Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-02-03
Venice.
October, 10, 1874.

E0ttOT AepUONcGn:
We are in Venice, the queen ofthe ocean,
once the ruler of the sea, rich and power
full as none of her commercial rivals gay
with proud noblemen in gold and purple,
| respondent with treasures Of art, now,
alas ! but shadow of her former self, with
little or no commerce, almost only sup
ported by visitors from all parts Of the
globe, drawn hither to admire what was
once the wonder of the world and to be-
hold what was once famous in history.
But for ali her departed glory, Venice
of to-day is well worth visi ting, and no
visit to Europe can be called somplete with
out at least glimpse Of this remarkable
city, built in the Adriatic, where the
thoroughtates are the sea itself, and where
| horses aud carriages are unknown. What
a strange stiffness in the air! only as the
gondolas approach each other do we hear
| the ripple of the wafer from the even
strokes of the oar, occas ionally interrupted
! by the peculiar signal OF the gondolier,
as we are about to turn a corAe!, TO warn
any godolas approaching us from the 9th err
! side
J
not as the reader may perhaps ina CINE,
scatterd promiscuously about, each with ii
! few houses, divided or approaches from
the sea by gardens, but most of them clust-
cred thickly together, the houses rising up
abruptly from the water, one close to the
other, to be reached only from the water,
by means Of a few steps at the principal
! door Of all the canals the Grand Canal
| l., 81 3 ,
inverted Roman and very broad, with
the smaller canals branching out from it
intersecting each other There are streets
in Venice, but such streets! by stretching
out the arms one can easily reach the
houses on bo:h sides! narrow bridges across
the canals connect the streets, that Of
course are dark AMI dull but tor all that
neat and clean.
We reach Venice on Saturday afternoon
embark mmediately in one OF the uumer-
Gus gondolas at the foot Of the stars OF he
depot, and arc swiftly, but no selessly car
ried TO our hotel The nearest way is
through some of he small canals, just about
wide enough to allow three or four Condo
| las 10 pass breast OF each other. With
a remarkable dexterity the gondoliers un-
| derstand TO push ahead without running
against the gondoas meeting US. The
gondoas are long narrow boats, pointed
at both ends entirely black, inside and out:
and therefore rather somore looking; but
this is according to law The seats are
nicely cushioned, the bottoms carpeted,
ahd the gon 1olers generally clean and
tidy looking; the gondoias are sometimes
| provided with a cabin, or rather a top,
like the top of carriage, set in she middle
with windows, curtains and doors They
are generally manned by two gondoliers,
one in each end, sometimes only by one,
who then stands aft and guides and pushes
ahead at the same time Our hotel is an
old palace, for every other building on the
Grand Canal is palace built and in form
er times inhabited by rich noblemen, who
were the prize and glory OF Venice; but
they arr gone, and their stately pal aces
built in peculiar style, or rather mixture
of styles, richly adorned inside with paint.
ings and mossics, are now the reslden ces
of pebeaus, whose ancestors were proba-
bly, but the slaves of the old inhabitants,
or else are used as public buildings, post
office, city ball, &c.
After dinner, when the sun is down, and
the moon, nearly full, shines gloriously
above US, We enjoy our after dinner cigar
the gondola. Smoothly the boat gides
| over the water, almost impereeptible IS the
movement, while the gondolier sings soft
melody of bis sunny Italy This is enjoy
mentl Whai life one csuld spend here
in Venice, rocked on the smooth waters,
| far from care and dreaming of the old glory
Of the city. We land at the San Marco
place, in front of the Old palace of the
Doges, and attracted by the m usc ard sing
| ing we find our way to one of the cafes,
where IN the open air the wealth and the
poverty of Venice, ladies, gentlemen and
children breathe the balmy evening air and
! sip their wine or coffee.
The next day is spent in sight seeing;
! for francs, equal to about one dollar In
currency, a gondola is hired for the whole
day, and the gondolier for an extra gratuity
serves as guide, whenever we stop TO enter
churches or visit other places OF inter est.
The palace Of the Doges is the place OF he
greatest attration, the scene Of much pomp
and splendour of olden times, but also OF
much suffering now merely a place Of
curiosity to be exhibited to travellers and
strangers. A week quite pro6ta lie can bespent
in exploring this immense building, in ad-
mring the treasures Of art, in viewing the
magnlncent halls and rooms, one OF more
splendour, of greater historical in terest
than the other. Here are the council cham
bers, the Senate room, the hall Of justice,
the chamber Of the inquisition, the audience
and reception rooms, the private dwelling
rooms OF the Doges, and many Others, each
used for some special purpose. In the great
reception room is seen the largest oil paint
ing IN the world, the production of some
Venetian master of old, representing the
last day of judgment The picture takes
up one side of the room completely, and
the other are embellshed by other master
pieces, while above running around the
whole OF the room, Immediately under the
heavy gilded and trescoed ceiling, are the
portraits of all the doges, with the exception
OF one, the place for which is covered with
black cloth. This doge, whose portrait is
thus omitted, attempt ted to betray his
country and city, was imprisoned and be
headed. The most interesting, though far
from the most magnificent of the rooms, is
the room OF council Of Three, who possessed
the most despotic power and by whom
many people, innocent as we'll guilty, !