Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-05
BEAUTIFUL VENICE.
A BRIEF STATEMENT OF IT'S EVER
CHANGING HISTORY.
Its Present Appearance and Struc-
-Gondoias versus Horses
The Bridge of Signs.

has population of 10000, but does not
cover as much territory as compact city
of America with $4,000. Its canals and
streets are narrow and meandering and
most OF It's buildings four stories high and
crowded from water floor to garnet. The
islands were once mud deposits, unable to
bear up the weight of stone or brick
buildings. A leaf from their early his
tory is exceedingly interesting. At first
wooden houses were constructed by the
fishermen who occupied these Adri-
attic bogs. That was in A. D. 407.
Six years later it was destroyed
BY fire. Then a church was
buld in honor of ST. Mark, and the city
Commenced on more permanent basis.
They were invaded by the Huns in A. d.
453, and the year following Narses, one of
The Generals of Emperor Justinian, came
70 Venice. They then became the allies
Of the Greeks. In 697 Paolucio Antifesto
became the first Doge, and treaty was
soon formed with the King of the Lom-
bards. A period of bloodshed follows, and
the Greeks disperse, being defeated, and
the Venetians take Ravenna The Doge
is executed for pride and treason. Venice
then becomes the desire of kings and
princes. Piles were driven into the la
goons, and solid foundations made, and
large churches and palaces erected of stone
and brick, and
VENICE BECAME THE GEM OF THE SEA,
And the ships of all nations in commerce
Exchanged with them the products of their
toll. Palace succeeded palace, until it
became the city Of palaces; and because OF
its wealth and beauty, made the contesting
war chariots iostie against each other in
their aggressive race to conquer and pos
sess it. Internal feud, and social and po-
litical corruption, later. unsettled the
confidence of its citizens and soldiers,
and made it an easy morsel for the lion
that stood at the gate ready to consume.
From the commencement of the seventh
century to 1888, Nenezia was continuously
beleaguered by her enemies, and could no
longer resist them. In 1897 it became an
Austrian province In 1905 it was ceded
to Italy. Restored to Austria in 1915.
In 184S proclamation of the republic. The
Triumvirate next control it. So it con-
tinued to be given and taken until 1866,
at the peace treaty of Vienna it was an
nexed to Italy and Victor Emmanuel en-
tered it on the 4th of November of the
same year. and his successor Umberto now
reigns.
Its past history has no equal among the
provinces of the earth and the Venetians
are nowhere in history excelled in cruelty,
treachery, and heartless butchery. Her
Doges were men of the meanest type her
civil and political Courts, merciless in
QUESTIONS, and her councils had neither
justice nor judgment with equity. Cor
ruption prevailed everywhere, and the
plaques and pestilences of recurring visit
ations but increased her idolatrous people
in all manner of superstition, and works of
superrogation at the beckon of her vile
priests, or the decree of her lewd and
licentious Courts. As she increased in
wealth and power, she alike decreased in
the true worship Of God.
VENICE OF TO-DAY.
To-day Venice is a city going to ruins
but not SO as it pertains to her commerc e
Her boosted antiquity will later be mat
ter of history. Those who desire to see
this Adriatic metropolis as it anciently ap-
peared must do so before the close of the
century, or be content to be told where the
old buildings stood. Some of the build,
ings, such as the palace, the prison and
the church, built of solid material, will
remain for many years by constant re
pairs Venice is city of fine arts. Once
the great schools of painting were
in operation, and no painter became
famous who had not either studied here
or adopted the system here taught Les
sons were given in oil-painting, velyets
tapestries and stucco work. Here laborec
Titan, Tintoretto, Paul Veronese, Andres
Schiavone, Salviati, and others of equal
note. To-day the great painters of the
earth can be counted on the fingers of nv
hands. Venice has no painter even tC
retouch her faded facades, nor to supply
deficient portraiture. But her glassware
has astonished the world. The lost arr
has returned with new inventions and
given employment to hundreds of artificers
and sent their cunning work into the cite:
of all lands. Also her gold and ivory
work and her modern mosaics are pattern,
of durability and service such as will in
crease its demand and create monopolies t.
enlarge its manufacturing interests. Hel
future is great. When Italy shall have
become republic Venice will be greater
than ever in all the records of her an
tiquity. Here one can mediate until he
fairly revels in what was, and is, and is t.
come. Whether it be approached by raj
or steamer, 1t stands on the unrufiled bosom
Of the little archipelago like tabled cita
del, scarcely to be looked upon with Other
than visionary emotions. Whether you
walk upon its narrow avenues or glide il
its quaint gondolas, you have sensation.
depress or enthrill you that will never be
forgotten. These impressions do. nc
doubt, differ with individuals as they
differ one from another in emotional
temperament, or look up the strange scene
through the open page Of history
THE GoNDoLA AND GoNDoLIER
Are matchless affairs. The boats are very
long and narrow, and many of them have
carriage covers. Four persons are com
fortably seated in one of the smaller size
1t would be difficult to upset them. With
what grace and apparent ease they row
The gondolier stands aft with a long oal
resting on zigzag Oarlock and quietly
submerges the paddle into the water, ther
with full weight of the body thrown
against the stern, and muscular thrust o.
the arms, darts the gondola forward from
fifteen to twenty feet at 4 stroke, and raise:
the propeller as noislessly as he droppe5
it. The ride is simply grand. / did not
see a horse in Venice, l. e, living horse
They have none The officers of the Hal.
ian quarters, am told, have a few. A
city of 10000 doing business without
horses, coaches, drays, etc. is sight lack.
ing what is omitted. So says the traveller
but not the Venetian.
ST. MARKS CATHEDRAL
Is the finest among the twenty-five
churches of the city. 1t was begun in the
ninth century and completed late in the
eighteenth. The Catholics tell us some
very strange, but not weird, stories con
corning the treasures deposited here
They say the bsdy of ST. Mark wa.
brought here from Alexandria. The man
ner of securing it would now be severely
punished in America. st. Mark had been
dead Thousand years before the temper
AIRY Eenteian chapel was built for his body
They showed me the original relics from
the cross, and q stone from Tyrus, upon
which the Saviour preached; and also a
marble slab on which John the Baptist
was beheSded. having or it the nartvr,s