Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/199

Rh place, when the Duke, who had commenced a strong wall for the security of the city, proposing to encircle therewith the bastions erected at the time of the siege on the heights of San Miniato by Michelagnolo Buonarroti, commanded that Tribolo should prepare an Escutcheon of Arms, with two figures representing Victory, to be placed at an angle on the highest point of a bastion which looks towards Florence, the whole to be executed in pietra forte. But scarcely had Tribolo completed the Escutcheon, which was very large, with one of the figures of Victory, four braccia high, and esteemed an exceedingly beautiful thing, than he was compelled to leave that work also unfinished, seeing that Maestro Piero, having made good progress with the aqueduct and brought on the water, greatly to the satisfaction of the Duke, His Excellency then commanded that Tribolo should at once begin to put in. execution, those designs and models for the decoration of the aqueduct, which he had previously laid before that, sovereign; Duke Cosimo according to him eight crowns per month by way of stipend, which was the sum paid to Maestro Piero da San Casciano.

But to the end that I may not become confused in describing the course and intricacies of the aqueducts, with the decorations of the fountains, it may be well to say briefly some few words respecting the site and position of Castello.

The Villa di Castello lies at the roots of the Monte Morello, and beneath the Villa della Topaia, which is situate about half way up the acclivity; it has before it a plain which descends very gradually and within the space of about a mile and a half, to the river Arno. It is exactly at the point where the ascent of the hill commences from this plain that the palace is situate, that edifice having been originally erected, after a very good design, by Pier Francesco de’ Medici. The principal front is turned to the south and looks over extensive lawns or meadows, within which are two large ponds of running water, the latter coming from an ancient aqueduct