New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-06-24
yOL. Nv. NO. 60.

too great robustness, approaching TO clumsIness
and it is we'll that he has wings TO his head and
feet or he would scarcely be able to walk. But
the sculptor has given touching account of his
troubles in its castng-how the wood failed for
the iurnace--how the metal ran short at the
critical moment of fusion, and how he threw IN
plates of pewter and of silver, and was almost
ready TO throw himself into The fiery furnace as
Empcdoccs did into Etna.
The "Sabines" of John Of Bologna, are &
finely balanced group Of age, manhood and youth
combined with wonderful skill, but the story at
tachcd TO them is good illustration of the differ
ences of taste When the group was first CON-
peted, people fiocked to see it from all parts Of
Italy, and gentleman OF Rome came on horse
back FIVE days ride He reached the square.
approached it on his horsa-stopped-looked at
it-and without dismountng, shrugged up his
shoulders and gallopcd back to Rome. Many
modern critics are equally expeditions in their
decisions, with much fewer qualifications
Dumas has well said that his two first visits
IN arriving in any city are ordinarily It's Cathe-
dral and it's Town Hall, because around those
buildings are usually grouped ali the religious
and political history OF people. So is it in
Florence. The Cathedral VIC visited in our for
mcr walk The Town Hall is the PaldSsO Vec-
chic, which was erected in 1898 as the residence
of the chief magistrates of the Republic. In II
they remained like State prisoners during their
two months term of Office, not being allowed To
quit the building, but being lodged and fed there
at The expense Of the Republic. The mcagorness
and simplicity of their fare might tend to keep
their heads clear, but was not of a nature likely
to tempt our own worthy Aldermen 10 adop,
this Florentinc custom.
The buildings mos, characteristic OF the age;
stern and fortress.l like as those times required;
surmounted by heavy batllements, and machico.
lations and crowned by tower, which rises so
daringly from the very caves as almost to justify
the popular boast that il is built in the air An.
other peculiarly Of this structure is the remarka-
bic want of symmetry with which one side of It
seems to shrink back from part Of the square
in which it stands. This is strongly commence
rative of the passions and prcjudices of the Flo
renlincs the thirteenth century, for that avoided
spot of ground had been occupied by the palace
of Fdrinata del Uberti, leading Ghibene.
He was banished from the city, his house was
RACED to the ground, the plough was passed over
the spot, salt was sown upon it, and it was de-
declared accurscd When this Town-IIe was
erected beside it, the citizens forbade the archi-
tcct TO touch the detested spot, and to this day,
nearly six centuries after, not stone nor
shrub has covered the ground condemned by the
vengeance of the people.
Entering the PaiasSo Vecchio, you first find
beautiful inner court surrounded by nine mas
sivc columns, sculptured with rich wreaths Of
leaves and flowers and containing in its centre a
fountain, as infinitely superior to any of our New
York ones in tasteful decoration as it is inferior
to them in the supply OF water. After admirng
the painted walls, you ascend broad staircase
so gentle that carriages might almost drive up
it. and YOU enter the magnificent saloons, which
testify to the past grandeur Of Florence. Chief
among these is the Hall of Council, in which a
thousand citizens could meet and deliberate. 1t
was built SO rapidly under the direction of Savo-
naroa that he used to say that angels had served
the architect for masons; and well he might
hasten, for in thirty years the Republic was to
expire. 1t is lined with statues and paintings
one of which is worth notice as representing the
Pope Boniface receiving twelve ambassadors,
from as many different States, but each of them
Florcnline by birth, so universally rcvercnccd
was the political genius of tho magnificent Re-
public. Among the powers thus represented
were England France, Germany, Jerusalem, and
even the Khan Of Tartary, SO that the Pope well
said that fifth element had entered the world,
and that Florence was this new creation.
We began our walk sadly with the " Con-
gregG2ione della MiSericordic :" let us end il
gaily at u Theatre. No less than nine of these
flourish in this small city OF eighty thousand in
habitants, and they are here as necessary to the
enjoyment of the people as food, water, or air. All
are crowded every evening by the natives, who
would rather lose their dinner than their music
Its cost is disproporonately trfling, for in some
of them | have seen fine opera, (such as Pu
ritani with which the papers announce that an
Italian opera in New-York has opened for the
sum Of SIX cents In London The same thing
costs half guinea. We will go to the Pergoia
(or " Grapevine a'bor,D which IS the best of The
nine, and in which all the good society Of Flo
renee nightly congregates. l. is the general
visiting place of the city, and the ladies hold
crowded solr6es in their boxes, every gentleman
present being bound to call there in the course
of the evening on all the ladies' of his acquaint-
ance. One huge chandelier lights the whole
house, leaving pleasant twilight tone in the
boxes, and setting off better the briancy OF the
stage. The Grand Dukes box is however sur
rounded with wax ,apers in honor OF his Majesty,
even in his absence. 1t fills the centre oil the hfst
and second tier, occupying the room OF SIX or
binary boxes, Gas if the monarch were SIX times as
large as his subjccts) and is tastefully decorated