Abstract: This chapter considers Francesco di Bartolomeo Alfei's dealings with the Trecerchi and outlines his role as mediator and scribe for the family in 1465 (alongside Sano di Pietro and others), following embellishment of a Trecerchi ‘palazeto’ by fellow artist Antonio di Simone. It considers a number of Trecerchi palaces inside the walls of Siena in an attempt to locate the site of the ‘palazeto’. It analyses the contemporary urban complex, drawing distinctions between the main thoroughfare of the Via di Città and the Via Pantaneto on the Via Francigena.

Keywords: Pietro di Giovanni Trecerchi; Mino di Niccolò dei Trecerchi; Siena urban complex; Trecerchi palaces; arbitration and settlements. Expertise as a scribe

According to a record dated 7 November 1464, Fra Jeronimo, ‘procurator et procuratorio’ to the Sienese citizen Pietro di Giovanni dei Trecerchi, had called together two individuals, ‘Ser Mini Nicolai de Tricirchiis’ and ‘magister Antonius magistri Simonis, pictor de Senis’, in the matter of the valuation of several pieces of work and painting (‘occasione plurium picturarum et laboreriorum factarum’) carried out by Antonio di Simone for the said ‘domino Petro’. It was agreed that the issue of payment should be placed in the hands of ‘Franciscum Bartolomei’ – who had been elected to represent ‘dicti fratris Hieronymi’ – and ‘magistrum Sanum Petri’ (put forward by the said ‘magistri Antonii’), and that those two individuals should settle all the differences between the various parties. The underlying purpose was clearly to arbitrate in the matter of how much Antonio di Simone should receive for his labours. (‘quod dicti arbitri habeant declarere et judicare quantum dictus magister Antonius debeat habere de dictis picture ecc’).

Interestingly, and despite having reneged on the commission from the Fraternita di Santa Maria degli Angeli e Compagnia di San Francesco and the recent failure to obtain the post of factor at the Opera works, it was Francesco di Bartolomeo Alfei, rather than Sano di Pietro, who appears to have assumed a key role in the Trecerchi affair. It is also interesting that it was Pietro Trecerchi's procurator or legal representative who was in the first instance responsible for calling together another member of the family, Ser Mino, and the artist responsible for the work, Antonio di Simone: the initial expectation seemingly being that this was a ‘family matter’ that could be resolved ‘in house’.