Connecticut western news., 1872-03-01

Thus they have been for hundreds of years. At o'clock the following morning, our fresh horses were again whirling us over this wonderful road and through this mag nifcent scenery, and day crowded full of pleasure to us all, was appropriately ended at the city of Finale, where we entered an old palace like hotel, with stone stairways, stone floors and ceilings five and twenty feet high, gilded and frescoed, as only Italians do such things. Just before entering this old town, we rounded several immensly lofty cliffs, and passed through another, in a carriage way tunnel at least 500 feet below the surface of the mountain. At Finale we resumed our journy with fresh horses for the third day, and passing through equally imposing scenery until city of Savorna. Here we discharged our oettugiaO, and entered train for this city, to pass over 26 miles of the eastern end of the railway, the completion of which we hoped would be accomplished while we were at Mentone. This wonderful railroad to which have before alluded, lies along the shore of the sea very near the carriage road, and pierces over one hundred of the head lands on the sea, with tunnels from 50 to 5000 feet long. Many oe these we saw in our carriage ride, and forty of them we passed through from Savorna to this city, 26 miles. We entered this city of Genoa just before dark, and the first promi
 nent object that attracted our attention on passing out of the great station, was a fine and noble monument and statue of Christo- pher Columbus. Now as to this ''Genona Superba," as it is prondly called, l am bound to express more admiration for it than ever entertained for it from all my reading of history. It is indeed, a city of palaces, having enough of them within its limits to entitle it to tue appellation. It has population of l2s, 900, generally frugal and industrious people, as may be indicated by the thousand ships which ride in it's well enclosed harbor; its hundreds and hundreds of loaded carts and donkeys daily entering and leaving with all manner of products, to say nothing of steamers, cetturas, and diligences daily taking up and dis charging human freight from all quarters of the globe. Some of it's palaces we have visited and have been surprised by their magnifcence. One of them has been ap- propriated to the use of the city, and con- tains the town hall. It consists of many splendid apartments, reached in all cases by broad marble stair cases and f1oored almost as uniformly with varigated marble floors. In one of these apartments stands curious circular marble cabinet, within which are contained manuscript letters of Columbus, together with copies in his own hand writ ing, of the various patents issued to him by Ferdinand and Isabella, all of which are under three locks and keys, and in the care of custodian who is never allowed to lose sight of them when out of their appropri- ate case. They were politely exhibited to us and ample time allowed us to examine and Italian, excused myself from reading them on tue score of limited time, Other experiments have statuary and paintings. We also visited the Royal palace, which is magnificent beyond description, at least it is 80 by my limited capacity. Apartment after apartment which we wandered through, was filled with paintings, statuary, Royal bedrooms, beds and corresponding furni- ture, dining hall, dancing hall, reception rooms &c., &c., all replete with adornment. The garden extends to the sea and is in keeping with the palace. We also visited the Serra palace, which is much like the others, all of which are constructed chiefly of marble inside and out, and all are inl- nensely large. The Ser-a has one splen- did central hall finished with a dome sup, ported by six or eight large marble columns, some twenty-five feet high, gilded with | treble gilt, said to have been wrought out of pure guineas, and which is as brilliant to day as if it had been put on yesterday, and yet it has been there l2O years. The decoration of this single room is said to have cost l, 1000. .OOO francs. There is one street in the city composed almost entirely of these palaces. In many instances the families who erected them are extinct or have become impoverished, and the pala- ces are used for other purposes than pri- vate residences. Many are made use of for hotels. The "Hotel Trombetta, where we are now sojourning is one of them, and is lofty labarynthine establishment, with huge marble stairways and floors with cell ings twenty five feet high, gilded and fires coed elaborately. If we were not modest impretending Americans, we might feel
 ''set up" little, as neighbor Mitchell used to say, in consequence of having, assigned
 to our use here the splendid apartments
 recently occupied by the Emperor of Bra
 gil and his suite, but modest merit &c, Sc you know. We'll, there are other things oi
 interest in Genoa besides palaces. Part
 of an old Roman acqueduct is still in use
 here, built before the Christian era. Int
 Cathedral, built in the 1lth century VIC
 found to be well worth visit, as we were
 shown beautiful paintings and other work.
 of art besides the splendid frescoes. Int
 church of the Annuuciation is old, large
 and said to be more splendidly and elabor
 ately adorned than any other in Europe
 The gilded columns. gilded and frescoet
 ceilings, paintings, statuary, chapels sc.
 certainly exceed anything we have ye
 seen. The city is one of great antiquity and has passed through great variety O
 fortunes. At the close of the 17th ceniur,
 it had become very magnificent. At tha time Louis XIV. of France bombardet
 and almost destroyed it because its inhabi
 tunts supplied ammunition to pirates ant built ships for the Spanish navy Tn, industry of it's inhabitants and it's favorabl,
 situation for commerce, has enabled it tt resume. if not to exceed it's former splen dor. We are accustomed in America, t, arrogate to ourselves more enterprise thal other people possess. However this may in our expenditures than many of them