The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-09-11

ficient to cause one to shudder at the hor.
rors Of that dreadful night, when city,
teeming with life and prosperity was sur.
prised and buried.
The National Museum at Naples con.
tains much of interest in its valuable and
extensive collection of ancient statuary,
bronzes, Egyptian antiquities. ETC., but
by far its greatest attraction lies in its
vast exhibit of Pompeian relics. We
find here beautiful mosaics; frescoes and
other mural decorations which ia form
and color compare favorably with the
works Of the renaissance; thousands of
articles of domestic utility, including
kitchen utensils, scales, lamps, stoves,
bedsteads, surgical and musical instru.
ments, chairs, toilet articles, vases, dishes,
agricultural implements aud many other
things very similar to those in use in the
present de-: glass amphorR still contain.
ing olive oil; several round black loayes
of bread bearing the bakers name, as
well as many other articles of food; aud
q vast assortment "too numerous to
MENTION" oe articles taken from the
buried city.
We return to Rome by the same road
over which we travelled in going to
TO Naples, and after few hours spent in
revisiting the Forum and few other
places of interest, we took the train for
Florence, g city of about 100000 popula.
tion located nearly in the centre of italy.
Our route passes Lake Trasemeuus,
memorable as the scene of Hannibal's
great victory over the Romans more than
200 years before Christ, as we'll as many
other places Of historical interest.
The city of Florence is situated in an
extensive plain surrounded by cultivated
hills whose sides are studded with elegant
villas. It is divided into two UNEQUAL
parts by the Arno, q stream which il per.
haps an improvement on the Tiber, but
still does not possess any features which
should justly give it the common appela.
tion Of "the lovely Arno." Florence has
suffered in every age from military incur.
sions; but during the fifteenth century
it was the acknowledged leader 10 the
intellectual renaissance which followed
the darkness Of the middle ages. It's
galaxy Of iIlustrious names, Including
Dante, Boccaccio, Galileo, Giotto,
Michael Angelo. Raphael, da Vinci,
Savonarolo and many others il unsur
passed in modern times aud we'll entities
tho city to be known as the Italian
Athens. The Piazza della .Siqnoria is TIE
business rs we'll as the historic centre of
the city. Here Savonarola was burned
and here stands the old capitol Of the
republic. Adjoining this square is the
UiIizi gallery founded by The Medici
family and containing one of the largest
and choicest art collections in the world.
The hall known as the Tribune" is
located near the centre of the gallery and
is spoken of by Hawthorne rs "the rich.
est room in all the world" It contains
the Venus de Medici, the Dancing Faun.
the Wrestlers and other masterpieces of
ancient sculpture as we'll as some of the
finest works Of Raphael, Titan, Correggio,
Angelo and other great masters. Besides
the pictures and statuary the gallery
contains valuable collection of gems us
we'll as many mosaies and other works of
art. Among the mosaics is a table of
wondrous beauty, which represents the
labor of 90 artists for IS years. On the
opposite side of the Arno, but connected
with the Uffizi gallery by a long covered
passage is the Pitt Palace, one of the
finest architectural structures of modern
times and containing collection OF
about 500 paintings, including Raphel's
Madonna della Seggiols. Titian's Mag.
oo'oH oou 'Na' oShet ChoiCG Betus Oi
art.
Among the churches Of Elu.once the
cathedral is of course one of the most
interesting. 1t is 500 feet in length and
the exterior is coated with marble; but
the facade has never been completed. Its
interior is grand and impressive but ex-
ceedingly bare and cold. The church of
Santa Croce is spoken of as the "West-
minister Abbey of Florence. Here are
the tombs Of many of Italy's famous SONS,
and memorial tablets are here erected to
many others whose remains are buried
elsewhere. In the square in front stands
statute of Dante, 10 feet high, erected
in 1865 on the 600th anniversary of his
birth. The Medicean chapel in the rear
of the church of San Lorenzo 10, with tho
exception of the Tai Mahal in India,
probably the richest tomb in the world.
It was erected in 1904 at cost of over
$4, ,O0O,O as receptacle for the Holy
Sepulchre but has never received its
expected deposit. It's magnificence is
beyond description. In the eacristy
adjoining are the tombs of the Medici,
with statues by Michael Angelo which
are the masterpieces of that great artist
and fully equal to the noblest figures of
the best period of Greek art. But the
pile of manuscript before US reminds US
again that we must not presume too far
upon the patience of the readers of the
INTELLIGENCER and consequently we
must leave many points of which, did
space permit, we should be glad to write,
and pass Cd to beautiful Venice, the
Bride Of the Sea-"