Norwich bulletin., 1910-09-06

Florence, or italian Firenze. is de-
cfared by our Temple party to be the
most fascinating city visited yet In
land, surrounded by towering hills, it
Is beautiful for situation, and also it
is not surpassed as a depository of art
and music. The Arno, which bisect
the city, although not SO replete with
history and tradition as the Tiber of
Rome Or the Thames of London, is far
superior in nature and scenic "FirenZe
laSatile' is the title accorded to this
city as the city of flowers and the
flower of fair cities.''
OF the several large cathedrals the
Duomo is one of the largest and most
magnificent in the world 1t was be-
gun A. d. 219S. Several bishops and
architects were concerned in it's con-
struction, not living to see It's compile
ton. The dome itself is one Of the fin
est, $50 feet high, a diamter of 1885, and
the first double dome ever built. 1t
was modelled by Michael Angelo, who
also was the designer of the great
bronze doors and many other wonder
full artistic things about the building
The Campanile is the name of the bell
tower. which. close by, is yet separate
entirely from the cathedral. It's four
sides are formed of variegated marble
and are crowded with artistic tablets
reliefs and statues all the way to the
top nearly 300 feet from the ground.
At the top a splendid view of the city
is obtained, and well worth the toll of
climbing the Ala stone steps. The
baptfstry in front is the oldest struc-
ture still preserved and used as such.
dating from the sixth century 1t was
first used as a cathedral, until the
great one was erected. 1t is now the
largest and most costly and artistic
in the world. The three bronze doors
were the design of Angelo and Glai-
berti and their grandeur has been
praised by many from Dante down to
George Eliot
The Piazza della Signora is the bus
Ting and historic heart of the >throb-
bing city, like the Piazza, de La, Con-
core in Paris. One of the many occur
rences here is the execution of the
martyred Savonarola in 1893. Here he
was first hanged, and the enmity
againt him was SO great that his body
was then burned at the stake, and the
ashes scattered to the four winds over
the waters of Arno.. A bronze tablet
in the pavement, with Latin inscrip-
ton, maks the site. Around this square
are buildings with broad verandas and
collonades which contain many statues
and mural tablets forming a vast out
door gallery of art
The Palazzo Vecchio, dating from 1898,
has been the residence of royalty, a
prison, the government capitol each
in turn. and is yet used for public Of
fees. The tower, 30S feet high, once
held the La vacca" bell, which weigh
ed 1900 pounds. In 1880 it was ruth
lessly cast out of it's place and drop
ed into the street below and hopeless
ly smashed by the anger of the popu-
lace because it rang out a call to the
followers of the Medici in the days of
the Republic
The Uffizi gallery of art as to mas
sive structure. cost and extent of artis-
tic contents is the glory of Florence
and the wonder of the world. 1t was
begun by the Medici. supplemented by
the Lorraines, and added to ever since
1t contains many masterpieces of
sculpture and paintings. both of land
scapes and portraits: also cabinets of
precious gems, metals, stones, coronats
and mosaics. There are several splen-
did tables of Florentine mosaic, one of