The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-24
AN ALABAMIAN TELLS
 OF SIGHTS IN VENICE
"Chat" Writes of Venice and the Impression Il Makes Upon Person Accustomed to the
 Sights and Scenes of Venice.

You understand perfectly too. why they went there, for it is the only clean lup-to-date sight to see in Verona. Yes the tomb fs thoroughly up- to- date, 1t Is kept so on purposeeto please the American tourist, who naturally lprefers sanitation to sentiment. Just to show that you have, no hard feelings toward Shakespeare. who was respon- sibie for making you stop over at one of the most uninteresting places on the coutinent you leave a card in the especially constructed tomb for that purpose. You also buy a post card or two just for sentiment not sanitation sake. because the guide explains to you in Italian that they were painted by Juliet.s fair hands from designs by Romeo. At least that's what you think he says and what you don't know doesn't hurt you. There are ever- greens growing in profusion. also planted by papa and mama Capuiet no doubt and to which you are welcome If you are as well supplied with green backs as the shrubs are with green leaves
 BuIIdfng Churches.
 1 Whenever the people in Verona didn't know what to do with the money they begged or stole from the American tourists they constructed a church. They have as many of them as New York has theatres and you would have several days or hard work If you at tempted to see them all. There are tombs built right in the middle of the lefty to the old Italian families and a lcoliseum that they tell you is in much better repair than the one in Rome 1ust as though you would care to see a ruin put into regular sky scraper con dition. when you came over here to sec ruins.
 that's what you always go back to if you are sight seeing ih Verona. One of them. the one to St. Zania. was built at the early age of 300 A. D., and it remains to tell the tale. It contains | the tomb of the saint and every year l when his day comes around the coffin is opened and you can see what he every year since he died all those | years ago. but doubtless he likes it. for he was member of the African race. you knew.
 There is statue to him in the church where he is painted just as black as they say his deeds were white. He is of a smiling conntenance char acteristic of the African, and also per- haps the Veronese acquired from him that other African characteristic, a lack of cleanliness.
 Every city in Italy has its patron 'saint, just as St. Zenia is the patron saint of Verona. so Is St. Mark the patron saint of Venice. He Is respon- sible for the most beautiful of piazzas and cathedral as well. There is a coi- l umn especially constructed in this pi- azza on which his lion rests. Of course the Hon of St. Marks is historic just like everything else about Venice. even | the water. I An Italianized- American says that the history of Venice alone is about I fifty more volumes than the entire his- tory of the United States. You can well believe 1t, too, when you go through the Doges Palace and have the guide tell you of the troubles of the l different Venetian families. the lives oi the many Doges and all the other vi- cissItudes of Venice since she reigned as queen of the seas.
 The entrance to the palace is up . broad marble stairway and at the tor of which you pay the winter price oi admission, which is always more be. cause there are fewer-American tour ists to support Italian enterprises. Af- ter that you are allowed to climh the golden stairs as they are called, al- though the gold is overhead in the ceil- ing and you are steppingg on marble
 The Doges were very fond of hav- ing tkemselves painted for the rooms
 
 caps. which as you know are unlike ] all others for they have their points to tue back. Even the gondolas wear the doges cap at their brow along with the bars which correspond to our stars in the flag and signify the orig- inal States. The Doges all must have been men of taste, because everything in the palace fs indicative of taste and splendor. The most noted of the Ven- etian artists. Titan, Linbretto. Pal ma. ivecchio Paul Verenese and . | whole lot of others whose names are not quiteNas familiar all contributed to make the palace a marvel of beauty. Besides in the large rooms for state occasions, there are the wonderful wood carvings for which the Venetiane are even now famous.
 1 Hut 1t was case of mid pleasures and palaces with the Doges, for home sweet home must have sounded very sweet to them when they knew they couldn't get away from the palace. Be- sides, if they were elected to be Doges they had to be whether they wished to be or not. and they had to stay so until they died The worst of | it was, too, that they couldn't put any of the rest of their family in office, even if they stood the civil service ex- animation. The next worse thing to being Doge was to have your name put in the Lions Mouth. They still show you the hole in the wall where | anonymous letters attacking your char acter were dropped. but the Lion'r Mouth. like everything else, the loss