Abstract: Building on the earlier research of Romagnoli, Milanesi and Bichi Borghesi and Banchi, this chapter analyses government-sponsored work inside Siena and postings in Montalcino, the Val di Chiana and Vergelle. That the artist became scribe of the Tax and Duties Office at Montalcino as early as 1469 confirms Leonardo Benvoglienti's claims that he was trustworthy, diligent and a good writer. But the artist was also apparently anxious to continue the visual propaganda of his earlier years: requesting permission to paint the symbols of Sienese power on the main gates at Montalcino in 1469. He made a similar request when assuming a second posting as scribe there in 1481: a posting that led to his becoming ‘vicario’ of nearby Vergelle and once more ‘establishing the honour’ of the Republic of Siena.

Keywords: Duties as a scribe; Montalcino; survey work; Val di Chiana; Vergelle.

Count Scipione Bichi Borghesi and Luciano Banchi did in fact provide a considerable amount of information about the ways in which Francesco di Bartolomeo Alfei was on occasion involved in what might best be described as secretarial or civil service duties. One record published by them – a request put to the ‘Signoria’ and putatively dating to 1481 (since recorded in the minutes of the Concistoro drawn up during that year) – confirms yet again what Leonardo Benvoglienti had claimed in his 1458 representation to the Cathedral Works: that Francesco di Bartolomeo Alfei was skilled as a scribe. For, according to the 1481 Concistoro record, the artist was seeking at that date to assume the office of ‘scriptore delle Gabelle di Montalcino’ for the upcoming year.

It seems that this was not the first time the artist had aspired to such an office. But this fact was apparently not known to Count Scipione Bichi Borghesi and Luciano Banchi. Over one hundred years later, Petra Perticci revealed, however, that Francesco di Bartolomeo Alfei had applied for a similar post in Montalcino on 13 May 1469. On that date the artist had apparently petitioned to be nominated ‘scrittore del Camarlingo’ (Chamberlain or Treasury) in Montalcino for the period of twelve months, starting on 1 July 1469. The role of ‘scriptore’ was not something one could walk into armed solely with a good hand for writing.