Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/420

412 in that Court, or rather Palace. No long time after the completion of the same, the Signori of Bologna begged our artist of the Duke for a few days, and his Excellency very willingly granted them their request. Bartolommeo repaired to their city accordingly, and served them in what they required, in such a manner that they were most amply satisfied, and showed him infinite courtesy.

The Duke subsequently desired to make a sea-port of Pesaro, and Bartolommeo prepared a most beautiful model, which was then taken to Venice to the Count GiovanGiacomo Leonardi, Ambassador from the Duke of Urbino to the Signoria of that city, and was placed in his house to the end that it might be subjected to examination by men conversant with the profession, many of whom were in the habit of assembling, with other persons of fine genius, to hold discussions and disputations on various subjects in the house of the above-mentioned Count, who was indeed a distinguished and remarkable man. Here then, and by such persons, was the model examined, when, having heard the fine discourses of Bartolommeo Genga respecting his work, it was pronounced by all with one accord to be a most beautiful and skilfully contrived model: the master who had prepared it being also declared to be one of extraordinary ability. When Bartolommeo returned to Pesaro he was nevertheless not called on to put that model into execution, because new occurrences of great importance had caused the thoughts of the Duke to be turned in a different direction.

It was about this time that Bartolommeo Genga prepared the design for the church of Monte 1’Abate, as well as that for the church of San Piero, in Mondavio, the building ot which was completed to such perfection by Don Pier Antonio Genga, that for a work of those small proportions I do not think it possible a better one could be seen.

No long time after these things had been done, the election to the papal chair of Pope Julius III. took place, and the Duke of Urbino was by him made Captain General of Holy Church. His Excellency then proceeded to Rome, and with him went also Bartolommeo Genga. Now it was the wish of his Holiness at that time that Borgo should be fortified; wherefore Genga, at the request of the Duke, made some beautiful designs, which with others in considerable numbers