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The history of the popes, from the close of the middle ages : drawn ...

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THE SISTINE CHAPEL II7<br />

identified. In May, 1568, <strong>the</strong> Duke <strong>of</strong> Urbino presented Pius<br />

V. with some valuable majolica, which afterwards came into<br />

<strong>the</strong> possession <strong>of</strong> Cardinal Bonelli.^<br />

<strong>The</strong> building operations <strong>of</strong> Pius V. in <strong>the</strong> Vatican must have<br />

cost 30,000 scudi.2 First <strong>of</strong> all he had to undertake a restora-<br />

tion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sistine Chapel, in <strong>the</strong> ceiling <strong>of</strong> which serious<br />

cracks had appeared as early as October, 1565. <strong>The</strong> state<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> chapel was so bad that none <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> functions could be<br />

held <strong>the</strong>re on January i8th, 1566, <strong>the</strong> feast <strong>of</strong> St. Peter's<br />

Chair. Pius V. at once took <strong>the</strong> work in hand with so nmch<br />

energy that <strong>the</strong> chapel was soon fit for use again. <strong>The</strong><br />

pictures on <strong>the</strong> ceiling were saved, and skilfully restored by<br />

<strong>the</strong> Modenese painter, Domenico Carnevale.^<br />

In <strong>the</strong> Vatican Palace Pius V. completed <strong>the</strong> works begun<br />

by his predecessor,'* and he fur<strong>the</strong>r erected a new building<br />

d'altezza d'un huomo, i cui nodi sono cerchiati d'argcnto ne<br />

quali e scritta la vita di S. Pietro." Strozzi to Maximilian II.<br />

<strong>from</strong> Rome, January 4, 1567, State Archives, Vienna. Cf.<br />

brief to Andreas de Noronha, August 22, 1569, Arm. 44,<br />

p. 191, Papal Secret Archives.<br />

t. 14,<br />

^ This gift <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> " bellissima credenza de piati de maiolica<br />

historiata con figure " is noted in <strong>the</strong> *Awise di Roma <strong>of</strong> March<br />

13, 1568, Urb. 1040, p. 487b, Vatican Library. <strong>The</strong> gift to<br />

Cardinal BoneUi is related by Cipriano Saracinello in a *letter to<br />

Cardinal Farnese <strong>from</strong> Rome, March 6, 1568, State Archives,<br />

Naples, C. Fames., 763. A majolica plate (Venetian work) with<br />

<strong>the</strong> cardinal's arms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> GhisUeri in <strong>the</strong> collection <strong>of</strong> R. Zschille<br />

is mentioned by O. v. Falke in his Katalog der itahen. Majoliken,<br />

Leipzig, 1899, n. 22, but in assigning it to <strong>the</strong> year 1550, he is<br />

certainly putting <strong>the</strong> date too early.<br />

* Cf. Catena, 135.<br />

' See Steinmann in Kunstchronik , N.S., XV. (1903-04), 570<br />

seq. and Sixtina, II., 779 seq. To <strong>the</strong> evidence <strong>the</strong>re given must<br />

be added a payment <strong>of</strong> December 20, 1569, <strong>from</strong> <strong>the</strong> *Secondo<br />

libro d. Recettoria d. r. Camera Apost. del A^ 1567, State Archives,<br />

Rome.<br />

* Arco on April 12. 1567, reports : *" S.S^^ ha detto di volar<br />

far finire le fabriche principate da Pio IV. et principalmente quella

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