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Chap.' XXIV. GIOVANNI SANTI. 579 CHAPTER XXIV. GIOVANNI SANTI. We are indebted to the industry and zeal of men of the present century for the most precious details respect ing the life and works of the father of Raphael. Seldom has it been the fortune of a youth bred to art in the atelier of his father, to grow and flourish in the paternal profession with such luxuriance that his fame has obscur ed that of his progenitor. History but too frequently records examples in which the progeny is content with the laurels of its ancestors and consents to the happy ease of mediocrity. But, if Giovanni Santi has been res cued from oblivion, because we like to trace the smallest particularities connected with the rise and progress of Raphael, it would be an error to suppose that this is his sole claim to the attention of historians. Giovanni Santi was one of the men who contributed to the brilliancy of the constellation in which Piero della Francesca, Signorelli and Melozzo shone with such con spicuous prominence; and we know enough of his career and influence to be able to affirm that their omission would form a very sensible gap in the sum total of ele ments out of which the talent of Raphael was formed. We shall first endeavour to extract from the minute narratives of Pungileoni and Passavant the few facts which are of special interest. Giovanni’s grandfather Peruzzolo was married and settled at Colbordolo in the country of Urbino in 1418- His small property in land and houses having been plundered and burnt by Sigis- mund Malatesta in 1446, the family wandered in 1450 to 37*
