Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-21

l am. after twenty years. again on the very
summit of the belfry of the Frari. i. e.,
about the highest point left in Venice, or
30 feet above sea: and, wonderful to say,
we are but two feet out of the perpendic-
ular.
This Campanile is now the nOblest point
left to ascend here; but owing to architec-
tural work being done, the public must
choose some other and smaller tower than
that of this huge Westminster Abbey of
Venice. which is the former church of the
franciscans below me. How well these
thirteenth century people built. This mas
sive tower. made with two concentric
square walls, with an inclined path (rampa).
not steps, up it, between them, has the in
nermost one ightened by arches in tiers
all the way up: and in those six hundred
years since IT was built it has not sunk. by
my measure, thirty centimeters. Originally
1T was Joined to but separate like most in
veneer from the church. In the late four
teenth century. perhaps, the church was
made to join it. There is the mischfef-the
tower has sunk and the church has not;
hence. cracks and restorations in the head
OF that southeast aisle (for this church
faces northeasD, and the repairs now being
executed by the Italian government are of
the first-rate character, with not an ele-
ment OF calculation left out, thank good
ness.
1 know of no church in all Italy. from
Assist itself. which SO remarkably repre-
sents the enormous influence Of the Order
of St Francis as does this one. Its Illus
doges. admirals of the republic, ambassa-
doris and bishops. and Titan and Canova;
and lately from the miserable tenements
cleared away from the exterior ways of
the choir and side chapels have been
brought to light lovely white sarcophagi of
the "Bredolard. of Cremona, 1921" This
clearing away (of which more remains to
be done) will permit the lower sections of
the aforesaid side chapel windows dong
since brfcked up) to be opened out again.
Like other confraternities all the world
over. the Franciscans have faithfully re-
fected the good and evil things, aesthetf-
caliy as wei! as morally. to which their
long and noble life has subOrdinated them.
Originally. this magnificent church was de
signed with a superb clearstory above its
nave arcades. The visitor now sees only
terrible lunettes of great size, most clum-
silly set in its place. The late examination
has made plain that there was DESTROYED
except In one instance) a most beautiful
biforate Gothic window within a round arch
IN the place occupied by each of these
lunetteS. Allowed on to the tiled roof of
the lofty aisle. 1t was possible to stand
face to face with and admire this one bit
of work. which Ruslsin might have spent a
morning with: and 1t deserves that appre-
citation.
One more interesting feature and / must
close my letter. What we should call the
northern aisle was dedicated to the Flor
entines. Mounting the scaffold into the
height of 1t, l found myself face to face
with chief d'oeuvre described in no guide
book yet 1t Is a round light or "tondo'
to the facade here. framed in high relief
with lions heads and red lilies of Florence.
ten feet in diameter. All around and above
my head the grand rbhing is so seriously
cracked that it has had to be pinned, and
the work is being splendidly DONE as 1
can guarantee to any who wish for details.
Besides this has been discovered a four
teenth century window of round quarries
conferred by crimson stained glass lily;
witness of the days when the Acciajuoli
and Bardi and Peruzzi had great dealings
with the merchant princes of ST. Mark.