Very magnificent, like a most honorable father

This past summer, it came to the attention of the most illustrious and reverend Turnone that the boys had two paintings painted from your drawings, and he made a great fuss about seeing them, with Roso and many of our relatives acting as intermediaries. Since I was begged by all of them, I allowed his most illustrious lordship to see them. Once he had seen them, they pleased him mightily, and he immediately began to want to buy them. I did not consent to this, even though I was pressured by many people over and over to do so; on the contrary, I became ever more firm. The more he offered, the more I resisted, giving as the reason that I treasured them in your memory, you to whom my sons and I owe so much, and that the paintings would never leave the house. And so his most illustrious and reverend lordship, seeing my hard and firm stance, withdrew and did not trouble me more. This October, however, the most excellent Lord Duke our patron also heard that I had these paintings, and he ordered a priest from his house [un prete suo di casa] to have them brought to Urbino for him to see. And so the priest sent someone on behalf of His Excellency, begging me to send them so that he could see them. With the best means I could, I made excuses and avoided at that point sending them. A few days ago, His Excellency again, still wanting to see them, sent the commissioner of our province of Massa, together with another representative from court, with a very loving letter begging me to send the pictures to him, accompanied by someone whom I trusted, because he wished to see them. Not knowing which way to turn in this proceeding, I asked several of our relatives for advice, and they told me: `Cornelia, you must not be obstinate with the Lord Duke, as you were with Cardinal Turnone, because His Excellency is patron of the paintings and of everything else of yours. And if he wishes, he may demand them. Therefore we advise you to send them to him, together with an agent who will say that His Excellency is patron of paintings, of things, of children, and of everything else, and that he may dispose of them as if they were his own.’ And so I did as I was counseled. I sent one of our relatives, who diligently made the offer to His Excellency, who, upon seeing the paintings, told our relative that the paintings were very beautiful and that he was not to leave without his permission. After four days, he had him brought before him and told him that he was accepting the paintings, together with my good will [buon animo], saying that he was obliged to me for what I had freely offered, and that the paintings were so beautiful that they were beyond price, and that if he were to wish to pay, they would require millions of scudi. But he wished the boys to have one hundred scudi with his love. Our relative refused these many times, saying that the boys wished nothing other than His Excellency’s grace and that he receive their best wishes. And he told him the thing of Roso’s [about Roso? la cosa de Roso]. After His Excellency had forced him to accept the one hundred scudi, he gave very great warrants [commissions?] in our favor and ordered that our affairs be well examined without expense and without argument. Then he sent the aforementioned commissioner with a letter to thank me and make most generous proffers to the boys. I have written all that happened to Your Lordship so that you will approve of what His Excellency wanted and thus, I pray most strenuously that you approve of the liberality I showed to our most excellent patron. And I also beg you, as hard as I can, to write me so that I can calm my mind, which, ever since I sent the paintings, has been troubled continuously. And it will remain so until I have had a letter from you by which I can clearly recognize that you approve. And since Francesco, may God give him peace, mentioned these paintings in his will, I would like with your help to have master Marcello make two from the same designs - let them cost what they will. You can pay him from the yield of the monies in the Monte della Fede. Your Lordship writes that, if there is a way to use here the yield that is drawn out from the Monte, I should tell you so that you will send it, since it doesn’t seem to you that it may make itself a greater amount [? unclear]. I am happy with whatever pleases you. As for finding a way to use it, I tell you that I have found [it], and whenever it occurs to you to send it, send it, and it will be used for the good of the boys. If Marcello is willing to make the paintings, your Lordship should tell me. Stay well, and if you think of any thing at all that I [could do for you], let me know, and I will try everything in my power to serve you. I pray you to remember me and my sons, as usual. My father, my mother and the boys send you a thousand greetings, and I as well. From Casteldurante, the 13^th of December of 57.

Of Your Lordship

The most loving daughter Cornelia Colonelli de amatorii.

Address:    To the very magnificent and excellent mister Michelagnolo Buonaroti, always my most honorable father.  At Macel de Corbi.  Three baiocchi  Rome

Like an honorable father mister Michelagnolo

By Pasquino the muleteer from Casteldurante, I am sending you two hams and two pairs of cheese [casci di guaime], which you should enjoy with our love. I should have sent them at Carnival, since the bundle had been made, but since I have no one to carry them, I could not send them. Next I tell you how [with] the money that you write me that I have in the Monte and from the painting[s], we have bought a very comfortable farm in a place called "i Camporesci" for three hundred eighty-four florins, at an exchange of forty old bolognini per florin. And by the present carrier we are sending you the contract for the purchase, so that you may see that we are eager to use the money. I would appreciate it if you would send to me by this carrier the inventory, so that we can see the whole accounting of the estate, because we have just met with Giolla to examine the accounts, and she has promised on her own account to redo everything that must be redone, and we cannot see the whole without the inventory. That is all for now, except to commend myself to you. Michelagnolo is getting big and commends himself to you; my father, my mother commend themselves to you a thousand times. From Casteldurante, the 19^th of April 1558.

Like your daughter, Cornelia, formerly wife

of Francesco Amatori

Address:  To the very magnificent mister Michelagnolo Buonarota like her honorable father

In Rome.

Very magnificent Mister Mechelanglo and most honorable father

With this you will know that we are well, after the proper greetings to Your Lordship, and that your boys Michelamglo and Francesco are well, lively, good-looking, and they talk about you all day. And such we pray the Lord God to keep them and to you to give the grace to see them thus, that they may be under your instruction [disciplina] and enjoy your sweet conversation and the great love that you had for their father and now for them. Because of this we want always to have good news about you. You should also know that, as we had the chance to buy land for the boys in a very good location, next to and close to their own, we have bought it for about two hundred twenty gold scudi, using for it those monies from His Excellency of Urbino and the rest Your Lordship should send. Henceforth, with the sale of gnati [?] and other yields from the boys’ [lands], we can repay them, as we don’t have other means. Your Lordship can give them to Pasquino, our muleteer from here, a good and trustworthy man, uncle of your Antonio who lives with you. So as not to pay to send others, we thought [to send] this good man. We have made the contract and are sending it to you, and if it doesn’t please Your Lordship, you can send an annotation as it pleases you. In this business and always, Your Lordship, if you wish something, we remind you that you should command us freely, as we always wish to please you. That God may keep you in health and in his grace. Be well; and your boys commend themselves to you countless times, together with us. From Castel Durante, the 19^th of April 1558.

Of Your Lordship

the humble servants Cornelia and Guido Collonelli and Giovan Francesco Fatorino delli Amatorii s(ubscrip)s(erunt)

It is attested for me Pasquino di Giovanni, called Bistocho da Chastelldurante, that I received from the magnificent sir Mic[h]elangnolo Bonaroti ninety-seven gold scudi, that is in gold and coin, which he paid me in the name of the heirs of Francesco, called Urbino. Attesting to the truth of this, I Leone di Batista Pippi of Florence at the Dogana vecchia of Rome have made this note with my own hand, at the request of the aforesaid Pasquino, who said that he did not know how to write.

On this day 27 April 1558, in Rome.

I the aforesaid Leone with my own hand.

Address: To the very magnificent and honorable father and mister Michelag(no)lo Buonarota Florentine

Magnificent mister and like a most loving father. You should not marvel that I have not replied to your letter before now: this is because I have been sick - and by the grace of God I am better now - and further, I don’t have anyone I can have write even two lines. Nonetheless, I tell you that I have received the ninety-seven gold scudi that you sent me by Pasquino, and I have made out the receipt and I have put them into the land, and I have finished paying for the field that I bought, even if I have had some problems having to do with the said field. As for the inventory, don’t trouble yourself, although if I could have it, I would be very grateful. And about the dress that Bastiano wants me to pay him for, I tell you that the dress was not given to me but to Roso, and I didn’t cause any damage to it. And if those boys, in order to take off some wax that had fallen on it, burned it a little, I would not have made it any worse [?]. However, in this case I want to do what you yourself want and, if you wish, I will pay what it is worth. I’ll say nothing more: we all are well, and I pray God that you are the same. I, Micchelangiolo and Francesco commend themselves to you from the heart, and so also my father and mother and everyone else; and we do the same to Laura, to Antonio and his sister, and I pray that they stay faithful and loving to you. If you want anything that we can [supply?] from here, tell us. Be well, and may God keep you happy. From Casteldurante, the 24^th of June 1558.

Like your loving daughter

Cornelia

Address:  To the very magnificent sir Michelangilo Buonarota like a most loving father

In Rome. Import of three baiocchi [di porto b(aiocchi) tre]

Very magnificent like a most honorable father

Since our Pasquino was coming to Rome, I didn’t want to let this opportunity pass without letting Your Lordship know that all of us are well. By the grace of God we are very healthy, and we wish to hear the same of Your Lordship, whom God should preserve for a long time, as we wish. During these past days my father received one of yours, at the foot of which there were two lines to me in particular. I thank you very much for your good counsel. I know that, because of the affection you have for me, you were counseling me lovingly; nonetheless, the thing has not happened, perhaps because it was not God’s will. These are things that always, as Your Lordship wrote, must be done with prayer and one must pray God that one may do the best thing: which must be done with as much devotion as possible. Since it did not happen, we must believe firmly that his Divine Majesty did not intend it; still, with all of this, I thank you and I will always be obligated to you. I don’t have anything else to write you. This [letter] will show that I respect and revere you to the utmost as a most loving father, praying that you similarly think of me as a most loving daughter; and if anything should occur to you that I could do from here, that you would deign to ask it of me. My father, my mother, Michelagnolo and Francesco commend themselves to you. Your Lordship should please also give commend me to Laura and Benedetta. May God make you happy. From Casteldurante, the 7^th of August of 58.

Of Your Lordship

The most loving daughter Cornelia Collonelli de amatori

Address:  To the very magnificent and excellent mister Michelagnolo Bonaroti my lord and most honorable father.  Rome.