The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-11
VIEWS IN RARE OLD GENOA
Siqhts Which Reveal the Italy Of
Mediaeval Times.
MANY FAMOUS OLD BUILDINGS
Art Galleries That While Not Famous.
Are Still Worth SeeinG-A Bright
Letter OF Travel from . Land
Of Historic Interest.

themselves and well worthy of visi'
from anyone wishing to see something
of the old Italian life, still have nt
great galleries of pictures to attract
the average tourist. There are 81
many more of these galleries in Rome
Florence and Venice that Genoa, his
torically one of the most interesting o1
Italian cities, is usually passed through
hurriedly.
But there is perhaps no place In Italy
where anyone who cares for the Italy
churches, the Italy of the streets and OF
the people, can See it better than In che
old, narrow. winding streets of Genoa
The old portion of the town. down neal
the wharfs, remains as II was In the
days when Genoa warred with Venice
for the possession Of the trade OF the
Mediterranean sea and was usually sue
cessful in that war.
NARROW STREETS.
These streets are probably the mar.
rowest in proportion to the height OF
the buildings in all Europe. They ruT
in width from three feet to perhaps
thirty, but 1t Is only few of the Older
streets that can boast of this latter
width. The buildings run up hundred
and the effect of a street is somewhat
like crack left by an earthquake.
Through these narrow paths. for that
is all we would think of calling them in
America, flow steady streams OF peo-
pie. all walking, for Genoa. In the mat
ter of cabs and horses, Is almost as
badly off as Venice. AS is the usual
custom In Italy, everyone walks In the
middle of the street, which is paved
with large triangular blocks of stone
and Is practically only n sidewalk all
the way across.
There are many old historic buildings
scattered through these winding
streets, palaces and churches, all remi-
niscent of the families of traders and
warriors who made Genoa Il great ma
val power. The Via Garibaldi and the
Via Balbi are flanked with perhaps the
finest palaces. architeturally. in Italy
Walking up these streets. between the
painted and frescoed walls of the pal
aces. looking into the magnificent
courts and up the grand staircases, one
gets a good idea of what the Italy OF
the middle ages was.
RARE OLD HOUSES.
Many of the palaces are occupied by
the same families which built them.
Most of them contain galleries of pic
lures, with no great masterpieces, per-
haps, but still galleries such as one
could never hope to see in America.
The all-powerful half franc will open
the door of any of them, and you can
wander around through the superb
apartments, hung with tapestries and
pictures. Genoa has a great many OF
the works of Rubens and of Van Dyck,
who both resided here several years.
and who painted many portraits of the
Genoese nobility. The Van Dycks are
especially good. One of his equestrian
portraits of member of the Balbi fam
lily has rther curious bit of history
connected with it. After the portrait
was finished the family was banished
by the republic, something that quite
often happened to Genoese families, and
Velasquez was employed to alter the
picture, painting in the head of Philip
Nv of Spain over the original. This
painting thus represents the work of
two of the greatest masters of art.
There is a very charming vista to be
seen through the door of one of the pal
aces of the interior court, with beauti-
full sculptured renaissance fountain,
covered with moss. the green of which
Is in beautiful contrast to the old
Many of the courts are planted with
orange trees and the views from the in
terror windows down into these courts
are very pleasing
GENOA'S CHURCHES.
The churches of Genoa are none of
them of any great architectural quality,
but they are all very richly decorated,
and the cathedral, though a mixture Of
many styles and built of black and
white marble, a method of building
rather unpleasant at first to northern
eyes, has a certain impressiveness.
Down near the wharfs stands the old
building of the Bank of st. George one
of the first, II not the first, banks of Eu-
rope, established i'm the early years of
the republic of Genoa and at one time so
powerful as to threaten the overthrow
of the popular government. Over the
windows Of the building the old colors
of the cross Of St. George are still visi-
BILE, the cross which is in the armorial
bearings of so many royal families.
IN MODERN GENOA.
Modern Genoa is prosperous, busy
town, for, unlike its ancient rivals.
Pisa and Venice. it's commerce has new
er deserted it. and its harbor presents a
busy scene. Through the munificence
of the duke of Galliera, who left twenty
million francs in his will for that pur-
pose. the harbor has been greatly i'm
proved and Is now the best in Italy.
Fifteen thousand vessels pass In and
out of the port every year, and the i'm
ports are nearly four hundred millions
of francs. The most modern streets of
the town are straight and well paved
q N xy-itt
as fine. of course. as the old palaces. but
still very creditable buildings. The
steamers of the German lines sailing
from Genoa to New York have been a
great help to the town. and many trav-
elerJ now come direct to Italy By that
line in preference to the English lines
via Liverpool and Southampton. .
An excursion to the Villa Pallavicini
Is one of the great attractions of Gen.
Oa. 1t is made by way of the tram lines
to Pegli, seven miles distant. and on
the trip the traveller will become very
well acquainted with the thoroughly
European custom of town duties on
food. The line passes through num-
Der of small towns. and at the entrance
of each town an officer boards the car
to see that no one Is carrying anything
eatable into the town without paying
lected i'm this way. but from the number
of men 1t takes to guard the gates 1t
looks as II the expense of collecting 1t
must be as much as the revenue itself.
At the other side of the town the same
thing happens and ii is all an illustra-
tion of how the people of Europe are
taxed at every opportunity. Here In
Italy every price mark that merchant
displays i'm his show window bears Il
stamp, every hotel bill and great
many other things too numerous to
Truly Italy is paying for its
position in the triple alliance.
ONES TROUBLE REPAID.
But If 1t Is q bother to get to the villa
the beauty of the place re-
pays one II Is on the sloping mountain
side. and there. with the snow covered
Alps rising back Of 1t and the blue Med
iterranean at it's foot. Is the finest gar
den In Italy. Winding walks. bordered
l., IN, ha CIR,