Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-09
ITALIAN CITIES STRIPPED OF !
TREASURES TO ESCAPE HUNS
Art Creations of Titan, Tintoretto and
Veronese Placed Beyond Reach of In
vaders-Priceless Treasures Hidden.

enemy's clutches, yielded its naeters
piece, Titians Assumption of the vir-
German camps today, had been cleared
of art objects. Nineteen parchmenta
from the churches of Treviso were also
removed.
Could Not Save All.
These districts are so rich that All
could not be saved. The famous Villa
Barbara. at Maser, whose wallis ara
richer than the Temple of Jerusalem
with frescoes by Paul veronese. stands
intact Tta . almost within reach of the guns.
me treasures around Vicenza were col
iected during the Austrian Offensive
iast year and now sent south in 1--WE
cars. The same was done in Verona.
Ihree freight cars took the art works
IN the Bassano region to safety. The
pictures by Giorgioni departed from
Castelfrance two years ago
one might say all Of Italy north of
the Minclno river has been stripped of
ward for protection. Petrarch's house.
at Arqua Pretarca is empty. Two
irelgn cars have taken away the treas
asant, OF r.e state including Tiepolow's
have been similarly stripped. PaSna-
one OF italy's richest towns, has Weld
ed much. 1t was an enormous task to
remove Donatello's famous bronze
equestrian statue of the "Condottiere
Gattamelata," but it was accomplished
only Verrecchio's similar statue ~
"Colleoni" was left In Venice, at the ex-
pIleit request of the mayor. who offered
to guarantee its safety. What he could
have done to save it il the enemy had
come is mystery.
Venice Museum Emptied.
The museum and library in vensos
were emptied. The bronzes by Dons.
telle In the church of st. Antonio
M Wefe an removed The bronze re-
away and the church looked as il It
were being sacked. 1t was a mournful
sight
In the Padua Cathedral the pictures
by Schiavoni were also taken awav. to-
gether with the rich church treasure.
The famous Deposition" by Montasna.
In the Episcopal palace. has been de-
ported.
Venice is so stripped of ar. works
tnat It's progressive desolation now re.
sembles that of sepulcher. Its art
galleries. like those of Padua, have
yielded their ALL The pictures were
taken away on great RATS. The Scuola
Museo Civico are all empty. The treae-
ures from st. Mark are now in Rome
with the bones OF St Anthony from
Padua. which lie in the Church of the
Apostles in the Eternal City,
Taken by Napoleon.
The famous bronze horses from 81.
Marks, unsurpassed Greek works. were
originally brought to Rome to grace
the arch of Nero and later of Traian.
| Then they were sent to the imperial
hippodrome in Byzantium by Constan-
tire. They were brought to Venice as
spoils by Enrico Dandolo, after
which they were carried to Paris by
Napoleon. They were brought back to
Venice in 1915, thanks to Austria. Tho
| horses have now been dug from their
refuge under the giant staircase in the
ducal palace, where they lay for two
years, loaded on RATS, sent IN the Pc
and thence they have been taken to
Rome after nearly 1000 years.
There dim outlines could be seen
through the packing, and the citizens
were saddened by their departure. FOR.
they represented Venice as nothing
else could. Yet the world may be
grateful that they are gone,