describe the nature of the sites and the forms of the
arches; and this in order to demonstrate how noble intellects
accommodate ornaments to places and inventions to sites with grace and
beauty. We must relate, then, that since the street which runs from the
Column to the Tornaquinci is, as everyone knows, very wide, and since it
was necessary to pass from there into the street of the Tornabuoni,
which by its narrowness brought it about that the eyes of those thus
passing fell for the most part on the not very ornate Tower of the
Tornaquinci, which occupies more than half the street, it was thought
expedient, in order to obviate that difficulty and to make the effect
more pleasing, to construct in the width of the above-named street, in a
Composite Order, two arches divided by a most ornate column, one of
which gave free passage to the procession, which proceeded through the
said street of the Tornabuoni, and the other, concealing the view of the
tower, appeared, by virtue of an ingenious prospect-scene that was
painted there, to lead into another street similar to the said street of
the Tornabuoni, wherein with most pleasing illusion were seen not only
the houses and windows adorned with tapestries and full of men and women
who were all intent on gazing at the spectacle, but also the gracious
sight of a most lovely maiden on a white palfrey, accompanied by certain
grooms, who appeared to be coming from there towards those approaching,
insomuch that both on the day of the procession and all the time
afterwards that she remained there, she roused in more than one person,
by a gracious deception, a desire either to go to meet her or to wait
until she should have passed. These two arches, besides the
above-mentioned column that divided them, were bordered by other columns
of the same size, which supported architraves, friezes, and cornices;
and over each arch was seen a lovely ornament in the form of a most
beautiful picture, in which were seen painted, likewise in chiaroscuro,
the stories of which we shall speak in a short time. The whole work was
crowned above by an immense cornice with ornaments corresponding to the
loveliness, grandeur, and magnificence of the rest, upon which, then,
stood the statues, which, although they were at a height of a good
twenty-five braccia from the level of the ground, nevertheless were
wrought with such proportion that the height did not take away any of
their grace, nor the distance any of