y Citta di Castello), in order to repair the
walls of the above-mentioned garden of Vitelli, which were threatening
to fall, he took Cristofano with him, to the end that after Vasari
himself had designed and distributed in their due order the friezes
that were to be executed in certain apartments, and likewise the
scenes and compartments of a bath-room, and other sketches for the
walls of the loggia, Gherardi and the above-named Battista might carry
the whole to completion. All this they did so well and with such
grace, and particularly Cristofano, that a past master in art, well
practised in his work, could not have done so much; and, what is more,
experimenting in that work, he became facile and able to a marvel in
drawing and colouring.

Then, in the year 1536, the Emperor Charles V coming to Italy and to
Florence, as has been related in other places, the most magnificent
festive preparations were ordained, among which Vasari, by order of
Duke Alessandro, received the charge of the decorations of the Porta a
S. Piero Gattolini, of the facade at S. Felice in Piazza, at the head
of the Via Maggio, and of the pediment that was erected over the door
of S. Maria del Fiore; and, in addition, of a standard of cloth for
the castle, fifteen braccia in depth and forty in length, into the
gilding of which there went fifty thousand leaves of gold. Now the
Florentine painters and others who were employed in these
preparations, thinking that Vasari was too much in favour with Duke
Alessandro, and wishing to leave him disgraced in that part of the
decorations--a part truly great and laborious--which had fallen to
him, so went to work that he was not able to enlist the services of
any master of architectural painting, whether young or old, among all
those that were in the city, to assist him in any single thing. Of
which having become aware, Vasari sent for Cristofano, Raffaello dal
Colle, and Stefano Veltroni of Monte Sansovino, his kinsman; and with
their assistance and that of other painters from Arezzo and other
places, he executed the works mentioned above, in which Cristofano
acquitted himself in such a manner, that he caused everyone to marvel,
doing honour to himself and also to Vasari, who was much extolled for
those works. After they were finished, Cristofano remained many days
in Florence, assisting the same Vasari in the preparations that were
made in the Palace of Messer Ottaviano de' Medici for the nuptials of
Duke Al