of Sansovino; and after having
toiled at carving foliage up to the age of thirty, finally, assisted
by Sansovino, who taught him, he set himself to make figures of
marble. In which he so delighted, and studied in such a manner, that
in two years he was working by himself; to which witness is borne by
some passing good works by his hand that are in the tribune of S.
Marco, and the statue of a Mars larger than life that is in the facade
of the Palazzo Pubblico, which statue is in company with three others
by the hands of good craftsmen. He also made two figures for the
apartments of the Council of Ten, one male and the other female, in
company with two others executed by Danese Cattaneo, a sculptor of
highest renown, who, as will be related, was likewise a disciple of
Sansovino; which figures serve to adorn a chimney-piece. Pietro made,
in addition, three figures that are at S. Antonio, in the round and
larger than life; and these are a Justice, a Fortitude, and a statue
of a Captain-General of the Venetian forces, all executed with good
mastery. He also made a statue of Justice in a beautiful attitude and
with good design, which was placed upon a column in the Piazza of
Murano, and another in the Piazza del Rialto in Venice, as a support
for that stone where public proclamations are made, which is called
the Gobbo[13] di Rialto; and these works have made him known as a very
good sculptor. For the Santo, in Padua, he made a very beautiful
Thetis; and a Bacchus who is squeezing a bunch of grapes into a cup,
which figure, the most difficult that he ever executed, and the best,
he left at his death to his children, who have it still in their
house, seeking to sell it to him who shall best recognize and reward
the labour that their father endured for it.

[Footnote 13: Hunchback.]

Likewise a disciple of Jacopo was Alessandro Vittoria of Trento, a
most excellent sculptor and much the friend of study, who with a very
beautiful manner has shown in many works that he has executed, as well
in stucco as in marble, that he has a ready brain and a lovely style,
and that his labours are worthy to be held in estimation. By the hand
of this Alessandro, in Venice, at the principal door of the Library of
S. Marco, are two great women of stone, each ten palms high, which
are full of grace and beauty and worthy to be much extolled. He has
made four figures for the tomb of the Contarini in the Santo of Padua,
two slaves, or rath