del Piombo,
Giorgio Vasari, and Michael Angelo all competed. Michael Angelo's design
was eventually carried out after he had placed a wooden model of part of
his cornice in position. Vasari, who is the best authority upon this
period of the life of Michael Angelo, attributes to him also the exterior
of the palace from the second story upwards, and the whole of the central
courtyard above the first story, "making it the finest thing of its sort
in Europe." Michael Angelo had also a serious disagreement with Sangallo
before the military committee fortifying the Borgo for the Pope.

When Antonio da Sangallo died at Terni on October 3, 1546, Michael Angelo
succeeded to his post in Rome, architect-in-general to the Pope, the
principal work was, of course, the great Church of St. Peter's. Bramante,
Raphael, and Peruzzi had all been architects-in-chief, and many were the
alterations in the plans. Notwithstanding their differences during his
early life, the design of Bramante was the one that commended itself to
Michael Angelo; he abandoned Sangallo's design; the model for it still
exists and we cannot wonder at Michael Angelo's decision. His criticisms
are given in a letter supposed to be to Bartolomeo Amanati.(159) "It
cannot be denied that Bramante was a brave architect, equal to any one
from the times of the ancients until now. He laid the first plan of Saint
Peter's, not confused, but clear and simple, full of light and detached
from surrounding buildings, so as not to injure any part of the palace. It
was considered a fine thing, and, indeed, it is still manifest that it was
so; and all the architects who have departed from the plan of Bramante, as
Sangallo has done, have departed from the truth. And so it is, and all who
have not prejudiced eyes can see it in his model. He, with his outer
circle of chapels, in the first place takes all the light from the plan of
Bramante; and not only this, but he has not provided any other means of
lighting, and there are so many lurking places, both above and below, all
dark, which would be very convenient for innumerable knaveries, a secure
hiding-place for bandits, false coiners, and all sorts of ribaldry, and
when it was shut up at night twenty-five men would be needed to clear the
building of those in hiding there, and it would be difficult enough to
find them. There is yet another inconvenience: the circle of buildings
with their adjuncts outside added to Bramante's plan would make