Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1920-11-24
PISA: AN OLD CURIOSITY
SHOP OF HISTORY

A city Of 10000 skyscrapers before
Peter Minuit bought Manhattan island
for the present price Of supper al
a Broadway cabaret
A city that warred and traded with
empires, yet plunged into a disastrous
struggle with rival city over the
rights to lapdos.
A city which was seized after
Florentine Hobson bottled up its
harbor entrance with sunken boats
six centuries before the battle of San
tiago bay.
Such is Pisa, whose leaning tower
was endangered by recent earthquake
tremors in Italy.
Pisa's record abounds in incidents as
freakish as Its famous tower; yet II
possesses history necessarily more
significant than any British or Amer
lean city.
Indicative Of Pisa's Importance in
the thirteenth century was her send
ing an ambassador to Rome. There
by hangs the story Of the lapdog. Dur
ing the coronation ceremonies Of
Frederick II the Florentine emissary
admired the lapdog of a certain car
dinal, so that dignitary promised to
give the tiny animal to its admirer.
Next day the Pisan ambassador said
few kind words about the same dog.
md tho tnordinol i,,ct n n caodiIu v1roy,
Used 1t to him. The Florentine sent
for his gift, and got it; the Pisan sent,
anu received an apology. Florentines
began joking the Pisans about this in
cident, and fights ensued on the RO-
man streets. When the Pisan home
folks heard this it gave them an ex-
cellent chance to pick quarrel that
had long been slmmering. A sort Of
medieval Boston tea party was staged
by the Pisans, who seized all the en-
envy merchandise within their reach,
and thus precipitated the first Of a
series Of wars with Florence which
eliminated In the subsection Of Pisa
by her longtime rival.
The lapdog story seems trivial, yet
characteristic Of certain childish
quality noticeable among the Juvenile
civic nationalities that preceded ma.
tional Italy. AS further proof one
might recall the occasion when the
victorious army Of Lucca hung upon
Pisan tower mirror with the in
scription "Oh women of Pisa, USE
these to look at yourselves" No 9th
err challenge was needed for the Plsan:
to march to the gate Of Lucca, ant
there to plant poles, topped with mir
rors, bearing retaiatory comment.
Were a super Rip Van Wrinkle o,
medieval Pisa to come with his latter
day compatriots to Ellis island in 1920
not only the national bird of his
adopted land, but Ehe skyscraper lint
of New York might make him feel a
home.
Towers they were called, these Pts,
skyscrapers, huddled together for al
the world like groups of tall apartment
houses. Two reasons are assigned TO
this method Of building, common Il
italian towns of the twelfth century
One was that the wall permitted onl.
vertical expansion when population
pressure increased. Another, believ
able in view of the constant factiona
fights and family feuds,. attributes
them to the necessity for protection
Bridges that could be thrown iron
tower to tower further suggested tn
sllyscraper likeness. On these precur
sors of the modern fire escape, man
a community battle has ragged.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa serve
humanity well, aside from becomin
the most effective bit Of city advei
Using yet devised, for it permitte
Calico. a native Of Pisa, to carry o
his experiments with the laws govern
ing the pendulum.
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