The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-11-27

this gentleman from Venice:
Venice is situated further from e, the
mainland than I had supposed. 1ne
causway leading across the lagoon. p
intimated in q previous letter, 10 oasa
two miles long. Then the ses I'M MT
thoroughly pervades the clty .n lin
had supposed. Think OF cl 6ao Fact Saat
on 20 islands, a grand cana. Nv yhoIs
wide winding through its M 49,
| length. and $50 smaller canals in Ma
sacf;nr ;ts every subdivision. Ine
cenais in most cases. run by the very
Jonrs and windows of the houses.
No. Is only now and then q river
Gnotn n the street. Truly, Venice
is city of the sea. .4.
.baJ the canals. Every house has its
interior opening on some street or
eIlev as we'll as its front opening on a
canal. And every house may be
reached by land from any part of the
city, although the way is often very
circuitous.
Perhaps Venice has changed less
within the last 800 hundred years than
almost any prominent city In Europe.
Almost the only change, at least, has
been that of decay. An old map,
printed from a block cut by Albert
Durer. one of the fathers of modern
art-both map and block being pre-
served in the museum at Venice as
great curiosity-shows the city to have
been, even in his day, wonderfully the
same that it is now. And the paint
ings Of Tintoretto, in the Doge's pal
ace, in which views of Venice often
appear, are the best representations OF
the city as it now appears; for the
works of age in the paintings cores
pond admirably with the signs of de-
cav in the buildings. In those paint
/ inps you see st. Marks Church, the
| flagstaffs in front of Il, the Campaniie
the two columns in the piazetta neal
the quay, the Doge's palace, and ever
the gondolas, precisely as we see then
to-day. :,
omen square. surrounded by stump
tuous buildings. The church itself
4 although rich beyond description il
marble and mosaics, and all mannel
of decoration, is SO dingy with age, 81
married and faded, as scarcely to pro
duce an agreeable impression on TIT
beholder. The floor is almost bttto.o.
from the giving way Of the founda
tions. The Doge's palace, lying be
. tween st. Marks and the Mole, con
I tains council chambers and judgmen
halls of the greatest magniNcence, tn
walls being covered with paintings b
the Venetian masters. When visit
: ting this palace, we did not fail :
stand on the bridge of signs, ant
from the dungeon Of the captive "
I threaded the narrow staircase !, p
which he was led to the judgment hal
to receive his sentence.
In making the round of the prlncl
pal churches, we were fairly surfeite
: with splendors. Gold, silver, preciou
~ stones, statuary, has reliefs and th
paintings of the masters were met !
!, such accumulation that we came {
lose almost entirely the impression {
. their value. Beggars make th
. churches their special places Of rer
dezvouz, and it seemed fit that the
. should; for have they not been mad
: beggars, In great part, by their priest
: and for the enriching of the.
churches?
D Along the Grand Coral one sees
I multitude of palaces. But they hay
a wofully faded appearance Tt
O look weather beaten. Indeed, s
y Venice has an unsed1orthy look. 2 z
/. A visit of few days in Venice, 8
~ lecting for it the most pleasant seasC
90 of theyear, is very delightful. Moo
Q light rides by gondola, the singing
= the boatmen at the Rialto, the sight
% art treasures, and of the faded glori
1t of the republic, are exciting to q
= imagination In prospect, and are n
Z without their charms il actual expel
ence. But why any one should desi
to remain long there, cannot unde
.et stand. iia
OF The stagnation of life must, I thin
:. in ordinary times, be intolerable. ~
= universal presence of water must !
!. and by become a nuisance. The gre
- inconvenience of personal tran
- through the city must be constant
~ felt. can scarcely conceive of
- more dreary life in winter than tt
~ which an American family would LEI
go in one of the palaces on the Ora
900 Canal. The palace itself all of stone
w the floors laid in cement and destitl
2, of carpets, and no facilities for he
III ing. SO that one must sit freezing
ne furs and weight of wrappings,
"a turn out into the streets and WI
ne himself warm-is it not comforta'
s ~ picture !?