cuted in the state of Urbino. In the end, this good
and loving father, knowing that his son could learn little from him,
made up his mind to place him with Pietro Perugino, who, as he heard
tell, held the first place among painters at that time. He went,
therefore, to Perugia: but not finding Pietro there, he set himself,
in order to lessen the annoyance of waiting for him, to execute some
works in S. Francesco. When Pietro had returned from Rome, Giovanni,
who was a gentle and well-bred person, formed a friendship with him,
and, when the time appeared to have come, in the most adroit method
that he knew, told him his desire. And so Pietro, who was very
courteous and a lover of beautiful genius, agreed to have Raffaello:
whereupon Giovanni, going off rejoicing to Urbino, took the boy, not
without many tears on the part of his mother, who loved him dearly,
and brought him to Perugia, where Pietro, after seeing Raffaello's
method of drawing, and his beautiful manners and character,
formed a judgment of him which time, from the result, proved to be
very true.

It is a very notable thing that Raffaello, studying the manner of
Pietro, imitated it in every respect so closely, that his copies
could not be distinguished from his master's originals, and it was
not possible to see any clear difference between his works and
Pietro's; as is still evident from some figures in a panel in S.
Francesco at Perugia, which he executed in oils for Madonna
Maddalena degli Oddi. These are a Madonna who has risen into Heaven,
with Jesus Christ crowning her, while below, round the sepulchre,
are the twelve Apostles, contemplating the Celestial Glory, and at
the foot of the panel is a predella divided into three scenes,
painted with little figures, of the Madonna receiving the
Annunciation from the Angel, of the Magi adoring Christ, and of
Christ in the arms of Simeon in the Temple. This work is executed
with truly supreme diligence; and one who had not a good knowledge
of the two manners, would hold it as certain that it is by the hand
of Pietro, whereas it is without a doubt by the hand of Raffaello.

After this work, Pietro returning to Florence on some business of
his own, Raffaello departed from Perugia and went off with some
friends to Citta di Castello, where he painted a panel for S.
Agostino in the same manner, and likewise one of a Crucifixion for
S. Domenico, which, if his name were not written upon it, no one
would believe to be