The Portland daily press., 1901-02-09

when building the cathedral at Aix-la.
ChepeIle. The mosaics In the choir and
dome illustrate many New Testaip on
scenes, and some OF the original marble
is seen in he pillars Adjoining this is
what Is called the MausoIeum of Gala
Piacidia, founded by the mother OF VAL
entine Ill, who bore the name OF PIani-
dia. Her tomb, with that OF her brother
Honorius. at the left and her second hus-
tand Con- stsntius at the right, are the
only ones In Italy in their original posi-.
tions, This little edifice Is lined with
the most perfect mosaics, which resemble
those OF the chapel In the Convent OF
Daphne, near Athens, There are some
mosaics still more resplsndens If possible
in the Tribuna OF the "Apollinaris In
Classe," a church about three miles out
side OF Ravenna. You visit also the
palace OF Theodore the Great and the
mausoIeum erected to his memory, now
emTty, and which was called the San
Maria della Rotunda aftsr his ashes
were scattered by those who had warred
against him as an Arian hereto while
living.
But the great centre OF interest at
Ravenna is the tomb OF Dants and the
sarcophagus near 1t, an urn which holds
his ashes, The people of Florencs have
waited decade alter decade for these ashes
to be given up IN order to place them In
the splendid but empty sarcophagus
ready to receive them in San Croce, the
Wet ninsttsr Abbey OF Italy. Bat the
divinely grand statue In the Plaza in
front OF this church alone does Its duty
as memorial to himi since poetical JUS
tlcs Is still being meted out to the de
sosndants OF those who spurned him while
living, and Justice psrsonitied win not
forget the weary years which that melau-
choly old man, the Divine Poet, spent
wandering from vity 20 CITY and from
palace to palace in humiliation of soul,
until the women of Ravenna, where he
was finally Hospitality received, were so
eustomed to point him out Co their child
rem, when he passed In the street, as the
man who had been TO He'll
The Poler II family at Ravenna delight
ed % honor themselves In showing respect
to DArts, and here bis lat years were
S psrt in the CON panionship OF his cons
and in such peace and oontentment that
he ceased to yearn for his beloved Flor
enoe. The m sdallions OF Latlni Bruneltl,
his matter, Can Grande Scala, and Guido
Polenta are engraved on the walls within
his tomb. while on the opposite side of
the street q marble slab marks the sta OF
the old Polenta palace, where he died.
These hours at Rayenna made up a
busy day, which We finished by a long
Journey to Milan, arriving at eleven |
O'Clock In the evening, after stopping
over at Bologna TO see the 1t. Cecilia.
Our visit at Milan was for the purpose
OF taking in the CeItosa Of Pavia, which
In all our waaaerings In northern Italy
we had never before seen. There is
station especially for this Certosa twenty
minutes distant from Milan, SO that one
need net lose more than two hours for
the round trip; for the corps of atten-
dants is SO prompt that you are able TO
see the whole OF this magnificent Garth
usian Monastery between two trains. IL
Ia sI lendid memorial of tae Milan
dynatty which was founded by Clan
Galeazzo Visconti and was restored in
lS44 and given to the Carthusians. But
after the suppression OF the Italian mon
asteries 1t has been maintained as
national museum. All the attendants
are forbidden TO take fees, since II Is in
tended to be a resort on holidays for the
poor as well as the rich.
The day we visitsd it was Toussaint
Tan Sainh Day., and there were hum
dreds OF poor peasants going through tine
beautiful chapels whion are decorated
like palaces, there being many paintings
By Bourgogne. and mosaics and precious
stones and beautiful pillars, the pave
ments being of mosaic. 1t is far the
most ornate thing In northern Italy; the
facade vies with those Of Orvieto and
Siena, being the most maft'rly work of
le kind OF he 18th century. thirty OF the