Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-07-31

Of the city of Oonstantinople itself.
This was her period ofgreatest wealth
and power. Immediately Immense
palaces Of marble sprang up from her
waters, outriyling any the world had
known. Some OF them are still in ex-
~istence, mostly used as art galleries,
hotels and places Of public amuse-
ment.
Each successive doge tried to Guido
his predecessor in enriching his city.
Prominent among these doges were
Faliero. orseolo, ziani and Dandolo.
1t was after the famous victory OF the
Ghibelllnas at Sabroro that Pope
Alexander, In st. Marks Cathedral, In
the presence OF many dignitaries,
planted his foot upon the neck OF
Frederick Of Germany. This same
victory led the pope TO present to.
Doge ziani a ring to lived the Adri-
atic.n The sea, he said, was subject
to Venice as the bride TO her husband;
and no for centuries the custom was
kept up Of dropping a wedding ring
into the sea.
Many Of the doges were tyrants and
ruled their subjects with despotlc
sway. Some Of them were 50 shorn OF
their prerogatives that they lit
tie more than prisoners OF state. The
oligarchies were even more tyrannical
than the doges = the rule OF the
Council of Ten being a reign Of ter
ror. AS in the history OF all ancient
governments, despotism and immor-
tally led to the final overthrow OF the
Venetians. Her commerce received a
final blow by the discovery OF a new
route TO India
"a way was found,
A channel opened, and the golden
stream
Turned to enrich another.
We have not space to trace the de-
cline and final humiliation Of Venice
by Napoleon and the Austrians. On
the Sth of May, 1881, the council de-
cided to offer no resistance to the
French; and, the doge having abdicat-
ed on the 18th, Napoleon entered the
city on the 18th, and proclaimed the
end of the republic. The republic
changed hands several times between
Vienna and Paris, and finally, in 1866,
was Incorporated into the kingdom Of
Italy.
The great center OF trade and Of
pleasure and the place Of special at
traction to the modern tourist is the
Piazza, or Square, Of st. Mark. Al
ways thronged on Sunday afternoon
and evening" II presents n Of the
most vividand interesting scenes to be
witnessed anywhere in the world. The
whole population seems TO be gath
cred In the square, yying with each
other in every form Of social enjoy
ment. But the most charming occn-
pants Of this square, in the daytime,
are the plgeons-hundreds Of them
SO thick you q scarcely step, and 80
gentle that they viii light on your
arm and feed out Of your hand. Legend
says that in ancient times a carrier
pigeon brought a message Of alarm
that saved the city In a time Of great
peril Since then they have been held
sacred and are protected from harm
under the severeSt penalties
The crowning feature Of the piazza
is the great Cathedral OF st. Marx.
Here, tradition says, the body Of st.
Mark was laid TO rest In s2e, having
been brought from Alexandria, in
Egypt. From that day st. Mark has
been the patron saint Of the city, in.
stead OF the former st. Theodore,
lover the door Of the entrance are the
famous bronze horses which were
brought here from COnstantinople b.
the Emperor Zeno in 1905, carried t.
Paris by Napoleon in 1897, and re
) stored to Venice in 1915. The uneven
! wavy floor adds to the antique inter
est Of the cathedral. In front OF thu
main altar are the statues Of the Viz
] gin Mary, st. Mark and the otheI
apostles.
The mosaics and carved work Of St
] Mark distinguish it above all othel
cathedrals in Europe, and the Candida
bra are unsurpassed in grandeur By
! any other. In front and to the right
Of the entrance TO the cathedral, rise
the grand square campanile, or bel
tower, surmounted by an angel. Their
! are no steps, but a pavement wind
round the four walls, gradually
ascending to the height Of three hun
dred and fifty-three feet, where Tho
! finest view OF the city is obtained. In
deed, no one has seen Venice until b,
views 1t from the top Of campanile.
Up this novel pathway, it is said
the great Napoleon went-riding upor
a donkey. From this point Of view II
} occurs to most visitors for the frsI
! time that there is not a vacant lot il
Venice, and that the only way t
build is 10 measure OF a lot on thu
waite, dfiFeldown piling, and erect you
house In the sea On the other side
Of the piazza is the curious clock. A
/, fairy hand seems to drop and change
J the figures on the dial, and the two
mighty smithies strike the hours with
pOnderous hammers. Inseparably con
nected with the history Of Venice Il
the Doge's Palace on the east side Of
the p~iazzetta, or little square. Could
these walls but speak, they might re.
veal 10 US the secrets OF the wars
the policies, the commerce and crime:
Of the oligarchies OF this eyentfuI
city.
Crossing the "Bridge OF Slghs,'i
which spans the Rio Palazzo, we pass
from the palace to the prison. In
looking into these horrid cells we ex-
~perienced the same bloodeurdllng
sensations as at the tomb Of Beatrice
CencL
From the cells the prisoners were
led across the Ponte DEF Sosplri 70 the
palace 70 hear their sentence; thence
TO the scene Of execution, south Of
Piazettas between the two famous red
granite columns, surmounted by the
hgureof St Theodore, and the winged
lion Of St. Mark.
OF the Italian cities, for history,
visit Rone-it IS In every stone. For
seulutura. visit Flomnce - there IA