Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-04-27
LETTERs FROM ABROAD.

FLORENCE, ITALY, March, lS72
II is long time since | haye taken up my
pen TO tell of the wonders and charms of this
lovely city, but time presses as the day draws
near when must sey farewell to il all, and
realize how much have TO do in studying
these immense collections of art.
February was u gay month 10 the Florcn.
tines, with the Carnival, and the parties, balls,
operas, etc. The ball at Consul Graham's in
honor of Gen. Sherman, which the papeis
have told you all about, was grand affair, of
course; and another in the Burghese Palace,
the grandest perhaps Of all the season. We
had tickets TO both, but we love our frcsidcs
too well to go of ut twelve T. NJ, TO stay till
daylight The papers and all of tue CITY,
talked principally about these balls. The
Strozzi aud Cordni Palaces threw open their
doors, and charity ball was held at the
Palazzo Vechio the theatres had plays given
up for masqueradcs, and one night the people
danced in the Ufllzi Piazzal Pretty cold ii II
is Italy, for that time Of night in February.
But the most elegant display of the month
was that in the heavens Of the brilliant aurora,
Of which, too, presume, your papers con-
tanned graphic accounts. They were the finest
Northern Lights | ever Witnessed; A narrow
white cloud formed band across the heav.
ems, and the whole half Of the sky from this
light band TO the horizon, was Que sheet Of
fire. These people of the South see this Pile
nomenon SO seldom that they imagine 1t Il
p0rtent of some dread evil, as for instance the
rise Of the Tiber, which followed 1t last year.
| heard Norma In the royal theatre the
"Pagliano capable of holding 5000 people.
II was the first representation Of the season.,
and II was amusing to hear the applaudng or
tho Kissing Of the audience, as their critical
ears were pleased or displeased. When the
unfortunate bass was doing his best TO sing
well his solo, he could hardly be heard above
the Kissing Again, when thcrc was q good
deal OF 1t In the audience, man from dis
tant box called out SO loud, "Slcneio" that
all turned to look at him. However they
were, on the whole, satisfied with the render
Ing Of the opera, which 100 thought grand
success. Zucchi was the prima donna, sing
er. Of considerable note, having great TALENT
for heavy, traglcal parts like this. Her voice
Ia not pleasing TO me, as It h real Italian. trem
bling and quakng. and not Of the sweetest
quality but her long stage career, of course,
has somewhat spoiled II. For power, though,
In exhibiting passions-lealousy, anger, sor
row-so that they haye as much power when
tho words are sung as when spoken, ana yet
the voice neither crack or break under the ef-
fort, she can hardly be surpassed.
| went, lately. TO the church of San Loren.
20, passed through Il and entered the large
slolsters, now quite given over to lay brethren
land sisters, as indicated by clothes bleaching
ON the splai, the cooking utensils visible
through the open door, aud the hy.away heads
of the eloyenly Inhabitants, out OF the win
dows, A large space is occupied by this
church and monastery right In the midst o
the busy shops, but there are but few cloisteri
lett in the city for the poor frars--those OF The
Santa Maria Noyello are converted into public
offices, and museum occupies the cid rooms
OF San Marco. The Laurentian Library, uE
one hlgh, Of stairs, we found very interesting
Ten thousand manuscripts are arranged Oh
what look like school desks, behind which are
the long benches for students from all parts o.
the world TO occupy and study at their lels.
ure, the works OF Cicero, Caesar, Tacitus
Dante, Peirarch, and even one of Virgil OF ths
third and fourth centuries, OF which no othei
copies exist The long room which contains
these thousands OF rare editions, was com
meneed by Michael Angelo In 1924. and Is o
much artistic merit. Cosmo de- Medici found
ed the library in i4A4 and il was greatly en-
laTged by Lorenzo de- Medlci. That name !
the Italian for Laurence, hence the name .
the library.
i The palace ofths ssrozzi family have al
! 80 been visiting lately 2 family much like .h'