The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-01-11
CoRRESP SPoNDENCE.
Letter from Italy.
FLORENCE, Dec. oath, 1881,

FLORENCE, Dec. 18th, 1881.
MesSrS. E'ditors,-Six miles from Pra-
tohno is the beautiful capital of Tuscany.
On approaching Florence the eye dis
covers the same walls fanked by pictur-
esque towers which surrounded the city
In the 18th century, and against which
the Pisans and the Sienese so frequently
spent their efforts in vain. All the mon
uments which rise so proudly, those i'm
mense domes, the embattled palaces the
gorgeous churches, the handsome streets
paved in the ancient style, the flowers
which hang in festoons seeming by their
abundance to have given its name to the
city-all recall the age when Florence,
voluntarily submitting herself to the rule
of her illustrious children the Medici,
dealt out to the rest of Italy science,
politeness, taste, and magnifcence.
Let us enter the city which cradled
the arts at the time of their regeneration
let us survey this famous ducal palace
called
Palazzo Pitt,
built not only in character of solidity
which promises ages of duration, but filled
with art treasures which render it one Of
the most remarkable galleries in Europe.
The three lofty stories are divided into
nine hundred apartments. Many of
them, carved and gilt all over, are fur
nished in the most costly manner The
suites of apartments contain a number of
mosaic tables, differing from the other
mosaics in Italy in the large pieces of
which they are formed. The labor re-
CURED in these works is hardly credible,
fifteen, twenty, and twenty-five years
having been spent by set of artists
working together to finish single table
The famous Venus of Canova decorates
one of these halls. The stranger may
here judge of the past magnifcence of
the Medicis-he may admire the Venus
that bears their name-and other ancient
statues which were long the principal
ornaments in the Louvre The palace
communicates with the Florentine gal
lery of paintings, deservedly celebrated,
and filled with the finest specimens of
both ancient and modern art. One is
perfectly bewildered with the artistic
treasures here displayed. A whole year
was consumed in simply classifying the
statues, paintings, vases, canoes, and the
crowd of other curiosities. To enter into
a description would be impossible. We
have time to merely glance hastily at the
various and grand architectural monu-
ments. Michael Angelo thought it i'm
possible for an architect to raise so fine a
building as the cathedral An isolated
tower at no great distance serves as its
belfry, and Charles the FIFTH was so much
pleased with It's finished elegance that he
said it ought to be kept in glass case
In order to defend it from the wind and
atmosphere. The three bronze gates of
the Baptistery are worked with so much
art that Michael Angelo thought them
worthy Of being placed at the entrance
lnVo paradise. The tomb Of the Medicis,
begun about three centuries ago, is one of
the most curious works in Italy iaspers.
lapis lazuli, granite, alabaster, and the
rarest marbles are combined in such pro-
fusion, that it resembles not so much q
sepulchral monument as q magnificent
mosaic. The church of Santa Croee con-
tains the ashes Of many illustrious men
The tomb of Vittorio Al6eri is adorned
by Canova there too are the remains of
Galileo, Aretino, and Macchiavelli, who
IS represented weighing a sword and
roll Of paper in balance. We confess
to lingering long over the
Tomb of Michael Angelo
ana contemplating, with emotion, his
Dust' wrought by himself 1t were glory
enough Tor one city to be the mother Of
SO grand sculptor, painter, and archi-
tect No one can mistake a work of this
artist wheresoever seen. No other man
ever stamped to SO great degree the
productions Of his genius with unique in
dividuality. The forehead of the statue
left of himself shows the wrecks Of the