Year: 1875

GENOA, Italy, Dec. rs, 1874.


My last letter was written from
Turin, where tarried for a few
days after leaving Paris. THAT
letter has not been received. Ed
On Monday morning ! left for
Milan, and after about three hours
by railway, reached there without
any difficulty. The snow and rain
we had at Turin on Sunday had
preceded me, and although l left
clear cold weather in Turin in the
morning, l ran into the same
storm of snow and rain at Milan.
The hotel was as cold as an ice
house; the building had evidently
not been warmed for many days,
and very likely not at all since
cold weather began. The walls
and floor were of stone, SO you
may imagine the difficulty of get
ting warm. / had to have fire
made in my room. This was the
first time needed one. The next
day was bright and cheerful but
cold and frosty, which was much
better than a moister temperature,


MILAN CATHEDRAL.


After breakfast visited the cell
ebrated Cathedral, butt is impos-
sible for me in the circumscribed
limits of letter to begin to de-
scribe what it would take volumes
to do. lis built entirely of white
marble. 1 had almost written
statuary marble, for the newer
portions that have not been stained
by the passing years are as white
as the driven snow. When you
see it from proper distances
from the top of a high mountain
or from a balloon, it would tesem-
BILE one of those ornamental center
pieces that are so often seen in
the windows of confectioners'
stores; its snowy whiteness and
glistening appearance under the
rays of the sun make it resemble
an immense structure OF frost
work. The style is Gothic, and
on the exterior are a multitude Of
spires and inches, on and in every
one of which is beautiful statue
of white marble so exquisitely.
chiseled that it would be worthy
of a place in any drawing-room.
There are upward of 2,000of these
statues on the church. By ascend
ing some 200 steps a fine view of
the roof is obtained, and by going
300 steps higher an extended view
of the country, including the Alps,
is obtained.


The ornamentation of the exte-
rior apart from the statues is pro-
fuse. On the flying buttresses
which keep the caves from spread
ing, and which are merely inclined
ribs of stone reaching down and
out from the caves somewhat like
the ropes of tent, are a multitude
of little points about a foot high.
Each of these is terminated with
an ornament, and no two are
alike-fruits and flowers and grace
full carvings. From a certain point
these can all be seen at once and
present the appearance of gar
den, which tits called.


ANTIQUITY OF THE CATHEDRAL.


This cathedral was begun in
1886 before America was discov-
ered), What mighty changes
have occurred in our land during
the building of this edi6ce! The
interior is 577 feet long and 1873
feet wide. The size may also be
appreciated from the fact that |
wandered about in it for ten or
fifteen minutes before / came upon
the congregation who were then
present.


HEIGHT OF THE DONE.


The dome is 220 feet above the
pavement, which is the same as
saying that Bunker Hill monument
if set up on the floor of the church
under the dome would just reach
the roof, which is supported by
fifty-two pillars, each twelve feet
in diameter; the pavement is of.
inlaid marble Of different colors
and beautifully polished.