desire that Cristofano should be in a manner compelled to remain in his own service and work for that garden at Citta di Castello, of which we have more than once made mention. But having there consumed much time, without profit or advantage, Cristofano at length resolved, as one in despair, to depart with other exiles to the village of San Justino, which is in the States of the Church, but is close upon the Florentine frontier, and not more than a mile and a half from Borgo.
In this place, where he lived in much peril, he nevertheless abode for some time, and then painted for the Abbot Bufolini of Città di Castello, who has a most beautiful and commodious dwelling at San Justino, a certain chamber in one of the towers, forming the divisions of his work by figures of boys and others, which appear foreshortened as they are looked at from below, and are in a truly admirable manner: Cristofano added grottesche, garlands or festoons, beautiful masks, and many other decorations, all of which are as graceful and fanciful as can be imagined. That apartment being finished, so greatly pleased the Abbot, that he wished our artist to execute the ornaments of another chamber for him. In this it was the purpose of Doceno to introduce certain embellishments of stucco, and not having marble to grind into powder for mixing the same, he took stones veined with white from the brook, and with the powder which he obtained from them produced a good, firm, and even hard stucco: within the framework formed of the stucco thus composed Cristofano then painted scenes from the Roman History, and these are so admirably depicted in fresco that they are a marvel to behold.[1]
About that time Giorgio Vasari was engaged with the rood-loft of the Abbey of Camaldoli, the upper part of which he was adorning with fresco, while the lowermost portion was decorated with two pictures on panel, these last he wished to surround with a frame-work of stories in fresco and would fain have had Cristofano at hand, as well for the good of that artist, and in the hope of reinstating him in the favour of his sovereign, as for the assistance which he did himself desire to obtain from him. But although Messer Ottaviano de’ Medici made great efforts to procure permission from the
- ↑ These works still exist.
