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. B