Rome, late September 1534. The splendid cool weather helped ripen the figs in the courtyard of Michelangelo's house; the grapes in the garden would soon be ready for picking. The property now belonged to Michelangelo, as part of an arrangement made with the Julius heirs in 1532. The two-floor dwelling in Macel de' Corvi was situated opposite the ruins of the ancient forum of Trajan, near the proud column and the still unfinished church of Santa Maria del Loreto. Michelangelo used the spacious room on the ground floor as his studio; at the back were a stable, a small forge, and a loggia that opened onto the kitchen garden with its fruit trees and vines. The locals referred to the street as the “Slaughterhouse of Crows” because of the bustling market that sold not only crows and thrush but also more expensive pheasants and capons. On the same street was the pork butcher and grocer whose daughter, Vincenza, Michelangelo employed for a brief period, until her unruly brother appeared one day and inexplicably dragged her away. Did the foolish youth think working for an artist less dignified than cleaning offal? The neighborhood teemed with life, noise, and unpleasant smells.

Between 1532 and 1534, Michelangelo divided his time between Florence and Rome. When he was in Florence, his good friend Bartolomeo Angelini looked after his Roman house and “all the animals,” which included a noisy rooster and some hens.