Page:Vasari - Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, volume 5.djvu/339

Rh undertaking, expressing his regret that he was himself no longer young enough to do him service, for he did truly love that Prince. Among other things, the Duke told him how he had discovered the method of working porphyry, and as Michelagnolo did not believe that possible, his Excellency sent him the Head of Christ, executed in porphyry by the sculptor Francesco del Tadda (as we have said in the first chapter of our Theories), which astonished him greatly. Michelagnolo visited the Duke several times afterwards, during the stay of the latter in Rome, to the great satisfaction of both; and when the most illustrious Don Francesco de’ Medici, son of Duke Cosimo, was in Rome a short time afterwards, the master visited him likewise; being much pleased with the respect and affection shown to him by the noble Prince, who always spoke to him with uncovered head; so great was his reverence for that extraordinary man. To Vasari, Michelagnolo wrote, declaring, that it grieved him to be so old and infirm that he could do nothing for his Excellency, and he went about Rome looking for some fine piece of antiquity, that he might send the same to Florence as a present for that Signore.

About this time Pope Pius required from Michelagnolo a design for the Porta Pia, and the master made him three, all singularly beautiful. Of these the Pontiff chose the least costly, and this has been erected, to the great credit of the artist. Finding, moreover, that His Holiness would gladly have the other gates of Rome restored, he made numerous designs for the same, as he also did one, at the request of Pope Pius, for the new Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli constructed in the Baths of Diocletian, when that building was brought into the service of Christians. The design of Michelagnolo surpassed those of many other excellent architects, by the singular consideration displayed therein for the requirements of the Carthusian monks, who have now nearly completed the edifice. His Holiness, with all the prelates and those of the Court who have seen it, have indeed been amazed at the judgment with which he has availed himself of the whole skeleton of those Baths, whereof he has made a Church with so beautiful an entrance, that the expectation of the architects has been much surpassed, to the infinite honour