The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-06-25
NO s.-BIRD s-EYE VIEWS OF EUROPE
ny 7. JEFFERSON SMITH.

ny T. JEFFERSON SMITH
Well reader, here we are in yenice--no matter how
got here. If you travel with you must be con-
tent that costs You nothing for your fare, while il costs
considerable for mine, need not tell you, because
your geogapher at school give you that information,
that Venicei is city built upon small agunes
and that consequently where roads 10 enable TO
travel from house street another they forced
to resort TO canals and gondola supply the place of
rages These canals through the whole of the city,
and nearly every house in the town ots on them They
sometimes very unpleasant to the smell all the
filth of the city emptied into them The houses
generally five SIX and stories high, that
penetrutes to the watery way II sad sight to
behold the splendid palaces that adorned this at
time magnificent city all tumbling rapidly to decay.
Venice appears but the corpse of city So rise and fall
the great wen empires In going In gon-
doa to our hotel we had to pass under the tBdge of
Sighs with the prison ON the and the palace
the other side. The bridge Is about long those
crossing our canal In Washington. Shortly after my
rival, my curiosity led me to seek out the Plaza
st. Marco or st. Marks Place. The yehtabs may be
proud of this splendid square 1t about twenty
acres, and three sides Of 1t are magnificent high
BILE coonnade buildings the houses in each row cores
pondng, SO that combined they resemble some large
palace. piazza extending soe distance in 'front.' and
diiOulilS excclltht tloSe
whole length Of the buildings. The lower parts of
these buildings occupied shops The other parts
are the residences of the upper ten of Venice
In most parts Of Italy the steepes or they perhaps
might appropriately be called, the befes of the
churches stand in front of and detached from the
churches This is the with the one fronting the
Cathedral in st Marks place was from the top of this
belfry Calico in the habit Of making his astroo
cal observations Contiguous to- and facing the grand
canal is the palace of the Doge and next to this and
nected by the Bridge of sghs the gloomy prison
The side of the square facing the canal is left unbu
upon except by the two Asiatc columns the top of
Of which is the winged lion the Venitian arms and
on the other stands erect holding guard over the city
the patron saint of Venice This city should think
very desirable residence for any one much an
invalid. 1t is cold damp, and foggy; and the frequent
winds from the adjacent mountains on whose tops is
perpetual snow, very bleak and cold. Lord Byron
however, resided here three years To OF his po
etcal genius and eccentric character Venice might present
inducements not discoverabc by others. Among the
wealthy night here turned into day. and day into night
After the opera they generally TO the cafes ladies
well gentlemen whore they spend most of the
night The inhabitants generally of all classes appear
very happy and contcnted They enjoy themselves much
on their numerous fete days On these occasions they
have pretty habit Of decking their persons and the
which they seem have here in great abundance where
they come from ! know not Venice being as before
said, built upon lagunes is mud flats mostly under
water-of course there is drinking water to be had
except such they catch and preserve in cstes from
the rain There still in Venice some few palaces
The Manfredi contains large gallery of pictures by the
first artists such Guido Raelle, Reubens Van Dyc
Titan, and Cara Rosa also fine specimens in conchology
and mneraogy 1t now belongs to the Marquis Manfrcdi
and is opened gratuitousy to the visitation of all
strangers. The picture considered the BEST in the
collection is " R1oosiscts Il croce by Tzana yecelo
Bonaperte offered the incredible sum for it. but
it was refused him. which Is rather astonishing. as
italian marquiscs in Venice have not generally very
heavy purses AS you pass down the grand canal on
either side you the beautiful marble palaces now
tumbing to pieces, the glasses Of the windows broken
and boards substituted for the panes the lower PARTS of
many OF them used butcher stalls groceries &c
The most celebrated Of these palaces those of the family
Pisaveri, Cornoa, Manu- Grenani, Monsenego In the
latter Byron resided three years The church Scaze Mt
tracts the attention of all strangers 1t was built by
seven families of Venice The satuary in it is by the
best masters also the paintings OF course my Gu
riosity led me to pay early visit to the Ralto which
in ancient times Shakespeare tells us was the scene OF
Monsieur shyIocbs operations In going to the Riato
you bridge Of the same name and land in a small
square about half the size of the one on the east front
the Capitol in Washington This the ancient Ralto
or exchange of the Vcntan merchants On one side of
it the first church built by Venice called s. Clio yansi
d Ralto 1t contains of Titians best pictures St
Marco distributing aims / confess / was much dsap-
pointed in this celebrated Rato expected to see what
my youthful Imagination had made il from reading Sbaks
pearc-a grand building, at least larger public
square Reader, imagine my disappointment when I
found it nothing but fish market and not by any means
very clean pleasant at that We left the Rialto and
stroled again into the Plaza St. Marco When Bonapare
invaded Venice, brigand like he took many of their val
liable pictures and also the four splendid Corinthan
bronze horses and lion mounting the pedestal in front
of St. Marks church. which, however he was compelled
by the allied powers to restore There is no place in
Venice interesting to the stranger than the DucaI
Palace, The history connected with it carries us
back to Of the most exciting character If it
had been only residence for the ancient Doges of
Venice its story would have lacked much of it's in
terest. But here its courts-shall ] say of ius
tice mo- fear not Its courts for trial, which
trials sometimes, and very often mere ocke ries
In this palace the celebrated council cham
bes of three and of ten From to the prison is the
"Brdge of Sighs, POLITICALLY called, over which crim
pals passed TO what denominated their trial but in
truth TO their condemnation. The doom-room in which
they taken to go through the petence of trial was
painted black Three judges sat upon the bench and no
prisoner who entered lived twenty four hours there
after They were led to dungeon, and being placed
upon chair made of stone with their backs to grated
window which opened upon the entry a cord was put
Il.