The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-19 00:00:00

The Dante Festival,

(FROM THE TIMES' CORRESPONDENT.)
FLORENCE, May 14.
I am not aware that any pen has yet been in-
vented that can do full justice to the externals of a
great festival, to the masterpieces of decorators and
upholsterers, of florists and illuminators, of the cun-
ning artists who mate pasteboard look better than
stone, lath and plaster more stately than marble,
tinsel as brilliant as purest gold from California,
humble calico to resemble silken sheen, and who
display flags and wreath flowers and group lamps
with skill sufficient to rouse the enthusiasm of
admiring multitudes. Such a pen would indeed be
diamond pointed and a magnum bonum to a jour-
nalist in Florence on the 14th of May, 1865, the
600th anniversary of the great Dante's birth. Could
colours be displayed in your columns, you might
forthwith assert the brightest tints to set forth the
gorgeous ceremony from which I have just returned.
A grbater contrast cannot be imagined to the
last, at which I saw the King of Italy play the
principal part—namely, at the laying of the first
stone of the Victor Emmanuel Gallery at Milan.
Then the Lombard capital wore its most dreary
aspect ; a morning of rain succeeded to a night of
snow, the Royal pavilion broke, the benches were
flooded, ladies kept away, and from under a canopy
of umbrellas a dripping crowd witnessed the pro-
ceedings, and then went home to have bad colds.
Thoie who yesterday morning watched the dwind-
ling quicksilver and felt the humid breeze that came
up from the Mediterranean feared lest this pageant
should also be spoilt by rain. But towards evening
the look of things improved. Judging from the
noise in the streets, I imagine that a great many
persons forgot to go to bed. Perhaps they were
engaged in watching the state of the atmosphere, or
in invoking the shade and intercession of the late
Mathieu de la Drome, of whom the ancients would
assuredly by this time have made a demi-god in
charge of the celestial weather office. Within an
hour after daybreak most people in Florence were
out of bed, elegantly-dressed ladies were to be seen
in the streets, and there was a strong demand upon
hotel-keepers for cups of coffee. All doubts about
the day were removed. The grey tints of early
morning and a few light fleecy clouds were rapidly
clearing away from beneath the bright blue sky.
Drums beat in all directions, troops and National
Guards hurried to their parade ground ; in every
street one met numerous open vehicles occupied by
groups of three or four white-cravated, black-coated
individuals, bearing the banner of their guild or cor-
poration or district. The line of streets leading
from the square of San Spirito to that of Santo
Croce was easily to be traced by the ornaments of
the houses. 'These may be dismissed in a line.
Flags, coloured hangings from some of the windows,
festoons of laurels and flowers, wreaths of the same
here and there extending across the streets. It was
the usual routine. But it had also been arranged
that at the houses celebrated as the birthplace,
residence, or as connected with the labours of the
illustrious inhabitants of Florence, trophiould
be erected and inscriptions placed, some of the aci.
companied by busts or portraits. These formed
most interesting portion of the embellishments of
the streets, and were not confined to the line of the
procession. Some of the inscriptions were very happy,
others would read rather highflown in a translation.
There was one to Goldoni, " Prince of Italian
comedy ;" another to Galileo, whose glory, it said,
" will finish only when the human race shall cease
to see the sun and inhabit the earth ;" Farinata
degli Überti, it need hardly be mentioned, was
lauded for his bold and patriotic defence of Flo-
rence ; at the gigantic statues of Arnolfo and Bru-
nellesco an inscription recorded their merits as archi-
tects of the beautiful cathedral of Santa Maria del
Fiore; here, on the square of the Holy Trinity, was
marked the house of an Englishman, Robert Dud-
ley,
" who assisted by his science the country that
showed him hospitality ;" in the Tornabuoni a
roughly-painted head of Beccaria, the great anta-
gonist of capital punishment, looked remarkably
happy and smiling considering the defeat his dis-
ciples have lately met with in the Italian Senate.
Passing these and many others not uninteresting to
dwell upon if space permitted,we reach the Piazzi di
Santa Croce, the scene of the great event :of the
day. To every one who has visited Florence the
Church of Santa Croce, the Pantheon of the Tus-
can capital, is familiar, as well as the square in front
of it, an oblong piazza, of which its beautiful facade
forms the greater part of the ,east side, the other
three being composed of houses of no great archi-
tectural beauty or pretensions. To-day the lower
portion of the buildings on the two longer sides of
the quadrangle were hidden from view by walls
of mock masonry, looking solid enough to resist
a cannon-ball. Above these the windows and
balconies were draped with coloured hangings
and crowded with ladies ; below and within
them were broad galleries or tribunes, the floor
sloping down to two inner barriers, which en-
closed the space allotted to the ceremony, and
to those who took a part in it. The gallery on the
south side was for persons having special tickets of
invitation, that on the north for the public. Tickets
of representation, which attributed to the bearers a
right to figure in the procession, gave access to the
central enclosure. This was floored with green
canvass, and had ten broad, shallow steps rising
against each of its longer sides, on which the pro-
cession was to form up as it entered. In the centre
of the square, the statue was concealed under a
mountain of white linen. At the east end, on
steps leading up to the church, the orchestra and
chorus were stationed, which were to perform a
hymn to Dante, written and composed for the occa-
sion. In front of the orchestra stood the band of
the National Guard, to play during the interval.
About midway between the statue and the west
end of the square was a platform, slightly raised
from the ground, carpeted and with an awning which
hung between two low columns, each surmounted by
a magnificent basket of flowers—FlorencOs cheap
and beautiful adornment in a May as bright and warm
as July in England. Between the columns stood
the throne, composed of a great deal of gilding and
a small patch of crimson velvet. Two lions couch-
ant guarded it. Five gilt chairs were ranged on each

side of the Royal dais, and a number of ✓stools,

covered with damask of various colours, were
drawn up in rows in the vicinity of that central
points. Around the inner enclosure, on the top
of the parapet, were the arms of different trades.
On the wall against the houses were thirty-eight
paintings, in imitation of bas-reliefs, illustrating
the life of Dante, beginning with his first meeting
with Beatrice, when he was but nine years old,

and ending with his death and funeral procession
at Ravenna in 1321. All the principal incidents
of his eventful and romantic life are recorded in
this gallery, which shows him as a lover and a
soldier, a diplomatist and a poet, as the friend of
princes, and as an exile seeking shelter in foreign
lands._ Here he returns to Florence, after the battle
n
Campaldino, where he fought as a mounted man
at-arms ; there, in his villa at Camorata he is enjoy-
ing: society of literary friends; he presents him-
self
ambassador before Pope Boniface VIII., and
in the follewin
is
sacked
andbg year he is a fugitive and his house
him disputtiligrerai ed by the Guelfs. Later we behold
with theologians and philosophers at
the Paris
then at Lucca with his friend
Uguccione, afterwards
made welcome in Ravenna
hom he presents the painter
Giotto. Between these scenes of the great poet's
life are placed portra*+ I.e, of his
Commentators, trans-
, to the
lators, and biographers
number of 40, and
and between and below the portraits the scenes are
disposed, in groups of six, the escutcheons of the
communes of Tuscany and the prin •
eipal mannici
ties of all Italy. Over every portrait are garla Pa -
nds
of flowers and laurel, and a cluster of five bright
glass lamps, to serve for the evening's illuminations.
Waving from the summits of lofty poles, disposed
around this outer wall or postergale, are the banners

of 44 of the chief Italian cities ; others are disposed

along the line of the procession, and in the corners
of the square are four much larger flags, those of
Rome and Venice on the western side and of Ravenna
and Florence on the east. Excluded from the city
of the Lagunes, where it once so proudly floated, by
the black and yellow standard of Austria, the hon
of Venetia, spreads its wings in Florence, telling of

hope fief erred but not lost, and of a determination
which no difficulty is to daunt.
Soon after 7 o'clock the first comers nter the
reserved galleries, in front of which are two lines of
benches, calculated to accommodate but a very small
portion of the throng expected. Hif an hour later
the door of the people's tribune is opened and the
general public enters with a run. In the arena is a
highly embroidered personage, pointed out as Pre-
fect of Florence, a fe-v military officers, and a
sprinkling of black coats ; but it is early ; the King
is not expected until half-past 10 o'clock, the pro-
cession, although announced to start at 8 o'clock,
will hardly make its appearance till nearly two
hours later, most of the persons who are to enter
the square are figuring in the procession, and
those who are not are in no hurry to come in.
The best place for the present is the reserved
gallery, where the two lines of benches are quickly
filled by ladies. The pressure of crinoline
is great; a few self-indulgent men who had accom-
modated themselves with seats soon found that they
need not hope to retain them, and, as an American
neighbour of mine remarked, " vamosed" accord-
ingly. The sun was hot to an unpleasant degree as
early as 8 o'clock, and it really seemed as if it had
got up unusually early and high on purpose to spite
the sightseers. Above the double line of fair faces
and bright colours there arose a swelling bank of
parasols and umbrellas, and even some of the gentle-
men in the arena thought it necessary to protect
their complexions in the same manner. The orches-
tra had the best of it, stationed in the shadow of the
church. After a short time it was the only shade
to be seen in the square. There was plenty of leisure
to make one's observations,but after one had studied
all the scenes in Dante's life which were within view,
counted the flags and marvelled at the strange
heraldic monsters depicted on them, and passed in
review the crowd of female faces—some of them
very pretty—at the windows behind,• and assented
to a few neighbourly remarks concerning the heat
and the nuisance of waiting, one began to wish very
earnestly that the procession would make its appear-
ance, or that one of the embroidered gentlemen in
the centre would give three cheers for Dante or for
anybody else, or that a dog would run into the course,
or that something else would happen to break the
monotony and distract one's thoughts from the dis-
comforts of the situation. One or two false starts
occurred, and the more eager and energetic of the
ladies jumped upon the benches, not much to the
contentment of the unseated crowd behind them.
Irritable gentlemen, apprehensive of a coup de soleil,
expressed indignation at the managers of the festi-
val for not having applied some part of the half
million of francs voted by the municipality towards
establishing an awning over the whole square, as a
protection against sun and possible rain for the
18,000 persons for which it was estimated to afford
standing room. Some of the malcontents thought it
doubtful whether the money was laid out to the
best advantage, and others seemed disposed to find
fault with the King for not coming at once and
bringing the procession with him, and told small
scandalous stories of how he had not intended to
come at all till the telegraph warned his Ministers
that there Was discontent in Florence and that Pas-
quin was sharpening his pen, which produced rather
a sudden move. All this gallery gossip, however,
was confined to a few, and upon the whole every-
body, foreigners and natives, appeared in high good
humour, and the Tuscans were courteous, well be-
haved, and good-tempered, as is their wont, and if
some of the British and Americans there present (and
they were very numerous) grumbled a little, it was
only by way of asserting their national privilege so
to do. At last, just as a very stout gentleman had
gasped out his conviction that the thermometer stood
at 120 degs., music was heard in the distance, and
soon the head of the procession approached. It con-
sisted (I quote the official programme) of the " re-
presentatives of the Italian municipalities and of
Italian foreign literary and scientific Academies ; of
those of the Colleges, Lyceums, Universities, and
other educational establishments ; of the members
of the Society for the Installation of the Dante
Monument, Colleges of lawyers, doctors, physicians
librarians, journalists, &c. ; delegates from Italian
artisan and working men's asssociations; and depu-
ties from the Italian Emigration." Accompanied
by several bands of music, which played in turn
as they entered the square, and bearing many hun-
dreds of rich banners, having emblazoned upon them
coats of arms, inscriptions appropriate to the day,
portraits of Dante and of other celebrated persons,
the long procession slowly marched in, forming up
in close order and with great regularity oil the spa-
cious steps which rose, in gentle ascent, from the
level of the arena to the inner parapet around it.
The collection of banners, all seemingly quite new,
borne upon velvet-covered staves, surmounted with
gilt ornaments and splendid with golden tassels,
and tresses, was such as I do not remember to
have seen surpassed in any ceremony of the kind.
Genoa, the rich city, sent two standard-bearers,
clothed in scarlet and embroidery in charge of her
magnificent colours. A whole day might have
been spent in studying and decyphering the mean-
ing of the devices on the flags, and in affixing
names to the portraits upon many of them. My
American neighbour before-mentioned seemed to
be of opinion they must all be heads of Dante, and
upon it being objected that some of them were
bearded he " expected" that the gentlemen had
given up shaving when they were taken. Then
came a loud cheer from the entrance to the square,
and " the King !" was the cry. Nothing could
hold the ladieg in front, and they were upon the
benches with the aotivity of acrobats. Shouts of
indignation in the rear led to official interference,
arid the restless female element again subsided. No
King was there ; the applause was addressed to a
banner draped with black crape. The American
was of opinion it was out of respect to poor Lin-
coln, but the word " Venetia" told a different tale.
Fresh and vehement plaudits were. called forth by
banners bearing the she-wolf and boys, and in-
scribed "Roma." All along time line of the proces-
sion I have since heard these two flags were greeted
with enthusiastic applause. Upon accompanying
flags were inscribed " Istria," " Trieste," and other
names, which are not generally to come within the
scope of United Italy as she is one to be. When
the whole of the procession was formed up round
the square, several thousands strong, while the
uniformed bands, comprising many hundreds of
musicians, drew up at the east end below the
orchestra, the sight was really gorgeous, as the
brilliant sunlight played among the vivid colours,
and was refleeted from the gilt battle-ages, medal-
lions, and other ornaments in which the flag-staves
terminated. Exclamations of admiration and de-
light burst forth continually from the spectators,
although the view of many of them was impeded
by the serried line of banners which now sur-
rounded the square. Hardly were all the compo-
nent parts of the sumptuous pageant stationary in
their places when the King arrived, attended by
General Lamarmora, and a numerous suite. Con-
sidering that the vast assemblages only gradually
became aware of his presence his reception seemed
to me excellent. The cheers were hearty and reite-
rated. What remained to be done took but little
time. The ceremony was even less than a stone-
laying, where the curious in such matters have an
opportunity of seeing a Sovereign at work, of ob-
serving with what degree of grace he pats mortar
and taps a stone, and of noting the interment of the
documents and coins which are to remain there until
brought again to light by the pick and hammer of a
remote posterity. The band struck up a grand
symphony, the Gonfaloniere of Florence, Signor de
Cambray Digny, made a short speech, which was
doubtless much to the purpose, but which nobody
heard ; and then at the pull of a rope, the covering
of the statue parted in the centre and lay in folds
upon the ground. The music played louder than
ever, the multitude cheered, the bells of the Palazzo
Vecchioh
t e rang out a noisy peal, from the summit of
the lofty tower a shot was fired, and a rocket rose
into
t lelieeve, air like a streak of white smoke across the
u
firmament. Some more speaking ensued—l
by Professor Giuliani—and then came the
hymn to Dante, executed by a band of vocalists and
by the great orchestra, while the notary proceeded
to the registration of the solemn act. And thus
concluded one more brilliant spectacle, to add to the
many which in former days were witnessed on that

same square of the Holy Cross, once the favourite
rendezvous for tilts, tournaments, and carrousels,
for sham fights and masquerades, and many other
Courtly and chivalrous divertissements common in
the palmy days of splendid Florence.

The colossal statue of the great Florentine poet,
who was also a distinguished soldier and statesman,
whose genius had exercised so great an influence on
his country, and of whose fame Italy is so justly
and enthusiastically proud, is the work of the sculp-
tor Pazzi, of Ravenna, the refuge and death-place of
Dante. Its height is 5.68 metres, and it stands upon
a lofty pedestal in the style of the 14th century, de-
signed by Luigi del Sarto. Around it four lions guard
as many shields, on which are inscribed the names
of the four principal of the poet's minor works. On
the front, in the centre, are the arms of Rome, as
the capital of Italy. Those of all the principal
Italian cities are also sculptured upon the monument,
to the cost of which all those cities have contri-
buted. Their assemblage there is with reference to
the union- of the Italian States into one country
having been foreseen by the poet. Various other
allegorical devices and four bas-reliefs of scenes in
the Divina Commedia adorn the base of the statue,
which as yet there has been no opportunity of closely
examining. The inscription is as brief and simple
as possible :—" To Dante Alighieri ; Italy.
MDCCCLXV." Crowds are doubtless at this pre-
sent moment examining the work, and the sculptor
must be in a fever of impatience to know the verdict
of the public. The applause which greeted the un-
covering of the statue was given to Dante, and not
to its artistic merits, not to be decided upon at a
glance. There is one drawback, which was unavoid-
able ; the statue, placed in the centre of the facade
of Santa Croce. The church stands too much to
the north of the square. It seems a question whe-
ther it would not have been better to place the
statue in the proper position as regards the church,
which cannot be moved, whereas the character and
importance of the adjacent lines of houses are not
such as to preclude the probability that at no dis-
tant period the square might be partially recon-
structed, so as to establish symmetry with its two
most important ornaments. At present the best
way to view the ensemble of the church and statue is
to enter the square from the Via di Benci, and to
pause a short distance from the centre of its southern
side.

I have given you merely my individual impression
of this morning's proceedings, for there has been no
time to compare notes or collect opinions, but I shall
be surprised if it be not generally admitted that all
went' off in a most satisfactory manner. As far as
my own observation extended there was not a symp-
tom of disorder of any kind. There was a rumour
set afloat within the last few days of an intention on
the part of certain malcontent factions to get up a
disturbance, but probably the report was only
spread with a view to create uneasiness, and cer-
tainly the attitude of the people of Florence is not
such as to encourage such an attempt. The wea-
ther continues fine, the whole population is abroad
and amusing itself, and while I write thousands
are assembled along the Arno enjoying the regatta,
and other thousands are witnessing the grand tour-
nament got up in memory of the peace proclaimed
between Guelfs and Ghibbelines. The chief feature
of the evening will be the illuminations, and at 10
o'clock at night chorus-singing commences on the
square of Santa Croce, all the pieces performed
being composed and written with reference to the
festival and in honour of Dante. Surely the shade
of the poet must be gratified by such unlimited eu-
ogium and hero-worship.