The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-27
The Artists Paradise, but the
Farmers Inferno.
Early and Modern Projects for Its
Improvement.
WILL GARIBALDI SUCCEED e?


TURE
ROME, March 5, 1876.
very paradise Is the Roman Campagna, accord
ing to the description by artists. A very hell upon
earth; dreary, embarrassing, unhealthy waste
according to the views OF the agrculturist Is the
land OF which we are going to speak. To this
artists paradise and agrculturlst's hell the atten-
ton OF the world is for the moment directed be-
cause its Improvement by means of draining and
irrigation, is one OF the plans which Garlbald has
recently submitted to the world. The Campagna
as generally understood, extends on all sides
around Rome, including portions OF ancient La
tIum and Esruria and measures some half a mil
lion OF acres. Some OF the portions further re-.
moved from Rome and along the skirts OF the noun
tains are pretty well cultivated; there are towns
and villages and the entire Campagna has popu-
iation OF 100000 souls. But the portion to which
we shall call attention is the district mmedias ely
surrounding Rome, about $4,000 acres in extent
from the mountains along the course OF the Tber
to the sea, which Ia virtually uninhabited, II we
except the immediate vicinity OF Rome This
dreary portion OF the Campagna is more properly
designated the AgrO Romano-'agron being a
Laitnism signiiying the district Immediately sur
rounding city. or the 100000 acres OF the Agro
Romano perhaps 10000 are covered with vine.
yards Villas &c. The rest is pasturage and fields
The whole extent, however, il unhealthy and, so
to say, depopulated. Moritz Jokad the Hungarian
novelist, describes in q remarkable manner In one
OF his shorter stories the conflict OF pestentla
swamp with the surrounding culture: now the
swamp dragon stretched out arm after arm and
finally succeeded in becoming master OF the entire
district, which had been desolated by war; and
man was no longer there to assist culture in pre-
venting It's encrOaches.
THE LEGEND OF THE DRAGON.
In haln
breeding swamps are very tittingly described as
dragons. l have been frequently interested in
reading, while IN Germany, long and somewha
sensational ancient accounts OF the ravages com.
United by certain dragon which once dwclt In a
long low valley near Lake Starnberg, IN Bavaria;
how me pestllential breath from his nostrls
poisoned the air for miles around, and how at last
the norrid monster was finally overcome by some
youthful Bavarlan SiegJried or So. George In
Munich we can see the site or well wherein the
legends tell US once lay great pestentlal-Oreathed
monster OF dragon who caused plague In the
city whereby thousands Of lives were lost. until
finally, again, the monster was conquered by "a
valiant young fellow-a cooper's journeyman we
are made to believe-and then tile ravages OF the
disease abatcd These apparently ridiculous
Old legends contain however the truth.
The former legendary dragon OF the
valley was simply an immense stagnaHt
swamp, where the pestence was bred, and the
latter monster in the wen was impure water that
the people were IN the habit OF drinking, imbiblng
with it, OF course, the germs OF pestilential
disease. Ii the Roman Campagna had been situ-
ated anywhere in Germany we should have had
scores OF medieval legends about monsters ana
dragons lurking in its valleys and morasses and
breathing out pestience upon mankind as a pun
ishmen. sent from Goa. But the Campagna has
m
In place OF the medieval German monster we have
simply the vast
PBSTILENCE BREEDING swAMPS,
that poison the air for miles AROUND, and we have
no Siegr!ed or st. George as yet to grapple with
them, unless Garlbaldi shall! add one more legend
airy attribute to his fame.
POLITICAL AND PRACTICAL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE
CAMPAGNA.
Permit me 10 give you some descriptions Of the
Campagna, first seen through the glow OF an ar
lists glass and then as rejected in the mind OF
very practical and common sense Italian writer.
Artists, we know, can see beauty where
other people see nothing at all. |
remember walking with two talented young
American artists In Munlca, who suddenly stopped
Still and fell into ecstasles at ray OF sunlight
falling upon the yellow wall of a dnapidated pig
sty The effect OF the light and shade was TO
them indescribably beautiful, but l. q matter.of-
fact, everyday sort OF q beng, could Eot for the
lie OF me see more than very ordinary piepen.
Artists are apt to eXagqerate and to lead us
as,ray by their descriptions, and they have en-
aggerated the beauty ana solemnity and grandeur
Of the Campagna taken in its entirety True, 1t is
IN spring time exceedingly beautiful, as are the
prairiss, because 1T is covered with fresh grass
and myriads OF beautiful nowers ana the ira
GRANGE OF the roses bures the efiuvla OF the
swamps. This Is
AN ARTISTS DESCRIPTION OF THE CANPAGNA.
1--WE look over the Campagna, still solitary
feld OF RUNS and OF graves, close before the gates
OF the Eternal City. Aud yet scene 80 deeply
moving, so grand, 50 solemn, With here and there
beautiful remains o. antique structures; then
picturesque reed huts, pyramidicaly built in the
form OF old grave tuEu and as stafage the shop
herd in his woody sheepskin. with his long stan
upon his shoulders; the nerdsman, with pointed
hat and leathern CATERS, seated on his swift
steed, vita his lance hung over MS saddle, the
fntlock sung over his back; then the blue noun
tains around, and the wonderful play OF coler that
spreads over the volcanic. undulating ground;'
the gold-brown hue OF the moory steppe, covered
with bush and grass, here and there dark pine
. cypress or an olive tree; destroyed villas OF the
Imperial era, ruined monuments OF the dead
solitary medieval castles, quiet andhouscs,
silver gray cattle, with great curving horns the
thick white coated watch dogs, herds OF sheep
and goats.u The other extreme Is taken by
writer's OF peculiar religious disposition,
exc!aim, 'See, Is not the Campagna nt:ing
frame for the picture OF Rome and the vatican"
Rome Is beautifully situated nevertheless, not
Wthstanding the fact OF the Pope residing therein.
rRosAIC DESCRIPTION OF THE cAaPAGNA.
But what is the true picture OF the Agro Romano?
1t is NOT paradise; IL Is not exactly he'll; but
II Is a purgaLory, a temporary punishment, as 1t
were, Tor the sins OF man. Human negligence,
even human warfare against nature, have made
the Cainpagna the desert that IL now Is The Agro
Romano was not always vast desert, It was
made sucA 10y the Romans under the imperial era
and by the oarbarians VINO conquered ancient
Rome, wno destroyed the aqucducts and the for
ests on the mountains; and their successors have
only continued In slower and equally fatal man
ner the sins committed centuries ago. The