, 1865-10-14
TIE NEW CAPITAL OF ITALY.
-Transfor1.,atsop OF Old Florence to New
F1orcnce-Unxvontcu sights aanon1
the Old Castles OF tho Guclphs and
fshfb eltinca. i


F1orcnce-UnvontcA sights among
The Old CASTLES Of tho Guelphs and
shIb elIi1lcs.
:, Correspondence Of the Chlcsen Tribunal
FLORENCE, Sept 9Th, 1sdl.
There has, as yet, but little chnagc taken
place in the external appearance OF Florence
from what 1t was twenty or twenty-five years
ago. It's grand old teudal palaces, with their
barred windows and overhanging roofs, reach
Ing into tho middle OF tho street, and afford
ing, as they ever Intended to, q most agreeable
ehade-most OF them still exist In their old
FORM, and constitute tho chief feature of the
city. OF no Place, Indeed, can It be so truly
raid, as Of Florence, that Its public editlces
consist mainly OF It's private houses. These
mansions were in reality fortresses, In which
the great poblcs Of the middle ayes, who
headed alternately the political and religious
parties Of the Guelphs md the GhIbellines,
csconccd themselves to carry on wnr, some
times against each other, sometimes asa!ns.
the people. They are Instructive monuments
Of the state Of society In these times, Of which
some writer's never weary of describing to It's
the blessings. Now Florence Us city is halt
composed ofthese piles, which meet you at
every step, towering up In gigantic square
masses, nnd seeming to frown defiance upon
modern Innovation and Improvement. It
bsGulcu dHluSt kdClllt72,c 10 ut0ltu*& lIAQ3-
forming these venerable relics Of past age
into plato glass windows and stores flaming
with gnslIghts. And yet 1t was evident TINT
The narrow streets, or rather alleys, tagged
right across and without yestfge OF side
walk, which prevailed nll oycr Florence, could
never suffice for the tide OF circulation and
business Inevitable to great modern capital:
semi-ofIlcial character alone to be traDs
ported bodily from Turin to Florence, and
provided for, besides the inconsruous host of
nameless individuals which were sure TO fol-
low tn the train Of the Court and Govern
lnent. Well, It Was absolutely necessary to
:io something, or appear to do something at
once, II only to give m air of pcnnanence to
compllshcd. So the municipality, with the
sanction Of the Government, has entered into
acontTact with an English company, which
for consideration Of three millions Of francs
ard large grant Of land, is to pull down
bodily the old and picturesque, ,, but ineom.
boule7ards and surround them by new streets,
squares and avenues. More than. five
thousand new residences arc to be erect-
ed within the next three years, under
heavy penalties for failure. Meanwhile the
existing state Of things is one Of great coutu-
morally materially, socially and politically.
In their hcarts the people don't behave that
Florence will remain tic capital Of Italy, and
therefore they are unwilling to rush into
building and other specuhtions, and burn
their fingers like the unfortunate Turfnais.
The consequence Is that the prices Of house
rent, living, and of every article Of expendl-
ture have more than doubled tripled,
or quadrupled. Nay, houses are pointed
out TO me which let now for as many thou.
eand francs as they did hundreds. The vast
minority Of the upper classes IN Florence arc
people Of fixed incomes, mostly derived from
fmal1 landed estates, of which theyfdivtde the
produce with tenant farmers, on what Is call
ed tue metayer, or halving system. You may
imagine the effect Of the above enormous IN
crease of expense on these une1paDsivc for
tunes. It has created, Of course. great dis.
content. Then comes the augmentation OF
taxes and the announcement just made By the
Minister OF the Interior that the deficit OF
1866 is likely to be 200 millions, unless he gets
more revenue. Was not justified IN saying
that the approaching elections win be peril
Ous cIfss for new 1taly9 i