Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini | Page 6

of all these towns are different, and have come to them by
other ways. [1]
Thus then we find; and thus we believe that we are descended from a
man of worth. Furthermore, we find that there are Cellinis of our stock
in Ravenna, that most ancient town of Italy, where too are plenty of
gentle folk. In Pisa also there are some, and I have discovered them in
many parts of Christendom; and in this state also the breed exists, men
devoted to the profession of arms; for not many years ago a young man,

called Luca Cellini, a beardless youth, fought with a soldier of
experience and a most valorous man, named Francesco da Vicorati,
who had frequently fought before in single combat. This Luca, by his
own valour, with sword in hand, overcame and slew him, with such
bravery and stoutness that he moved the folk to wonder, who were
expecting quite the contrary issue; so that I glory in tracing my descent
from men of valour.
As for the trifling honours which I have gained for my house, under the
well-known conditions of our present ways of living, and by means of
my art, albeit the same are matters of no great moment, I will relate
these in their proper time and place, taking much more pride in having
been born humble and having laid some honourable foundation for my
family, than if I had been born of great lineage and had stained or
overclouded that by my base qualities. So then I will make a beginning
by saying how it pleased God I should be born.
Note 1. He is alluding to the name 'Fluenzia,' which some antiquaries
of his day thought to have been the earliest name of the city, derived
from its being near 'Arno Fluente.' I have translated the word 'fluente' in
the text literally, though of course it signifies “situated on a flowing
river.” I need not call attention to the apocryphal nature of Cellini’s
own derivation from the name of his supposed ancestor.
III
MY ancestors dwelt in Val d’ Ambra, where they owned large estates,
and lived like little lords, in retirement, however, on account of the then
contending factions. They were all men devoted to arms and of notable
bravery. In that time one of their sons, the younger, who was called
Cristofano, roused a great feud with certain of their friends and
neighbours. Now the heads of the families on both sides took part in it,
and the fire kindled seemed to them so threatening that their houses
were like to perish utterly; the elders upon this consideration, in concert
with my own ancestors, removed Cristofano; and the other youth with
whom the quarrel began was also sent away. They sent their young man
to Siena. Our folk sent Cristofano to Florence; and there they bought
for him a little house in Via Chiara, close to the convent of S. Orsola,

and they also purchased for him some very good property near the
Ponte a Rifredi. The said Cristofano took wife in Florence, and had
sons and daughters; and when all the daughters had been portioned off,
the sons, after their father’s death, divided what remained. The house in
Via Chiara with some other trifles fell to the share of one of the said
sons, who had the name of Andrea. He also took wife, and had four
male children. The first was called Girolamo, the second Bartolommeo,
the third Giovanni, who was afterwards my father, and the fourth
Francesco. This Andrea Cellini was very well versed in architecture, as
it was then practised, and lived by it as his trade. Giovanni, who was
my father, paid more attention to it than any of the other brothers. And
since Vitruvius says, amongst other things, that one who wishes to
practise that art well must have something of music and good drawing,
Giovanni, when he had mastered drawing, began to turn his mind to
music, and together with the theory learned to play most excellently on
the viol and the flute; and being a person of studious habits, he left his
home but seldom.
They had for neighbour in the next house a man called Stefano
Granacci, who had several daughters, all of them of remarkable beauty.
As it pleased God, Giovanni noticed one of these girls who was named
Elisabetta; and she found such favour with him that he asked her in
marriage. The fathers of both of them being well acquainted through
their close neighbourhood, it was easy to make this match up; and each
thought that he had very well arranged his affairs. First of all the two
good old men agreed upon the marriage; then they began to discuss the
dowry, which led to a certain