s so beautifully arranged and adorned by
Granacci that no man could imagine anything better; and the words of the
song, which Jacopo composed, began thus:

Contempla in quanta gloria sei salita,
Felice alma Fiorenza,
Poiche dal Ciel discesa,

with what follows. For the same spectacle Granacci executed a great
quantity of theatrical scenery, as he did both before and afterwards.
And while working with Ghirlandajo he painted standards for ships, and
also banners and devices for certain Knights of the Golden Spur, for
their public entry into Florence, all at the expense of the Captains of
the Guelph Party, as was the custom at that time, and as has been done
in our own day, not long since.

[Illustration: FRANCESCO GRANACCI: THE HOLY FAMILY

(_Florence: Pitti, 199. Panel_)]

In like manner he made many beautiful embellishments and decorations of
his own invention for the Potenze[11] and their tournaments. These
festivals were of a kind which is peculiar to the Florentines, and very
pleasing, and in them were seen men standing almost upright on
horseback, with very short stirrups, and breaking a lance with the same
facility as do the warriors firmly seated on their saddles; and all this
was done for the above-mentioned visit of Leo to Florence. Granacci also
made, besides other things, a most beautiful triumphal arch opposite to
the door of the Badia, covered with scenes in chiaroscuro and very
lovely things of fancy. This arch was much extolled, and particularly
for the invention of the architecture, and because he had made an
imitation of that same door of the Badia for the entrance of the Via del
Palagio, executed in perspective with the steps and every other thing,
so that the painted and supposititious door was in no way different from
the real and true one. To adorn the same arch he executed with his own
hand some very beautiful figures of clay in relief, and on the summit of
the arch he placed a great inscription with these words: LEONI X PONT.
MAX. FIDEI CULTORI.

But to come at length to some works by Granacci that are in existence,
let me relate that, having studied the cartoon of Michelagnolo
Buonarroti while the latter was executing it for the Great Hall of the
Palace, he found it so instructive and made such proficience, that, when
Michelagnolo was summoned to Rome by Pope Julius II to the end that he
might paint the vaulting of the Chapel in his Palace, Granacci was one
of the first to be sen