midst of this glow of feeling that Cimabue painted his colossal and
wondrous _Madonna and Child with the Angels_, the largest altar piece
which had been produced up to that time. Cimabue was then living in the
Borgo Allegri, one of the suburbs of Florence, and there in his studio
this great painting slowly came into existence. As soon as it assumed
some definite shape its fame was noised abroad, and many were the
curious ones who came to watch the master at his task. The mere fact
that this painting was upon a larger scale than any other picture of the
kind which had before been attempted in Italy was enough to arrest the
attention of the most indifferent; and as the figure warmed into life
and the face of the Madonna became as that of a holy woman, human and
yet divine in its pity, and with a tender and melancholy expression, the
popular acclaim with which the picture was hailed was unprecedented, and
Cimabue became at once the acknowledged master of his time. So great
was the joy and appreciation with which this Madonna was received, that
a beautiful story is told to the effect that it was only after its
completion that the name Allegri [joyous] was given to the locality in
which the work was done; but, unfortunately, the facts do not bear out
the tale--Baedeker and other eminent authorities to the contrary
notwithstanding. Before this picture was taken to the beautiful chapel
of the Rucellai in the Chiesa Santa Maria Novella in Florence, where it
can be seen to-day, the French nobleman Charles of Anjou went to inspect
it, and with him went a stately company of lords and ladies. Later, when
it was removed to the church, a solemn religious procession was
organized for the occasion. Preceded by trumpeters, under a rain of
flowers, and followed by the whole populace, it went from the Borgo
Allegri to the church, and there it was installed with proper ceremony.

The list of holy women who, by means of their good lives and their
deeds, helped on the cause of the Church during this early time is a