Mugello

Mugello is associated with the country estates of Giotto and Forese da Rabatta. In the account of their return journey to Florence, it provides the starting point for an encounter that turns muddy clothes and poor equipment into a measure of wit rather than artistic or social standing.

Country Estates and Summer Travel

Giotto and Forese da Rabatta each had a country house in Mugello. During the summer season, when the courts held holiday, both visited their estates and then set out separately on the return journey to Florence. The story places the two men on the road from their rural properties, riding horses and accoutrements no better than one another’s.

The Shower and Shelter

A sudden summer shower overtook the travelers. They took shelter in the house of a husbandman who was a friend and acquaintance of both, and, when the rain showed no sign of stopping and they wished to reach Florence by daylight, borrowed two old homespun cloaks and two hats rusty with age. Back on the road, they became drenched and muddy from the splashing of their horses’ hooves, making their already poor appearance still more conspicuous.

The Roadside Exchange

As the weather began to clear, the two men, who had ridden in silence for some time, began to talk. Forese looked Giotto over and joked that a stranger who had never seen him might not believe he was the finest painter in the world. Giotto replied by turning the same test of appearances on Forese. Mugello’s narrative importance lies in this brief passage from country visit to shared, uncomfortable journey: the setting brings the men together, while their shabby clothes make possible a joke that contrasts outward appearance with the reputation each carries.