Connecticut western news., 1872-04-26

am anticipating. A ride from Rome tt
 Florence is not to be passed over with SC
 trihing notice. Every foot of the way i.
 historic ground, and every mile a scene ot
 beauty. One pass which tue railway tray
 erses is notch in the Apenines and is
 full of romantic beauty, at the northern
 end of the pass are the remains of very
 ancient bridge, constructed by order of the
 famous Emperor Augustus, which crossed
 the river Neri, and constituted a part of
 what is known as the Flsninean way, one
 arch still remaining. is about sixty feet
 high, and thirty between the piers. Con,
 sidering that the reign of Augustus con-
 menced twenty-seven years before the Christian era, it must be pronounced fair
 specimen of ancient masonry. Another
 object of interest on this route is the beau-
 tiful lake of Thrasimene, some thirty miles in circumference, surrounded by beauti-
 ful plain. Between it and the mountains on the route over which we passed, was fought the celebrated battle between the Romans and Carthageneans, when Hanni- bal entrapped the Romans and defeated them with great slaughter. This plain was as peaceful when we passed over it, as summer evening, and now abounds in beau- tlful groves of olives. But we hasten on to Florence, beautiful Florence! which welcomes us through ono of her eight an- cient gates just as the sun was gliding with it's last rays, the domes and spires of the city and the multitudinous villas that cover the hill sides without the walls of the city on either side of the Amo. The valley in which the city is located is not a broad one, but the undulating hills which sur round it are covered with beautiful villas, as the more distant mountains are with convents and monasteries. We took ride to one of these celebrated monasteries on lovely morning few days since, which ride would attempt to describe, if l did not remember that one of our American travellers has done it so much more effect lively and succienclly than I can, that I adopt his language. This visit was to Fiesole, which he calls the cradle of Florence" as it is the older city. It occu- pies the summit ot steep bill, now ap- by strpentine carriage road. Hilliard says: Every foot of the road is either from the beauty which it reveals, or from the associations which it awakens. In Fiesole, as in most Italian towns, there are churches and convents, in | which are doubtless many things worthy of | being seen. but the traveller unless he can spend much more time than I had at nv disposal, will hardly finger under any roof while so enchanting prospect tempts him without. Language breaks down in the ef- | fort to fix upon paper the impressions awakened by landscape of such beauty, 1 such variety and such extent. A genius ike that of Byron, from whom words flash with the sudden and Illuminating power of lightning, or of Shelly, who paints with a pen dipped Tn the rainbow. can alone fast 'n the scene and arrest the emotions 0 which it gives birth"
 Assuring you that this description cor esponds with our own experience on \ ide and visit made under the brightest of italian skies. l will only add that it was not he only one we have made of similar character in the environs of this beautiful ity ''Fair Florence"