Antonio da San Gallo, Andrea Sansovino and
Jacopo Sansovino, and the gracious Raffaello da Urbino, who was
afterwards summoned to Florence for that purpose at the time of the
Pope's visit. Thereupon Michelagnolo resolved to make a model and not
to accept anyone beyond himself as his guide or superior in the
architecture of such a work; but this refusal of assistance was the
reason that neither he nor any other executed the work, and that those
masters returned in despair to their customary pursuits. Michelagnolo,
going to Carrara, had an order authorizing that a thousand crowns
should be paid to him by Jacopo Salviati; but on his arrival Jacopo
was shut up in his room on business with some citizens, and
Michelagnolo, refusing to wait for an audience, departed without
saying a word and went straightway to Carrara. Jacopo heard of
Michelagnolo's arrival, and, not finding him in Florence, sent him a
thousand crowns to Carrara. The messenger demanded that Michelagnolo
should write him a receipt, to which he answered that the money was
for the expenses of the Pope and not for his own interest, and that
the messenger might take it back, but that he was not accustomed to
write out quittances or receipts for others; whereupon the other
returned in alarm to Jacopo without a receipt.

While Michelagnolo was at Carrara and was having marble quarried for
the tomb of Julius, thinking at length to finish it, no less than for
the facade, a letter was written to him saying that Pope Leo had heard
that in the mountains of Pietrasanta near Seravezza, in the Florentine
dominion, at the summit of the highest mountain, which is called Monte
Altissimo, there were marbles of the same excellence and beauty as
those of Carrara. This Michelagnolo already knew, but it seems that he
would not take advantage of it because of his friendship with the
Marchese Alberigo, Lord of Carrara, and, in order to do him a good
service, chose to quarry those of Carrara rather than those of
Seravezza; or it may have been that he judged it to be a long
undertaking and likely to waste much time, as indeed it did. However,
he was forced to go to Seravezza, although he pleaded in protest that
it would be more difficult and costly, as in truth it was, especially
at the beginning, and, moreover, that the report about the marble was
perhaps not true; but for all that the Pope would not hear a word of
objection. Thereupon it was decided to make a road for several miles