The Portland daily press., 1870-03-23
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
Wednesday, Morning, March %. 1870.
Our European Corresponasnce.
Verona, Brescia, Bergamo, Milan,
Lakes Como and Magsiore.
Letter No. XIII.
MILAN, February IA, 1870.
Letter No. XIII.

MILAN, February IA, 1870.
MEssRs EDITORS Northern Italy ap-
pears to be made up of two varieties OF
country, dead levels and agelomerated
mountains. From Venice westward, the re-
gion is of the first-mentioned description for
| forty or fifty miles; and have no doubt was
once covered by the Adratic. At least it is
historical fact that the ancient town of
AJria, from which the Adriatic derives its
name, was once sea port; and it is now
seventeen miles inland.
The first place that brought me to halt
after leaving Venice was Verona which exhib-
its to the stranger among its objects interest
an immense ampitheatre. almost entire, sup
posed to have been built by Diocetian-and
| many ancient churches. Here you obtain
fine views of the snowclad Alps and the
more distant Apennines. But my prrcon-
ceived notions of the place were associated
with the adventures of "two gentlemen" con-
corning which the accomplished historian
William Shakespeare wrote so graphically.
Here, also, is shown lofty mansion. bearing
it'>------sS- of the house of -Scaliger, of whom
sprang the Juliet mentioned by the said
Shakespeare in connection with one Romeo I;
| and it appears that the chief incidents of the
tale concerning the two were entirely au-
| thentic.
Soon after leaving Verona we cross the
| famous river Adige, OH whose borders so
many battles have been fought; and speed
| ing Oh, in the course of half hour, come to
the limpid waters of the river Mincio, where
| Virgil rambled and wrote; and then for
long distance skirt the lake of Garda, which
Notwithstanding that he delighted in its
scenery, he dreaded ON account of its tenn
| pestuous winds and waves. In one of his
| "Georgics" he describes it as never at rest.
But it was calm as an infants sleep as We
wended along its borders. A delicate haze
toned down its rocky shores, islands, prom
ontories and villages, and almost hid from
view the bases of the mountains congregated
about its northern shores, while aott their
| Snow-erI.vaas1-.-..-ss were perfectly ap-
parent, glowing with the rose-tints of de-
Ginning day, and l could not refrain from ex-
claiming aloud, "How beautiiulw
We next stop at Bresca, at the foot of the
Alps, which once wed with Milan in imp, Z.
tance, and still poss esses many reminders -
its former greatness; then, in turn, at Berga-
mo, which has $4,000 inhabitants, exceedingly
picturesque views of mountain, plain, and riv-
er, and ever so many interesting objects which
connect it with the past. But I cannot
spend time to examine them-Italy abounds
all over with such-so without tarIying, ex-
cepting for the halfhour allowed by the rail.
road train, allow the cars to bear me on,
and at night arrive at Milan.
Milan is much larger, 1 may add much
finer, city than had supposed. Situated in
| the centre of the silk-srowing districts OF
Lombardy, its prosperity is assured and the
evidences of its wealth and luxury abound in
every quarter. 1t has population of 25O,OOO,
and well deserves the surname accorded to ii
of lie Grande!
You have heard, perhaps, of the country
clergyman, who in his Sunday prayer, thank
ed God that large rivers flowed by large
towns! But at Milan is found remark able
exception to this rule. The city is located on
the Insignificant river Olona, which does little
] else thor ~ex,en;er tho canals tict oo,ran+ !.
with the Tincis and Po. ard lakes Como and
Maggiore.
or course one is expected to go into costa
cies over the imposing grandeur of the cathe-
jral here. In my case the spasm came on
without any previous arrangements; and
| easily arrived at the conclusion that in SYM
metry of outward proportions as we'll as in
afluence of ornamentation it surpasses every
other edifice OF the kind in Europe-at least
every other that have seen and well de-
serves the designation claimed ior it, of the
eighth wonder of the world. Indeed, not hav-
| ing any distinct recollection about the seven
other wonders, 1 shall set it down in the
archives Of memory as the first!
1t is entirely constructed of marble, ard
besides the statues that cling to its window
frames, retreat into inches, stand bodily out
on every projection, and welcome you in al
its door-ways, it has four thousand on the
niDety-eight turrets above its caves, mostly
the workmanship of master hands, besides
any amount of foliation, flowers, and other
insinuatons of Gothic tracery!
| Still, verifying the axiom that there is moth
| ing perfect under the sun, its dome or princi-
| pal spire, wants in elevation. This is evident
to the most inexperienced observer. Al
though $50 feet in height, it would require at
least one hundred feet additional to lit it out
OF the forest of associate spires that surround
it. ascended to the top of this dizzy pima
| Gle, and thence had fine view of the whole
city and its surroundings, and ought to have
seen Mt. Blanc, but the pertinacious haze for
bade.
But Milan has wonders in her galleries"
which almost equal that of her Cathedral
There are wide and lofty passage-ways or
streets rooted with glass, and lined with ele-
giant shops where one may purchase all the
luxuries and extravagances of the day. The
chief of these constructions is called Galleria
| Vittorie Emanuel. 1t is 220 yards long, 16
yards wide (between the shops), and So feet
high; and its center is surrounded by a glass
dome 10 feet in elevation. II is adorned
with statues of celebrated Italians, has a floor
| of beautiful mosaic work in marble, and at
night is rendered as light as dav bv the flash
of two thousand gas jets!
Here, the ladies may display the fashions,
and the gentlemen shake their watch trinkets
and puff at their pipes or cigar-holders of sea
foam whether it rains or shines; and in the
evening it is thronged with lounging human
| ity.
I never leave a city of any note without
visiting its provision markets. Not only at
Milan, but throughout Italy generally, they
sell all sorts of strange things for edibles.
Horses, rabbits and kids are staple articles Of
consumption; aud 1 have often seen at tn
stalls, lean-looking quadrupeds which, divest
ed OF their outer covering, could not make
out, but which had an extremely suspicious
look! Then-in the the line of q shes and am
phibia-they deal largely in skates, squibs,