Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-07-31
Letter From Italy.

GENOA, ITALY, July Sd, 1867.
" Dear Oronicle:- - was thinking to-day
o Of the many articles which l had written
y Tor the CHRONICLE, between the years oil
4 1855 and 1862, written almost all of them
o IN the cosy little Office, looking out upon
9 the square in Warren, in "OH Trumbull, -
q as we fondly call the county, whose histO
o ~ hardly dates back into the 18th century.
9 Now i've Thousand miles of land and
sea lie between it and me, and L write for
0 the same paper, from the city where Co.
lumbus, the d~iscoverer of America was
I born a city which was old before that
event took plsee. In, the 18th century
she was IN the zenith of her power, was
the capital of IN independent republic,
and was the successful rival Of Venice for
the commerce Of the world. Much of the
splendid architecture which obtained for
her the title of ala Superba," Genoa the
superb, the city of Palaces, still remains.
The number of palaces is very large though
but very few of them are occupied as resi-
dences by the descendants of their former
owners, many of them being used as hotels,
others as lodging houses. and some for
business purposes. The door-ways of some
OF them are 40 feet in height, the halls
wide, adorned with marble statues, and
the roof supported by marble columns, the
wide Etsir-eases, marble, also the floors
The walls are of great thickness, and the
whole structure being almost entirely of
stone, the centuries winch have passed
since their erection, seem only to have dis
colOred, but not impaired them. The
finest of all is the Palazzo Doris, which is
surrounded by beautiful grounds extend
ing to the sea. In the gardens are statues.
fountains, walks of orange and cypress'
and the palace contains many pictures and
objects of historical interest. The finest
collection of pictures is at the PaIazzo
Brignole, where are to be seen the produe-
tons of some of the most celebrated paint.
ers, those of Carlo Dolci, Guido. Titan. |
Paul Veronese, and Rubens. Here is the
Oldest bank of circulation in the world.
the "Bank of st. George" founded in the
year l407. The old city is surrounded by
q high wall some 20 or 80 feet in height.
and 8 or 10 feet thick. Here the buildings
are very high, the streets very narrow,
some of them permitting the passage of
only one vehicle at a time. In the new
part the streets are wide, and the build,
ings much better adapted to secure the
comfort OF their inmates. The Corso is an
attractive drive, and here on pleasant
afternoons are to be seen the fashion and
beauty of Genoa. From the sea the appear
ance Of the city is very imposing. The
shape Of the shore resembles 3 section of
an ampitheatre, the land rising to the
height of 500 feet, OF the slope and quite
10 the top Of which the city Is built. In
the back ground are the Apprentices.
The harbor is protected by two huge
moles. Like all the harbors which I have
seen on the Mediterranean, there are no
facilities for vessels or steamers to land At
wharyes or piers, but passengers are land ,
ed by means of small boats, and freight
taken of by lighters. s.F. i,
Like sl the Italian cities, Genoa has il, !
cathedral. The San Lorenzo Is a large
structure, built of black and white marble. ,
laid horizontally in alternate stripes. In
one OF It's chapels, that of St. John the |,
Baptist, female are allowed 10 enter but
a year. Among the relics here. is a !,
dish said to be that from which Christ ate !
the "Last Supper" 1t was at one time )
considered of such immense value that Che :
Jews lent the Genoese 1000, 900 francs l
upon the pledge of it, but the Jews and :
have lost faith in it now. With !
In the last few Years the Genoese have
erecteda magnificent monument TO CoIum
bus. In the centre is q gigantic statue of /
the d~iscoverer of America, standing with /
tour ailegorical figures m sitting postures. 4
atthe corners. On each side of the pedestal +
s 3 sculpture in basrelief, illustrating 4 I
scene in his eTentful life. The first renra. o
sents him explaining to Ferdinand and i
Isabella, his belief in the existence of a b
new continent; the second his landing on q
the shores cfthe new world; the third his ]
return to the court of Spain i,
accompanied by natives of the islands he v
had discovered, and fourth his second and n
return in chains, and a prisoner. a Il
the reward for his great discoveries. n
While at Florence, we saw in the studio c
Of Larkin c. Mead, q very talented &,
American artist "a native of Vermontl a 81
Columbus holding in his hand a globe and
explaining to Queen Isabella his idess of q
he existence of other lands. She is seat !!
"a, while ne stands on one side, q page L
Standing listening on the other. The Up
group Is very srtistically arranged, the II
'ountenance expressive, and the position P
When it is completed, which
vii not be for some two or three years, l
incerely hope it will be purchased in :
America, and what place could be so I
appropriate FOX il, IS in the State House at "
Columbus? e. L.f n
Among the objects of interest at the 81
tudio Of Hiram Powers, in the same city, a
S a model of 1.-The Last of her Race" "
Vhich he is about to execute. 1t is the c.
igure of an Indian woman in the act Of
hight, looking behind her, with a counte- II
expressive of fear and grief, en- :,
'lematic of her people now being driven !:
by the fast approaching tide of =
White population. Another is that of X
California" This is a beautiful, joyous g
lgu-e, reckoning to the sanguine sdYen- {;
urer, and offering gold in her right hand, p
which is stretched forward, while in her 81
eft hand, which is held behind her, and 81
ut of sight, are thorns indicative of the
tolls, and dangers which he must m
Indergo, but which he cannot see. h,
We were received with great kindness p
y these gentlemen, IS we'll as by several y
American residents there, and our three 81,
avs stay in this, the most beautiful and se
leasanto of all the Italian cities, filed with
be most perfect and beautiful sculptures
nd paintings which have accumulated in
ny one SPOT on this earth, will always be A