for the works of the palace,[1] to my own great satisfaction and that of all besides.
But the thing which most of all pleases me in this Michele is that, to say nothing of his being a truly honest man, of an upright walk and regular life, one who fears God in short; he has always in his workshop a good number of young people to whom he teaches his art with incredible affection.
Carlo Portelli of Loro, in the upper Yal d’Arno, was also a disciple of Ridolfo, and by his hand likewise there are numerous pictures in Florence; several of these are in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, and there are a vast number dispersed among the other Churches of the city and neighbourhood; in that of Santa Felicita, for example, some are also in the possession of the Nuns of Monticelli. The picture of the Chapel of the Baldesi family in the Cestello[2] is also by his hand; it is to the right of the entrance, and the subject of the work is the Martyrdom of San Romualdo, Bishop of Fiesole.[3]
THE PAINTER, GIOVANNI DA UDINE.
[born 1487—died 1561-1564.]
In Udine, a city of Friuli, there lived a citizen, Giovanni by name, and of the family of the Nani, who was the first of his kin that had given attention to the calling of an embroiderer, which was afterwards pursued by his descendants with so. much distinction, that they were no longer called De’ Nani but De’ Ricamatori, or the Embroiderers.
To one of that family, a certain Francesco, who lived in the manner of an opulent proprietor, passing his time at the chase and in similar occupations, there was born, in the year
- ↑ That now called the Palazzo Vecchio, and which was then the residence of the Duke.
- ↑ The Church of Santa Maria Maddalena de’ Pazzi, anciently called Cestello. The work of Carlo Portelli, here in question, still retains its place.
- ↑ Bottari, at the close of the Life of Ridolfo, mentions other works of Michele as existing in the Chapel of the Villa di Caserotta, near Casciano. See the Roman Edition of our Author, 1756.
