The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1869-06-08
Genoa" La Superba "--Pisa--A Storm
on the Mediterranean--Ar Arrival at Ma

! Genoa La Superba '--Pisa--A storm
on the Mediterranean--Arrivai at Ma
pies.
PARIS, May, 1869.
Genoa, =" La .Superba," has ceased to
be superb ceased, at least, TO be as su.
perb as she was when she acquired her
designation The line of palaces fronting
the whole city, and standing down upon
the bay, though built by the nobility and
merchant princes Of Genoa, have been
transformed, almost without exception,
into hotels. For instances, the Hotel Fidu
was the old palace ofthe admiralty, the Ho-
tel de rItaia was the Raggi palace, and the
Hotel Royal was, as | told you in my
last, the palace of the archbishop. Not
one of the building kept as hotels IN this
quarter of the city was built for a hotel,
and, as they were all frescoed externally
when new, and have seen no paint for a
great many years, you can imagine that
they are not remarkably attractive.
False windows with false blinds ncome
plete pictures of men and women without
n superahundance of clOthes--a head here
and leg there-are not profoundly im-
pressive when regarded as accessories TO
architectural effects. Indeed, ! speak sim
pie truth when ! say that there is no
architecture in Genoa. OF huge, square
buildings, with grand doorways there are
many and those are called palaces but
they do not I'll an Americans idea of pail
ace, ly great deal. Internally, some Of
these palaces abundantly reward examina-
ton. but externally. can imagine Moth
ing drearler, or less beautiful. That one
which is most worthy of a visit is the Pa
lazzo Rosso 1t has some rare treasures
of art by the old masters-by Paul Vero-
nesc. Guercino, A, Caracci, Carlo Dolce,
Domenichino. Tintoretto, Da Ninci-in
truth there are few collections in Italy
which embrace a larger list of first class
names. Two paintings by Vandyke-
full length portraits of young man and
woman-are magnificent pieces of paint
ing. and, Of themselves well repay visit
to the palace. The Balbi, the Reale and
the Pallavicini, all present noteworthy coli
lcctons of pictures and richly reward
the visitor for the time he gives them.
The churches of Genoa are not parties
ularly remarkable, except for ugly exteri-
ors; but in this respect they are like
K those of all the cities of Southern and
Central Italy. The Cathedral is a gloomy
building. the most remarkable portion OF
which is the chapel of ST. John the Bap,
tist from which women are excluded
three hundred and sixty-four days of the
year. on account of what the sex had tc
, do with that saints "taking off," The
church of st Ambragio was built entirely
at the expense of the Pallavicini family
and is quite rich in mosacs, gold and pic
tures. OF the latter there are good spec
linens by Guido and Rubens. The chsrcl
re which seemed to me the most bright anC
cheerfnl-much the most ike the HON,
of Christian worshpers-was l. AnRuR
b. cidtd. The entire elaborate ceiling wa
T. covered with rich gold; thebuilding wa
full oflight; and one felt, immedate!yon en-
tering, glad uplifting of sentiment ant
sensibility. do not remember to hav,
entered church in Italy which produced
upon me so pleasant an impression as this
But even this church. so costly in il
decorations, 30 exquisite in all its interna
detail, was disgracefully rough and un
finished upon the outside, and gave n
promis of the beauty within, l becam
used to this ugliness of exteriors iu Maple
and Rome afterwards, but never so mucl
used that | ceased to be offended by il
But the churches are no ugller than tn
palaces, and the palaces are initiated b
the humber dwelling. Any person VIII
expects to find in Central or Southern Ita
ly any pleasure from architecture will b
disappointed There is remarkabl
group Of buildings at Pisa there is S
ar. Peters at Rome, (Which by the way,
,is think is anything but beautiful but, ger
he he orally, churches, palaces, villas, cottage
warehouses-everything which is th
a product of architecture, or ought to be-
ne are utterly without interest, or positive
nd offensive. This, taken in connection wit
tho fact that Italy is the home OF art,
remarkable and unaccountable. Some
the miracles of sculpture, picture al
NE decoration are covered by roofs and su
rounded and protected by walls that ha'
no ideas and no skill in them beyond tho
m mng of the masons and carpenters who bui
IN them.
Outside Of the city, there are two obje,
= of remarkable interest-objects which
their kind stand unsurpassed, probab
VI unequaled, in the world. The first is 4
" cemetery, not yet completed, but in such
. stafa nf nrosyAsa ihaf ifs Accumulation ia M