Vincenzo Foppa of Brescia, founder of the Lombard school, his life ...

232 VINCENZO FOPPA
apothecary Federico Pezza,' is a significant item, and seems to indicate that
the death of Foppa was preceded by an illness of some duration. The debt
to Master Ambrogio, the stone-cutter, probably represents the amount owing
for the stone which covered the tomb of Foppa in the cloisters of S. Barnaba.
As already noted, this
gravestone must have been of the utmost simplicity,
containing at most the name of the artist without any ornamentation and
certainly without armorial bearings, since the whole cost, including the workmanship,
only amounted to i lira, 5 soldi. The other items evidently refer to
Foppa's bequests.
Having chosen the Augustinian Monastery of S. Barnaba as his place of
burial, he directed that 14 lire was to be paid by his heir to the monks, in
order that they might celebrate a requiem Mass in their church for the repose
of his soul. Nor did he forget his own parish church, but gave proof of his
piety and devotion by bequeathing 12 lire to the monks of S.
is,
Alessandro, that
to the Servites by whom that parish was then administered.
Four other legacies—one of 150 lire, the remaining three of 100 lire each
—afford a striking proof of Vincenzo Foppa's generous nature and kindness
of heart, and they also tend to show that in the course of his long and
laborious life he must, in spite of his many financial troubles, have amassed
a considerable fortune, out of which he made liberal bequests to needy relations
or intimate friends, in each case for the purpose of a marriage portion.
The first legacy of 100 lire is "to a sister-in-law of his" for the dowry of
a certain Angela;^ then follow 150 lire to Gian Girolamo^ and 100 lire
apiece to Lucia and Caterina.
We have no clue as to the identity of these legatees or as to that of the
other persons mentioned in this list,'' nor are we able to furnish any information
with regard to the creditors named in the first part, among whom we
observe the Commune of Bagnolo. But one item is especially noteworthy,
namely, a payment from the Commune of Orzinuovi. The sum named is very
small, but it may have had reference to a final payment for, or possibly some
1 Pezza is registered in the Estimo of 1498 (f. 168 v.) as an apothecary living in the
first ward of S. Alessandro.
- It is not clear whether this refers to a sister-in-law of Foppa or of Caylina ; the
language is ambiguous, but the literal translation, "a sister-in-law of his for a legacy
in order to marry—that is Angela," might point to a sister-in-law whose daughter
Angela was provided with a dowry by her uncle Vincenzo Foppa.
^ Can this be Gian Girolamo Savoldo? We cannot tell, but the Brescian Archives
may some day perhaps supply an answer to this question.
* Among them is a Giacomo Filippo Valabio, doubtless a member of the same
family as Bataglinus Valabio, who is mentioned with Paolo Caylina in 1504 (Doc.
No. 75).