The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-04-06
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If the human and outward life of Ma
pies is interesting from its variety ant
color, the things which are to be seer
there and the places to visit-the treas
ures of art and the beauties of nature
are beyond the power of words to rende
in anything like their perfection of glory
and grandeur. The museum alone would
justify whole volume of eulogies; aud
after all had been said, what would ther,
not remain of subtle and untranslatabl,
beauty in that exquisite fragment of the
Psyche-surely the very ideal of budding
maidenhOod-in the Venus of Capua anC
the Farnese Flora; in the majestic fgur,
of Eseffnes and the playful fancies oi
the Nereid on her sea-horse and the CupiC
diving with the dolphin; in that pathetic
table of four small fgures-the wounded
Gaul Something like the dying Gladiator
in Rome, the dying Amazon, the dead
Persian, and the dead Titan-taken from
the votive offerings on the Atheniau
Acropolis which were the present of Alta
lus? That museum of Naples place
to be visited lovingly and often-is a sub
ject to be avoided by all writers who un-
derstand the futility of language and the
unelasticity of space. But we're nothing
else to be seen hereabouts, it would be
worth the whole journey from England to
this beautiful bay-"a fragment of heaven
to earth vouehsafed d"-simply to study
such masterpieces as the old workers in
bronze and marble have left us aud which
it possesses. But add to this such view
as that from San Martino, from Camaldoli,
from the Chiara itself; and the quaint
things to be found in the churches, and
even the oddity of the superstitions; and
the excursions to be made to the country
lying around-and one can understand
how the old saying came to be taken seri-
ously, and " Fedi Ndpoi poi nlori'' was
a recognized confession of unapproachable
superiority.
Take that little excursion to Camaldoli
alone-what charming afternoon it gives
one Those who ike can hire donkeys
for the four miles which lie between the
stopping places of the carriages and the
monastery; but those who can walk there
and back had better do so, if they care for
the sweet wild flowers that grow in profu-
sion along the banks and in the wood,
and also to make little side dashes for
beautiful peeps where even a mules sure
feet would scarcely carry him. There is
plenty of time for resting in the gardens
of the monastery when you get there.
An old monk-one of the four survivors
of the once fourishing establishment, who
are suffered to finish their lives as they
have begun, but without successors-who
will come to you in his white woollen robe
as you sit on the marble bench that looks
across the bay to Ischia and Procida, and
point out the objects of historic interest in
the bay.
Such a view as this can scarcely be
seen in the whole world, and there are diff
ferent versions of it from different points,
but all beautiful. One other version is
from the windows of the Carthusian mon
astery of St. Martino, just below the castle
of st. Elmo, whence the town is seen
spread out like gigantic map below you
the fat roofs where the women lounge
or work, gossip or stare, and the glittering
gold and yellow and blue tiled cupolas Of
the churches giving it IA curious Oriental
look. The museum of the convent is we'll
worth seeing, and there are grand old pic
lures and wood carvings and mosaics in
the churches, chapels, etc. Some roses of
Egyptian granite are especially commend
able in the way of carved marble, and the
mosaic pavement and the high altar are
payment sufficient for the trouble of the
drive, if it has been a trouble.
Of the churches however-those 300
churches-the most notable are the cathe-
drals, Santa Chiara and Santa Maria del
Carmine. In Santa Clara, which is won
derfully rich and elaborated, but the re-
verse of beautiful, are some fine Gothic
monuments; that of Robert the Wise Cd.
1343) and executed by Masculo ii, is a
masterpiece. But it is set behind the
high altar, so that you can only see it by
climbing up rickety little stair, with a
slender handrail, not suited to the grasp of
stout, short sighted or nervous women.
W hen you get on to the platform behind
the altar and can examine the details of
the work, it is a fine thing to see; and
like all the rest pays for the trouble of
seeing it. Else the coarse traces of Gid
ing, and the sprawling boys holding up
medallions, holy water, shells and various
things after the manner of those in St
Peters, at Rome, are not in the most re-
fined state. The Cathedral or Duomo of
fArcivescovado, as it is called, with its
lofty towers and pointed arches, is rich in
fine pictures and historic monuments. At
Santa Maria del Carmine we have the fine
statue of poor young Conradin, the last of
the Hohenstaulen, made by Schopf, of
Munich, after design by Thorwaldsen,
and placed there in 1917 by Maximilian
Ii, of Bavaria, when Crown Prince. The
tomb was originally behind the high altar,
but now what little dust remains of the
unfortunate youth lies beneath the statue.
II is said by some, and denied by others,
that Masaniello is buried in this church;
at all events, in the Largo del Mercato
close by, the largest of the three fountains
is called Fontana di Masaniello, to com
memorate the rebellion of 1647, and it
was on this spot that Conradin was exc
cuted. These are but few of the at
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