The contract was made accordingly, when the father and son both set hand to the work,[1] and while employed therein, Mosca wras in many ways useful to that city, preparing numerous designs for houses and buildings of various kinds. Among other things he prepared the ground-plan, and designed the façade for the house of Messer Raffaello Gualtieri, father of the Bishop of Viterbo, and of Messer Felice, both gentlemen and nobles who are most excellent and highly honourable persons. Simone prepared in like manner the plans for certain houses belonging to the Signor Counts of Cervara, and in many places near to and around Orvieto he constructed edifices of various kinds, for the Signor Pirro Colonna da Stripicciano in particular, who employed him in the preparation of numerous models for his different buildings.
Now it was about this time that the Pope caused the fortress, of Perugia to be erected on the site previously occupied by the houses of the Baglione family,[2] and Antonio San Gallo sent for Mosca, to whom he entrusted the care of executing the decorations of the building, all the doors, windows, chimney-pieces, and similar work, were therefore constructed and adorned after the designs of Simone Mosca, who also executed two large and beautiful escutcheons of the arms of his Holiness. This work brought Simone into connection with Messer Tiberio Crispo, who was then Castellan of Perugia, and by him our artist was sent to Bolsena, in the fortress of which place and in the most elevated part thereof, where the fabric overlooks the lake that is to say, he constructed a large and magnificent dwelling, partly on the old foundations, and partly founding it anew, with an exceedingly beautiful flight of steps forming the ascent thereto, and with many rich ornaments of various kinds sculptured in stone.
No long time after this was effected, the above-named Messer Tiberio being made Castellan of the castle Sant'
- ↑ See Della Valle, as above cited.
- ↑ For the details of the frightful oppressions inflicted by papal despotism on that unhappy family, whose sole crime was the attempt to save their native city from becoming the bond-slave of the Pontiffs, see Vettori, Sormmario dell’ Istoria d'Italia, M.S.
the two Moscas, and other sculptors not mentioned by Vasari, will find them in Della Valle, Storia del Duomo D'Orvieto.
