Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/35

Rh heirs, were charged with the office of completing the works commenced by Raphael, it was by Giulio Romano that the greater part of the same were creditably conducted to perfection. Now, the Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici, who was afterwards Pope Clement VII., had about that period taken possession of a piece of ground at Rome, which was situate beneath the Monte Mario, and where, in addition to a beautiful view, there was a fine running stream, with richly wooded banks in some parts, and at others an agreeable extent of plain, running along the shore of the Tiber, as far as the Ponte Molle; on each side of the river moreover, there was a range of meadow lands stretching almost to the Gate of San Pietro. Cardinal Giulio therefore resolved to erect a palace on the highest point of the shore, where there was a level space, well suited to that purpose; proposing to furnish his new building with all the beauties and conveniences of fine apartments, gardens, loggie, fountains, groves, and every other embellishment that could be devised; the charge of the whole being given to Giulio. Very willingly did the latter put hand to that work, and in due time he completed the palace, (which was then called the Vigna de’ Medici, but is now known as the Madama, ) bringing it to that perfection of which we shall discourse at more length below.

The principal front, in pursuance of the desire of the Cardinal, and to accommodate the building to the site, was constructed in the form of a half circle, after the manner of a theatre, with an alternation of niches and windows of the Ionic order, which was so beautiful that many believer! the first sketch to have been made by Raphael himself, and that the structure was but continued and brought to its conclusion by Giulio. That artist then executed numerous paintings in the apartments and other portions of the building, more particularly in a most beautiful Loggia, which passes behind the first vestibule, and is decorated all around with niches, large and small, wherein are vast numbers of