, 1874-06-06
The Medici Fami'y.-.Their Patronage
Of Art and Persecution Of
Protestants.
SaT0nar0la...Tll0 Nnldensian Cllnrclls..
Tendency Of Educated 1tal'
. ians to Matcrinlfsnl.
Noted gallerios---The Ufl2i and Pitt
! Palaces, and tho Academy
Z! Of tho Fine Arta.


1AE AIAEHb oF 1EAA3t
and the pretenBion Ia not ill-founded or egotis-
tical. Tho flno nrtB flourish here beyond what
is soon IN my other city Of Italy or Europe.
Thoro aro five times az many painters Of pictures
l1oro Us In Rome, and nearly, II not fully, AZ
nany worl<oss in marble. Florenco nbounds
In artists. They como here from all coun-
tries to study nrt,-oven from China and
Japan. Go through my Of the groat galleries.
nnd you will encounter swarmB Of artists en-
gagged iu making copies from tho originals Of
Tho old and modern masters; while in hundreds
Of studios artists ore working on designs
Of thoir own, or making portraits for
strangers and citizons. The city also
RbounaB In sculptors employed in creating
BtatuarT Of every form, Bizo. and design, though,
in this respect, Romo still holds the first place.
Nost to Rono'e, Tho Florontine gallories con-
tain tho largest collection OF uncient statuary
to be found Ill 1taly; but most Of tho pieces
were brought hithor, including tho sevonteen
statues Of tho tar-famed ancient group Of
wEEr1Na MODE,
with hor seven sons and seven daughters, and
two pedagoguoe, slain by Apollo. It is worry re-
mnrknbo TINT tho Vatican poople permitted theso
celebrated btatuea, found among somo OF tho
ruins OF that city 800 yoara ago, to be removed
thence. There ia nothing in the Vatican collection
moro striking attractive to the oyo Of tue artist
or vfaior. Tisey constitute tho chief glory Of tho
Florentne collection Of ancient Htatunry. They
nre beloved to bo moro than twenty-five
centuries old. They onee adorned Crook ten,-
pie, but wore carried off to Romo to embollish
tho pnlaco Of al Emperor.
Florence is also noted for its public libraries,
Tor its museums Of ancient and modern curiosi-
ties Of att, for Its humorous nud extensive book
publishing establishments, for its many Well-
patronized bookstores, for its spirited and radi-
cal preHB and ably-conductod newspapers. It Ia
fairly entitled to DO ranked Rs
TIE INTELLECTUAL oENrnE OF 1rALr,-
as much 60 aa Boston Ia OF America. The old
characteristics Of the TusoanB voro literary mud
artistic, and the Same tastes still prevail. There
than elsewhere in tho Kingdom. From the
Forontiuo pen has flowed aome Of tho
nobleat poetry, from tho Florentino chisol
a asd o ss forsao ff taS n1st psp i'ass so5
s2 of tho granaest paintings, in Europe. Tho
estl,etic, idesstic, aud poetical, in taste aud
temperament. Speaking Language full OF mol-
uuuer r. bright, clear Hky, in 4 climate not warm
enough to cnervato tho faculties nor severs
enough to chill the imagination, he could scarce
" avoid poshouaing and cultivating loyo for
hug nnd sculpture hold relatively aa prominent
q place III q
1IERE BUSINESS OR INDUSTRIAL
point Of viow Ill Florence ns corn aud pork do
iu Chicago or iron and glaaB in Pittsburgh.
You meet those branches OF business 1T every
turn in every street, The shops aro full Of thcn.
They aro in everybody'a mind, and furnish, d.
r1ectiy or indirectly, tho creator part Of every
aud illl oil tho hotels to nee them, aud leave
millions behind in tho purchase of them. It is
ourioua to be in large, city apparently given
over to tho display, creation, and venaing Of pic
turea and BtHtulry
Among Italian cities Florence is ono Of tho
most modern. II docs not date back to tho Pc
riod Of tho Roman Empire, aud haH no history
worth rotating beyond tho time OF tho warH Of
eleventh century. Tho first great man 1t pro-
duced was the Shakespeare Of Italy
DANTE,
born here In 1866 tho author Of the "Divine
Comedy" and who is roaiiy the founder Of the
hlars Of the Peninsula had to give why before
the atyle Of Italian in which llo composed the
divine Co1nody," Just as all oshor STYLES Of
by Shakespeare i'll his plays; It was enough for
any town to have produced DANTE but Fioronee
was not exhausted thereby. Doccaocio, the
frat oxpouuder OF Dante. mud celebrated tor his
ohaucors = Canterbury Tales" also Iived III
Florouoe. HIachiavelli, Gaiioo, and many other
eminent men Of lottcrs, were also nativoH Of the
city. In architects, Fioronce produced Arnolfo
0rcangua, aud Bsunellisco as early as tho thir-
teensh century, who designed aud built the vast
Cathedral and tho Tower tho utter is still un-
surpassed in Italy, and the former only by St.
Ieter'a III Romo and the Cathedral IN Alilan.
Aud 1t is q curious fact TINT the plan Of st.
Potter, including tho dome and tho Greek-orosB-
form, wero copied from tho Florence Cathedral,
eractcl two centulioH before. Florence nso
produced tho great artist
M1oMAEL ANGELO,
who surpassed all AiH Italian predecessors and
laA ha1n Ht1rDaAHe1 bv rona a;nao hio }i.ua T1or.
enco also gayo brit to his great rival, Leonar-
do da Finci, whose paintings rink high ~
masterpieces -, of art. 1lcro too, Bartolomeo,
Dolei, mado their tame as painters, and filled
tho ga!lorioB OF Florence hnd Rome with their
magnificent conceptions.
But tho wonderful progroeB IN art and letters
made in Floronce il largely duo to tho efforts OF
THE MEp1c1 FAMILY.
They began as woalthy merchants; but, by
means OF money, talont, and ambition, developed
Into plincely dynasty, md rulod over Tuscany
from about 4. i. 1870 to A. .. 1887, when tLo
branch Of the Bourbons upon the Tuscan
}hrone. .......
From tho worry first, the Modici family signal
Izea themselves by devotion to painting, poetry,
expended tho revenues, Of the State in the
development Of art, lett0rs, and science. lie
founded great library and academy Of learning,
and died in l4G0, beariug tho title Of pateE Fntro.
AA'n u Aa@ooA 41oASHAn nun GAHGA tA0 A4AHn4-
cont" mud Us poat statesman, aud patron OF
srt md scienoo, obtained coIohrity. all over
Europe. The friendship OF this little dynasty
shown toartistR attracted from all countries tho
a6lost paintora, wlo illlod the galleries Of
Florence with spocluons OF their skill and
these pictnres tn great part niil roman III pos-
session OF tho city for tho admiration Of visitors.
1t waa hero tho renaissance Of painting, Boulp-
turo. poetry, literature, and oloquenco found ita
most liyoly centra nnd made ita most rapid de-
Y1lOpuleht, und0r tho protection md PATRONAGE
Of tito MoAioi family. hut, when tic great r.
ligious Reformation broke out In Germany at tho
BRmo time, mud Hpread into Italy, 1t Was this
1lolici family vino llnd tho ,chaf ha1,tl in
HUpFlEssINu AND ExTEnl1NAy1No IT.
not only in Italy, but Oh tho other aldo OF the
Alps, by tho popas which thoy gayo to tho Chair
OF ST. Petor and tho Queans they Bont to Fruueo:
Thousands who lad ospounod tic rroteatant
faith III Italy subjected to the rack aud tho
Ak, aud lost their hoaue upon refunai to return
to tho ''Atotllor Church," This bloody perseu,,.
ton continued rolontlessly under the or
ders aud by tho direction Of the MedtcI