Los Angeles herald., 1907-07-07

~ HE traveller searching gaiety, charm
and beauty rushes to Paris and Is
~ soon so captivated by the splendour
of the old palaces, the extent of the pub
lie gardens and the life of the streets
that he exclaims: There is only one
Paris" This may be true. When he
reaches Florence he sees another sort of
beauty with less glamor, but more poetic
fascination. until he is almost ready to
exclaim there Is only one Florence.
The Etruscans who founded this idealic
spot must have appreciated 1t or they
would not have called this beautiful eoun-
try Florence, the land Of flowers. To
know this city at its best means to pass
two or three months there In the spring.
May and June are the two ideal months.
The soft winds blow down from the Apen-
mines carpeting the fertile valley with
many gay color flowers This beauty is
further heightened by the sun playing on
the clear waters of the Arno and giving a
brilliant hue to the greyish blue noun
tains.
The Florentines were not satisfied with
the natural beauty of their place; they
worked and struggled until they succeeded
in making Florence the proud rival of
Rome. Though there is scarcely square
in this Tuscan city that is not adorned
with one palace or a splendid bronze or
marble, one best realizes the past beauty
Of Florence in the Piazzo. In this great
square Is the Polazzo- vecchio della Sig
noFia, rustic in three stories, with a tall,
narrow tower and many small windows,
30 strong and formidable looking it might
suggest prison were it not for the large
open court and the richly carved columns
within, decorated In honour of the mar
riage OF francesca de Medici with Joan
OF Austria. In the centre is a fountain of
laughing boy playing with a dolphin. 1t
Is hard TO imagine anything more ami
mated and charming than this bronze
ngure, made at the command of Lorenzo
Medici Tor his villa at Careggi. Every
stone Is STEPPED in history, having been
built for the Priors and Ginfalniers away
back in the 18th century. Its strange
shape is largely because the Guelfs would
M have an inch Of this building on the
ground ever used by the Gueblines. They
said; Where the traitors nest had been
there the sacred foundation of the house
of the people should not be laid" 1t was
here the Medlcls ruled and Savonarola
lived and was made a prisoner
1t was in this great square that Sayona-
rola harangued the crowd urging them to
throw their yanlties aside; here the peo-
pie came to see him burnt on the stake.
On the western wall Is a broad stone plat
form called the Ringhlera, because here
the Slgnory always spoke to the people.
1t was from this spot that Alexandra de
Medici was proclaimed Grand Duke Of
Tuscany. There is not room in this
building without it's historic association.
A long flight Of steps leads to the sala du
Ducento, where the Councils were assem-
bled. But the beautiful hall decorated by
Vasari was built at the suggestion Of
SaVanoralo for the popular council. The
most splendid rooms are the Medicl rooms
named after different members OF the
Medici family and decorated with fres-
Goes representing important incidents in
their history. In the tower Is seen the
room where Cosini was kept q prisoner
and savonarola wrote his famous medi-
tatlons.
The Loggia is quite in keeping with the
splendour of the square. A tier of steps
leads up TO a series of round arches. The
Loggia is decorated with a number Of
handsome bronges The masterpiece is
the Perseus of Benvenuto Cellini. The
statue is full of dramatic action. 1t
shows Perseus descending from the clouds
to siay the monster while Adromeda looks
imploringly toward her protector Perseus.
Another great masterpiece is the Rape of
the Sabines, representing a stalwart youth
carrying on young woman In his arms.