The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-02

The Pine Forest Of Rayenna.

appears 10 he, may he tDalktu ioi lc'"i
ing 10 notice city alternately famous and
forgotten. and more than any other the
sport OF human and natural yiclssltudes.
IT has denounced and threatened the Mu-
nicipal Council OF Rayenna for an alleged
decision TO destroy its classical pine forest
in order TO make way for the cultivation OF
corn. Two correspondents have come for
ward 10 yindicate the Council from charge
on the seriousness Of which there would
be some difference OF opinion. Mr.. Plum
mer SAYS that we need not trouble our
selves about it, for all is over. The
" evergreen forest" is no longer green,
and is represented by bare and blacken-
ed poles. The immemOrial wood " from
which Rome built her nayies, and Venice
i'm later ages obtained flagstails to adorn
her squares, is given over TO the axe and
the saw. The full-grown stems are beng
into railway sleepers; the trees
not worth carrying away remain rs melan-
cboly skeletons to tell their story OF de-
married. greatness. But who or what has
done the deed? On this point there is a
variety OF opinions. Ii has been ascrlbed
to an iIneXampled succession Of hard win
ters. to blight five or six years
ago, OF W lut lhNub'o vi ''hi' ~
sect. Unhappiy, in our own country
we are familiar enough with pests that
attack our strongest trees, and, II they do
not quite Kill them, stop their growth for
a year or two. Mr.. PIummer, however,
assigns a reason which Is neither marvel
lous nor insufficient. The stone pines OF
Dante and BoccaccIo, OF Dryden and Of
Byron, struck their roots into sandy
ridge thrown up by the Adriatic. Like
many other pines, they live on the moisture
that percolates through light soil
rather than on the soil Itself. The
railway has cut deep into this ridge,
intercepting the underground filtra-
ton. Hence the widespread ruin.
II is but an incident in that history OF hu-
man progress to which Rayenna has con-
tributed many chapters. II was the pr0to-
type of Venice long before that city was
heard of, and was always an amphibious
place, at the mercy Of the level, whether OF
The waters or OF the soil. The site was
chosen rs out Of the way and inaccessible.
The founders built on piles, and they COM
manded the land and the sea. As fast as
they acquired the land they were deserted
by the sea- POmpey the Great found RAJ
VIENNA sufficiently on the coast to make it
the chief port for the navy Of Rome. IL
was here that his rival, julius Caesar, after
some parIeying with the Roman Senate, re-
solved to cross the Rubicon, and so put an
end TO the republican constitution Of Rome.
In the next generation Augustus made a
port three miles off and united ii 10 Raven
ma with canal. In the fifth century llo-
norius made Raycnna the capital Of the
Western Empire. Here reigned TheO-
doric, King Of the OstrogotbS, and
Ravenna was actually the capital Of Italy
down TO the eighth century. King Pepn
won il from the LOmbardS and presented it
TO the Pope. with what sincerity and Sc
rious intention may be well doubted. II
was the very first piece Of temporal sOye-
reignty possessed by the See Of Rome,
which for time appointed the magis-
trates, administered justice, levied taxes,
and occupied the palaces. Charlemagne,
however, numbered it among his pos
sessions. and the ArchbishOps Of Rayenna
disputed the temporal sovereignty OF
the Pope A city with such his
tory could not but be rich in an
tiquities, which ages of neglect would
rather preserve than destroy. Charlie
magne seems to have been their worst foe,
for he carried off great quantities Of mar
BILE and granite columns TO adOm his city
Of AiX-la-Chapelle. But there remain
churches founded in the fourth and fifth
centuries, in the form af baSilicas, with
columns OF all sizes and materials, and
with the usual aspe, adorned with figures
in rich mosaic. kayenna Is a city OF tombs.
Here lie Honorius, Constantius, and Nalen-
Ia. "A I.tf
cupola carved out of IA single stone COM
puted to weigh 200 tons; and here sleeps
Dynte under fitting monument built a
century alter his death.
The famous wood extends far along The
road TO Rimini, and is three or four miles
wide. How much of this is gomez Pos
siby only the portion within reach OF
Ravenna. Giving up the loss, whatever
| il he, as irreparable, MIR. kcrshaw takes
the opportunity to call attention to the
continual destruction OF the mosaics. which
a little care and money might keep safe on
the walls, and TO suggest that they might al
least find home in some OF our own
| churches. He particulariZes the Church
| OF San Apollinare, built or restored by
Justinian, on the site OF an old temple O
| Apollo, at Classe. where once was sta
toned the fleet OF Augustus. The building
is rich in works OF various ages. On,
traveller describes the =" TRANSPORTATION y
in the aspe as the representation Of an his
torical fact, instead of a combination o.
upright, unemployed figures. There are
it appears, no funds for the preservation o.
the churches. The soil, rescued as il i,
from the Adriatic, is full Of water. There
must be damp and decay, il not ruinous set
| Element. Fortunately, perhaps. one elemen
OF destruction is not there. There are no
the rich ecclesiastics who In the last cen
| fury could substitute modern Italian
| du0mo for an ancient basilica. Rayenni
owes that it survives to its obscurity anC
its isolation. Not that the people are SC
very poor. Whichever way travellers ap
| proach they are struck by the cultivation
and prosperity OF the Countrywide wheat
the VINEYARDS, the olives and mulberry
trees, aud the rapid succession Of brigb
and busy homesteads, very like Englisl
farmhcuses. The modern Italian. how
ever, Is a very utilitarian person, and doe
not waste much OF his money, or his inter
est, on historical or artistic euriosities.
Our correspondents have said quit,
enough to suggest an object for tour
taking Rayenna In the way. Ii has SUI
fered hitherto much by the too close neigh
borhood Of Venice and other great citiei
offering more modern attractions, and th,
consequent certainty OF larger concours,
OF tourists. 1t may be as well TO state tha
Ravenns, one can hardly see why, enjoys
as 1t always has enjoyed, high reputation
{, for health. Even our own country town,
only few inches out OF the water are some
times found healthier than those that stanl
high and dry on the summit or thu
slopes Of hill. The ancient phrase, Stag
ma pdlud0sg RausnaG, referred 10 the sur
rounding marshes, along the coast, proba