 Verkade and Ballin next travelled to Italy, staying first in Florence, and visiting Siena, Pisa and Pistoia.Deeply attracted by the life of the Franciscan monastery at Fiesole, and by the Franciscan ideal, Ballin was baptized (as 'Francesco') there, and they sought a period of residency.They were directed to Rome to seek assent, where they saw much and fell under the City's spell.