and was retained by him and employed as architect in restoring an old
palace on the Monte dell'Imperiale, above Pesaro, and adding to it
another tower. That palace was adorned with scenes in painting from
the actions of the Duke, after the directions and designs of Girolamo,
by Francesco da Forli and Raffaello dal Borgo, painters of good
repute, and by Camillo Mantovano, a very rare master in painting
landscapes and verdure; and the young Florentine Bronzino also worked
there, among others, as has been related in the Life of Pontormo.
Thither, likewise, were summoned the Dossi of Ferrara, and a room was
assigned to them to paint; but since, when they had finished that
room, it did not please the Duke, he had it thrown down and repainted
by the masters mentioned above. Girolamo then erected the tower there,
one hundred and twenty feet in height, with thirteen flights of wooden
steps whereby to ascend to the top, so well fitted and concealed in
the walls, that they can be withdrawn with ease from story to story,
which renders that tower very strong and marvellous. A desire
afterwards came to the Duke to fortify Pesaro, and he caused Pier
Francesco da Viterbo, a most excellent architect, to be sent for; and
Girolamo always taking part in the discussions that arose about the
fortifications, his discourse and his opinions were held to be good
and full of judgment. Wherefore, if I may be allowed to say it, the
design of that fortress came rather from Girolamo than from any other,
although that sort of architecture was always little esteemed by him,
appearing to him to be of small value and dignity.
The Duke, then, perceiving how rare a genius he had at his command,
determined to build on the above-named Monte dell'Imperiale, near the
old palace, a new palace; and so he built that to be seen there at the
present day, which being a very beautiful and well-planned fabric, and
full of apartments, colonnades, courts, loggie, fountains, and most
delightful gardens, there is no Prince passes that way that does not
go to see it. Wherefore it was right fitting that Pope Paul III, on
his way to Bologna with all his Court, should go to see it and find it
entirely to his satisfaction. From the design of this same master, the
Duke caused the Palace at Pesaro to be restored, and also the little
park, making within it a house representing a ruin, which is a very
beautiful thing to see. Among other things, there is a staircase
similar to that of the Belvedere in Rome, which is very handsome. By
means of him the Duke had the fortress of Gradara restored, and
likewise the Palace at Castel Durante, insomuch that all that is good
in those works came from that admirable genius. Girolamo also built
the corridor of the Palace at Urbino, above the garden, and he
enclosed a courtyard on one side with perforated stone-work executed
with great diligence.
From the design of the same master, likewise, were begun the Convent
of the Frati Zoccolanti at Monte Baroccio and S. Maria delle Grazie at
Sinigaglia, which in the end remained unfinished by reason of the
death of the Duke. And about the same time was begun after his
directions and design the Vescovado of Sinigaglia, of which the model,
made by him, is still to be seen. He also executed some works in
sculpture and figures of clay and wax in the round, beautiful enough,
which are in the house of his family at Urbino. For the Imperiale he
made some Angels in clay, which he afterwards caused to be cast in
bronze and placed over the doors of the rooms decorated with
stucco-work in the new palace; and these are very beautiful. For the
Bishop of Sinigaglia he executed some fantasies in wax in the form of
drinking-cups, which were afterwards to be made in silver; and with
greater diligence he made some others, most beautiful, for the Duke's
credence. He showed fine invention in masquerades and costumes, as was
seen in the time of the above-named Duke, by whom he was passing well
rewarded, as he deserved, for his rare parts and good qualities.
His son, Guidobaldo, who reigns at the present day, having then
succeeded him as Duke, caused a beginning to be made by the
above-named Genga with the Church of S. Giovan Battista at Pesaro,
which, having been carried out according to the model of Girolamo by
his son Bartolommeo, is of very beautiful architecture in every part,
for he imitated the antique considerably, and made it in such a manner
that it is the most beautiful temple that there is in those parts, as
the work itself clearly demonstrates, being able to challenge
comparison with the most famous buildings in Rome. After his designs
and directions, likewise, there was executed in S. Chiara at Urbino by
the Florentine sculptor Bartolommeo Ammanati, who was then very young,
the tomb of Duke Francesco Maria, which, for a simple work of little
cost, proved to be very beautiful. In like manner, the Venetian
painter Battista Franco was summoned by him to paint the great chapel
of the Duomo at Urbino, at the time when there was being made after
his design the ornament of the organ of that Duomo, which is not yet
finished.
Shortly afterwards, the Cardinal of Mantua having written to the Duke
that he should send him Girolamo, because he wished to restore the
Vescovado of that city, Girolamo went thither and fitted it up very
well with lights and with all that the above-named lord desired.
Besides this, the Cardinal, wishing to make a beautiful facade for the
Duomo, caused him to prepare a model for it, which was executed by him
in such a manner, that it may be said that it surpassed all the
architectural works of his time, for the reason that in it may be seen
grandeur, proportion, grace, and great beauty of composition.
Having then returned from Mantua, now an old man, he went to live at a
villa of his own, called Le Valle, in the territory of Urbino, in
order to rest and enjoy the fruits of his labours; in which place, not
wishing to remain idle, he executed in chalk a Conversion of S. Paul
with figures and horses of considerable size and in very beautiful
attitudes, which was finished by him with such patience and diligence,
that no greater could be either described or seen, as is evident from
the work itself, now in the possession of his heirs, by whom it is
treasured as a very dear and precious thing. There, while living with
a tranquil mind, he was attacked by a terrible fever, and, after he
had received all the Sacraments of the Church, finished the course of
his life, to the infinite grief of his wife and children, on the 11th
of July in the year 1551, at the age of about seventy-five. Having
been carried from that place to Urbino, he was buried with honour in
the Vescovado, in front of the Chapel of S. Martino formerly painted
by him; and his death caused extraordinary sorrow to his relatives and
to all the citizens.
Girolamo was always an excellent man, insomuch that nothing was ever
heard of any bad action committed by him. He was not only a painter,
sculptor, and architect, but also a good musician and a fine talker,
and his society was very agreeable. He was full of courtesy and
lovingness towards his relatives and friends; and, what entitles him
to no little praise, he laid the foundation of the house of Genga at
Urbino with his good name and property. He left two sons, one of whom
followed in his footsteps and gave his attention to architecture, in
which, if he had not been hindered by death, he was like to become
most excellent, as his beginnings demonstrate; and the other, who
devoted himself to the cares of the family, is still alive at the
present day.
A disciple of Girolamo, as has been related, was Francesco Menzochi of
Forli, who first began to draw by himself when still a child,
imitating and copying an altar-piece in the Duomo of Forli, by the
hand of Marco Parmigiano[7] of Forli, containing a Madonna, S. Jerome,
and other Saints, and held at that time to be the best of the modern
pictures; and he occupied himself likewise with imitating the works
of Rondinino[8] da Ravenna, a painter more excellent than Marco, who a
little time before had placed on the high-altar of the above-named
Duomo a most beautiful altar-piece, in which was painted Christ giving
the Communion to the Apostles, and in a lunette above it a Dead
Christ, and in the predella of that altar-piece very graceful scenes
with little figures from the life of S. Helen. These works brought him
forward in such a manner, that, when Girolamo Genga went, as we have
said, to paint the chapel in S. Francesco at Forli for M. Bartolommeo
Lombardino, Francesco at that time went to live with Genga, seizing
that opportunity of learning, and did not cease to serve him as long
as he lived. There, and also at Urbino and in the work of the
Imperiale at Pesaro, he laboured continually, as has been related,
esteemed and beloved by Genga, because he acquitted himself very well,
as many altar-pieces by his hand bear witness that are dispersed
throughout the city of Forli, and particularly three of them which are
in S. Francesco, besides that there are some scenes of his in fresco
in the hall of the Palace.
[Footnote 7: Palmezzani.]
[Footnote 8: Rondinello.]
He painted many works throughout Romagna; and at Venice, also, for the
very reverend Patriarch Grimani, he executed four large pictures in
oils that were placed in the ceiling of a little hall in his house,
round an octagon that Francesco Salviati painted; in which pictures
are the stories of Psyche, held to be very beautiful. But the place
where he strove to do his utmost and to put forth all his powers, was
the Chapel of the most holy Sacrament in the Church of Loreto, in
which he painted some Angels round a tabernacle of marble wherein
rests the Body of Christ, and two scenes on the walls of that chapel,
one of Melchizedek and the other of the Manna raining down, both
executed in fresco; and over the vaulting he distributed fifteen
little scenes of the Passion of Jesus Christ, nine of which he
executed in painting, and six in half-relief. This was a rich work and
well conceived, and he won for it such honour, that he was not
suffered to depart until he had decorated another chapel of equal size
in the same place, opposite to the first, and called the Chapel of the
Conception, with the vaulting all wrought with rich and very beautiful
stucco-work; in which he taught the art of stucco-work to his son
Pietro Paolo, who has since done him honour and has become a
well-practised master in that field. Francesco, then, painted in
fresco on the walls the Nativity and the Presentation of Our Lady, and
over the altar he painted S. Anne and the Virgin with the Child in her
arms, and two Angels that are crowning her. And, in truth, his works
are much extolled by the craftsmen, and likewise his ways and his
life, which was that of a true Christian; and he lived in peace,
enjoying that which he had gained with his labours.
A pupil of Genga, also, was Baldassarre Lancia of Urbino, who, having
given his attention to many ingenious matters, has since practised his
hand in fortifications, at which he worked on a salary for the
Signoria of Lucca, in which place he stayed for some time. He then
attached himself to the most illustrious Duke Cosimo de' Medici, whom
he came to serve in the fortifications of the states of Florence and
Siena; and the Duke has employed and still employs him in many
ingenious works, in which Baldassarre has laboured valiantly and with
honour, winning remunerations from that grateful lord.
Many others also served Girolamo Genga, of whom, from their not having
attained to any great excellence, there is no need to speak.
To the above-named Girolamo, at Cesena, in the year 1518, the while
that he was accompanying the Duke his master in exile, there was born
a son called Bartolommeo, who was brought up by him very decently, and
then, when he was well grown, placed to learn grammar, in which he
made more than ordinary proficience. Afterwards, when he was eighteen
years of age, the father, perceiving that he was inclined more to
design than to letters, caused him to study design under his own
discipline for about two years: which finished, he sent him to study
design and painting in Florence, where he knew that the true study of
that art was to be found, on account of the innumerable works by
excellent masters that are there, both ancient and modern. Living in
that place, and attending to design and to architecture, Bartolommeo
formed a friendship with Giorgio Vasari, the painter and architect of
Arezzo, and with the sculptor Bartolommeo Ammanati, from whom he
learned many things appertaining to art. Finally, after having been
three years in Florence, he returned to his father, who was then
attending to the building of S. Giovanni Battista at Pesaro.
Whereupon, the father having seen the designs of Bartolommeo, it
appeared to him that he acquitted himself much better in architecture,
for which he had a very good inclination, than in painting; wherefore,
keeping him under his own care some months, he taught him the methods
of perspective. And afterwards he sent him to Rome, to the end that he
might see the marvellous buildings, both ancient and modern, that are
there, of which, in the four years that he stayed there, he took the
measurements, and made therein very great proficience. Then, on his
way back to Urbino, passing through Florence in order to see
Francesco[9] San Marino, his brother-in-law, who was living there as
engineer to the Lord Duke Cosimo, Signor Stefano Colonna da
Palestrina, at that time general to that lord, having heard of his
ability, sought to engage him with himself, with a good salary. But
he, being much indebted to the Duke of Urbino, would not attach
himself to others, and returned to Urbino, where he was received by
that Duke into his service, and ever afterwards held very dear.
[Footnote 9: Giovan Battista.]
Not long afterwards, the Duke taking to wife Signora Vittoria Farnese,
Bartolommeo received from the Duke the charge of executing the festive
preparations for those nuptials, which he did in a truly honourable
and magnificent manner. Among other things, he made a triumphal arch
in the Borgo di Valbuona, so beautiful and so well wrought, that there
is none larger or more beautiful to be seen; whence it became evident
how much knowledge of architecture he had acquired at Rome. Then the
Duke, having to go into Lombardy, as General to the Signoria of
Venice, to inspect the fortresses of that dominion, took with him
Bartolommeo, of whom he availed himself much in preparing designs and
sites of fortresses, and in particular at the Porta S. Felice in
Verona. Now, while Bartolommeo was in Lombardy, the King of Bohemia,
who was returning from Spain to his kingdom, passed through that
province and was received with honour by the Duke at Verona; and he
saw those fortresses. And, since they pleased him, after he had become
acquainted with Bartolommeo, he wished to take him to his kingdom, in
order to make use of him in fortifying his territories, with a good
salary; but the Duke would not give him leave, and the matter went no
further.
When they had returned to Urbino, no long time passed before Girolamo,
the father, came to his death; whereupon Bartolommeo was set by the
Duke in the place of his father over all the buildings of the state,
and sent to Pesaro, where he continued the building of S. Giovanni
Battista, after the model of Girolamo. During that time he built in
the Palace of Pesaro, over the Strada de' Mercanti, a suite of rooms
which the Duke now occupies; a fine work, with most beautiful
ornaments in the form of doors, staircases, and chimney-pieces, of
which things he was an excellent architect. Which having seen, the
Duke desired that in the Palace of Urbino as well he should make
another suite of apartments, almost entirely on the facade that faces
towards S. Domenico; and this, when finished, proved to be the most
beautiful suite in that court, or rather, palace, and the most ornate
that is there. Not long afterwards, the Signori of Bologna having
asked for him for some days from the Duke, his Excellency granted him
to them very readily; and he, having gone, served them in what they
desired in such a manner, that they remained very well satisfied and
showed him innumerable courtesies.
He then made for the Duke, who desired to construct a sea-port at
Pesaro, a very beautiful model; and this was taken to Venice, to the
house of Count Giovan Giacomo Leonardi, at that time the Duke's
Ambassador in that place, to the end that it might be seen by many of
the profession who often assembled, with other choice spirits, to hold
discussions and disputations on various matters in the house of the
above-named Count, who was a truly remarkable man. There, then, after
that model had been seen and the fine discourse of Genga had been
heard, the model was held by all without exception to be masterly and
beautiful, and the master who had made it a man of the rarest genius.
But, when he had returned to Pesaro, the model after all was not
carried into execution, because new circumstances of great importance
drove that project out of the Duke's mind.
About that time Genga made the design of the Church of Monte
L'Abbate, and also that of the Church of S. Piero in Mondavio, which
was carried into execution by Don Pier Antonio Genga in such a manner,
that, for a small work, I do not believe that there is anything better
to be seen.
These works finished, no long time passed before, Pope Julius III
having been elected, and the Duke of Urbino having been created by him
Captain General of Holy Church, his Excellency went to Rome, and Genga
with him. There, his Holiness wishing to fortify the Borgo, at the
request of the Duke Genga made some very beautiful designs, which,
with a number of others, are in the collection of his Excellency at
Urbino. For these reasons the fame of Bartolommeo spread abroad, and
the Genoese, while he was living with the Duke in Rome, asked for him
from his Excellency, in order to make use of him in some
fortifications of their own; but the Duke would not grant him to them,
either at that time or on another occasion when they again asked for
him, after his return to Urbino.
In the end, when he was near the close of his life, there were sent to
Pesaro by the Grand Master of Rhodes two knights of that Order of
Jerusalem, to beseech his Excellency that he should deign to lend them
Bartolommeo, to the end that they might take him to the Island of
Malta, in which they wished to construct not only very large
fortifications wherewith to defend themselves against the Turks, but
also two cities, so as to unite many villages that were there into one
or two places. Whereupon the Duke, whom the above-named knights in two
months had not been able to induce to grant them Bartolommeo, although
they had availed themselves of the good services of the Duchess and
others, finally complied with their request for a fixed period, at the
entreaty of a good Capuchin father, to whom his Excellency bore a very
great affection, and refused nothing that he asked; and the artifice
that was used by that holy man, who made it a matter of conscience
with the Duke, saying that it was in the interest of the Christian
Republic, was not otherwise than highly commendable and worthy of
praise. And thus Bartolommeo, who had never received any favour
greater than this, departed with the above-named knights from Pesaro
on the 20th of January, 1558; but they lingered in Sicily, being
delayed by the fortune of the sea, and they did not reach Malta, where
they were received with rejoicing by the Grand Master, until the 11th
of March. Having then been shown what he was to do, he acquitted
himself so well in those fortifications, that it could not be
expressed in words; insomuch that to the Grand Master and all those
noble knights it appeared that they had found another Archimedes, and
this they proved by making him most honourable presents and holding
him, as a rare master, in supreme veneration. Then, after having made
the models of a city, of some churches, and of the palace and
residence of the same Grand Master, with most beautiful invention and
design, he fell sick of his last illness, for, having set himself one
day in the month of July, the heat in that island being very great,
between two doors to refresh himself, he had not been there long when
he was assailed by insufferable pains of the body and by a cruel flux,
which killed him in seventeen days, to the infinite sorrow of the
Grand Master and all those most honourable and valiant knights, to
whom it appeared that they had found a man after their own hearts,
when he was snatched from them by death. The Lord Duke of Urbino,
having been advised of this sad news, felt indescribable sorrow, and
bewailed the death of poor Genga; and then, having resolved to
demonstrate to the five children whom he had left behind him the love
that he bore to him, he took them under his particular and loving
protection.
Bartolommeo showed beautiful invention in masquerades, and was a rare
master in making scenic settings for comedies. He delighted to write
sonnets and other compositions in verse and prose, and in none was he
better than in the ottava rima, in which manner of writing he was an
author of passing good renown. He died at the age of forty, in the
year 1558.
Giovan Battista Bellucci of San Marino having been the son-in-law of
Girolamo Genga, I have judged that it would not be well to withhold
what I have to say of him, after the Lives of Girolamo and Bartolommeo
Genga, and particularly in order to show that men of fine intellect,
if only they be willing, succeed in everything, even if they set
themselves late in life to difficult and honourable enterprises; for
study, when added to natural inclination, has often been seen to
accomplish marvellous things. Giovan Battista, then, was born in San
Marino on the 27th of September, 1506, to Bartolommeo Bellucci, a
person of passing good family in that place; and after he had learned
the first rudiments of the humanities, when eighteen years of age, he
was sent by that same Bartolommeo, his father, to Bologna, to attend
to the pursuit of commerce under Bastiano di Ronco, a merchant of the
Guild of Wool. Having been there about two years, he returned to San
Marino sick of a quartan fever, which hung upon him two years; of
which being finally cured, he set up a wool business of his own, with
which he continued up to the year 1535, at which time his father,
perceiving that Giovan Battista was in good circumstances, gave him
for a wife in Cagli a daughter of Guido Peruzzi, a person of
considerable standing in that city. But she died not long afterwards,
and Giovan Battista went to Rome to seek out Domenico Peruzzi, his
brother-in-law, who was equerry to Signor Ascanio Colonna; and by
means of him Giovan Battista lived for two years with that lord as a
gentleman. He then returned home; and it came about that, as he
frequented Pesaro, Girolamo Genga, having come to know him as an
excellent and well-behaved young man, gave him a daughter of his own
for wife and took him into his house. Whereupon Giovan Battista, being
much inclined to architecture, and giving his attention with much
diligence to the architectural works that his wife's father was
executing, began to gain a very good grasp of the various manners of
building, and to study Vitruvius; and thus, what with that which he
acquired by himself and that which Genga taught him, he became a good
architect, and particularly in the matter of fortifications and other
things relating to war.