Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-03-11

! where the death occurred, and landlords
| cannot relet the room until it has been fu-
F! migated and cleaned, and, if the family
| are able 10 pay, it is repainted or repapered.
The poor, and sometimes those who have
been of some responsibility are buried with
out cofins or grayeclothes. They are sim
ply thrown into pit with other bodies that
have come to the burial place on the same
day, one on top of the other--old and
young indiscriminately-- is scattered
over them, the pit closed, and not opened
for year. and then there is nothing left
but few crumbling bones. There IS pit
for every day in the year, and when the
round Of them has been made, the first are
ready for refling. In some cities there is
a confraternity who, as a penance, or ou,
of some vow, or through really laudable
and charitable motives, devote themselves
to the duties Of sepu!ture. In Florence, /
suddenly met some of them one day, with
a bier, upon which was box or body COW
cred with black cloth, think there were
six of them, dressed in long black gowns
that came down to their feet, and were tied
at the waist by girdle, from whence de-
pended cross. Great black hoods were
drawn over their heads, and masked their
faces, holes bound with red or white mate
rial being left for their eyes and mouths.
They we're all tall, and came along with
rapid, lengthy stride, looking like horrd
ghouls bearing off their human victim.
Their work, however, was a useful one, and
their devotion VIZ rihy of all commendation.
We left Genoa Oh the 18th of January, on
n hri,b II div hnf NTH al month
wind coming down from the snowy SUBMITS
of the Apennines. We were bound for
Spezia, about 60 miles southwark, and kept
the coast well in sight all the way down, so
that we could mark all the villages nesting
about the little bays, and the houses climb
ing well up the hilsides, which were plant
ed with olives and oranges and vines. The
whole coast-lne of the Mediterranean, as
far as have followed it, which has been
from Gibraltar 10 Naples,s IS an almost con.
tinual succession of villages and towns, 50
thickiy is it inhabi,ed. SO it was south of
Genoa, as far as the night would allow us
to view it. Many towns occupied the very
crowns of mountain peaks, surrounded by
old walls, and protected by some old foriii-
cation. These towns were thus built for de-
icHCt, ScHluiieo aSp, "HcH INC
were terror to all this coast, and suddenly
swooped down upon it to pillage and to des
troy Inaccessible peaks and strong walls,
were then essential, and what was then built
has since been generally retained. The
coast settlements are generally more mod
ern, and at a distance look bright and cheer
ful-an aspect, however. which nearer ap-
proach generally oblteratrs, so far as Italy
| is concerned.
Darkness had come on Before we made
the light off the Gulf of Speza, and strong
| head wind forced us to beat UP the bay, and
it was midnight before we came to anchor
off the town. The town Of Spezia is small
and unin,erestine. but is bay is one of the
finest along the Mediterranean coast, and
one of TIE finest in the world. The Italian
government is establishing here its princi.
pal naval depot, and have commenced oper.
ations upon scale which, if carried to com
pletion, Will make the establishment one Of
the most complete in the world.
From Speza l made an excursion to Pi-
sa, down the coast about fifty miles. going
by rail. Our route carried US through the
great marble region of Italy, and close to
the Carara quarries, whence marble has
been taken for thousands of years, and from
whence now, nearly all the statuary marble
of the world is obtained. 1t is stated that
| the mountain from whence this marble is
obtained is about five miles long and about
$500 feet high, and is one entire mass Of
marble from base to summit. The amouul
shipped to all parts of Europe and to the
United States is very greet, and the whole
annual product of the quarries amounts to
several millions of francs.
Pisa is situated upon the Arno, about ten
miles from its mouth, and was once o city
of $50, 900 inhabitants, and the capital OF
one of the most fourishing of the Italian
Republics 1t to day contains but about
$4,000 or 10000 inhabitants, with nothing
| CT interest but its monuments Of the past
The only noticeable part Of these cluster
about an open space on one side OF
the city, where are found its Cathedral, its
Leaning Tower, its Baptistry, and its Cam
po Santo, and perhaps upon no spot of the
same size in the world, are gathered togeih-
er so much that is interesting. The Campo
Santo was designed as the burial place o!
the great men of the Republic, and was con-
s,ructed in the 18th century. 1t is great
| quadrangular structure, or vast portico,
opening nwards upon green space, whose
soil was brought from the Mount of Olives,
near Jerusalem. The walls of this cour,
were all frescoed by some OF the most emf
nent artists of that early period in the revi-
val of painting, and have therefore great
historical interest aud value. Many of them
are good deal oblterated, but two, the
Triumph of Death and 1.-The Las; Judg-
ment,' by noted artist OF the early Flor
entne school, Andrea Orcagna, are well pre-
served. The subjects, however, are very
amusingly treated, aud the fighting Of an
gels and devils over clerical and lay saints
and snners-male and female bodies and
souls-were mGst ludicrous in the depicted
attitudes, which | cannot stop to describe.
SO with "Hell,' by Bernardo Orcagna,
where the methods of punishment depicted
defy description, and almost equal to fertile
fancy OF Dante.
The Bap istry and Cathedral are both
marble structures of peculiar design and
great beauty, and noted monuments of the
revival of classic forms. They have much
that | would like to describe. but have rel
ther time or space in which to do SO. One
of the mos, Interesting things about the Ca
ihedral to me, however, | cannot refrain
from mentioning This is the old chande-
her, or lamp frame, which, suspended from
the roof OF the lofty building, first suggested
to Gaiileo, then student, as he afterwards
was professor, in the noted University OF
| Pisa, by the regularity of its oscillations, a
method of measuring time by means of the
pendulum, which assisted hiin in many of
his wonderful scientific discoveries, and is
still so useful to the world. Pisan ignor
anee and prejudice and superstition finally
drove the grand genius from her University,
and from the city, but to-day nothing throws
more charm about her, than the fact that ii
was there he first studied and experimental,
and solved the great problems of science
with which his name will always be identi
| fed.
But the most interesting thing about Pisa
is its Leaning Tower. the name of which is
familiar 10 every school boy. 1t is the cam
panlle, or bell tower Of the Cathedral and
stands but little distance from it. 1t was
commenced in ll74, but was not completed
until the l4ih century. 1t is beautiful,
light, n'ry, circular structure, with an irner
shell of brick and an oNter one of marble,
between which are the marble steps by
which you ascend. 1t consists of eight sto-
ries or collonades, the columns rounded and
surmoun,ed by beautiful capitals. Its height
~ e -.