ence in a
street called Ardiglione, below the Canto alla Cuculia and behind the
Convent of the Carmelites. By the death of his father Tommaso he was
left a poor little orphan at the age of two, with no one to take care of
him, for his mother had also died not long after giving him birth. He
was left, therefore, in the charge of one Mona Lapaccia, his aunt,
sister of his father, who brought him up with very great inconvenience
to herself; and when he was eight years of age and she could no longer
support him, she made him a friar in the aforesaid Convent of the
Carmine. Living there, in proportion as he showed himself dexterous and
ingenious in the use of his hands, so was he dull and incapable of
making any progress in the learning of letters, so that he would never
apply his intelligence to them or regard them as anything save his
enemies. This boy, who was called by his secular name of Filippo, was
kept with others in the noviciate under the discipline of the
schoolmaster, in order to see what he could do; but in place of studying
he would never do anything save deface his own books and those of the
others with caricatures. Whereupon the Prior resolved to give him every
opportunity and convenience for learning to paint. There was then in the
Carmine a chapel that had been newly painted by Masaccio, which, being
very beautiful, pleased Fra Filippo so greatly that he would haunt it
every day for his recreation; and continually practising there in
company with many young men, who were ever drawing in it, he surpassed
the others by a great measure in dexterity and knowledge, insomuch that
it was held certain that in time he would do something marvellous. Nay,
not merely in his maturity, but even in his early childhood, he
executed so many works worthy of praise that it was a miracle. It was no
long time before he wrought in terra-verde in the cloister, close to the
Consecration painted by Masaccio, a Pope confirming the Rule of the
Carmelites; and he painted pictures in fresco on various walls in many
parts of the church, particularly a S. John the Baptist with some scenes
from his life. And thus, making progress every day, he had learnt the
manner of Masaccio very well, so that he made his works so similar to
those of the other that many said that the spirit of Masaccio had
entered into the body of Fra Filippo. On a pilaster in the church, close
to the organ, he made a figure of S. Marziale which brought him infinite
fame