The Imperial and Papal armies had meanwhile advanced to the siege of Florence, when his Holiness despatched Baldassare to the camp, there to give his aid to the Commissary, Baccio Valori, who was commanded to avail himself of the judgment and counsels of Baldassare in the services of the siege, and for the more effectual investment of the city. But Baldassare, esteeming the liberty of his ancient fatherland beyond all the favour of the Pope, was not to be prevailed on to lend his assistance in any affair of moment, nor was he to be alarmed in any manner by the indignation even of that great Pontiff, who, perceiving this, bore him no little ill-will for a considerable space of time.[1]
The war being ultimately brought to an end, Baldassare would fain have returned to Rome, wherefore the Cardinals Salviati, Trivulzi, and Cesarino, whom our artist had on many occasions very faithfully served, made such efforts in his behalf, that they succeeded in reinstating him in the favour of the Pope; he was thus permitted freely to return to Rome, and was even replaced in the appointments he had previously held. Nor had he been many days in the city before he commenced the preparation of designs for two beautiful palaces, commanded by the Signori Orsini, and which were erected on the road leading to Viterbo: he also designed other edifices to be constructed in Apuglia.
Baldassare did not neglect meanwhile, the study of astrology, in which he greatly delighted, nor that of the mathematics, and others in which he took pleasure. He also commenced a book on the Antiquities of Rome, with a Commentary on Vitruvius, gradually preparing the designs that is to say, in illustration of that author’s writings, some part of which commencement is now to be seen in the possession of Francesco da Siena,[2] who was his disciple. Among these are
- ↑ Della Valle mamtains that Baldassare acted thus, not from love of Florence, but in obedience to the commands of Siena, which city was a good Ghibelline. A letter of Baldassare himself, as cited by Gaye, Carteggio inedito, has, however, proved Vasari and Della Valle to be both in error. Baldassare really did serve against Florence, and in the letter alluded to he adverts to the possibility of attacking the city from the Poggio Imperiale.
- ↑ Della Valle calls this Francesco “a poor creature, whom Baldassare employed on all occasions, whether as concerned his paintings or not.”
