Morning journal and courier., 1893-06-28

Way OF That sunny City OF Italy
| -Sombrc and Picturesque Streets
Everyone Lives More or Less Close.
ly In the Past-Thrfving and Well
Fed Monks.
FLORENCE, December, 1892.
To the Editor OF the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
Just below the Church of San Miniato,
intrenched hign up, on a hill of Otssrno,
is the Piazza Michael Angelo. From this
spot (where the spirit of the returned
Florentine citizen took his survey is q
most comprehensive, msp-Eke view. On
an Indisn summer afternoon the City of
Lilies Lies wrapped In warm sunlight.
First among her great towers and churches,
in all its majesty, is the grand bulk of the
red-brown dome Brunelleschi fought go
hard to build. The Csmpsnile of Giotto
close by, taking unto itself changing lights
to suit its own many colored marbles.
Not far off is the noble upward spring of
the Palszza VecchIo tower cleaying the
air. Nearer still the quaint Ponts vsc-
chic, loaded with its little shops, spanning
the Arno. This river Arno is golden"
only by poetlcsl license; the most vivid
sunshine never reveals any color but yel-
lowish brown.
Another more enchanting though die
tant view of Florence is from the old con-
vent of Certoss, whose rugged, hosry bat
Elements We approached on q day so warm
that the August sun ssemed still to linger
in the walls aud Aaggings. Here you are
conducted about by q jolly, white robed
monk Cof whom more anoD), and Drn q
bed consecrated by g Pops's slumbers,
some exquisite old stained glAss windows,
and In tho chapter house an unfinished
crucifxion by Albertineln M.riatso. This
has all the subtle depth and feeling In the
womsn's faces 60 well given by that Wild
and wsyward painter. His MARY" has
always look of keeping and pondering
these things in her heart"
The view from little porch, through a
ruined stone arch, Is one never to be for
gotten, commanding the whole sweep of
the Arno valley from distant Friesole to
the turrets of Belloequtrdo and ArcetrI,
where those melancholy Expresses shade
the old home of Gallileo. The oloister
garden Of this convent Is fairly pre- his
torio. "The weeds they root themselves
at ease in Lsthe wharf" From the old
well in the center AttiIs, the Hun, might
have quenched his thirst, If that barbarian
could have entered a spot over which there
must have brooded, then aud now, q pri-
meval stiffness,
III ,hoF - a.
mssning monks eat no meat, nevertheless
they are in q shcckingly prosperous physi-
cal condition here and elsewhere.
Now 1t is not enough 20 have seen & hair
sh.rt in a glass csse- You wish to behold
its narrowing Impress upon the living
form. The Imagination, fed by tradition,
looks for gsunt and emsciRtsd figures
bearing the marks of HASTINGS and mid
night sigils, of scourgings aud Hsgella.
tions. fou know these are degenerate
days In the church of Rome, bat is all
holy enthusiasm deadi you ask yourself
when you zee these broad, exprsssIonless
faces, devoid of all tr.cs of spiritual
wrestliugs. There Is no limit among them
all of ecststic visions and trsnc.s. A,asl
they have a thriving, well fed, comfortable
air, a really nouri.hed look, as II they
might have lately come out of Weir Mitch
ellis rest cure. The ideal monk, II You
could find him now alive Qet us hope he
does live somewhsre), would be ons of
the fine old Dom!nioians, frescoed in the
lunnettes of Son, Marcos cloister, or bet
ter still the central face, glowing with a
lofty spirit and energy, In Giorgiane's pic
ture of the Concert of Music at the Pith
gallery.
But to return to the Tuscan city.
There is the Via Tarnabouni. This
Broadway of FloVnes on a sunny October
morning is 1edly sight, and in the face
of all its life, activity and apparent pros
perity you forget to think thst In c9ntu-
ries gone by the Florentines have burnt
out and consumed their energies, forget
that is-untiI, in one # tine shops eome
order you give Is blunderipgly filed. At
every step of the way some new attraction
claims you. These yellow chrysauthe-
NUNS and roses, biszIng out from the base
of the rugged reck Of the Strozzl Palace;
the Bargello work in many shaded silks,
Cinaue Cento tapestries and dusky bro
cades with the gleam OF old silver; the
classic profile OF Dante, the garlanded
head of Petrsrch on porcelain, or In mar
BILE, hard by their own vellum covered po-
ems, Mossics and the glow of sspphires
aud diamonds; the fantastic patterns of
Contsgalli and Ginori ware, copies of Fra.
Angelice's angels sounding their golden
trumpets Moreover there is Gown and
eChtteIeu tuiChIg b1AooSuf tAS5c tfc&cuIcc,
in torquoise, silver and bronze, In red and
gold, In iron under your feeE, in stone over
your head, the imperishable Lily of Flor
encs (sometimes wonder IL snow fakes
will not fall here in lily shapes) ALI
these things and more meet and charm the
eye along this smiling thoroushfare-
Scarcely less alert can you afford to be
in the sombre and more picturesque
strests, shaded by their overhsnging roofs,
watching on every side for some historic
Landmark, Ike Michael Angeles house. the
seat of Dante, or Ginsvrs's ''strest of the
dead, oftsn with the half shrinking, half
longing expectation of meeting the black
yobed Missricordis brothers In their grue-
some procession, bearing their sad burden.
less cloEely in FloreDcs, but the trans
formation 10 mora complete, If you.live,
move apd have your being, in one of the
old palaces like The famous Soderim, In
O,trarno, under whose roof there are at
least three pensions, and where there Is
cosiness and comfort, besides space and |
grandeur, Q combination not often to be |
found.
You are here minietered to by Annuuzi- |
atlas and to Guiseppes. and even a Roma- |
liam, tinge, coIors and atmosphere, in The |
presence of an actual Baldasssrre the fac
chino. There is. however, no dire and |
yengeful expression on his oountenAnce,
and, so far as / sm aware, no death deal |
ing poniard turks within his medieval
smelling doublst.
OF course in varying degrees of success
wo are all graphing with the italian
tepgue, this language SO eyasive and full
of surprises, 30 abounding in soft conces