New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-05
CHANCES At EUROPE No. xxx
VENICE.


MILAN, Wednesday, July 9, 1851.
VENICE, Queen Of the Adriatlc City OF
the Heart how can ever forget thee Bret,
TOO brief was my halt amid thy glorious struc-
tures-but such eras are measured not by hours,
bu, by sensations, and my First Day IN Venice
must ever hold It's place among the most cher
,shed recollecilons OF my life.
Venice hes absolutely and wholly on the
water. bosom that the landward approach to
her Is not imposing and scarcely impressive
The view from the sea side may be somewhat
better, but not much-nOt comparable to that OF
Genoa from the Mediterranean. NO part OF the
isIets upon and around which Venice was built
having been ever ten feet above the surface OF
the Adriatic While the daccnt mainland for
miles is also Just above the water level, YOU do
not see the city from any point OF observation
outside of it-only the distant outline of low
mass of buildings perhaps two miles long, but
which may not be three blocks wide, for aught
YOU can see Formerly two miles of shallow la.
coon separated the city from the land; but this
has been overcome by the heavy pllng and hill
ing required for the Railroad which now con
meets Venice with Verona, VIA Vlcenza, and Is
10 reach tins city via Brescla whenever the Aus
TRAN Government shall he able to complete IL
Al present, a noble enterprise, through one OF
The richest, most populous and most productive
Agricultural regions of the earth, and connect
ING the Political with the Commercial metropo-
lis Of Austrian Italy, rs arrested when hall I'M
lshed, cntaillng heavy annual charge on the
Treasury for the interest OF the sum already eX-
pended, vet yielding little or no net revenue IN
return, because of It's imperfect condition. The
wisdom of tins would be lust equal to that OF our
ten years halt with the Ere Canal Enlargement,
except Tor the fact that the AustrlanS would Dor
row and complete # they could, while New
York has had no such excuse for her Slothiul
blunder.
The approach to Venice across the Lagoon
u like that of Boston across the Charles River
marshes from the West, though of course on a
much grander scale. The embankment or road
bed was commenced by gigantic piling, and is
very broad and substantial. You reach the sta
tion Just an the edge of the city, run the Pass.
port gauntlet. and are let out on the side OF
wide canal, where dozens OF gondollers are SO.
netting your custom engaged one and direct
aim TAT Il Ntntuitl ~ TOW Hit ~ Wv iiOt'A vac
rEurope This proved Dixie nearly or quite allthe
other great Hotels) to be located on the same
line or water.iron, with the Ducal Palace
Church of ST. Mark, and most of the notablh-
ties of modern Venice with the inner harbor
and shipping Just on the left and the Adriatlc
plain before u.s. only two or three little islets
covered with buildings partially intervening
OF course, my first rev was long one, quite
throu gh the city from west To east, including IN
Vulnerable turnngs and windmgs. After this
whomsoever may assert that the streets OF Ven
ice are dusty or not we'll watered, shall be able
to contradict from personal observation
After outward renovation and breakfast |
hired boat for the day. and went IN search OF
American friends-a pursuit IN which Was ultl
mately successful With these | visited the Va.
rious councll.rooms and galleries IN the Ducal
Palace, saw the Lions Mouth descended into
the ancient dungeons now tenantless, and
crossed the Bridge OF Signs These las, are
not open to the public hut silver key gives &C
cess to them. Thence we visited the famous
picture gallery of the Msnfrinl Palace. and after
that the Academy, thus consuming the better
part OF the day.
The works q, Ant IN the Grand Palace Odd not
as whole. impress me strongly. Most OF the
larger ones are historical illustrations OF the
glories OF sVehice the Battle OF Lepanto; the
taking Of CARA; the Pope and Venice uniting
against OF tusmphing over the Emperor, &c, &c
SCne OF the most honorable achievement. OF
Venice. includRg her long and memorable de
tense Of Gambia (or Crete) against the desperate
and finally successful attacks OF the Turks, are
not even limited at Blu, these galleries are pal
pably an state ct dilapidaton and decay, Which
implies that the Austrian masters OF Venice
though they canno s,cop 10 the meanneSs OF
scmohshng mu,iiating the memorials OF her
ancien, glories. VIII be slsd TO see them silently
and gradually perish. Tse whole Palace has
dreary and by.gone aspect seeming conscious
that either Uself oy the Austrian soldiers drilling
IN front OF l, must be an anschionism-tha, both
cannot belong to the same place and time
ihc traitor clock forsskes tie hours.
And points to times, q Ear away
The Paintings IN the Msnfrlni Palace seem 10
me by no means equal "a those IN The Or.Ini.
Dora, and some other private collections of
Rome even OF those e1tra,sgan,ly praised nv
Lord Byron, failed 10 perceive the sdmlr,sl.
qualities apparent TO his more cultivated taste
The collection in the Academy though, much