio ,cibo a copy of the picture in which ,raffaello da ,urbino had formerly painted portraits of ,pope ,leo1 ,cardinal ,giulio de' ,medici1 and ,cardinal de' ,rossi2 but in place of ,cardinal de' ,rossi he painted the head of ,cardinal ,cibo1 in which he acquitted himself very well1 and he executed the whole picture with great diligence and labour4 ,at that time1 likewise1 he took the portrait of ,cencio ,guasconi1 who was then a very beautiful youth4 ,and after this he painted at the villa of ,baccio ,valori1 at ,olmo a ,castello1 a tabernacle in fresco1 which1 although it had not much design1 was well and very carefully executed4 ,meanwhile ,palla ,rucellai was pressing him to finish his altar-piece1 of which mention has been made above1 and ,giuliano resolved to take ,michelagnolo one day to see it4 ,and so1 after he had brought him to the place where he kept it1 and had described to him with what pains he had executed the lightning-flash1 which1 coming down from ,heaven1 shivers the wheels and kills those who are turning them1 and also a sun1 which1 bursting from a cloud1 delivers ,s4 ,catharine from death1 he frankly besought ,michelagnolo1 who could not keep from laughing as he heard poor ,bugiardini's lamentations1 that he should tell him how to make eight or ten principal figures of soldiers in the foreground of this altar-piece1 drawn up in line after the manner of a guard1 and in the act of flight1 some being prostrate1 some wounded1 and others dead2 for1 said ,giuliano1 he did not know for himself how to foreshorten them in such a manner that there might be room for them all in so narrow a space1 in the fashion that he had imagined1 in line4 ,buonarroti1 then1 having compassion on the poor man and wishing to oblige him1 went up to the picture with a piece of charcoal and outlined with a few strokes1 lightly sketched in1 a line of marvellous nude figures1 which1 foreshortened in different attitudes1 were falling in various ways1 some backward and others forward1 with some wounded or dead1 and all executed with that judgment and excellence that were peculiar to ,michelagnolo4 ,this done1 he went away with the thanks of ,giuliano1 who not long afterwards took ,tribolo1 his dearest friend1 to see what ,buonarroti had done1 telling him the whole story4 ,but since1 as has been related1 ,buonarroti had drawn his figures only in outline1 ,bugiardini was not able to put them into execution1 because there were neither shadows in them nor any other help2 whereupon ,tribolo resolved to assist him1 and thus made some sketch-models in clay1 which he executed excellently well1 giving them that boldness of manner that ,michelagnolo had put into the drawing1 and working them over with the gradine1 which is a toothed instrument of iron1 to the end that they might be somewhat rough and might have greater force2 and1 thus finished1 he gave them to ,giuliano4 ,however1 since that manner did not please the smooth fancy of ,bugiardini1 no sooner had ,tribolo departed than he took a brush and1 dipping it from time to time in water1 so smoothed them that he took away the gradine-marks and polished them all over1 insomuch that1 whereas the lights should have served as contrasts to make the shadows stronger1 he contrived to destroy all the excellence that made the work perfect4 ,which having afterwards heard from ,giuliano himself1 ,tribolo laughed at the foolish simplicity of the man2 and ,giuliano finally delivered the work finished in such a manner that there is nothing in it to show that ,michelagnolo ever looked at it4 ,in the end1 being old and poor1 and having very few works to do1 ,giuliano applied himself with extraordinary and even incredible pains to make a ,piet in a tabernacle that was to go to ,spain1 with figures of no great size1 and executed it with such diligence1 that it seems a strange thing to think of an old man of his age having the patience to do such a work for the love that he bore to art4 ,on the doors of that tabernacle1 in order to depict the darkness that fell at the death of the ,saviour1 he painted a ,night on a black ground1 copied from the one by the hand of ,michelagnolo which is in the ,sacristy of ,s4 ,lorenzo4 ,but since that statue has no other sign than an owl1 ,giuliano1 amusing himself over his picture of ,night by giving rein to his fancy1 painted there a net for catching thrushes by night1 with the lantern1 and one of those little vessels holding a candle1 or rather1 a candle-end1 that are carried about at night1 with other suchlike things that have something to do with darkness and gloom1 such as night-caps1 coifs1 pillows1 and bats2 wherefore ,buonarroti was like to dislocate his jaw with laughing when he saw this work and considered with what strange caprices ,bugiardini had enriched his ,night4 ,finally1 after having always been that kind of man1 ,giuliano died at the age of seventy-five1 and was buried in the ,church of ,s4 ,marco at ,florence1 in the year #aeef4 ,giuliano once relating to ,bronzino how he had seen a very beautiful woman1 after he had praised her to the skies1 ,bronzino said1 ,do you know her8 ,no1 answered ,giuliano1 but she is a miracle of beauty4 ,just imagine that she is a picture by my hand1 and there you have her4 ,,cristofano ,,gherardi1 ,,called ,,doceno ,,life ,,of ,,cristofano ,,gherardi ,,called ,,doceno ,,of ,,borgo ,,san ,,sepolcro ,,painter ,while ,raffaello dal ,colle of ,borgo ,san ,sepolcro1 who was a disciple of ,giulio ,romano and helped him to paint in fresco the ,hall of ,constantine in the ,papal ,palace at ,rome1 and the apartments of the ,te in ,mantua1 was painting1 after his return to the ,borgo1 the altar-piece of the ,chapel of ,,ss4 ,gilio e ,arcanio 7in which1 imitating ,giulio and ,raffaello da ,urbino1 he depicted the ,resurrection of ,christ1 a work that was much extolled71 with another altar-piece of the ,assumption for the ,frati de' ,zoccoli without the ,borgo1 and some other works for the ,servite ,friars at ,citt di ,castello2 while1 ,i say1 ,raffaello was executing these and other works in the ,borgo1 his native place1 acquiring riches and fame1 a young man sixteen years of age1 called ,cristofano1 and by way of by-name1 ,doceno1 the son of ,guido ,gherardi1 a man of honourable family in that city1 was attending from a natural inclination and with much profit to painting1 drawing and colouring so well and with such grace1 that it was a marvel4 ,wherefore the above-named ,raffaello1 having seen some animals by the hand of this ,cristofano1 such as dogs1 wolves1 hares1 and various kinds of birds and fishes1 executed very well1 and perceiving that he was most agreeable in his conversation and very witty and amusing1 although he lived a life apart1 almost like a philosopher1 was well pleased to form a friendship with him and to have him frequent his workshop in order to learn4 ,now1 after ,cristofano had spent some time drawing under the discipline of ,raffaello1 there arrived in the ,borgo the painter ,rosso1 with whom he contracted a friendship1 and received some of his drawings2 and these ,doceno studied with great diligence1 considering1 as one who had seen no others but those by the hand of ,raffaello1 that they were very beautiful1 as indeed they were4 ,but these studies were broken off by him1 for1 when ,giovanni de' ,turrini of the ,borgo1 at that time ,captain of the ,florentines1 went with a band of soldiers from the ,borgo and from ,citt di ,castello to the defence of ,florence1 which was besieged by the armies of the ,emperor and of ,pope ,clement1 ,cristofano went thither among the other soldiers1 having been led away by his many friends4 ,it is true that he did this no less in the hope of having some occasion to study the works in ,florence than with the intention of fighting2 but in this he failed1 for his captain1 ,giovanni1 had to guard not a place within the city1 but the bastions on the hill without4 ,that war finished1 and the guard of ,florence being commanded not long afterwards by ,signor ,alessandro ,vitelli of ,citt di ,castello1 ,cristofano1 drawn by his friends and by his desire to see the pictures and sculptures of the city1 enlisted as a soldier in that guard4 ,and while he was in that service1 ,signor ,alessandro1 having heard from ,battista della ,bilia1 a painter and soldier from ,citt di ,castello1 that ,cristofano gave his attention to painting1 and having obtained a beautiful picture by his hand1 determined to send him with that same ,battista della ,bilia and with another ,battista1 likewise of ,citt di ,castello1 to decorate with sgraffiti and paintings a garden and loggia that he had begun at ,citt di ,castello4 ,but the one ,battista having died while that garden was being built up1 and the other ,battista having taken his place1 for the time being1 whatever may have been the reason1 nothing more was done4 ,meanwhile ,giorgio ,vasari had returned from ,rome1 and was passing his time with ,duke ,alessandro in ,florence1 until his patron ,cardinal ,ippolito should return from ,hungary2 and he had received rooms in the ,convent of the ,servites1 that he might make a beginning with the execution of certain scenes in fresco from the life of ,csar in the chamber at the corner of the ,medici ,palace1 where ,giovanni da ,udine had decorated the ceiling with stucco-work and pictures4 ,now ,cristofano1 having made ,giorgio's acquaintance at the ,borgo in the year #aebh1 when he went to see ,rosso in that place1 where he had shown him much kindness1 resolved that he would attach himself to ,vasari and thus find much more opportunity for giving attention to art than he had done in the past4 ,giorgio1 then1 after a year's intercourse with him as his companion1 finding that he was likely to make an able master1 and that he was pleasant and gentle in manners and a man after his own heart1 conceived an extraordinary affection for him4 ,wherefore1 having to go not long afterwards1 at the commission of ,duke ,alessandro1 to ,citt di ,castello1 in company with ,antonio da ,san ,gallo and ,pier ,francesco da ,viterbo 7who had been in ,florence to build the castle1 or rather1 citadel1 and on their return were taking the road by ,citt di ,castello71 in order to repair the walls of the above-mentioned garden of ,vitelli1 which were threatening to fall1 he took ,cristofano with him1 to the end that after ,vasari himself had designed and distributed in their due order the friezes that were to be executed in certain apartments1 and likewise the scenes and compartments of a bath-room1 and other sketches for the walls of the loggia1 ,gherardi and the above-named ,battista might carry the whole to completion4 ,all this they did so well and with such grace1 and particularly ,cristofano1 that a past master in art1 well practised in his work1 could not have done so much2 and1 what is more1 experimenting in that work1 he became facile and able to a marvel in drawing and colouring4 ,then1 in the year #aecf1 the ,emperor ,charles ,v coming to ,italy and to ,florence1 as has been related in other places1 the most magnificent festive preparations were ordained1 among which ,vasari1 by order of ,duke ,alessandro1 received the charge of the decorations of the ,porta a ,s4 ,piero ,gattolini1 of the faade at ,s4 ,felice in ,piazza1 at the head of the ,via ,maggio1 and of the pediment that was erected over the door of ,s4 ,maria del ,fiore2 and1 in addition1 of a standard of cloth for the castle1 fifteen braccia in depth and forty in length1 into the gilding of which there went fifty thousand leaves of gold4 ,now the ,florentine painters and others who were employed in these preparations1 thinking that ,vasari was too much in favour with ,duke ,alessandro1 and wishing to leave him disgraced in that part of the decorations--a part truly great and laborious--which had fallen to him1 so went to work that he was not able to enlist the services of any master of architectural painting1 whether young or old1 among all those that were in the city1 to assist him in any single thing4 ,of which having become aware1 ,vasari sent for ,cristofano1 ,raffaello dal ,colle1 and ,stefano ,veltroni of ,monte ,sansovino1 his kinsman2 and with their assistance and that of other painters from ,arezzo and other places1 he executed the works mentioned above1 in which ,cristofano acquitted himself in such a manner1 that he caused everyone to marvel1 doing honour to himself and also to ,vasari1 who was much extolled for those works4 ,after they were finished1 ,cristofano remained many days in ,florence1 assisting the same ,vasari in the preparations that were made in the ,palace of ,messer ,ottaviano de' ,medici for the nuptials of ,duke ,alessandro2 wherein1 among other things1 ,cristofano executed the coat of arms of the ,duchess ,margherita of ,austria1 with the balls1 upheld by a most beautiful eagle1 with some boys1 very well done4 ,not long afterwards1 when ,duke ,alessandro had been assassinated1 a compact was made in the ,borgo to hand over one of the gates of the city to ,piero ,strozzi1 when he came to ,sestino1 and letters were therefore written to ,cristofano by some soldiers exiled from the ,borgo1 entreating him that he should consent to help them in this3 which letters received1 although ,cristofano did not grant their request1 yet1 in order not to do a mischief to the soldiers1 he chose rather to tear them up1 as he did1 than to lay them1 as according to the laws and edicts he should have done1 before ,gherardo ,gherardi1 who was then ,commissioner for the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo in the ,borgo4 ,when the troubles were over and the matter became known1 many citizens of the ,borgo were exiled as rebels1 and among them ,doceno2 and ,signor ,alessandro ,vitelli1 who knew the truth of this affair and could have helped him1 did not do so1 to the end that ,cristofano might be as it were forced to serve him in the work of his garden at ,citt di ,castello1 of which we have spoken above4 ,after having consumed much time in this service1 without any profit or advantage1 ,cristofano finally took refuge1 almost in despair1 with other exiles1 in the village of ,s4 ,giustino in the ,states of the ,church1 a mile and a half distant from the ,borgo and very near the ,florentine frontier4 ,in that place1 although he stayed there at his peril1 he painted for ,abbot ,bufolini of ,citt di ,castello1 who has most beautiful and commodious apartments there1 a chamber in a tower1 with a pattern of little boys and figures very well foreshortened to be seen from below1 and with grotesques1 festoons1 and masks1 the most lovely and the most bizarre that could be imagined4 ,this chamber1 when finished1 so pleased the ,abbot that he caused him to do another1 in which1 desiring to make some ornaments of stucco1 and not having marble to grind into powder for mixing it1 for this purpose he found a very good substitute in some stones from a river-bed1 veined with white1 the powder from which took a good and very firm hold4 ,and within these ornaments of stucco ,cristofano then painted some scenes from ,roman history1 executing them so well in fresco that it was a marvel4 ,at that time ,giorgio ,vasari was painting in fresco the upper part of the tramezzo#d of the ,abbey of ,camaldoli1 and two panel-pictures for the lower part2 and1 wishing to make about these last an ornament in fresco full of scenes1 he would have liked to have ,cristofano with him1 no less to restore him to the favour of the ,duke than to make use of him4 ,but1 although ,messer ,ottaviano de' ,medici pleaded strongly with the ,duke1 it proved impossible to bend him1 so ugly was the information that had been given to him about the behaviour of ,cristofano4 ,not having succeeded in this1 therefore1 ,vasari1 as one who loved ,cristofano1 set himself to contrive to remove him at least from ,s4 ,giustino1 where he1 with other exiles1 was living in the greatest peril4 ,in the year #aeci1 then1 having to execute for the ,monks of ,monte ,oliveto1 for the head of a great refectory in the ,monastery of ,s4 ,michele in ,bosco without ,bologna1 three panel-pictures in oils with three scenes each four braccia in length1 and a frieze in fresco three braccia high all round with twenty stories of the ,apocalypse in little figures1 and all the monasteries of that ,order copied from the reality1 with partitions of grotesques1 and round each window fourteen braccia of festoons with fruits copied from nature1 ,giorgio wrote straightway to ,cristofano that he should go from ,s4 ,giustino to ,bologna1 together with ,battista ,cungi of the ,borgo1 his compatriot1 who had also served ,vasari for seven years4 ,these men1 therefore1 having gone to ,bologna1 where ,giorgio had not yet arrived--for he was still at ,camaldoli1 where1 having finished the tramezzo1 he was drawing the cartoon for a ,deposition from the ,cross1 which was afterwards executed by him and set up on the high-altar in that same place--set themselves to prime the said three panels with gesso and to lay on the ground1 until such time as ,giorgio should arrive4 ,footnote #d3 ,see note on p4 #eg1 ,vol4 ,i4 ,now ,vasari had given a commission to ,dattero1 a ,jew1 the friend of ,messer ,ottaviano de' ,medici1 who was then a banker in ,bologna1 that he should provide ,cristofano and ,battista with everything that they required4 ,and since this ,dattero was very obliging and most courteous1 he did them a thousand favours and courtesies2 wherefore those two at times went about ,bologna in his company in very familiar fashion1 and1 ,battista having prominent eyes and ,cristofano a great speck in one of his1 they were thus taken for ,jews1 as ,dattero was in fact4 ,one morning1 therefore1 a shoemaker1 who had to bring a pair of new shoes at the commission of the above-named ,jew to ,cristofano1 arriving at the monastery1 said to ,cristofano himself1 who was standing at the gate looking on at the distribution of alms1 ,sir1 could you show me the rooms of those two ,jew painters who are working in there8 ,jews or no ,jews1 said ,cristofano1 what have you to do with them8 ,i have to give these shoes1 he answered1 to one of them called ,cristofano4 ,i am he1 replied ,cristofano1 an honest man and a better ,christian than you are4 ,you may be what you please1 answered the shoemaker4 ,i called you ,jews1 because1 besides that you are held and known as ,jews by everyone1 that look of yours1 which is not of our country1 convinced me of it4 ,enough1 said ,cristofano1 you shall see that we do the work of ,christians4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,supper ,,of ,s4 ,,gregory ,,the ,,great 7,after the panel by ,giorgio ,vasari1 with details by ,cristofano ,gherardi ,doceno4 ,bologna3 ,accademia1 #aih7 ,poppi ,but to return to the work3 ,vasari having arrived in ,bologna1 not a month had passed before1 ,giorgio designing1 and ,cristofano and ,battista laying in the panels in colour1 all three were completely laid in1 with great credit to ,cristofano1 who acquitted himself in this excellently well4 ,the laying in of the panels being finished1 work was begun on the frieze1 in which ,cristofano had a companion1 although he was to have executed it all by himself2 for there came from ,camaldoli to ,bologna the cousin of ,vasari1 ,stefano ,veltroni of ,monte ,sansovino1 who had laid in the panel-picture of the ,deposition1 and the two executed that work together1 and that so well1 that it proved a marvel4 ,cristofano painted grotesques so well1 that there was nothing better to be seen1 but he did not give them that particular finish that would have made them perfect2 and ,stefano1 on the contrary1 was wanting in resolution and grace1 for the reason that his brush-strokes did not fix his subjects in their places at one sweep1 but1 since he was very patient1 in the end1 although he endured greater labour1 he used to execute his grotesques with more neatness and delicacy4 ,labouring in competition1 then1 at the work of this frieze1 these two took such pains1 both the one and the other1 that ,cristofano learned to finish from ,stefano1 and ,stefano learned from ,cristofano to be more resolute and to work like a master4 ,work being then begun on the broad festoons that were to run in clusters round the windows1 ,vasari made one with his own hand1 keeping real fruits in front of him1 that he might copy them from nature4 ,this done1 he ordained that ,cristofano and ,stefano should go on with the rest1 holding to the same design1 one on one side of the window1 and the other on the other side1 and should thus1 one by one1 proceed to finish them all2 promising to him who might prove at the end of the work to have acquitted himself best a pair of scarlet hose4 ,and so1 competing lovingly for both honour and profit1 they set themselves to copy everything1 from the large things down to the most minute1 such as millet-seed1 hemp-seed1 bunches of fennel1 and the like1 in such a manner that those festoons proved to be very beautiful2 and both of them received from ,vasari the prize of the scarlet hose4 ,giorgio took great pains to persuade ,cristofano to execute by himself part of the designs for the scenes that were to go into the frieze1 but he would never do it4 ,wherefore1 the while that ,giorgio was drawing them himself1 ,gherardi executed the buildings in two of the panel-pictures1 with much grace and beauty of manner1 and such perfection1 that a master of great judgment1 even if he had had the cartoons before him1 could not have done what ,cristofano did4 ,and1 in truth1 there never was a painter who could do by himself1 and without study1 the things that he contrived to do4 ,after having finished the execution of the buildings in the two panel-pictures1 the while that ,vasari was carrying to completion the twenty stories from the ,apocalypse for the above-mentioned frieze1 ,cristofano1 taking in hand the panel-picture in which ,s4 ,gregory 7whose head is a portrait of ,pope ,clement ,,vii7 is eating with his twelve poor men1 executed the whole service of the table1 all very lifelike and most natural4 ,then1 a beginning having been made with the third panel-picture1 while ,stefano was occupied with the gilding of the ornamental frames of the other two1 a staging was erected upon two trestles of wood1 from which1 while ,vasari was painting on one side1 in a glory of sunlight1 the three ,angels that appeared to ,abraham in the ,valley of ,mamre1 ,cristofano painted some buildings on the other side4 ,but he was always making some contraption with stools and tables1 and at times with basins and pans upside down1 on which he would climb1 like the casual creature that he was2 and once it happened that1 seeking to draw back in order to look at what he had done1 one of his feet gave way under him1 the whole contraption turned topsy-turvy1 and he fell from a height of five braccia1 bruising himself so grievously that he had to be bled and properly nursed1 or he would have died4 ,and1 what was worse1 being the sort of careless fellow that he was1 one night there slipped off the bandages that were on the arm from which the blood had been drawn1 to the great danger of his life1 so that1 if ,stefano1 who was sleeping with him1 had not noticed this1 it would have been all up with him2 and even so ,stefano had something to do to revive him1 for the bed was a lake of blood1 and he himself was reduced almost to his last gasp4 ,vasari1 therefore1 taking him under his own particular charge1 as if he had been his brother1 had him tended with the greatest possible care1 than which1 indeed1 nothing less would have sufficed2 and with all this he was not restored until that work was completely finished4 ,after that1 returning to ,s4 ,giustino1 ,cristofano completed some of the apartments of the ,abbot there1 which had been left unfinished1 and then executed at ,citt di ,castello1 all with his own hand1 an altar-piece that had been allotted to ,battista1 his dearest friend1 and a lunette that is over the side-door of ,s4 ,fiorido1 containing three figures in fresco4 ,giorgio being afterwards summoned to ,venice at the instance of ,messer ,pietro ,aretino1 in order to arrange and execute for the nobles and gentlemen of the ,company of the ,calza the setting for a most sumptuous and magnificent festival1 and the scenery of a comedy written by that same ,messer ,pietro ,aretino for those gentlemen1 ,giorgio1 ,i say1 knowing that he was not able to carry out so great a work by himself alone1 sent for ,cristofano and the above-mentioned ,battista ,cungi4 ,and they1 having finally arrived in ,venice after being carried by the chances of the sea to ,sclavonia1 found that ,vasari not only had arrived there before them1 but had already designed everything1 so that there was nothing for them to do but to set hand to painting4 ,now the said gentlemen of the ,calza had taken at the end of the ,canareio a large house which was not finished--it had nothing1 indeed1 save the main walls and the roof--and in a space forming an apartment seventy braccia long and sixteen braccia wide1 ,giorgio caused to be made two ranges of wooden steps1 four braccia in height from the floor1 on which the ladies were to be seated4 ,the walls at the sides he divided each into four square spaces of ten braccia1 separated by niches each four braccia in breadth1 within which were figures1 and these niches had each on either side a terminal figure in relief1 nine braccia high2 insomuch that the niches on either side were five and the terminal figures ten1 and in the whole apartment there were altogether ten niches1 twenty terminal figures1 and eight square pictures with scenes4 ,in the first of these pictures 7which were all in chiaroscuro71 that on the right hand1 next the stage1 there was1 representing ,venice1 a most beautiful figure of ,adria depicted as seated upon a rock in the midst of the sea1 with a branch of coral in the hand4 ,around her stood ,neptune1 ,thetis1 ,proteus1 ,nereus1 ,glaucus1 ,palmon1 and other sea gods and nymphs1 who were presenting to her jewels1 pearls1 gold1 and other riches of the sea2 and besides this there were some ,loves that were shooting arrows1 and others that were flying through the air and scattering flowers1 and the rest of the field of the picture was all most beautiful palms4 ,in the second picture were the ,rivers ,drava and ,sava naked1 with their vases4 ,in the third was the ,po1 conceived as large and corpulent1 with seven sons1 representing the seven branches which1 issuing from the ,po1 pour into the sea as if each of them were a kingly river4 ,in the fourth was the ,brenta1 with other rivers of ,friuli4 ,on the other wall1 opposite to the ,adria1 was the ,island of ,candia1 wherein was to be seen ,jove being suckled by the ,goat1 with many ,nymphs around4 ,beside this1 and opposite to the ,drava1 were the ,river ,tagliamento and the ,mountains of ,cadore4 ,beyond this1 opposite to the ,po1 were ,lake ,benacus and the ,mincio1 which were pouring their waters into the ,po2 and beside them1 opposite to the ,brenta1 were the ,adige and the ,tesino1 falling into the sea4 ,the pictures on the right-hand side were divided by these ,virtues1 placed in the niches--,liberality1 ,concord1 ,compassion1 ,peace1 and ,religion2 and opposite to these1 on the other wall1 were ,fortitude1 ,civic ,wisdom1 ,justice1 a ,victory with ,war beneath her1 and1 lastly1 a ,charity4 ,above all1 then1 were a large cornice and architrave1 and a frieze full of lights and of glass globes filled with distilled waters1 to the end that these1 having lights behind them1 might illuminate the whole apartment4 ,next1 the ceiling was divided into four quadrangular compartments1 each ten braccia wide in one direction and eight braccia in the other2 and1 with a width equal to that of the niches of four braccia1 there was a frieze which ran right round the cornice1 while in a line with the niches there came in the middle of all the spaces a compartment three braccia square4 ,these compartments were in all twenty-three1 without counting one of double size that was above the stage1 which brought the number up to twenty-four2 and in them were the ,hours1 twelve of the night1 namely1 and twelve of the day4 ,in the first of the compartments ten braccia in length1 which was above the stage1 was ,time1 who was arranging the ,hours in their places1 accompanied by olus1 ,god of the ,winds1 by ,juno1 and by ,iris4 ,in another compartment1 at the door of entrance1 was the ,car of ,aurora1 who1 rising from the arms of ,tithonus1 was scattering roses1 while the ,car itself was being drawn by some ,cocks4 ,in the third was the ,chariot of the ,sun2 and in the fourth was the ,chariot of ,night1 drawn by ,owls1 and ,night had the ,moon upon her head1 some ,bats in front of her1 and all around her darkness4 ,of these pictures ,cristofano executed the greater part1 and he acquitted himself so well1 that everyone stood marvelling at them3 particularly in the ,chariot of ,night1 wherein he did in the way of oil-sketches that which was1 in a manner of speaking1 not possible4 ,and in the picture of ,adria1 likewise1 he painted those monsters of the sea with such beauty and variety1 that whoever looked at them was struck with astonishment that a craftsman of his rank should have shown such knowledge4 ,in short1 in all this work he bore himself beyond all expectation like an able and well-practised painter1 and particularly in the foliage and grotesques4 ,after finishing the preparations for that festival1 ,vasari and ,cristofano stayed some months in ,venice1 painting for the ,magnificent ,messer ,giovanni ,cornaro the ceiling1 or rather1 soffit1 of an apartment1 into which there went nine large pictures in oils4 ,vasari being then entreated by the ,veronese architect1 ,michele ,san ,michele1 to stay in ,venice1 he might perhaps have consented to remain there for a year or two2 but ,cristofano always dissuaded him from it1 saying that it was not a good thing to stay in ,venice1 where no account was taken of design1 nor did the painters in that city make any use of it1 not to mention that those painters themselves were the reason that no attention was paid there to the labours of the arts2 and he declared that it would be better to return to ,rome1 the true school of noble arts1 where ability was recognized much more than in ,venice4 ,the dissuasions of ,cristofano being thus added to the little desire that ,vasari had to stay there1 they went off together4 ,but1 since ,cristofano1 being an exile from the ,state of ,florence1 was not able to follow ,giorgio1 he returned to ,s4 ,giustino1 where he did not remain long1 doing some work all the time for the above-mentioned ,abbot1 before he went to ,perugia on the first occasion when ,pope ,paul ,,iii went there after the war waged with the people of that city4 ,there1 in the festive preparations that were made to receive his ,holiness1 he acquitted himself very well in several works1 and particularly in the portal called after ,frate ,rinieri1 where1 at the wish of ,monsignore della ,barba1 who was then governor there1 ,cristofano executed a large ,jove in ,anger and another ,pacified1 which are two most beautiful figures1 and on the other side he painted an ,atlas with the world on his back1 between two women1 one of whom had a sword and the other a pair of scales4 ,these works1 with many others that ,cristofano executed for those festivities1 were the reason that afterwards1 when the citadel had been built in ,perugia by order of the same ,pontiff1 ,messer ,tiberio ,crispo1 who was governor and castellan at that time1 when causing many of the rooms to be painted1 desired that ,cristofano1 in addition to that which ,lattanzio1 a painter of the ,march1 had executed in them up to that time1 should also work there4 ,whereupon ,cristofano not only assisted the above-named ,lattanzio1 but afterwards executed with his own hand the greater part of the best works that are painted in the apartments of that fortress1 in which there also worked ,raffaello dal ,colle and ,adone ,doni of ,assisi1 an able and well-practised painter1 who has executed many things in his native city and in other places4 ,tommaso ,papacello also worked there2 but the best that there was among them1 and the one who gained most praise there1 was ,cristofano1 on which account he was recommended by ,lattanzio to the favour of the said ,crispo1 and was ever afterwards much employed by him4 ,meanwhile1 that same ,crispo having built in ,perugia a new little church known as ,s4 ,maria del ,popolo1 but first called ,del ,mercato1 ,lattanzio had begun for it an altar-piece in oils1 and in this ,cristofano painted with his own hand all the upper part1 which is indeed most beautiful and worthy of great praise4 ,then1 ,lattanzio having been changed from a painter into the ,constable of ,perugia1 ,cristofano returned to ,s4 ,giustino1 where he stayed many months1 again working for the above-named ,lord ,abbot ,bufolini4 ,after this1 in the year #aedc1 ,giorgio ,vasari1 having to execute a panel-picture in oils for the ,great ,cancelleria by order of the most illustrious ,cardinal ,farnese1 and another for the ,church of ,s4 ,agostino at the commission of ,galeotto da ,girone1 sent for ,cristofano1 who went very willingly1 as one who had a desire to see ,rome4 ,there he stayed many months1 doing little else but go about seeing everything2 but nevertheless he thus gained so much1 that1 after returning once more to ,s4 ,giustino1 he painted in a hall some figures after his own fancy which were so beautiful1 that it appeared that he must have studied at them twenty years4 ,then1 in the year #aede1 ,vasari had to go to ,naples to paint for the ,monks of ,monte ,oliveto a refectory involving much more work than that of ,s4 ,michele in ,bosco at ,bologna1 and he sent for ,cristofano1 ,raffaello dal ,colle1 and ,stefano1 already mentioned as his friends and pupils2 and they all came together at the appointed time in ,naples1 excepting ,cristofano1 who remained behind because he was ill4 ,however1 being pressed by ,vasari1 he made his way to ,rome on his journey to ,naples2 but he was detained by his brother ,borgognone1 who was likewise an exile1 and who wished to take him to ,france to enter the service of the ,colonel ,giovanni da ,turrino1 and so that occasion was lost4 ,but when ,vasari returned from ,naples to ,rome in the year #aedf1 in order to execute twenty-four pictures that were afterwards sent to ,naples and placed in the ,sacristy of ,s4 ,giovanni ,carbonaro1 in which he painted stories from the ,old ,testament1 and also from the life of ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 with figures of one braccio or little more1 and also in order to paint the doors of the organ of the ,piscopio1 which were six braccia in height1 he availed himself of ,cristofano1 who was of great assistance to him and executed figures and landscapes in those works excellently well4 ,giorgio had also proposed to make use of him in the ,hall of the ,cancelleria1 which was painted after cartoons by his hand1 and entirely finished in a hundred days1 for ,cardinal ,farnese1 but in this he did not succeed1 for ,cristofano fell ill and returned to ,s4 ,giustino as soon as he had begun to mend4 ,and ,vasari finished the ,hall without him1 assisted by ,raffaello dal ,colle1 the ,bolognese ,giovan ,battista ,bagnacavallo1 the ,spaniards ,roviale and ,bizzerra1 and many others of his friends and pupils4 ,after returning from ,rome to ,florence and setting out from that city to go to ,rimini1 to paint a chapel in fresco and an altar-piece in the ,church of the ,monks of ,monte ,oliveto for ,abbot ,gian ,matteo ,faettani1 ,giorgio passed through ,s4 ,giustino1 in order to take ,cristofano with him3 but ,abbot ,bufolini1 for whom he was painting a hall1 would not let him go for the time being1 although he promised ,giorgio that he should send ,cristofano to him soon all the way to ,romagna4 ,but1 notwithstanding such a promise1 the ,abbot delayed so long to send him1 that ,cristofano1 when he did go1 found that ,vasari had not only finished all the work for the other ,abbot1 but had also executed an altar-piece for the high-altar of ,s4 ,francesco at ,rimini1 for ,messer ,niccol ,marcheselli1 and another altar-piece in the ,church of ,classi1 belonging to the ,monks of ,camaldoli1 at ,ravenna1 for ,don ,romualdo da ,verona1 the ,abbot of that abbey4 ,in the year #aeej1 not long before this1 ,giorgio had just executed the story of the ,marriage of ,esther in the ,black ,friars' ,abbey of ,s4 ,fiore1 that is1 in the refectory1 at ,arezzo1 and also1 at ,florence1 for the ,chapel of the ,martelli in the ,church of ,s4 ,lorenzo1 the altar-piece of ,s4 ,gismondo1 when1 ,julius ,,iii having been elected ,pope1 he was summoned to ,rome to enter the service of his ,holiness4 ,thereupon he thought for certain that by means of ,cardinal ,farnese1 who went at that time to stay in ,florence1 he would be able to reinstate ,cristofano in his country and restore him to the favour of ,duke ,cosimo4 ,but this proved to be impossible1 so that poor ,cristofano had to stay as he was until #aeed1 at which time1 ,vasari having been invited into the service of ,duke ,cosimo1 there came to him an opportunity of delivering ,cristofano4 ,bishop da' ,ricasoli1 who knew that he would be doing a thing pleasing to his ,excellency1 had set to work to have the three faades of his palace1 which stands on the abutment of the ,ponte alla ,carraja1 painted in chiaroscuro1 when ,messer ,sforza ,almeni1 ,cup-bearer as well as first and favourite ,chamberlain to the ,duke1 resolved that he also would have his house in the ,via de' ,servi painted in chiaroscuro1 in emulation of the ,bishop4 ,but1 not having found in ,florence any painters according to his fancy1 he wrote to ,giorgio ,vasari1 who had not then arrived in ,florence1 that he should think out the inventions and send him designs of all that it might seem to him best to paint on that faade of his4 ,whereupon ,giorgio1 who was much his friend1 for they had known each other from the time when they were both in the service of ,duke ,alessandro1 having thought out the whole according to the measurements of the faade1 sent him a design of most beautiful invention1 which embellished the windows and joined them together with a well-varied decoration in a straight line from top to bottom1 and filled all the spaces in the faade with rich scenes4 ,this design1 ,i say1 which contained1 to put it briefly1 the whole life of man from birth to death1 was sent by ,vasari to ,messer ,sforza2 and it so pleased him1 and likewise the ,duke1 that1 in order that it might have all its perfection1 they resolved that they would not have it taken in hand until such time as ,vasari himself should have arrived in ,florence4 ,which ,vasari having at last come and having been received by his most illustrious ,excellency and by the above-named ,messer ,sforza with great friendliness1 they began to discuss who might be the right man to execute that faade4 ,whereupon ,giorgio1 not allowing the occasion to slip by1 said to ,messer ,sforza that no one was better able to carry out that work than ,cristofano1 and that neither in that nor in the works that were to be executed in the ,palace1 could he do without ,cristofano's aid4 ,and so1 ,messer ,sforza having spoken of this to the ,duke1 after many inquiries it was found that ,cristofano's crime was not so black as it had been painted1 and the poor fellow was at last pardoned by his ,excellency4 ,which news having been received by ,vasari1 who was at ,arezzo1 revisiting his native place and his friends1 he sent a messenger expressly to ,cristofano1 who knew nothing of the matter1 to give him that good news2 and when he heard it1 he was like to faint with joy4 ,all rejoicing1 therefore1 and confessing that no one had ever been a better friend to him than ,vasari1 he went off next morning from ,citt di ,castello to the ,borgo1 where1 after presenting his letters of deliverance to the ,commissioner1 he made his way to his father's house1 where his mother and also his brother1 who had been recalled from exile long before1 were struck with astonishment4 ,then1 after passing two days there1 he went off to ,arezzo1 where he was received by ,giorgio with more rejoicing than if he had been his own brother1 and recognized that he was so beloved by ,vasari that he resolved that he would spend the rest of his life with him4 ,they then went from ,arezzo to ,florence together1 and ,cristofano went to kiss the hands of the ,duke1 who received him readily and was struck with amazement1 for the reason that1 whereas he had thought to see some great bravo1 he saw the best little man in the world4 ,cristofano was likewise made much of by ,messer ,sforza1 who conceived a very great affection for him2 and he then set his hand to the above-mentioned faade4 ,in that work1 ,giorgio1 because it was not yet possible to work in the ,palace1 assisted him1 at his own request1 to execute some designs for the scenes in the faade1 also designing at times during the progress of the work1 on the plaster1 some of the figures that are there4 ,but1 although there are in it many things retouched by ,vasari1 nevertheless the whole faade1 with the greater part of the figures and all the ornaments1 festoons1 and large ovals1 is by the hand of ,cristofano1 who in truth1 as may be seen1 was so able in handling colours in fresco1 that it may be said--and ,vasari confesses it--that he knew more about it than ,giorgio himself4 ,and if ,cristofano1 when he was a lad1 had exercised himself continuously in the studies of art--for he never did a drawing save when he had afterwards to carry it into execution--and had pursued the practice of art with spirit1 he would have had no equal1 seeing that his facility1 judgment and memory enabled him to execute his works in such a way1 without any further study1 that he used to surpass many who in fact knew more than he4 ,nor could anyone believe with what facility and resolution he executed his labours1 for1 when he set himself to work1 no matter how long a time it might take1 he so delighted in it that he would never lift his eyes off his painting2 wherefore his friends might well expect the greatest things from him4 ,besides this1 he was so gracious in his conversation and his jesting as he worked1 that ,vasari would at times stay working in his company from morning till night1 without ever growing weary4 ,cristofano executed this faade in a few months1 not to mention that he sometimes stayed away some weeks without working there1 going to the ,borgo to see and enjoy his home4 ,now ,i do not wish to grudge the labour of describing the distribution and the figures of this work1 which1 from its being in the open air and much exposed to the vagaries of the weather1 may not have a very long life2 scarcely1 indeed1 was it finished1 when it was much injured by a terrible rain and a very heavy hail-storm1 and in some places the wall was stripped of plaster4 ,in this faade1 then1 there are three compartments4 ,the first1 to begin at the foot1 is where the principal door and the two windows are2 the second is from the sill of those windows to that of the second range of windows2 and the third is from those last windows to the cornice of the roof4 ,there are1 besides this1 six windows in each range1 which give seven spaces2 and the whole work was divided according to this plan in straight lines from the cornice of the roof down to the ground4 ,next to the cornice of the roof1 then1 there is in perspective a great cornice1 with brackets that project over a frieze of little boys1 six of whom stand upright along the breadth of the faade--namely1 one above the centre of the arch of each window2 and these support with their shoulders most beautiful festoons of fruits1 leaves1 and flowers1 which run from one to another4 ,those fruits and flowers are arranged in due succession according to the seasons1 symbolizing the periods of our life1 which is there depicted2 and on the middle of the festoons1 likewise1 where they hang down1 are other little boys in various attitudes4 ,this frieze finished1 between the upper windows1 in the spaces that are there1 there were painted the seven ,planets1 with the seven celestial ,signs above them as a crown and an ornament4 ,beneath the sill of these windows1 on the parapet1 is a frieze of ,virtues1 who1 two by two1 are holding seven great ovals2 in which ovals are seven distinct stories representing the ,seven ,ages of ,man1 and each ,age is accompanied by two ,virtues appropriate to her1 and beneath the ovals in the spaces between the lower windows there are the three ,theological and the four ,moral ,virtues4 ,below this1 in the frieze that is above the door and the windows supported by knee-shaped brackets1 are the seven ,liberal ,arts1 each of which is in a line with the oval in which is the particular story of the ,life of ,man appropriate to it2 and in the same straight lines1 continued upwards1 are the ,moral ,virtues1 ,planets1 ,signs1 and other corresponding symbols4 ,next1 between the windows with knee-shaped brackets1 there is ,life1 both the active and the contemplative1 with scenes and statues1 continued down to ,death1 ,hell1 and our final ,resurrection4 ,in brief1 ,cristofano executed almost all by himself the whole cornice1 the festoons1 the little boys1 and the seven ,signs of the ,planets4 ,then1 beginning on one side1 he painted first the ,moon1 and represented her by a ,diana who has her lap full of flowers1 after the manner of ,proserpine1 with a moon upon her head and the ,sign of ,cancer above her4 ,below1 in the oval wherein is the story of ,infancy1 there are present at the ,birth of ,man some nurses who are suckling infants1 and newly-delivered women in bed1 executed by ,cristofano with much grace2 and this oval is supported by ,will alone1 who is a half-nude young woman1 fair and beautiful1 and she is sustained by ,charity1 who is also suckling infants4 ,and beneath the oval1 on the parapet1 is ,grammar1 who is teaching some little boys to read4 ,beginning over again1 there follows ,mercury with the ,caduceus and with his ,sign1 who has below him in the oval some little boys1 some of whom are going to school and some playing4 ,this oval is supported by ,truth1 who is a nude little girl all pure and simple1 who has on one side a male figure representing ,falsehood1 with a variety of girt-up garments and a most beautiful countenance1 but with the eyes much sunken4 ,beneath the oval of the windows is ,faith1 who with the right hand is baptizing a child in a conch full of water1 and with the left hand is holding a cross2 and below her1 on the parapet1 is ,logic covered by a veil1 with a serpent4 ,next follows the ,sun1 represented by an ,apollo who has the lyre in his hand1 with his ,sign in the ornament above4 ,in the oval is ,adolescence1 represented by two boys of equal age1 one of whom1 holding a branch of olive1 is ascending a mountain illumined by the sun1 and the other1 halting halfway up to admire the beauties that ,fraud displays from the middle upwards1 without perceiving that her hideous countenance is concealed behind a smooth and beautiful mask1 is caused by her and her wiles to fall over a precipice4 ,this oval is supported by ,sloth1 a gross and corpulent man1 who stands all sleepy and nude in the guise of a ,silenus2 and also by ,toil1 in the person of a robust and hard-working peasant1 who has around him the implements for tilling the earth4 ,these are supported by that part of the ornament that is between the windows1 where ,hope is1 who has the anchors at her feet2 and on the parapet below is ,music1 with various musical instruments about her4 ,there follows in due order ,venus1 who has clasped ,love to her bosom1 and is kissing him2 and she1 also1 has her ,sign above her4 ,in the oval that she has beneath her is the story of ,youth2 that is1 in the centre a young man seated1 with books1 instruments for measuring1 and other things appertaining to design1 and in addition maps of the world and cosmographical globes and spheres2 and behind him is a loggia1 in which are young men who are merrily passing the time away with singing1 dancing1 and playing1 and also a banquet of young people all given over to enjoyment4 ,on one side this oval is supported by ,self-knowledge1 who has about her compasses1 armillary spheres1 quadrants1 and books1 and is gazing at herself in a mirror2 and1 on the other side1 by ,fraud1 a hideous old hag1 lean and toothless1 who is mocking at ,self-knowledge1 and in the act of covering her face with a smooth and beautiful mask4 ,below the oval is ,temperance1 with a horse's bridle in her hand1 and beneath her1 on the parapet1 is ,rhetoric1 who is in a line with the other similar figures4 ,next to these comes ,mars in armour1 with many trophies about him1 and with the ,sign of the ,lion above him4 ,in his oval1 which is below him1 is ,virility1 represented by a full-grown man1 standing between ,memory and ,will1 who are holding before him a basin of gold containing a pair of wings1 and are pointing out to him the path of deliverance in the direction of a mountain2 and this oval is supported by ,innocence1 who is a maiden with a lamb at her side1 and by ,hilarity1 who1 all smiling and merry1 reveals herself as what she really is4 ,beneath the oval1 between the windows1 is ,prudence1 who is making herself beautiful before a mirror2 and she has below her1 on the parapet1 a figure of ,philosophy4 ,next there follows ,jove1 with his thunderbolt and his bird1 the ,eagle1 and with his ,sign above him4 ,in the oval is ,old ,age1 who is represented by an old man clothed as a priest and kneeling before an altar1 upon which he is placing the basin of gold with the two wings2 and this oval is supported by ,compassion1 who is covering some naked little boys1 and by ,religion1 enveloped in sacerdotal vestments4 ,below these is a ,fortitude in armour1 who1 planting one of her legs in a spirited attitude on a fragment of a column1 is placing some balls in the mouth of a lion2 and beneath her1 on the parapet1 she has a figure of ,astrology4 ,the last of the seven ,planets is ,saturn1 depicted as an old man heavy with melancholy1 who is devouring his own children1 with a great serpent that is seizing its own tail with its teeth2 which ,saturn has above him the ,sign of ,capricorn4 ,in the oval is ,decrepitude1 and here is depicted ,jove in ,heaven receiving a naked and decrepit old man1 kneeling1 who is watched over by ,felicity and ,immortality1 who are casting his garments into the world4 ,this oval is supported by ,beatitude1 who is upheld by a figure of ,justice in the ornament below1 who is seated and has in her hand the sceptre and upon her shoulders the stork1 with arms and laws around her2 and on the parapet below is ,geometry4 ,in the lowest part at the foot1 which is about the windows with knee-shaped brackets and the door1 is ,leah in a niche1 representing the ,active ,life1 and on the other side of the same place is ,industry1 who has a ,cornucopia and two goads in her hands4 ,near the door is a scene in which many masters in wood and stone1 architects1 and stone-cutters have before them the gate of ,cosmopolis1 a city built by the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo in the island of ,elba1 with a representation of ,porto-,ferrajo4 ,between this scene and the frieze in which are the ,liberal ,arts1 is ,lake ,trasimene1 round which are ,nymphs who are issuing from the water with tench1 pike1 eels1 and roach1 and beside the lake is ,perugia1 a nude figure holding with her hands a dog1 which she is showing to a figure of ,florence corresponding to her1 who stands on the other side1 with a figure of ,arno beside her who is embracing and fondling her4 ,and below this is the ,contemplative ,life in another scene1 in which many philosophers and astrologers are measuring the heavens1 appearing to be casting the horoscope of the ,duke2 and beside this1 in the niche corresponding to that of ,leah1 is her sister ,rachel1 the daughter of ,laban1 representing the ,contemplative ,life4 ,the last scene1 which is likewise between two niches and forms the conclusion of the whole invention1 is ,death1 who1 mounted on a lean horse and holding the scythe1 and accompanied by ,war1 ,pestilence1 and ,famine1 is riding over persons of every kind4 ,in one niche is the ,god ,pluto1 and beneath him ,cerberus1 the ,hound of ,hell2 and in the other is a large figure rising again from a sepulchre on the last day4 ,after all these things ,cristofano executed on the pediments of the windows with knee-shaped brackets some nude figures that are holding the devices of his ,excellency1 and over the door a ,ducal coat of arms1 the six balls of which are upheld by some naked little boys1 who twine in and out between each other as they fly through the air4 ,and last of all1 in the bases at the foot1 beneath all the scenes1 the same ,cristofano painted the device of ,m4 ,sforza2 that is1 some obelisks1 or rather triangular pyramids1 which rest upon three balls1 with a motto around that reads--,immobilis4 ,this work1 when finished1 was vastly extolled by his ,excellency and by ,messer ,sforza himself1 who1 like the courteous gentleman that he was1 wished to reward with a considerable present the art and industry of ,cristofano2 but he would have none of it1 being contented and fully repaid by the goodwill of that lord1 who loved him ever afterwards more than ,i could say4 ,while the work was being executed1 ,vasari had ,cristofano with him1 as he had always done in the past1 in the house of ,signor ,bernardetto de' ,medici1 who much delighted in painting2 which having perceived1 ,cristofano painted two scenes in chiaroscuro in a corner of his garden4 ,one was the ,rape of ,proserpine1 and in the other were ,vertumnus and ,pomona1 the deities of agriculture2 and besides this ,cristofano painted in this work some ornaments of terminal figures and children of such variety and beauty1 that there is nothing better to be seen4 ,meanwhile arrangements had been made for beginning to paint in the ,palace1 and the first thing that was taken in hand was a hall in the new apartments1 which1 being twenty braccia wide1 and having a height1 according as ,tasso had constructed it1 of not more than nine braccia1 was raised three braccia with beautiful ingenuity by ,vasari1 that is1 to a total height of twelve braccia1 without moving the roof1 which was half a pavilion roof4 ,but because in doing this1 before it could become possible to paint1 much time had to be devoted to reconstructing the ceilings and to other works in that apartment and in others1 ,vasari himself obtained leave to go to ,arezzo to spend two months there together with ,cristofano4 ,however1 he did not succeed in being able to rest during that time1 for the reason that he could not refuse to go in those days to ,cortona1 where he painted in fresco the vaulting and the walls of the ,company of ,jesus with the assistance of ,cristofano1 who acquitted himself very well1 and particularly in the twelve different sacrifices from the ,old ,testament which they executed in the lunettes between the spandrels of the vaulting4 ,indeed1 to speak more exactly1 almost the whole of this work was by the hand of ,cristofano1 ,vasari having done nothing therein beyond making certain sketches1 designing some parts on the plaster1 and then retouching it at times in various places1 according as it was necessary4 ,this work finished1 which is not otherwise than grand1 worthy of praise1 and very well executed1 by reason of the great variety of things that are in it1 they both returned to ,florence in the month of ,january of the year #aeee4 ,there1 having taken in hand the ,hall of the ,elements1 while ,vasari was painting the pictures of the ceiling1 ,cristofano executed some devices that bind together the friezes of the beams in perpendicular lines1 in which are heads of capricorns and tortoises with the sail1 devices of his ,excellency4 ,but the works in which he showed himself most marvellous were some festoons of fruits that are in the friezes of the beams on the under side1 which are so beautiful that there is nothing better coloured or more natural to be seen1 particularly because they are separated one from another by certain masks1 that hold in their mouths the ligatures of the festoons1 than which one would not be able to find any more varied or more bizarre2 in which manner of work it may be said that ,cristofano was superior to any other who has ever made it his principal and particular profession4 ,this done1 he painted some large figures on that part of the walls where there is the ,birth of ,venus1 but after the cartoons of ,vasari1 and many little figures in a landscape1 which were executed very well4 ,in like manner1 on the wall where there are the ,loves as tiny little children1 fashioning the arrows of ,cupid1 he painted the three ,cyclopes forging thunderbolts for ,jove4 ,over six doors he executed in fresco six large ovals with ornaments in chiaroscuro and containing scenes in the colour of bronze1 which were very beautiful2 and in the same hall1 between the windows1 he painted in colours a ,mercury and a ,pluto1 which are likewise very beautiful4 ,work being then begun in the ,chamber of the ,goddess ,ops1 which is next to that described above1 he painted the four ,seasons in fresco on the ceiling1 and1 in addition to the figures1 some festoons that were marvellous in their variety and beauty1 for the reason that1 even as those of ,spring were filled with a thousand kinds of flowers1 so those of ,summer were painted with an infinite number of fruits and cereals1 those of ,autumn were of leaves and bunches of the grape1 and those of ,winter were of onions1 turnips1 radishes1 carrots1 parsnips1 and dried leaves1 not to mention that in the central picture1 in which is the ,car of ,ops1 he coloured so beautifully in oils four lions that are drawing the ,car1 that nothing better could be done2 and1 in truth1 in painting animals he had no equal4 ,then in the ,chamber of ,ceres1 which is beside the last-named1 he executed in certain angles some little boys and festoons that are beautiful to a marvel4 ,and in the central picture1 where ,vasari had painted ,ceres seeking for ,proserpine with a lighted pine torch1 upon a car drawn by two serpents1 ,cristofano carried many things to completion with his own hand1 because ,vasari was ill at that time and had left that picture1 among other things1 unfinished4 ,finally1 when it came to decorating a terrace that is beyond the ,chamber of ,jove and beside that of ,ops1 it was decided that all the history of ,juno should be painted there2 and so1 after all the ornamentation in stucco had been finished1 with very rich carvings and various compositions of figures1 wrought after the cartoons of ,vasari1 the same ,vasari ordained that ,cristofano should execute that work by himself in fresco1 desiring1 since it was a work to be seen from near1 and of figures not higher than one braccio1 that ,gherardi should do something beautiful in this1 which was his peculiar profession4 ,cristofano1 then1 executed in an oval on the vaulting a ,marriage with ,juno in the sky1 and in a picture on one side ,hebe1 ,goddess of ,youth1 and on the other ,iris1 who is pointing to the rainbow in the heavens4 ,on the same vaulting he painted three other quadrangular pictures1 two to match the others1 and a larger one in a line with the oval in which is the ,marriage1 and in the last-named picture is ,juno seated in a car drawn by peacocks4 ,in one of the other two1 which are on either side of that one1 is the ,goddess of ,power1 and in the other ,abundance with the ,cornucopia at her feet4 ,and in two other pictures on the walls below1 over the openings of two doors1 are two other stories of ,juno--the ,transformation of ,io1 the daughter of the ,river ,inachus1 into a ,cow1 and of ,callisto into a ,bear4 ,during the execution of that work his ,excellency conceived a very great affection for ,cristofano1 seeing him zealous and diligent in no ordinary manner at his work2 for the morning had scarcely broken into day when ,cristofano would appear at his labour1 of which he had such a love1 and it so delighted him1 that very often he would not finish dressing before setting out4 ,and at times1 nay1 frequently1 it happened that in his haste he put on a pair of shoes--all such things he kept under his bed--that were not fellows1 but of two kinds2 and more often than not he had his cloak wrong side out1 with the hood on the inside4 ,one morning1 therefore1 appearing at an early hour at his work1 where the ,lord ,duke and the ,lady ,duchess were standing looking at it1 while preparations were being made to set out for the chase1 and the ladies and others of the ,court were making themselves ready1 they noticed that ,cristofano had as usual his cloak wrong side out and the hood inside4 ,at which both laughing1 the ,duke said3 ,what is your idea in always wearing your cloak inside out8 ,i know not1 my ,lord1 answered ,cristofano1 but ,i mean to find some day a kind of cloak that shall have neither right side nor wrong side1 and shall be the same on both sides1 for ,i have not the patience to think of wearing it in any other way1 since in the morning ,i generally dress and go out of the house in the dark1 besides that ,i have one eye so feeble that ,i can see nothing with it4 ,but let your ,excellency look at what ,i paint1 and not at my manner of dressing4 ,the ,duke said nothing in answer1 but within a few days he caused to be made for him a cloak of the finest cloth1 with the pieces sewn and drawn together in such a manner that there was no difference to be seen between outside and inside1 and the collar worked with braid in the same manner both inside and out1 and so also the trimming that it had round the edges4 ,this being finished1 he sent it to ,cristofano by a lackey1 commanding the man that he should give it to him on the part of the ,duke4 ,having therefore received the cloak very early one morning1 ,cristofano1 without making any further ceremony1 tried it on and then said to the lackey3 ,the ,duke is a man of sense4 ,tell him that it suits me well4 ,now1 since ,cristofano was thus careless of his person and hated nothing more than to have to put on new clothes or to go about too tightly constrained and confined in them1 ,vasari1 who knew this humour of his1 whenever he observed that he was in need of any new clothes1 used to have them made for him in secret1 and then1 early one morning1 used to place these in his chamber and take away the old ones2 and so ,cristofano was forced to put on those that he found4 ,but it was marvellous sport to stand and hear him raging with fury as he dressed himself in the new clothes4 ,look here1 he would say1 what devilments are these8 ,devil take it1 can a man not live in his own way in this world1 without the enemies of comfort giving themselves all this trouble8 ,one morning among others1 ,cristofano having put on a pair of white hose1 the painter ,domenico ,benci1 who was also working in the ,palace with ,vasari1 contrived to persuade him to go with himself1 in company with other young men1 to the ,madonna dell',impruneta4 ,there they walked1 danced1 and enjoyed themselves all day1 and in the evening1 after supper1 they returned home4 ,then ,cristofano1 who was tired1 went off straightway to his room to sleep2 but1 when he set himself to take off his hose1 what with their being new and his having sweated1 he was not able to pull off more than one of them4 ,now ,vasari1 having gone in the evening to see how he was1 found that he had fallen asleep with one leg covered and the other bare2 whereupon1 one servant holding his leg and the other pulling at the stocking1 they contrived to draw it off1 while he lay cursing clothes1 ,giorgio1 and him who invented such fashions as--so he said--kept men bound in chains like slaves4 ,nay1 he grumbled that he would take leave of them all and by hook or by crook return to ,s4 ,giustino1 where he was allowed to live in his own way and had not all these restraints2 and it was the devil's own business to pacify him4 ,it pleased him to talk seldom1 and he loved that others also should be brief in speaking1 insomuch that he would have gone so far as to have men's proper names very short1 like that of a slave belonging to ,m4 ,sforza1 who was called ,m4 ,these1 said ,cristofano1 are fine names1 and not your ,giovan ,francesco and ,giovanni ,antonio1 which take an hour's work to pronounce2 and since he was a good fellow at heart1 and said these things in his own jargon of the ,borgo1 it would have made the ,doleful ,knight himself laugh4 ,he delighted to go on feast-days to the places where legends and printed pictures were sold1 and he would stay there the whole day2 and if he bought some1 more often than not1 while he went about looking at the others1 he would leave them at some place where he had been leaning4 ,and never1 unless he was forced1 would he go on horseback1 although he was born from a noble family in his native place and was rich enough4 ,finally1 his brother ,borgognone having died1 he had to go to the ,borgo2 and ,vasari1 who had drawn much of the money of his salary and had kept it for him1 said to him3 ,see1 ,i have all this money of yours1 it is right that you should take it with you and make use of it in your requirements4 ,i want no money1 answered ,cristofano1 take it for yourself4 ,for me it is enough to have the luck to stay with you and to live and die in your company4 ,it is not my custom1 replied ,vasari1 to profit by the labour of others4 ,if you will not have it1 ,i shall send it to your father ,guido4 ,that you must not do1 said ,cristofano1 for he would only waste it1 as he always does4 ,in the end1 he took the money and went off to the ,borgo1 but in poor health and with little contentment of mind2 and after arriving there1 what with his sorrow at the death of his brother1 whom he had loved very dearly1 and a cruel flux of the reins1 he died in a few days1 after receiving the full sacraments of the ,church and distributing to his family and to many poor persons the money that he had brought4 ,he declared a little before his death that it grieved him for no other reason save that he was leaving ,vasari too much embarrassed by the great labours to which he had set his hand in the ,palace of the ,duke4 ,not long afterwards1 his ,excellency having heard of the death of ,cristofano1 and that with true regret1 he caused a head of him to be made in marble and sent it with the underwritten epitaph from ,florence to the ,borgo1 where it was placed in ,s4 ,francesco3 ,d4 ,o4 ,m4 ,,christophoro ,,gherardo ,,burgensi ,,pingendi ,,arte ,,pr,,stantiss4 ,,quod ,,georgius ,,vasarius ,,aretinus ,,hujus ,,artis ,,facile ,,princeps ,,in ,,exornando ,,cosmi ,,florentin4 ,,ducis ,,palatio ,,illius ,,operam ,,quam ,,maxime ,,probaverit1 ,,pictores ,,hetrusci ,,posuere4 ,,obiit ,a4,d4 ,,mdlvi4 ,,vixit ,,an4 ,,lvi1 ,m4 ,,iii1 ,d4 ,,vi4 ,,jacopo ,,da ,,pontormo ,illustration3 ,,the ,,adoration ,,of ,,the ,,magi 7,after the painting by ,jacopo da ,pontormo4 ,siena3 ,s4 ,agostino7 ,anderson ,,life ,,of ,,jacopo ,,da ,,pontormo ,,painter ,,of ,,florence ,the ancestors--or rather1 the elders of ,bartolommeo di ,jacopo di ,martino1 the father of ,jacopo da ,pontormo1 whose ,life we are now about to write--had their origin1 so some declare1 in ,ancisa1 a township in the ,upper ,valdarno1 famous enough because from it the ancestors of ,messer ,francesco ,petrarca likewise derived their origin4 ,but1 whether it was from there or from some other place that his elders came1 the above-named ,bartolommeo1 who was a ,florentine1 and1 so ,i have been told1 of the family of the ,carrucci1 is said to have been a disciple of ,domenico ,ghirlandajo1 and1 after executing many works in the ,valdarno1 as a painter passing able for those times1 to have finally made his way to ,empoli to carry out certain labours1 living there and in the neighbouring places1 and taking to wife at ,pontormo a most virtuous girl of good condition1 called ,alessandra1 the daughter of ,pasquale di ,zanobi and of his wife ,monna ,brigida4 ,to this ,bartolommeo1 then1 there was born in the year #adic our ,jacopo4 ,but the father having died in the year #adii1 the mother in the year #aejd1 and the grandfather in the year #aejf1 ,jacopo was left to the care of his grandmother1 ,monna ,brigida1 who kept him for several years at ,pontormo1 and had him taught reading1 writing1 and the first rudiments of ,latin grammar2 and finally1 at the age of thirteen1 he was taken by the same guardian to ,florence1 and placed with the ,pupilli1 to the end that his small property might be safeguarded and preserved by that board1 as is the custom4 ,and after settling the boy himself in the house of one ,battista1 a shoemaker distantly related to him1 ,monna ,brigida returned to ,pontormo1 taking with her a sister of ,jacopo's4 ,but not long after that1 ,monna ,brigida herself having died1 ,jacopo was forced to bring that sister to ,florence1 and to place her in the house of a kinsman called ,niccolaio1 who lived in the ,via de' ,servi2 and the girl1 also1 following the rest of her family1 died in the year #aeab1 before ever she was married4 ,but to return to ,jacopo2 he had not been many months in ,florence when he was placed by ,bernardo ,vettori with ,leonardo da ,vinci1 and shortly afterwards with ,mariotto ,albertinelli1 then with ,piero di ,cosimo1 and finally1 in the year #aeab1 with ,andrea del ,sarto1 with whom1 likewise1 he did not stay long1 for the reason that1 after ,jacopo had executed the cartoons of the little arch for the ,servites1 of which there will be an account below1 it appears that ,andrea never again looked favourably upon him1 whatever may have been the reason4 ,the first work1 then1 that ,jacopo executed at that time was a little ,annunciation for one his friend1 a tailor2 but the tailor having died before the work was finished1 it remained in the hands of ,jacopo1 who was at that time with ,mariotto1 and ,mariotto took pride in it1 and showed it as a rare work to all who entered his workshop4 ,now ,raffaello da ,urbino1 coming in those days to ,florence1 saw with infinite marvel the work and the lad who had done it1 and prophesied of ,jacopo that which was afterwards seen to come true4 ,not long afterwards1 ,mariotto having departed from ,florence and gone to ,viterbo to execute the panel-picture that ,fra ,bartolommeo had begun there1 ,jacopo1 who was young1 solitary1 and melancholy1 being thus left without a master1 went by himself to work under ,andrea del ,sarto1 at the very moment when ,andrea had finished the stories of ,s4 ,filippo in the court of the ,servites1 which pleased ,jacopo vastly1 as did all his other works and his whole manner and design4 ,jacopo having then set himself to make every effort to imitate him1 no long time passed before it was seen that he had made marvellous progress in drawing and colouring1 insomuch that from his facility it seemed as if he had been many years in art4 ,now ,andrea had finished in those days a panel-picture of the ,annunciation for the ,church of the ,friars of ,s4 ,gallo1 which is now destroyed1 as has been related in his ,life2 and he gave the predella of that panel-picture to ,jacopo to execute in oils4 ,jacopo painted in it a ,dead ,christ1 with two little ,angels who are weeping over ,him and illuminating ,him with two torches1 and1 in two round pictures at the sides1 two ,prophets1 which were executed by him so ably1 that they have the appearance of having been painted not by a mere lad but by a practised master2 but it may also be1 as ,bronzino says1 that he remembers having heard from ,jacopo da ,pontormo himself that ,rosso likewise worked on this predella4 ,and even as ,andrea was assisted by ,jacopo in executing the predella1 so also was he aided by him in finishing the many pictures and works that ,andrea continually had in hand4 ,in the meantime1 ,cardinal ,giovanni de' ,medici having been elected ,supreme ,pontiff under the title of ,leo ,x1 there were being made all over ,florence by the friends and adherents of that house many escutcheons of the ,pontiff1 in stone1 in marble1 on canvas1 and in fresco4 ,wherefore the ,servite ,friars1 wishing to give some sign of their service and devotion to that house and ,pontiff1 caused the arms of ,leo to be made in stone1 and placed in the centre of the arch in the first portico of the ,nunziata1 which is on the piazza2 and shortly afterwards they arranged that it should be overlaid with gold by the painter ,andrea di ,cosimo1 and adorned with grotesques1 of which he was an excellent master1 and with the devices of the house of ,medici1 and that1 in addition1 on either side of it there should be painted a ,faith and a ,charity4 ,but ,andrea di ,cosimo1 knowing that he was not able to execute all these things by himself1 thought of giving the two figures to some other to do2 and so1 having sent for ,jacopo1 who was then not more than nineteen years of age1 he gave him those two figures to execute1 although he had no little trouble to persuade him to undertake to do it1 seeing that1 being a mere lad1 he did not wish to expose himself at the outset to such a risk1 or to work in a place of so much importance4 ,however1 having taken heart1 although he was not as well practised in fresco as in oil-painting1 ,jacopo undertook to paint those two figures4 ,and1 withdrawing--for he was still working with ,andrea del ,sarto--to draw the cartoons at ,s4 ,antonio by the ,porta a ,faenza1 where he lived1 in a short time he carried them to completion2 which done1 one day he took his master ,andrea to see them4 ,andrea1 after seeing them with infinite marvel and amazement1 praised them vastly2 but afterwards1 as has been related1 whether it was from envy or from some other reason1 he never again looked with a kindly eye on ,jacopo2 nay1 ,jacopo going several times to his workshop1 either the door was not opened to him or he was mocked at by the assistants1 insomuch that he retired altogether by himself1 beginning to live on the least that he could1 for he was very poor1 and to study with the greatest assiduity4 ,illustration3 ,,duke ,,cosimo ,i4 ,,de' ,,medici 7,after the painting by ,jacopo da ,pontormo4 ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #abgj7 ,anderson ,when ,andrea di ,cosimo1 then1 had finished gilding the escutcheon and all the eaves1 ,jacopo set to work all by himself to finish the rest2 and being carried away by the desire to make a name1 by his joy in working1 and by nature1 which had endowed him with extraordinary grace and fertility of genius1 he executed that work with incredible rapidity and with such perfection as could not have been surpassed by an old1 well-practised1 and excellent master4 ,wherefore1 growing in courage through this experience1 and thinking that he could do a much better work1 he took it into his head that he would throw to the ground all that he had done1 without saying a word to anyone1 and paint it all over again after another design that he had in his brain4 ,but in the meantime the friars1 having seen that the work was finished and that ,jacopo came no more to his labour1 sought out ,andrea1 and so pestered him that he resolved to uncover it4 ,having therefore looked for ,jacopo1 in order to ask him whether he wished to do any more to the work1 and not finding him1 for the reason that he stayed shut up over his new design and would not answer to anyone1 ,andrea had the screen and scaffolding removed and the work uncovered4 ,the same evening ,jacopo1 having issued from his house in order to go to the ,servite convent1 and1 when it should be night1 to throw to the ground the work that he had done1 and to put into execution the new design1 found the scaffolding taken away and everything uncovered1 and a multitude of people all around gazing at the work4 ,whereupon1 full of fury1 he sought out ,andrea1 and complained of his having uncovered it without his consent1 going on to describe what he had in mind to do4 ,to which ,andrea answered1 laughing3 ,you are wrong to complain1 because the work that you have done is so good that1 if you had it to do again1 you may take my word for it that you would not be able to do it better4 ,you will not want for work1 so keep these designs for another occasion4 ,that work1 as may be seen1 was of such a kind and so beautiful1 what with the novelty of the manner1 the sweetness in the heads of those two women1 and the loveliness of the graceful and lifelike children1 that it was the most beautiful work in fresco that had ever been seen up to that time2 and1 besides the children with the ,charity1 there are two others in the air holding a piece of drapery over the escutcheon of the ,pope1 who are so beautiful that nothing better could be done1 not to mention that all the figures have very strong relief and are so executed in colouring and in every other respect that one is not able to praise them enough4 ,and ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti1 seeing the work one day1 and reflecting that a youth of nineteen had done it1 said3 ,this young man1 judging from what may be seen here1 will become such that1 if he lives and perseveres1 he will exalt this art to the heavens4 ,this renown and fame being heard by the men of ,pontormo1 they sent for ,jacopo1 and commissioned him to execute in their stronghold1 over a gate placed on the main road1 an escutcheon of ,pope ,leo with two little boys1 which was very beautiful2 but already it has been little less than ruined by rain4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,visitation 7,after the fresco by ,jacopo da ,pontormo4 ,florence3 ,,ss4 ,annunziata1 ,cloister7 ,anderson ,at the ,carnival in the same year1 all ,florence being gay and full of rejoicing at the election of the above-named ,leo ,x1 many festive spectacles were ordained1 and among them two of great beauty and extraordinary cost1 which were given by two companies of noblemen and gentlemen of the city4 ,one of these1 which was called the ,diamante1#e had for its head the brother of the ,pope1 ,signor ,giuliano de' ,medici1 who had given it that name because the diamond had been a device of his father1 the elder ,lorenzo2 and the head of the other1 which had as name and device the ,broncone1#f was ,signor ,lorenzo1 the son of ,piero de' ,medici1 who had for his device a ,broncone--that is1 a dried trunk of laurel growing green again with leaves1 as it were to signify that he was reviving and restoring the name of his grandfather4 ,footnote #e3 ,diamond4 ,footnote #f3 ,trunk or branch4 ,by the ,company of the ,diamante1 then1 a commission was given to ,m4 ,andrea ,dazzi1 who was then lecturing on ,greek and ,latin ,letters at the ,studio in ,florence1 to look to the invention of a triumphal procession2 whereupon he arranged one similar to those that the ,romans used to have for their triumphs1 with three very beautiful cars wrought in wood1 and painted with rich and beautiful art4 ,in the first was ,boyhood1 with a most beautiful array of boys4 ,in the second was ,manhood1 with many persons who had done great things in their manly prime4 ,and in the third was ,old ,age1 with many famous men who had performed great achievements in their last years4 ,all these persons were very richly apparelled1 insomuch that it was thought that nothing better could be done4 ,the architects of these cars were ,raffaello delle ,vivole1 ,il ,carota the wood-carver1 the painter ,andrea di ,cosimo1 and ,andrea del ,sarto2 those who arranged and prepared the dresses of the figures were ,ser ,piero da ,vinci1 the father of ,leonardo1 and ,bernardino di ,giordano1 both men of beautiful ingenuity2 and to ,jacopo da ,pontormo alone it fell to paint all the three cars1 wherein he executed various scenes in chiaroscuro of the ,transformations of the ,gods into different forms1 which are now in the possession of ,pietro ,paolo ,galeotto1 an excellent goldsmith4 ,the first car bore1 written in very clear characters1 the word ,erimus1 the second ,sumus1 and the third ,fuimus--that is1 ,we shall be1 ,we are1 and ,we have been4 ,the song began1 ,the years fly on4444 ,having seen these triumphal cars1 ,signor ,lorenzo1 the head of the ,company of the ,broncone1 desiring that they should be surpassed1 gave the charge of the whole work to ,jacopo ,nardi1 a noble and most learned gentleman1 to whom1 for what he afterwards became1 his native city of ,florence is much indebted4 ,this ,jacopo prepared six triumphal cars1 in order to double the number of those executed by the ,diamante4 ,the first1 drawn by a pair of oxen decked with herbage1 represented the ,age of ,saturn and ,janus1 called the ,age of ,gold2 and on the summit of the car were ,saturn with the ,scythe1 and ,janus with the two heads and with the key of the ,temple of ,peace in the hand1 and at his feet a figure of ,fury bound1 with a vast number of things around appertaining to ,saturn1 all executed most beautifully in different colours by the genius of ,pontormo4 ,accompanying this car were six couples of ,shepherds1 naked but for certain parts covered by skins of marten and sable1 with footwear of various kinds after the ancient manner1 and with their wallets1 and on their heads garlands of many kinds of leaves4 ,the horses on which these ,shepherds sat were without saddles1 but covered with skins of lions1 tigers1 and lynxes1 the paws of which1 overlaid with gold1 hung at their sides with much grace and beauty4 ,the ornaments of their croups and of the grooms were of gold cord1 the stirrups were heads of rams1 dogs1 and other suchlike animals1 and the bridles and reins made with silver cord and various kinds of verdure4 ,each ,shepherd had four grooms in the garb of shepherd-boys1 dressed more simply in other skins1 with torches fashioned in the form of dry trunks and branches of pine1 which made a most beautiful sight4 ,upon the second car1 drawn by two pairs of oxen draped in the richest cloth1 with garlands on their heads and great paternosters hanging from their gilded horns1 was ,numa ,pompilius1 the second ,king of ,rome1 with the books of religion and all the sacerdotal instruments and the things appertaining to sacrifices1 for the reason that he was the originator and first founder of religion and sacrifices among the ,romans4 ,this car was accompanied by six priests on most beautiful she-mules1 their heads covered with hoods of linen embroidered with silver and gold in a masterly pattern of ivy-leaves2 and on their bodies they had sacerdotal vestments in the ancient fashion1 with borders and fringes of gold all round1 and in the hands one had a thurible1 another a vase of gold1 and the rest other similar things4 ,at their stirrups they had attendants in the guise of ,levites1 and the torches that these had in their hands were after the manner of ancient candelabra1 and wrought with beautiful artistry4 ,the third car represented the ,consulate of ,titus ,manlius ,torquatus1 who was ,consul after the end of the first ,carthaginian war1 and governed in such a manner1 that in his time there flourished in ,rome every virtue and every blessing4 ,that car1 upon which was ,titus himself1 with many ornaments executed by ,pontormo1 was drawn by eight most beautiful horses1 and before it went six couples of ,senators clad in the toga1 on horses covered with cloth of gold1 accompanied by a great number of grooms representing ,lictors1 with the fasces1 axes1 and other things appertaining to the administration of justice4 ,the fourth car1 drawn by four buffaloes disguised as elephants1 represented ,julius ,csar in ,triumph for the victory gained over ,cleopatra1 the car being all painted by ,pontormo with his most famous deeds4 ,that car was accompanied by six couples of men-at-arms clad in rich and brightly shining armour all bordered with gold1 with their lances on their hips2 and the torches that the half-armed grooms carried had the form of trophies1 designed in various ways4 ,the fifth car1 drawn by winged horses that had the form of gryphons1 bore upon it ,csar ,augustus1 the ,lord of the ,universe1 accompanied by six couples of ,poets on horseback1 all crowned1 as was also ,csar1 with laurel1 and dressed in costumes varying according to their provinces2 and these were there because poets were always much favoured by ,csar ,augustus1 whom they exalted with their works to the heavens4 ,and to the end that they might be recognized1 each of them had across his forehead a scroll after the manner of a fillet1 on which was his name4 ,on the sixth car1 drawn by four pairs of heifers richly draped1 was ,trajan1 that just ,emperor1 before whom1 as he sat on the car1 which was painted very well by ,pontormo1 there rode upon beautiful and finely caparisoned horses six couples of ,doctors of ,law1 with togas reaching to their feet and with capes of miniver1 such as it was the ancient custom for ,doctors to wear4 ,the grooms who carried their torches1 a great number1 were scriveners1 copyists1 and notaries1 with books and writings in their hands4 ,after these six came the car1 or rather1 triumphal chariot1 of the ,age or ,era of ,gold1 wrought with the richest and most beautiful artistry1 with many figures in relief executed by ,baccio ,bandinelli1 and very beautiful paintings by the hand of ,pontormo2 among those in relief the four ,cardinal ,virtues being highly extolled4 ,from the centre of the car rose a great sphere in the form of a globe of the world1 upon which there lay prostrate on his face1 as if dead1 a man clad in armour all eaten with rust1 who had the back open and cleft1 and from the fissure there issued a child all naked and gilded1 who represented the new birth of the age of gold and the end of the age of iron1 from which he was coming forth into that new birth by reason of the election of that ,pontiff2 and this same significance had the dry trunk putting forth new leaves1 although some said that the matter of that dry trunk was an allusion to the ,lorenzo de' ,medici who became ,duke of ,urbino4 ,i should mention that the gilded boy1 who was the son of a baker1 died shortly afterwards through the sufferings that he endured in order to gain ten crowns4 ,the chant that was sung in that masquerade1 as is the custom1 was composed by the above-named ,jacopo ,nardi1 and the first stanza ran thus3 ,colui che da le leggi alla ,natura ,e i varii stati e secoli dispone1 ,d'ogni bene cagione2 ,e il mal1 quanto permette1 al ,mondo dura2 ,onde questa figura ,contemplando si vede1 ,come con certo piede ,l'un secol dopo l'altro al ,mondo viene ,e muta il bene in male1 e 'l male in bene4 ,from the works that he executed for this festival ,pontormo gained1 besides the profit1 so much praise1 that probably few young men of his age ever gained as much in that city2 wherefore1 ,pope ,leo himself afterwards coming to ,florence1 he was much employed in the festive preparations that were made1 for he had attached himself to ,baccio da ,montelupo1 a sculptor advanced in years1 who made an arch of wood at the head of the ,via del ,palagio1 at the steps of the ,badia1 and ,pontormo painted it all with very beautiful scenes1 which afterwards came to an evil end through the scant diligence of those who had charge of them4 ,only one remained1 that in which ,pallas is tuning an instrument into accord with the lyre of ,apollo1 with great grace and beauty2 from which scene one is able to judge what excellence and perfection were in the other works and figures4 ,for the same festivities ,ridolfo ,ghirlandajo had received the task of fitting up and embellishing the ,sala del ,papa1 which is attached to the ,convent of ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 and was formerly the residence of the ,pontiffs in the city of ,florence2 but being pressed for time1 he was forced to avail himself in some things of the work of others1 and thus1 after having adorned all the other rooms1 he laid on ,jacopo da ,pontormo the charge of executing some pictures in fresco in the chapel where his ,holiness was to hear ,mass every morning4 ,whereupon1 setting his hand to the work1 ,jacopo painted there a ,god the ,father with many little ,angels1 and a ,veronica who had the ,sudarium with the image of ,jesus ,christ2 which work1 thus executed by ,jacopo in so short a time1 was much extolled4 ,he then painted in fresco1 in a chapel of the ,church of ,s4 ,ruffillo1 behind the ,archbishop's ,palace in ,florence1 ,our ,lady with her ,son in her arms between ,s4 ,michelagnolo and ,s4 ,lucia1 and two other ,saints kneeling2 and1 in the lunette of the chapel1 a ,god the ,father with some ,seraphim about ,him4 ,next1 having been commissioned by ,maestro ,jacopo1 a ,servite friar1 as he had greatly desired1 to paint a part of the court of the ,servites1 because ,andrea del ,sarto had gone off to ,france and left the work of that court unfinished1 he set himself with much study to make the cartoons4 ,but since he was poorly provided with the things of this world1 and was obliged1 while studying in order to win honour1 to have something to live upon1 he executed over the door of the ,hospital for ,women--behind the ,church of the ,priest's ,hospital1 between the ,piazza di ,s4 ,marco and the ,via di ,s4 ,gallo1 and exactly opposite to the wall of the ,sisters of ,s4 ,catharine of ,siena--two most beautiful figures in chiaroscuro1 with ,christ in the guise of a pilgrim awaiting certain women in order to give them hospitality and lodging2 which work was deservedly much extolled in those days1 as it still is1 by all good judges4 ,at this same time he painted some pictures and little scenes in oils for the ,masters of the ,mint1 on the ,carro della ,moneta1 which goes every year in the procession of ,s4 ,john2 the workmanship of which car was by the hand of ,marco del ,tasso4 ,and over the door of the ,company of ,cecilia1 on the heights of ,fiesole1 he painted a ,s4 ,cecilia with some roses in her hand1 coloured in fresco1 and so beautiful and so well suited to that place1 that1 for a work of that kind1 it is one of the best paintings in fresco that there are to be seen4 ,these works having been seen by the above-named ,servite friar1 ,maestro ,jacopo1 he became even more ardent in his desire1 and he determined at all costs to cause ,jacopo to finish the work in that court of the ,servites1 thinking that in emulation of the other masters who had worked there he would execute something of extraordinary beauty in the part that remained to be painted4 ,having therefore set his hand to it1 from a desire no less of glory and honour than of gain1 ,jacopo painted the scene of the ,visitation of the ,madonna1 in a manner a little freer and more lively than had been his wont up to that time2 which circumstance gave an infinite excellence to the work1 in addition to its other extraordinary beauties1 in that the women1 little boys1 youths1 and old men are executed in fresco with such softness and such harmony of colouring1 that it is a thing to marvel at1 and the flesh-colours of a little boy who is seated on some steps1 and1 indeed1 those likewise of all the other figures1 are such that they could not be done better or with more softness in fresco4 ,this work1 then1 after the others that ,jacopo had executed1 gave a sure earnest of his future perfection to the craftsmen1 comparing them with those of ,andrea del ,sarto and ,franciabigio4 ,jacopo delivered the work finished in the year #aeaf1 and received in payment sixteen crowns and no more4 ,having then been allotted by ,francesco ,pucci1 if ,i remember rightly1 the altar-piece of a chapel that he had caused to be built in ,s4 ,michele ,bisdomini in the ,via de' ,servi1 ,jacopo executed the work in so beautiful a manner1 and with a colouring so vivid1 that it seems almost impossible to credit it4 ,in this altar-piece ,our ,lady1 who is seated1 is handing the ,infant ,jesus to ,s4 ,joseph1 in whose countenance there is a smile so animated and so lifelike that it is a marvel2 and very beautiful1 likewise1 is a little boy painted to represent ,s4 ,john the ,baptist1 and also two other little children1 naked1 who are upholding a canopy4 ,there may be seen also a ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist1 a most beautiful old man1 and a ,s4 ,francis kneeling1 who is absolutely alive1 for1 with the fingers of one hand interlocked with those of the other1 and wholly intent in contemplating fixedly with his eyes and his mind the ,virgin and her ,son1 he appears really to be breathing4 ,and no less beautiful is the ,s4 ,james who may be seen beside the others4 ,wherefore it is no marvel that this is the most beautiful altar-piece that was ever executed by this truly rare painter4 ,i used to believe that it was after this work1 and not before1 that the same ,jacopo had painted in fresco the two most lovely and graceful little boys who are supporting a coat of arms over a door within a passage on the ,lungarno1 between the ,ponte ,s4 ,trinita and the ,ponte alla ,carraja1 for ,bartolommeo ,lanfredini2 but since ,bronzino1 who may be supposed to know the truth about these matters1 declares that they were among the first works that ,jacopo executed1 we must believe that this is so without a doubt1 and praise ,pontormo for them all the more1 seeing that they are so beautiful that they cannot be matched1 and yet were among the earliest works that he did4 ,but to resume the order of our story3 after these works1 ,jacopo executed for the men of ,pontormo an altar-piece wherein are ,s4 ,michelagnolo and ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist1 which was placed in the ,chapel of the ,madonna in ,s4 ,agnolo1 their principal church4 ,at this time one of two young men who were working under ,jacopo--that is1 ,giovan ,maria ,pichi of ,borgo a ,s4 ,sepolcro1 who was acquitting himself passing well1 and who afterwards became a ,servite friar1 and executed some works in the ,borgo and in the ,pieve a ,s4 ,stefano--while still working1 ,i say1 under ,jacopo1 painted in a large picture a nude ,s4 ,quentin in martyrdom1 in order to send it to the ,borgo4 ,but since ,jacopo1 like a loving master to his disciple1 desired that ,giovan ,maria should win honour and praise1 he set himself to retouch it1 and so1 not being able to take his hands off it1 and retouching one day the head1 the next day the arms1 and the day after the body1 the retouching became such that it may almost be said that the work is entirely by his hand4 ,wherefore it is no marvel that this picture1 which is now in the ,church of the ,observantine ,friars of ,s4 ,francis in the ,borgo1 is most beautiful4 ,illustration3 ,,joseph ,,and ,,his ,,kindred ,,in ,,egypt 7,after the painting by ,jacopo da ,pontormo4 ,london3 ,national ,gallery1 #aaca7 ,hanfstaengl ,the second of the two young men1 who was ,giovanni ,antonio ,lappoli of ,arezzo1 of whom there has been an account in another place1 like a vain fellow had taken a portrait of himself with a mirror1 also while he was working under ,jacopo4 ,but his master1 thinking that the portrait was a poor likeness1 took it in hand himself1 and executed a portrait that is so good that it has the appearance of life2 which portrait is now at ,arezzo1 in the house of the heirs of that ,giovanni ,antonio4 ,pontormo also portrayed in one and the same picture two of his dearest friends--one the son-in-law of ,beccuccio ,bicchieraio1 and another1 whose name likewise ,i do not know2 it is enough that the portraits are by the hand of ,pontormo4 ,he then executed for ,bartolommeo ,ginori1 in anticipation of his death1 a string of pennons1 according to the custom of the ,florentines2 and in the upper part of all these1 on the white taffeta1 he painted a ,madonna with the ,child1 and on the coloured fringe below he painted the arms of that family1 as is the custom4 ,for the centre of the string1 which was of twenty-four pennons1 he made two all of white taffeta without any fringe1 on which he painted two figures of ,s4 ,bartholomew1 each two braccia high4 ,the size of all these pennons and their almost novel manner caused all the others that had been made up to that time to appear poor and mean2 and this was the reason that they began to be made of the size that they are at the present day1 with great grace and much less expense for gold4 ,at the head of the garden and vineyard of the ,friars of ,s4 ,gallo1 without the gate that is called after that ,saint1 in a chapel that is in a line with the central entrance1 he painted a ,dead ,christ1 a ,madonna weeping1 and two little ,angels in the air1 one of whom was holding the ,chalice of the ,passion in his hands1 and the other was supporting the fallen head of ,christ4 ,on one side was ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist1 all tearful1 with the arms stretched out1 and on the other ,s4 ,augustine in episcopal robes1 who1 leaning with the left hand on the pastoral staff1 stood in an attitude truly full of sorrow1 contemplating the ,dead ,saviour4 ,and for ,messer ,spina1 the familiar friend of ,giovanni ,salviati1 he executed in a courtyard1 opposite to the principal door of his house1 the coat of arms of that ,giovanni 7who had been made a ,cardinal in those days by ,pope ,leo71 with the red hat above and two little boys standing--works in fresco which are very beautiful1 and much esteemed by ,messer ,filippo ,spina1 as being by the hand of ,pontormo4 ,jacopo also worked1 in competition with other masters1 on the ornamentation in wood that was formerly executed in a magnificent manner1 as has been related elsewhere1 in some apartments of ,pier ,francesco ,borgherini2 and1 in particular1 he painted there with his own hand on two coffers some stories from the life of ,joseph in little figures1 which were truly most beautiful4 ,and whoever wishes to see the best work that he ever did in all his life1 in order to consider how able and masterly was ,jacopo in giving liveliness to heads1 in grouping figures1 in varying attitudes1 and in beauty of invention1 let him look at a scene of some size1 likewise in little figures1 in the corner on the left hand as one enters through the door1 in the chamber of ,borgherini1 who was a nobleman of ,florence2 in which scene is ,joseph in ,egypt1 as it were a ,prince or a ,king1 in the act of receiving his father ,jacob with all his brethren1 the sons of that ,jacob1 with extraordinary affection4 ,among these figures he portrayed at the foot of the scene1 seated upon some steps1 ,il ,bronzino1 who was then a boy and his disciple--a figure with a basket1 which is lifelike and beautiful to a marvel4 ,and if this scene were on a greater scale1 on a large panel or a wall1 instead of being small1 ,i would venture to say that it would not be possible to find another picture executed with the grace1 excellence1 and even perfection wherewith this one was painted by ,jacopo2 wherefore it was rightly regarded by all craftsmen as the most beautiful picture that ,pontormo ever executed4 ,nor is it to be wondered at that ,borgherini should have prized it as he did1 and should have been besought to sell it by great persons as a present for mighty lords and princes4 ,illustration3 ,,vertumnus ,,fresco 7,,detail7 7,after ,jacopo da ,pontormo4 ,poggio a ,caiano3 ,villa ,reale7 ,alinari ,on account of the siege of ,florence ,pier ,francesco retired to ,lucca1 and ,giovan ,battista della ,palla1 who desired to obtain1 together with other things that he was transporting into ,france1 the decorations of this chamber1 so that they might be presented to ,king ,francis in the name of the ,signoria1 received such favours1 and went to work so effectively with both words and deeds1 that the ,gonfalonier granted a commission that they should be taken away after payment to the wife of ,pier ,francesco4 ,whereupon some others went with ,giovan ,battista to execute the will of the ,signori2 but1 when they arrived at the house of ,pier ,francesco1 his wife1 who was in the house1 poured on ,giovan ,battista the greatest abuse that was ever spoken to any man4 ,so you make bold1 ,giovan ,battista1 said she1 you vile slop-dealer1 you little twopenny pedlar1 to strip the ornaments from the chambers of noblemen and despoil our city of her richest and most honoured treasures1 as you have done and are always doing1 in order to embellish with them the countries of foreigners1 our enemies6 ,at you ,i do not marvel1 you1 a base plebeian and the enemy of your country1 but at the magistrates of this city1 who aid and abet you in these shameful rascalities4 ,this bed1 which you would seize for your own private interest and for greed of gain1 although you keep your evil purpose cloaked with a veil of righteousness1 this is the bed of my nuptials1 in honour of which my husband's father1 ,salvi1 made all these magnificent and regal decorations1 which ,i revere in memory of him and from love for my husband1 and mean to defend with my very blood and with life itself4 ,out of this house with these your cut-throats1 ,giovan ,battista1 and go to those who sent you with orders that these things should be removed from their places1 for ,i am not the woman to suffer a single thing to be moved from here4 ,if they who believe in you1 a vile creature of no account1 wish to make presents to ,king ,francis of ,france1 let them go and strip their own houses1 and take the ornaments and beds from their own chambers1 and send them to him4 ,and you1 if you are ever again so bold as to come to this house on such an errand1 ,i will make you smart sorely for it1 and teach you what respect should be paid by such as you to the houses of noblemen4 ,thus spoke ,madonna ,margherita1 the wife of ,pier ,francesco ,borgherini1 and the daughter of ,ruberto ,acciaiuoli1 a most noble and wise citizen2 and she1 a truly courageous woman and a worthy daughter of such a father1 with her noble ardour and spirit1 was the reason that those gems are still preserved in that house4 ,giovan ,maria ,benintendi1 about this same time1 had adorned an antechamber in his house with many pictures by the hands of various able men2 and after the work executed for ,borgherini1 incited by hearing ,jacopo da ,pontormo very highly praised1 he caused a picture to be painted by him with the ,adoration of the ,magi1 who went to ,bethlehem to see ,christ2 which work1 since ,jacopo devoted to it much study and diligence1 proved to be well varied and beautiful in the heads and in every other part1 and to be truly worthy of all praise4 ,afterwards he executed for ,messer ,goro da ,pistoia1 then ,secretary to the ,medici1 a picture with the portrait of the ,magnificent ,cosimo de' ,medici1 the elder1 from the knees upwards1 which is indeed worthy to be extolled2 and this portrait is now in the house of ,messer ,ottaviano de' ,medici1 in the possession of his son1 ,messer ,alessandro1 a young man--besides the distinction and nobility of his blood--of most upright character1 well lettered1 and the worthy son of the ,magnificent ,ottaviano and of ,madonna ,francesca1 the daughter of ,jacopo ,salviati and the maternal aunt of the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo4 ,by means of this work1 and particularly this head of ,cosimo1 ,pontormo became the friend of ,messer ,ottaviano2 and the ,great ,hall at ,poggio a ,caiano having then to be painted1 there were given to him to paint the two ends where the round openings are that give light--that is1 the windows--from the vaulting down to the floor4 ,whereupon1 desiring to do himself honour even beyond his wont1 both from regard for the place and from emulation of the other painters who were working there1 he set himself to study with such diligence1 that he overshot the mark1 for the reason that1 destroying and doing over again every day what he had done the day before1 he racked his brains in such a manner that it was a tragedy2 but all the time he was always making new discoveries1 which brought credit to himself and beauty to the work4 ,thus1 having to execute a ,vertumnus with his husbandmen1 he painted a peasant seated with a vine-pruner in his hand1 which is so beautiful and so well done that it is a very rare thing1 even as certain children that are there are lifelike and natural beyond all belief4 ,on the other side he painted ,pomona and ,diana1 with other ,goddesses1 enveloping them perhaps too abundantly with draperies4 ,however1 the work as a whole is beautiful and much extolled2 but while it was being executed ,leo was overtaken by death1 and so it remained unfinished1 like many other similar works at ,rome1 ,florence1 ,loreto1 and other places2 nay1 the whole world was left poor1 being robbed of the true ,mcenas of men of talent4 ,illustration3 ,,vertumnus ,,fresco 7,,detail7 7,after ,jacopo da ,pontormo4 ,poggio a ,caiano3 ,villa ,reale7 ,alinari ,having returned to ,florence1 ,jacopo painted in a picture a seated figure of ,s4 ,augustine as a ,bishop1 who is giving the benediction1 with two little nude ,angels flying through the air1 who are very beautiful2 which picture is over an altar in the little ,church of the ,sisters of ,s4 ,clemente in the ,via di ,s4 ,gallo4 ,he carried to completion1 likewise1 a picture of a ,piet with certain nude ,angels1 which was a very beautiful work1 and held very dear by certain merchants of ,ragusa1 for whom he painted it2 but most beautiful of all in this picture was a landscape taken for the most part from an engraving by ,albrecht ,drer4 ,he also painted a picture of ,our ,lady with the ,child in her arms1 and some little ,angels about her1 which is now in the house of ,alessandro ,neroni2 and for certain ,spaniards he executed another like it--that is1 of the ,madonna--but different from the one described above and in another manner1 which picture1 being for sale in a second-hand dealer's shop many years after1 was bought by ,bartolommeo ,panciatichi at the suggestion of ,bronzino4 ,then1 in the year #aebb1 there being a slight outbreak of plague in ,florence1 and many persons therefore departing in order to avoid that most infectious sickness and to save themselves1 an occasion presented itself to ,jacopo of flying the city and removing himself to some distance1 for a certain ,prior of the ,certosa1 a place built by the ,acciaiuoli three miles away from ,florence1 had to have some pictures painted in fresco at the corners of a very large and beautiful cloister that surrounds a lawn1 and ,jacopo was brought to his notice2 whereupon the ,prior had him sought out1 and he1 having accepted the work very willingly at such a time1 went off to ,certosa1 taking with him only ,bronzino4 ,there1 after a trial of that mode of life1 that quiet1 that silence1 and that solitude--all things after the taste and nature of ,jacopo--he thought with such an occasion to make a special effort in the matters of art1 and to show to the world that he had acquired greater perfection and a different manner since those works that he had executed before4 ,now not long before there had come from ,germany to ,florence many sheets printed from engravings done with great subtlety with the burin by ,albrecht ,drer1 a most excellent ,german painter and a rare engraver of plates on copper and on wood2 and1 among others1 many scenes1 both large and small1 of the ,passion of ,jesus ,christ1 in which was all the perfection and excellence of engraving with the burin that could ever be achieved1 what with the beauty and variety of the vestments and the invention4 ,jacopo1 having to paint at the corners of those cloisters scenes from the ,passion of the ,saviour1 thought to avail himself of the above-named inventions of ,albrecht ,drer1 in the firm belief that he would satisfy not only himself but also the greater part of the craftsmen of ,florence1 who were all proclaiming with one voice and with common consent and agreement the beauty of those engravings and the excellence of ,albrecht4 ,setting himself therefore to imitate that manner1 and seeking to give to the expressions of the heads of his figures that liveliness and variety which ,albrecht had given to his1 he caught it so thoroughly1 that the charm of his own early manner1 which had been given to him by nature1 all full of sweetness and grace1 suffered a great change from that new study and labour1 and was so impaired through his stumbling on that ,german manner1 that in all these works1 although they are all beautiful1 there is but a sorry remnant to be seen of that excellence and grace that he had given up to that time to all his figures4 ,at the entrance to the cloister1 then1 in one corner1 he painted ,christ in the ,garden1 counterfeiting so well the darkness of night illumined by the light of the moon1 that it appears almost like daylight2 and while ,christ is praying1 not far distant are ,peter1 ,james1 and ,john sleeping1 executed in a manner so similar to that of ,drer1 that it is a marvel4 ,not far away is ,judas leading the ,jews1 likewise with a countenance so strange1 even as the features of all those soldiers are depicted in the ,german manner with bizarre expressions1 that it moves him who beholds it to pity for the simplicity of the man1 who sought with such patience to learn that which others avoid and seek to lose1 and all to lose the manner that surpassed all others in excellence and gave infinite pleasure to everyone4 ,did not ,pontormo know1 then1 that the ,germans and ,flemings came to these parts to learn the ,italian manner1 which he with such effort sought to abandon as if it were bad8 ,beside this scene is one in which is ,christ led by the ,jews before ,pilate1 and in the ,saviour he painted all the humility that could possibly be imagined in the ,person of ,innocence betrayed by the sins of men1 and in the wife of ,pilate that pity and dread for themselves which those have who fear the divine judgment2 which woman1 while she pleads the cause of ,christ before her husband1 gazes into ,his countenance with pitying wonder4 ,round ,pilate are some soldiers so characteristic in the expressions of the faces and in the ,german garments1 that one who knew not by whose hand was that work would believe it to have been executed in reality by ultramontanes4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that in the distance in this scene there is a cup-bearer of ,pilate's that is descending some steps with a basin and a ewer in his hands1 carrying to his master the means to wash the hands1 who is lifelike and very beautiful1 having in him something of the old manner of ,jacopo4 ,having next to paint the ,resurrection of ,christ in one of the other corners1 the fancy came to ,jacopo1 as to one who had no steadfastness in his brain and was always cogitating new things1 to change his colouring2 and so he executed that work with a colouring in fresco so soft and so good1 that1 if he had done the work in another manner than that same ,german1 it would certainly have been very beautiful1 for in the heads of those soldiers1 who are in various attitudes1 heavy with sleep1 and as it were dead1 there may be seen such excellence1 that one cannot believe that it is possible to do better4 ,then1 continuing the stories of the ,passion in another of the corners1 he painted ,christ going with the ,cross upon ,his shoulder to ,mount ,calvary1 and behind ,him the people of ,jerusalem1 accompanying ,him2 and in front are the two ,thieves1 naked1 between the ministers of justice1 who are partly on foot and partly on horseback1 with the ladders1 the inscription for the ,cross1 hammers1 nails1 cords1 and other suchlike instruments4 ,and in the highest part1 behind a little hill1 is the ,madonna with the ,maries1 who1 weeping1 are awaiting ,christ1 who has fallen to the ground in the middle of the scene1 and has about ,him many ,jews that are smiting ,him1 while ,veronica is offering to ,him the ,sudarium1 accompanied by some women both young and old1 all weeping at the outrage that they see being done to the ,saviour4 ,this scene1 either because he was warned by his friends1 or perhaps because ,jacopo himself at last became aware1 although tardily1 of the harm that had been done to his own sweet manner by the study of the ,german1 proved to be much better than the others executed in the same place1 for the reason that certain naked ,jews and some heads of old men are so well painted in fresco1 that it would not be possible to do more1 although the same ,german manner may be seen constantly maintained in the work as a whole4 ,after these he was to have gone on with the ,crucifixion and the ,deposition from the ,cross in the other corners2 but1 putting them aside for a time1 with the intention of executing them last1 he painted in their stead ,christ taken down from the ,cross1 keeping to the same manner1 but with great harmony of colouring4 ,in this scene1 besides that the ,magdalene1 who is kissing the feet of ,christ1 is most beautiful1 there are two old men1 representing ,joseph of ,arimatha and ,nicodemus1 who1 although they are in the ,german manner1 have the most beautiful expressions and heads of old men1 with beards feathery and coloured with marvellous softness1 that there are to be seen4 ,now ,jacopo1 besides being generally slow over his works1 was pleased with the solitude of the ,certosa1 and he therefore spent several years on these labours2 and1 after the plague had finished and he had returned to ,florence1 he did not for that reason cease to frequent that place constantly1 and was always going and coming between the ,certosa and the city4 ,proceeding thus1 he satisfied those fathers in many things1 and1 among others1 he painted in their church1 over one of the doors that lead into the chapels1 in a figure from the waist upwards1 the portrait of a lay-brother of that monastery1 who was alive at that time and one hundred and twenty years old1 executing it so well and with such finish1 such vivacity1 and such animation1 that through it alone ,pontormo deserves to be excused for the strange and fantastic new manner with which he was saddled by that solitude and by living far from the commerce of men4 ,besides this1 he painted for the ,prior of that place a picture of the ,nativity of ,christ1 representing ,joseph as giving light to ,jesus ,christ in the darkness of the night with a lantern1 and this in pursuit of the same notions and caprices which the ,german engravings put into his head4 ,now let no one believe that ,jacopo is to blame because he imitated ,albrecht ,drer in his inventions1 for the reason that this is no error1 and many painters have done it and are continually doing it2 but only because he adopted the unmixed ,german manner in everything1 in the draperies1 in the expressions of the heads1 and in the attitudes1 which he should have avoided1 availing himself only of the inventions1 since he had the modern manner in all the fullness of its beauty and grace4 ,for the ,stranger's ,apartment of the same monks he painted a large picture on canvas and in oil-colours1 without straining himself at all or forcing his natural powers1 of ,christ at table with ,cleophas and ,luke1 figures of the size of life2 and since in this work he followed the bent of his own genius1 it proved to be truly marvellous1 particularly because he portrayed among those who are serving at that table some lay-brothers of the convent1 whom ,i myself have known1 in such a manner that they could not be either more lifelike or more animated than they are4 ,bronzino1 meanwhile 7that is1 while his master was executing the works described above in the ,certosa71 pursuing with great spirit the studies of painting1 and encouraged all the time by ,pontormo1 who was very loving with his disciples1 executed on the inner side over an arch above the door of the cloister that leads into the church1 without having ever seen the process of painting in oil-colours on the wall1 a nude ,s4 ,laurence on the gridiron1 which was so beautiful that there began to be seen some indication of that excellence to which he has since attained1 as will be related in the proper place2 which circumstance gave infinite satisfaction to ,jacopo1 who already saw whither that genius would arrive4 ,not long afterwards there returned from ,rome ,lodovico di ,gino ,capponi1 who had bought that chapel in ,s4 ,felicita1 on the right hand of the entrance into the church1 which the ,barbadori had formerly caused to be built by ,filippo di ,ser ,brunellesco2 and he resolved to have all the vaulting painted1 and then to have an altar-piece executed for it1 with a rich ornament4 ,having therefore consulted in the matter with ,m4 ,niccol ,vespucci1 knight of ,rhodes1 who was much his friend1 the knight1 who was also much the friend of ,jacopo1 and knew1 into the bargain1 the talent and worth of that able man1 did and said so much that ,lodovico allotted that work to ,pontormo4 ,and so1 having erected an enclosure1 which kept that chapel closed for three years1 he set his hand to the work4 ,on the vaulted ceiling he painted a ,god the ,father1 who has about ,him four very beautiful ,patriarchs2 and in the four medallions at the angles he depicted the four ,evangelists1 or rather1 he executed three of them with his own hand1 and ,bronzino one all by himself4 ,and with this occasion ,i must mention that ,pontormo used scarcely ever to allow himself to be helped by his assistants1 or to suffer them to lay a hand on that which he intended to execute with his own hand2 and when he did wish to avail himself of one of them1 chiefly in order that they might learn1 he allowed them to do the whole work by themselves1 as he allowed ,bronzino to do here4 ,in the works that ,jacopo executed in the said chapel up to this point1 it seemed almost as if he had returned to his first manner2 but he did not follow the same method in painting the altar-piece1 for1 thinking always of new things1 he executed it without shadows1 and with a colouring so bright and so uniform1 that one can scarcely distinguish the lights from the middle tints1 and the middle tints from the darks4 ,in this altar-piece is a ,dead ,christ taken down from the ,cross and being carried to the ,sepulchre4 ,there is the ,madonna who is swooning1 and the ,maries1 all executed in a fashion so different from his first work1 that it is clearly evident that his brain was always busy investigating new conceptions and fantastic methods of painting1 not being content with1 and not fixing on1 any single method4 ,in a word1 the composition of this altar-piece is altogether different from the figures on the vaulting1 and likewise the colouring2 and the four ,evangelists1 which are in the medallions on the spandrels of the vaulting1 are much better and in a different manner4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,descent ,,from ,,the ,,cross 7,after the painting by ,jacopo da ,pontormo4 ,florence3 ,s4 ,felicita7 ,alinari ,on the wall where the window is are two figures in fresco1 on one side the ,virgin1 and on the other the ,angel1 who is bringing her the ,annunciation1 but so distorted1 both the one and the other1 that it is evident that1 as ,i have said1 that bizarre and fantastic brain was never content with anything4 ,and in order to be able to do as he pleased in this1 and to avoid having his attention distracted by anyone1 all the time that he was executing this work he would never allow even the owner of the chapel himself to see it1 insomuch that1 having painted it after his own fancy1 without any of his friends having been able to give him a single hint1 when it was finally uncovered and seen1 it amazed all ,florence4 ,for the same ,lodovico he executed a picture of ,our ,lady in that same manner for his chamber1 and in the head of a ,s4 ,mary ,magdalene he made the portrait of a daughter of ,lodovico1 who was a very beautiful young woman4 ,near the ,monastery of ,boldrone1 on the road that goes from there to ,castello1 and at the corner of another that climbs the hill and goes to ,cercina 7that is1 at a distance of two miles from ,florence71 he painted in fresco in a shrine ,christ ,crucified1 ,our ,lady weeping1 ,s4 ,john the ,evangelist1 ,s4 ,augustine1 and ,s4 ,giuliano2 all which figures1 his caprice not being yet satisfied1 and the ,german manner still pleasing him1 are not very different from those that he executed at the ,certosa4 ,he did the same1 also1 in an altar-piece that he painted for the ,nuns of ,s4 ,anna1 at the ,porta a ,s4 ,friano1 in which altar-piece is ,our ,lady with the ,child in her arms1 and ,s4 ,anne behind her1 with ,s4 ,peter1 ,s4 ,benedict1 and other ,saints1 and in the predella is a small scene with little figures1 which represent the ,signoria of ,florence as it used to go in procession with trumpeters1 pipers1 mace-bearers1 messengers1 and ushers1 with the rest of the household2 and this he did because the commission for that altar-piece was given to him by the ,captain and the household of the ,palace4 ,the while that ,jacopo was executing this work1 ,alessandro and ,ippolito de' ,medici1 who were both very young1 having been sent to ,florence by ,pope ,clement ,,vii under the care of the ,legate1 ,silvio ,passerini1 ,bishop of ,cortona1 the ,magnificent ,ottaviano1 to whom the ,pope had straitly recommended them1 had the portraits of both of them taken by ,pontormo1 who served him very well1 and made them very good likenesses1 although he did not much depart from the manner that he had learned from the ,germans4 ,in the portrait of ,ippolito he also painted a favourite dog of that lord1 called ,rodon1 and made it so characteristic and so natural1 that it might be alive4 ,he took the portrait1 likewise1 of ,bishop ,ardinghelli1 who afterwards became a ,cardinal2 and for ,filippo del ,migliore1 who was much his friend1 he painted in fresco in his house on the ,via ,larga1 in a niche opposite to the principal door1 a woman representing ,pomona1 from which it appeared that he was beginning to seek to abandon in part his ,german manner4 ,now ,giovan ,battista della ,palla perceived that by reason of many works the name of ,jacopo was becoming every day more celebrated2 and1 since he had not succeeded in sending to ,king ,francis the pictures executed by that same master and by others for ,borgherini1 he resolved1 knowing that the ,king had a desire for them1 at all costs to send him something by the hand of ,pontormo4 ,whereupon he so went to work that he persuaded ,jacopo to execute a most beautiful picture of the ,raising of ,lazarus1 which proved to be one of the best works that he ever painted and that was ever sent by ,giovan ,battista1 among the vast number that he sent1 to ,king ,francis of ,france4 ,for1 besides that the heads were most beautiful1 the figure of ,lazarus1 whose spirit as he returned to life was re-entering his dead flesh1 could not have been more marvellous1 for about the eyes he still had the hue of corruption1 and the flesh cold and dead at the extremities of the hands and feet1 where the spirit had not yet come4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,martyrdom ,,of ,,the ,,forty ,,saints 7,after the panel by ,jacopo da ,pontormo4 ,florence3 ,pitti1 #ahb7 ,alinari ,in a picture of one braccio and a half he painted for the ,sisters of the ,hospital of the ,innocenti1 with an infinite number of little figures1 the story of the eleven thousand ,martyrs who were condemned to death by ,diocletian and all crucified in a wood4 ,in this ,jacopo represented a battle of horsemen and nude figures1 very beautiful1 and some most lovely little ,angels flying through the air1 who are shooting arrows at the ministers of the crucifixion2 and in like manner1 about the ,emperor1 who is pronouncing the condemnation1 are some most beautiful nude figures who are going to their death4 ,this picture1 which in every part is worthy to be praised1 is now held in great price by ,don ,vincenzio ,borghini1 the ,director of that ,hospital1 who once was much the friend of ,jacopo4 ,another picture similar to that described above he painted for ,carlo ,neroni1 but only with the ,battle of the ,martyrs and the ,angel baptizing them2 and then the portrait of ,carlo himself4 ,he also executed a portrait1 at the time of the siege of ,florence1 of ,francesco ,guardi in the habit of a soldier1 which was a very beautiful work2 and on the cover of this picture ,bronzino afterwards painted ,pygmalion praying to ,venus that his statue1 receiving breath1 might spring to life and become--as1 according to the fables of the poets1 it did--flesh and blood4 ,at this time1 after much labour1 there came to ,jacopo the fulfilment of a desire that he had long had1 in that1 having always felt a wish to have a house that might be his own1 so that he should no longer live in the house of another1 but might occupy his own and live as pleased himself1 finally he bought one in the ,via della ,colonna1 opposite to the ,nuns of ,s4 ,maria degli ,angeli4 ,the siege finished1 ,pope ,clement commanded ,messer ,ottaviano de' ,medici that he should cause the hall of ,poggio a ,caiano to be finished4 ,whereupon1 ,franciabigio and ,andrea del ,sarto being dead1 the whole charge of this was given to ,pontormo1 who1 after having the staging and the screens made1 began to execute the cartoons2 but1 for the reason that he went off into fantasies and cogitations1 beyond that he never set a hand to the work4 ,this1 perchance1 would not have happened if ,bronzino had been in those parts1 who was then working at the ,imperiale1 a place belonging to the ,duke of ,urbino1 near ,pesaro2 which ,bronzino1 although he was sent for every day by ,jacopo1 nevertheless was not able to depart at his own pleasure1 for the reason that1 after he had executed a very beautiful naked ,cupid on the spandrel of a vault in the ,imperiale1 and the cartoons for the others1 ,prince ,guidobaldo1 having recognized the young man's genius1 ordained that his own portrait should be taken by him1 and1 seeing that he wished to be portrayed in some armour that he was expecting from ,lombardy1 ,bronzino was forced to stay with that ,prince longer than he could have wished4 ,during that time he painted the case of a harpsichord1 which much pleased the ,prince1 and finally ,bronzino executed his portrait1 which was very beautiful1 and the ,prince was well satisfied with it4 ,jacopo1 then1 wrote so many times1 and employed so many means1 that in the end he brought ,bronzino back2 but for all that the man could never be induced to do any other part of this work than the cartoons1 although he was urged to it by the ,magnificent ,ottaviano and by ,duke ,alessandro4 ,in one of these cartoons1 which are now for the most part in the house of ,lodovico ,capponi1 is a ,hercules who is crushing ,antus1 in another a ,venus and ,adonis1 and in yet another drawing a scene of nude figures playing football4 ,in the meantime ,signor ,alfonso ,davalos1 ,marchese del ,vasto1 having obtained from ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti by means of ,fra ,niccol della ,magna a cartoon of ,christ appearing to the ,magdalene in the garden1 moved heaven and earth to have it executed for him in painting by ,pontormo1 ,buonarroti having told him that no one could serve him better than that master4 ,jacopo then executed that work to perfection1 and it was accounted a rare painting by reason both of the grandeur of ,michelagnolo's design and of ,jacopo's colouring4 ,wherefore ,signor ,alessandro ,vitelli1 who was at that time ,captain of the garrison of soldiers in ,florence1 having seen it1 had a picture painted for himself from the same cartoon by ,jacopo1 which he sent to ,citt di ,castello and caused to be placed in his house4 ,it thus became evident in what estimation ,michelagnolo held ,pontormo1 and with what diligence ,pontormo carried to completion and executed excellently well the designs and cartoons of ,michelagnolo1 and ,bartolommeo ,bettini so went to work that ,buonarroti1 who was much his friend1 made for him a cartoon of a nude ,venus with a ,cupid who is kissing her1 in order that he might have it executed in painting by ,pontormo and place it in the centre of a chamber of his own1 in the lunettes of which he had begun to have painted by ,bronzino figures of ,dante1 ,petrarca1 and ,boccaccio1 with the intention of having there all the other poets who have sung of love in ,tuscan prose and verse4 ,jacopo1 then1 having received this cartoon1 executed it to perfection at his leisure1 as will be related1 in the manner that all the world knows without my saying another word in praise of it4 ,these designs of ,michelagnolo's were the reason that ,pontormo1 considering the manner of that most noble craftsman1 took heart of grace1 and resolved that by hook or by crook he would imitate and follow it to the best of his ability4 ,and then it was that ,jacopo recognized how ill he had done to allow the work of ,poggio a ,caiano to slip through his hands1 although he put the blame in great measure on a long and very troublesome illness that he had suffered1 and finally on the death of ,pope ,clement1 which brought that undertaking completely to an end4 ,jacopo having executed after the works described above a picture with the portrait from life of ,amerigo ,antinori1 a young man much beloved in ,florence at that time1 and that portrait being much extolled by everyone1 ,duke ,alessandro had him informed that he wished to have his portrait taken by him in a large picture4 ,and ,jacopo1 for the sake of convenience1 executed his portrait for the time being in a little picture of the size of a sheet of half-folio1 and with such diligence and care1 that the works of the miniaturists do not in any way come up to it2 for the reason that1 besides its being a very good likeness1 there is in that head all that could be desired in the rarest of paintings4 ,from that little picture1 which is now in the guardaroba of ,duke ,cosimo1 ,jacopo afterwards made a portrait of the same ,duke in a large picture1 with a style in the hand1 drawing the head of a woman2 which larger portrait ,duke ,alessandro afterwards presented to ,signora ,taddea ,malespina1 the sister of the ,marchesa di ,massa4 ,desiring at all costs to reward liberally the genius of ,jacopo for these works1 the ,duke sent him a message by ,niccol da ,montaguto1 his servant1 that he should ask whatever he wished1 and it would be granted to him4 ,but such was the poor spirit or the excessive respect and modesty of the man1 ,i know not which to call it1 that he asked for nothing save as much money as would suffice him to redeem a cloak that he had pledged2 which having heard1 the ,duke1 not without laughing at the character of the man1 commanded that fifty gold crowns should be given and a salary offered to him2 and even then ,niccol had much ado to make him accept it4 ,meanwhile ,jacopo had finished painting the ,venus from the cartoon belonging to ,bettini1 which proved to be a marvellous thing1 but it was not given to ,bettini at the price for which ,jacopo had promised it to him1 for certain tuft-hunters1 in order to do ,bettini an injury1 took it almost by force from the hands of ,jacopo and gave it to ,duke ,alessandro1 restoring the cartoon to ,bettini4 ,which having heard1 ,michelagnolo felt much displeasure for love of the friend for whom he had drawn the cartoon1 and he bore a grudge against ,jacopo1 who1 although he received fifty crowns for it from the ,duke1 nevertheless cannot be said to have defrauded ,bettini1 seeing that he gave up the ,venus at the command of him who was his lord4 ,but of all this some say that ,bettini himself was in great measure the cause1 from his asking too much4 ,illustration3 ,,jacopo ,,da ,,pontormo3 ,,portrait ,,of ,,an ,,engraver 7,paris3 ,louvre1 #abda4 ,panel7 ,the occasion having thus presented itself to ,pontormo1 by means of these moneys1 to set his hand to the fitting up of his house1 he made a beginning with his building1 but did nothing of much importance4 ,indeed1 although some persons declare that he had it in mind to spend largely1 according to his position1 and to make a commodious dwelling and one that might have some design1 it is nevertheless evident that what he did1 whether this came from his not having the means to spend or from some other reason1 has rather the appearance of a building erected by an eccentric and solitary creature than of a well-ordered habitation1 for the reason that to the room where he used to sleep and at times to work1 he had to climb by a wooden ladder1 which1 after he had gone in1 he would draw up with a pulley1 to the end that no one might go up to him without his wish or knowledge4 ,but that which most displeased other men in him was that he would not work save when and for whom he pleased1 and after his own fancy2 wherefore on many occasions1 being sought out by noblemen who desired to have some of his work1 and once in particular by the ,magnificent ,ottaviano de' ,medici1 he would not serve them2 and then he would set himself to do anything in the world for some low and common fellow1 at a miserable price4 ,thus the mason ,rossino1 a person of no small ingenuity considering his calling1 by playing the simpleton1 received from him in payment for having paved certain rooms with bricks1 and for having done other mason's work1 a most beautiful picture of ,our ,lady1 in executing which ,jacopo toiled and laboured as much as the mason did in his building4 ,and so well did the good ,rossino contrive to manage his business1 that1 in addition to the above-named picture1 he got from the hands of ,jacopo a most beautiful portrait of ,cardinal ,giulio de' ,medici1 copied from one by the hand of ,raffaello1 and1 into the bargain1 a very beautiful little picture of a ,christ ,crucified1 which1 although the above-mentioned ,magnificent ,ottaviano bought it from the mason ,rossino as a work by the hand of ,jacopo1 nevertheless is known for certain to be by the hand of ,bronzino1 who executed it all by himself while he was working with ,jacopo at the ,certosa1 although it afterwards remained1 ,i know not why1 in the possession of ,pontormo4 ,all these three pictures1 won by the industry of the mason from the hands of ,jacopo1 are now in the house of ,m4 ,alessandro de' ,medici1 the son of the above-named ,ottaviano4 ,now1 although this procedure of ,jacopo's and his living solitary and after his own fashion were not much commended1 that does not mean that if anyone wished to excuse him he would not be able1 for the reason that for those works that he did we should acknowledge our obligation to him1 and for those that he did not choose to do we should not blame or censure him4 ,no craftsman is obliged to work save when and for whom he pleases2 and1 if he suffered thereby1 the loss was his4 ,as for solitude1 ,i have always heard say that it is the greatest friend of study2 and1 even if it were not so1 ,i do not believe that much blame is due to him who lives in his own fashion without offence to ,god or to his neighbour1 dwelling and employing his time as best suits his nature4 ,but to return1 leaving these matters on one side1 to the works of ,jacopo3 ,duke ,alessandro had caused to be restored in some parts the ,villa of ,careggi1 formerly built by the elder ,cosimo de' ,medici1 at a distance of two miles from ,florence1 and had carried out the ornamentation of the fountain and the labyrinth1 which wound through the centre of an open court1 into which there opened two loggie1 and his ,excellency ordained that those loggie should be painted by ,jacopo1 but that company should be given him1 to the end that he might finish them the quicker1 and that conversation with others1 keeping him cheerful1 might be a means of making him work without straying so much into vagaries and distilling away his brains4 ,nay1 the ,duke himself sent for ,jacopo and besought him that he should strive to deliver that work completely finished as soon as possible4 ,jacopo1 therefore1 having summoned ,bronzino1 caused him to paint a figure on each of five spandrels of the vaulting1 these being ,fortune1 ,justice1 ,victory1 ,peace1 and ,fame2 and on the other spandrel1 for they are in all six1 ,jacopo with his own hand painted a ,love4 ,then1 having made the design for some little boys that were going in the oval space of the vaulting1 with various animals in their hands1 and all foreshortened to be seen from below1 he caused them all1 with the exception of one1 to be executed in colour by ,bronzino1 who acquitted himself very well4 ,and since1 while ,jacopo and ,bronzino were painting these figures1 the ornaments all around were executed by ,jacone1 ,pier ,francesco di ,jacopo1 and others1 the whole of that work was finished in a short time1 to the great satisfaction of the ,lord ,duke4 ,his ,excellency wished to have the other loggia painted1 but he was not in time1 for the reason that the above-named work having been finished on the #acth of ,december in the year #aecf1 on the #fth of the ,january following that most illustrious lord was assassinated by his kinsman ,lorenzino2 and so this work and others remained without their completion4 ,the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo having then been elected1 and the affair of ,montemurlo having passed off happily1 a beginning was made with the works of ,castello1 according as has been related in the ,life of ,tribolo1 and his most illustrious ,excellency1 in order to gratify ,signora ,donna ,maria1 his mother1 ordained that ,jacopo should paint the first loggia1 which one finds on the left hand in entering the ,palace of ,castello4 ,whereupon1 setting to work1 ,jacopo first designed all the ornaments that were to be painted there1 and had them executed for the most part by ,bronzino and the masters who had executed those of ,careggi4 ,then1 shutting himself up alone1 he proceeded with that work after his own fancy and wholly at his leisure1 studying with all diligence1 to the end that it might be much better than that of ,careggi1 which he had not executed entirely with his own hand4 ,this he was able to do very conveniently1 having eight crowns a month for it from his ,excellency1 whom he portrayed1 young as he was1 in the beginning of that work1 and likewise ,signora ,donna ,maria1 his mother4 ,finally1 after that loggia had been closed for five years1 no one being able to have even a glance at what ,jacopo had done1 one day the above-named lady became enraged against him1 and commanded that the staging and the screen should be thrown to the ground4 ,but ,jacopo1 having begged for grace and having obtained leave to keep it covered for a few days more1 first retouched it where it seemed to him to be necessary1 and then caused a cloth of his own contriving to be made1 which should keep that loggia covered when those lords were not there1 to the end that the weather might not1 as it had done at ,careggi1 eat away those pictures1 which were executed in oils on the dry plaster2 and at last he uncovered it1 amid the lively expectation of everyone1 all thinking that in that work ,jacopo must have surpassed himself and done something altogether stupendous4 ,but the effect did not correspond completely to the expectations1 for the reason that1 although many parts of the work are good1 the general proportion of the figures appears very poor in form1 and certain distorted attitudes that are there seem to be wanting in measure and very strange4 ,but ,jacopo excused himself by saying that he had never worked very willingly in that place1 for the reason that1 being without the city1 it seemed much exposed to the fury of the soldiery and to other suchlike dangers2 but there was no need for him to be afraid of that1 seeing that time and the weather1 from the work having been executed in the manner already described1 are eating it away little by little4 ,in the centre of the vaulting1 then1 he painted a ,saturn with the ,sign of ,capricorn1 and a ,hermaphrodite ,mars in the ,sign of the ,lion and of the ,virgin1 and some little ,angels who are flying through the air1 like those of ,careggi4 ,he then painted in certain gigantic women1 almost entirely nude1 ,philosophy1 ,astrology1 ,geometry1 ,music1 ,arithmetic1 and a ,ceres2 with some little scenes in medallions1 executed with various tints of colour and appropriate to the figures4 ,although this work1 so fatiguing and so laboured1 did not give much satisfaction1 or1 if a certain measure of satisfaction1 much less than was expected1 yet his ,excellency declared that it pleased him1 and availed himself of ,jacopo on every occasion1 chiefly because that painter was held in great veneration by the people on account of the very good and beautiful works that he had executed in the past4 ,the ,lord ,duke then brought to ,florence the ,flemings1 ,maestro ,giovanni ,rosso and ,maestro ,niccol1 excellent masters in arras-tapestries1 to the end that the art might be learned and practised by the ,florentines1 and he ordained that tapestries in silk and gold should be executed for the ,council ,hall of the ,two ,hundred at a cost of #fj1jjj crowns1 and that ,jacopo and ,bronzino should make the cartoons with the stories of ,joseph4 ,but1 when ,jacopo had made two of them1 in one of which is the scene when the death of ,joseph is announced to ,jacob and the bloody garments are shown to him1 and in the other the ,flight of ,joseph from the wife of ,potiphar1 leaving his garment behind1 they did not please either the ,duke or those masters who had to put them into execution1 for they appeared to them to be strange things and not likely to be successful when executed in woven tapestries4 ,and so ,jacopo did not go on to make any more cartoons1 but returned to his usual labours and painted a picture of ,our ,lady1 which was presented by the ,duke to ,signor ,don 4441 who took it to ,spain4 ,now his ,excellency1 following in the footsteps of his ancestors1 has always sought to embellish and adorn his city2 and he resolved1 the necessity having come to his notice1 to cause to be painted all the principal chapel of the magnificent ,temple of ,s4 ,lorenzo1 formerly built by the great ,cosimo de' ,medici1 the elder4 ,whereupon he gave the charge of this to ,jacopo da ,pontormo1 either of his own accord1 or1 as was said1 at the instance of ,messer ,pier ,francesco ,ricci1 his major-domo2 and ,jacopo was very glad of that favour1 for the reason that1 although the greatness of the work1 he being well advanced in years1 gave him food for thought and perhaps dismayed him1 on the other hand he reflected how1 in a work of such magnitude1 he had a fair field to show his ability and worth4 ,some say that ,jacopo1 finding that the work had been allotted to him notwithstanding that ,francesco ,salviati1 a painter of great fame1 was in ,florence and had brought to a happy conclusion the painting of that hall in the ,palace which was once the audience-chamber of the ,signoria1 must needs declare that he would show the world how to draw and paint1 and how to work in fresco1 and1 besides this1 that the other painters were but ordinary hacks1 with other words equally insolent and overbearing4 ,but ,i myself always knew ,jacopo as a modest person1 who spoke of everyone honourably and in a manner proper to an orderly and virtuous craftsman1 such as he was1 and ,i believe that these words were imputed to him falsely1 and that he never let slip from his mouth any such boastings1 which are for the most part the marks of vain men who presume too much upon their merits1 in which manner of men there is no place for virtue or good breeding4 ,and1 although ,i might have kept silent about these matters1 ,i have not chosen to do so1 because to proceed as ,i have done appears to me the office of a faithful and veracious historian2 it is enough that1 although these rumours went around1 and particularly among our craftsmen1 nevertheless ,i have a firm belief that they were the words of malicious persons1 ,jacopo having always been in the experience of everyone modest and well-behaved in his every action4 ,having then closed up that chapel with walls1 screens of planks1 and curtains1 and having given himself over to complete solitude1 he kept it for a period of eleven years so well sealed up1 that excepting himself not a living soul entered it1 neither friend nor any other4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that certain lads who were drawing in the sacristy of ,michelagnolo1 as young men will do1 climbed by its spiral staircase on to the roof of the church1 and1 removing some tiles and the plank of one of the gilded rosettes that are there1 saw everything4 ,of which having heard1 ,jacopo took it very ill1 but took no further notice beyond closing up everything with greater care2 although some say that he persecuted those young men sorely1 and sought to make them regret it4 ,imagining1 then1 that in this work he would surpass all other painters1 and perchance1 so it was said1 even ,michelagnolo1 he painted in the upper part1 in a number of scenes1 the ,creation of ,adam and ,eve1 the ,eating of the ,forbidden ,fruit1 their ,expulsion from ,paradise1 the ,tilling of the ,earth1 the ,sacrifice of ,abel1 the ,death of ,cain1 the ,blessing of the ,seed of ,noah1 and the same ,noah designing the plan and the measurements of the ,ark4 ,next1 on one of the lower walls1 each of which is fifteen braccia in each direction1 he painted the inundation of the ,deluge1 in which is a mass of dead and drowned bodies1 and ,noah speaking with ,god4 ,on the other wall is painted the ,universal ,resurrection of the ,dead1 which has to take place on the last and final day2 with such variety and confusion1 that the real resurrection will perhaps not be more confused1 or more full of movement1 in a manner of speaking1 than ,pontormo painted it4 ,opposite to the altar and between the windows--that is1 on the central wall--there is on either side a row of nude figures1 who1 clinging to each other's bodies with hands and legs1 form a ladder wherewith to ascend to ,paradise1 rising from the earth1 where there are many dead in company with them1 and at the end1 on either side1 are two dead bodies clothed with the exception of the legs and also the arms1 with which they are holding two lighted torches4 ,at the top1 in the centre of the wall1 above the windows1 he painted in the middle ,christ on high in ,his ,majesty1 who1 surrounded by many ,angels all nude1 is raising those dead in order to judge them4 ,but ,i have never been able to understand the significance of this scene1 although ,i know that ,jacopo had wit enough for himself1 and also associated with learned and lettered persons2 ,i mean1 what he could have intended to signify in that part where there is ,christ on high1 raising the dead1 and below ,his feet is ,god the ,father1 who is creating ,adam and ,eve4 ,besides this1 in one of the corners1 where are the four ,evangelists1 nude1 with books in their hands1 it does not seem to me that in a single place did he give a thought to any order of composition1 or measurement1 or time1 or variety in the heads1 or diversity in the flesh-colours1 or1 in a word1 to any rule1 proportion1 or law of perspective2 for the whole work is full of nude figures with an order1 design1 invention1 composition1 colouring1 and painting contrived after his own fashion1 and with such melancholy and so little satisfaction for him who beholds the work1 that ,i am determined1 since ,i myself do not understand it1 although ,i am a painter1 to leave all who may see it to form their own judgment1 for the reason that ,i believe that ,i would drive myself mad with it and would bury myself alive1 even as it appears to me that ,jacopo in the period of eleven years that he spent upon it sought to bury himself and all who might see the painting1 among all those extraordinary figures4 ,and although there may be seen in this work some bit of a torso with the back turned or facing to the front and some attachments of flanks1 executed with marvellous care and great labour by ,jacopo1 who made finished models of clay in the round for almost all the figures1 nevertheless the work as a whole is foreign to his manner1 and1 as it appears to almost every man1 without proportion1 the torsi for the most part being large and the legs and arms small1 to say nothing of the heads1 in which there is not a trace to be seen of that singular excellence and grace that he used to give to them1 so greatly to the satisfaction of those who examine his other pictures4 ,wherefore it appears that in this work he paid no attention to anything save certain parts1 and of the other more important parts he took no account whatever4 ,in a word1 whereas he had thought in this work to surpass all the paintings in the world of art1 he failed by a great measure to equal his own works that he had executed in the past2 whence it is evident that he who seeks to strive beyond his strength and1 as it were1 to force nature1 ruins the good qualities with which he may have been liberally endowed by her4 ,but what can we or ought we to do save have compassion upon him1 seeing that the men of our arts are as much liable to error as others8 ,and the good ,homer1 so it is said1 even he sometimes nods2 nor shall it ever be said that there is a single work of ,jacopo's1 however he may have striven to force his nature1 in which there is not something good and worthy of praise4 ,he died shortly before finishing the work1 and some therefore declare that he died of grief1 ending his life very much dissatisfied with himself2 but the truth is that1 being old and much exhausted by making portraits and models in clay and labouring so much in fresco1 he sank into a dropsy1 which finally killed him at the age of sixty-five4 ,after his death there were found in his house many designs1 cartoons1 and models in clay1 all very beautiful1 and a picture of ,our ,lady executed by him excellently well and in a lovely manner1 to all appearance many years before1 which was sold by his heirs to ,piero ,salviati4 ,jacopo was buried in the first cloister of the ,church of the ,servite ,friars1 beneath the scene of the ,visitation that he had formerly painted there2 and he was followed to the grave by an honourable company of the painters1 sculptors1 and architects4 ,jacopo was a frugal and sober man1 and in his dress and manner of life he was rather miserly than moderate2 and he lived almost always by himself1 without desiring that anyone should serve him or cook for him4 ,in his last years1 indeed1 he kept in his house1 as it were to bring him up1 ,battista ,naldini1 a young man of fine spirit1 who took such care of ,jacopo's life as ,jacopo would allow him to take2 and under his master's discipline he made no little proficiency in design1 and became such1 indeed1 that a very happy result is looked for from him4 ,among ,pontormo's friends1 particularly in this last period of his life1 were ,pier ,francesco ,vernacci and ,don ,vincenzio ,borghini1 with whom he took his recreation1 sometimes eating with them1 but rarely4 ,but above all others1 and always supremely beloved by him1 was ,bronzino1 who loved him as dearly1 being grateful and thankful for the benefits that he had received from him4 ,pontormo had very beautiful manners1 and he was so afraid of death1 that he would not even hear it spoken of1 and avoided having to meet dead bodies4 ,he never went to festivals or to any other places where people gathered together1 so as not to be caught in the press2 and he was solitary beyond all belief4 ,at times1 going out to work1 he set himself to think so profoundly on what he was to do1 that he went away without having done any other thing all day but stand thinking4 ,and that this happened to him times without number in the work of ,s4 ,lorenzo may readily be believed1 for the reason that when he was determined1 like an able and well-practised craftsman1 he had no difficulty in doing what he desired and had resolved to put into execution4 ,,simone ,,mosca ,,life ,,of ,,simone ,,mosca ,,sculptor ,,and ,,architect ,from the times of the ancient ,greek and ,roman sculptors to our own1 no modern carver has equalled the beautiful and difficult works that they executed in their bases1 capitals1 friezes1 cornices1 festoons1 trophies1 masks1 candelabra1 birds1 grotesques1 or other carved cornice-work1 save only ,simone ,mosca of ,settignano1 who in our own days has worked in such a manner in those kinds of labour1 that he has made it evident by his genius and art that all the diligence and study of the modern carvers who had come before him had not enabled them up to that time to imitate the best work of those ancients or to adopt the good method in their carvings1 for the reason that their works incline to dryness1 and the turn of their foliage to spikiness and crudeness4 ,he1 on the other hand1 has executed foliage with great boldness1 rich and abundant in new curves1 the leaves being carved in various manners with beautiful indentations and with the most lovely flowers1 seeds and creepers that there are to be seen1 not to speak of the birds that he has contrived to carve so gracefully in various forms among his foliage and festoons1 insomuch that it may be affirmed that ,simone alone--be it said without offence to the others--has been able to remove from the marble that hardness which craftsmen are wont very often to leave in their sculptures1 and has brought his works by his handling of the chisel to such a point that they have the appearance of things real to the touch1 and the same may be said of the cornices and other suchlike labours1 executed by him with most beautiful grace and judgment4 ,this ,simone1 having given his attention to design in his childhood with much profit1 and having then become well-practised in carving1 was taken by ,maestro ,antonio da ,san ,gallo1 who recognized his genius and noble spirit1 to ,rome1 where he caused him to execute1 as his first works1 some capitals and bases and several friezes of foliage for the ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni de' ,fiorentini1 and some works for the ,palace of ,alessandro1 the first ,cardinal ,farnese4 ,simone meanwhile devoting himself1 particularly on feast-days1 and whenever he could snatch the time1 to drawing the antiquities of that city1 no long time passed before he was drawing and tracing ground-plans with more grace and neatness than did ,antonio himself1 insomuch that1 having applied himself heart and soul to the study of designing foliage in the ancient manner1 of giving a bold turn to the leaves1 and of perforating his works in such a way as to make them perfect1 taking the best from the best examples1 one thing from one and one from another1 in a few years he formed a manner of composition so beautiful and so catholic1 that afterwards he did everything well1 whether in company or by himself4 ,this may be seen in some coats of arms that were to be placed in the above-named ,church of ,s4 ,giovanni in the ,strada ,giulia2 in one of which coats of arms1 making a great lily1 the ancient emblem of the ,commune of ,florence1 he carved upon it some curves of foliage with creepers and seeds executed so well that they made everyone gasp with wonder4 ,nor had any long time passed when ,antonio da ,san ,gallo--who was directing for ,messer ,agnolo ,cesis the execution of the marble ornaments of a chapel and tomb for himself and his family1 which were afterwards erected in the year #aeej in the ,church of ,s4 ,maria della ,pace--caused part of certain pilasters and socles covered with friezes1 which were going into that work1 to be wrought by ,simone1 who executed them so well and with such beauty1 that they make themselves known among the others1 without my saying which they are1 by their grace and perfection2 nor is it possible to see any altars for the offering of sacrifices after the ancient use more beautiful and fanciful than those that he made on the base of that work4 ,afterwards the same ,san ,gallo1 who was superintending the execution of the mouth of the well in the cloister of ,s4 ,pietro in ,vincula1 caused ,mosca to make the borders with some large masks of great beauty4 ,not long afterwards he returned one summer to ,florence1 having a good name among craftsmen1 and ,baccio ,bandinelli1 who was making the ,orpheus of marble that was placed in the court of the ,medici ,palace1 after having the base for that work carried out by ,benedetto da ,rovezzano1 caused ,simone to execute the festoons and other carvings therein1 which are very beautiful1 although one festoon is unfinished and only worked over with the gradine4 ,having then done many works in grey sandstone1 of which there is no need to make record1 he was planning to return to ,rome1 when in the meantime the sack took place1 and he did not go after all4 ,but1 having taken a wife1 he was living in ,florence with little to do3 wherefore1 being obliged to support his family1 and having no income1 he was occupying himself with any work that he could obtain4 ,now in those days there arrived in ,florence one ,pietro di ,subisso1 a master-mason of ,arezzo1 who always had under him a good number of workmen1 for the reason that all the building in ,arezzo passed through his hands2 and he took ,simone1 with many others1 to ,arezzo4 ,there he set ,simone to making a chimney-piece of grey sandstone and a water-basin of no great cost1 for a hall in the house of the heirs of ,pellegrino da ,fossombrone1 a citizen of ,arezzo2 which house had been formerly erected by ,m4 ,piero ,geri1 an excellent astrologer1 after the design of ,andrea ,sansovino1 and had been sold by his nephews4 ,setting to work1 therefore1 and beginning with the chimney-piece1 ,simone placed it upon two pilasters1 making two niches in the thickness of the wall1 in the direction of the fire1 and laying upon those pilasters architrave1 frieze1 and great cornice1 and over all a pediment with festoons and with the arms of that family4 ,and thus1 proceeding with it1 he executed it with carvings of such a kind and so well varied1 and with such subtle craftsmanship1 that1 although that work was of grey sandstone1 under his hands it became more beautiful than if it had been of marble1 and more astounding2 which1 indeed1 came to pass the more readily because that stone is not as hard as marble and1 if anything1 rather sandy4 ,putting extraordinary diligence1 therefore1 into the work1 he executed on the pilasters trophies in half-relief and low-relief1 than which nothing more bizarre or more beautiful could be done1 with helmets1 buskins1 shields1 quivers1 and various other arms2 and he likewise made there masks1 sea monsters1 and other graceful fantasies1 all so well figured and cut out that they have the appearance of silver4 ,the frieze that is between the architrave and the great cornice1 he made with a most beautiful turn of foliage1 all pierced through and full of birds that are executed so well1 that they seem to be flying through the air2 and it is a marvellous thing to see their little legs1 no larger than life1 and yet completely in the round and detached from the stone in such a way as one cannot believe to be possible2 and1 in truth1 the work seems rather a miracle than a product of human art4 ,besides all this1 he made there in a festoon some leaves and fruits so well cut out1 and wrought with such delicacy and care1 that in a certain sense they surpass the reality4 ,lastly1 the work is finished off by some great masks and candelabra1 which are truly most beautiful4 ,although ,simone need not have given such care to a work of that kind1 for which he was to be but poorly paid by those patrons1 who could not afford much1 yet1 drawn by the love that he bore to art and by the pleasure that a man feels in working well1 he chose to do so2 but he did not do the same with the water-basin for the same patrons1 for he made it beautiful enough1 but simple4 ,at the same time he assisted ,pietro di ,subisso1 who did not know much1 to make many designs of buildings and plans of houses1 doors1 windows1 and other things appertaining to that profession4 ,on the ,canto degli ,albergotti1 below the school and university of the ,commune1 there is a window of considerable beauty constructed after his design2 and there are two of them in the house of ,ser ,bernardino ,serragli in the ,pelliceria4 ,on the corner of the ,palazzo de' ,priori there is a large escutcheon of ,pope ,clement ,,vii in grey sandstone1 by the hand of the same master2 and under his direction1 and partly by his hand1 was executed for ,bernardino di ,cristofano da ,giuovi a chapel of grey sandstone in the ,corinthian ,order1 which was erected in the ,abbey of ,s4 ,fiore1 a passing handsome monastery of ,black ,friars in ,arezzo4 ,for this chapel the patron wished to have the altar-piece painted by ,andrea del ,sarto1 and then by ,rosso1 but in this he never succeeded1 seeing that1 being hindered now by one thing and now by another1 they were not able to serve him4 ,finally ,bernardino turned to ,giorgio ,vasari1 but with him also he had difficulties1 and there was much trouble in finding a way of arranging the matter1 for the reason that1 the chapel being dedicated to ,s4 ,james and ,s4 ,christopher1 he wished to have in the picture ,our ,lady with the ,child in her arms1 and also the giant ,s4 ,christopher with another little ,christ on his shoulder2 which composition1 besides that it appeared monstrous1 could not be accommodated1 nor was it possible to paint a giant of six braccia in an altar-piece of four braccia4 ,giorgio1 then1 being desirous to serve ,bernardino1 made him a design in this manner3 he placed ,our ,lady upon some clouds1 with a sun behind her back1 and on the ground he painted ,s4 ,christopher kneeling on one side of the picture1 with one leg in the water1 and with the other in the act of moving in order to rise1 while ,our ,lady is placing upon his shoulders the ,infant ,christ with the globe of the world in ,his hands4 ,in the rest of the altar-piece1 also1 were to be ,s4 ,james and the other ,saints1 accommodated in such a manner that they would not have been in the way2 and this design1 pleasing ,bernardino1 would have been put into execution1 but ,bernardino in the meantime died1 and the chapel was left in that condition to his heirs1 who have not done anything more4 ,now1 while ,simone was labouring at that chapel1 there passed through ,arezzo ,antonio da ,san ,gallo1 who was returning from the work of fortifying ,parma and was going to ,loreto to finish the work of the ,chapel of the ,madonna1 to which he had sent ,tribolo1 ,raffaello da ,montelupo1 the young ,francesco da ,san ,gallo1 ,girolamo da ,ferrara1 ,simone ,cioli1 and other carvers1 masons1 and stone-cutters1 in order to finish that which ,andrea ,sansovino at his death had left incomplete2 and he contrived to take ,simone to work there4 ,he ordained that ,simone should have charge not only of the carvings1 but also of the architecture and of the other ornaments of that work2 in which commissions ,mosca acquitted himself very well1 and1 what is more1 executed many things perfectly with his own hands1 particularly some little boys of marble in the round1 which are on the pediments of the doors2 and although there are also some by the hand of ,simone ,cioli1 the best--and rare indeed they are--are all by ,mosca4 ,he made1 likewise1 all the festoons of marble that are around all that work1 with most beautiful artistry and carvings full of grace and worthy of all praise2 wherefore it is no marvel that these works are so esteemed and admired1 that many craftsmen from distant parts have set off in order to go to see them4 ,antonio da ,san ,gallo1 then1 recognizing how much ,mosca was worth1 made use of him in any undertaking of importance1 with the intention of remunerating him some day when the occasion might present itself1 and of giving him to know how much he loved him for his abilities4 ,when1 therefore1 after the death of ,pope ,clement1 a new ,supreme ,pontiff had been elected in ,paul ,,iii of the ,farnese family1 who ordained that1 the mouth of the well at ,orvieto having remained unfinished1 ,antonio should have charge of it1 ,antonio took ,mosca thither1 to the end that he might carry that work to completion1 which presented some difficulties1 and particularly in the ornamentation of the doors1 for the reason that1 the curve of the mouth being round1 convex without and concave within1 those two circles conflicted with each other and caused a difficulty in accommodating the squared doors with the ornaments of stone4 ,but the virtue of that singular genius of ,simone's solved every difficulty1 and executed the whole work with such grace and perfection1 that no one could see that there had ever been any difficulty4 ,he finished off the mouth and border of the well in grey sandstone1 filled in with bricks1 together with some very beautiful inscriptions on white stone and other ornaments1 making the doors correspond with one another4 ,he also made there in marble the arms of the above-named ,pope ,paul ,farnese1 or rather1 where they had previously been made of balls for ,pope ,clement1 who had carried out that work1 ,mosca was forced--and he succeeded excellently well--to make lilies out of the balls in relief1 and thus to change the arms of the ,medici into those of the house of ,farnese2 notwithstanding1 as ,i have said 7for so do things go in this world71 that the author of that vast1 regal1 and magnificent work was ,pope ,clement ,,vii1 of whom in this last and most imposing part no mention whatever was made4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,altar ,,of ,,the ,,three ,,kings 7,after ,simone ,mosca and ,michele ,san ,michele4 ,orvieto3 ,duomo7 ,alinari ,while ,simone was engaged in finishing this well1 the ,wardens of ,works of ,s4 ,maria1 the ,duomo of ,orvieto1 desiring to give completion to the chapel of marble that had been carried as far as the socle under the direction of ,michele ,san ,michele of ,verona1 with some carvings1 besought ,simone1 whom they had come to know as a master of true excellence1 that he should attend to it4 ,whereupon they came to terms1 and ,simone1 liking the society of the people of ,orvieto1 brought his family thither1 in order to live in greater comfort2 and then he set himself to work with a quiet and composed mind1 being greatly honoured by everyone in that place4 ,when1 therefore1 as it were by way of sample1 he had made a beginning with some pilasters and friezes1 the excellence and ability of ,simone were recognized by those men1 and there was assigned to him a salary of two hundred crowns of gold a year1 and with this1 continuing to labour1 he carried that work well forward4 ,now in the centre1 to fill up the ornaments1 there was to go a scene of marble in half-relief1 representing the ,adoration of the ,magi2 and there was summoned at the suggestion of ,simone his very dear friend ,raffaello da ,montelupo1 the ,florentine sculptor1 who1 as has been related1 executed half of that scene in a very beautiful manner4 ,in the ornamentation of this chapel1 then1 are certain socles1 each two and a half braccia in breadth1 which are on either side of the altar1 and upon these are pilasters five braccia high1 two on either side1 between which is the story of the ,magi2 and on the pilasters next to the story1 of which two of the faces are seen1 are carved some candelabra1 with friezes of grotesques1 masks1 little figures1 and foliage1 which are things divine4 ,in the predella at the foot1 which runs right over the altar from pilaster to pilaster1 is a little half-length ,angel who is holding an inscription with his hands1 with festoons over all1 between the capitals of the pilasters1 where the architrave1 frieze and great cornice project to the extent of the depth of the pilasters4 ,above those in the centre1 in a space equal to their breadth1 curves an arch that serves as an ornament to the above-named story of the ,magi1 and in this1 namely1 in the lunette1 are many ,angels2 and above the arch is a cornice1 which runs from one pilaster to another1 that is1 from those on the outside1 which form a frontispiece to the whole work4 ,in this part is a ,god the ,father in half-relief2 and at the sides1 where the arch rises over the pilasters1 are two ,victories in half-relief4 ,all this work1 then1 is so well composed1 and executed with such a wealth of carvings1 that one cannot have enough of examining the minute details of the perforations and the excellence of all the things that are in the capitals1 cornices1 masks1 festoons1 and candelabra in the round1 which form the completion of a work truly worthy to be admired as something rare4 ,simone ,mosca thus dwelling in ,orvieto1 a son of his called ,francesco1 and as a bye-name ,il ,moschino1 a boy fifteen years of age1 who had been produced by nature with chisels in his hand1 as it were1 and with so beautiful a genius1 that he did with supreme grace whatsoever thing he desired to do1 executed in this work under the discipline of his father1 miraculously1 so to speak1 the ,angels that are holding the inscriptions between the pilasters1 then the ,god the ,father in the pediment1 as well as the ,angels that are in the lunette of that work1 above the ,adoration of the ,magi executed by ,raffaello da ,montelupo1 and finally the ,victories at the sides of the lunette2 by which works he caused everyone to wonder and marvel4 ,all this was the reason that1 when the chapel was finished1 ,simone was commissioned by the ,wardens of ,works of the ,duomo to make another similar to it1 on the other side1 to the end that the space of the ,chapel of the ,high-,altar might be suitably set off1 on the understanding that the figures should be varied without varying the architecture1 and that in the centre there should be the ,visitation of ,our ,lady1 which was allotted to the above-named ,moschino4 ,then1 having made an agreement about every matter1 the father and son set their hands to the work2 and1 while they were engaged upon it1 ,mosca was very helpful and useful to that city1 making for many citizens architectural designs of houses and many other edifices4 ,among other things1 he executed in that city the ground-plan and faade of the house of ,messer ,raffaello ,gualtieri1 father of the ,bishop of ,viterbo1 and of ,messer ,felice1 both noblemen and lords of great excellence and reputation2 and likewise the ground-plans of some houses for the honourable ,counts della ,cervara4 ,he did the same in many places near ,orvieto1 and made1 in particular1 the models of many structures and buildings for ,signor ,pirro ,colonna da ,stripicciano4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,salutation 7,after ,simone ,mosca4 ,orvieto3 ,duomo7 ,alinari ,the ,pope then causing the fortress to be built in ,perugia where there had stood the houses of the ,baglioni1 ,antonio da ,san ,gallo1 having sent for ,mosca1 gave him the charge of making the ornaments2 where there were executed after his designs all the doors1 windows1 chimney-pieces1 and other suchlike things1 and in particular two large and very beautiful escutcheons of his ,holiness4 ,in that work ,simone formed a connection with ,m4 ,tiberio ,crispo1 who was ,castellan there2 and he was sent by ,m4 ,tiberio to ,bolsena1 where1 on the highest point of that stronghold1 overlooking the lake1 he arranged a large and beautiful habitation1 partly on the old structure and partly founding anew1 with a very handsome flight of steps and many ornaments of stone4 ,nor did any long time pass before ,messer ,tiberio1 having been made ,castellan of the ,castello di ,s4 ,angelo1 caused ,mosca to go to ,rome1 where he made use of him in many matters in renovating the apartments of that castle2 and1 among other things1 he caused him to make over the arches that rise over the new loggia1 which faces towards the meadows1 two escutcheons of the above-named ,pope in marble1 which are so well wrought and perforated in the mitre1 or rather1 triple crown1 in the keys1 and in certain festoons and little masks1 that they are marvellous4 ,having then returned to ,orvieto in order to finish the work of the chapel1 he laboured there continuously all the time that ,pope ,paul was alive1 executing it in such a manner that it proved to be1 as may be seen1 no less excellent than the first1 and perhaps even better4 ,for ,mosca1 as has been said1 bore such love to art1 and took such pleasure in working1 that he could never have enough of it1 almost striving after the impossible1 and that rather from a desire for glory than from any wish to accumulate gold1 for he was more pleased to work well at his profession than to acquire property4 ,finally1 ,julius ,,iii having been elected ,pope in the year #aeej1 and all men thinking that work would be begun in earnest on the building of ,s4 ,pietro1 ,mosca went off to ,rome and sought to obtain at a fixed price from the superintendents of that building the commission for some capitals of marble1 but more to accommodate ,gian ,domenico1 his son-in-law1 than for any other reason4 ,now ,giorgio ,vasari1 who always bore love to ,mosca1 found him in ,rome1 whither he also had been summoned to the service of the ,pope1 and he thought that without fail he would have some work to offer him1 for the reason that the old ,cardinal dal ,monte1 when he died1 had left directions with his heirs that a tomb of marble should be built for him in ,s4 ,pietro a ,montorio1 and the above-named ,pope ,julius1 his nephew and heir1 had ordained that this should be done1 and had given the charge of the matter to ,vasari2 and ,giorgio wished that in that tomb ,mosca should execute some extraordinary work in carving4 ,but1 after ,giorgio had made some models for that tomb1 the ,pope discussed the whole matter with ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti before he would make up his mind2 whereupon ,michelagnolo told his ,holiness that he should not involve himself with carvings1 saying that1 although they enrich a work1 they confuse the figures1 whereas squared work1 when it is well done1 is much more beautiful than carving and is a better accompaniment for the figures1 for the reason that figures do not brook other carvings about them3 and even so did his ,holiness order the work to be done4 ,wherefore ,vasari was not able to give ,mosca anything to do in that work1 and he was dismissed2 and the tomb was finished without any carvings1 which made it much better than it would have been with them4 ,simone having then returned to ,orvieto1 arrangements were made to erect after his designs1 in the cross at the head of the church1 two great tabernacles of marble1 works truly graceful1 beautiful1 and well-proportioned1 for one of which ,raffaello da ,montelupo made in marble a nude ,christ with the ,cross on ,his shoulder in a niche1 and for the other ,moschino made a ,s4 ,sebastian1 likewise nude4 ,work being then continued on the execution of the ,apostles for the church1 ,moschino made a ,s4 ,peter and a ,s4 ,paul of the same size1 which were held to be creditable statues4 ,meanwhile the work of the above-mentioned ,chapel of the ,visitation was not abandoned1 and it was carried so far forward during the lifetime of ,mosca1 that there was nothing left to do save two birds1 and even these would not have been wanting1 had not ,m4 ,bastiano ,gualtieri1 ,bishop of ,viterbo1 as has been related1 kept ,simone occupied with an ornament of marble in four pieces1 which1 when finished1 he sent to ,france to the ,cardinal of ,lorraine1 who held it very dear1 for it was beautiful to a marvel1 all full of foliage and wrought with such diligence1 that it is believed to have been one of the best that ,simone ever executed4 ,not long after he had finished that work1 in the year #aeed1 ,simone died1 at the age of fifty-eight1 to the no small loss of that church of ,orvieto1 in which he was buried with honour4 ,francesco ,moschino was then elected to his father's place by the ,wardens of ,works of that same ,duomo1 but1 thinking nothing of it1 he left it to ,raffaello da ,montelupo1 and went to ,rome1 where he finished for ,m4 ,ruberto ,strozzi two very graceful figures in marble1 the ,mars and ,venus1 namely1 which are in the court of his house in the ,banchi4 ,afterwards he executed a scene with little figures1 almost in full-relief1 in which is ,diana bathing with her ,nymphs1 who changes ,acton into a stag1 and he is devoured by his own hounds2 and then ,francesco came to ,florence1 and gave the work to the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo1 whom he much desired to serve4 ,whereupon his ,excellency1 having accepted and much commended it1 did not disappoint the desire of ,moschino1 even as he has never disappointed anyone who has sought to work valiantly in any calling4 ,for he was attached to the ,works of the ,duomo at ,pisa1 and has laboured up to the present day with great credit to himself in the ,chapel of the ,nunziata1 formerly built by ,stagio da ,pietrasanta1 executing the ,angel and the ,madonna in figures of four braccia1 together with the carvings and every other thing2 in the centre1 ,adam and ,eve1 who have the apple-tree between them2 and a large ,god the ,father with certain little boys on the vaulting of that chapel1 which is all of marble1 as are also the two statues1 which have gained for ,moschino no little fame and honour4 ,and since that chapel is little less than finished1 his ,excellency has given orders that the chapel opposite to it should be taken in hand1 which is called the ,chapel of the ,incoronata and stands immediately at the entrance of the church1 on the left hand4 ,the same ,moschino1 in connection with the nuptial festivities of her most serene ,majesty ,queen ,joanna and the most illustrious ,prince of ,florence1 has acquitted himself very well in those works that were given him to do4 ,,girolamo ,,and ,,bartolommeo ,,genga1 ,,and ,,giovan ,,battista ,,san ,,marino1 ,,son-,,in-,,law ,,of ,,girolamo ,,lives ,,of ,,girolamo ,,and ,,bartolommeo ,,genga1 ,,and ,,of ,,giovan ,,battista ,,san ,,marino1 ,,son-,,in-,,law ,,of ,,girolamo ,girolamo ,genga1 who was of ,urbino1 was apprenticed by his father at the age of ten to the wool trade1 but he followed it with the greatest ill-will1 and1 according as he could find time and place1 he was for ever drawing in secret with charcoal or an ordinary pen4 ,which circumstance being observed by some friends of his father1 they exhorted him to remove the boy from that trade and to set him to painting2 wherefore he placed ,girolamo with certain masters of little reputation in ,urbino4 ,but1 having seen his beautiful manner1 and that he was like to make proficience1 when the boy was fifteen years of age the father apprenticed him to ,maestro ,luca ,signorelli of ,cortona1 an excellent master in painting of that time2 with whom he stayed many years1 following him to the ,march of ,ancona1 to ,cortona1 and to many other places where he executed works1 and in particular to ,orvieto1 in the ,duomo of which city1 as has been related1 ,luca painted a chapel of ,our ,lady with an infinite number of figures4 ,at this our ,girolamo worked continually1 and he was always one of the best disciples that ,luca had4 ,then1 having parted from ,signorelli1 he placed himself with ,pietro ,perugino1 a much esteemed painter1 with whom he stayed about three years1 giving considerable attention to perspective1 which was so well grasped and understood by him1 that it may be said that he became very excellent therein1 even as is evident from his works in painting and architecture4 ,this was at the same time that there was with ,pietro the divine ,raffaello da ,urbino1 who was much the friend of ,girolamo4 ,after leaving ,pietro1 he went off to live in ,florence1 where he studied for some considerable time4 ,then1 having gone to ,siena1 he stayed there for months and even years with ,pandolfo ,petrucci1 in whose house he painted many rooms1 which1 from their being very well designed and coloured in a pleasing manner1 were rightly admired and praised by all the people of ,siena1 and particularly by the above-named ,pandolfo1 by whom he was always looked upon with great favour and cherished most dearly4 ,pandolfo having died1 he then returned to ,urbino1 where ,guidobaldo1 the second ,duke1 retained him for a considerable time1 causing him to paint horse's caparisons1 such as were used in those times1 in company with ,timoteo da ,urbino1 a painter of passing good name and much experience1 together with whom he painted a chapel of ,s4 ,martino in the ,vescovado for ,messer ,giovan ,piero ,arrivabene of ,mantua1 then ,bishop of ,urbino4 ,in this1 both the one and the other of them gave proof of very beautiful genius1 as the work itself demonstrates1 in which is a portrait of the above-named ,bishop1 which has all the appearance of life4 ,genga was also particularly employed by the same ,duke to execute scenery and settings for comedies1 which1 since he had a very good understanding of perspective and was well-grounded in architecture1 he made marvellously beautiful4 ,he then departed from ,urbino and went to ,rome1 where he executed in painting1 in ,s4 ,caterina da ,siena on the ,strada ,giulia1 a ,resurrection of ,christ1 wherein he made himself known as a rare and excellent master1 having done it with good design and with figures foreshortened in beautiful attitudes and well coloured1 to which those who are of the profession and have seen it are able to bear ample testimony4 ,while living in ,rome1 he gave much attention to measuring the antiquities there1 as is proved by writings in the possession of his heirs4 ,illustration3 ,,madonna ,,and ,,child ,,with ,,saints 7,after the painting by ,girolamo ,genga4 ,milan3 ,brera1 #bjb7 ,alinari ,at this time1 ,duke ,guido having died1 and having been succeeded by ,francesco ,maria1 third ,duke of ,urbino1 ,girolamo was recalled from ,rome by ,francesco ,maria1 and constrained to return to ,urbino at the time when the above-named ,duke took to wife and brought into his dominions ,leonora ,gonzaga1 the daughter of the ,marquis of ,mantua2 and he was employed by his ,excellency in making triumphal arches1 festive preparations1 and scenery for comedies1 which were all so well arranged and carried into execution by him1 that ,urbino could be likened to a ,rome in triumph2 from which he gained very great fame and honour4 ,afterwards1 in due course1 the ,duke was expelled from his state for the last time1 when he went to ,mantua1 and ,girolamo followed him1 even as he had already done in his other periods of exile1 always sharing one and the same fortune with him2 and he retired with his family to ,cesena4 ,there he painted for the high-altar of ,s4 ,agostino an altar-piece in oils1 at the top of which is an ,annunciation1 and below that a ,god the ,father1 and still lower down a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 between the four ,doctors of the ,church--a work truly beautiful and worthy to be esteemed4 ,he then painted in fresco a chapel on the right hand in ,s4 ,francesco at ,forl1 containing the ,assumption of the ,madonna1 with many ,angels and other figures--,prophets1 namely1 and ,apostles--around2 in this1 also1 it is evident how admirable was his genius1 and the work was judged to be very beautiful4 ,he also painted there the story of the ,holy ,spirit1 which he finished in the year #aeab1 for ,messer ,francesco ,lombardi1 a physician2 and other works throughout ,romagna1 for all which he gained honour and rewards4 ,the ,duke having then returned to his state1 ,girolamo also returned1 and was retained by him and employed as architect in restoring an old palace on the ,monte dell',imperiale1 above ,pesaro1 and adding to it another tower4 ,that palace was adorned with scenes in painting from the actions of the ,duke1 after the directions and designs of ,girolamo1 by ,francesco da ,forl and ,raffaello dal ,borgo1 painters of good repute1 and by ,camillo ,mantovano1 a very rare master in painting landscapes and verdure2 and the young ,florentine ,bronzino also worked there1 among others1 as has been related in the ,life of ,pontormo4 ,thither1 likewise1 were summoned the ,dossi of ,ferrara1 and a room was assigned to them to paint2 but since1 when they had finished that room1 it did not please the ,duke1 he had it thrown down and repainted by the masters mentioned above4 ,girolamo then erected the tower there1 one hundred and twenty feet in height1 with thirteen flights of wooden steps whereby to ascend to the top1 so well fitted and concealed in the walls1 that they can be withdrawn with ease from story to story1 which renders that tower very strong and marvellous4 ,a desire afterwards came to the ,duke to fortify ,pesaro1 and he caused ,pier ,francesco da ,viterbo1 a most excellent architect1 to be sent for2 and ,girolamo always taking part in the discussions that arose about the fortifications1 his discourse and his opinions were held to be good and full of judgment4 ,wherefore1 if ,i may be allowed to say it1 the design of that fortress came rather from ,girolamo than from any other1 although that sort of architecture was always little esteemed by him1 appearing to him to be of small value and dignity4 ,the ,duke1 then1 perceiving how rare a genius he had at his command1 determined to build on the above-named ,monte dell',imperiale1 near the old palace1 a new palace2 and so he built that to be seen there at the present day1 which being a very beautiful and well-planned fabric1 and full of apartments1 colonnades1 courts1 loggie1 fountains1 and most delightful gardens1 there is no ,prince passes that way that does not go to see it4 ,wherefore it was right fitting that ,pope ,paul ,,iii1 on his way to ,bologna with all his ,court1 should go to see it and find it entirely to his satisfaction4 ,from the design of this same master1 the ,duke caused the ,palace at ,pesaro to be restored1 and also the little park1 making within it a house representing a ruin1 which is a very beautiful thing to see4 ,among other things1 there is a staircase similar to that of the ,belvedere in ,rome1 which is very handsome4 ,by means of him the ,duke had the fortress of ,gradara restored1 and likewise the ,palace at ,castel ,durante1 insomuch that all that is good in those works came from that admirable genius4 ,girolamo also built the corridor of the ,palace at ,urbino1 above the garden1 and he enclosed a courtyard on one side with perforated stone-work executed with great diligence4 ,from the design of the same master1 likewise1 were begun the ,convent of the ,frati ,zoccolanti at ,monte ,baroccio and ,s4 ,maria delle ,grazie at ,sinigaglia1 which in the end remained unfinished by reason of the death of the ,duke4 ,and about the same time was begun after his directions and design the ,vescovado of ,sinigaglia1 of which the model1 made by him1 is still to be seen4 ,he also executed some works in sculpture and figures of clay and wax in the round1 beautiful enough1 which are in the house of his family at ,urbino4 ,for the ,imperiale he made some ,angels in clay1 which he afterwards caused to be cast in bronze and placed over the doors of the rooms decorated with stucco-work in the new palace2 and these are very beautiful4 ,for the ,bishop of ,sinigaglia he executed some fantasies in wax in the form of drinking-cups1 which were afterwards to be made in silver2 and with greater diligence he made some others1 most beautiful1 for the ,duke's credence4 ,he showed fine invention in masquerades and costumes1 as was seen in the time of the above-named ,duke1 by whom he was passing well rewarded1 as he deserved1 for his rare parts and good qualities4 ,his son1 ,guidobaldo1 who reigns at the present day1 having then succeeded him as ,duke1 caused a beginning to be made by the above-named ,genga with the ,church of ,s4 ,giovan ,battista at ,pesaro1 which1 having been carried out according to the model of ,girolamo by his son ,bartolommeo1 is of very beautiful architecture in every part1 for he imitated the antique considerably1 and made it in such a manner that it is the most beautiful temple that there is in those parts1 as the work itself clearly demonstrates1 being able to challenge comparison with the most famous buildings in ,rome4 ,after his designs and directions1 likewise1 there was executed in ,s4 ,chiara at ,urbino by the ,florentine sculptor ,bartolommeo ,ammanati1 who was then very young1 the tomb of ,duke ,francesco ,maria1 which1 for a simple work of little cost1 proved to be very beautiful4 ,in like manner1 the ,venetian painter ,battista ,franco was summoned by him to paint the great chapel of the ,duomo at ,urbino1 at the time when there was being made after his design the ornament of the organ of that ,duomo1 which is not yet finished4 ,shortly afterwards1 the ,cardinal of ,mantua having written to the ,duke that he should send him ,girolamo1 because he wished to restore the ,vescovado of that city1 ,girolamo went thither and fitted it up very well with lights and with all that the above-named lord desired4 ,besides this1 the ,cardinal1 wishing to make a beautiful faade for the ,duomo1 caused him to prepare a model for it1 which was executed by him in such a manner1 that it may be said that it surpassed all the architectural works of his time1 for the reason that in it may be seen grandeur1 proportion1 grace1 and great beauty of composition4 ,having then returned from ,mantua1 now an old man1 he went to live at a villa of his own1 called ,le ,valle1 in the territory of ,urbino1 in order to rest and enjoy the fruits of his labours2 in which place1 not wishing to remain idle1 he executed in chalk a ,conversion of ,s4 ,paul with figures and horses of considerable size and in very beautiful attitudes1 which was finished by him with such patience and diligence1 that no greater could be either described or seen1 as is evident from the work itself1 now in the possession of his heirs1 by whom it is treasured as a very dear and precious thing4 ,there1 while living with a tranquil mind1 he was attacked by a terrible fever1 and1 after he had received all the ,sacraments of the ,church1 finished the course of his life1 to the infinite grief of his wife and children1 on the #aath of ,july in the year #aeea1 at the age of about seventy-five4 ,having been carried from that place to ,urbino1 he was buried with honour in the ,vescovado1 in front of the ,chapel of ,s4 ,martino formerly painted by him2 and his death caused extraordinary sorrow to his relatives and to all the citizens4 ,girolamo was always an excellent man1 insomuch that nothing was ever heard of any bad action committed by him4 ,he was not only a painter1 sculptor1 and architect1 but also a good musician and a fine talker1 and his society was very agreeable4 ,he was full of courtesy and lovingness towards his relatives and friends2 and1 what entitles him to no little praise1 he laid the foundation of the house of ,genga at ,urbino with his good name and property4 ,he left two sons1 one of whom followed in his footsteps and gave his attention to architecture1 in which1 if he had not been hindered by death1 he was like to become most excellent1 as his beginnings demonstrate2 and the other1 who devoted himself to the cares of the family1 is still alive at the present day4 ,a disciple of ,girolamo1 as has been related1 was ,francesco ,menzochi of ,forl1 who first began to draw by himself when still a child1 imitating and copying an altar-piece in the ,duomo of ,forl1 by the hand of ,marco ,parmigiano#g of ,forl1 containing a ,madonna1 ,s4 ,jerome1 and other ,saints1 and held at that time to be the best of the modern pictures2 and he occupied himself likewise with imitating the works of ,rondinino#h da ,ravenna1 a painter more excellent than ,marco1 who a little time before had placed on the high-altar of the above-named ,duomo a most beautiful altar-piece1 in which was painted ,christ giving the ,communion to the ,apostles1 and in a lunette above it a ,dead ,christ1 and in the predella of that altar-piece very graceful scenes with little figures from the life of ,s4 ,helen4 ,these works brought him forward in such a manner1 that1 when ,girolamo ,genga went1 as we have said1 to paint the chapel in ,s4 ,francesco at ,forl for ,m4 ,bartolommeo ,lombardino1 ,francesco at that time went to live with ,genga1 seizing that opportunity of learning1 and did not cease to serve him as long as he lived4 ,there1 and also at ,urbino and in the work of the ,imperiale at ,pesaro1 he laboured continually1 as has been related1 esteemed and beloved by ,genga1 because he acquitted himself very well1 as many altar-pieces by his hand bear witness that are dispersed throughout the city of ,forl1 and particularly three of them which are in ,s4 ,francesco1 besides that there are some scenes of his in fresco in the hall of the ,palace4 ,footnote #g3 ,palmezzani4 ,footnote #h3 ,rondinello4 ,he painted many works throughout ,romagna2 and at ,venice1 also1 for the very reverend ,patriarch ,grimani1 he executed four large pictures in oils that were placed in the ceiling of a little hall in his house1 round an octagon that ,francesco ,salviati painted2 in which pictures are the stories of ,psyche1 held to be very beautiful4 ,but the place where he strove to do his utmost and to put forth all his powers1 was the ,chapel of the most holy ,sacrament in the ,church of ,loreto1 in which he painted some ,angels round a tabernacle of marble wherein rests the ,body of ,christ1 and two scenes on the walls of that chapel1 one of ,melchizedek and the other of the ,manna raining down1 both executed in fresco2 and over the vaulting he distributed fifteen little scenes of the ,passion of ,jesus ,christ1 nine of which he executed in painting1 and six in half-relief4 ,this was a rich work and well conceived1 and he won for it such honour1 that he was not suffered to depart until he had decorated another chapel of equal size in the same place1 opposite to the first1 and called the ,chapel of the ,conception1 with the vaulting all wrought with rich and very beautiful stucco-work2 in which he taught the art of stucco-work to his son ,pietro ,paolo1 who has since done him honour and has become a well-practised master in that field4 ,francesco1 then1 painted in fresco on the walls the ,nativity and the ,presentation of ,our ,lady1 and over the altar he painted ,s4 ,anne and the ,virgin with the ,child in her arms1 and two ,angels that are crowning her4 ,and1 in truth1 his works are much extolled by the craftsmen1 and likewise his ways and his life1 which was that of a true ,christian2 and he lived in peace1 enjoying that which he had gained with his labours4 ,a pupil of ,genga1 also1 was ,baldassarre ,lancia of ,urbino1 who1 having given his attention to many ingenious matters1 has since practised his hand in fortifications1 at which he worked on a salary for the ,signoria of ,lucca1 in which place he stayed for some time4 ,he then attached himself to the most illustrious ,duke ,cosimo de' ,medici1 whom he came to serve in the fortifications of the states of ,florence and ,siena2 and the ,duke has employed and still employs him in many ingenious works1 in which ,baldassarre has laboured valiantly and with honour1 winning remunerations from that grateful lord4 ,many others also served ,girolamo ,genga1 of whom1 from their not having attained to any great excellence1 there is no need to speak4 ,to the above-named ,girolamo1 at ,cesena1 in the year #aeah1 the while that he was accompanying the ,duke his master in exile1 there was born a son called ,bartolommeo1 who was brought up by him very decently1 and then1 when he was well grown1 placed to learn grammar1 in which he made more than ordinary proficience4 ,afterwards1 when he was eighteen years of age1 the father1 perceiving that he was inclined more to design than to letters1 caused him to study design under his own discipline for about two years3 which finished1 he sent him to study design and painting in ,florence1 where he knew that the true study of that art was to be found1 on account of the innumerable works by excellent masters that are there1 both ancient and modern4 ,living in that place1 and attending to design and to architecture1 ,bartolommeo formed a friendship with ,giorgio ,vasari1 the painter and architect of ,arezzo1 and with the sculptor ,bartolommeo ,ammanati1 from whom he learned many things appertaining to art4 ,finally1 after having been three years in ,florence1 he returned to his father1 who was then attending to the building of ,s4 ,giovanni ,battista at ,pesaro4 ,whereupon1 the father having seen the designs of ,bartolommeo1 it appeared to him that he acquitted himself much better in architecture1 for which he had a very good inclination1 than in painting2 wherefore1 keeping him under his own care some months1 he taught him the methods of perspective4 ,and afterwards he sent him to ,rome1 to the end that he might see the marvellous buildings1 both ancient and modern1 that are there1 of which1 in the four years that he stayed there1 he took the measurements1 and made therein very great proficience4 ,then1 on his way back to ,urbino1 passing through ,florence in order to see ,francesco#i ,san ,marino1 his brother-in-law1 who was living there as engineer to the ,lord ,duke ,cosimo1 ,signor ,stefano ,colonna da ,palestrina1 at that time general to that lord1 having heard of his ability1 sought to engage him with himself1 with a good salary4 ,but he1 being much indebted to the ,duke of ,urbino1 would not attach himself to others1 and returned to ,urbino1 where he was received by that ,duke into his service1 and ever afterwards held very dear4 ,footnote #i3 ,giovan ,battista4 ,not long afterwards1 the ,duke taking to wife ,signora ,vittoria ,farnese1 ,bartolommeo received from the ,duke the charge of executing the festive preparations for those nuptials1 which he did in a truly honourable and magnificent manner4 ,among other things1 he made a triumphal arch in the ,borgo di ,valbuona1 so beautiful and so well wrought1 that there is none larger or more beautiful to be seen2 whence it became evident how much knowledge of architecture he had acquired at ,rome4 ,then the ,duke1 having to go into ,lombardy1 as ,general to the ,signoria of ,venice1 to inspect the fortresses of that dominion1 took with him ,bartolommeo1 of whom he availed himself much in preparing designs and sites of fortresses1 and in particular at the ,porta ,s4 ,felice in ,verona4 ,now1 while ,bartolommeo was in ,lombardy1 the ,king of ,bohemia1 who was returning from ,spain to his kingdom1 passed through that province and was received with honour by the ,duke at ,verona2 and he saw those fortresses4 ,and1 since they pleased him1 after he had become acquainted with ,bartolommeo1 he wished to take him to his kingdom1 in order to make use of him in fortifying his territories1 with a good salary2 but the ,duke would not give him leave1 and the matter went no further4 ,when they had returned to ,urbino1 no long time passed before ,girolamo1 the father1 came to his death2 whereupon ,bartolommeo was set by the ,duke in the place of his father over all the buildings of the state1 and sent to ,pesaro1 where he continued the building of ,s4 ,giovanni ,battista1 after the model of ,girolamo4 ,during that time he built in the ,palace of ,pesaro1 over the ,strada de' ,mercanti1 a suite of rooms which the ,duke now occupies2 a fine work1 with most beautiful ornaments in the form of doors1 staircases1 and chimney-pieces1 of which things he was an excellent architect4 ,which having seen1 the ,duke desired that in the ,palace of ,urbino as well he should make another suite of apartments1 almost entirely on the faade that faces towards ,s4 ,domenico2 and this1 when finished1 proved to be the most beautiful suite in that court1 or rather1 palace1 and the most ornate that is there4 ,not long afterwards1 the ,signori of ,bologna having asked for him for some days from the ,duke1 his ,excellency granted him to them very readily2 and he1 having gone1 served them in what they desired in such a manner1 that they remained very well satisfied and showed him innumerable courtesies4 ,he then made for the ,duke1 who desired to construct a sea-port at ,pesaro1 a very beautiful model2 and this was taken to ,venice1 to the house of ,count ,giovan ,giacomo ,leonardi1 at that time the ,duke's ,ambassador in that place1 to the end that it might be seen by many of the profession who often assembled1 with other choice spirits1 to hold discussions and disputations on various matters in the house of the above-named ,count1 who was a truly remarkable man4 ,there1 then1 after that model had been seen and the fine discourse of ,genga had been heard1 the model was held by all without exception to be masterly and beautiful1 and the master who had made it a man of the rarest genius4 ,but1 when he had returned to ,pesaro1 the model after all was not carried into execution1 because new circumstances of great importance drove that project out of the ,duke's mind4 ,about that time ,genga made the design of the ,church of ,monte ,l',abbate1 and also that of the ,church of ,s4 ,piero in ,mondavio1 which was carried into execution by ,don ,pier ,antonio ,genga in such a manner1 that1 for a small work1 ,i do not believe that there is anything better to be seen4 ,these works finished1 no long time passed before1 ,pope ,julius ,,iii having been elected1 and the ,duke of ,urbino having been created by him ,captain ,general of ,holy ,church1 his ,excellency went to ,rome1 and ,genga with him4 ,there1 his ,holiness wishing to fortify the ,borgo1 at the request of the ,duke ,genga made some very beautiful designs1 which1 with a number of others1 are in the collection of his ,excellency at ,urbino4 ,for these reasons the fame of ,bartolommeo spread abroad1 and the ,genoese1 while he was living with the ,duke in ,rome1 asked for him from his ,excellency1 in order to make use of him in some fortifications of their own2 but the ,duke would not grant him to them1 either at that time or on another occasion when they again asked for him1 after his return to ,urbino4 ,in the end1 when he was near the close of his life1 there were sent to ,pesaro by the ,grand ,master of ,rhodes two knights of that ,order of ,jerusalem1 to beseech his ,excellency that he should deign to lend them ,bartolommeo1 to the end that they might take him to the ,island of ,malta1 in which they wished to construct not only very large fortifications wherewith to defend themselves against the ,turks1 but also two cities1 so as to unite many villages that were there into one or two places4 ,whereupon the ,duke1 whom the above-named knights in two months had not been able to induce to grant them ,bartolommeo1 although they had availed themselves of the good services of the ,duchess and others1 finally complied with their request for a fixed period1 at the entreaty of a good ,capuchin father1 to whom his ,excellency bore a very great affection1 and refused nothing that he asked2 and the artifice that was used by that holy man1 who made it a matter of conscience with the ,duke1 saying that it was in the interest of the ,christian ,republic1 was not otherwise than highly commendable and worthy of praise4 ,and thus ,bartolommeo1 who had never received any favour greater than this1 departed with the above-named knights from ,pesaro on the #bjth of ,january1 #aeeh2 but they lingered in ,sicily1 being delayed by the fortune of the sea1 and they did not reach ,malta1 where they were received with rejoicing by the ,grand ,master1 until the #aath of ,march4 ,having then been shown what he was to do1 he acquitted himself so well in those fortifications1 that it could not be expressed in words2 insomuch that to the ,grand ,master and all those noble knights it appeared that they had found another ,archimedes1 and this they proved by making him most honourable presents and holding him1 as a rare master1 in supreme veneration4 ,then1 after having made the models of a city1 of some churches1 and of the palace and residence of the same ,grand ,master1 with most beautiful invention and design1 he fell sick of his last illness1 for1 having set himself one day in the month of ,july1 the heat in that island being very great1 between two doors to refresh himself1 he had not been there long when he was assailed by insufferable pains of the body and by a cruel flux1 which killed him in seventeen days1 to the infinite sorrow of the ,grand ,master and all those most honourable and valiant knights1 to whom it appeared that they had found a man after their own hearts1 when he was snatched from them by death4 ,the ,lord ,duke of ,urbino1 having been advised of this sad news1 felt indescribable sorrow1 and bewailed the death of poor ,genga2 and then1 having resolved to demonstrate to the five children whom he had left behind him the love that he bore to him1 he took them under his particular and loving protection4 ,bartolommeo showed beautiful invention in masquerades1 and was a rare master in making scenic settings for comedies4 ,he delighted to write sonnets and other compositions in verse and prose1 and in none was he better than in the ottava rima1 in which manner of writing he was an author of passing good renown4 ,he died at the age of forty1 in the year #aeeh4 ,giovan ,battista ,bellucci of ,san ,marino having been the son-in-law of ,girolamo ,genga1 ,i have judged that it would not be well to withhold what ,i have to say of him1 after the ,lives of ,girolamo and ,bartolommeo ,genga1 and particularly in order to show that men of fine intellect1 if only they be willing1 succeed in everything1 even if they set themselves late in life to difficult and honourable enterprises2 for study1 when added to natural inclination1 has often been seen to accomplish marvellous things4 ,giovan ,battista1 then1 was born in ,san ,marino on the #bgth of ,september1 #aejf1 to ,bartolommeo ,bellucci1 a person of passing good family in that place2 and after he had learned the first rudiments of the humanities1 when eighteen years of age1 he was sent by that same ,bartolommeo1 his father1 to ,bologna1 to attend to the pursuit of commerce under ,bastiano di ,ronco1 a merchant of the ,guild of ,wool4 ,having been there about two years1 he returned to ,san ,marino sick of a quartan fever1 which hung upon him two years2 of which being finally cured1 he set up a wool business of his own1 with which he continued up to the year #aece1 at which time his father1 perceiving that ,giovan ,battista was in good circumstances1 gave him for a wife in ,cagli a daughter of ,guido ,peruzzi1 a person of considerable standing in that city4 ,but she died not long afterwards1 and ,giovan ,battista went to ,rome to seek out ,domenico ,peruzzi1 his brother-in-law1 who was equerry to ,signor ,ascanio ,colonna2 and by means of him ,giovan ,battista lived for two years with that lord as a gentleman4 ,he then returned home2 and it came about that1 as he frequented ,pesaro1 ,girolamo ,genga1 having come to know him as an excellent and well-behaved young man1 gave him a daughter of his own for wife and took him into his house4 ,whereupon ,giovan ,battista1 being much inclined to architecture1 and giving his attention with much diligence to the architectural works that his wife's father was executing1 began to gain a very good grasp of the various manners of building1 and to study ,vitruvius2 and thus1 what with that which he acquired by himself and that which ,genga taught him1 he became a good architect1 and particularly in the matter of fortifications and other things relating to war4 ,then1 in the year #aeda1 his wife died1 leaving him two boys2 and he remained until #aedc without coming to any further resolution about his life4 ,at that time1 in the month of ,september1 there appeared in ,san ,marino one ,signor ,gustamante1 a ,spaniard1 sent by his ,imperial ,majesty to that ,republic on some affairs4 ,giovan ,battista was recognized by him as an excellent architect1 and at his instance he entered not long afterwards into the service of the most illustrious ,lord ,duke ,cosimo1 as engineer4 ,and thus1 having arrived in ,florence1 his ,excellency made use of him for all the fortifications of his dominion1 according to the necessities that arose every day2 and1 among other things1 the fortress of the city of ,pistoia having been begun many years before1 ,san ,marino1 by the desire of the ,duke1 completely finished it1 with great credit to himself1 although it is no great work4 ,then1 under the direction of the same architect1 a very strong bastion was built at ,pisa4 ,wherefore1 his method of work pleasing the ,duke1 his ,excellency caused him to construct--where1 as has been related1 there had been built on the hill of ,s4 ,miniato1 without ,florence1 the wall that curves from the ,porta ,s4 ,niccol to the ,porta ,s4 ,miniato--the fortification that encloses a gate by means of two bastions1 and guards the ,church and ,monastery of ,s4 ,miniato2 making on the summit of that hill a fortress that dominates the whole city and looks on the outer side towards the east and the south1 a work that was vastly extolled4 ,the same ,giovan ,battista made many designs and ground-plans of various fortifications for places in the states of his ,excellency1 and also various rough models in clay1 which are in the possession of the ,lord ,duke4 ,and since ,san ,marino was a man of fine genius and very studious1 he wrote a little book on the methods of fortifications2 which work1 a beautiful and useful one1 is now in the possession of ,messer ,bernardo ,puccini1 a gentleman of ,florence1 who learned many things with regard to the matters of architecture and fortification from ,san ,marino1 who was much his friend4 ,giovan ,battista1 after having designed in the year #aeed many bastions that were to be built round the walls of the city of ,florence1 some of which were begun in earth1 went with the most illustrious lord1 ,don ,garzia di ,toledo1 to ,monte ,alcino1 where1 having made some trenches1 he mined under a bastion and so shattered it1 that he threw down the breastwork2 but as it was falling to the ground a harquebus-ball struck ,san ,marino in the thigh4 ,not long afterwards1 his wound being healed1 he went secretly to ,siena and took the ground-plan of that city1 and of the earthworks that the people of ,siena had made at the ,porta ,camollia2 which plan of fortifications he then showed to the ,lord ,duke and to the ,marchese di ,marignano1 making it clear to them that the work was not difficult to capture or to secure afterwards on the side towards ,siena4 ,that this was true was proved by the fact1 the night that it was taken by the above-named ,marquis1 with whom ,giovan ,battista had gone by order and commission of the ,duke4 ,on that account1 then1 the ,marquis1 having conceived an affection for him and knowing that he had need of his judgment and ability in the field 7that is1 in the war against ,siena71 so went to work with the ,duke1 that his ,excellency sent ,giovan ,battista off as captain of a strong company of foot-soldiers2 whereupon he served from that day onward in the field1 as a valiant soldier and an ingenious architect4 ,finally1 having been sent by the ,marquis to ,aiuola1 a fortress in the ,chianti1 while disposing the artillery he was wounded in the head by a harquebus-ball2 wherefore he was taken by his soldiers to the ,pieve di ,s4 ,paolo1 which belongs to ,bishop da ,ricasoli1 and died in a few days1 and was carried to ,san ,marino1 where he received honourable burial from his children4 ,giovan ,battista deserves to be highly extolled1 for the reason that1 besides having been excellent in his profession1 it is a marvellous thing that1 having set himself to give attention to it late in life1 at the age of thirty-five1 he should have made in it the proficience that he did make2 and it may be believed that if he had begun younger1 he would have become a very rare master4 ,giovan ,battista was something obstinate1 so that it was a serious undertaking to move him from any opinion4 ,he took extraordinary pleasure in reading stories1 and turned them to very great advantage1 writing down with great pains the most notable things in them4 ,his death much grieved the ,duke and his innumerable friends2 wherefore his son ,gian ,andrea1 coming to kiss his ,excellency's hands1 was received kindly by him and welcomed most warmly with very generous offers1 on account of the ability and fidelity of the father1 who died at the age of forty-eight4 ,,michele ,,san ,,michele ,illustration3 ,,paolo ,,veronese3 ,,industry 7,venice3 ,doges' ,palace1 ,sala ,anticollegio4 ,ceiling ,painting7 ,,life ,,of ,,michele ,,san ,,michele ,,architect ,,of ,,verona ,michele ,san ,michele1 who was born at ,verona in the year #adhd1 and learned the first principles of architecture from his father ,giovanni and his uncle ,bartolommeo1 both excellent architects1 went off at sixteen years of age to ,rome1 leaving his father and two brothers of fine parts1 one of whom1 called ,jacopo1 devoted himself to letters1 and the other1 named ,don ,camillo1 was a ,canon ,regular and ,general of that ,order4 ,having arrived there1 he studied the ancient remains of architecture in such a manner1 and with such diligence1 observing and measuring everything minutely1 that in a short time he became renowned and famous not only in ,rome1 but throughout all the places that are around that city4 ,moved by his fame1 the people of ,orvieto summoned him as architect to their celebrated temple1 with an honourable salary2 and while he was employed in their service1 he was summoned for the same reason to ,monte ,fiascone1 as architect for the building of their principal temple2 and thus1 serving both the one and the other of these places1 he executed all that there is to be seen in these two cities in the way of good architecture4 ,among other works1 a most beautiful tomb was built after his design in ,s4 ,domenico at ,monte ,fiascone--,i believe1 for one of the ,petrucci1 a nobleman of ,siena--which cost a great sum of money1 and proved to be marvellous4 ,besides all this1 he made an infinite number of designs for private houses in those places1 and made himself known as a man of great judgment and excellence4 ,thereupon ,pope ,clement ,,vii1 proposing to make use of him in the most important operations of the wars that were stirring at that time throughout all ,italy1 gave him as a companion to ,antonio da ,san ,gallo1 with a very good salary1 to the end that they might go together to inspect all the places of greatest importance in the ,states of the ,church1 and1 wherever necessary1 might see to the construction of fortifications2 above all1 at ,parma and ,piacenza1 because those two cities were most distant from ,rome1 and nearest and most exposed to the perils of war4 ,which duty having been executed by ,michele and ,antonio to the full satisfaction of the ,pontiff1 there came to ,michele a desire1 after all those years1 to revisit his native city and his relatives and friends1 and even more to see the fortresses of the ,venetians4 ,wherefore1 after he had been a few days in ,verona1 he went to ,treviso to see the fortress there1 and then to ,padua for the same purpose2 but the ,signori of ,venice1 having been warned of this1 became suspicious that ,san ,michele might be going about inspecting those fortresses with a hostile intent4 ,having therefore been arrested at ,padua at their command and thrown into prison1 he was examined at great length2 but1 when it was found that he was an honest man1 he was not only liberated by them1 but also entreated that he should consent to enter the service of those same ,signori of ,venice1 with honourable rank and salary4 ,he excused himself by saying that he was not able to do that for the present1 being engaged to his ,holiness2 but he gave them fair promises1 and then took his leave of them4 ,now he had not been away long1 when he was forced to depart from ,rome--to such purpose did those ,signori go to work in order to secure him--and to go1 with the gracious leave of the ,pope1 whom he first satisfied in full1 to serve those most illustrious noblemen1 his natural lords4 ,abiding with them1 he gave soon enough a proof of his judgment and knowledge by making at ,verona 7after many difficulties which the work appeared to present7 a very strong and beautiful bastion1 which gave infinite satisfaction to those ,signori and to the ,lord ,duke of ,urbino1 their ,captain ,general4 ,after these things1 the same ,signori1 having determined to fortify ,legnago and ,porto1 places most important to their dominion1 and situated upon the ,river ,adige1 one on one side and the other on the opposite side1 but joined by a bridge1 commissioned ,san ,michele to show them by means of a model how it appeared to him that those places could and should be fortified4 ,which having been done by him1 his design gave infinite satisfaction to the ,signori and to the ,duke of ,urbino4 ,whereupon1 arrangements having been made for all that had to be done1 ,san ,michele executed the fortifications of those two places in such a manner1 that among works of that kind there is nothing better to be seen1 or more beautiful1 or more carefully considered1 or stronger1 as whoever has seen them well knows4 ,this done1 he fortified in the ,bresciano1 almost from the foundations1 ,orzinuovo1 a fortress and port similar to ,legnago4 ,san ,michele being then sought for with great insistence by ,signor ,francesco ,sforza1 last ,duke of ,milan1 the ,signori consented to grant him leave1 but for three months only4 ,having therefore gone to ,milan1 he inspected all the fortresses of that ,state1 and gave directions in every place for all that it seemed to him necessary to do1 and that with such credit and so much to the satisfaction of the ,duke1 that his ,excellency1 besides thanking the ,signori of ,venice1 presented five hundred crowns to ,san ,michele4 ,and with this occasion1 before returning to ,venice1 ,michele went to ,casale di ,monferrato1 in order to see that very strong and beautiful fortress and city1 the architecture of which was the work of ,matteo ,san ,michele1 an excellent architect1 his cousin2 and also an honoured and very beautiful tomb of marble erected in ,s4 ,francesco in the same city1 likewise under the direction of ,matteo4 ,having then returned home1 he had no sooner arrived than he was sent with the above-named ,duke of ,urbino to inspect ,la ,chiusa1 a fortress and pass of much importance1 above ,verona1 and then all the places in ,friuli1 ,bergamo1 ,vicenza1 ,peschiera1 and others1 of all which1 and of what seemed to him to be required1 he gave minute information in writing to the ,signori4 ,having next been sent by the same ,signori to ,dalmatia1 to fortify the cities and other places of that province1 he inspected everything1 and carried out restorations with great diligence wherever he saw the necessity to be greatest2 and1 since he could not himself despatch all the work1 he left there ,gian ,girolamo1 his kinsman1 who1 after fortifying ,zara excellently well1 erected from the foundations the marvellous fortress of ,s4 ,niccol1 over the mouth of the harbour of ,sebenico4 ,meanwhile ,michele was sent in great haste to ,corfu1 and restored the fortress there in many parts2 and he did the same in all the places in ,cyprus and ,candia4 ,even so1 not long afterwards--on account of a fear that the island might be lost1 by reason of the war with the ,turks1 which was imminent--he was forced to return there1 after having inspected the fortresses of the ,venetian dominion in ,italy1 to fortify1 with incredible rapidity1 ,canea1 ,candia1 ,retimo1 and ,settia1 but particularly ,canea and ,candia1 which he rebuilt from the foundations and made impregnable4 ,napoli di ,romania being then besieged by the ,turks1 what with the diligence of ,s4 ,michele in fortifying it and furnishing it with bastions1 and the valour of ,agostino ,chisoni of ,verona1 a very valiant captain1 in defending it with arms1 it was not after all taken by the enemy or forced to surrender4 ,these wars finished1 ,san ,michele went with the ,magnificent ,m4 ,tommaso ,mozzenigo1 ,captain ,general of the ,fleet1 to fortify ,corfu once again2 and they then returned to ,sebenico1 where the diligence of ,gian ,girolamo1 shown by him in constructing the above-mentioned fortress of ,s4 ,niccol1 was much commended4 ,san ,michele having then returned to ,venice1 where he was much extolled for the works executed in the ,levant in the service of that ,republic1 the ,signori resolved to build a fortress on the ,lido1 at the mouth of the port of ,venice4 ,wherefore1 giving the charge of this to ,san ,michele1 they said to him that1 if he had done such great things far away from ,venice1 he should think how much it was his duty to do in a work of such importance1 which was to lie for ever under the eyes of the ,senate and of so many great lords2 and that in addition1 besides beauty and strength in the work1 there was expected of him particular industry in founding truly and well in a marshy spot1 which was surrounded on all sides by the sea and exposed to the ebb and flow of the tide1 a pile of such importance4 ,san ,michele having therefore not only made a very beautiful and solid model1 but also considered the method of laying the foundations and carrying it into effect1 orders were given to him that he should set his hand to the work without delay4 ,whereupon1 after receiving from those ,signori all that was required1 he prepared the materials for filling in the foundations1 and1 besides this1 caused great numbers of piles to be sunk in double rows1 and then1 with a vast number of persons well acquainted with those waters1 he set himself to make the excavations1 and to contrive by means of pumps and other instruments to keep the water pumped out1 which was seen continually rising from below1 because the site was in the sea4 ,one morning1 finally1 resolving to make a supreme effort to begin the foundations1 and assembling as many men fit for the purpose as could be obtained1 with all the porters of ,venice1 and many of the ,signori being present1 in a moment1 with incredible assiduity and promptitude1 the waters were mastered for a little to such purpose1 that the first stones of the foundations were thrown instantly upon the piles already driven in2 which stones1 being very large1 took up much space and made an excellent foundation4 ,and so1 continuing to keep the water pumped out without losing any time1 almost in a flash those foundations were laid1 contrary to the expectation of many who had looked upon that work as absolutely impossible4 ,the foundations1 when finished1 were allowed sufficient time to settle1 and then ,michele erected upon them a mighty and marvellous fortress1 building it on the outer side all in rustic work1 with very large stones from ,istria1 which are of an extreme hardness and able to withstand wind1 frost1 and the worst of weather4 ,wherefore that fortress1 besides being marvellous with regard to the site on which it is built1 is also1 from the beauty of the masonry and from its incredible cost1 one of the most stupendous that there are in ,europe at the present day1 rivalling the grandeur and majesty of the most famous edifices erected by the greatness of the ,romans2 for1 besides other things1 it appears as if made all from one block1 and as though a mountain of living rock had been carved and given that form1 so large are the blocks of which it is built1 and so well joined and united together1 not to speak of the ornaments and other things that are there1 seeing that one would never be able to say enough to do them justice4 ,within it ,michele afterwards made a piazza1 divided by pilasters and arches of the ,rustic ,order1 which would have proved to be a very rare work1 if it had not been left unfinished4 ,this vast pile having been carried to the condition that has been described1 some malign and envious persons said to the ,signoria that1 although it was very beautiful and built with every possible consideration1 nevertheless it would be useless for any purpose1 and perhaps even dangerous1 for the reason that on discharging the artillery--on account of the great quantity and weight of artillery that the place required--it was almost inevitable that the edifice should split open and fall to the ground4 ,it therefore appeared to those prudent ,signori that it would be well to make certain of this1 the matter being one of great importance2 and they caused to be taken there a vast quantity of artillery1 the heaviest that could be found in the ,arsenal4 ,then1 all the embrasures both above and below having been filled with cannon1 and the cannon charged more heavily than was usual1 they were all fired off together2 whereupon such were the noise1 the thunder1 and the earthquake that resulted1 that it seemed as if the world had burst to pieces1 and the fortress1 with all those flaming cannon1 had the appearance of a volcano and of ,hell itself4 ,but for all that the building stood firm in its former strength and solidity1 whereby the ,senate was convinced of the great worth of ,san ,michele1 and the evil-speakers were put to scorn as men of little judgment1 although they had put such terror into everyone1 that the ladies then pregnant1 fearing some great disaster1 had withdrawn from ,venice4 ,not long afterwards a place of no little importance on the coast near ,venice1 called ,marano1 having returned under the dominion of the ,venetians1 was restored and fortified with promptitude and diligence under the direction of ,san ,michele4 ,and about the same time1 the fame of ,michele and of his kinsman1 ,gian ,girolamo1 spreading ever more widely1 they were requested many times1 both the one and the other1 to go to live with the ,emperor ,charles ,v and with ,king ,francis of ,france2 but1 although they were invited under most honourable conditions1 they would not leave their own masters to enter into the service of foreigners4 ,indeed1 continuing in their offices1 they went about inspecting and restoring every year1 wherever it was necessary1 all the cities and fortresses of the ,state of ,venice4 ,illustration3 ,,porta ,,del ,,palio 7,after ,michele ,san ,michele4 ,verona7 ,alinari ,but more than all the rest did ,michele fortify and adorn his native city of ,verona1 making there1 besides other things1 those most beautiful gates of the city1 which have no equal in any other place4 ,one was the ,porta ,nuova1 all in the ,dorico-rustic ,order1 which in its solidity and massive firmness corresponds to the strength of the site1 being all built of tufa and pietra viva1#aj and having within it rooms for the soldiers who mount guard there1 and many other conveniences1 never before added to that kind of building4 ,that edifice1 which is quadrangular and open above1 serving with its embrasures as a cavalier1 defends two great bastions1 or rather1 towers1 which stand one on either side of the gate at proper distances2 and all is done with so much judgment1 cost1 and magnificence1 that no one thought that for the future there could be executed any work of greater grandeur or better design1 even as none such had been seen in the past4 ,but a few years afterwards the same ,san ,michele founded and carried upwards the gate commonly called the ,porta dal ,palio1 which is in no way inferior to that described above1 but equally beautiful1 grand1 and magnificent1 or even more so1 and designed excellently well4 ,and1 in truth1 in these two gates the ,signori of ,venice may be seen to have equalled1 by means of the genius of this architect1 the edifices and fabrics of the ancient ,romans4 ,footnote #aj3 ,any kind of stone that is easily split4 ,this last gate1 then1 is on the outer side of the ,doric ,order1 with immense projecting columns1 all fluted according to the manner of that ,order2 and these columns1 which are eight in all1 are placed in pairs4 ,four serve to enclose the gate1 with the arms of the ,rectors of the city1 between one and another1 on either side1 and the other four1 likewise in pairs1 make a finish to the angles of the gate1 the faade of which is very wide and all of bosses1 or rather1 blocks1 not rough1 but made smooth1 with very beautiful ornamentation2 and the opening1 or rather passage1 through the gate1 is left quadrangular1 but of an architecture that is new1 bizarre1 and most beautiful4 ,above it is a great and very rich ,doric cornice1 with all its appurtenances1 over which1 as may be seen from the model1 was to go a fronton with all its ornaments1 forming a parapet for the artillery1 since this gate1 like the other1 was to serve as a cavalier4 ,within the gate are very large rooms for the soldiers1 with other apartments and conveniences4 ,on the front that faces towards the city1 ,san ,michele made a most beautiful loggia1 all of the ,dorico-rustic ,order on the outer side1 and on the inner all in rustic work1 with very large piers4 that have as ornaments columns round on the outside and on the inside square and projecting to the half of their thickness1 and all made of pieces in rustic masonry1 with ,doric capitals without bases2 and at the top is a great cornice1 likewise ,doric1 and carved1 passing along the whole loggia1 which is of great length1 both within and without4 ,in a word1 this work is marvellous2 wherefore it was well and truly spoken by the most illustrious ,signor ,sforza ,pallavicino1 ,captain ,general of the ,venetian forces1 when he said that there was not to be found in all ,europe any structure that could in any way compare with it4 ,this was the last of ,michele's marvels1 for the reason that he had scarcely erected the whole of the first range described above1 when he finished the course of his life4 ,wherefore the work remained unfinished1 nor will it ever be finished at all1 for there are not wanting certain malignant persons--as always happens with great works--who censure it1 striving to diminish the glory of others by their malignity and evil-speaking1 since they fail by a great measure to achieve similar things with their own powers4 ,the same master built another gate at ,verona1 called the ,porta di ,s4 ,zeno1 which is very beautiful2 in any other place1 indeed1 it would be marvellous1 but in ,verona its beauty and artistry are obscured by the two others described above4 ,a work of ,michele's1 likewise1 is the bastion1 or rather rampart1 that is near this gate1 and also another that is lower down1 opposite to ,s4 ,bernardino1 and another between them1 called ,dell',acquaio1 which is opposite to the ,campo ,marzio2 and also that surpassing all the others in size1 which is placed by the ,chain1 where the ,adige enters the city4 ,illustration3 ,,cappella ,,de' ,,pellegrini 7,after ,michele ,san ,michele4 ,verona3 ,s4 ,bernardino7 ,alinari ,at ,padua he built the bastion called the ,cornaro1 and likewise that of ,s4 ,croce1 which are both of marvellous size1 and constructed in the modern manner1 according to the order invented by ,michele himself4 ,for the method of making bastions with angles was the invention of ,michele1 and before his day they were made round2 and whereas that kind of bastion was very difficult to defend1 at the present day1 having an obtuse angle on the outer side1 they can be defended with ease1 either from the cavalier erected between the two bastions and near to them1 or1 indeed1 from the other bastion1 provided that it be near the one attacked and the ditch wide4 ,his invention1 also1 was the method of making bastions with three platforms1 whereby the two at the sides guard and defend the ditch and the curtains1 with their open embrasures1 and the merlon in the centre defends itself and attacks the enemy in front4 ,this method of fortification has since been imitated by everyone1 causing the abandonment of the ancient fashion of subterranean embrasures1 called casemates1 in which1 on account of the smoke and other impediments1 the artillery could not be well handled2 not to mention that they often weakened the foundations of the towers and walls4 ,the same ,michele built two very beautiful gates at ,legnago4 ,he directed at ,peschiera the work of the first foundation of that fortress1 and likewise many works at ,brescia2 and he always did everything with such diligence and such good foundations1 that not one of his buildings ever showed a crack4 ,finally1 he restored the fortress of ,la ,chiusa above ,verona1 making it possible for persons to pass by without entering the fortress1 but yet in such a manner that1 on the raising of a bridge by those who are within1 no one can pass by against their will1 or even show himself on the road1 which is very narrow and cut out of the rock4 ,he also built at ,verona1 just after he had returned from ,rome1 the very beautiful bridge over the ,adige1 called the ,ponte ,nuovo1 doing this at the commission of ,messer ,giovanni ,emo1 at that time ,podest of that city2 which bridge was on account of its strength1 as it still is1 a marvellous thing4 ,michele was excellent not only in fortifications1 but also in private buildings and in temples1 churches1 and monasteries1 as may be seen from many buildings at ,verona and other places1 and particularly from the most ornate and beautiful ,chapel of the ,guareschi in ,s4 ,bernardino1 which is round after the manner of a temple1 and in the ,corinthian ,order1 with all the ornaments which that manner admits4 ,that chapel1 ,i say1 he built all of that white pietra viva1 which1 from the sound that it makes when it is being worked1 is called in that city ,bronzo2 and1 in truth1 that kind of stone1 after fine marble1 is the most beautiful that has been found down to our own times1 being absolutely solid and without holes or spots that might spoil it4 ,since that chapel1 then1 is built on the inside all of that most beautiful stone1 and wrought by excellent masters of carving1 and put together very well1 it is considered that among works of that kind there is at the present day no other more beautiful in all ,italy4 ,for ,michele made the whole work curve in a circle in such a manner1 that three altars which are in it1 with their pediments and cornices1 and likewise the space of the door1 all turn in a perfect round1 almost after the likeness of the entrances that ,filippo ,brunelleschi made in the ,chapels of the ,temple of the ,angeli in ,florence2 which is a very difficult thing to do4 ,michele then made therein a gallery over the first range of columns1 which circles right round the chapel1 and there are to be seen most beautiful carvings in the form of columns1 capitals1 foliage1 grotesques1 little pilasters1 and other things1 carved with incredible diligence4 ,the door of that chapel he made quadrangular on the outer side1 of the ,corinthian ,order and very beautiful1 and similar to an ancient door that he saw1 so he used to say1 in some place at ,rome4 ,it is true1 indeed1 that this work1 after having been left unfinished by ,michele1 ,i know not for what reason1 was given1 either from avarice or from lack of judgment1 to certain others to be finished1 who spoiled it1 to the infinite vexation of ,michele1 who in his lifetime saw it ruined before his very eyes1 without being able to prevent it2 wherefore he used to complain at times to his friends1 but only on this account1 that he had not thousands of ducats wherewith to buy it from the avaricious hands of a woman who1 by spending less than she was able1 was shamefully spoiling it4 ,a work of ,michele's was the design of the round ,temple of the ,madonna di ,campagna1 near ,verona1 which was very beautiful1 although the parsimony1 weakness1 and little judgment of the ,wardens of that building have since disfigured it in many parts2 and even worse would they have done1 if ,bernardino ,brugnuoli1 a kinsman of ,michele1 had not had charge of it and made a complete model1 after which the building of that temple1 as well as of many others1 is now being carried forward4 ,for the ,friars of ,s4 ,maria in ,organo1 or rather1 the ,monks of ,monte ,oliveto in ,verona1 he made a design of the ,corinthian ,order1 which was most beautiful1 for the faade of their church4 ,this faade1 after being carried to a certain height by ,paolo ,san ,michele1 was left not long since in that condition1 on account of many expenses that were incurred by those monks in other matters1 but even more by reason of the death of him who had begun it1 ,don ,cipriano of ,verona1 a man of saintly life and of much authority in that ,order1 of which he was twice ,general4 ,at ,s4 ,giorgio in ,verona1 a convent of the ,regular ,priests of ,s4 ,giorgio in ,alega1 the same ,michele directed the building of the cupola of that church1 which was a very beautiful work1 and succeeded against the expectations of many who did not think that the structure would ever remain standing1 on account of the weakness of its supports2 but these were then so strengthened by ,michele1 that there is no longer anything to fear4 ,in the same convent he made the design and laid the foundations of a very beautiful campanile of hewn stone1 partly tufa and partly pietra viva1 which was carried well forward by him1 and is now being continued by the above-mentioned ,bernardino1 his nephew1 who is employed in carrying it to completion4 ,monsignor ,luigi ,lippomani1 ,bishop of ,verona1 having resolved to carry to completion the campanile of his church1 which had been begun a hundred years before1 caused a design for this to be made by ,michele1 who did it very beautifully1 taking into consideration the preserving of the old part and the expense that the ,bishop was able to incur4 ,but a certain ,messer ,domenico ,porzio1 a ,roman1 and his vicar1 a person with little knowledge of building1 although otherwise a worthy man1 allowed himself to be imposed upon by one who also knew little about it1 and gave him the charge of carrying on that fabric4 ,whereupon that person built it of unprepared stone from the mountains1 and made the stairs in the thickness of the walls1 doing all this in such a manner1 that everyone who was even slightly conversant with architecture foretold that which afterwards happened--namely1 that the structure would not remain standing4 ,and1 among others1 the very reverend ,fra ,marco de' ,medici of ,verona1 who1 in addition to his other more serious studies1 has always delighted in architecture1 as he still does1 predicted what would happen to such a building2 but he was answered thus3 ,fra ,marco counts for much in his own profession of letters1 philosophy1 and theology1 wherein he is public lecturer1 but in architecture he does not fish so deeply as to command belief4 ,finally1 that campanile1 having risen to the level where the bells were to be1 opened out in four parts in such a manner1 that1 after having spent many thousands of crowns in building it1 they had to give three hundred crowns to the builders to throw it to the ground1 lest it should fall by itself1 as it would have done in a few days1 and destroy everything all around4 ,and it is only right that this should happen to those who desert good and eminent masters1 and mix themselves up with bunglers4 ,the above-named ,monsignor ,luigi having afterwards been chosen ,bishop of ,bergamo1 ,monsignor ,agostino ,lippomani was made ,bishop of ,verona in his place1 and he commissioned ,michele to reconstruct almost anew the model of that campanile1 and to set to work4 ,and after him1 according to the same model1 ,monsignor ,girolamo ,trivisani1 a friar of ,s4 ,dominic1 who succeeded the last-named ,lippomani in the bishopric1 has caused that work to be continued1 which is now progressing passing slowly4 ,the model is very beautiful1 and the stairs are being accommodated within the tower in such a manner1 that the fabric remains stable and very strong4 ,for the noble ,counts della ,torre of ,verona1 ,michele built a very beautiful chapel in the manner of a round temple1 with the altar in the centre1 at their villa of ,fumane4 ,and in the ,church of the ,santo1 at ,padua1 a very handsome tomb was built under his direction for ,messer ,alessandro ,contarini1 ,procurator of ,s4 ,mark1 who had been ,proveditor to the ,venetian forces2 in which tomb it would seem that ,michele sought to show in what manner such works should be done1 departing from a kind of commonplace method which1 in his opinion1 had in it more of the altar or chapel than of the tomb4 ,this work1 which is very rich in ornamentation1 solid in composition1 and warlike in character1 has as ornaments a ,thetis and two prisoners by the hand of ,alessandro ,vittoria1 which are held to be good figures1 and a head1 or rather1 effigy from life of the above-named lord1 with armour on the breast1 executed in marble by ,danese da ,carrara4 ,there are1 in addition1 other ornaments in abundance2 prisoners1 trophies1 spoils of war1 and others1 of which there is no need to make mention4 ,in ,venice he made the model of the ,convent of the ,nuns of ,s4 ,biagio ,catoldo1 which was much extolled4 ,it was then resolved at ,verona to rebuild the ,lazzaretto1 a dwelling1 or rather1 hospital1 which serves for the sick in times of plague1 the old one having been destroyed together with other edifices that had been in the suburbs2 and ,michele was commissioned to make a design for this 7which proved to be beautiful beyond all expectations71 to the end that it might be put into execution on a spot near the river1 at some distance from the city and beyond the esplanade4 ,but this design1 truly most beautiful and excellently well considered in every part1 which is now in the possession of the heirs of ,luigi ,brugnuoli1 ,michele's nephew1 was not carried completely into execution by certain persons1 by reason of their little judgment and poverty of spirit1 but much restricted1 curtailed1 and reduced to mean proportions by those persons1 who used the authority that they had received in the matter from the public in disfiguring the work1 in consequence of the untimely death of some gentlemen who were in charge of it at the beginning1 and who had a greatness of spirit equal to their nobility of blood4 ,a work of ,michele's1 likewise1 was the very beautiful palace that the noble ,counts of ,canossa have at ,verona1 which was built at the commission of the very reverend ,monsignor di ,bajus1 who once was ,count ,lodovico ,canossa1 a man so much celebrated by all the writers of his time4 ,for the same ,monsignor ,michele built another magnificent palace in the ,villa of ,grezzano1 in the ,veronese territory4 ,under the direction of the same architect the faade of the ,counts ,bevilacqua was reconstructed1 and all the apartments were restored in the castle of those lords1 called ,la ,bevilacqua4 ,and at ,verona1 likewise1 he built the house and faade of the ,lavezzoli1 which were much extolled4 ,in ,venice he built from the foundations the very rich and magnificent palace of the ,cornaro family1 near ,s4 ,polo1 and restored another palace1 also of the ,cornaro family1 which is by ,s4 ,benedetto all',albore1 for ,m4 ,giovanni ,cornaro1 of whom ,michele was much the friend2 and this led to ,giorgio ,vasari painting nine pictures in oils for the ceiling of a magnificent apartment1 all adorned with woodwork carved and richly overlaid with gold1 in that palace4 ,in like manner1 he restored the house of the ,bragadini1 opposite to ,s4 ,marina1 and made it very commodious and ornate4 ,and in the same city he founded and raised above the ground after a model of his own1 at incredible cost1 the marvellous palace of the most noble ,m4 ,girolamo ,grimani1 near ,s4 ,luca1 on the ,grand ,canal2 but ,michele1 being overtaken by death1 was not able to carry it to completion himself1 and the other architects chosen in his stead by that nobleman altered his design and model in many parts4 ,near ,castelfranco1 on the borders of the territories of ,padua and ,treviso1 there was built under the direction of the same ,michele the most famous ,palace of the ,soranzi1 called by that family ,la ,soranza2 which palace is held to be1 for a country residence1 the most beautiful and the most commodious that had been built in those parts up to that time4 ,he also built the ,casa ,cornara at ,piombino1 in that territory1 and so many other private houses1 that it would make too long a story to attempt to speak of them all2 let it be enough to have made mention of the most important4 ,i will not1 indeed1 refrain from recording that he made most beautiful gates for two palaces1 one of which was that of the ,rectors and of the ,captain1 and the other that of the ,palazzo del ,podest1 both in ,verona and worthy of the highest praise1 although the latter1 which is in the ,ionic ,order1 with double columns and very ornate intercolumniations1 and some ,victories at the angles1 has a somewhat dwarfed appearance by reason of the lowness of the site where it stands1 particularly because it is without pedestals and very wide on account of the double columns2 but such was the wish of ,messer ,giovanni ,delfini1 who had it made4 ,while ,michele was enjoying a tranquil ease in his native place1 and the reputation and renown that his honourable labours had brought him1 there came to him a piece of news that so afflicted him1 that it finished the course of his life4 ,but to the end that the whole may be better understood1 and that all the beautiful works of the ,san ,michele family may be made known in this ,life1 ,i shall say something of ,gian ,girolamo1 the kinsman of ,michele4 ,illustration3 ,,palazzo ,,grimani 7,after ,michele ,san ,michele4 ,venice7 ,anderson ,this ,gian ,girolamo1 then1 was the son of ,paolo1 the cousin of ,michele1 and1 being a young man of very beautiful genius1 was instructed with such diligence by ,michele in the matters of architecture1 and so beloved by him1 that he would always have the young man with him in all undertakings of importance1 and particularly in fortifications4 ,having therefore become in a short time so excellent1 with the help of such a master1 that the most difficult work of fortification could be entrusted to him1 in which manner of architecture he took particular delight1 his ability was recognized by the ,signori of ,venice1 and he was placed with a good salary among the number of their architects1 although he was very young1 and then sent now to one place and now to another1 to inspect and restore the fortresses of their dominion1 and at times to carry into execution the designs of his kinsman ,michele4 ,and1 among other places1 he took part with much judgment and labour in the fortification of ,zara1 and in the marvellous fortress of ,s4 ,niccol at ,sebenico1 placed1 as has been mentioned1 at the mouth of the port2 which fortress1 erected by him from the very foundations1 is held to be1 for a private fortress1 one of the strongest and best designed that there are to be seen4 ,he also reconstructed after his own designs1 with the advice of his kinsman1 the great fortress of ,corfu1 which is considered the key of ,italy on that side4 ,in this fortress1 ,i say1 ,gian ,girolamo rebuilt the two great towers that face towards the land1 making them much larger and stronger than they were before1 with open embrasures and platforms that flank the ditch in the modern manner1 after the invention of his kinsman4 ,he then caused the ditches to be made much wider than they were before1 and had a hill levelled1 which1 being near the fortress1 appeared to command it4 ,but1 besides the many other works that he did there with great consideration1 what gave most satisfaction was that in one corner of the fortress he made a place of great size and strength1 in which in time of siege the people of that island can stay in safety without any danger of being captured by the enemy4 ,on account of these works ,gian ,girolamo came into such credit with the above-named ,signori1 that they ordained him a salary equal to that of his kinsman1 judging him to be not inferior to ,michele1 and even superior in that work of fortification3 which gave the greatest contentment to ,san ,michele1 who saw his own art advancing in the person of his relative in proportion as old age was taking away from himself the power to go further4 ,gian ,girolamo1 besides his great judgment in recognizing the nature of different sites1 showed much industry in having them represented by designs and models in relief1 insomuch that he enabled his patrons to see even the most minute details of his fortifications in very beautiful models of wood that he would cause to be made2 which diligence pleased them vastly1 for without leaving ,venice they saw every day how matters were proceeding in the most distant parts of their ,state4 ,in order that they might be the more readily seen by everyone1 these models were kept in the ,palazzo del ,principe1 in a place where the ,signori could examine them at their convenience2 and to the end that ,gian ,girolamo might continue to pursue that course1 they not only reimbursed him the expenses that he incurred in making the above-mentioned models1 but also showed him many other courtesies4 ,gian ,girolamo could have gone to serve many lords1 with large salaries1 but he would never leave his ,venetian ,signori2 nay1 at the advice of his father and his kinsman ,michele1 he took a wife in ,verona1 a noble young woman of the ,fracastoro family1 with the intention of always living in those parts4 ,but he had been not more than a few days with his beloved bride1 who was called ,madonna ,ortensia1 when he was summoned by his patrons to ,venice1 and thence sent in great haste to ,cyprus to inspect every place in that island1 orders having been given to all the officials that they should provide him with all that he might require for any purpose4 ,having then arrived in that island1 in three months ,gian ,girolamo went all round it and diligently inspected everything1 putting every detail into writing and drawing1 in order to be able to give an account of the whole to his masters4 ,but1 while he was attending with too much care and solicitude to his office1 paying little regard to his own life1 in the burning heat which prevailed at that time in the island he fell sick of a pestilential fever1 which robbed him of life in six days2 although some said that he had been poisoned4 ,however that may have been1 he died content in being in the service of his masters and employed by them in works of importance1 knowing that they had trusted more in his fidelity and his skill in fortification than in those of any other man4 ,the moment that he fell sick1 knowing that he was dying1 he gave all the drawings and writings that he had prepared on the works in that island into the hands of the architect ,luigi ,brugnuoli1 his kinsman by marriage 7who was then engaged in the fortification of ,famagosta1 which is the key of that kingdom71 to the end that he might carry them to his masters4 ,when the news of ,gian ,girolamo's death arrived in ,venice1 there was not one of the ,senate who did not feel indescribable sorrow at the loss of such a man1 who had been so devoted to that ,republic4 ,gian ,girolamo died at the age of forty-five1 and received honourable burial from his above-named kinsman in ,s4 ,niccol at ,famagosta4 ,then1 having returned to ,venice1 ,brugnuoli presented ,gian ,girolamo's drawings and writings2 which done1 he was sent to give completion to the fortifications of ,legnago1 where he had spent many years in executing the designs and models of his uncle4 ,but he had not been long in that place when he died1 leaving two sons1 who are men of passing good ability in design and in the practice of architecture4 ,bernardino1 the elder1 has now many undertakings on his hands1 such as the building of the campanile of the ,duomo1 that of ,s4 ,giorgio1 and that of the church called the ,madonna di ,campagna1 in which and other works that he is directing at ,verona and other places1 he is succeeding excellently well2 and particularly in the ornamental work of the principal chapel of ,s4 ,giorgio at ,verona1 which is of the composite order1 and such that in size1 design1 and workmanship1 the people of ,verona declare that they do not believe that there is one equal to it to be found in ,italy4 ,this work1 which follows the curve of the recess1 is of the ,corinthian ,order1 with composite capitals and double columns in full relief1 and pilasters behind4 ,in like manner1 the frontispiece which surmounts the whole also curves in very masterly fashion according to the shape of the recess1 and has all the ornaments which that ,order embraces4 ,wherefore ,monsignor ,barbaro1 ,patriarch-elect of ,aquileia1 a man with a great knowledge of the profession1 who has written of it1 on his return from the ,council of ,trent saw not without marvel all that had been done in that work1 and that which was being done every day2 and1 after considering it several times1 he had to say that he had never seen the like1 and that nothing better could be done4 ,and let this suffice as a proof of what may be expected from the genius of ,bernardino1 who was born on the mother's side from the ,san ,michele family4 ,but let us return to ,michele1 from whom we digressed1 not without reason1 some little time back4 ,he was struck by such grief at the death of ,gian ,girolamo1 in whom he saw the house of ,san ,michele become extinct1 since his kinsman left no children1 that1 although he strove to conquer or conceal it1 in a few days he was overcome by a malignant fever1 to the inconsolable sorrow of his country and of his most illustrious patrons4 ,michele died in the year #aeei1 and was buried in ,s4 ,tommaso1 a church of ,carmelite ,friars1 where there is the ancient burial-place of his forefathers2 and at the present day ,messer ,niccol ,san ,michele1 a physician1 has set his hand to erecting him an honourable tomb1 which is even now being carried into execution4 ,michele was a man of most upright life1 and most honourable in his every action4 ,he was a cheerful person1 yet with an admixture of seriousness4 ,he feared ,god1 and was very religious1 insomuch that he would never set himself to do anything in the morning without having first heard ,mass devoutly and said his prayers2 and at the beginning of any undertaking of importance1 in the morning1 before doing any other thing1 he would always have the ,mass of the ,holy ,spirit or of the ,madonna solemnly chanted4 ,he was very liberal1 and so courteous with his friends1 that they were as much masters of his possessions as he was himself4 ,and ,i will not withhold a proof of his great loyalty and goodness1 which ,i believe few others know besides myself4 ,when ,giorgio ,vasari1 of whom1 as has been told1 he was much the friend1 parted from him for the last time in ,venice1 ,michele said to him3 ,i would have you know1 ,messer ,giorgio1 that1 when ,i was in my youth at ,monte ,fiascone1 ,i became enamoured1 as fortune would have it1 of the wife of a stone-cutter1 and received from her complaisance all that ,i desired2 but no one ever heard of it from me4 ,now1 having heard that the poor woman has been left a widow1 with a daughter ready for a husband1 whom she says she conceived by me1 ,i wish--although it may well be that this is not true1 and such is my belief--that you should take to her these fifty crowns of gold and give them to her on my part1 for the love of ,god1 to the end that she may use them for her advantage and settle her daughter according to her station4 ,giorgio1 therefore1 going to ,rome1 and arriving at ,monte ,fiascone1 although the good woman freely confessed to him that the girl was not the daughter of ,michele1 insisted1 in obedience to ,michele's command1 on paying her the fifty crowns1 which were as welcome to that poor woman as five hundred would have been to another4 ,michele1 then1 was courteous beyond the courtesy of any other man1 insomuch that he no sooner heard of the needs and desires of his friends1 than he sought to gratify them1 even to the spending of his life2 nor did any person ever do him a service that was not repaid many times over4 ,giorgio ,vasari once made for him in ,venice1 with the greatest diligence at his command1 a large drawing in which the proud ,lucifer and his followers1 vanquished by the ,angel ,michael1 could be seen raining headlong down from ,heaven into the horrible depths of ,hell2 and at that time ,michele did not do anything but thank ,giorgio for it when he took leave of him4 ,but not many days after1 returning to ,arezzo1 ,giorgio found that ,san ,michele had sent long before to his mother1 who lived at ,arezzo1 a quantity of presents beautiful and honourable enough to be the gifts of a very rich nobleman1 with a letter in which he did her great honour for love of her son4 ,many times the ,signori of ,venice offered to increase his salary1 but he refused1 always praying that they should increase his kinsmen's salaries instead of his own4 ,in short1 ,michele was in his every action so gentle1 courteous1 and loving1 that he made himself rightly beloved by innumerable lords2 by ,cardinal de' ,medici1 who became ,pope ,clement ,,vii1 while he was in ,rome2 by ,cardinal ,alessandro ,farnese1 who became ,paul ,,iii2 by the divine ,michelagnolo ,buonarroti2 by ,signor ,francesco ,maria1 ,duke of ,urbino2 and by a vast number of noblemen and senators of ,venice4 ,at ,verona he was much the friend of ,fra ,marco de' ,medici1 a man of great learning and infinite goodness1 and of many others of whom there is no need at present to make mention4 ,now1 in order not to have to turn back in a short time to speak of the ,veronese1 taking the opportunity presented by the masters mentioned above1 ,i shall make mention in this place of some painters from that country1 who are still alive and worthy to be named1 and by no means to be passed over in silence4 ,the first of these is ,domenico del ,riccio1 who has painted in fresco1 mostly in chiaroscuro and partly in colour1 three faades of the house of ,fiorio della ,seta at ,verona1 on the ,ponte ,nuovo--that is1 the three that do not look out upon the bridge1 the house standing by itself4 ,in one1 over the river1 are battles of sea-monsters1 in another the battles of the ,centaurs and many rivers1 and in the third two pictures in colour4 ,in the first of these1 which is over the door1 is the ,table of the ,gods1 and in the other1 over the river1 is the fable of the nuptials between the ,benacus1 called the ,lake of ,garda1 and the ,nymph ,caris1 in the person of ,garda1 from whom is born the ,river ,mincio1 which in fact issues from that lake4 ,in the same house is a large frieze wherein are some ,triumphs in colour1 executed in a beautiful and masterly manner4 ,in the house of ,messer ,pellegrino ,ridolfi1 also at ,verona1 the same master painted the ,coronation of the ,emperor ,charles ,v1 and the scene when1 after being crowned in ,bologna1 he rides with the ,pope through the city in great pomp4 ,in oils he has painted the principal altar-piece of the church that the ,duke of ,mantua has built recently near the ,castello1 in which is the ,beheading and ,martyrdom of ,s4 ,barbara1 painted with much diligence and judgment4 ,and what moved the ,duke to have that altar-piece executed by ,domenico was his having seen and much liked his manner in an altar-piece that ,domenico had painted long before for the ,chapel of ,s4 ,margherita in the ,duomo of ,mantua1 in competition with ,paolino1#aa who painted that of ,s4 ,antonio1 with ,paolo ,farinato1 who executed that of ,s4 ,martino1 and with ,battista del ,moro1 who painted that of the ,magdalene2 all which four ,veronese had been summoned thither by ,cardinal ,ercole of ,mantua1 in order to adorn that church1 which had been reconstructed by him after the design of ,giulio ,romano4 ,other works has ,domenico executed in ,verona1 ,vicenza1 and ,venice1 but it must suffice to have spoken of those named4 ,he is an honest and excellent craftsman1 and1 in addition to his painting1 he is a very fine musician1 and one of the first in the most noble ,philharmonic ,academy of ,verona4 ,footnote #aa3 ,paolo ,caliari or ,veronese4 ,not inferior to him will be his son ,felice1 who1 although still young1 has proved himself a painter out of the ordinary in an altar-piece that he has executed for the ,church of the ,trinita1 in which are the ,madonna and six other ,saints1 all of the size of life4 ,nor is this any marvel1 for the young man learned his art in ,florence1 living in the house of ,bernardo ,canigiani1 a ,florentine gentleman and a crony of his father ,domenico4 ,in the same ,verona1 also1 lives ,bernardino1 called ,l',india1 who1 besides many other works1 has painted the ,fable of ,psyche in most beautiful figures on the ceiling of a chamber in the house of ,count ,marc',antonio del ,tiene4 ,and he has painted another chamber1 with beautiful inventions and a lovely manner of painting1 for ,count ,girolamo of ,canossa4 ,a much extolled painter1 also1 is ,eliodoro ,forbicini1 a young man of most beautiful genius and of considerable skill in every manner of painting1 but particularly in making grotesques1 as may be seen in the two chambers mentioned above and in other places where he has worked4 ,in like manner ,battista da ,verona1 who is called thus1 and not otherwise1 out of his own country1 after having learned the first rudiments of painting from an uncle at ,verona1 placed himself with the excellent ,tiziano in ,venice1 under whom he has become a very good painter4 ,when a young man1 this ,battista painted in company with ,paolino a hall in the ,palace of the ,paymaster and ,assessor ,portesco at ,tiene in the territory of ,vicenza2 where they executed a vast number of figures1 which acquired credit and repute for both the one and the other4 ,with the same ,paolino he executed many works in fresco in the ,palace of the ,soranza at ,castelfranco1 both having been sent to work there by ,michele ,san ,michele1 who loved them as his sons4 ,and with him1 also1 he painted the faade of the house of ,m4 ,antonio ,cappello1 which is on the ,grand ,canal in ,venice2 and then1 still together1 they painted the ceiling1 or rather1 soffit in the ,hall of the ,council of ,ten1 dividing the pictures between them4 ,not long afterwards1 having been summoned to ,vicenza1 ,battista executed many works there1 both within and around the city2 and recently he has painted the faade of the ,monte della ,piet1 wherein he has executed an infinite number of nude figures in various attitudes1 larger than life1 with very good design1 and all in so few months1 that it has been a marvel4 ,and if he has done so much at so early an age 7for he is not yet past thirty71 everyone may imagine what may be expected of him in the course of his life4 ,a ,veronese1 likewise1 is one ,paolino1 a painter who is in very good repute in ,venice at the present day1 in that1 although he is not yet more than thirty years of age1 he has executed many works worthy of praise4 ,this master1 who was born at ,verona to a stone-cutter1 or1 as they say in those parts1 a stone-hewer1 after having learned the rudiments of painting from ,giovanni ,caroto of ,verona1 painted in fresco1 in company with the above-named ,battista1 the hall of the ,paymaster and ,assessor ,portesco at ,tiene1 in the ,vicentino2 and afterwards at the ,soranza1 with the same companion1 many works executed with good design and judgment and a beautiful manner4 ,at ,masiera1 near ,asolo in the ,trevisano1 he has painted the very beautiful house of ,signor ,daniello ,barbaro1 ,patriarch-elect of ,aquileia4 ,at ,verona1 for the ,refectory of ,s4 ,nazzaro1 a monastery of ,black ,friars1 he has painted in a large picture on canvas the supper that ,simon the ,leper gave to ,our ,lord1 when the woman of sin threw herself at ,his feet1 with many figures1 portraits from life1 and very rare perspective-views2 and under the table are two dogs so beautiful that they appear real and alive1 and further away certain cripples executed excellently well4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,feast ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,levi 7,after the painting by ,paolo ,veronese ,paolino or ,caliari4 ,venice3 ,accademia1 #bjc7 ,anderson ,by the hand of ,paolino1 in the ,hall of the ,council of ,ten at ,venice1 in an oval that is larger than certain others that are there1 placed1 as the principal one1 in the centre of the ceiling1 is a ,jove who is driving away the ,vices1 in order to signify that that supreme and absolute tribunal drives away vice and chastises wicked and vicious men4 ,the same master painted the soffit1 or rather1 ceiling of the ,church of ,s4 ,sebastiano1 which is a very rare work1 and the altar-piece of the principal chapel1 together with some pictures that serve to adorn it1 and likewise the doors of the organ2 which are all pictures truly worthy of the highest praise4 ,in the ,hall of the ,grand ,council he painted a large picture of ,frederick ,barbarossa presenting himself to the ,pope1 with a good number of figures varied in their costumes and vestments1 all most beautiful and representing worthily the ,court of a ,pope and an ,emperor1 and also a ,venetian ,senate1 with many noblemen and ,senators of that ,republic1 portrayed from life4 ,in short1 this work is such in its grandeur and design1 and in the beauty and variety of the attitudes1 that it is rightly extolled by everyone4 ,after this scene1 ,paolino painted the ceilings of certain chambers1 which are used by that ,council of ,ten1 with figures in oils1 which are much foreshortened and very rare4 ,in like manner1 he painted in fresco the faade of the house of a merchant1 which was a very beautiful work1 on the road from ,s4 ,maurizio to ,s4 ,mois2 but the wind from the sea is little by little destroying it4 ,for ,camillo ,trevisani1 at ,murano1 he painted a loggia and an apartment in fresco1 which were much extolled4 ,and in ,s4 ,giorgio ,maggiore at ,venice1 at the head of a large apartment1 he painted in oils the ,marriage of ,cana in ,galilee1 which was a marvellous work for its grandeur1 the number of figures1 the variety of costumes1 and the invention2 and1 if ,i remember right1 there are to be seen in it more than one hundred and fifty heads1 all varied and executed with great diligence4 ,the same ,paolino was commissioned by the ,procurators of ,s4 ,mark to paint certain angular medallions that are in the ceiling of the ,nicene ,library1 which was left to the ,signoria by ,cardinal ,bessarion1 with a vast treasure of ,greek books4 ,now the above-named lords1 when they had the painting of that library begun1 promised a prize of honour1 in addition to the ordinary payment1 to him who should acquit himself best in painting it2 and the pictures were divided among the best painters that there were at that time in ,venice4 ,when the work was finished and the pictures painted had been very well considered1 a chain of gold was placed round the neck of ,paolino1 he being the man who was judged to have done better than all the others4 ,the picture that gave him the victory and the prize of honour was that wherein he painted ,music1 in which are depicted three very beautiful young women1 one of whom1 the most beautiful1 is playing a great bass-viol1 looking down at the fingerboard of the instrument1 the attitude of her person showing that her ear and her voice are fixed intently on the sound2 and of the other two1 one is playing a lute1 and the other singing from a book4 ,near these women is a ,cupid without wings1 who is playing a harpsichord1 signifying that ,love is born from ,music1 or rather1 that ,love is always in company with ,music2 and1 because he never parts from her1 ,paolino made him without wings4 ,in the same picture he painted ,pan1 the ,god1 according to the poets1 of shepherds1 with certain pipes made of the bark of trees1 as it were consecrated to him as votive offerings by shepherds who have been victorious in playing them4 ,two other pictures ,paolino painted in the same place2 in one is ,arithmetic1 with certain ,philosophers dressed in the ancient manner1 and in the other is ,honour1 seated on a throne1 to whom sacrifices are being offered and royal crowns presented4 ,but1 seeing that this young man is at this very moment at the height of his activity and not yet in his thirty-second year1 ,i shall say nothing more of him for the present4 ,illustration3 ,,venice ,,enthroned1 ,,with ,,justice ,,and ,,peace 7,after the painting by ,paolo ,veronese ,paolino or ,caliari4 ,venice3 ,ducal ,palace7 ,anderson ,likewise a ,veronese is ,paolo ,farinato1 an able painter1 who1 after having been a disciple of ,niccol ,ursino1#ab has executed many works at ,verona4 ,the most important are a hall in the house of the ,fumanelli1 which he filled with various scenes in fresco-colours at the desire of ,messer ,antonio1 a gentleman of that family1 most famous as physician over all ,europe1 and two very large pictures in the principal chapel of ,s4 ,maria in ,organo4 ,in one of these is the story of the ,innocents1 and in the other is the scene when the ,emperor ,constantine causes a number of children to be brought before him1 intending to kill them and to bathe in their blood1 in order to cure himself of his leprosy4 ,then in the recess of that chapel are two pictures1 large1 but smaller than the others1 in one of which is ,christ receiving ,s4 ,peter1 who is walking towards ,him on the water1 and in the other the dinner that ,s4 ,gregory gives to certain poor men4 ,in all these works1 which are much to be extolled1 is a vast number of figures1 executed with good design1 study1 and diligence4 ,by the hand of the same master is an altar-picture of ,s4 ,martino that was placed in the ,duomo of ,mantua1 which he executed in competition with others his compatriots1 as has just been related4 ,footnote #ab3 ,giolfino4 ,and let this be the end of the ,lives of the excellent ,michele ,san ,michele and of those other able men of ,verona1 so truly worthy of all praise on account of their excellence in the arts and their great talents4 ,,giovanni ,,antonio ,,bazzi1 ,,called ,,il ,,sodoma ,illustration3 ,,giovanni ,,antonio 7,,il ,,sodoma73 ,,the ,,vision ,,of ,s4 ,,catharine 7,siena3 ,s4 ,domenico4 ,fresco7 ,,life ,,of ,,giovanni ,,antonio ,,bazzi1 ,,called ,,il ,,sodoma ,,painter ,,of ,,vercelli ,if men were to recognize their position when ,fortune presents to them the opportunity to become rich1 obtaining for them the favour of great persons1 and were to exert themselves in their youth to make their merit equal to their good fortune1 marvellous results would be seen to issue from their actions2 whereas very often the contrary is seen to happen1 for the reason that1 even as it is true that he who trusts only in ,fortune generally finds himself deceived1 so it is very clear1 as experience teaches us every day1 that merit alone1 likewise1 if not accompanied by ,fortune1 does not do great things4 ,if ,giovanni ,antonio of ,vercelli1 even as he had good fortune1 had possessed an equal dower of merit1 as he could have done if he had studied1 he would not have been reduced to madness and miserable want in old age at the end of his life1 which was always eccentric and beastly4 ,now ,giovanni ,antonio was taken to ,siena by some merchants1 agents of the ,spannocchi family1 and his good fortune1 or perhaps his bad fortune1 would have it that1 not finding any competition for a time in that city1 he should work there alone2 which1 although it was some advantage to him1 was in the end injurious1 for the reason that he went to sleep1 as it were1 and never studied1 but did most of his work by rule of thumb4 ,and1 if he did study a little1 it was only in drawing the works of ,jacopo della ,fonte1 which were much esteemed1 and in little else4 ,in the beginning he executed many portraits from life with that glowing manner of colouring which he had brought from ,lombardy1 and he thus made many friendships in ,siena1 more because that people is very kindly disposed towards strangers than because he was a good painter2 and1 besides this1 he was a gay and licentious man1 keeping others entertained and amused with his manner of living1 which was far from creditable4 ,in which life1 since he always had about him boys and beardless youths1 whom he loved more than was decent1 he acquired the by-name of ,sodoma2 and in this name1 far from taking umbrage or offence1 he used to glory1 writing about it songs and verses in terza rima1 and singing them to the lute with no little facility4 ,he delighted1 in addition1 to have about the house many kinds of extraordinary animals2 badgers1 squirrels1 apes1 marmosets1 dwarf asses1 horses1 barbs for running races1 little horses from ,elba1 jays1 dwarf fowls1 ,indian turtle-doves1 and other suchlike animals1 as many as he could lay his hands on4 ,but1 besides all these beasts1 he had a raven1 which had learned from him to speak so well1 that in some things it imitated exactly the voice of ,giovanni ,antonio1 and particularly in answering to anyone who knocked at the door1 doing this so excellently that it seemed like ,giovanni ,antonio himself1 as all the people of ,siena know very well4 ,in like manner1 the other animals were so tame that they always flocked round anybody in the house1 playing the strangest pranks and the maddest tricks in the world1 insomuch that the man's house looked like a real ,noah's ,ark4 ,illustration3 ,,scene ,,from ,,the ,,life ,,of ,s4 ,,benedict 7,after the fresco by ,giovanni ,antonio ,bazzi ,il ,sodoma4 ,monte ,oliveto ,maggiore7 ,alinari ,now this manner of living and his eccentric ways1 with his works and pictures1 wherein he did indeed achieve something of the good1 caused him to have such a name among the people of ,siena--that is1 among the populace and the common herd1 for the people of quality knew him better--that he was held by many to be a great man4 ,whereupon1 ,fra ,domenico da ,lecco1 a ,lombard1 having been made ,general of the ,monks of ,monte ,oliveto1 ,sodoma went to visit him at ,monte ,oliveto di ,chiusuri1 the principal seat of that ,order1 distant fifteen miles from ,siena2 and he so contrived with his persuasive words1 that he was commissioned to finish the stories of the life of ,s4 ,benedict1 part of which had been executed on a wall by ,luca ,signorelli of ,cortona4 ,this work he finished for a small enough price1 besides the expenses that he incurred1 and those of certain lads and colour-grinders who assisted him2 nor would it be possible to describe the amusement that he gave while he was labouring at that place to those fathers1 who called him ,il ,mattaccio1#ac in the mad pranks that he played4 ,footnote #ac3 ,madcap or buffoon4 ,illustration3 ,,scene ,,from ,,the ,,life ,,of ,s4 ,,benedict 7,after the fresco by ,giovanni ,antonio ,bazzi ,il ,sodoma4 ,monte ,oliveto ,maggiore7 ,alinari ,but to return to the work4 ,having executed there certain scenes1 which he hurried over mechanically and without diligence1 and the ,general complaining of this1 ,mattaccio said that he worked as he felt inclined1 and that his brush danced to the tune of money1 so that1 if the ,general consented to spend more1 he was confident that he could do much better4 ,the ,general having therefore promised that he would pay him better for the future1 ,giovanni ,antonio painted three scenes1 which still remained to be executed in the corners1 with so much more study and diligence than he had shown in the others1 that they proved to be much finer4 ,in one of these is ,s4 ,benedict departing from ,norcia and from his father and mother1 in order to go to study in ,rome2 in the second1 ,s4 ,mauro and ,s4 ,placido as children1 presented to him and offered to ,god by their fathers2 and in the third1 the ,goths burning ,monte ,cassino4 ,for the last1 in order to do despite to the ,general and the ,monks1 he painted the story of the priest ,fiorenzo1 the enemy of ,s4 ,benedict1 bringing many loose women to dance and sing around the monastery of that holy man1 in order to tempt the purity of those fathers4 ,in this scene ,sodoma1 who was as shameless in his painting as in his other actions1 painted a dance of nude women1 altogether lewd and shameful2 and1 since he would not have been allowed to do it1 as long as he was at work he would never let any of the monks see it4 ,wherefore1 when the scene was uncovered1 the ,general wished by hook or by crook to throw it to the ground and utterly destroy it2 but ,mattaccio1 after much foolish talk1 seeing that father in anger1 clothed all the naked women in that work1 which is one of the best that are there4 ,under each of these scenes he painted two medallions1 and in each medallion a friar1 to represent all the ,generals who had ruled that congregation4 ,and1 since he had not their portraits from life1 ,mattaccio did most of the heads from fancy1 and in some he portrayed old friars who were in the monastery at that time1 and in the end he came to paint the head of the above-named ,fra ,domenico da ,lecco1 who was their ,general in those days1 as has been related1 and was causing him to execute that work4 ,but1 after some of those heads had lost the eyes1 and others had been damaged1 ,fra ,antonio ,bentivogli1 the ,bolognese1 caused them all to be removed1 for good reasons4 ,now1 while ,mattaccio was executing these scenes1 there had gone thither1 to assume the habit of a monk1 a ,milanese nobleman1 who had a yellow cloak trimmed with black cords1 such as was worn at that time2 and1 after he had put on the monk's habit1 the ,general gave that cloak to ,mattaccio1 who1 by means of a mirror1 painted a portrait of himself with it on his back in one of the scenes1 wherein ,s4 ,benedict1 still almost a child1 miraculously puts together and mends the corn-measure1 or rather1 tub1 of his nurse1 which she had broken4 ,at the feet of the portrait he painted a raven1 an ape1 and others of his animals4 ,this work finished1 he painted the story of the five loaves and two fishes1 with other figures1 in the ,refectory of the ,monastery of ,s4 ,anna1 a seat of the same ,order1 distant five miles from ,monte ,oliveto2 which work completed1 he returned to ,siena4 ,there1 at the ,postierla1 he painted in fresco the faade of the house of ,m4 ,agostino de' ,bardi of ,siena1 in which were some things worthy of praise1 but for the most part they have been consumed by time and the weather4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,marriage ,,of ,,alexander ,,and ,,roxana 7,detail1 after the fresco by ,giovanni ,antonio ,bazzi ,il ,sodoma4 ,rome3 ,villa ,farnesina7 ,braun ,during this time there arrived in ,siena ,agostino ,chigi1 a very rich and famous merchant of that city1 and he became acquainted with ,giovanni ,antonio1 both on account of his follies and because he had the name of a good painter4 ,wherefore he took him in his company to ,rome1 where ,pope ,julius ,,ii was then causing the ,papal apartments in the ,palace of the ,vatican1 which ,pope ,nicholas ,v had formerly erected1 to be painted2 and ,chigi so went to work with the ,pope1 that some painting was given also to ,sodoma4 ,now ,pietro ,perugino1 who was painting the ceiling of an apartment that is beside the ,borgia ,tower1 was working at his ease1 like the old man that he was1 and was not able to set his hand to anything else1 as he had been at first commanded to do3 and there was given to ,giovanni ,antonio to paint another apartment1 which is beside the one that ,perugino was painting4 ,having therefore set his hand to it1 he made the ornamentation of that ceiling with cornices1 foliage1 and friezes2 and then1 in some large medallions1 he executed certain passing good scenes in fresco4 ,but this animal1 devoting his attention to his beasts and his follies1 would not press the work forward2 and therefore1 after ,raffaello da ,urbino had been brought to ,rome by the architect ,bramante1 and it had become known to the ,pope how much he surpassed the others1 his ,holiness ordained that neither ,perugino nor ,giovanni ,antonio should work any more in the above-named apartments2 indeed1 that everything should be thrown to the ground4 ,but ,raffaello1 who was goodness and modesty in person1 left standing all that had been done by ,perugino1 who had once been his master2 and of ,mattaccio's he destroyed nothing save the inner work and the figures of the medallions and scenes1 leaving the friezes and the other ornaments1 which are still round the figures that ,raffaello painted there1 which were ,justice1 ,universal ,knowledge1 ,poetry1 and ,theology4 ,but ,agostino1 who was a gentleman1 without paying any attention to the affront that ,giovanni ,antonio had received1 commissioned him to paint in one of his principal apartments1 which opens into the great hall in his ,palace in the ,trastevere1 the story of ,alexander going to sleep with ,roxana4 ,in that work1 besides other figures1 he painted a good number of ,loves1 some of whom are unfastening ,alexander's cuirass1 some are drawing off his boots1 or rather1 buskins1 some are removing his helmet and dress1 and putting them away2 others scattering flowers over the bed1 and others1 again1 doing other suchlike offices4 ,near the chimney-piece he painted a ,vulcan forging arrows1 which was held at that time to be a passing good and praiseworthy work2 and if ,mattaccio1 who had beautiful gifts and was much assisted by ,nature1 had given his attention1 after that reversal of fortune1 to his studies1 as any other man would have done1 he would have made very great proficience4 ,but he had his mind always set on his amusements1 and he worked by caprice1 caring for nothing so earnestly as for dressing in pompous fashion1 wearing doublets of brocade1 cloaks all adorned with cloth of gold1 the richest caps1 necklaces1 and other suchlike fripperies only fit for clowns and charlatans2 in which things ,agostino1 who liked the man's humour1 found the greatest amusement in the world4 ,julius ,,ii having then come to his death1 and ,leo ,x having been elected1 who took pleasure in eccentric and light-headed figures of fun such as our painter was1 ,mattaccio felt the greatest possible joy1 particularly because he had an ill-will against ,julius1 who had done him that affront1 wherefore1 having set to work in order to make himself known to the new ,pontiff1 he painted in a picture the ,roman ,lucrece1 nude1 who was stabbing herself with a dagger2 and1 since ,fortune takes care of madmen and sometimes aids the thoughtless1 he succeeded in executing a most beautiful female body1 and a head that was breathing4 ,which work finished1 at the instance of ,agostino ,chigi1 who was on terms of strait service with the ,pope1 he presented it to his ,holiness1 by whom he was made a ,chevalier and rewarded for so beautiful a picture4 ,whereupon ,giovanni ,antonio1 believing that he had become a great man1 began to be disinclined to work any more1 save when he was driven by necessity4 ,but1 after ,agostino had gone on some business to ,siena1 taking ,giovanni ,antonio with him1 while staying there he was forced1 being a ,chevalier without an income1 to set himself to painting2 and so he painted an altar-piece containing a ,christ taken down from the ,cross1 on the ground ,our ,lady in a swoon1 and a man in armour who1 having his back turned1 shows his front reflected in a helmet that is on the ground1 bright as a mirror4 ,this work1 which was held to be1 as it is1 one of the best that he ever executed1 was placed in ,s4 ,francesco1 on the right hand as one enters the church4 ,then in the cloister that is beside the above-named church1 he painted in fresco ,christ scourged at the ,column1 with many ,jews around ,pilate1 and with a range of columns drawn in perspective after the manner of wing-walls2 in which work ,giovanni ,antonio made a portrait of himself without any beard--that is1 shaven--and with the hair long1 as it was worn at that time4 ,not long afterwards he executed some pictures for ,signor ,jacopo ,,vi of ,piombino1 and1 while living with him at that place1 some other works on canvas4 ,wherefore by his means1 besides many courtesies and presents that he received from him1 ,giovanni ,antonio obtained from his island of ,elba many little animals such as that island produces1 all of which he took to ,siena4 ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,sebastian 7,after the painting by ,giovanni ,antonio ,il ,sodoma4 ,florence3 ,uffizi1 #abgi7 ,anderson ,arriving next in ,florence1 a monk of the ,brandolini family1 ,abbot of the ,monastery of ,monte ,oliveto1 which is without the ,porta a ,s4 ,friano1 caused him to paint some pictures in fresco on the wall of the refectory2 but since1 like a careless fellow1 he did them without study1 they proved to be such that he was derided and mocked at for his follies by those who were expecting that he would do some extraordinary work4 ,now1 while he was engaged on that work1 having taken a ,barbary horse with him to ,florence1 he set it to run in the race of ,s4 ,barnaba2 and1 as fortune would have it1 the horse ran so much better than the others1 that it won4 ,whereupon1 the boys having1 as is the custom1 to call out the name or by-name of the owner of the horse that had won1 after the running of the race and the fanfare of trumpets1 ,giovanni ,antonio was asked what name they were to call out2 and1 after he had replied1 ,sodoma1 ,sodoma1 the boys called out that name4 ,but some honest old men1 having heard that filthy name1 began to protest against it and to say1 ,what filthy thing is this1 and what ribaldry1 that so vile a name should be cried through our city8 ,insomuch that1 a clamour arising1 poor ,sodoma came within an ace of being stoned by the boys and the populace1 with his horse and the ape that he had with him on the crupper4 ,having in the space of many years got together many prizes1 won in the same way by his horses1 he took the greatest pride in the world in them1 and showed them to all who came into his house2 and very often he made a show of them at his windows4 ,but to return to his works3 he painted for the ,company of ,s4 ,bastiano in ,camollia1 beyond the ,church of the ,umiliati1 on a banner of cloth which is carried in processions1 in oils1 a nude ,s4 ,sebastian1 bound to a tree1 who is standing on the right leg1 with the left in foreshortening1 and raises the head towards an ,angel who is placing a crown upon it4 ,this work is truly beautiful1 and much to be praised4 ,on the reverse side is ,our ,lady with the ,child in her arms1 and below her are ,s4 ,gismondo1 ,s4 ,rocco1 and some ,flagellants kneeling on the ground4 ,it is said that some merchants of ,lucca offered to give three hundred crowns of gold to the men of that ,company for that picture1 but did not obtain it1 because the others did not wish to deprive their ,company and the city of so rare a painting4 ,and1 in truth1 in certain works--whether it was study1 or good fortune1 or chance--,sodoma acquitted himself very well2 but of such he did very few4 ,in the ,sacristy of the ,friars of the ,carmine is a picture by the hand of the same master1 wherein is a very beautiful ,nativity of ,our ,lady1 with some nurses2 and on the corner near the ,piazza de' ,tolomei he painted in fresco1 for the ,guild of ,shoemakers1 a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 ,s4 ,john1 ,s4 ,francis1 ,s4 ,rocco1 and ,s4 ,crispino1 the ,patron ,saint of the men of that ,guild1 who has a shoe in his hand4 ,in the heads of these figures1 and in all the rest1 ,giovanni ,antonio acquitted himself very well4 ,in the ,company of ,s4 ,bernardino of ,siena1 beside the ,church of ,s4 ,francesco1 he executed some scenes in fresco in competition with ,girolamo del ,pacchia1 a ,sienese painter1 and ,domenico ,beccafumi--namely1 the ,presentation of ,our ,lady in the ,temple1 when she goes to visit ,s4 ,elizabeth1 her ,assumption1 and when she is crowned in ,heaven4 ,in the angles of the same ,company he painted a ,saint in episcopal robes1 ,s4 ,louis1 and ,s4 ,anthony of ,padua2 but the best figure of all is a ,s4 ,francis1 who1 standing on his feet and raising his head1 is gazing at a little ,angel1 who appears to be in the act of speaking to him2 the head of which ,s4 ,francis is truly marvellous4 ,in the ,palazzo de' ,signori at ,siena1 likewise1 in a hall1 he painted some little tabernacles full of columns and little children1 with other ornaments2 and within these tabernacles are various figures4 ,in one is ,s4 ,vittorio armed in the ancient fashion1 with the sword in his hand2 near him1 in the same manner1 is ,s4 ,ansano1 who is baptizing certain persons2 in another is ,s4 ,benedict2 and all are very beautiful4 ,in the lower part of that ,palace1 where salt is sold1 he painted a ,christ who is returning to life1 with some soldiers about the ,sepulchre1 and two little ,angels1 held to be passing beautiful in the heads4 ,farther on1 over a door1 is a ,madonna with the ,child in her arms1 painted by him in fresco1 and two ,saints4 ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,ansano 7,after the fresco by ,giovanni ,antonio ,bazzi ,il ,sodoma4 ,siena3 ,palazzo ,pubblico7 ,alinari ,in ,s4 ,spirito he painted the ,chapel of ,s4 ,jacopo1 which he did at the commission of the men of the ,spanish colony1 who have their place of burial there2 depicting there an image of the ,madonna after the ancient manner1 with ,s4 ,nicholas of ,tolentino on the right hand1 and1 on the left1 the ,archangel ,s4 ,michael1 who is slaying ,lucifer4 ,above these1 in a lunette1 he painted ,our ,lady placing the sacerdotal habit upon a ,saint1 with some ,angels around4 ,over all these figures1 which are in oils on panel1 there is painted in fresco1 in the semicircle of the vaulting1 a ,s4 ,james in armour on a galloping horse1 who has grasped his sword with a fiery gesture1 and below him are many ,turks1 dead and wounded4 ,below all this1 on the sides of the altar1 are painted in fresco ,s4 ,anthony the ,abbot and a nude ,s4 ,sebastian at the ,column1 which are held to be passing good works4 ,illustration3 ,s4 ,,francis 7,after the fresco by ,giovanni ,antonio ,bazzi ,il ,sodoma4 ,siena3 ,s4 ,bernardino1 ,oratory7 ,alinari ,in the ,duomo of the same city1 on the right hand as one enters the church1 there is upon an altar a picture in oils by his hand1 in which there are ,our ,lady with the ,child on her knee1 ,s4 ,joseph on one side1 and ,s4 ,calixtus on the other2 which work is likewise held to be very beautiful1 because it is evident that in colouring it ,sodoma showed much more diligence than he used to devote to his works4 ,he also painted for the ,company of the ,trinity a bier for carrying the dead to burial1 which was very beautiful2 and he executed another for the ,company of ,death1 which is held to be the most beautiful in ,siena2 and ,i believe that the latter is the finest that there is to be seen1 for1 besides that it is indeed much to be extolled1 it is very seldom that such works are executed at much cost or with much diligence4 ,in the ,church of ,s4 ,domenico1 in the ,chapel of ,s4 ,caterina da ,siena1 where there is in a tabernacle the head of that ,saint1 enclosed in one of silver1 ,giovanni ,antonio painted two scenes1 which are one on either side of that tabernacle4 ,in one1 on the right hand1 is that ,saint when1 having received the ,stigmata from ,jesus ,christ1 who is in the air1 she lies half-dead in the arms of two of her sisters1 who are supporting her2 of which work ,baldassarre ,peruzzi1 the painter of ,siena1 after considering it1 said that he had never seen anyone represent better the expression of persons fainting and half-dead1 or with more similitude to the reality1 than ,giovanni ,antonio had contrived to do4 ,and in truth it is so1 as may be seen1 apart from the work itself1 from the design by ,sodoma's own hand which ,i have in my book of drawings4 ,on the left hand1 in the other picture1 is the scene when the ,angel of ,god carries to the same ,saint the ,host of the most ,holy ,communion1 and she1 raising her head to ,heaven1 sees ,jesus ,christ and ,mary the ,virgin1 while two of her sisters1 her companions1 stand behind her4 ,in another scene1 which is on the wall on the right hand1 is painted the story of a criminal1 who1 going to be beheaded1 would not be converted or commend himself to ,god1 despairing of ,his mercy2 when1 the above-named ,saint praying for him on her knees1 her prayers were so acceptable to the goodness of ,god1 that1 when the felon's head was cut off1 his soul was seen ascending to ,heaven2 such power with the mercy of ,god have the prayers of those saintly persons who are in ,his grace4 ,in this scene is a very great number of figures1 as to which no one should marvel if they are not of the highest perfection1 for the reason that ,i have heard as a fact that ,giovanni ,antonio had sunk to such a pitch in his negligence and slothfulness1 that he would make neither designs nor cartoons when he had any work of that kind to execute1 but would attack the work by designing it with the brush directly on the plaster1 which was a strange thing2 in which method it is evident that this scene was executed by him4 ,the same master also painted the arch in front of that chapel1 making therein a ,god the ,father4 ,the other scenes in that chapel were not finished by him1 partly from his own fault1 he not choosing to work save by caprice1 and partly because he had not been paid by him who was having the chapel painted4 ,below this is a ,god the ,father1 who has beneath ,him a ,virgin in the ancient manner1 on panel1 with ,s4 ,dominic1 ,s4 ,gismondo1 ,s4 ,sebastian1 and ,s4 ,catharine4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,adoration ,,of ,,the ,,magi 7,after the painting by ,giovanni ,antonio ,bazzi ,il ,sodoma4 ,siena3 ,s4 ,agostino7 ,alinari ,for ,s4 ,agostino1 in an altar-piece that is on the right hand at the entrance into the church1 he painted the ,adoration of the ,magi1 which was held to be1 and is1 a good work1 for the reason that1 besides the ,madonna1 which is much extolled1 the first of the three ,magi1 and certain horses1 there is a head of a shepherd between two trees which has all the appearance of life4 ,over a gate of the city1 called the ,porta di ,s4 ,viene1 he painted in fresco1 in a large tabernacle1 the ,nativity of ,jesus ,christ1 with some ,angels in the air2 and on the arch of that gate a child in foreshortening1 very beautiful and in strong relief1 which is intended to signify that the ,word has been made ,flesh4 ,in this work ,sodoma made a portrait of himself1 with a beard1 being now old1 and with a brush in his hand1 which is pointing to a scroll that says ,feci4 ,he painted likewise in fresco the ,chapel of the ,commune at the foot of the ,palace1 in the ,piazza1 representing there ,our ,lady with the ,child in her arms1 upheld by some little ,angels1 ,s4 ,ansano1 ,s4 ,vittorio1 ,s4 ,augustine1 and ,s4 ,james2 and above this1 in a triangular lunette1 he painted a ,god the ,father with some ,angels about ,him4 ,from this work it is evident that when he executed it he was beginning1 as it were1 to have no more love for art1 having lost that certain quality of excellence that he used to have in his better days1 by means of which he gave a certain air of beauty to his heads1 which made them graceful and lovely4 ,and this is manifestly true1 for some works that he executed long before this one have quite another grace and another manner1 as may be seen above the ,postierla1 from a wall in fresco over the door of the ,captain ,lorenzo ,mariscotti1 where there is a ,dead ,christ in the lap of ,his ,mother1 who has a marvellous divinity and grace4 ,in like manner1 a picture in oils of ,our ,lady1 which he painted for ,messer ,enea ,savini della ,costerella1 is much extolled1 and also a canvas that he executed for ,assuero ,rettori of ,s4 ,martino1 in which is the ,roman ,lucrece stabbing herself1 while she is held by her father and her husband1 all painted with much beauty of attitude and marvellous grace in the heads4 ,finally1 perceiving that the devotion of the people of ,siena was all turned to the talents and excellent works of ,domenico ,beccafumi1 and possessing neither house nor revenues in ,siena1 and having by that time consumed almost all his property and become old and poor1 ,giovanni ,antonio departed from ,siena almost in despair and went off to ,volterra4 ,and there1 as his good fortune would have it1 chancing upon ,messer ,lorenzo di ,galeotto de' ,medici1 a rich and honoured nobleman1 he proceeded to live under his protection1 with the intention of staying there a long time4 ,and so1 dwelling in the house of that nobleman1 he painted for him on a canvas the ,chariot of the ,sun1 which1 having been badly guided by ,phathon1 is falling into the ,po2 but it is easy to see that he did that work to pass the time1 and hurried through it by rule of thumb1 without giving any thought to it1 so entirely commonplace is it and so ill-considered4 ,then1 having grown weary of living at ,volterra and in the house of that nobleman1 as one who was accustomed to being free1 he departed and went off to ,pisa1 where1 at the instance of ,battista del ,cervelliera1 he executed two pictures for ,messer ,bastiano della ,seta1 the ,warden of ,works of the ,duomo1 which were placed in the recess behind the high-altar of that ,duomo1 beside those of ,sogliani and ,beccafumi4 ,in one is the ,dead ,christ with ,our ,lady and the other ,maries1 and in the other ,abraham sacrificing his son ,isaac2 but since these pictures did not succeed very well1 the ,warden1 who had intended to make him paint some altar-pieces for the church1 dismissed him1 knowing that men who do not study1 once they have lost in old age the quality of excellence that they had in their youth from nature1 are left with a kind of facility of manner that is generally little to be praised4 ,at that same time ,giovanni ,antonio finished an altar-piece that he had previously begun in oils for ,s4 ,maria della ,spina1 painting in it ,our ,lady with the ,child in her arms1 with ,s4 ,mary ,magdalene and ,s4 ,catharine kneeling before her1 and ,s4 ,john1 ,s4 ,sebastian1 and ,s4 ,joseph standing at the sides2 in all which figures he acquitted himself much better than in the two pictures for the ,duomo4 ,then1 having nothing more to do at ,pisa1 he made his way to ,lucca1 where1 at ,s4 ,ponziano1 a seat of the ,monks of ,monte ,oliveto1 an ,abbot of his acquaintance caused him to paint a ,madonna on the ascent of a staircase that leads to the dormitory4 ,that work finished1 he returned weary1 old1 and poor to ,siena1 where he did not live much longer2 for he fell ill1 through not having anyone to look after him or any means of sustenance1 and went off to the ,great ,hospital1 and there in a few weeks he finished the course of his life4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,sacrifice ,,of ,,isaac 7,after the painting by ,giovanni ,antonio ,bazzi ,il ,sodoma4 ,pisa3 ,duomo7 ,alinari ,giovanni ,antonio1 when young and in good repute1 took for his wife in ,siena a girl born of a very good family1 and had by her in the first year a daughter4 ,but after that1 having grown weary of her1 because he was a beast1 he would never see her more2 and she1 therefore1 withdrawing by herself1 lived always on her own earnings and on the interest of her dowry1 bearing with great and endless patience the beastliness and the follies of that husband of hers1 who was truly worthy of the name of ,mattaccio which1 as has been related1 the ,monks of ,monte ,oliveto gave him4 ,riccio of ,siena1 the disciple of ,giovanni ,antonio1 a passing able and well-practised painter1 having taken as his wife his master's daughter1 who had been very well and decently brought up by her mother1 became the heir to all the possessions connected with art of his wife's father4 ,this ,riccio1 ,i say1 has executed many beautiful and praiseworthy works at ,siena and elsewhere1 and has decorated with stucco and pictures in fresco a chapel in the ,duomo of the above-named city1 on the left hand as one enters the church2 and he now lives at ,lucca1 where he has done1 as he still continues to do1 many beautiful works worthy to be extolled4 ,a pupil of ,giovanni ,antonio1 likewise1 was a young man who was called ,giomo del ,sodoma2 but1 since he died young1 and was not able to give more than a small proof of his genius and knowledge1 there is no need to say more about him4 ,sodoma lived seventy-five years1 and died in the year #aeed4 ,,index ,,of ,,names ,,of ,,the ,,craftsmen ,,mentioned ,,in ,,volume ,,vii ,adone ,doni1 #abh ,agnolo1 ,baccio d'1 #gd ,agnolo1 ,battista d' 7,battista del ,moro71 #bcf ,agnolo ,bronzino1 #bi1 #ca1 #aac1 #adi1 #aeh1 #afj1 #afc1 #afg1 #afh1 #aga1 #agb1 #age1 #agf1 #agh1 #ahb1 #bja ,agnolo di ,cristofano1 #gj ,agnolo1 ,giuliano di ,baccio d'1 #hc-hf1 #hh1 #hi1 #ajb ,agostino ,viniziano1 #fj1 #fc ,albertinelli1 ,mariotto1 #ajh1 #adh ,albrecht ,drer1 #afc1 #afd1 #aff ,alessandro ,vittoria1 #bbh ,alfonso ,berughetta 7,alonzo ,spagnuolo71 #eh ,alfonso ,lombardi1 #gg ,alonzo ,spagnuolo 7,alfonso ,berughetta71 #eh ,ammanati1 ,bartolommeo1 #ie1 #if1 #ii1 #ajj1 #bjc1 #bjf ,andrea1 ,maestro1 #ff ,andrea ,contucci 7,andrea ,sansovino71 #e1 #i1 #fa1 #fb1 #ahg1 #ahi ,andrea da ,fiesole 7,andrea ,ferrucci71 #d ,andrea del ,minga1 #ig ,andrea del ,sarto1 #d1 #eh1 #ei1 #adh-aej1 #aeb1 #aef1 #aeg1 #aga1 #ahh ,andrea di ,cosimo ,feltrini1 #ac1 #adi-aeb ,andrea ,ferrucci 7,andrea da ,fiesole71 #d ,andrea ,pisano1 #cj ,andrea ,sansovino 7,andrea ,contucci71 #e1 #i1 #fa1 #fb1 #ahg1 #ahi ,andrea ,verrocchio1 #ef ,antonio da ,san ,gallo 7the elder71 #gd ,antonio da ,san ,gallo 7the younger71 #i1 #gh1 #aai1 #ahf1 #ahi1 #aij1 #aic1 #bag1 #bah ,antonio di ,domenico 7,antonio di ,donnino ,mazzieri71 #bi ,antonio di ,gino ,lorenzi1 #bd ,antonio di ,giovanni 7,solosmeo da ,settignano71 #e1 #gi1 #hj 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