was then invited to Rome
where he did in fresco for the principal chapel of St Peter's, which
contains the altar of that saint, some scenes from the life of Christ
between the windows of the large apse, with such care that he
approaches very closely to the modern style and surpasses his master
Giotto in design and other things. After this he executed in fresco,
at Araceli, on a pillar beside the principal chapel on the left, a St
Louis, which is much admired because it possesses a vivacity which
had not been apparent in any works up to that time, not even in those
of Giotto. Indeed Stefano had great facility in design, as may be
seen in a drawing by his hand in our book, in which the
transfiguration is represented which he made for the cloister of S.
Spirito, and indeed in my opinion he designed much better than
Giotto. He next went to Assisi and in the apse of the principal
chapel of the lower church, where the choir is, he began a
representation in fresco of the Heavenly Glory; and although he did
not finish it, what he did perform shows that he used the utmost
diligence. In this work he began a series of saints with such
beautiful variety in the faces of the youths, the men of middle age
and the old men, that nothing better could be desired, and those
blessed spirits exhibit so sweet and so united a style that it
appears all but impossible that they could have been done by Stefano
at that time. He however did execute them, although no more than the
heads of the figures are finished. Above them is a choir of angels
rejoicing in various attitudes, appropriately carrying theological
symbols in their hands. All are turned towards a crucified Christ who
is in the midst of the work immediately above a St Francis, who is
surrounded by a multitude of saints. Besides this he made some angels
as a border for the work, each of them holding one of those churches
of which St John the Evangelist writes in the Apocalypse. These
angels are represented with such grace that I am amazed to find a man
of that age capable of producing them. Stefano began this work with
the intention of thoroughly completing it, and he would have
succeeded had he not been forced to leave it imperfect and to return
to Florence on some important affairs of his own. During this stay at
Florence and in order to lose no time, he painted for the
Granfigliazzi lung' Arno, between their houses and the ponte alle
Carraia in a small tabernacle on one side, Our La