Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-07-03
INTERESTING LETTER FROM FLORENCE ITALY
Miss Vema Sharp Who Last Month Was Touring Italy Writes En-
tertaininsly of the Many Sights Of interest to be Found
in that Far Away Country. Miss Sharp Returns Soon

visited the great glass industries at
Murano and / bought a little souv-
enir for your new cupboard. I'm
carrying it myself to avoid catastro-
phe and my bundles" are getting
TO be a joke with the girls. After
dinner we went out in the Piazzo del
San Marco to hear the military
music and see the crowds of people
promenading and slipping wines or
coffee at little tables in front of the
cafes. The city was full of tourists
and simply over-run with Americans.
We heard really more English than
Italian. The next morning we took
the express and were in Bologna at
p. m, where we went at once to
the Hotel Bron and had luncheon.
We then took cab for the afternoon
and went first to the Academy which
contains a wonderful Guido REM
room and a Rafael room where is
the original OF the famous "St. Ce-
celia From the Academy we went
to the University. 1t contains a won
derful old library and is one Of the
most interesting old places imagin-
able. Everything about it is so an
tique-dating away back in the early
centuries A. d. In the operating
room took place the first dissecting
OF human body; and in the court
yard is an old fountain from the
sixth century. Before the thirteenth
century the University had $4,000
students. There now-that's where
made a mistake-the fountain was
in the courtyard of the church of
St. Stefano, instead of the University.
St Stefano's is intensely interesting
chiefly because of its great age, the
first dating as far back as the fourth
century and was originally a pagan
temple, the old marble pillars of
which are still standing. We visited
several other churches including San
Lorenzo and San Domenico, the lat
ter containing the tomb of Guido
REM. AT 600 we returned to the
hotel, had dinner. and left at 71o for
Florence, reaching here at 10:40 p. m.
Nine Riccioli could not accommodate
us until today, so we slept at a near
by hotel and came In this morning.
The Pension is in charming old
palace with turns and twisting CORR
dors and windows looking out into
odd little courts. There are eighty
seven people here now, nearly al
Americans, so that we have a regular
colony. This morning we slept late
and took little rest, and directly
after dinner we took a carriage and
drove out to the famous Viale del
Cole, one of the greatest promen-
AIDES in Italy, and enjoyed to the full
the splendid view of Florence and its
environs, to say nothing of the many
charming villas and their grounds
which we passed. Upon Our return
we visited the Cathedral, with its
"Pieta" by Michael Angelo, and won
derful marble choir screen, the Bap-
tstery with the three carved bronze
doors which Michael Angelo said
were beautiful enough to be the
gates of Paradise" and a tomb of an
early pope by Donatello; and then
we climbed the campanile, Ala steps.
and secured another magnificent
view. Tomorrow we shall visit the
Uffizzi gallery and one or two others.
We shall probably remain here until
Monday night and then go on to
Rome. The weather is delightful and
we are all well and happy" Flor
ence is noted for it's mosaics, bronzes
and wood carving and | hope to get
something as souvenir. The city
itself is charming, and has so much
of interest, both artistically and his
torically, that / only wish we could
stay week or more at least.
!,
Pension Francini, Ga Via Venets,
Rome, Italy, June 14th, 1907
] am just beginning to realize what
the word Rome, the Eternal City,
means, as one never can until he has
visited it and seen for himself what
a wonderful place it is. It's treasures
OF art and history make II a source of
study of the most enjoyable and
strenuous CD kind. We left Florence
last Tuesday morning after a stay
which was delightful in every way,
and only wishing that we could have
spent another fortnight among it's
art treasurers. The wonderful Pitt
Gallery, the Academy with its "Dav-
id" by Michael Angelo, and the beau