the citizens as “went for the Little;” it was furthermore decreed, that the ensign of the Company should be a trowel, to which they afterwards added one of those little black vessels, with large heads and a certain species of tail, which are also called in the Tuscan language Cazzuole or Trowels. For their patron saint, these brethren of the Cazzuola chose Sant’ Andrea, whose festival they celebrated with great magnificence and a splendid supper, given according to the rules laid down by their society.
The first members of the company were, for those of the Great, Jacopo Bottegai, Francesco Rucellai, and Domenico his brother; Gio Battista Ginori, Girolamo del Giocondo, Giovanni Miniati, Niccolò del Barbigia, and Mezzabotte his brother; Cosimo da Panzano, and Matteo his brother; Marco Jacopi, and Pieraccino Bartoli. While for those of the Little the members were, Bastiano Sagginotti, Ser Raffaello del Beccaio, Ser Cecchino de’ Profumi; the painters Giuliano Bugiardini, and Francesco Granacci, Giovan-Francesco Rustici, the hunchback Feo, with the musical performer Talina his companion; the fifer Pierino, a certain Giovanni who was one of the city trumpeters, and the artilleryman Baia. The associates of the company were, Bernardino di Giordano, II Talano, II Caiano, Maestro Jacopo del Bientina, and the brazier Messer Gio Battista di Cristofano, both heralds of the Signoria: to these were added Buon Pocci and Domenico Barlacchi.[1]
The Company had not been many years in existence before the festivals given by it, and the amusement occasioned thereby, had so greatly increased its reputation that the following personages were made members of the Brotherhood of the Trowel: the Signor Giuliano de’ Medici, Ottangolo Benvenuti, Giovanni Canigiani, Giovanni Serrestori, Giovanni Gaddi, Giovanni Bandini, Luigi Martelli, Paolo da Romena, and the hunchback Filippo Pandolfini. With these were at the same time admitted in quality of associates, the painter Andrea del Sarto, Bartolommeo, a musician and trumpeter; Ser Bernardo Pisanello; the cloth-shearer Piero, R Gemma, who was a shopkeeper; and lastly, the physician, Maestro Manente da San Giovanni.
- ↑ “A man of so facetious a humour,” remarks Bottari, “that his brilliant sayings were collected, and submitted to the press.”
