The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-07-01
A HISTORICAL CITY,.
ANCIENT PISA AND A FEW OF ITS
FAMOUS BUILDINGS

Ono OF tho Most Beautiful Cathcdrals In
4 Europe May BE Found In That City.
Where Galilei Got the Notion OF the
4 PenSalum--A Route with Tunn9ls
The route from Genoa to Pisa is over the
longest underground railroad of which
have any knowledge. For at least a hun
tlrcd miles of the distance along the coast
we ran through an almost continuous tun-
mel under the high cliffs that look down
upon the sea, Every now and then, in
deed, we emerge for moment and get n
glimpse of the blue waters and picturesque
sailing craft below, but instantly return
again to utter darkness and to the cavern
Gus echoes that rumble in our ears
1t is not pleasant experience, especially
for nervous people who IRE constantly in @
not unreasonable dread that some detached
rock may fall upon their heads. At last,
as our pathway trends away from the
coast, we come out into the open air and
sunshine, and passing through a fertile
country, every inch of which is under full
cultivation, after some five hours the eX-
press train, which stops at every station on
the road, arrives at Pisa.
Pisa is one of the most ancient cities OF
Italy, although at present it does not offer
30 many inducements to tourists as do
many of the Others But it has n history
Vi MutCi atS iiiO|C lOEtuH6cC TlNilS InIInU
be proud. Founded by Trojan colony, it
was a place of some note in the time of
Rome's prosperity, as n naval depot Prob
ably the navigation of the 1Arno, on which
1t stands, was deSS DISTRACTED than it is
now, for the water is at present very shall
low, especially in the dry season, and the
passage over the bar where tho river enters
the Mediterranean n few miles below has
become so impracticable that what little
f,-l<t In, ntx &c Il A..
from JJeghorn, from which port Pisa lis dis
tant only a2 miles
In later times, when the GLORY of Rome
had departed, Pisa rose to the dignity of an
independent republic, was very populous,
had "a large commerce and was particularly
celebrated for Ats navy, which often OBJ
tanned the victory over Genoa and other
neighboUing states. Its walls were
miles in circumference. A large standing
army was maintained, for the Pisans were
fora long time tire rivals of the F'loren-
tines. These cities fought many n bloody
battle until in the thirteenth century Pisa
was finally subdued by Florence and be
came incorporated under the same govern
ment.
Its palaces arsena1s and warehouses still
remain, but deserted halls and vacant,
arches send back their echoes to tell of
days gone by-+such days as they shall never
see again. But the Pisais have not lost
everything, Tor the monuments of the taste
and liberalty of their ancestors still re-
main, and they may we'll boast of their uni
versity and library, their magnificent ca
tbcdral-Campo Santo-and thecampanile
OF, as 1t is more faniliarly known to every
schoolboy in our land, the Leaning Tower
The cathedral, bai,tistery and campanile
areall within a few steps of each other
and though not connected the latter two
are subservient TO the former The ban
tistery is what its name implies, rs is also
the campanile, the "'belfry" They were
built from the proceeds of spoils taken
from the Saracens Mt Palermo IL the year
l0G3. Regarding their victory over the
enemies OF the cross rs the result OF divine
cooperation, they resolved thus to perpet-
uate their grateful acknowledgement of
The power to whom they We're so much in
debted, and In the succeeding year the
Archbishop Guido, as appears by one of the
inscriptions. laid the cornerstone
Ihcarchitect to whom the conoeption of
the beautiful cathedral is sittribut ed was
boschetto, although he seems TO have had .
the advice and assistance of Others in many /
OF the designs, and after his death other !;
distinguished men, including Michael An
gelo, aided in the completion Religion
commends itself lin various WAYS TO differ 4
ent minds and hearts. Some OF MS arc like
the Indians, who can best see God in the
clouds and hear him in the winds. and
some like our Puritan ancestors, think
that the Almighty delights To dwell OH
barns, hut even over such men "A feeling of
religious awe mast creep when they enter.a
temple like this. The practice of erecting
splendid temples to the Deity, under what. 4
ever name he may he worshped, has been
common among almost all nations from
the remotcst periods of history Aside from
TIE advantages posterity has derived from
Them as noble works OF art religion has
found its way by such means into many q
heart that would otherwise have been dest;
TUE of its sacred influences and amid the
nights of darkness that have shroutlcd the
world they have treasured within them the
light ngain destined 10 break out and bring
forth II new day.
Who can doubt that the holy temule at
Jerusalem contributed as much as the com
Iuandments of Moses to the maintenance
for centuries of that pure theism on which
Christianity is built2 Ii was to erect its
hallowed walls that The people laborcd by
Night ana day, and To preserve the pile so
dear TO them they guarded their city with
ceaseless vigilance, and when that city was
at last destroyed they fiocked around the
temple. and in defense of it and of their re-
iigion they freely shed their blood
do not know why this cathedral OF Pisa
has impressed me more than many others
OF greater nagnificcnce that have seen
unless the secret of it is to be found in the
exquisite symmetry of its proportions It's
affairs, pillars, rich mosaic pictures, paint
lngs, frescoes and gildngs all harmonic
and delight the eye wherever it is turned.
1t is the perfection OF architecture and
graceful beauty Yet there is one old
bronze chandelier which strangely con-
tri'sts with everything around it, but it has
history OF its own. Gallei was once
walking across the floor of the cathedral.