As a young man, he studied design in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Florence; then painting under professor Antonio Ciseri.

By 18 years, he had completed his first major work: Corso Donati mortally wounded is transported by Monks of San Salvi to their Abbey (see gallery).

In 1863, he won a contest in Rome with the essay piece Savonarola explains the Bible to some friends in the Convent of San Marco.

He completed a St Catherine of Siena before an angry Florentine mob after concluding peace with the Pope, by commission for signore marchese Carlo Torrigiani.

His painting of Imelda de' Lambertazzi e Bonifazio Geremei (lovers from Donizetti's opera) was sold to Wilhelm Metzler of Frankfort, Germany.