, 1874-05-30
Tho Trip from Rome to Flor
enoe by Rail. n"
Narni and the High Bridge Of Angus.
tus.-.Tcrni and Its GascadCBt'
Spoleto-.-Asslsi and st. Francls-@:Pe.
rugla and Its Siege; by
the Goths.
Laks Iraslmenus and the Defeat Of the
Romans by nahnibal.
F1orence:..A Beautiful Clty:--Tho Cas-.
oine' Park.

F1orence:..A Beautiful Clty:--The Gas.
oine Park;
Speetal corrssppndenes ~ The Chicago Tribune.
F1oRzsor, April L, 1874.
The"idos !" Of April admonshod me that my
stay In Ronc must terminate and that further
examination Of ruins, aud churches built there.
from, aud ptoturds and ntatunry, must bo itdof-
nitoly postponed With many regrets for having
to respond to tho ino1orablo call Of "Ilme,"
loft for Florenco, by the n,iddo Or rs. -.
MOUNTAIN ROUTE,
on tho morning train Of agloomy wet day. Tho
distance thence ia 1876 miles northwnrd; faro, ~
ditto; and cents. third. Amerioans, mobiles,
and "foo1s" tako tho frst-olass coaohcs; every
ono elaef the second and third.
For tho frat 80 mi1os out OF Rome,
the road runs along tho. Valley
Of tho Tiber. at station called OTTO,
which formerly WAS boundary-village between
tho Kingdom Of italy and tho little Kingdom Of
tho Pope tho road loavon the Tibor and turns
shaiply to tho eastward, following the: beautiful
Valley Of: the: Neva,-a mountain-stream. At
tho: Village Of Narni tho train passes the high
bridge Of Augustus, which here oroasoB tho
Neva; one Of tho archeB Is gons tho bridge Is
ncarIy:, ninctenn centuries old. Tho Elaminian
Why to tho Alps ran up. this valley from Romo
From Narni to -,
TEnHI,
distance Of 20 miles, tho rond ascends very
stoep. grade, ;passes through many tunnels, and
iB overhung in places by high rugged
craBs. The sconory ia very wild md
grand Horo tho road strikes anoth-
or mountain-Btroam, m,-the volino.-remnrk-
able for its oascaucs aud falls. Tho first
fall docends GO feet; tho middle one, 500 feet
and tho lower ono 24o feet; total 800 foet.. In
tho spring, whom the mountain torrents in groat
volumes tumble down these falls they rink In
grandeur and roar among tho finest in Italy.
Torni ia also celebrated tho birthplace Of tho
great Roman historian Taeitus. Hore also wero
born two Emporors of Rome in its decadence,
whose names nre not worth mentioning. They
met tho common fate assassination. An honr'a
run down ans exceedingly steep grade; and
through q long tunnel, brings tue traveer'to tho
fne old town Of:
aroLETo;
containing 12000 Inhabitants. It Is situated
away up: on mountain-slope, with castle on
the summit, and surronndedb by nn'anciont wall,
built before the time Of tho. Or,1Bados. It
posseasos. q church erected in A.. D. G17." Tho
old aqueduct which brings water into tho town;
oroAaes deep chas m on ten arohcs, In length
700 feet, and in height, ono of them, 273 foot,
aud three or four OF tho others not MUCK less.
1t.wns constructed in tho reign Of the Emperor
Thcodosius, and is still perfect. There arc
many ancient ruins to be scon below tho town.
The uoxt point of note is
Assist,
uhero, 3. @. 40, the EloeInc poet propertius WIS
born but it is indebted for its chief reputation
aa being the birthplace Of St. francis, ina D.
1852, tho founder Of the monnstio order Of
Franciscan monks, who spread. all over, Europe
during tho Dark Ages, and exercised
q great influence, Whether for good or
evil is q, question .whioh: will bo an
ewered varionsly according to tho dogmatlo
viowH Of the replicant. Tho appearance Of tho
towers and battlemonts, its aqucduct and ruined
oast1e, mako up D romantic picture. Tho streets
arc silent and narrow, crookod and steep; tho
hoynea are mgh ETay{ and &c tottonEwth t ~ re-
old franciscan monks In their brown woolen robe
An hours run brings tho tourist to tho noted
city Of
half way betweon Homo and Florence At this,
polnt tho road; turning Westward comes into
Tho Valley Of aud crobses the Tber, which extends
away. up among. the mountains to the north.
tants. Il is beautifully situated on tho heights,
1900 feet above tho Valley Of tbs 1iber.
Among other remarkable things In itB history is
the desperate siege sustained against the
Goths, who only captured it after a struggle OF
seven. years. d.ration and who imposod on it
all tho obstruction TINT fro and sword could in
1fct. Its old palacos and cnthedrals contain
many works OF Art Which rank high and are great
" admired by visitors. The best works Of the
great painter Perugino arc preserved here; also,
the first three pictures Of Raphael. Tie Um-
brian school of art WAS developed hore.
A little distance beyond perugia iB the
LAKE OF FTnAsIMEfUH-
sheet Of water 8 miles in diameter, and stud
ded wlth..anveral litt1o rocky islands, II waB
tile north shore OF this pretty lake that Hnnnibal
cained his first great victory over the Romano.
The railroad passes across the battlefield.
The student Of Roman history will recollect the
narrative OF this terrific dofcat Of tho Romau
army, which occurred on tic Esd of Juno, B: @.
GIT. Hannibal left Spain the previous autumn,
with. CO. 900 men md 100 elephants. In tile
month OF September he crossed! the Alps at the
after inorodble etforts, and deaoended: into tho
Valley Of the po, while Bcipio, with q Roman
army. waa watching to intercept. him on tho
hanks 1f tbs hons m ~ p Franee He wlntereaiu
The Roman Senate speedily raised two armies,
aud dispatched thom Into Tuscany to guard nll
the passes Of tho Aponnines, and prevent Han
nibal from penetrating any further south until n
roar. Hannibal, however, choBo what was
deemed an utterly, impracticahlo route. and
crossed tho mountains, and, before the Roman
Roman Roman army, and taken up ~ lis is m march r.,b
on Romo itsolf., Tho Roman force
stationed at Arezzo, 40 miles southeast
OF Florence, immediately marched in
pursuit. Hannibal kept on until lo came to the
encampng on ita north shore, IN d valley whore
two spurs Of the mountain como down to tho
eaat and west ends OF tho lake, forming valley
In the form OF q llorsoBhoe,- tho like being in
front and fla nnntrSInrr m rtafnA f0rrninr the