by Bramante. The Pope
wishing to demonstrate the greatness and magnificence of his
generous ambition, Raffaello made the designs for the ornaments in
stucco and for the scenes that were painted there, and likewise for
the compartments; and as for the stucco and the grotesques, he
placed at the head of that work Giovanni da Udine, and the figures
he entrusted to Giulio Romano, although that master worked but
little at them; and he also employed Giovanni Francesco, Il Bologna,
Perino del Vaga, Pellegrino da Modena, Vincenzio da San Gimignano,
and Polidoro da Caravaggio, with many other painters, who executed
scenes and figures and other things that were required throughout
that work, which Raffaello caused to be completed with such
perfection, that he even sent to Florence for pavements by the hand
of Luca della Robbia. Wherefore it is certain that with regard to
the paintings, the stucco-ornaments, the arrangement, or any of the
beautiful inventions, no one would be able to execute or even to
imagine a more marvellous work; and its beauty was the reason that
Raffaello received the charge of all the works of painting and
architecture that were in progress in the Palace.

It is said that the courtesy of Raffaello was such that he prevailed
upon the masons, in order that he might accommodate his friends, not
to build the walls absolutely solid and unbroken, but to leave,
above the old rooms below, various openings and spaces for the
storage of barrels, flasks, and wood; which holes and spaces so
weakened the lower part of the masonry, that afterwards they had to
be filled in, because the whole was beginning to show cracks. He
commissioned Gian Barile to adorn all the doors and ceilings of
woodwork with a good number of carvings, which he executed and
finished with beautiful grace.

He gave architectural designs for the Vigna[26] of the Pope, and for
many houses in the Borgo; in particular, for the Palace of Messer
Giovanni Battista dall' Aquila, which was a very beautiful work. He
also designed one for the Bishop of Troia, who had it built in the
Via di S. Gallo at Florence. For the Black Friars of S. Sisto in
Piacenza, he painted the picture for their high-altar, containing
the Madonna with S. Sisto and S. Barbara, a truly rare and
extraordinary work. He executed many pictures to be sent into
France, and in particular, for the King, a S. Michael fighting with
the Devil, which was held to be a marvellous thing. In this w