ay in Rome with his
studies in art, being held in much consideration, Giuliano da San
Gallo, who had been keeping him in his house in the Borgo Vecchio,
fell ill; and when he departed from Rome in a litter, in order to go
to Florence for a change of air, a room was found for Jacopo by
Bramante, likewise in the Borgo Vecchio, in the Palace of Domenico
della Rovere, Cardinal of San Clemente, where Pietro Perugino was also
dwelling, who at that time was painting for Pope Julius the vaulting
of the chamber in the Borgia Tower. Whereupon Pietro, having seen the
beautiful manner of Sansovino, caused him to make many models in wax
for himself, and among them a Christ taken down from the Cross in the
round, with many ladders and figures, which was a very beautiful
thing. This and other things of the same sort, and models of various
fantasies, were all collected afterwards by M. Giovanni Gaddi, and
they are now in his house on the Piazza di Madonna in Florence. And
these works were the reason that Sansovino became very intimately
associated with Maestro Luca Signorelli, the painter of Cortona, with
Bramantino da Milano, with Bernardino Pinturicchio, with Cesare
Cesariano, who was in repute at that time for his commentaries on
Vitruvius, and with many other famous and beautiful intellects of that
age. Bramante, then, desiring that Sansovino should become known to
Pope Julius, arranged to have some antiques restored by him; whereupon
Jacopo, setting to work, displayed such diligence and so much grace in
restoring them, that the Pope and all who saw them judged that nothing
better could be done. These praises so spurred Sansovino to surpass
himself, that, having given himself beyond measure to his studies, and
being, also, somewhat delicate in constitution and suffering from some
excess such as young men commit, he became so ill that he was forced
for the sake of his life to return to Florence, where, profiting by
his native air, by the advantage of his youth, and by the diligence
and care of the physicians, in a short time he completely recovered.
Now Messer Piero Pitti was arranging at that time to have a Madonna of
marble made for that facade of the Mercato Nuovo in Florence where the
clock is, and it appeared to him, since there were in Florence many
young men of ability and also old masters, that the work should be
given to that one among them who might make the best model. Whereupon
one was given to Baccio da Montelupo to exec