Matarazzo was not alone in his admiration for the Baglioni. He tells us
that whenever the "magnificent Guido," his son Astorre, or his nephew
Gianpaolo walked in the piazza every citizen paused at his work to
admire them, and if perchance a stranger passed through Perugia he was
certain to make every effort to see them. The soldiers would hurry from
their tents to see Gianpaolo go by, and anyone walking by this noble's
side seemed dwarfed and insignificant by reason of his great stature and
his noble form. Gismondo, another of Guide's sons, was universally
admired for his splendid horsemanship. He would make his horse leap into
the air, while he sat straight and square in the saddle, not stirring
hand or foot. The citizens looked on marvelling at these feats of skill
and daring. Gismondo was slim, and walked with the lightness of a cat,
so that no man in Perugia, however quick of hearing, knew when he was
coming. The richest and perhaps the handsomest of the Baglioni family
was young Grifonetto Baglioni, whose beauty Matarazzo compares to
Ganymede. He was the son of Grifone and Atalanta Baglioni, and nephew to
Guido and Ridolfo. His father had been stabbed at Ponte Ricciolo in
1477, and he lived with his young mother in one of the most beautiful
houses in Perugia. This palace had been commenced by Malatesta Baglioni
and finished by Braccio Baglioni, who, because of the court of learned
men he gathered round him, and the splendid festivals with which he
honoured the lovely ladies of the city, was called "Lorenzo il Magnifico
di Perugia." The palace was entered by a large and richly-ornamented
hall, hung with beautiful pictures. At the opposite end of the room was
a painting of a woman of most venerable and majestic bearing, and over
her head the word _Perusia_. This grave and queenly lady commanded a
view of all the celebrated men of the Umbrian city, for on one side of
the wall were portraits of the famous captains of adventure, and on the
other those of the most learned of the doctors and scholars, with their
names and a description of their mighty deeds written in full below
them. Grifonetto lived in great magnificence. "He kept numbers of
horses, Barbary steeds, to run in the races, jesters and other
properties pertaining to a gentleman. He even kept a lion; and all who
went to the house compared it to a king's court."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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