The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-01-09
OUR EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENCE
NORTHERN ITALY.

the beautiful northern Italy, we can
but instinctively shrink from the at
tempt To crowd into one letter what
would receive poor treatment in half
dozen.
Verona is attractive to the traveller
for two things, the amphitheater and
the swindle known as Juliers tomb.
Next 10 the Coliseum at Rome, the We
roma Amphitheater is the grandest work
of the ancient Romans which has come
down to US. But little inferior in size
TO the Coliseum, it is so remarkably
well preserved that in its vast rows OF
seats which rise one above another
hardly stone is missing, and it could
seat its audience Of fifty thousand peo-
ple as comfortably now as in the un-
known time, more than two thousand
years ago, when it was built. II the
arena was excavated to its former level
and the dungeons and dens cleared out,
the Roman prefect might again take
his place Of honor, the Roman audience
again crowd in upon the stone seats, and
even the gladiators and wild beasts
spring from the underground passages
into the arena rs in former times.
There is perhaps nothing in the Eng
lish language so attractive to lovers as
Shakespeare's "RomeO and Juliet" and
this is probably the reason why travel
ers who stop at Verona, almost without
an exception, 20 through a large garden
to an ordinary house, and in the wood
she'd adjoining, gaze in admiration on a
large stone horse-trough, which, with.
out the slightest foundation in fact, i:
called the tomb of Juliet Nothing car
be less romantic, and after one fair view
ofthesupposed wonder, il begins to dawn
upon us that the whole thing il one q
those numerous devices which are st
com mon to get money out Of the uniu'
itated traveller. IL does not require &
vivid Imagination TO realize that III,
officious attendant who is jingling ou
money in his pocket, is laughing at u
as a party Of uinneys while he smile
80 blandly upon Us as We quickly tax,
our departure.
There is probably uo city in ItalI
which is, on the whole, so pleasing Il
travellers and in which so many cul
tured foreigners live, as Florence BE
sides heing a city Of palaces, and beauti
ful drives, il is the birthplace and hom
Of art. Her many beautiful churches
her numerous aud rich galleries Of art
and her hundreds Of studios and artists
make her IA favorite home Of literar.
and cultured people. Florence has bee
the birthplace or home Of many dis
tinguished men, and their homes ar
yet pointed out TO the traveller. Anon
these may be menti ned Michael An
gelo, Dante, Galileo, Ghiberti, Machia
will, aud Amerigo Nespucei, from WHOM
America took its name. In the Engls
cemetery lie the remainsof Mrs. Brown
. ing, Walter Savage Landor. Theodor
Parker, and many English and Ameri
cans whose names are not 50 widel
known.
/ Every one can remember the pictur
Of the leaning tower of Pisa, whic
used to be in all the Biographies, and
can well remember that l thought ther
was something supernatural about
that kept it in this position right in tn
face Of natures laws, and when
climbed its one hundred and eighty fe,
and looked over the side aud saw myse
hanging in the air thirteen feet outsid
the base, the supernatural iimpressio
was not in the least removed. At Oh
first glance you cannot get rid Of the in
preston that the tower has commence
tipping over. II is supposed that aft
the structure was commenced one sid
settled, aud that in finishing it, care.w'
taken to make the lower side the lighte
80 that the center Of gravity Of Il
whole mass might not fall outside OF Il
base. Calico used this slanting tow
in his experiments in determining q
laws Of gravitation. The baptlstry
: the cathedral is a circular building, at
is celebrated for its marvelously beaut
ful echo. The attendant sounds u
, four notes, do, mi, sol, do, and the who
dome seems to fill with echoes and 7
. echoes, aud before they have died aw,
/ ne repeats the notes, and the two ech
choruses are heard blending and cor
bining for nearly minute. Near I'll
is the burial ground, quaint strucluI
. remarkable from the fact that after d
e loss OF the Holy Land, the archhish,
> had fifty-three ship-loads Of earth fro
NJ. Calvery conveyed here in order th
= the dead might rest in holy groun
q There are many other things OF interC
d i'm this old, decaying city, tut We mt
leave them aud come farther up I
the coast 10 the finely situated city
q Genoa. which has been celebrated fro
% All time for its excellent SEAPORT.
:, was famous i'm the middle ages, and t
r. modern city is by no means insight
e cant. While it has many church
=, palaces aud galleries, it has none
{. special importance to a casual visit
!. but many which are well worthy the
!, taution Of the art critic who has tin
d at his disposal. 1t is associated in t
! American minds chiefly as the home
# Columbus, and the traveller is shown
d palace and two statues Of him, one
5. them very fine. Many who read q
, letter will recall the admirable srti
on the celebrated bank Of st. Geor