Italy, which was the scene of the birth and infancy of so many of the forms and ideas out of which modern music was finally evolved, witnessed the first development of organ-playing also. The earliest existing information we possess regarding organists and organ-playing comes from Italy and reaches far back into the fourteenth century. Francesco Landino (1325-1390) of Florence is the first celebrated representative of Italian organists’ art. A contemporary writer gives the following enthusiastic account of his playing: ‘The whole assembly is excited by his organ-playing, the young dance and sing, the old hum with him; all are enchanted. He draws wonders from the little organ; the birds cease their song and in their astonishment draw near to listen.’[96] The instrument with which Landino produced such astonishing effects and gained such a reputation was not the church organ (_organum magnum_), which was altogether too clumsy, but the little house organ, probably the ‘portative’ organ, called _ninfale_ in Italy (see Chapter XIV). In the Library of St. Lorenzo at Florence is a miniature which represents Landino seated, playing on a _ninfale_ which rests on his knees. He was called _Il Cieco_ from the fact that he was blind, and his great skill as a performer gave him the name Francesco _degli Organi_. He was generally recognized as the most prominent organist and musician of his time, and, as he was of noble family and grew up in an atmosphere of culture and refinement, it is not astonishing to find that he was not less celebrated as a philosopher and poet. None of his compositions for the organ have been preserved; probably most of his playing was improvisation, as his infirmity would render it difficult for him to make use of the imperfect notation of his time. Several of his vocal works have come down to us, however, and Fétis considered them far in advance of the art of his period.