The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-03-12

upon high ground near the castle of
San, Eluno, now like allssimilar institu-
tons, sequestered and belonging to
the Government. The rich decorations
of the interior are beyond my power
of description. While the floors and
walls are in horentine mosaics of the
richest marbles, the frescoes and oil
paintings are by the first artists of the
seventeenth century. Behind the al
tar is the Nativity" by Guido, said
to be the best of all the fine works
by that great master. The pla-
fond of the Sacristy, which con-
tains innumerable bones and relics
of martyrs exhibited in beautiful
bronze and glass cases, is decorated
! by the Triumph of Judith" by
Giordano, large and apparently fine
fresco, said to have been painted in
forty eight hours, when he was sew
enty-two years old. Here the wood
paneling on the walls is richly carved
and exquisitely inlaid with beautiful
designs. Lovely paintings and sculp-
lures are in great profusion and of
fine matchmaking, altogether, next
to the Monastery of Monte Casino
FOUNDED by St. Benedict, and stu
ated on the road from Naples to
Rome, the grandest of monastic es-
Establishments in all Europe), the finest
edifce of its kind Naples contains
upwards of three hundred churches,
some of which are very fine, but as
churches is the staple of all Italy's
productions, you gradually grow tired
of describing them Notwithstanding
that thing of beauty is joy forever,
there is but one [ will mention,
the Chapel of the Palace of San
Severino, where there is very remark
able piece of sculpture; it is the body
of dead Christ, vailed, famous for
its surprisingly life or rather death
like perfection, which, if such can be,
is heightened by the artistic folding
and flowing grace of the seulptured
vail covering the fern. 1t is by
Giuseppe San MARITIME.
Neapolitans seem to be dissatis-
fed with the present government,
although they consider it better than
the old one. The other day / asked
a highly educated Neapolitan. a man
of very liberal and enlightened views,
whether they wished for republic,
and he answered me that. in his opin-
ion, there were very few people who
wanted that form Of government, and
there were less who were capable of
approaching it. When younger, he
had been an ardent republican, but
had been convinced since that the
people here were not fit for that high
est type of the civil compact-which
he as an individual, however, much
admired
The Museum Barbonica (now Ma
tionaD is rich in specimens of all the
branches of art, but mainly renowned
for its treasures Of excavations from |
Pompeii and Herculaneum. Amongst |
other sculptures it contains the re-
nowned Farnese Hercules, the Far
nese Gladiator, the Farnese Bull. a |
large and beautiful groupe; the Torso |
of Psyche, by Praxiteles; the Venus
Gallipege, from the golden house of
Nero with fauns, Satyrs, Antinouses, |
Bachuses, bus reIeifs, Sarcophagi, &c.,
&c. The grapdest of all ancient
mosaics is also here, taken from the
house of the farm at Pompeii, repre-
senting the battle of Issus, with /
Alexander and Darius as the princi-
pal figures. In the gallery of paints
ing there are works by Raphael, 4
Domenechino, Correggio, Titan, Tin
torettq,qrcHolbein, Salvador Rosa,
-Durer, and numerous other great
masters. -
At theSt Carlo, the second theatre as
to, size in. Europe, I witnessed the
performance of the Opera Massaniello,l
or the Mute aef Portiei,. 0the other |
night. AS the plot is laid in this i'm
mediate neighborhood, the town of
Portici being a, suburb. and extending
to the foot of Vesuvius, the
opera possessed a twofold interest for
me. .a@acs 10 aeanRVbk 92HuI bgG 80
One of the most entertaining
things is the observation of street
scenes, and / have here among this
lively people of stirring city, loitered
hours at time, to, enjoy sights really
Kaleidoscope, which to Describe in
detail, time and room fails me at
49, WABASH.