THE COLOSSAL BRONZE FOR THE FACADE OF SAN PETRONIO The Pope entered Bologna in triumph on November 11, 1506, after the marvellous campaign by which he restored two rich provinces to the Church with only five hundred men-at-arms and his twenty-four Cardinals.

Less than ten days afterwards he inquired for his artist.

The Cardinal of Pavia wrote an autograph letter to the Signory of Florence on the 21st, urgently requesting that they would despatch Michael Angelo immediately to that town, inasmuch as the Pope was impatient for his arrival, and wanted to employ him on important works.

On November 27 Soderini wrote to the Cardinal of Pavia introducing Michael Angelo and praising the cartoon the artist had to leave unpainted, and to the Cardinal of Volterra more formally as follows:-- "The bearer will be Michael Angelo, the sculptor, whom we send to please and satisfy his Holiness our Lord.

We certify your Lordship that he is a worthy young man, and in his own art without a peer in Italy; perhaps also in the universe.