New-York daily tribune., 1844-03-16

the towers of Mantua is one built in 1902, hall
way up which projects an iron cage, when was
the pllory of those times, and in which cnnnaIs
were exposed for three hours on three successive
days A similar cage is shown at placenza
upon the Campanile of the Cathedral and IS
said to have been affixed to it in l493. before
we accuse the Italians Of barbarlty we should
call to mind that in England, lady, the Count
ess of Buchan, was so exposed by order OF Ed
ward I. In another part of the city is the "a
la1zo del Diarolo, which Is so named, not be-
cause inhabited by old Nick, but because built
by hum in one night. The magician obtained
this favor from him by the witch-hazel-rod, which
even at this present day is sometimes employed
to divine hidden springs and treasures.
The PG1azzo del Te is the great lion of Man
tua It is usually said to derive It's name from
its resemblance to the letter T. though it is really
square, but its appellation is probably an abbre-
Walton Of Tejetto, or canal, a very necessary
thing in that swampy spot. All the rooms OF
the Palace are painted most magnfcently by
Giulio Romano with various neurological sub
iects, intcrspersed with fanciful arabcsques. The
ceilings are carved in mcdaons and rosettes
rich with gold, scarlet and blue, and IN their
centres are paintings of some fables of antiquity
In one Phnton is seen driving the horses OF the
Sun; in another Cupid and Psyche are going
through their romantic adventures, and IN ALL
every little corner is filled up with some pretty
fancy. Flowers, fruit, birds, grifiins, centaurs,
and genii are mingled in picturesque union, and
every wall deserves to be studied as volume of
painted poetry. But the I" Hall Of the Giants F"
is the most remarkable. When you enter the
room you almost start back in alright, for you
seem about to be rushed upon by the painted rocks
and mountains which are falling upon the Giants
who have warred against Jupiter. The dome
like ceiling, the walls and the carved surfaces
which connect them, are painted like panorama,
so that you seem to be in the very midst OF tins
"wreck Of matter and this crush Of worlds" In
the centre of the ceiling isrepresented the Temple
of the Gods, and you can scarcely credit that tits
painted and does not recede into the room above,
for you seem to see up into its interior between
its columns and above its balconies out of which
Apollo, Mars, Venus and the rest are looking,
while Jupiter is thus destroying the rcbelous
Titans. The Giants are twice the size of life
and the rocks which crush them are proportiona-
bly large From under one peeps out Poly
phemus with his one eye another mass IS sup
ported by strong fellow who has fallen under it,
but arches up his back against it, like cat at
tackled by dog. One fallen column is so Won
derfully foreshortcned that you seem to see under
it, and all the rocks appear to project from the
walls Between the ruins, you get glimpses Of
the open country with the terrified inhabitants
flying from the scene, but you are in no hurry to
follow their example for although this Sala del
Giganti is not of high order of art, still in its
own way 1t is an unique masterpiece Of deceptive
painting.
The hotel at Mantuo, the Leone d'oro, has one
popularity which we are not likely to see in
America. At the foot of the staircase are painted
the titles and the arms of the various noble per-
sonages who have stopped at the house. Among
them were the Queens of Sardinia, of Naples
and of Denmark, the King of Wirtemberg, the
Grand Duke of Modena, the Queen Of Greece
longhi," and the hereditary Grand Duke of Rus
sia, "under the name of the Count Boridish"
After all this parade Of dignities we feared thatwe
rude and untitled American citizens would fare
but badly, but were very agreeably disappointed
by collation. worthy of all praise.
Mantua was left by the Porta Molina, the road
through which passes over a dam which divides
two large ponds, one of which is at higher level
than the other and as the water falls through,
it turns the wheels Of twelve mills, distributed
along the bridge, and dedicated and named after
the twelve Apostles. Each has its appropriate
statue in niche in its front, and it has been well
suggested that 'this mode of designating the
buildings shows how entirely the idea OF the
Church entered into all the concerns of life in the
Middle Ages, when it was more natural to desig-
nate the various mills as St. Peter, ST. Andrew,
St. James, &c, than as number one, two, three"
Beyond the bridge come the ramparts, and the
road winds between the strong Notifications,
from which an advancing enemy might be ami
hilated, till it crosses the last drawbrldgc and
then passes many scattered villas which soon
give place 10 oledry waste VI sWdiPy IIcc Helus,
intersected by bitches and shaded only by gigan-
tic reeds For many miles this fertile but un-
healthy country remains, but improves as you
approach VILLA FRANcA, curious little village,
founded in 1899. AS you near it, you first come
upon an old CASTLE four hundred feet square, with
tower at each end, and in the middle of each
side, and battlements between. 1t was once
place Of great strength, but now is dilapidated