The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-05-16
Letter from DIR. C. II. Curr,er.

foreground railroad to this city. for.
road that is only one hundred and for
miles IN length, and yet boasts of eight
tunnels in its route, several of thet
requiring seven mintes in transit, surel
deserves TO be called "underoround.
A little after sunset, somewhere nea
o'clock, we approached Pisa, and ID
frst object we sighted on its outskirt.
was its famous Campinilc or leanin
tower, standing out in bold relic
against the glowing colors of a sunse
SKY, its obliquity well defined, and a
familiar to our eyes rs if we had alway
lived near its shadow.
1t is wonderful how often in travel
ing through Europe, new places an,
oolects seem strangely familiar to ne
nall as If we were not seeing them fo
the first time.
Pisais o. comforting sort of place /,
the stranger, especially if be be a,
American to whom fondness for orde
and regularity seems to be natural, ant
whose sensibility in that direction +
sometimes sadly shocked In his sight
seeing among the old cities of Italy, fol
thougii 1t is very ancient city, it il
remarkably clean and well-regulated
Ii lies on both sides of the river Arno
which runs through the whole length OF
the town, aad is connected by three
beautiful marble bridges, which are
most artistic in design and substantially '
onilt, one of which am told has oil
ready stood for centuries, and is one Of
the most noble bridges in Europe, and
1t would greatly please me to find on
my return, bridge approximating to
TO them in beauty and strength of con-
struction, spanning the lovely Otter
Creek which runs through dear old
Middlebury. - '~
But the first object of interest to the
stranger who visits Pisa, is most natu-
rally the leaning tower. A short walk
up the "Long Arno," the principal
street, as far as the bridge called Ponte
oolierenlo, brings you to a wide street
with an unpronounceable name, at the
end OF which opens large square. in
which, within short distance of each
other, are four of the most interesting
edlfices in Northern Italy.
The first and most familiar TO our
eyes is the Campinile, q round clock
tower one hundred and eighty feet in
height, which inclines from base to top
some fifteen feet from the perpendicu-
lar. 1t is built in eight stories; each
section is adorned with columns and
colonnades, and the effect is very light
ana powerful. Is has been standing
through six centuries in this leaning
position, and yet standing under its
leaning side to-day, one has an instinct
I've feeling of insecurity, as if it were in
danger OF falling over. The supposi-
ton is that the architect intended the
structure to be perfectly upright, but
the foundation settling to one side after
1t was partially built, the upper part
was purposely made vertical. You can
ascend to the top by an easy old STAIR
case, pretty well worn, however, by the
tread of innumerable feet, but one can
hardly reprcss sensation of terror, as
leaning over the balustrade, he catches
= glimpse of the base far below and be-
nina him. There are seven immensely
heavy bells at the very top, one alone
Of which weighs seven tons.
Perhaps the priority of mention
among the notable buildins of Pisa,
should have belonged to the cathedral
oy reason of its sacred character, b ut
he leaning tower, being the original OF
very familiar shadow, slipped into my
narrative quite as a matter of course, |
,yershadowing its grand old neighbor.
lhe cathedral is q most magnificent
structure of the tenth century, made in |
'hape OF Latin cross, in white marble. |
m common with all the great old !
churches OF Italy, it has a beautiful |
lone, but its chief claim to admiration |
s in its wonderful facade, adorned with |
light open columns and arches and love-
y statues, though the glory of it all is |
'entered i'll the three great bronze doors
Which are approached by beautiful |
vide platform and steps of white mar |
de. The doors which are immense, |
ire most exquisitely arranged in small |
ections, ornamented with scriptural /
iesigns. The center door is especially |
dedicated to the record of the life of the |
|irgin. The name of Giovanni de Bo-
ogna will be remembered as long as |
hose wonderful doors exist as speci-
mems of his skill.
The interior of the cathedral is no |
ess beautiful than the exterior, and de- |
erves more than the slight mention |
which impose upon my readers. 1t is
lpheld by sixty-eight Roman and Gre
ian columns of purest marble and ala
,aster, captured by the Pisans centur-
es ago when the artistic precedence OF |
tally was centred in Pisa. There are |
welve large altars designed by Michael |
Angelo, and the exquisite paintings and |
tatue and mosaics, which are among |
Is manifold beauties, are much too in |
eresting in detail to be submitted to |
nytfeeble recapitulaion, for my pow
RS of delineation are far inferior to my |
pleasure in recalling them. There is an |
bronze lamp hanging in the |
lave of the church, by which Calico is |
aid to have studied out his idea of the |
A stones throw from this magnifi- |
ent cathedral stands the baptistry also |
'rected in the tenth century. 1t is a |
beautiful circular building, and with its
lone, is entirely of " hite marble. 1t |
$ dedicated TO baptisms, and is one OF |
he most beautiful among the beautiful |
in the "PiazZo de Duomo." |
n the center of the interior is marble |
ont OF exquisite Workmanship, and al |
me side, raised on a low platform, is q |
pulpit i'll the form of a hexagon, sculp- |
ured with scenes from the life of our |
most wonderfully executed. |
N the corners and sides are more spec |
mems OF the same inlaid work seen on |
he font, made entirely by Nicolo Pi- |
'anto, Pisan sculptor of the thirteenth |
century, whose name is world-re- |
lowned by reason of the marvellous l
works left behind him as monument |
o his beautiful conceptions. The vault |
I'd dome of the interior of the bsptistry |
rave a mvst beautiful echo to the we'll |
rained voice OF musical visitor whom |
met there. One day, as his voice rang
'ut in musical cadences, echo gave the |
notes as if from a choir OF |
human voices.
There is yet the "Campo Santa" or
ioly ground, as the Italians beautifully |
erm their cemeteries, TO which must /
give brief mention. Six hundred years
'go certain archbishop had fifty ship
Dads of earth from Jerusalem, con-
Keyed TO this burial place in order that
he "iaithful" might repose in holy |