The Red Cloud chief., 1880-11-04
.sTaE QUEEN OF THE sea-

The city of Venice. often called
s'the Queen of the Sea-" is one OF the
most beautiful cities in Italy, and is
built on a number of small islands In
the Adriatic Sea.
In the fourteenth and fifteenth cen
turtles Venice was at the height OF its
power and splendor. Its Chief Magis-
trate was called a Doge, and, though
the Government was Republican, there
was very much more splendor and pomp
than in our day.
The palace of the Dogc still stands as
one of the monuments of that time,
very interesting to travellers, and the
famous bridge of Sighs,' spanning
the canal, joins the palace with the
prisons.
Some of you may have read Ryron's
lines:
a" stood IN Venice, on the Bridge of signs,
A palace and a prison ON each hand
Persons accused of crimes against the
State were tried in the palace before
the Doge, and after they were SEN
fenced, the criminals were taken across
the bridge of Signs to the dungeons.
where they remained until their execu-
ton. So this bridge was indeed well
named.
The Church of San Marco. or St.
Mark. was built at a very early date, and
was improved and enlarged at inter-
walls during several centuries. Its 81
gantic clock has been the wonder OF
many ages, and its beautiful steeple or
sscampanile," as the Italians call it, can
be seen for miles against the clear sky,
with an angels figure poised on its
summit. The church and the buildings
connected with it occupy a whole
square.
On the roofs of these lives a colony
of doves or pigeons, who build their
nests and rear their young u~ndisturbed.
Pigeons have for centuries been pro-
tected by the keepers of the church.
1t was an ancient custom, dating a
far back as A. ID. S77, for the sacris-
tans or sections, after the service on
Palm Sunday. to let loose a number of
pigeons, fettered with strips of paper.
The people were allowed TO catch as
many of these birds rs they could, and
fatten them to eat on Easter Sunday.
AS many pigeons as escaped and took
refuge on the roof of the church were
protected, as belonging to the sacred
the Republic. During all the wars and
troubles, and until the downfall of this
Government in May, A. ID. 1897, these
little birds were cared for, and lived
their happy lives, unconscious of on
fusion around them. They were very
tame, and would feed from the hands
of those accustomed To throw them
their daily portion of grain. After the
Republic was done away with, and the
palace of the ..Doges was unoccupied,
a pious lady left a bequest to continue
the supply to the pigeons. This lady
vas of the Cornaro family, once high
i'm esteem i'm Venice. As there were a
number of sacristans of San Marco,
the feeding of the pigeons was intrust-
ed to some members of their families,
their wives or daughters.
One of the most interesting features
of Venetian life were the festivals
which occurred every year, and served
to keep in remembrance certain events
in the history of the city. Among these
was one kept annually for centuries
called la esta della Marie" and this
is the incident it commentaries: In
very old times, it was the custom in
Venice to have all the marriages among
the mobiles and chief citizens celebrated
on the same day, and in the same
church in the eastern part of the city,
on q little island called Olivolo, where
the Bishop lived. On the day of the
fete elegant gondolas were seen on the
waters, carrying people dressed in holi-
day attire to the appointed place, and
the young couples landed to the sound
of sweet and joyous music. The jewels
and other presents given to the brides
were carried in the procession, and a
long train of friends, relatives and at
tendants came after.
In \. ID. 933 an event happened at
this ceremony which came very near
ending tragically for the happy lovers.
The pirates of Istria, a neighboring
country, were in the habit of securing
the Adriatic, and were the terror of all
the cities on the coast. Always alert
for plumber, they decided that the time
of the Venetian wedding feast would be
a favorable one to enrich themselves
very easily. Near 10 Olivolo was a
small island, al mat time uninhabited,
and here. the day before the fete, the
their light vessels.
The next day, the gay companies
passed slowly along to the church, I'M
conscious of danger. The services be-
gan, and the espoused couples stood be-
fore the altar. Then suddenly the Is
triote pirates, swift as arrows, rowed
their boats into the harbor where the
gay procession had Just ~disembarked.
In the midst of the solemn service, the
doors of the church were thrown open
and the dark-bearded pirates rushed in.
With their drawn swords in their hands,
they made their way to the altar, and,
snatching up the terrified brides, they
rushed to their boats, not forgetting to
secure the caskets with the bridal gifts.
Before the Mortified bridegrooms and
guests could realize what had happened,
the robbers were carrying their prize,
with swift and steady strokes, toward
the shores of Istria. The Doge was as
sisting at the ceremonies; but, rushing
from the church, he called on all to fol-
low, till the number of citizens o
swelled to hundreds, as they ran to the
wharf, shouting for vengeance.
There were several ships in the har-
Dor, and they hastily embarked. Ev-
ery sail was unfurled, and they started
in pursuit of the pirates and their pre-
cious booty. The wind being favorable,
they overlook them in the lagoons, or
low water near the shore. 1t was not
to be expected that any quarter would
be given to the robbers. The girls
were restored unhurt to their lovers.
and all the Jewels were recovered. 1t
is said that every pirate was fettered
and thrown headlong into the sea, not
one escapingtot tell the story to his coun-
trymen.
Another gorgeous festival at Venice
was the marriageof the city to the Adri-
attic Sea. 1t was celebrated every year
on Ascension Dsy, and this, too, had its
origin in an historical event. In A. ID.
117O, Pope Alexander Ill. was driven
from Rome by the Emperor Frederick
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