Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 4.djvu/45

Rh his disciple, Benedetto Pagni, and for another youth, who likewise served him; nay, what is more, the Marquis sent him several yards of silk, velvet, and other cloths for pieces of clothing; and being informed that Giulio possessed no horse, , he caused a favourite horse of his own, called Ruggieri, to be brought, which he immediately presented to the painter. Thus, mounted on this new gift, our artist then rode forth in company with the Marquis himself, by whom he was conducted to a place without the walls, and at about a bow-shot from the gate of San Bastiano, where his Excellency had a place with some stables, called the T, situated in the midst of meadows, and where he kept his breeding stud. Arrived here, the Marquis observed, that without destroying the old walls he would be glad to have a little space arranged to which he could occasionally resort for amusement, and to take a dinner or supper for his recreation.

Having heard the will of the Marquis, Giulio examined the whole place, and taking a plan of the site, set hand to the work. He availed himself of the old walls, and in the principal extent of the space at his disposal, erected the first hall which is seen on entering, with the series of apartments to be observed on each side thereof: and as there is no stone on the place, nor any quarries whence materials for carved ornaments or hewn stone could be excavated, such as are used in masonry by all who can obtain them, our artist contented himself with bricks and similar substitutes for stone, which he afterwards covered with stucco, and from these materials he made columns, bases, capitals, cornices, doors, windows, and other requisites to a finished fabric, all with the most beautiful proportions and decorations, in a new and fanciful manner, more particularly as