ing this
powerful support, Nanni di Baccio Bigio kept trying to eject him from
his post. He wrote to the Grand Duke in 1562, arguing that Buonarroti
was in his dotage, and begging Cosimo to use his influence to obtain
the place for himself. In reply the Grand Duke told Nanni that he
could not think of doing such a thing during Michelangelo's lifetime,
but that after his death he would render what aid was in his power. An
incident happened in 1563 which enabled Nanni to give his enemy some
real annoyance. Michelangelo was now so old that he felt obliged to
leave the personal superintendence of the operations at S. Peter's to
a clerk of the works. The man employed at this time was a certain
Cesare da Castel Durante, who was murdered in August under the
following circumstances, communicated by Tiberio Calcagni to Lionardo
Buonarroti on the 14th of that month: "I have only further to speak
about the death of Cesare, clerk of the works, who was found by the
cook of the Bishop of Forli with his wife. The man gave Cesare
thirteen stabs with his poignard, and four to his wife. The old man
(i.e., Michelangelo) is in much distress, seeing that he wished to
give the post to that Pier Luigi, and has been unable to do so owing
to the refusal of the deputies." This Pier Luigi, surnamed Gaeta, had
been working since November 1561 as subordinate to Cesare; and we have
a letter from Michelangelo to the deputies recommending him very
warmly in that capacity. He was also the house-servant and personal
attendant of the old master, running errands for him and transacting
ordinary business, like Pietro Urbano and Stefano in former years. The
deputies would not consent to nominate Pier Luigi as clerk of the
works. They judged him to be too young, and were, moreover, persuaded
that Michelangelo's men injured the work at S. Peter's. Accordingly
they appointed Nanni di Baccio Bigio, and sent in a report, inspired
by him, which severely blamed Buonarroti. Pius IV., after the receipt
of this report, had an interview with Michelangelo, which ended in his
sending his own relative, Gabrio Serbelloni, to inspect the works at
S. Peter's. It was decided that Nanni had been calumniating the great
old man. Accordingly he was dismissed with indignity. Immediately
after the death of Michelangelo, however, Nanni renewed his
applications to the Grand Duke. He claimed nothing less than the post
of architect-in-chief. His petition was sent to Florence under cove