The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-05-13
PICTURES FROM ITALY
Wakeman Crosses the Mediterra.
mean and Views Naples.
Buried in Bloom and Vine-The Wonderfully
Entrancing Region eff the Dead Cities,
Castellamare and Pompeii.
Special Foreign Correspondence of THE CALL.


be nothing more restful and delicious than
the trip by steamer frem Palermo, Sicily,
across the Italian arm or the Mediterra-
mean to the bright and slovenly, magnificent
metropolis OF Italy, landlord-cursed nobility
housing revolution-breeding, retrogressiye, yet
always progressive. Naples.
Aside from the soft aud tender Skies the land.
ward perfumes, which, despite ones highest
efforts at mental activity, lnsidiously mpel sIesta
and sleep. aud such intoxicating zephyrs that
no longer wonders at the inspiration to an art
| which left us the Farnese Narcissus the Venus
OF Capua or Milo, the lmplacabe Echo turned to an
eternal human listener in countless forms by
| brush or chlsel or as many matchless Dianas
| bending over their white ana slumberfu En-.
dymions to kiss them back to consciousness all
the way eastward toward the NeapolItan shore
| the mind aud heart are marvelously wrought by
the story OF the people and places of this wave
washed western peninsula-edge Of Italy. The
| sky, air and sea are tenderly enthralling to the
physical sensei but there Is intensity of men,
tai interest that ILLS the soul of thought with
as tender and hushed a solemnlty. In front
| OF this shore one stands face to face with
| human tragedies of the densest Of Old. Wor Id
populations and activities for 5000 years; in
deed from time when mythology tells us gods
| were nalf-m and men were demi- gods, down
| past that almost uncomfortable reach of time in
! which the very face OF sea and earth were
changed. innumerable races aud dynasties grew
TO perfection and passed away, miracles OF
aud repeoped, and the splendid yet pathetic
Italy OF to-day sits buried in bloom and vine
above the hall known monuments of past no
renaissance OF power aud art eau ever again pro-
duce. The night, the sea, the balmy airs aud the
glowing stars compel the mood for these won-
drous sweeps OF thOught-Iife resist them as you
may. But when the morning comes and sets
just there before you humid ed miles of storied
shore-the sunny Islands nearest the back
ground OF
GREEN AND PURPLE MOUNTAINS
With Vesuvius looming over all, the splendid
city OF Naples, reaching its shining arms to the
right and left about the luminous bay, and then
half hundred cities and villages climbing the
craggy shore, like PROFESSIONS OF cOwled monks
piigrming 10 as many mountain shrlnes-Ihe
consciousness OF presence and reality where in
ones thought throughout lifetime before all had
been as a vague and misty dream, sIlrs the mind
and heart magcally 10 their profOundest depths.
The first complete view OF the Gulf OF Naples
sweeps the thought 10 time when, even ages
back OF the popping of the first Naples Old Par
t1enope, by The Greeks, the present couforma-
lion OF shore, outreaching promontories. and
farther yine-clad islands was made by The action
OF some mOnstrous prehistoric volcano, with a
crater a hundred times as vast rs that Possessed
by either Etna or VeSuyius to-day. This, rear
Ing its head above the sea, boiled and
sank back beneath the waves. The waters
cleaning above 1t to-day are those of The Gulf
OF Naples. The broken VOLCANOES edges, still
standing. marx the semi-circular heights above
The city OF Naples the long, splendid arm sweep
ing around TO the south, below which Is SalernO
Gull, and then, out 10 sea, are it's 0uIjuttings,
showing IN Mount ST. ContanZa and the island OF
Capri; while its northern rim is outlined by the
heights west OF Naples Cape Misenun and the
islands of Procida and isclia, breaking on
grandly TO the southwest More than three
quarters OF the rim OF this tremendous ex-
tInct crater is thus clearly dlscerued. As
late 1902 Mount Epome0 in Ischia limited
Of the olden volcanic furies by pouring out
destructive floods of lava while, dominating The
eastern shore OF the gulf, and marking the limits
OF volcanic action on that side Of the original
mouth OF flame, Vesuvius has since stood, grim,
silent and burnt mountain" al the time OF
Chris's birth, but in the year 70 burning and
crumblng into two great divisions; and, though
sending forth lava beching such showers
OF hot and wet ashes as TO hide splendid Her.
cuaneum aud lordy POmre from sight of
human eyes for 1900 years. Naples itself
the gulf Known as the Bay OF Naples; and you
have a picture OF Its shape and contour IL you
Will Imagine tremendous checkered- back turtle
which has crept down steep bank to Il glowing
waterside, to bask there In the sun. Its wary
head Is the Castle dell 0yo It's lore legs stretch
laZlly around to the east and west. Its hind legs
DIotrude TO the right and LETT in The country
ward streets OF Salute and ForiI. And It shi II
ing tail is represented by the splendid height Of
CAPoDMoNTE
Behind, where CLEAN The walls of that noble
pile, the PalaZZo Reale. "See Naples aud die"
is maxim which must have had its origin in the
mind OF some enthusiast who approached the
city from the sea. 10 the north is the mountain
Gus island, lscbla its circular shores banded
with picturesque villages and fringed with net
work OF fishers sails. Beyond. 10 the east,
lies Procida. dainty and smiling and green.
Then, Cape Msenum walling in the tiny gull of
Pozzuoli; with countless vineyards and villas be-
tween Naples and the Shore To the south, wild
and rocky Capri string of pearl-like villages
threading The warm and glitterng shores, and
again the outer fringe OF lazy salts. Between 1t
and the mainland prOmont0ry. magnificent view
OF The cur of Salerno IS had, With The far spires
and d0mes Of Salerno ITSELF Circllng 10 the east
ana north, across foreground Of bluest wa
iers and brightest sails, Is seen marveously
beautiful shore, dotted by villa bamlet, church
and shrine, and then, around TO the north, with
Vesnylus ever sending forth It's threatening
smoke above, lies the wonderfully enhancing
region OF Tie dead cities-Castellamare, POM
peii and Herculaneum, the latter but Two hours
stroll from Tie splendid city which reaches even
TO II In thicSly settled enVirUns EMPOWERED In
Vines and flowers
Within this still standing almost complete cir
Gle OF oiden crater-rim what majestic historic
memories are awakened. There where tiny
Capri, the ancenls' island OF goats" receives
against its headland walls the thunderings OF the
Mediterranean 1tberius lay concealed nearly a
year after the fall of Sejanus; during the
Nap0leonic wars the island was taken by
raltar; and then retaken by brilliant
coup de main of the dashng Prince
Mura,. Sorrento, just around within the
mainland gulf edge, the ancient Surreptum OF
the Romans, Is the birthplace OF the immortal
Tasso, who after his glorious but inexpressibly
sad and pathetic career returned disguised AS u
wandering shepherd and was welcomed aud
adored by his devoted sister, Cornelia Beyond
Neapolitan arlstocracy. just as 1t was in ancient
times when Augustus NJ. Agrippa aud
Antonius Plus sought the cool cloisters of its
majestic chestnut groves and enjoyed, as
may now enjoy, the fragrance and delight of its
orange groves aud plantations OF mulberry,
pomegranate, FIG and olive; and where the elder
Pliny persisted while observing the Vesuyian
eruption which buried the city and with 1t Her
culaneum and Pompeil But few miles FUR
tner, between where the waters of The river
Serna come tumbling through the vineyards into
the sea and
THE Bosco OR WOODED REGION,
OF Vesuvus, stand the silent walls OF Pompe
every avenue, structure, monument, tomb,
palace aud babiIaGioD nearly as perfect and
equally as we'll directored, as before its seven
centuries stlpncp hpnRafb e nall
Hercuaneum Is found but few miles north.
ward ward low. !9wara Naples; Around on tue
natural beauty ana luxuriant vegeta-
ton. was the marine Of the ancients.
Enceladus under Etna, the giant TyphGus,
traushxed by the thunderbolt of Jupiter, ever
moaning, aud occasionally believing In his
awful throes and pain. After Rome's fail Ischia
suffered untold vicissiIudes. The celebrated
General, Marchesse Pescara, was born In the cas-
Tie. His sister, the brave aud noble Constance,
heroicaly defended il against the French forces
OF Louis H. Aud IL was 10 Ischia that tue tai
ented Vittoria Colonna, wife OF Pescara, the
retired 10 mourn her kingiy husbands loss.
Procda. islet OF houses in glislening white, OF
the vine and wine and fishermen, where, during
the festival of St. Michael iu September lie
women don the olden Greek costume of red and
gold ana dance the larentella IN weird and fan.
taslic orgies lies between Ischa ana the Neap-
olitan mainland of Cape Miseuum. Then Pospo,
lend OF care. where the notorious gluiton,
Vedius Polio. built his woudrous ericurean
villa, afterward possessed by Augustus. But the
real shrine here Is above PosilIpo, among lhe
leafy vineyards of the heights. Here, In a little
vaulted chamber. hardly sixteen feet square,
another immortal dreamed and Wrote
There the Georgics and Eneld were
composed, and here this old Ro-
mau columbarium Is the Tomb of tie
gentle Virgil. Thus at the two exiremltIes
Of the mainland headlanas OF The shining Nea-
poiitan gulf lived two OF the divinest poets The
world has ever knOwn-Virgil among the vines
upon the heights at the north; TassO, of a LATER
and sadder hour, among the chestnut groves aud
olives OF the south; intellectual beacOns OF god
like power TO shine with und Unfinished flame from
the twin headland horns OF the wondrous cres-
cent shore through all the cycles OF recorded