tisfaction of
those reverend canons I have placed it behind the high-altar. This new
altar, standing by itself, has on the panel in front a Christ calling
Peter and Andrew from their nets, and on the side towards the choir it
has, on another panel, S. George slaying the Dragon. On the sides are
four pictures, and in each of these are two saints as large as life.
Then above, and below in the predella, there is an infinity of other
figures, which, for brevity's sake, are not enumerated. The ornamental
frame of this altar is thirteen braccia high, and the predella is two
braccia high. And because within it is hollow, and one ascends to it by
a staircase through an iron wicket very conveniently arranged, there are
preserved in it many venerable relics, which can be seen from without
through two gratings that are in the front part; and among others there
is the head of S. Donatus, Bishop and Protector of that city, and in a
coffer of variegated marble, three braccia long, which I have had
restored, are the bones of four Saints. And the predella of the altar,
which surrounds it all right round in due proportion, has in front of it
the tabernacle, or rather ciborium, of the Sacrament, made of carved
wood and all gilt, about three braccia high; which tabernacle is in the
round and can be seen as well from the side of the choir as from in
front. And because I have spared no labour and no expense, considering
myself bound to act thus in honour of God, this work, in my judgment,
has in all those ornaments of gold, of carvings, of paintings, of
marbles, of travertines, of variegated marbles, of porphyries, and of
other stones, the best that could be got together by me in that place.

But returning now to Pietro Laurati; that panel finished whereof there
has been talk above, he wrought in S. Pietro at Rome many works which
were afterwards destroyed in making the new building of S. Pietro. He
also wrought some works in Cortona and in Arezzo, besides those that
have been mentioned, and some others in the Church of S. Fiora e
Lucilla, a monastery of Black Friars, and in particular, in a chapel, a
S. Thomas who is putting his hand on the wound in the breast of Christ.

A disciple of Pietro was Bartolommeo Bologhini of Siena, who wrought
many panels in Siena and other places in Italy, and in Florence there is
one by his hand on the altar of the Chapel of S. Silvestro in S. Croce.
The pictures of these men date about the year of our salva