The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-01-24
TUESDAY. JANUARY
THE DoGEss PALACE AT VENICE.

THE DOGE'S PALACE AT VENICE.
The Superior Court of Fine Arts in
Rome having adopted a resolution for
mally declining to accept further re-
sponsibility for the safety Of the Doges'
palace in this city, the governent tele-
graphed last night to Signor Boito, the
well-known architect of Milan, request
ing him to proceed to Venice Immediate
ly, hold an inquiry and submit a report.
The report on which the council Of fine
arts adopted their resolution says that
to the extensive subsistence of the walls
adjacent to the Bridge of Signs and the
decay of the timbers supporting the LII
brary of st. Mark, the floor of which
was shored up three years ago. The
ceilings of many of the other rooms are
also said to be much dilapidated and
threaten to fall in, the arches being
cracked in every direction. The palace
architects say that the apprehensions
entertained are greatly exaggerated
and are partly unfounded, but their dec
Iaratlon is not considered as very reas
surfing, especially when other competent
Venetian architects agree with the re-
port of the council of fine arts.
The GazZetta di Venezia pub ishes an
interview with Signor Berchet, the d.
rector, and Signor Rosso, the architect
of the district committee, who state
that the alleged subsidences by the
Bridge of Signs do not exist and that
there is merely a movement of the wall
caused by the oxidation of the metal
clamps, threatening no immediate dam
ger. Both these officials also deny that
the timbers are worm-eaten; they are
merely in bad state and are being
gradually renewed. The floor of st.
Marks Library, they add, wasshored up
because of the weight of the books,
which increase in number every day.
and should be temporarily transferred
elsewhere to permit of repairs being
carried out The present supports
however, are quite adequate to avert all
danger. AS to the ceilings, they are not
dilapidated, and only in the Sala del
Maggior Consiglio and some others have
a few decorations fallen, the fragments
of which have been collected in order to
be replaced when funds are available for
LIE puIpUSe. AS W the dIClGS LIE hGy-
stone of only one Is missing, and meas
ures are being taken to repair it, the
arch being eanwhile solidly propped up.
The local commit zee has at it's disposal
only fifty thousand francs for the work
Of restoration. According to another
interview published, Signor Dezotto a
member Of the council of fine arts, Is
represented to have declared that cracks
have recently appeared in many Of the
timber supports, and that the wood
work in many places Ia dilapidated.
The settling Of the walls, especially near
the canal, is quite evident, since the
weight of the sinking arch has broken
the capitals of the pillars. Signor Del
lotto considers that the present state of
affairs justifies the gravest apprehen-
sion. Signor Rinnovamento shares
these views. He points out that the
ceilings of five rooms are already
shored UP, and that the sinking of the \
walls is evidently making progress. He I
considers it necessary to remove the |
statuary collection from the archaeplog- 7
ical museum and the library of five |
hundred thousand volumes.-Venice |
Correspondence of the London Times,
December ~.