The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-23
European Correspondence Of the Bulletin


Deor R,,vet;o-After having seen SO many
churches, we begin to grow little critical IN
the matter of such things, and therefore my
friends and I have agreed that we do not
a,toyetber like the Cathedral at Florence. 1t
is certainly a very large building and very
;mnosino one, but somehow it fails to please
ma Nc we'll as we had hoped a building OF It's
celebrity would do, and therefore we are
willing to incur the censure OF all church
worshiping travellers by the open declaration
that we are not of their opinion as regards the
special marvel of architecture.
Il ia covered all over the outside with an
armor- plate of different colored marbles 'ne
thickness and resistance to penetration VI
which is not given, and it has dome That
Of itst If is higher and larger than that OF 81
Peters: but withal the Cathedral appears 70
be wanting in some essential element Oh
beauty. The fantastic mosaic Work
had almost said patchwork or coun-
counterpane work-of its interior is lauoed
n tha skies as being something IN
common in the way Of decorative art, but
an not prepared to admit that it Is uncom-
monlv beautiful Close at hand stands the
great Cam panile, massive square tower TWO
hundred and ninety three feet in height,
which is similarly decorated, and in this IN
stance the variegated display Of colors exhlb-
tied by the fiue panel work of the walls has an
extremely fine effect, and this tower is justly
ranked as one Of the most admirable struc-
lures of its kind in existence.
But what is becoming to an isolated bell
tower is not necessarily becoming to an I'M
mense cathedral, and for my part fail to re-
cognize the beauty of the "artistic layer OF
colored marble that encloses the walls OF the
Dnomo at Florence. Then the inside of the
place is like great hollow sepulchre, and one
feels that even the fantastic decorations OF
BYZANTINE Venice would be preferable to this
drearv Darkness. On the whole I am not
favorsbly impressed with this Cathedral, and
as it is known to be q great work, must at
attribute my want of appreciation OF Its
merits to my own barbarian tastes Close at
hand is the B,ptistory, with its world
renowned bronzs doors, one pair OF which
Michael Angelo declared worthy to be the
gates of Paradise.
OF course we studied these doors with
great attention, though fancy not as much on
nv part as had bestowed upon the bronzed
plaster fac smile of the same which l saw at
the Crystal Palace in London, before my eyes
had grown used to wonders. How wish
could have been turned loose into Italy then,
with all my untiring enthusiasm for sight
seeing in its fercest vigor must confess to
nv own shame that I had to inquire in
Florence what these various baptistories were
used for, and l learned that they are devoted
exclusively to ceremonies Of baptism. which,
for some reason which may be known to the
gentle reader, if Catholic, are not performed
in the cathedrals in Italy.
We went to see various other churches,
some by night, others by day; some from the
inside, others only from the outside, and find
ourselves immensely edited by having done
80; but it would never do to visit Florence
without going to see some dozen or more OF
her churches We were really interested in
the church of Santa Croce, where the tombs Of
Gallleo, Michael Angelo, Alfieri. Macchiavelli
and Dante (the latter empty,) are to be seen,
besides which the building itself IS one of I'M
usual architectural excellence, being styled
the pantheon Of Modern Italy"
We have also hunted up the house of
Dante, which we had lot of trouble to find,
owing to the confusing nomenclature Of the
streets in that old portion OF the city, and
when we did find it, we only got peep at it,
as it is undergoing repairs and consequently
all boarded up in front. Robinson. who was
out of patience with being disappointed after
the bother we had had to find the place, said
maliciously, that he supposed the original
house had fallen down, and that they were
building Dante a new one. We have also
made point Of studying the Piazza della
Signoria, the central point of traffic in Flor
euce, and the former situation of Michael
Angeles great statue of David, now removed
to the Piazza Michele Angelo, in the suburbs
There is a notable fountain at one side OF
this square, surmounted by colossal
Neptune in MARBLE the upper portion of
whose body is tremendously out of proportion
to the lower limbs, being much too heavy.
Not far off is Hercules of the same style and
size, of which the sarcastic Florentines have
remarked that its figure, all knotted with
exaggerated muscles, resembles sack OF
melons. 1t is a little remarkable that city
which the repu .ation Florence has for being
the very paradise Of art, and the home Of the
worlds most favored sculptors, should be
content to have two such figures adorn the
chief square within her walls,
On the portico of large building on the
river side Of the square, "Logg.a del Lanzi,"
by name, are some fine groups of statusry,
one of which is the famous and much copied
aRape Of the Sadness" by Giovanni da Bo-
logna, which we thought particularly fine.
Therefore, it must be so, as We are now art
cr;tics If some weeks experience and of