The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-08-28

the innumcrahlo tunnels. We pass
numerous and valuable marble quarries
and finally reach the city, the fame of
whose "lcaning tower" is world wide.
In the Northwest corner of Pisa is "a
group of buildings without parallel" !"
The Cathedral, the Campanile, OR Bell
Tower, usually known as the leaning
tower, tho Bptaistery and the Campo
Santo, are all located here. The Cathe.
dral. built in the eleventh century, is Of
while marble with most elaborate orna-
mentation in black and colors. Its inte.
rior still contains the bronze chandelier
whose motion suggested to Galileo the
idea of pendulum. In the rear of the
cathedral, although nearly opposite the
door by which entrance is usually made,
is the famous leaning tower, from whose
summit the bells of the Cathedral are
sounded. The tower is 10 feet i'll height
and inclines nearly II feet from the per-
peudicular. This being much less than
its diameter, its stability is not affected
in the least. The cause of the inclina.
ton has been much discussed, but no
satisfactory explanation has ever BEEN
given. The fact that leaning towers are
found in other parts of Italy and that
this has stood for over 100 years without
reaching dangerous point would seem
to Indicate something more than acci-
dental results; while the spongy nature
Of the ground which has thrown many OF
the lines of the Cathedral "out Of plumb, +"
together with the fact that the upper
stories Of the tower haze the columns on
the lower side somewhat heightened, AS
if to remedy the inequality caused by the
inclination, would favor the theory that
the settlement had occurred after the
building Of the tower had been COM
meuced. Whatever the cause, it is a
wonderful structure and as we assembled
its winding stairs and looked out over its
inclined walls, we felt again the pleasure
which comes from the realization of boy
ish anticipations. The Baptistery is
is situated directly opposite the facade
of the Cathedral, and is circular marble
building of great architectural beauty.
The pulpit, by Nicolo Pisano, 1860, is
most elaborately carved and its reliefs,
representing the nativity, the alteration,
the crucifixion, ETC., have been the sub
ject Of admiration for over SIX centuries.
The echo of the Baptistery is one OF the
most marvelous!y beautiful in the world,
its circular form and dome shaped roof
repeating the sounds with q peculiar
sweetness. North of the Cathedral and
Baptistery is the Campo Santo, an
inclosed corridor containing on It's inner
walls many quaint frescoes Of the early
schools. In the eyes of the faithful this
is peculiarly "holy ground" as when the
Crusaders finally abandoned Palestine in
1860 they brought with them over fifty
ship loads of earth from Mt. Calvary for
this cemetery. Within the enclosure are
monuments to many noted men of Pisa,
as well as several Greek and Roman sar-
conhagi. Among the frescoes, the
Triumph of Death" Of the fourteenth
century, is of especial interest as show
ing the crude ideas Of those early ages.
At the base, the bodies OF the dead lie in
heaps, including kings and queens,
princes and popes, the lnwly and the
proud; while their souls, represented by
nude infants, issue from their mouths or
bodies. Above is horde q: demons,
grotesque and hldeouS forms, who seIZe
the greater number of the souls and hurry
them away TO a furnace which appears
On the summit of hill in the distance.
Angels too "are lowering near" and
occasionally select one, who is borne
away to eternal bliss. Some are claimed
by both angels aud demons and the
struggles are represented in manner
certainly not calculated TO impress the
modern beholder with the sclemnty Of
the subject.
From Pisa, the railway lies for long
distance along the old Roman road built
by Scaurus more than 100 years before
Christ. We pass many places famous in
history and after 220 miles OF travel
reach the Eternal City.
TRAVELLER.