The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1868-03-11
Editorial Correspondence of tho Scientific

American.
The 1ntiquitics of Pisa- Tile Lcominl
T1wcr-Florence as City-I% Puk
aces, Paintings, Sculptures, Cathedral,
and Chuchcs. = OM Artists-AA ViS,
to Amcricun Sculptors.
The railway from Spczzia to Pisa
passes for some distance near tn,
base Of the Carrara Mountains, from
| whence for centuries past has been fur
nishod the amount Ct marble with whicl
the cities Of ancient Rome ana modcr
Italy have beer adorned and brautilicd
After ride Of three hours on this rail.
way. VIC reached the old city OF Pisa
standing upon an open plain, now a
sort of imperial widow, mourning over
buried hopes. At one period of its his
tory, Pisa contained upwards Of one
hundred and twenty thousand souls. and
had considerable commerce but to-day
it is probable that there are not over
twenty thousand permanent resitsstNs.
StilA The old city has many monuments
of antiquity, grand even IN the solitude
that surrounds them, which are well
worthy a few hours attention. | think
it would be difficult to find in any other
city in Europe, within an enclosure SO
comparatively small, four objects of
greater interest than the Cathedral,
Baptistcry, Leaning Tower and Campo
Santo, Of Pisa.
The Cathedral is very extraordinary
cdiiice III every respect, considering It
was built upwards OF eight hundred years
ago. The style OF external architecture
IS quite novel, and original perhaps with
the architect BuSchetlo, who had the
rcputn tion Of being an original thinker,
and creative mechanical genius. a
rootical inscription is preserved in the
church, which declares that Buschetto
once invented machine whereby ten
young maidcns were enabled to raise
weights that thousand oxen could
not move and by means Of wl;8ii raft
vas transported to- the sea, but, as the
poet says, not without considerable dill
Guilty. All traces Of this wonderful nycn,
ton, Are lost The interior is cheer.
ful anu exceedingly beautiful, having an
elaborately gillcd ceiling, precious mar
blcs OF variegatcd hucs, porphyry col
umns, a FINE pavement of mosaic, and
pictures executed by somo Of Itnly's
greatest masters. Tho most interesting
single object in tho Cathedral is the oH
bronze lamp of Calico, suspended from
the ceiling. When but eighteen years
of age, Calico noticed its regular and
synclronous vibrations, and it suggested
to him the measure Of time by The pen
dnlnm, fact he afterward improved by
constructing clock for astronomical
purposes.
The famous Leaning Tower Of Pisa
VISA built abou' a century after tho Ca.
thcdral, and though standing several
feet from it, forms its campanilc, or bell
tower. and mounts seven bells, the larg.
est OF which Is hung so as to constitute
q sort Of connlerpoisc to the line Of m
clinaton. The form of the Tower is
that ofa gigantic cylinder built Of wh;tc
marble, l79 feet high and So feet in
circumference. On the outside are sov
cral tiers of marble p,llarcts, forming
circular piazzas. Within The shell is a
winding stair case leading to tho top,
where very fine view IS obtained, cx-
tending one way to Lcghorn on the
Mediterranean. and Far inland on the
other. The inclination Of the tower is
thirteen feet from the perpendicular, and
on that account tho ascent, otherwise
easy, ls liable TO produce disagrccable
sea.sick sensation, as at every turn Of
the spiral staircase one seems to be al
ternately going up and down. There is
still considerable mystery cs to the
cause Of this inclination. Some say it
has settled since it was built. but there
arc no cracks anywhere visible in The
structure to support this theory, there
Ioro it is mole reasonable to suppose
from tho presontappoarancc OF thc Tow
or, which indicates an attempt to rccify
it above the second story, that the foun-
Gatlon yielded soon after the structure
was commenced, and that having settled
as much asst could, the builders went
forward and completed it. Under amy.
Cii iiCNhiotHtiIoS tiiS iG"GI 10 SitiSi'Si
cdiice and would be worth seeing, even
il it had beon erected upon plumb line.
Calico was once professor in the Uni.
vcrsity Of Pisa, and his acute mind ena.
bled him to make good rtsc Of tho Tow
er to ascertain the measure OF time, and
to calculate tho fall Of heavy bodies. u
Many times, with instruments in hand,
did he climb tie winding staircase 10
pursue his profound. studies, which 80
much perplexed and angercd the doctors
Of the church, and thus IL is that these
old monuments Of Pisa whicl, now at
trect tho notice Of the curious, are also
mementoes Of some Of the grandest dis.
coveries Of science n flay.
The Baptistery, q singular ronnd odi1
fee s,anEng bv itself in open an place
is one h,andrca feet in diameter within
Tho walls, which are eight feet thick,
surmoanted by ai6ne dome, forming tho
frustrdm Of q pyramid. Tho interior is
destitute Of embellishment, but the mar
BILE 1ont and pulpit are exquisite speci-
f.i u Is