Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/444

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432
lives of the artists.

the Cathedral of Milan. The monument is about twentyeight palms long and forty high. The tomb is of Carrara marble, adorned with four columns, two white and two black, which were sent from Rome by the Pope, as a great rarity; there are also two larger columns of a varicoloured marble, resembling jasper; these columns are all arranged under the same Cornice, in a manner no longer used, but as the Pope desired that they should stand. His Holiness having caused the whole to be arranged after the designs of Michelagnolo, with the exception of five figures in bronze, which are by the hand of Lione. The first and largest of these figures is the Statue of the Marquis, larger than life, and standing upright; he has the baton of a General in one hand, and rests the other on a helmet, richly decorated, which is placed on a genealogical tree. To the left of this figure is a smaller statue, representing Peace; and on the right a second, which signifies Military Virtue, both seated. Of the other two, which are on the upper part of the tomb, one represents Providence, the other Fame, and between them is a beautiful basso-rilievo in bronze, representing the Nativity of Christ. At the summit of the whole are two figures in marble, and these support an escutcheon of arms bearing the balls of the Medici. For this work Lioni was paid seven thousand eight hundred crowns, according to an agreement made in Rome, between the most Illustrious Cardinal Morone and the Signor Agabrio Serbelloni. The same artist has executed a Statue, also in bronze, for the Signor Giovambattista Castaldo; this, with certain decorations, is to be placed in some Monastery, of which I do not know the name. For the Catholic King, Lioni has executed a figure of Christ, more than three braccia high, with the Cross and other mysteries of the Passion; this work is much admired. He has now in hand the Statue of the Signor Alfonso Havalo, the renowned Marquis del Vasto, the commission for which he has received from the Marquis of Pescara, son of Davalo. The figure, which is four braccia high, is expected to prove a beautiful casting, seeing that he is giving the utmost care to the execution of the same, and has always been singularly fortunate in the casting of his bronzes. This Lione, to prove the boldness of his spirit, the fine genius which he has received from Nature, and the favour