The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-07-16
MILAN. ITALY.
Interesting Description es sts Marvelou
Cathedral.


Interesting Description CT its marveiou.
Cathedral.
The central object of attraction to ali
visi;s.,s:, i, .ssl-- = t1,s F-veat Gothic q.
thedral, situated In the MIDST OF a large
/ public square in the heart of the city,
/ and from which streets radiate in overy
| direction. It is the third church oceu.
| pying the same spot. Attila burnt the
one built in the time of Eusebius.
Frederick "a Barbarossa destroyed that
erected IN the eighth century. The
first stone of the present mighty and
magnificent structure was laid in 1887.
It took hundred years work TO render
it Sufficiently complete for public wor-
ship, but it ia not finished yet. For
nearly five centuries the task of con-
struction and adornment have gone on.
Twenty-Five millions of dollars have
already been expended upon it. Napo-
leon spent 81, ,000, 900 in inserting
three Gothic windows in the facade,
and in adding'tO the pinnacles, and fly
ing buttresses." The exterior of the
Milan cathedral is far superior to that
of st. Peters at Rome but the styles
of architecture are SO widely different
that they cannot we'll be compared in
any respect. Their respective merits
can only be judged by the effect or i'm
preston which each leaves on the mind.
By this test one will remember the out
side appearance of the Milan cathedral
more Vividly and reeoIlect more clearly
in after years than that of the mighty
Basiica of Romts Bnt the interior of
st. Peters so far surpasses that of the
cathedral, or any other existing struct-
ure reared by human hands, that only a
contrast with any OF them can remain
on the mind.
The Milan cathedral is constructed of
marble throughout, TO which time gives
a fine, warm yellow tint. The principal
Dimensions of the building are as fol-
lows Length, nearly 500 feet /;
breadth, 2SS feet /; height TO the crown
of the vaulting in the nave. from the
pavement, 153 feet height of the inte-
rior walls, 10 feet ditto to the top OF
the statue of the gilt Madonna which
crowns the spire, $50 feet. The visitor
can ascend to balcony or observatory
under the statue, to an altitude of 29S
feet, where there is grand view over
the beautiful city and emerald plata for
an immense distance, with the Alps for
background. One popularity Of this
cathedral is the multitude of pinnaclss
which the structure supports. They
Z
BILE the masts of ships. Poised on top
of each is a marble statue Of some saint,
looking, from the street below, smaller
than an infant. There are 100 of those
minarets or pinnacles, each about T5
| feet in height, When one ascends tC
the vast marble roof, he feels as if be
were in the midst of forest of marble,
peopied with gods and goddesses. -Four
of the statues are by the great Canova,
and scores of the Others are by the most
skillful sculptors of Europe. Another
peculiarity of this structure is the mul-
ttude of inches, turrets, and pinnacles,
recurring statues and DuSts. It Is cal
euiated that the outside alone will re-
ouire 4. 500 statues to ''people" il, OF
which 8, 500 are In their places. It will
need an equal population of marble
men to fill up the n ches of the inside.
Hundreds of sculptors and carvers are
constantly employed producing this
kind of inhabitants.
The cathedral is in cruciform shape,
with double aisles, and q transept flank
ed with aisles. The roof is supported
by fifty-twO pillars, IN four rows Of thir-
teen each. twelve feet in diameter. A
group of these enormous towers rather
than pillars support the great oetagonal
dome and spire. which reaEs its head 22l
feet above the roof. One can never for
get the vast vault of this cathedral as
he stands among those giant marble
columns and gazes upward, in that "dim,
religious light" to an altitude that
seems almost as far as the clouds, and
there beholds, in the canopied inches, 9
multitude of statues, which an easy
stretch of the imagination may convert
into bands of white-robed angels, JUS
alighted from heaven to dedicate this
maiestic temple TO the worship Of tbs
/ Almighty.