Correggio, the great 16th century Italian painter, died at around forty. Legend has it that after he completed his great work, "The Assumption of the Virgin," which he painted on the ceiling of the dome of the cathedral at Parma, the canons, his employers, did not appreciate it. They not only refused the unfortunate artist the price they had agreed upon, but paid him five hundred crowns, which was all they would allow, in copper.
Correggio was carrying home this money to his family, who were living in great poverty in a neighbouring village, when overcome by the heat of the weather, and the weight of his coppers, he was tempted to slake his thirst at a spring by the roadside, and the consequence was a fever, which soon proved fatal.*
十六世紀義大利大畫家柯勒喬四十歲左右去世。根據傳說，他獲帕爾馬大教堂參事會所聘，在教堂圓頂的天花上，作《聖母升天》圖。但是，這幅傑作完成之後，教堂參事可不欣賞，拒絕給這位不幸畫家議定的酬金，只答應最多給他五百克朗，而且還用銅幣支付。
柯勒喬住在帕爾馬附近一個村莊，一家生活極其貧困。他拿着那五百克朗回家，路上不堪炎熱的天氣，加上銅幣沉重，就停下來，取路旁泉水解渴，結果染上熱病，不久去世。*
*上述故事，歷代相傳，不過，據近人考證，或非事實。