having arrived in Rome accordingly, was at once set to work in certain rooms of the Belvedere which were assigned to him by the Pope as his abode and place of labour; here he restored the left arm of the Apollo and the right arm of the Laocoon, both of which are in that place he made arrangements for the restoration of the Hercules also.
Now Pope Clement was then accustomed to frequent the Belvedere very much, repairing thither almost every morning for his diversion, or to perform his devotions; the monk therefore, profiting by these occasions, made a portrait of his Holiness in marble, which.was so good a one, that the work obtained for him much praise. He became very acceptable to the Pontiff also, and the rather because the latter observed that Pra Giovanni was most studious of his art, and found too that he occupied a part of every night in making designs, to the end that he might have something new to show his Holiness every morning, nor did Pope Clement fail to take infinite pleasure in those productions.
About that time a Canonicate of San Lorenzo in Florence, which is a Church that was built and endowed by the Medici, had fallen vacant, when Fra Giovann’ Agnolo, who had laid aside his monkish vestments, obtained it for Messer Giovanni Norchiati his uncle, who was a chaplain in that Church as we have said.
Pope Clement having then determined that Buonarroti should return to Florence, there to finish the works of the Sacristy and Library of San Lorenzo, gave him orders, seeing that many of the statues were still wanting there, as will be related in the Life of Michelagnolo, to the effect that he should secure the services of the most able men that could be found, but more particularly of the Frate, Giovann’ Agnolo: Buonarroti, being commanded to proceed as Antonio San Gallo had done, when engaged on the completion of the works at the Madonna di Loretta.
Michelagnolo and the Frate repaired to Florence accordingly, and in the execution of the statues of the Duke Lorenzo and of Giuliano, Buonarroti availed himself constantly of Giovann’ Agnolo’s assistance in the polishing of the same, and in the performance of certain delicacies of execution connected with the hollowing out and placing in such relief as to be entirely detached from the marble beneath, of certain
