Duke Alessandro, and whom he told at the same time, that when he had finished certain pictures which he had then in hand, he would return to his country, once more to behold his kindred, his friends, and his acquaintance; the rather as his father and mother, to whom he was of the utmost value, and whom he assisted greatly, were still alive. Francesco had, besides, afibrded help to his parents in the settlement of his two sisters, one of whom had been given in marriage, and the other had been established as a nun in the Convent of the Monte Domini, where she still is.
The works to be first completed by Francesco as abovementioned were San Griovanni as a Youth, which he was painting for the Cardinal Salviati his Lord, and a Crucifixion of Our Saviour on cloth, which was to be sent into Spain, with a picture of the Madonna, undertaken by Francesco for Faffaello Acciaiuli.
Arriving accordingly in Florence, where he was received with great joy by all his kinsfolk and friends, it chanced that he reached the city exactly at the moment when all were engaged in preparing for the marriage of Duke Cosimo, with the Signora Donna Leonora di Toledo; wherefore he was invited to execute one of the stories exhibited in the court, a commission which he accepted very willingly. The subject treated by Francesco was that in which the Emperor is seen to place the Ducal Coronet on the head of Duke Cosimo; but our artist, being seized with a desire to visit Venice, and leaving Florence for that purpose before the undertaking was completed, made over that work to Carlo Portelli da Loro,[1] by whom it was finished in accordance with the design of Francesco, which design is now in our book, with many others by the same hand.
Departing from Florence, Francesco repaired to Bologna, where he found Giorgio Vasari, who had arrived in that city two days previously, having then returned from Camaldoli, where he had painted the two pictures which are in the screen of the Church of Camaldoli, and commenced that of the High Altar.
Giorgio was also taking order for the execution of three large pictures in the Kefectory of the Fathers of San Michele in Bosco, where he kept Francesco
- ↑ Carlo Portelli of Lora, a village in the Valdarno, was a disciple of llidolfo Ghirlandaio, in whose Life he is named.
