It marks the grave of the favourite horse of Carlo Cappello, who was
the Venetian ambassador during the siege of Florence in 1529. Varchi
says, “he was most popular in the city and much loved, not only for
his many good qualities, being a man of letters, but also because when
Luigi Alamanni and Zanobi Buondelmonti were declared rebels, on account
of the conspiracy against the Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici, he gave them
hospitality in his house at Venice; and afterwards, when they had been
imprisoned at Brescia at the request of Pope Clemente, he so managed
that they were set free and sent on their way, the Venetians either not
knowing, or pretending not to know, who they were.”
The horse was buried with his fine velvet housings in the Piazza
d’Arno, close to the old city gate.