New-York tribune., 1868-03-20
ITALY.
THE ITALIAN CARNIVAL.

From Oar own Correspondent
FLORENCE, Italy Feb "a. 1868.
Florence S'dmuSe, thing that can rarely be
said with truth OF this beautiful minded, stngy
city. This is the fourth year that have spent in the
ea di fore but have seen anything during car
nval time to remind of Naples Turin, or Man much
less Of Venice. But this year. regardless OF financial
crisis or threatened bankruptcy Florence determined to
be merry inspired, fancy by sort Of feeling et US
eat and drink for tomorrow die, and the Carnerale
della Tdppa "hating place between Rome and Turin,
was set on foot At first 1t promised lttle but last
Thursday had really splendid Corso, yesterday 1t
was splendider tomorrow is to be spendideSt What
pleasure any find In C0reo could never under
stand Fancy several hundreds Of carriages in these
narrow streets some magnificent equpages, four In
hand-d la Dmont etc-full Of ladies' less ele
gantly dressed with or without escort with baskets OF
flowers and cOntures TO throw TO acquantances then
Of possbtes to the dirty grimy hack
filled with dirty grlmng masks who fling stale bouquets
funeral pace carriage waiting sometimes couple OF
hours before II can enter the Hne and ana fancy @ tne
may have idea Of the lyeiness OF the proceeding
This year we have had SO some eSa a eS iaT T Ghs &
flower of the FlorentiDe youth, who scattered lovely
bouquets and choice sweetmeats everywhere attracted
general attention 1t bore the inscription In search Of
water"-a satire on the Florentine municipality which
for years has promised supply the city aud M leaves
us to choose between thirst and ditch water Then there
was carriage fun OF four nte nuns-sO quaint so de
dress-cever at catching the bOnbons. and chary in
throwing them But all the Corsos put together not
worth hours sleghing in NewYork. Yesterday the
COrso was somewhat more brillant the upper ten
thousand shown III all their spendor OF stud equpage,
said witty In addition to the "Water Cart as 1t is now
called there the Caro- della Bassola The Vegoni,
at the Pergola and PagOne, and minor theaters are
mixed assembly splendid toilets, quaint mas, s
Object Of criticism and curiosity At the Kings bail she
was literally covered with diamonds to the tune Of
parte family At the Bor0Sese she wore few less"
splendid necklace Of black diamonds, unique, believe.
three articles one tiny birds wing; all were found and
brought to her, which speaks well for the honesty OF
carng that her diamonds for the most part false,
she pawned them, snd then from Lip TO lip flew the
at the Corso with her mother Nine de Sahus gifted Ike
her daughter with the fatal gift Of beauty The Kings
ball at Petit more nsuferable than usual. over
crowded. Overh heated rooms, watery lemonade pennya-
glass ices and sandwiches OF salt ham and bad butter
year it decided to give none" the explanation
offered The testa given by the Jocky Club was decided
success the MOTEL Della Pace crowded. COO guests all
eie and aut danced till o'clock in the morning.
and partOok of supper which only to remember makes
While write the Corso is parading under my win
dOws All the wonders promised tomorrow are perform
ing rehearsal to-day -Four or five "cars" containing
some of masqners, hingng bon-bOns and flowers
right and left precede the great car vesu
housemoying and under greasy, smoky oleloth you
etc. piled up smoke or dust issues from hole in the
top and man tosses out bonbons In shovel 10 the de-
light OF the gdminS, VINO scramble, tuuDles
fight for the spoil This is the way in which
Florence amuses herself The shops closed. II you
walk about the streets whence the Corso precuded you
Imagine yourself in desert or in city stricken by the
plague window open, to hustle you on the
pavements, NOT even beggar.
Tomorrow is the "gTand last day." but must mail to-
night so that unless any special phenomenon should
presen itself your readers viii be left to imagine its
grandeur AS Florence is employed so are all the cities
OF Italy Naples has gone out OF its head" Venice lives
in Marco and sends depuaton from the Society Of
the Chozso who for the last $50 years have represented
the old costumes OF fishermen, oyster sellers. &c. TO
Genoa each OF the thirty representatives bearing egh y
pounds of plums, sweet suDstances, TO DIS
Vene.ia has the following telegram Erietd Genoa, Ell
ria Yenesid.
Our GenOcse brethren awaited us with open hearts
universal enthusiasm In Genoa.
The Society of the ChOZzOtt While lasts Ialia Car
niyal VIII last" suppose we may say. The Carnival
writes the PeSeTeasd that largest most moderate, and
serious newspaper OF Italy an Institution that has is
the hearts Of the people Its and most
profound root II is the most Italian the most ancient
festivals Its origin is socInnnay dire; 10 was
the first symbol light OF gentle customs OF liberty and
the space OF centuries back TO the Saturnian unity
Sdtrfid tes or, at least, to the PclaSian epoch In
which p0tdS) sacrificed to Saturn replaced by
lights hOtd whose masks took the place OF human vic
day Q9th then 18th Deceber) extended gradually TO
seven; then, after the Institution Of Christian
festivals, postponed I'll some weeks later Deem
Der the month dedicated to Saturn. Dies
aud other festas added later survive qTOredf
0TdsSO For the Romans they were true soemnes (dies
est. Ali occupations even were suspended shops and
closed; punishDents, sentences; but
peace and pardon; chains broken prisons opened on
the Of the first day the crowd paraded the streets
with torches OF the D0ccd OF modern Rome) enjoy
Ing vpd u CarneUGLe Bt0nd Cdr1lerde-TO Satlrndiid
auueared; dresses. and even badges. exchanged