The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-26


ioyment, rs on part OF the route there
are no less than forty-five tunnels, two Of
which are more than mile long. But
here Is Florence, with its 10000 inhab-
itants, beautifully situated on both sides OF
the Arno. And here in the shop-windows
are the "loyely" FIorentine mosaics, aud
inlaid jewelry canoes, vases, statuettes
OF marble and alsbaster, and all that ele-
CANT handwork Of the skiiul and artistic
dwellers in this fair city; and here. trundled
about the streets. are those famous Flo
renee TASKS OF which our old chemistries
used so often TO speak; and all around us
are workshops and storehouses for the
manufacture, exposition, and sale OF hne-
art products generally. We visit the Ca
thedral, OF course. Every large town has
Its Cathedral. which we must visit, for 1t Is
the oldest, or the largest, or the most beau
tifal. or has in Il the most famous painting,
or the finest organ, or something OF the
sort, that makes It superior In some respect
to all others in the world. The average
tourist who Is honest enough TO recognize
the fact that he has no special acquaintance
with architecture, or painting. or scuIp-
tlIre hears after awhile OF another Cathe-
dral or n new art-gallery with stoical in
difference II n0t with positive shudder.
THE GREAT BRONZE DOORS.
In Florence one OF the main things TO
see was the great bronze doors. not OF the
Cathedral itself, but Of its separate bap-
tistery. These are by Ghberti, and were
finished In 1852. Michael Angelo pro-
nounced them "wortby to be the gates OF
Paradise ~; and his good opinion OF them
was fully confirmed by the critics OF our
party. They are something like the doors
OF our United States Capitol. But let us
omit the Cathedral itself (Which ventures
to compare itself on some points with st.
Peters,, and the striking and lofty campa-
nile or tower with its colored marbles, and
let us come TO that which has been styled
the Pantheon OF Tuscany, or better, per-
haps, the Tuscan Westminster Abbey
namely. the Church OF Santa CrOce. Here
is the tomb OF Michael Angelo with monu-
mental statues; and here are monuments
OF other distinguished residents OF Flor
ence, Dante and Amerigo Vespucci and
Macchiayelli, and many others, and, not
least OF all, Galileo-"not TO be COM
pared" says the inscription truly, ito any
one Of his age"
THE MEDICIAN CHAPEL.
We saw. too, the Medcian chapel. the
most beautiful room / ever saw, the sides
being covered with the rarest variegated
OF brilliant colors, polished and
fitted, a. Horace says, dd unguen, with in
laying OF malacbite, lapis lazuli, and other
precious stones. 1t was designed to re-
ceive the Holy Sepulchre, which some one
promised a credulous member OF the great
family Of the Medici lin 1904 to get for
him; but rs the contract was not fulfilled
the splendid building was turned into
sort OF chapel or maus oleum for the family.
In the New SacriSty" near by is cele-
brated statue Of Lorenzo de Medici, sitting
in thoughtful mood, OF which Hawthorne
says: alt is the one work worthy OF
Michael Angeles reputation. and grand
enough to vindicate for HIM all the genius
that the world gave him credit for"
have room for but word or two about
that which, after all, is the attraction OF
Florence-namelv, the grand united Unizi
and Pitt galleries OF painting and sculp-
ture. The two are on different sides Of the
river Arno, but are so connected by Il
covered way, whose sides are filled with
pictures" pictures by the mile" some Of
our weary ones remarked-t that you take it
to be only an extension Of the gallery, and
cross the river without knowing it.
TREASURES OF ART.
These galleries were founded or enlarged
by those wonderful Medici, and together
one OF the largest and choicest
collections in the world" One single,
small room Of it land there are more than
forty rooms and corridors) has in il the
famed Venus de Medici, The Dancing
Fawn, The Wrestlers, and other treasures
OF ancient sculpture; while in painting,
this same room has masterpieces by RAJ
phael, Michael Angelo, Correggio, Titan,
Rubens. Van Dyck, Paul Veronese, Durer,
and others less only than these. No
wonder that Hawthorne styles this
"the richest room in all the world
a heart that draws all hearts TO it."
Then in other parts OF the gallery are
statues and pictures 10y the thousand, in
Guiding CanOva's Venus and paintings by
Tintoretto. Murillo, and the masters named
above, besides a host Of those with whom
the writer is panied to confess he had no
previous acquaintance. Then there are
10000 engravlngs "by the best masters"
and in the library there are 100000 vol
umes. When | add, in conclusion, that
there are several other galleries in Florence
and a goodly number OF churches besides,
each with its "gems" and masterpieces, +"
| think | have done my whole duty in
warning the unwary visitor against the
fearful undertaking Of dispatching hastily
the art treasures Of Florence.
ROME.
But here we are in Rome. We have
passed on the way AriZzo, the birthplace
OF Maecenas and OF Petrarch, and by Lake
Thrasemene, where Hannibal so badly out
generated the Roman Flaminius; have
iunched at Chinsi (where the figs are the
finest and hagon OF wine is set before
each guest, and this is the old Clusium,
where Numa Pompoleus was born ;
have passed by Mount Soracte, which
Horace saw covered with deep snow ;
have struck the yellowish-white III
Der and followed its meandering
course, which give evidence everywhere OF
its ugly old habit Of coming constantly out
OF its banks; have seen almost with
paroxysms of delight the great dome OF st.
Peters looming up grandly in the dis
lance. And now we are in Rome. We
are to see the city hereafter. For the pres
ent the writer says only, what doubtless
the reader has long ago said, Enough,
enough" "for now we are in Rome"
Yours truly, {. III. w.