THE CERTOSA OF FLORENCE 



Turks, on which occasion he first displayed his mili- 

 tary and administrative talents. Having conquered 

 the Morea, and obtained the recognition of Catherine's 

 eldest son Robert as Prince of Achaia, at the end of 

 three years Niccolo returned to Naples, where he was 

 received with great honour, and sent as ambassador 

 to Florence. 



It was during this visit to his native city that he 

 founded the Certosa. Already, as he took farewell 

 of his wife and children when starting on his perilous 

 expedition against the Turks, the wish to build a 

 convent near Florence had arisen in his mind, as 

 we know from the will he left behind him a curious 

 and. elaborate document, of which the original Italian 

 version is still preserved in the archives of the Certosa. 

 After providing for his wife and children, and direct- 

 ing alms to be given and masses to be said not only 

 for his own soul, but for every member of his family 

 with the most scrupulous care, he proceeds to set 

 apart a portion of his revenue for the endowment of 

 this Certosa to be erected on a site chosen by a certain 

 Carthusian monk, Frate Amico, under the patronage 

 of his four favourite saints, Messer Michele Agnolo, 

 Messer Niccol6, Lorenzo, and Benedetto. " And I 

 beg of you, Acciaiuolo, my father," he adds, " to 

 execute faithfully my will in this respect, and to have 



more care of my soul and yours than of my sons, for 



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