DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.32873#0217
CH. vii] LIFE OF BENVENUTO CELLINI 135
the army was entering Rome by the Tresteveri Quarter,
Pope Clemente having set at the head of ail the gun-
ners a famous Roman nobleman, who was named Misser
Antonio Santa Crocie/ this great personage came up to
me the hrst thing, and complimented me. He posted
me with five splendid pieces of artillery upon the very
highest point of the Castello, which is designated " the
Angel."" This fortification runs right round the
Castello, and looks toward the Prati and towards Rome.
Therefore he gave me as many men under me as I could
command, to assist me in manoeuvring my artillery; and
he caused a payment to be made to me in advance,^ sent
me some bread and a small quantity of wine, and then
besought me that I would continue (the defence) in that
way in which I had begun. I, because I sometimes felt a
^ This Roman noble, who, according to GUICCIARDINI and
AMMIRATO was captain of the artillery as far back as 1517, is
mentioned as in command of the gunners in the above-quoted
yhr ^ C<2JzW/(7, examined by BERTOLOTTi
p. 245).
^ So called on account of the Angel standing upon it, sculptured
in marble (according to VASARI, " in the likeness of the angel
that appeared to St. Gregory the Great")? by Raffaello da Monte-
lupo. This statue being placed at such a height suffered consider-
able damage from weather and lightning. It was therefore cast in
bronze during the eighteenth century by a clever brass-founder
named Giordani, after a model made by the Dutch sculptor Ver-
schalfelt, surnamed A7<?7/2z'72g.
** BERTOLOTTI finds mention among the accounts of a gunner
named Benvenuto, who was receiving pay from January 17th, 1527 ;
but he admits that there can be no certainty that this entry refers
to Cellini. We learn, indeed, from our hero himself that his post
among the artillery was an accident, and that it occurred on the
same day on which Bourbon's troops entered Rome. During those
most disastrous days no record of expenses seems to have been kept.
the army was entering Rome by the Tresteveri Quarter,
Pope Clemente having set at the head of ail the gun-
ners a famous Roman nobleman, who was named Misser
Antonio Santa Crocie/ this great personage came up to
me the hrst thing, and complimented me. He posted
me with five splendid pieces of artillery upon the very
highest point of the Castello, which is designated " the
Angel."" This fortification runs right round the
Castello, and looks toward the Prati and towards Rome.
Therefore he gave me as many men under me as I could
command, to assist me in manoeuvring my artillery; and
he caused a payment to be made to me in advance,^ sent
me some bread and a small quantity of wine, and then
besought me that I would continue (the defence) in that
way in which I had begun. I, because I sometimes felt a
^ This Roman noble, who, according to GUICCIARDINI and
AMMIRATO was captain of the artillery as far back as 1517, is
mentioned as in command of the gunners in the above-quoted
yhr ^ C<2JzW/(7, examined by BERTOLOTTi
p. 245).
^ So called on account of the Angel standing upon it, sculptured
in marble (according to VASARI, " in the likeness of the angel
that appeared to St. Gregory the Great")? by Raffaello da Monte-
lupo. This statue being placed at such a height suffered consider-
able damage from weather and lightning. It was therefore cast in
bronze during the eighteenth century by a clever brass-founder
named Giordani, after a model made by the Dutch sculptor Ver-
schalfelt, surnamed A7<?7/2z'72g.
** BERTOLOTTI finds mention among the accounts of a gunner
named Benvenuto, who was receiving pay from January 17th, 1527 ;
but he admits that there can be no certainty that this entry refers
to Cellini. We learn, indeed, from our hero himself that his post
among the artillery was an accident, and that it occurred on the
same day on which Bourbon's troops entered Rome. During those
most disastrous days no record of expenses seems to have been kept.