The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-06
THE CITY OF SAVONAROLA
Florence, with Its Flavor of Old and
New Italy.
ROmOla Read in San Marco-Burial- Places
of HHdreth and Theodore Parker
The Italian Renaissance.
Correspondence Of the indianapolis journal.

| somewhat dlsappolnts Florence gives full
measure, we'll shaken down and running
over. Its location is unsurpassed. The
valley of the Arno is locked in by soft
picturesque hills, covered with villas and
villages, of which Fiesole, Valambrosa and
San Miniato are known to the whole world
| Florence itself is the most delightful OF
cities, crowned, as it is, by the great dome of
Brunelleschi, which is kept company by
| Giotto's bell tower and the tower of the Vec-
chic Palace, as we'll as the lesser dome of San
Lorenzo and the facades of Sante Croce and
Annunzietta. Old Florence is full Of the
middle ages, with its narrow, crowded streets
and its ponderous somber palaces. New
Florence rivals Paris in the breadth of its
streets, the elegance of its buildings, foun-
tains and parks. Everywhere Florence is
! filled with the memories of the grand men
| that have here lived and wrought-Dante,
Macchiavelli, Michael Angelo, Leonardo
da Vinci Calico, the Medicis, and above
all and over all the martyr Savonarola.
How rare the fortune OF this great man that
! his memory has been consecrated for all
time by the generous genius OF George Eliot.
|
purchased a copy the moment we ar
rived in Florence and read it again, with the
city before me and with daily
visits to the prory of San Marco, the
Piazza della Signora, San Mineato.
Santa Croce, and the Porte Vecchio and
via di BardI. In the coisters of San Marco
is the exact place where George Eliot pict-
ures the death of Dino de Barda and the
the meeting of Romola and the Frate. The
ante-room of the refectory is exactly as the
great author has described it, and the cell of
the great Prior exactly as he left it on that
fatal night of his arrest Here are his cruel
fix, his Bible, his desk and manuscript ser
mons. Reverent hands have added his bust,
his picture, and a marble carving represent
ing his trial before the Seignory, and piet-
ure of his execution. 1t is curious to see how
the crowd of visitors hurry by the exquisite
frescoes of Fra Angelica the beautiful church
and cloisters, and throng into this cell. Flor
ence is Savonarola and Savcnarola is Flsr-
ence, yet Florence murdered him and scat
tered his ashes in the Arno. The first
thought that occurs as you enter the grand
Duomo and look up into its superb arch, is
How all Florence crowded to hear the elo-
quence of the Frate. How was it possible
for one voice to have filled these mighty
arches, and to have swayed the multitudes
at his will as he did four hundred years
ago@' The spot where he persisted at the
stake on the Piazza della Signoria is marked
by massive fountain right in front of tile
Loggia di LAMA, whose marble statues
looked upon the cruel fires which, while
they brought immortality to him and his
heroic companions, forever stained the fair
fame of Florence.
There is another spot here that no American
ever fails to visit-the Protestant cemetery,
that is llowed by the dust of Walter Saw
age Landor. Arthur Hugh Clough Elizabeth
Barrett Browning, and our countrymen,
Richard Hildreth, the historian, and Theo-
dore Parker Hildreth's grave is marked
with a plain white marble slab, and on it the
words, Richard Hildreth. Died July Is,
1865" / have always looked upon Hildreth
as the ablest historian that the United States
has thus far produced, although perhaps the
new man, McMaster, will prove his equal.
The grave OF Theodore Parker is even more
simple than that of Hildreth. 1t is brown
slate slab, inscribed:
Theodore Parker.
Born at Lexington, Massachusetts,
United States of America,
Died at Florence, MAY 10. $50.
This great man should have been living to-
day. He died from overwork. He will al
ways rank as one of the finest geniuses that
America has yet produeed-grand in mis- fear
less, honest and heroic devotion to truth as
he understood it. Every visitor plucks
leaf from his grave. and so numerous are the
acquisitions upon it that there is hardly
green thing left. 1t is strange that great
Boston should allow his sacred dust to sleep
here, or, at least, not mark it by a monument
worthy of'him. I think never saw a more
shabby memorial. Its whole cost could not
have exceeded $15 and this is all the more
noticeable from its close proximity to Mrs
BTownng'S beautiful yet simple memorial of
snow-white marble Mrs. Browning loved
Florence with great love, and has made its
beauties known to the whole English-speak-
ing world.
Florence and indeed all Italy is ca'Nhina-
ton of old and new, the like of viii not
be seen in Europe. Side by side the
Arno are the boulevards of new and
the seml-military houses with quaint old
loggios aud torch rings of the middle ages
IE It's churches the medieval religion drones
| along, while on the streets the thought and
the individual spirit OF the nineteenth CEN
tury is the order of the day. State and to
religion in Italy is a thing OF the past. All
the converts have been turned into barracks
or museums, and the monks and religious or
ders left to shift for themselves. Although
there are priests and monks, with their long
gowns and shovel hats, everywhere, yet am
told that they are entirely dependent upon
subscriptions, like our preachers in the
United States, for support, and com arative-
ly few young men are joining their ranks.
Twenty-Five years hence, when the present
generation dies out the religious orders that
have so long been predominant feature in
Italian politics will become thing of the
past. 1t is quite unnecessary to add that
complete religious federation exists here, al
! though. of course, the prevailing faith is
Catholic,
Victor Emmanuel and his assoeiates-Gari-
baldi Mazzin and Cavour, have wrought
wonders for Italy Not only did they unite un-
der one government half dozen discordant