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In his letter of February 26, 1520, [an den Vater] Marcello told of his arrival, of the nice room that had been given to him in the Spannocchi household, and of his visit to Monsignor Piccolomini [damals Erzbischof von Siena]. In Siena, Marcello undertook studies that centered on the Greek and Latin classics (in which he distinguished himself), and that also included mathematics, dialectics, philosophy, and astronomy. "In studies of humanistic subjects, he was most truly excellent," his brother Alessandro eulogistically explained, while he could express himself with elegance in prose and in verse. And in the "understanding of ancient things", Alessandro further maintained, he was second to none. [En 17: C. Cerv., 49/6r-v. "Nel architettura, et cognition delle cose antiche non fù a nessuna de suoi tempi secondo … Ma nelli studi di humanità fù veramente eccellente …"]