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CITIES    OF    NORTHERN    ITALY 


VOL.  II. 


CE 


CITIES 


OF 


NORTHERN     ITALY 


BY 


AUGUSTUS  J.  C.  HARE 

AUTHOR  OF  "WALKS  IN  ROME,"  "DAYS  NEAR  ROME,"  ETC. 


IN   TWO  VOLUMES 


VOL.  II. 

VENICE,  FERRARA,  PJACENZA,  PARMA, 
MODENA  AND  BOLOGNA 


LONDON 
GEORGE  ALLEN,  156,  CHARING  CROSS  ROAD 

*  [All  rights  reserved] 


CONTENTS 

OF 

THE    SECOND     VOLUME. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

PAGE 
VENICE  :   THE  APPROACH * 

CHAPTER   XXI. 
VENICE:  s.  MARK'S  AND  ITS  SURROUNDINGS          ...       13 

CHAPTER   XXII. 

VENICE  :  THE  GRAND  CANAL 4& 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

SOUTH-EASTERN   VENICE 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

NORTH-EASTERN    VENICE  .  ,      •     .  •  •  •  •       n3 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

WESTERN   VENICE     .........       X33 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

SUBURBAN   VENICE:    THE  GIUDECCA,    S/GIORGIO,   THE   ARME- 
NIAN   CONVENT,    S.     ELENA,    AND    THE   LIDO    .  .  .156 


vi        CONTENTS   OF  THE  SECOND    VOLUME. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

PAGE 

CHIOGGIA 164 

CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

MURANO  AND  TORCELLO  .      ' 169 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 

TREVJSO,    UDINE,    AND   AQUILEJA l82 

CHAPTER   XXX. 

FERRARA  ..........       193 

CHAPTER   XXXI. 

PJACENZA 


CHAPTER    XXXII. 

PARMA 226 

CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

REGGIO  AND   MODENA .  .      250 

CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

BOLOGNA 263 

INDEX  . 309 


Erratum. 
Page  185,  line  5  front  bottom,  for  noble  piece,  read  noble  altar-piece. 


CHAPTER   XX. 

VENICE. 
THE   APPROACH. 

It  is  I  hr.  by  rail  from  Padua  to  Venice— 4  frs.  50  c. ;  3  frs.  25  c. ; 
2  frs.  30  c. 

(The  station  is  about  an  hour  in  a  gondola  from  the  Piazza  S.  Marco, 
which  is  the  centre  of  Venetian  life.  A  gondola  with  one  gondolier 
costs  I  fr.,  each  piece  of  luggage  20  c.  extra. 

Hotels.  Grand  Hotel,  a  large  new  hotel ;  Italia,  Europa,  good  ; 
Bretagna,  excellent  for  families,  but  with  no  good  single  rooms ; 
Pension  Suifse — all  these  are  in  the  same  admirable  situation  near  the 
entrance  of  the  Grand  Canal,  and  close  to  the  Piazza  S.  Marco. 
Vittoria,  on  one  of  the  side  canals,  good,  but  with  terrible  smells. 
Danieli,  Riva  degli  Schiavoni,  old-fashioned.  Inghilterra,  Riva  degli 
Schiavoni,  a  small  but  very  comfortable  house,  pleasant  and  sunny  in 
winter  and  spring,  hot  in  summer. 

Restaurant.  Quadri,  Piazza  S.  Marco  (right),  excellent  for  lunch- 
eons if  you  are  in  an  hotel,  for  everything  if  in  lodgings.  JSaucr 
Griinwald,  Via  22  Marzo.  S.  Afoise,  opposite  the  church  of  that 
name. 

Ca/e.  Florian  (left),  of  world-wide  reputation,  Piazza  S.  Marco. 
Quadri  (right). 

Gondolas  (the  cabs  of  Venice)  cost  (with  one  gondolier  and  four  pas- 
sengers) I  fr.  the  first  hour,  and  \  fr.  for  each  hour  afterwards.  For 
the  whole  day  5^  frs. 

English  Church.  On  the  second  floor  of  Palazzo  Contarini  degli 
Scrigni,  close  to  the  Accademia,  on  the  right. 

Photographer — celebrated  for  portraits — Ant.  Sorgalo,  4674  Cam- 
piello  del  Vin,  S.  Zaccaria,  behind  Hotel  d'Angleterre.  For  Venetian 
views,  Naya,  Piazza  S.  Marco. 

Bookseller.     Munster,  Piazza  S.  Marco. 

Curiosity  Shops,  once  almost  confined  to  the  Ghetto,  '  are  now  to 

be  found  everywhere  in  the  city,  and  most  of  them  are  on  the  Grand 

Canal,  where  they  heap  together  marvellous  collections,  and  establish 

authenticities  beyond  cavil.      "Is  it  an  original  ?"  asked  a  young  lady 

VOL.    II.  B 


2  VENICE. 

who  was  visiting  one  of  their  shops,  as  she  paused  before  an  attributive 
Veronese,  or  perhaps  a  Titian.  "SI,  signora,  originalissimo !  " ' — 
Howells. 

Venetian  Jewellery.  The  street  near  the  Ponte  di  Rialto,  left  bank. 
It  should  be  known  that  almost  everything  bought  in  the  Piazza  S. 
Marco  costs  treble  the  price  asked  in  the  Frezzaria  and  other  less  fashion- 
able parts  of  the  town. 

Wood  Sculpture.  Travellers  should  visit  the  Atelier  (2795  Canal 
Grande)  of  Valentino  Besarel.  It  is  only  in  Italy  that  you  find  this 
interesting  type  of  the  untaught  artist  of  unerring  taste,  whose  art  is 
the  sole  object  and  interest  of  his  life.  Besarel  is  a  native  of  Cadore, 
where  his  ancestors  were  carvers  of  wqod  in  Titian's  time. 

THE  railway  from  Padua  to  Venice  crosses  a  flat  plain 
covered  with  vineyards,  whose  garlands  reach  almost 
to  the  edge  of  the  lagoons.  It  is  at  Mestre  that  all  the  in- 
terest begins.  Hence,  across  the  soft  grey  distances,  the 
towers  of  Venice  are  seen  on  the  horizon,  repeating  them- 
selves in  the  water.  Throughout  the  still  expanse,  poles 
rising  at  intervals  mark  the  'pathways  in  the  sea.'  In  the 
nearer  foreground  boats  with  great  red  and  yellow  sails  are 
finding  their  way  out  into  the  open  water  by  narrow  runlets 
through  the  tall  reeds. 

The  traveller  now  hurries  past  Mestre  ;  but  till  a  few  years 
ago  it  was  important,  as  the  place  where,  wearied  with  a  long 
journey  by  diligence  or  carriage,  he  embarked  for  Venice, 
while  gladdened  by  the  first  sight  of  the  promised  city. 

'  Not  but  that  the  aspect  of  the  city  itself  was  generally  the  source  of 
some  slight  disappointment,  for,  seen  in  this  direction,  its  buildings  are 
far  less  characteristic  than  those  of  the  other  great  towns  of  Italy  ;  but 
this  inferiority  was  partly  disguised  by  distance,  and  more  than  atoned 
for  by  the  strange  rising  of  its  walls  and  towers  out  of  the  midst,  as  it 
seemed,  of  the  deep  sea,  for  it  was  impossible  that  the  mind  or  the  eye 
could  at  once  comprehend  the  shallowness  of  the  vast  sheet  of  water 
which  stretched  away  in  leagues  of  rippling  lustre  to  the  north  and 
south,  or  trace  the  narrow  line  of  islets  bounding  it  to  the  east.  The 
salt  breeze,  the  white  moaning  sea-birds,  the  masses  of  black  weed 
separating  and  disappearing  gradually,  in  knots  of  heaving  shoal,  under 
the  advance  of  the  steady  tide,  all  proclaimed  it  to  be  indeed  the  ocean 
on  whose  bosom  the  great  city  rested  so  calmly  ;  not  such  a  blue,  soft, 
lake-like  ocean  as  bathes  the  Neapolitan  promontories,  or  sleeps  beneath 
the  marble  rocks  of  Genoa,  but  a  sea  with  the  bleak  power  of  our 


THE  LAGOONS.  3 

northern  waves,  yet  subdued  into  a  strange  spacious  rest,  and  change. I 
from  its  angry  pallor  into  a  field  of  burnished  gold,  as  the  sun  declined 
behind  the  belfry  tower  of  the  lonely  island  church,  fitly  named  "  St. 
George  of  the  Sea-weed."  As  the  boat  drew  nearer  to  the  city,  the  coast 
which  the  traveller  had  just  left  sank  behind  him  into  one  long,  low, 
sad-coloured  line,  tufted  irregularly  with  brushwood  and  willows  :  but, 
at  what  seemed  its  northern  extremity,  the  hills  of  Arqua  rose  in  a  dark 
cluster  of  purple  pyramids,  balanced  on  the  bright  mirage  of  the  lagoon, 
two  or  three  smooth  surges  of  inferior  hills  extended  themselves  about 
their  roots,  and  beyond  these,  beginning  with  the  craggy  peaks  above 
Vicenza,  the  chain  of  the  Alps  girded  the  whole  horizon  to  the  north  — 
a  wall  of  jagged  blue,  here  and  there  showing  through  its  clefts  a  wilder- 
ness of  misty  precipices,  fading  far  back  into  the  recesses  of  Cadore, 
and  itself  rising  and  breaking  away  eastward,  when  the  sun  struck  oppo- 
site upon  its  snow,  into  mighty  fragments  of  peaked  light,  standing  up 
behind  the  bars  of  clouds  of  evening,  one  after  another,  countless,  the 
crown  of  the  Adrian  Sea,  until  the  eye  turned  back  from  pursuing  them, 
to  rest  upon  the  nearer  burning  of  the  campaniles  of  Murano,  and  on  the 
great  city,  where  it  magnified  itself  along  the  waves,  as  the  quick  silent 
pacing  of  the  gondola  drew  nearer  and  nearer.  And  at  last,  when  its 
walls  were  reached,  and  the  outmost  of  its  untrodden  streets  was  entered, 
not  through  towered  gate  or  guarded  rampart,  but  as  a  deep  inlet  be- 
tween two  rocks  of  coral  in  the  Indian  sea ;  where  first  upon  the  travel- 
,  ler's  sight  opened  the  long  ranges  of  columned  palaces, — each  with  its 
black  boat  moored  at  the  portal, — each  with  its  image  cast  down,  beneath 
its  feet,  upon  that  green  pavement  which  every  breeze  broke  into  new 
fantasies  of  rich  tessellation  ;  when  first,  at  the  extremity  of  the  bright 
vista,  the  shadowy  Rialto  threw  its  colossal  curve  slowly  forth  from 
behind  the  palace  of  the  Camerlenghi ;  that  strange  curve,  so  delicate, 
so  adamantine,  strong  as  a  mountain  cavern,  graceful  as  a  bow  just 
bent ;  when  first,  before  its  moonlike  circumference  was  all  risen,  the 
gondolier's  cry,  "  Ah  !  Stall !  "  struck  sharp  upon  the  ear,  and  the  prow 
turned  aside  under  the  mighty  cornices  that  half  met  over  the  narrow 
canal,  where  the  plash  of  the  water  followed  close  and  loud,  ringing 
along  the  marble  by  the  boat's  side  ;  and  when  at  last  that  boat  darted 
forth  upon  the  breadth  of  silver  sea,  across  which  the  front  of  the 
Ducal  palace,  flushed  with  its  sanguine  veins,  looks  to  the  snowy  dome 
of  Our  Lady  of  Salvation,  it  was  no  marvel  that  the  mind  should  be  so 
deeply  entranced  by  the  visionary  charm  of  a  scene  so  beautiful  and  so 
strange,  as  to  forget  the  darker  truths  of  its  history  and  its  being.  Well 
might  it  seem  that  such  a  city  had  owed  its  existence  rather  to  the  rod 
of  the  enchanter,  than  the  fear  of  the  fugitive ;  that  the  waters  which 
encircled  her  had  been  chosen  for  the  mirror  of  her  state,  rather  than  the 
shelter  of  her  nakedness ;  and  that  all  which  in  nature  was  wild  or 
merciless, — Time  and  Decay,  as  well  as  the  waves  and  tempests, — had 
been  won  to  adorn  her  instead  of  to  destroy,  and  might  still  spare,  for 

B  2 


4  VENICE. 

ages  to  come,  that  beauty  which  seemed  to  have  fixed  for  its  throne  thf. 
sands  of  the  hour-glassas  well  asof  the  sea.'—  Ruskin,  'Stones  of  Vemc;.' 

'  I  saw  from  out  the  wave  her  structures  rise 
As  from  the  stroke  of  the  enchanter's  wand  : 
A  thousand  years  their  cloudy  wings  expand 
Around  me,  and  a  dying  Glory  smiles 
O'er  the  far  times,  when  many  a  subject  land 
Look'd  to  the  wing'd  Lion's  marble  piles, 
Where  Venice  sate  in  state,  throned  on  her  hundred  isles  ! 

'  She  looks  a  sea  Cybele,  frgsh  from  ocean, 
Rising  with  her  tiara  of  proud  towers 
At  airy  distance,  with  majestic  motion, 
A  ruler  of  the  w  aters  and  their  powers  : 
And  such  she  was  ;  —  her  daughters  had  their  dowers 
From  spoils  of  nations,  and  the  exhaustless  East 
Pour'd  in  her  lap  all  gems  in  sparkling  showers. 
In  purple  was  she  robed,  and  of  her  feast 
Monarchs  partook,  and  deem'd  their  dignity  increased. 

'  In  Venice  Tasso's  echoes  are  no  more, 
And  silent  rows  the  songless  gondolier ; 
Her  palaces  are  crumbling  to  the  shore, 
And  music  meets  not  always  now  the  ear  : 
Those  days  are  gone — but  Beauty  still  is  here. 
States  fall,  arts  fade — but  Nature  doth  not  die, 
Nor  yet  forget  how  Venice  once  was  dear, 
The  pleasant  place  of  all  festivity, 
The  revel  of  the  earth,  the  masque  of  Italy  ! ' 

Byron,  '  Childc  Harold: 

Venice,  founded  c.  421,  owes  its  existence  to  the  panic 
inspired  by  the  total  destruction  of  Aquileia.  Many  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Altinum,  Concordia,  and  Padua  also  fled 
before  the  barbarians,  to  the  seventy-two  islands  which  had 
formed  in  the  lagoons  of  the  Adriatic,  and  there  they  built 
a  town. 

'  In  the  northern  angle  of  the  Adriatic  is  a  gulf,  called  lagunc,  in 
which  more  than  sixty  islands  of  sand,  marsh,  and  seaweed  have  been 
formed  by  a  concurrence  of  natural  causes.  These  islands  have  become 
.  the  City  of  Venice,  which  has  lorded  it  over  Italy,  conquered  Constan- 
tinople, resisted  a  league  of  all  the  kings  of  Christendom,  long  carried 
on  the  commerce  of  the  world,  and  bequeathed  to  nations  the  model  of 


THE  FOUNDATION  OF   VENICE.  5 

the  most  stable  government  ever  framed  by  man.'— Daru,  '  Histoire  de 
la  Rtpubiijtie  -ie  VeniseC 

'  It  was  for  no  idle  fancy  that  their  colonists  fled  to  these  islands  ;  it 
was  no  mere  whim  which  impelled  those  who  followed  to  combine  with 
them  ;  necessity  taught  them  to  look  for  security  in  a  highly  disadvan- 
tageous situation,  which  afterwards  became  most  advantageous,  enduing 
them  with  talent,  when  the  whole  of  the  northern  world  was  immersed 
in  gloom.  Their  increase  and  their  wealth  were  the  necessary  conse- 
quence. New  dwellings  arose  close  against  dwellings,  rocks  took  the 
place  of  sand  and  marsh,  houses  sought  the  sky,  being  forced,  like  trees 
enclosed  in  a  narrow  compass,  to  seek  in  height  what  was  denied  to 
them  in  breadth.  Being  niggard  of  every  inch  of  ground,  ashaving  been 
from  the  outset  compressed  into  a  narrow  compass,  they  allowed  no 
more  room  for  the  streets  than  was  absolutely  necessary  for  separating 
one  row  of  houses  from  another,  and  affording  a  narrow  way  for  pas- 
sengers. Moreover,  water  was  at  once  street,  square,  and  promenade. 
The  Venetian  was  forced  to  become  a  new  creature  ;  and  Venice  can 
only  be  compared  with  itself.' — Coelhe. 

'  A  few  in  fear, 

Flying  away  from  him  whose  boast  it  was 
That  the  grass  grew  not  where  his  horse  had  trod, 
Gave  birth  to  Venice.     Like  the  water-fowl, 
They  built  their  nests  among  the  ocean-waves  ; 
And  where  the  sands  were  shifting,  as  the  wind 
Blew  from  the  north  or  south — where  they  that  came 
Had  to  make  sure  the  ground  they  stood  upon, 
Rose,  like  an  exhalation  from  the  deep, 
A  vast  metropolis,  with  glistening  spires, 
With  theatres,  basilicas  adorned  ; 
A  scene  of  light  and  glory,  a  dominion, 
That  has  endured  the  longest  among  men.' — Rogers. 

'  The  ruler  of  the  Adriatic,  who  never  was  infant  or  stripling, 
whom  God  took  by  the  hand  and  taught  to  walk  by  himself  the  first 
hour.' — Lander. 

For  nearly  noo  years  the  colony  thus  formed  was 
governed  by  a  series  of  Dukes  or  Doges,  amongst  whom 
perhaps  the  best  known  names  have  been  those  of  Sebastiano 
Ziant,  under  whom  Frederick  Barbarossa  humbled  himself 
in  the  portico  of  S.  Mark's  before  Pope  Alexander  III.  ; 
Andrea  Dandolo,  who  took  part  in  the  4th  Crusade  and  the 
conquest  of  Constantinople  ;  Marino  Faliero,  beheaded  on 
the  Giants'  stairs  for  aspiring  ( to  the  sovereign  power  ;  and 


VENICE. 


Francesco  Foscari,  deposed  after  having  been  forced  to  drive 
his  own  son  into  permanent  exile. l 

'  We  take  no  note  nowadays,  and  the  Doges  and  magnificent  Senators 
took  no  note,  of  the  generation  of  true  founders,  who  must  have  buried 


1  The  order  of  the  Doges  has  been — 
697  —  716.  Paolo  Anafesto. 
726  —  737.  Orso  I. 
742  —  755.  Deodato  Orso. 
756  —  756.  Galla. 
759  —  764.  Dom.  Monegario. 
764  —  787.  Maurizio  Galbaia. 
804  —  809.  Obelario  Antenorio. 
8 10  —  827.  Angelo  Partecipazio. 
827  —  830.  Giustiniano  Partecipazio. 
830  —  837.  Giovanni  Partecipazio  I. 
837  —  864.  Pietro  Tradonico. 
864  —  881.  Orso  I.  Partecipazio. 
881  —  886.  Giov.  Partecipazio  II. 
886  —  887.  Pietro  Candiano  I. 
888  —  912.  Pietro  Tribune. 
932  —  932.  Orso  II.  Partecipazio. 
932 — 939.  Pietro  Candiano  II. 
939  —  942-  Pietro  Badoero  Partecipazio. 
942  —  959.  Candiano  III. 
959  —  976.  Candiano  IV. 
976  —  977.  Pietro  Orseolo  I. 

978  —  979.  Vittore  Candiano. 

979  —  991-  Tribolo  Memmo. 

991 — 1009.  Ottone  Orseolo.  [nigo. 

026 — 1030.  Pietro    Barbolano    Centra- 

030 — 1043.  Dora.  Flabanico. 

043 — 1071.  Dom.  Contarini. 

071 — 1081.  Dom.  Selva. 

084 — 1096.  Vitale  Falieri. 

096 — 1102.  Vitale  Michele  I. 

102 — 1117.  Ordelaffo  Falieri. 

117 — 1130.  Dom.  Miche'i. 

130 — 1148.  Pietro  Polani. 

148 — 1156.  Dom.  M  rosini. 

156 — 1172.  Vitale  Michele  II. 

172 — 1178.  Sebastiano  Ziani. 

178 — 1192.  Orio  Malipiero. 

192 — 1205.  Enrico  Dandolo. 

305 — 1228.  Pietro  Ziani. 

229 — 1249.  Jacopo  Tiepo'o. 

249 — 1252.  Marco  Morosini. 

252—1268.  Riniero  Zeno. 

268 — 1275.  Lorenzo  Tiepolo. 

275 — 1280.  Giovanni  Dandolo. 

288 — 1310.  Pietro  Gradenigo. 

310—1311.  Marco  Giorgio. 

311 — 1328.  Giovanni  Soranzo. 

328 — 1339.  Francesco  Dandolo. 

339 — 1342.  Bartolomeo  Gradenigo. 

342—1354.  Andrea  Dandolo. 

354 — 1355.  Marino  Faliero. 

355 — 1356.  Giovanni  Gradenigo. 

356 — 1361.  Giovanni  De'fino. 

361 — 1365.  Lorenzo  Celsi. 

365 — 1367.  Marco  Cornaro. 

367 — 1382.  Andrea  Contarini. 

382.  Michele  Morosini. 

382 — 1400.  Antonio  Venier. 


1423 

1457 
1462 
1471 
1473 
1474 
1476 
1478 


1501- 
1521- 
1523- 
15^8- 
1545- 
1553- 
1554- 
1556- 
1559- 
1567- 
1570- 
1577- 
1578- 
1585- 
1595- 
1606- 
1612- 
1615- 
1618. 
1618- 
1623- 
1624- 
1630- 
1631- 
1645- 
1655- 
1656. 
1656- 
1658- 
1659- 
1674- 
1676- 
1683- 


1700- 
1709- 
1722- 
1732- 

!73S- 
1741- 
1752- 
1762. 


-1423. 

-1457- 
-1462. 
-1471. 

-1473- 
-1474. 
-1476. 
-1478. 
-1485. 
-1485. 
-•1501. 
-1521. 
-i523. 
-1528. 
-1545- 
-1553- 
-1554- 
-1556. 
-1559- 
-1567. 
-1570. 
-1577- 
-1578. 
-1585. 
-I59S- 
-1606. 
-1612. 
-1615. 
-1618. 

-1623. 
-1624. 
-1630. 
-1631. 
-1645. 
-1655- 
-1656. 

-1658. 

-1659. 
-1674. 
-1676. 


-1700. 
-1709. 
-1722. 
-1732. 
-!735. 
-1741. 
-1752. 
-1762. 


5—1779- 


Michele  Steno. 
Tommaso  Mocenigo. 
Francesco  Foscari. 
Pasquale  Malipiero. 
Cristofero  Moro. 
Niccolo  Tron. 
Niccolo  Marcello. 
Pietro  Mocenigo. 
Andrea  Vendramin. 
Giovanni  Morcenigo. 
Marco  Barberigo. 
Agostino  Barbarigo. 
Leonardo  Loredau. 
Antonio  Grimani. 
Andrea  Gritti. 
Pietro  Lando. 
Francesco  Donate. 
Marco  Trevisan. 
Francesco  yenier. 
Lorenzo  Priuli. 
Girolamo  Priuli. 
Pietro  Loredan. 
Alvise  Mocenigo  I. 
Sebastiano  Venier. 
Niccolo  da  Ponte. 
Pasquale  Cicogna. 
Marino  Grimani. 
Leonardo  Donato. 
Marco  Memmo. 
Giovanni  Bembo. 
Niccolo  Donato. 
Antonio  Priuli. 
Francesco  Contarini. 
Giovanni  Cornaro. 
Niccolo  Contarini. 
Francesco  Erizzo. 
Francesco  Mplin. 
Carlo  Contarini. 
Francesco  Cornaro. 
Bertuccio  Valier. 
Giovanni  Pesaro. 
Domenico  Contarini  II. 
Niccolo  Sagredo. 
Alvise  Contarini  II. 
Marc.  Ant.  Giustiniani. 
Franc.  Morosini. 
Silvestro  Valier. 
Alvise  Mocenigo  II. 
Giovanni  Cornaro. 
Seb.  Mocenigo  III. 
Carlo  Ruzzini. 
Alvise  Pisani. 
Pietro  Grimani. 
Francesco  Loredan. 
Marco  Foscarini. 
Alvise  Mocenigo  IV. 
Paolo  Renier. 
Lodovico  Manin. 


ARRIVAL  AT   VENICE.  7 

themselves  with  their  piles  and  stakes,  upon  the  mud  banks,  to  lay  a 
feasible  foundation  for  the  place,  founding  it,  as  every  great  human  city 
is  founded,  upon  human  blood  and  sacrifice.  But  there  stands  the  city 
of  S.  Mark  miraculous,  a  thing  for  giants  to  wonder  at,  and  fairies  to 
copy  if  they  could.  The  wonder  leaps  upon  the  traveller  all  at  once, 
arriving  over  the  broad  plains  of  Italy,  through  fields  of  wheat  and 
gardens  of  olive,  through  vineyards  and  swamps  of  growing  rice,  across 
broad  rivers  and  monotonous  flats  of  richest  land,  by  the  Euganean 
mountains  dark  upon  the  pale  sky  of  evening,  and  the  low  swamps 
gleaming  under  the  new-risen  moon.  The  means  of  arrival,  indeed,  are 
commonplace  enough,  but  lo  !  in  a  moment  you  step  out  of  the  common- 
place railway  station,  into  the  lucid  stillness  of  the  Water  City,  into 
poetry  and  wonderland.  The  moon  rising  above  shines  upon  pale 
palaces  dim  and  splendid,  and  breaks  in  silver  arrows  and  broad  gleams 
of  whiteness  upon  the  ripple  and  soft  glistening  movement  of  the  canal, 
till,  yet  alive  with  a  hundred  reflections,  and  a  soft  pulsation  and 
twinkle  of  life.  The  lights  glitter  above  and  below,  every  star  and 
every  lamp  doubled  ;  and  the  very  path  by  which  you  are  to  travel  lives, 
and  greets  you  with  soft  gleams  of  liquid  motion,  and  soft  gurgle  of 
liquid  sound.  And  then  comes  the  measured  sweep  of  the  oars,  and 
you  are  away  along  the  silent  splendid  road,  all  darkling,  yet  alight,  the 
poorest  smoky  oil-lamp  making  for  itself  a  hundred  twinkling  stars  in 
the  little  facets  of  the  wavelets  ;  ripplets,  which  gleam  far  before  you, 
shining  and  twinkling  like  so  many  fairy  forerunners  preparing  your 
way.  Not  a  sound  less  harmonious  and  musical  than  the  soft  plash  of 
the  water  against  the  marble  steps  and  grey  walls,  the  wave  and  wash 
against  your  boat,  the  wild  cry  of  the  boatmen,  as  they  round  with 
magical  precision  each  sharp  corner,  or  the  singing  of  some  wandering 
boatful  of  musicians  on  the  Grand  Canal,  disturbs  the  quiet.  Across 
the  flat  Lido  from  the  Adriatic  comes  a  little  breath  of  fresh  wind, 
touching  your  cheek  with  a  caress  ;  and  when,  out  of  a  maze  of  narrow 
water-lanes,  you  shoot  out  into  the  breadth  and  glorious  moonlight  of 
the  Grand  Canal,  and  see  the  lagoon  go  widening  out,  a  plain  of  dazzling 
silver,  into  the  distance,  and  great  churches  and  palaces  standing  up 
pale  against  the  light,  our  Lady  of  Salvation  and  S.  George  the  greater 
guarding  the  widening  channel,  what  words  can  describe  the  novel, 
beautiful  scene. ' — Black-wood,  DCCV. 

The  impression  produced  when  the  great  bridge  is  passed, 
and  the  train  glides  into  the  Railway  Station  of  Venice  is 
one  never  to  be  forgotten.  Instead  of  the  noise  of  a  street, 
and  its  rattling  carriages,  you  find,  as  you  descend  the 
portico  of  the  station,  the  salt  waves  of  the  Grand  Canal 
lapping  against  the  marble  steps,  and  a  number  of  gondolas, 


VENICE. 

like  a  row  of  black  hearses,  drawn  up  against  them.  Into 
one  of  these  you  step,  and  noiselessly,  ghastlily,  without 
apparent  motion,  you  float  off  into  the  green  water. 

'  Let  me  this  gondola  boat  compare  to  a  slumbrous  cradle, 

And  to  a  spacious  bier  liken  the  cover  demure  ; 
Thus  on  the  open  canal  through  life  we  are  swaying  and  swimming 
Onward  with  never  a  care,  coffin  and  cradle  between.' 

Monckton  Milnes,from  Goethe. 

'How  light  we  move,  how  softly  !  Ah, 
Were  life  but  as  the  gondola  !  '—dough. 

It  is  perhaps  best,  and  no  mere  romantic  idea,  to  enter. 
Venice  for  the  first  time  by  moonlight.  Then  all  the  shabby 
detail,  all  the  ruin  and  decay,  and  poor  unartistic  repairs 
of  the  grand  old  buildings  are  lost,  and  the  first  views  of 
the  Grand  Canal  are  indeed  surpassingly  beautiful,  and  you 
are  carried  back  to  '  the  golden  days  of  the  Queen  of  the 
Adriatic.' 

'  The  south  side  rises  o'er  our  bark, 

A  wall  impenetrably  dark, 

The  north  is  seen  profusely  bright ; 

The  water,  is  it  shade  or  light  ? 

In  planes  of  sure  division  made 

By  angles  sharp  of  palace  walls 

The  clear  light  and  the  shadow  falls  ; 

Oh,  sight  of  glory,  sight  of  wonder  ! 

Seen,  a  pictorial  portent,  under, 

O  great  Rialto,  the  vast  round 

Of  thy  thrice- solid  arch  profound.  '• — C lough. 

'  A  city  of  marble,  did  I  say  ?  nay,  rather  a  golden  city,  paved  with 
emerald.  For  truly,  every  pinnacle  and  turret  glanced  and  glowed, 
overlaid  with  gold,  or  bossed  with  jasper.  Beneath,  the  unsullied  sea 
drew  in  deep  breathing,  to  and  fro,  its  eddies  of  green  wave.  Deep- 
hearted,  majestic,  terrible  as  the  sea — the  men  of  Venice  moved  in  sway 
of  power  and  war  ;  pure  as  her  pillars  of  alabaster,  stood  her  mothers 
and  maidens  ;  from  foot  to  brow,  all  noble,  walked  her  knights  ;  the 
low  bronzed  gleaming  of  sea-rusted  armour  shot  angrily  under  their 
blood-red  mantle-folds.  Fearless,  faithful,  patient,  impenetrable,  im- 
placable— every  word  a  fate — sate  her  senate.  In  hope  and  honour, 
lulled  by  flowing  of  wave  around  their  isles  of  sacred  sand,  each  with  his 
name  written  and  the  cross  graven  at  his  side,  lay  her  dead.  A  won- 


THE    TEACHING   OF   VENICE.  9 

clerful  piece  of  the  world.  Rather,  itself  a  world.  It  lay  along  the  face 
of  the  waters,  no  larger,  as  its  captains  saw  it  from  their  masts  at 
evening,  than  a  bar  of  sunset  that  could  net  pass  away ;  but  for  its 
power,  it  must  have  seemed  to  them  as  if  they  were  sailing  in  the  ex- 
panse of  heaven,  and  this  a  great  planet,  whose  orient  edge  widened 
through  ether.  A  world  from  which  all  ignoble  care  and  petty  thoughts 
were  banished,  with  all  the  common  and  poor  elements  of  life.  No 
foulness  or  tumult,  in  those  tremulous  streets,  that  filled  or  fell  beneath 
the  moon  ;  but  rippled  music  of  majestic  change,  cr  thrilling  silence. 
No  weak  walls  could  rise  above  them  ;  nor  low-roofed  cottage,  nor 
straw-built  shed.  Only  the  strength  as  of  rock,  and  the  finished  setting 
of  stones  most  precious.  And  around  them,  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
still  the  soft  moving  of  stainless  waters,  proudly  pure  ;  as  not  the  flower, 
as  neither  the  thorn  nor  the  thistle,  cculd  grow  in  the  glancing  fields. 
Ethereal  strength  of  Alps,  dream-like,  vanishing  in  high  procession 
beyond  the  Torcellan  shore  ;  blue  islands  of  Paduan  hills,  poised  in  the 
golden  west.  Above,  free  winds  and  fiery  clouds  ranging  at  their  will ; 
- — brightness  out  of  the  north,  and  balm  from  the  south,  and  the  stars 
of  the  evening  and  morning  clear  in  the  limitless  light  of  arched  heaven 
and  circling  sea.' — Ruskitfs  'Modern  Painters.'' 

'  A  Venise,  celui  qui  est  heureux,  celui  qui  a  soif  des  bruits  du 
monde  et  qui  a  peur  du  silence,  se  sent  bientot  envahi  par  le  boiteux 
ennui ;  mais,  quand  on  a  connu  les  rigueurs  de  la  vie,  on  y  revient 
toujours;  on  se  prend  peu  a  peu  d'une  sorte  de  tendresse  pour  chique 
place,  pour  chaque  coin,  pour  chaque  Traghetto  ;  la  legerete  de  ce 
ciel,  la  clarte  unique  de  Patmosphere,  cette  lumiere  grise,  argentee,  les 
reflets  d'acier  de  la  lagune,  les  miroitements  de  Venise  la  Rouge,  la 
douceur  du  parler  venitien,  la  confiance  paisible  des  habitants,  leur 
indulgence  a  toute  fantaisie,  leur  doux  commerce,  les  nuits  claires 
comme  les  jours  et  je  ne  sais  quoi  qui  chante  au  coeur  et  dans  le  ciel 
et  sur  les  eaux  :  tout  seduit  le  voyageur  et  le  charme,  le  prend  tout 
entier,  et  il  va  se  regarder  comme  un  exil  quand  il  sera  loin  de  la 
Piazzetta. ' —  Charles  Yriarte. 

It  is  not  a  mere  following  up  of  the  list  of  sights  indicated 
in  these  pages,  which  can  give  the  impression  of  what  Venice 
ought  to  convey,  and  is  ready  to  teach  through  the  wonderful 
histories  and  allegories  which  are  engraved  in  the  sculptures 
of  her  walls  as  in  a  marble  picture-book.  Venice,  like 
Orvieto,  is  full  of  the  deepest  material  for  thought,  and 
many  of  her  buildings  are  still  like  an  index  to  the  historical 
and  religious  feelings  of  the  time  in  which  they  were  built. 

'  At  Venice,  as  indeed  throughout  the  whole  Christian  world,  the 
legend  was  the  earliest  form  of  poetry ;  and  if  it  did  not  strike  'root 


io  VENICE. 

there  deeper  than  elsewhere,  it  at  least  adorned  the  infancy  of  the  re- 
public with  an  infinite  variety  of  flowers,  which  retained  all  their  beauty 
and  freshness  in  the  proudest  days  of  its  prosperity.  Each  temple, 
monastery,  religious  or  national  monument,  was  surrounded  from  its 
foundations  with  its  own  peculiar  legends,  which  increased  with  every 
succeeding  century ;  and,  not  satisfied  with  these  local  traditions,  the 
people  took  possession  of  those  of  Egypt,  Asia  Minor,  and  Greece,  which 
became  naturalised  in  the  Lagunes  in  proportion  as  the  relics  of  saints 
and  martyrs  were  transported  there,  in  order  to  preserve  them  from  the 
outrages  of  the  Infidels,  now  become  masters  of  those  countries  in  which 
the  earliest  Christian  churches  had  been  founded.' — Rio. 

Venice  is  still  one  of  the  most  religious  cities  in  Italy. 
Prayer  never  ceases  here  :  the  Sacrament  is  constantly 
exposed  in  one  or  other  of  the  churches,  and  the  clergy 
succeed  one  another  in  prayers  before  it,  night  as  well  as  day. 

Each  day  spent  in  the  water-city  will  add  to  its  charm, 
but,  from  the  first  all  is  novel  and  enchanting  :  the  very  cries 
of  the  gondoliers  have  something  most  wild  and  picturesque. 
They  are  thus  explained  by  Monckton  Milnes  : 

'  When  along  the  light  ripple  the  far  serenade 
Has  accosted  the  ear  of  each  passionate  maid, 
She  may  open  the  window  that  looks  on  the  stream, — 
She  may  smile  on  her  pillow  and  blend  it  in  dream ; 
Half  in  words,  half  in  music,  it  pierces  the  gloom, 
' '  I  am  coming — stall — but  you  know  not  for  whom  ! 
Stall — not  for  whom  !  " 

Now  the  tones  become  clearer — you  hear  more  and  more 
How  the  water  divided  returns  on  the  oar — 
Does  the  prow  of  the  gondola  strike  on  the  stair  ? 
Do  the  voices  and  instruments  pause  and  prepare? 
Oh  !  they  faint  on  the  ear  as  the  lamp  on  the  view, 
' '  I  am  passing — preme — but  I  stay  not  for  you  ! 

Preme  —not  for  you  !  " 

Then  return  to  your  couch,  you  who  stifle  a  tear,  — 
Then  awake  not,  fair  sleeper — believe  he  is  here ; 
For  the  young  and  the  loving  no  sorrow  endures, 
If  to-day  be  another's,  to-morrow  is  yours  ; 
May,  the  next  time  you  listen,  your  fancy  be  true, 
"  I  am  coming— sciar — and  for  you  and  to  you ! 

Sciar— and  to  you  ! " '  * 

1  From  the  verb  Stalir,  to  go  to  the  right ;  Premier,  to  go  to  the  left ;  and  Sciar 
or  Siar,  to  stop  the  boat  by  turning  the  flat  part  of  the  oar  against  the  current. 


VENETIAN  GEOGRAPHY.  11 

To  English  eyes  the  sailors  and  facchini  with  their  large 
earrings  are  almost  as  curious  as  the  young  dandies  in  the 
Giardino  in  summer  with  their  almost  invariable  fans  as  well 
as  parasols  ! 

Travellers  will  do  well  to  select  an  hotel  as  near  as 
possible  to  the  Piazza  S.  Marco,  which  is  in  itself  filled  with 
interest  and  delight,  and  is  the  centre  of  everything  else. 
Here  they  may  devote  every  extra  moment  to  revisiting 
the  most  glorious  church  in  the  world,  and  hence  they  will 
gradually  learn  to  make  their  way  through  the  narrow  streets 
which  wind  labyrinthine-like  over  the  closely-packed  group 
of  islets.  The  best  way  will  be  to  make  the  tour  of  Venice 
first  in  a  gondola,  and  then,  when  partially  familiar  with  the 
position  of  things,  to  follow  up  your  explorations  on  foot, 
for  every  square,  every  house  even  of  the  city,  may  be  visited 
by  land  as  well  as  by  water,  as  the  72  islands  on  which  the 
town  is  built  are  connected  by  from  350  to  400  bridges. 
The  geography,  however,  is  indescribably  difficult. 

The  Calk,  as  the  narrow  streets  are  called,  are,  in  their 
way,  as  full  of  interest  as  the  canals. 

'  Jusqu'aux  ruelles,  aux  moindres  places,  il  n'y  a  rien  qui  ne  fasse 
plaisir.  Du  palais  Loredan,  oil  je  suis,  on  tourne,  pour  aller  a  Saint- 
Marc,  par  des  calle  biscornues  et  charmantes,  tapissees  de  boutiques,  de 
merceries,  d'etalages  de  melons,  de  legumes  et  d'oranges,  peuplees  de 
costumes  voyants,  de  figures  narquoises  ou  sensuelles,  d'une  foule  bruis- 
sante  et  changeante.  Ces  ruelles  sont  si  etroites,  si  bizarrement  etriquees 
entre  leurs  murs  irreguliers,  qu'on  n'ape^oit  sur  sa  tete  qu'une  bande 
dentelee  du  ciel.  On  arrive  sur  quelque  piazzctta,  quelque  campo  desert, 
tout  blanc  sous  un  ciel  blanc  de  lumiere.  Dalles,  murailles,  enceinte, 
pave,  tout  y  est  pierre ;  alentour  sont  des  maisons  fermees,  et  leurs  files 
forment  un  triangle  ou  un  carre  bossele  par  le  besoin  de  s'etendre  et  le 
hasard  de  la  batisse ;  une  citerne  delicatement  ouvragee  fait  le  centre, 
et  des  lions  sculptes,  des  figurines  nues  jouent  sur  la  margelle.  Dans 
un  coin  est  quelque  eglise  baroque,— un  portail  charge  de  statues,  tout 
bruni  par  1'humidite  de  1'air  sale  el  par  la  bnilure  antique  du  soleil ; — 
un  jet  de  clarte  oblique  tranche  1'edifice  en  deux  pans,  et  la  moitie  des 
figures  semblent  s'agiter  sur  les  frontons  ou  sortir  des  niches  pendant 
que  les  autres  reposent  dans  la  transparence  bleuatre  de  1'ombre. — On 
avance,  et,  dans  un  long  boyau  qu'un  petit  pont  traverse,  on  voit  des 
gondoles  sillonner  d'argent  le  marbre  bigarre  de  1'eau :  tout  au  bout  de 
1'enfilade,  un  petillement  d'or  marque  sur  le  flot  le  ruissellement  du 


12  VENICE. 

soleil  qui,  du  haul  d'un  toit,  fait  danser  des  eclairs  sur  le  blanc  tigre  de 
1'onde.' — Taine. 

For  a  passing  stranger  it  may  be  well  to  divide  the  sight- 
seeing at  Venice  into  eight  divisions. 

j.   The  Piazza  of  S.  Marco  and  its  surroundings. 

2.  The  Grand  Canal. 

3.  The  South-Eastern  quarter  of  Venice— from  S.  Zaccaria  to  the 
Public  Gardens. 

4.  The  North  Eastern  quarter— from  S.  Moise  to  S.  Giobbe. 

5.  Western  Venice  — from  S.  Trovaso  to  S.  Andrea. 

6.  The  Giudecca,  the  Armenian  Convent,  and  the  Lido. 
7-   Chioggia. 

8.   Murano  and  Torcello. 

In  the  arrangement  of  Venetian  sight-seeing  it  should  be 
remembered  that  few  of  the  churches  are  open  after  twelve 
o'clock,  and  the  Academy  closes  at  three.  The  mornings 
therefore  should  be  given  to  sights  in  the  town,  the  after- 
noons to  general  explorations. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 
VENICE. 

s.  MARK'S  AND  ITS  SURROUNDINGS. 

WE  will  suppose  the  traveller  threading  his  way  from  one 
of  the  neighbouring  hotels  to  the  Piazza  S.  Marco. 
As  far  as  S.  Moise  the  old  Venetian  character  of  the  direct 
approach  to  S.  Mark's  has  been  destroyed  in  recent  years 
by  the  formation  of  the  commonplace  Via  22  Marzo,  but 
the  description  of  Ruskin  may  be  applied  to  many  other 
streets  which  lead  to  the  great  piazza. 

'  It  is  a  paved  alley,  some  seven  feet  wide  where  it  is  w  idest,  full  of 
people,  and  resonant  with  cries  of  itinerant  salesmen,— a  shriek  in  their 
beginning,  and  dying  away  into  a  kind  of  brazen  ringing,  all  the  worse 
for  its  confinement  between  the  high  houses  of  the  passage  along  which 
we  have  to  make  our  way.  Overhead  an  inextricable  confusion  of 
rugged  shutters,  and  iron  balconies  and  chimney  flues  pushed  out  on 
brackets  to  save  room,  and  arched  windows  with  projecting  sills  of  Istrian 
stone,  and  gleams  of  green  leaves  here  and  there  where  a  fig-tree  branch 
escapes  over  a  lower  wall  from  seme  inner  cortile,  leading  the  eye  up  to 
the  narrow  stream  of  blue  sky  high  over  all.  On  each  side,  a  row  of 
shops,  as  densely  set  as  may  be,  occupying,  in  fact,  intervals  between 
the  square  stone  shafts,  about  eight  feet  high,  which  carry  the  first  floors  : 
intervals  of  which  one  is  narrow  and  serves  as  a  door  ;  the  other  is,  in 
the  more  respectable  shops,  wainscoted  to  the  height  of  the  counter  and 
glazed  above,  but  in  those  of  the  poorer  tradesmen  left  open  to  the 
ground,  and  the  wares  laid  on  benches  and  tables  in  the  open  air,  the 
light  in  all  cases  entering  at  the  front  only,  and  fading  away  in  a  few  feet 
from  the  threshold  into  a  gloom  which  the  eye  from  without  cannot 
penetrate,  but  which  is  generally  broken  by  a  ray  or  two  from  a  feeble 
lamp  at  the  back  of  the  shop,  suspended  before  a  print  of  the  Virgin. 
The  less  pious  shopkeeper  sometimes  leaves  his  lamp  unlighted,  and  is 
contented  with  a  penny  print ;  the  more  religious  one  has  his  print 
coloured  and  set  in  a  little  shrine  with  a  gilded  or  figured  fringe,  with 
perhaps  a  faded  flower  or  two  on  each  side,  and  his  lamp  burning 


14  VENICE. 

brilliantly.  Here  at  the  fruiterer's,  where  the  dark-green  water-melons 
are  heaped  upon  the  counter  like  cannon  balls,  the  Madonna  has  a  taber- 
nacle of  fresh  laurel  leaves  ;  but  the  pewterer  next  door  has  let  his  lamp 
out,  and  there  is  nothing  to  be  seen  in  his  shop  but  the  dull  gleam  of 
the  studded  patterns  on  the  copper  pans,  hanging  from  his  roof  in  the 
darkness.  Next  comes  a  "  Vendita  Frittole  e  Liquori, "  where  the  Virgin, 
enthroned  in  a  very  humble  manner  beside  a  tallow  candle  on  a  back 
shelf,  presides  over  certain  ambrosial  morsels  of  a  nature  too  ambiguous 
to  be  defined  or  enumerated.  But  a  few  steps  further  on,  at  the  regular 
wine-shop  of  the  calle,  where  we  are  offered  ' '  Vino  Nostrano  a  Soldi 
28-32,"  the  Madonna  is  in  great  glory,  enthroned  above  ten  or  a  dozen 
large  red  casks  of  three-year-old  vintage,  and  flanked  by  goodly  ranks 
of  bottles  of  Maraschino,  and  two  crimson  lamps  ;  and  for  the  evening, 
when  the  gondoliers  will  come  to  drink  out,  under  her  auspices,  the 
money  they  have  gained  during  the  day,  she  will  have  a  whole  chande- 
lier. 

'  A  yard  or  two  farther,  we  pass  the  hostelry  of  the  Black  Eagle,  and, 
glancing  as  we  pass,  through  the  square  door  of  marble,  deeply  moulded 
in  the  outer  wall,  we  see  the  shadows  of  its  pergola  of  vines  resting  on 
an  ancient  well,  with  a  pointed  shield  carved  on  its  side  ;  and  so  pre- 
sently emerge  on  the  bridge  and  Campo  San  Moise,  whence  to  the 
entrance  into  S.  Mark's  Place,  called  the  Bocca  di  Piazza  (mouth  n.f  the 
square),  the  Venetian  character  is  nearly  destroyed,  first  by  the  frightful 
fa$ade  of  San  Moise,  and  then  by  the  modernizing  of  the  shops  as  they 
near  the  piazza,  and  the  mingling  with  the  lower  Venetian  populace  of 
lounging  groups  of  foreigners.  We  will  push  past  through  them  into 
the  shadow  of  the  pillars  at  the  end  of  the  "  Bocca  di  Piazza,"  and  then 
we  forget  them  all ;  for  between  those  pillars  there  opens  a  great  light, 
and,  in  the  midst  of  it,  as  we  advance  slowly,  the  vast  tower  of  S.  Mark 
seems  to  lift  itself  visibly  forth  from  the  level  field  of  chequered  stones  ; 
and,  on  each  side,  the  countless  arches  prolong  themselves  into  ranged 
symmetry,  as  if  the  rugged  and  irregular  houses  that  pressed  together 
above  us  in  the  dark  alley  had  been  struck  back  into  sudden  obedience 
and  lovely  order,  and  all  their  rude  casements  and  broken  walls  had 
been  transformed  into  arches  charged  with  goodly  sculpture,  and  fluted 
shafts  of  delicate  stone. 

'  And  well  may  they  fall  back,  for  beyond  those  troops  of  ordered 
arches  there  rises  a  vision  out  of  the  earth,  and  all  the  great  square 
seems  to  have  opened  from  it  in  a  kind  of  awe,  that  we  may  see  it  far 
away  ;• — a  multitude  of  pillars  and  white  domes,  clustered  into  a  long 
low  pyramid  of  coloured  light ;  a  treasure-heap,  it  seems,  partly  of  gold, 
and  partly  of  opal  and  mother-of-pearl,  hollowed  beneath  into  five  great 
vaulted  porches,  ceiled  with  fair  mosaic,  and  beset  with  sculpture  of 
alabaster,  clear  as  amber  and  delicate  as  ivory, — sculpture  fantastic  and 
involved,  of  palm-leaves  and  lilies,  and  grapes  and  pomegranates,  and 
birds  clinging  and  fluttering  among  the  branches,  all  twined  together 


PIAZZA   S.   MARCO,  15 

into  an  endless  network  of  buds  and  plumes  ;  and,  in  the  midst  of  it, 
the  solemn  forms  of  angels,  sceptred,  and  robed  to  the  feet,  and  leaning 
to  each  other  across  the  gates,  their  figures  indistinct  among  the  gleam- 
ing of  the  golden  ground  through  the  leaves  beside  them,  interrupted 
and  dim,  like  the  morning  light  as  it  faded  back  among  the  branches  of 
Eden,  when  first  its  gates  were  angel-guarded  long  ago.  And  round 
the  walls  of  the  porches  there  are  set  pillars  of  variegated  stones,  jasper 
and  porphyry,  and  deep  green  serpemine  spotted  with  flakes  of  snow, 
and  marbles,  that  half  refuse  and  half  yield  to  the  sunshine,  Cleopatra- 
like,  "their  bluest  veins  to  kiss" — the  shadow,  as  it  steals  back  from 
them,  revealing  line  after  line  of  azure  undulation,  as  a  receding  tide 
leaves  the  waved  sand  ;  their  capitals  rich  with  interwoven  tracery, 
rooted  knots  of  herbage,  and  drifting  leaves  of  acanthus  and  vine,  and 
mystical  signs,  all  beginning  and  ending  in  the  Cross  ;  and  above  them, 
in  the  broad  archivolts,  a  continuous  chain  of  language  and  of  life — 
angels,  and  the  signs  of  heaven,  and  the  labours  of  men,  each  in  its 
appointed  season  upon  the  earth  ;  and  above  these,  another  range  of 
glittering  pinnacles,  mixed  with  white  arches  edged  with  scarlet  flowers, 
— a  confusion  of  delight,  amidst  which  the  breasts  of  the  Greek  horses 
are  seen  blazing  in  their  breadth  of  golden  strength,  and  the  S.  Mark's 
Lion,  lifted  on  a  blue  field  covered  with  stars,  until  at  last,  as  if  in 
ecstacy,  the  trests  of  the  arches  break  into  a  marble  foam,  and  toss 
themselves  far  into  the  blue  sky  in  flashes  and  wreaths  of  sculptured  spray, 
as  if  the  breakers  on  the  Lido  shore  had  been  frost-bound  before  they 
fell,  and  the  sea-nymphs  had  inlaid  them  with  coral  and  amethyst.' — 
Ruskin>  '  Stones  of  Venice. ' 

Glorious  indeed  is  this  piazza  and  the  succession  of  build- 
ings which  surrounds  it,  and  most  animated  is  the  scene, 
especially  towards  evening,  when  all  society  at  Venice  is  '  in 
piazza.' 

'  The  Place  of  S.  Mark  is  the  heart  of  Venice,  and  from  this  beats 
new  life  in  every  direction,  through  an  intricate  system  of  streets  and 
canals,  that  bring  it  back  again  to  the  same  centre.  ...  Of  all  the  open 
spaces  in  the  city,  that  before  the  Church  of  St.  Mark  alone  bears 
the  name  of  Piazza,  and  the  rest  are  called  merely  campi,  or  fields. 
But  if  the  company  of  the  noblest  architecture  can  give  honour,  the 
Piazza  S.  Marco  merits  its  distinction,  not  in  Venice  only,  but  in  the 
whole  world.  I  never,  during  three  years,  passed  through  it  in  my 
daily  walks,  without  feeling  as  freshly  as  at  first  the  greatness  of  its 
beauty.  The  church,  which  the  mighty  bell-tower  and  the  lofty  height 
of  the  palace-lines  make  to  look  low,  is  in  no  wise  humbled  by  the 
contrast,  but  is  like  a  queen  enthroned  amid  -upright  reverence.  The 
religious  sentiment  is  deeply  appealed  to,  I  think,  in  the  interior  of 
S.  Mark's  ;  but  if  its  interior  is  heaven's,  its  exterior,  like  a  good  man's 


1 6  VENICE. 

daily  life,  is  earth's  ;  and  it  is  this  winning  loveliness  of  earth  that  first 
attracts  you  to  it,  and  when  you  emerge  from  its  portal-,  you  emerge 
upon  spaces  of  such  sunny  length  and  breadth,  set  round  with  such 
exquisite  architecture,  that  it  mikes  you  glad  to  be  living  in  this 
world. 

'  Whatever  could  please,  the  Venetian  seems  to  have  brought  within 
and  made  part  of  his  Piazza,  that  it  might  remain  for  ever  the  city's 
supreme  grace  ;  and  so,  though  there  are  public  gardens  and  several 
pleasant  walks  in  the  city,  the  great  resort  in  summer  and  winter,  by 
day  and  by  night,  is  the  Piazza  S.  Marco.  Beginning  with  the  warm 
days  of  early  May,  and  continuing  till  the  mllegglatiira  (the  period 
spent  at  the  country  seat)  interrupts  it  late  in  September,  all  Venice  goes 
by  a  single  impulse  of  dolce  far  niente,  and  sits  gossiping  at  the  doors 
of  the  innumerable  caffes  on  the  Riva  degli  Schiavoni,  and  in  the  dif- 
ferent squares  in  every  part  of  the  city.  But  of  course  the  most  brilliant 
scene  of  this  kind  is  in  S.  Mark's  Place,  which  has  a  night-time  glory 
indescribable,  won  from  the  light  of  uncounted  lamps  upon  its  architec- 
tural groups.' — Howclls,  '  Venetian  J.'fe.' 

On  the  north  of  the  square  are  the  Procuratie  Vecchie, 
of  which  the  lower  portion  was  built  by  Pietro  Lombardi,  in 
1496,  and  the  upper  by  Bartolommeo  Buono  da  Bergamo, 
1517.  Then  comes  the  tower  called  Torre  del  Orologio, 
built  1496-1498,  conspicuous  from  its  dial  of  blue  and  gold, 
and  surmounted  by  bronze  figures  which  strike  the  hours  upon 
a  bell.  The  arch  beneath  leads  into  the  busy  streets  of  the 
Merceria.  On  Ascension  and  for  many  days  after,  the  Magi 
come  forth  in  procession  and  salute  the  Virgin  and  Child  on 
this  tower,  when  the  clock  strikes  twelve.  A  little  beyond 
the  arch  a  white  stone  in  the  pavement  marks  the  spot  where 
the  standard-bearer  of  Bajamonte  Tiepolo  was  killed  in  1310, 
by  a  heavy  stone  thrown  from  a  window.  The  stone  was 
intended  for  Tiepolo  himself,  who  was  heading  a  conspiracy 
to  assassinate  Doge  Pietro  Gradenigo  and  dissolve  the 
Grand  Council.  A  banner,  hung  from  the  window  whence 
Giustina  Rossi  threw  the  stone,  long  celebrated  her  act,  and  in 
1841  her  bust  was  placed  near  the  Sotto  Portico  del  Capello. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  piazza  are  the  Biblioteca 
and  the  Procuratie  Nuove,  built  from  designs  of  Scamozzi. 
The  latter  are  converted  into  a  palace  :  they  occupy  the 
site  of  the  fine  church  of  S.  Geminiano,  which  was  built  by 


LIBRE RI A    VECCHIA,  LA   ZECCA.  17 

Sansovino  and  where  he  was  buried.  The  Libreria  Vecchia  is 
continued  down  the  west  side  of  the  Piazzetta,  which  opens 
from  the  piazza  opposite  the  Torre  del  Orologio.  It  is  the 
finest  building  of  the  sixteenth  century  in  Venice,  is  the 
masterpiece  of  Jacopo  Fatti,  called  Sansovino,  in  1536, 
and  is  mentioned  by  Aretinoas  'superiore  all'  invidia.'  The 
foundation  of  the  library  was  the  collection  of  Petrarch,  who 
came  to  settle  in  Venice  in  1529,  and  made  'S.  Mark  the 
heir  of  his  library.'  It  was  afterwards  greatly  enriched  by 
Cardinal  Bessarion  and  others.  The  great  hall  is  very  hand- 
some, and  contains  paintings  by  Paul  Veronese,  and  two 
great  works  of  Tintoret — '  The  Body  of  S.  Mark  stolen  from 
the  Saracens,'  and  '  S.  Mark  rescuing  a  Sailor.'  Between  the 
windows  are  a  row  of  philosophers,  which  Ruskin  describes 
as  the  finest  thing  of  the  kind  in  Italy,  or  in  Europe. 
Amongst  the  five  works  of  Bonifazio  in  the.  palace,  the 
'  Flight  of  Quails  '  and  the  '  Queen  of  Sheba  before  Solomon  ' 
deserve  especial  notice. 

Adjoining  the  Palace,  facing  the  lagoon,  is  the  Zecca, 
built  as  a  mint  by  Sansovino  in  1536,  and  which  gave  its 
name  to  the  Zecchino  or  Sequin,  the  favourite  coin  of  the 
republic.1 — In  the  entrance  corridor  are  gigantic  statues  by 
Gir.  Campagna  and  Tiziano  Aspetti.  At  the  end  of  the 
Piazzetta  towards  the  lagoon  are  two  huge  granite  pillars,2 
brought  from  one  of  the  islands  of  the  Archipelago  in  1127. 
One  is  surmounted  by  the  Lion  of  S.  Mark,  the  other  by  a 
statue  of  S.  Theodore  standing  on  a  crocodile  (by  Pietro 
Guilombardo,  1329), — the  saint  who  was  patron  of  the  Re- 
public before  the  body  of  S.  Mark  was  brought  from  Egypt 
in  827.  Doge  Sebastiano  Ziani  (1172-78),  having  promised 
any  '  onesta  grazia  '  to  the  man  who  should  safely  lift  the 

1  The  first  gold  piece  struck  here  was  the  dncato  of  1284,  which  was  of  the  same 
value  as  the  zecchino  of  the  sixteenth  century.  There  was  no  money  of  the  Doges 
before  the  time  of  Sebastiano  Ziani  (1177)  ;  before  that  time  the  coins  bore  the  name 
of  emperors  of  Germany.  The  most  celebrated  artificers  of  Venetian  coins  were 
Aless.  Leopardi  and  Vittor  Camelio  in  the  fifteenth,  and  Andrea  Spinelli  in  the 
sixteenth  century. 

3  There  were  originally  three  columns,  but  one  fell  into  the  sea  as  it  was  being 
landed,  and  could  never  be  recovered.  Fro.  Marco  e  Todaro  is  a  Venetian  proverb 
expressing  perplexity. 

VOL.    II.  C 


1 8  VENICE. 

columns  to  their  places,  it  was  claimed  by  Nicolb  il  Barat- 
tiere,  who  demanded  that  gambling,  prohibited  elsewhere, 
should  be  permitted  within  these  pillars.  The  promise 
could  not  be  revoked;  but  to  render  it  of  no  effect,  all  public 
executions  were  also  ordained  to  be  held  on  this  spot,  so  as 
to  render  it  one  of  ill-omen. 

At  the  inner  entrance  of  the  Piazzetta,  between  the  Ducal 
Palace  and  the  church,  are  the  richly  sculptured  Pillars  of. 
S.  J^ean  d'Acre,  once  part  of  a  gateway  of  S.  Sabbas  at  Acre, 
a  church  which  the  republics  of  Genoa  and  Venice  were 
supposed  to  hold  in  common,  but  in  which  they  came  to 
hand-to-hand  fights.  When  the  Venetians  under  Lorenzo 
Tiepolo  had  driven  out  the  Genoese  in  1256,  they  sent  the 
two  pillars  home  in  proof  of  their  triumph  ;  a  decree  of  the 
Senate  still  exists  which  decides  where  they  were  to  be 
placed.  . 

Near  these,  at  the  corner  of  the  church,  is  a  low  pillar 
of  red  porphyry,  which  is  also  said  to  have  come  from  Acre. 
It  is  called  Pietra  del  Bando,  and  the  laws  of  the  Republic 
are  said  to  have  been  promulgated  from  hence.  At  the 
corner  nearest  the  Ducal  Palace  are  four  quaint  figures  of  red 
porphyry,  which  are  supposed  to  represent  four  emperors 
who  shared  the  Byzantine  throne  contemporaneously  in  the 
eleventh  century,  1068-1070 — Romano  IV.,  Michele  Ducas, 
and  his  brothers  Andronico  and  Costantino  —  as  their 
images  appear  thus  on  coins  of  the  period.  The  wall  of 
the  church  on  this  side  has  been  the  part  most  attacked  by  the 
'  restorations'  of  1878-83.  A  lamp  which  burns  here  nightly 
before  a  Byzantine  Madonna  high  on  the  wall  commemorates 
the  remorse  of  the  Council  of  Ten  for  the  unjust  con- 
demnation of  Giovanni  Grassi,  1611,  pardoned  ten  years  after 
his  execution.  The  lamps  were  always  lighted  afterwards 
when  an  execution  took  place,  and  the  condemned,  before 
mounting  the  scaffold,  turned  round  to  the  picture,  and 
repeated  the  Salve  Regina, 

The  great  Campanile  was  begun  by  Doge  Pietro  Tribuno 
in  888,  but  not  finished  till  1511.     It  is  entered  by  a  small 


THE  CAMPANILE,    THE  LOGGIA.  19 

door  on  the  west  (2  soldi),  whence  a  winding  and  easy  foot- 
path (no  steps)  leads  to  the  summit.  The  view  is  truly  mag- 
nificent, and  should  be  one  of  the  first  points  visited  in 
Venice.  It  is  the  only  way  of  understanding  the  intricate 
plan  of  the  wonderful  water-city,  which  from  hence  is  seen 
like  a  map,  with  all  its  towers  and  churches  and  distant  at- 
tendant islands,  while  beyond  it  the  chain  of  Alps  girds  in 
the  horizon  with  a  glistening  band  of  snowy  peaks. 

At  the  foot  of  the  Campanile  is  the  Loggia  ('  sotto  il  Cam- 
panile'} built  by  Sansovino  in  1540,  as  a  meeting- place  for 
the  Venetian  nobles.  It  is  richly  adorned  with  reliefs,  and 
has  bronze  statues  of  Minerva,  Apollo,  Mercury,  and  a  God 
•of  Peace,  by  Sansovino. 

In  front  of  the  church,  rise  from  richly  decorated  bronze 
sockets,  by  Alessandro  Leopardo,  the  tall  flagstaffs  which 
bore  the  banners  of  the  Republic.  Here,  in  the  piazza,  we 
may  always  see  flocks  of  pigeons,  sacred  birds  in  Venice, 
which  are  so  tame  that  they  never  move  out  of  your  way, 
but  run  before  you  as  you  walk,  and  perch  on  the  sill  of 
your  open  window.  They  were  formerly  maintained  by  a 
provision  of  the  Republic,  but  now  subsist  upon  the  bequest 
of  a  pious  lady,  and  the  alms  of  grain  and  peas  which  they 
receive  from  strangers. 

'  Ces  pigeons  remontant  aux  anciens  temps  de  Venise.  Alors  il  etait 
d'usage,  le  jour  des  Rameaux,  de  lacher  d'au-dessus  de  la  porte  princi- 
pale  de  Saint-Marc  un  grand  nombre  d'oiseaux  avec  de  petits  rouleaux 
de  papier  attaches  a  la  patte,  qui  les  forcaient  a  tomber  ;  le  peuple, 
malgre  leurs  efforts  pour  se  soutenir  quelque  temps  en  1'air,  se  les  dispu- 
tait  aussitot  avec  violence.  II  arriva  que  quelques-uns  de  ces  pfgeons  se 
delivrerent  de  leurs  entraves,  et  tratnant  la  ficelle  chercherent  un  asile 
sur  les  toils  de  Saint-Marc,  lls  s'y  multiplierent  rapidement ;  et  tel  fut 
1'interet  qu'inspirerent  ces  refugies  que,  d'apres  le  voeu  general,  un  de- 
cret  fut  rendu  portant  qu'ils  seraient  non-seulement  respectes,  mais 
nourris  aux  fruis  de  1'Etat.' — Valery. 

The  distinctive  wonders  of  the  Piazza  S.  Marco  are  thus 
popularly  enumerated  in  the  Venetian  dialect  : — 

'  In  piazza  San  Marco  ghe  xe  tre  standard!, 
Ghe  xe  quatro  cavai  che  par  che  i  svola, 
c  2 


20  VENICE. 

Ghe  xe  un  relogio  che  '1  par  una  tore, 
Ghe  xe  do  mori  che  bate  le  ore. ' 

'It  is  a  great  piazza,  anchored,  like  all  the  rest,  in  the  deep  ocean. 
On  its  broad  bosom  is  a  palace,  more  majestic  and  magnificent  in  its 
old  age  than  all  the  buildings  of  the  earth,  in  the  high  prime  and  fulness 
of  their  youth.  Cloisters  and  galleries— so  light,  they  might  be  the  work 
of  fairy  hands ;  so  strong,  that  centuries  have  battered  them  in  vain — 
wind  round  and  round  this  palace,  and  enfold  it  with  a  cathedral,  gor- 
geous in  the  wild  luxuriant  fancies  of  the  East.  At  no  great  distance 
from  its  porch,  a  lofty  tower,  standing  by  itself,  and  rearing  its  proud 
head  above,  into  the  sky,  looks  out  upon  the  Adriatic  Sea.  Near  to  the 
margin  of  the  stream  are  two  ill-omened  pillars  of  red  granite  ;  one 
having  on  its  top  a  figure  with  a  sword  and  shield  ;  the  other,  a  winged 
lion.  Not  far  from  these,  again,  a  second  tower,  richest  of  the  rich  in  all 
its  decorations,  even  here,  where  all  is  rich,  sustains  aloft  a  great  orb, 
gleaming  with  gold  and  deepest  blue  ;  the  twelve  signs  painted  on  it, 
and  a  mimic  sun  revolving  in  its  course  around  them  ;  while  above,  two 
bronze  giants  hammer  out  the  hours  upon  a  sounding  bell.  An  oblong 
square  of  lofty  houses  of  the  whitest  stone,  surrounded  by  a  light  and 
beautiful  arcade,  forms  part  of  this  enchanted  scene ;  and,  here  and  there, 
gay  masts  for  flags  rise,  tapering  from  the  pavement  of  the  unsubstantial 
ground. ' — Dickens. 

As  we  are  now  standing  under  the  shadow  of  S.  Mark's, 
we  may  give  a  few  moments  to  its  origin  and  story. 

4  "  And  so  Barnabas  took  Mark,  and  sailed  unto  Cyprus."  If  as  the 
shores  of  Asia  lessened  upon  his  sight,  the  spirit  of  prophecy  had  entered 
into  the  heart  of  the  weak  disciple  who  had  turned  back  when  his  hand 
was  on  the  plough,  and  who  had  been  judged,  by  the  chiefest  of  Christ's 
captains,  unworthy  henceforward  to  go  forth  with  him  to  the  work,  how 
wonderful  would  he  have  thought  it,  that  by  the  lion  symbol  in  future 
ages  he  was  to  be  represented  among  men  !  how  woful,  that  the  war-cry 
of  his  name  should  so  often  re-animate  the  rage  of  the  soldier,  on  those 
very  plains  where  he  himself  had  failed  in  the  courage  of  the  Christian, 
and  so  often  dye  with  fruitless  blood  that  very  Cypriot  Sea,  over  whose 
waves,  in  repentance  and  shame,  he  was  following  the  Son  of  Consola- 
tion ! 

'  That  the  Venetians  possessed  themselves  of  his  body  in  the  ninth 
century  there  appears  no  sufficient  reason  to  doubt,  nor  that  it  was 
principally  in  consequence  of  their  having  done  so,  that  they  chose  him 
for  their  patron  saint.  There  exists,  however,  a  tradition  that  before  he 
went  into  Egypt  he  had  founded  the  church  at  Aquileia,  and  was  thus, 
in  some  sort,  the  first  bishop  of  the  Venetian  isles  and  people.' — Ruskin,  . 
'  Stones  of  Venice. ' 


THE   FOUNDATION  OF  S.  MARCO.  21 

The  translation  of  the  body  of  S.  Mark  to  Venice  is  said 
to  have  been  caused  by  the  rapacity  of  the  King  of  Alexandria, 
who  plundered  the  church  where  he  was  enshrined  in  that 
city  to  adorn  his  own  palace.  Two  Venetian  sea-captains 
who  were  then  at  Alexandria  implored  to  be  allowed  to  re- 
move the  relics  of  the  saint  to  a  place  of  safety,  and  at  last 
the  priests,  fearful  of  further  desecration,  consented.  '  They 
placed  the  corpse  in  a  large  basket  covered  with  herbs  and 
swine's  flesh  which  the  Mussulmans  hold  in  horror,  and 
the  bearers  were  directed  to  cry  Khawzir  (pork),  to  all  who 
should  ask  questions  or  approach  to  search.  In  this  manner 
they  reached  the  vessel.  The  body  was  enveloped  in  the 
sails,  and  suspended  to  the  mainmast  till  the  moment  of  de- 
parture, for  it  was  necessary  to  conceal  this  precious  booty 
from  those  who  might  come  to  clear  the  vessel  in  the  roads. 
At  last  the  Venetians  quitted  the  shore  full  of  joy.  They 
were  hardly  in  the  open  sea  when  a  great  storm  arose.  We 
are  assured  that  S.  Mark  then  appeared  to  the  captain  and 
warned  him  to  strike  all  his  sails  immediately,  lest  the  ship, 
driven  before  the  wind,  should  be  wrecked  upon  hidden 
rocks.  They  owed  their  safety  to  this  miracle.' 

The  first  church  erected  at  Venice  in  honour  of  S.  Mark 
was  destroyed  by  fire  in  976.  Its  rebuilding  was  immedi- 
ately commenced,  and  the  existing  church  was  consecrated 
in  1085.  Since  that  time  nearly  every  Doge  has  added 
to  the  richness  of  its  decorations.  The  main  body  of  the 
church  is  of  the  eleventh  century,  the  Gothic  additions  of  the 
fourteenth,  and  the  restored  mosaics  of  the  seventeenth. 

Over  the  doorways  are  five  mosaics,  beginning  from  the 
right,  viz.: 

The  translation  of  the  Relics  of  S.  Mark  from  Alexandria,  1650. 
Pietro  Vecchio. 

Landing  of  the  Relics.     Pietro  Vecchio. 

The  Last  Judgment,  1836.     L.  Guerena. 

The  magistrates  of  Venice  venerating  the  Relics  of  .S.  Mark,  1 728. 
Sebastiano  Rizzi. 

The  Enshrining  of  the  Relics,  and  the  facade  of  the  church,  an  ancient 
work  of  the  early  part  of  the  I3th  century. 


22  VENICE. 

Over  the  portico  are  the  four  famous  Bronze  Horses, 
brought  from  Constantinople  by  the  Venetians  after  the 
fourth  Crusade. 

'  A  glorious  team  of  horses, — I  should  like  to  hear  the  opinion  of  a 
good  judge  of  horse-flesh.  What  seemed  strange  to  me  was,  that  closely 
viewed,  they  appear  heavy,  while  from  the  piazza  below  they  look  light 
as  deer.' — Goethe. 

'  In  this  temple-porch, 
Old  as  he  was,  so  near  his  hundredth  year, 
And  blind  —his  eyes  put  out— did  Dandolo 
Stand  forth,  displaying  on  his  crown  the  cross. 
There  did  he  stand,  erect,  invincible, 
Though  wan  his  cheeks,  and  wet  with  many  tears, 
For  in  his  prayers  he  had  been  weeping  much  ; 
And  now  the  pilgrim  and  the  people  wept 
With  admiration,  saying  in  their  hearts, 
"  Surely  those  aged  limbs  have  need  of  rest  !  " 
There  did  he  stand,  with  his  old  armour  on, 
Ere,  gonfalon  in  hand,  that  streamed  aloft, 
As  conscious  of  its  glorious  destiny, 
So  soon  to  float  o'er  mosque  and  minaret, 
He  sailed  away,  five  hundred  gallant  ships, 
Their  lofty  sides  hung  with  emblazoned  shields, 
Following  his  track  to  fame.     He  went  to  die  : 
But  of  his  trophies  four  arrived  ere  long, 
Snatched  from  destruction — the  four  steeds  divine, 
That  strike  the  ground,  resounding  with  their  feet, 
And  from  their  nostrils  snort  ethereal  flame 
Over  that  very  porch.' — Rogers. 

On  entering  the  vestibule,  we  see,  in  front  of  the  central 
doorway,  a  lozenge  of  red  and  white  marble.  This  marks 
the  spot  where  the  celebrated  reconciliation  took  place  be- 
tween the  Emperor  Frederick  Barbarossa  and  Pope  Alex- 
ander III.,  July  23,  1177.  The  chroniclers  narrate  that  as 
the  emperor  knelt  at  the  feet  of  the  Pope,  he  exclaimed, 
'  Non  tibi  sed  Petro,'  and  that  Alexander  answered  proudly, 
'  Et  mihi  et  Petro.' 

'  The  Emperor,  with  the  Doge  and  senators,  and  with  his  own 
Teutonic  nobles,  advanced  to  the  portal  of  S.  Mark,  where  stood  the 
Pope  in  his  pontifical  attire.  Frederick  no  sooner  beheld  the  successor 
of  S.  Peter,  than  he  threw  off  his  imperial  mantle,  prostrated  himself, 
and  kissed  the  feet  of  the  Pontiff.  Alexander,  not  without  tears,  raised 


MOSAICS   OF  S.   MARCO.  23 

him  up,  and  gave  him  the  kiss  of  peace.  Then  swelled  out  the  Te 
Deum  ;  and  the  Emperor,  holding  the  hand  of  the  Pope,  was  led  into 
the  choir,  and  received  the  Papal  benediction.' — Mil  man's  'Hist,  of 
Latin  Christianity' 

All  around  are  columns  of  precious  marbles,  chiefly 
brought  from  the  East,  and  above  these  equally  precious 
mosaics.  That  over  the  principal  door  of  S.  Mark,  is  by 
the  brothers  Znccati  in  1545,  from  designs  of  Titian.  The 
representation  of  the  Crucifixion  opposite,  is  also  by  the 
Zuccati^  The  earlier  mosaics  are  of  the  eleventh  century, 
and  many  of  these  are  of  great  interest.  We  may  especially 
notice,  on  the  left,  as  a  figure  seldom  represented  in  art, 
that  of  Phocas,  the  sainted  gardener  of  Sinope  in  Pontus 
(A.D.  303),  who,  being  much  given  to  hospitality,  courteously 
received  and  lodged  the  executioners  sent  to  put  him  to 
death  ;  who  received  his  kindness  not  knowing,  but  in  the 
morning,  when  he  revealed  himself  to  them,  were  compelled 
to  behead  him,  and  they  buried  him  in  a  grave  he  had  dug 
for  himself,  amongst  his  flowers. 

'  The  custom  of  burying  illustrious  persons  in  Roman  or  early 
Christian  sarcophagi  prevailed  until  the  fourteenth  century.  Yitale 
Faliero,  for  instance,  lies  in  the  atrium  of  S.  Mark's,  to  the  right  of  the 
great  portal,  in  a  sarcophagus  with  shapeless  octagonal  columns.  Had 
Venice  had  any  fitter  resting-place  for  this  doge,  in  whose  reign  occurred 
the  miraculous  recovery  of  the  body  of  S.  Mark  and  the  visit  of  the 
Emperor  Henry  IV.,  she  would  not  thus  have  buried  him  in  a  tomb 
made  up  of  old  fragments.  In  a  similar  sarcophagus  on  the  other  side 
of  the  great  portal  lies  the  wife  of  Vitale  Michele,  who  ruled  the 
Republic  at  the  time  of  the  first  Crusade,  in  which  Venice  co-operated 
but  coldly,  fearing  that  it  would  interfere  with  her  commerce  with  the 
East ;  the  fleet  she  sent  to  Syria  was  employed  in  fighting  with  the 
Pisans  off  Smyrna  for  possession  of  the  bodies  of  SS.  Teodoro  and 
Niccolo,  and  in  plundering  the  richly  laden  Genoese  ships  in  their 
homeward  voyage.  Another  doge,  Marino  Morosini,  whose  short  and 
uneventful  reign  is  summed  up  by  Maestro  Martino  da  Canale  in  the 
words,  "  fu  si  grazioso  ch'  egli  uso  sua  vita  in  pace,  ne  nullo  oso 
assalire  di  guerra,"  also  lies  buried  in  the  atrium  of  S.  Mark's  in  an  old 

1  The  Zuccati  mosaicists,  sons  and  nephews  of  that  Sebastiano  Zuccato  who  was 
at  one  time  the  master  of  Titian,  were  accused  by  their  rivals,  the  Bianchini,  of  filling 
in  many  parts  of  their  mosaics  with  the  brush.  They  underwent  a  long  trial,  from 
which  they  came  out  triumphant,  partly  through  the  intervention  of  Titian. 


24  VENICE. 

Christian  sarcophagus,  sculptured  with  rude  figures  of  Christ  and  the 
Apostles,  angels  bearing  censers,  and  ornate  crosses. ' — Perkins's  '  Italian 
Sculptors. '  * 

On  the  right  is  the  entrance  of  the  Zeno  Chapel,  built 
1505-1515,  by  Cardinal  Giambattista  Zeno,  and  contain- 
ing his  grand  bronze  tomb,  decreed  by  the  Republic  and 
executed  by  Antonio  Lombardo  and  Ahssandro  Leopardo. 
The  altar  has  a  beautiful  figure  of  the  Madonna  della  Scarpa 
between  SS.  Peter  and  John  Baptist  The  mosaics,  which 
tell  the  story  of  S.  Mark,  are  of  the  twelfth  century. 

A  door  to  the  right  of  the  principal  entrance  leads  to  the 
Baptistery,  or  Chapel  of  S.  Giovanni  Battista — San  Zuane 
in  the  soft  Venetian  vernacular.  It  contains  the  tomb  of 
Andrea  Dandolo,  1354,  the  last  Doge  buried  in  S.  Mark's, 
for  whom  Petrarch,  who  was  his  friend,  composed  an  epitaph. 

'  We  are  in  a  low  vaulted  room  ;  vaulted,  not  with  arches,  but  with 
small  cupolas  starred  with  gold,  and  chequered  with  gloomy  figures  : 
in  the  centre  is  a  bronze  font  charged  with  rich  bas-reliefs,  a  small 
figure  of  the  Baptist  standing  above  it  in  a  single  ray  of  light  that 
glances  across  the  narrow  room,  dying  as  it  falls  from  a  window  high  in 
the  wall,  and  the  first  thing  that  it  strikes,  and  the  only  thing  that  it 
strikes  rightly,  is  a  tomb.  We  hardly  know  if  it  be  a  tomb  indeed  ; 
for  it  is  like  a  narrow  couch  set  beside  the  window,  low-roofed  and 
curtained,  so  that  it  might  seem,  but  that  it  is  some  height  above  the 
pavement,  to  have  been  drawn  towards  the  window,  that  the  sleeper 
might  be  wakened  early  ; — only  there  are  two  angels  who  have  drawn 
the  curtains  back,  and  are  looking  down  upon  him.  Let  us  look  also, 
and  thank  that  gentle  light  that  rests  upon  his  forehead  for  ever  and 
dies  away  upon  his  breast. 

'  The  face  is  of  a  man  in  middle  life,  but  there  are  two  deep  furrows 
right  across  the  forehead,  dividing  it  like  the  foundations  of  a  tower  ; 
the  height  of  it  above  is  bound  by  the  fillet  of  his  ducal  cap.  The  rest 
of  the  features  are  singularly  small  and  delicate,  the  lips  sharp,  perhaps 
the  sharpness  of  death  being  added  to  that  of  the  natural  lines ;  but 
there  is  a  sweet  smile  upon  them,  and  a  deep  serenity  upon  the  whole 
countenance.  The  roof  of  the  canopy  above  has  been  blue,  filled  with 
stars  ;  beneath,  in  the  centre  of  the  tomb  on  which  the  figure  rests,  is 
a  seated  figure  of  the  Virgin,  and  the  border  of  it  all  around,  is  of 

1  Thomas  Mowbray,  Duke  of  Norfolk,  banished  by  Richard  II.  after  his  duel 
with  the  Earl  of  Hereford,  afterwards  Henry  IV.,  died  at  Venice,  Sept.  22,  1399,  and 
was  buried  in  the  vestibule  of  S.  Mark,  whence  his  descendants  moved  his  body  to 
England  in  1533. 


BAPTISTERY  OF  S.   MARCO.  25 

flowers  and  soft  leaves,  growing  rich  and  deep,  as  if  in  a  field  in 
summer. 

'  It  is  the  Doge  Andrea  Dandolo,  a  man  early  great  among  the  great 
of  Venice,  and  early  lost.  She  chose  him  for  her  king  in  his  36th 
year  ;  he  died  ten  years  later,  leaving  behind  him  that  history  to  which 
•we  owe  half  of  what  we  know  of  her  former  fortunes. 

'  Look  round  the  room  in  which  he  lies.  The  floor  of  it  is  in  rich 
mosaic,  encompassed  by  a  low  seat  of  red  marble,  and  its  walls  are  of 
alabaster,  but  worn  and  shattered,  and  darkly  stained  with  age,  almost 
a  ruin — in  places  the  slabs  of  marble  have  fallen  away  altogether,  and 
the  rugged  brickwork  is  seen  through  the  rents,  but  all  beautiful ;  the 
ravaging  fissures  fretting  their  way  among  the  islands  and  channelled 
.zones  of  the  alabaster,  and  the  time-stains  on  its  translucent  masses 
darkened  into  fields  of  rich  golden  brown,  like  the  colour  of  sea-weed 
•when  the  sun  strikes  on  it  through  deep  sea.  The  light  fades  away  into 
the  recess  of  the  chamber  towards  the  altar,  and  the  eye  can  hardly 
trace  the  lines  of  the  bas-relief  behind  it  of  the  Baptism  of  Christ :  but 
on  the  vaulting  of  the  roof  the  figures  are  distinct,  and  there  are  seen 
upon  it  two  great  circles,  one  surrounded  by  the  "  principalities  and 
powers  in  heavenly  places,"  of  which  Milton  has  expressed  the  ancient 
•division  in  the  single  massy  line, 

"Thrones,  Dominations,  Princedoms,  Virtues,  Powers," 

and  around  the  other,  the  Apostles ;  Christ  the  centre  of  both  :  and 
upon  the  walls,  again  and  again  repeated,  the  gaunt  figure  of  the  Bap- 
tist, in  every  circumstance  of  his  life  and  death  :  and  the  streams  of 
the  Jordan  running  down  between  their  cloven  rocks  ;  the  axe  laid  to 
the  root  of  a  fruitless  tree  that  springs  upon  their  shore.' — Ruskin, 
*  Stones  of  Venice.'1 

From  a  door  on  the  left  of  the  Baptistery  we  enter  the 
church  itself. 

'  The  church  is  lost  in  a  deep  twilight,  to  which  the  eye  must  be 
accustomed  for  some  moments  before  the  form  of  the  building  can  be 
traced ;  and  then  there  opens  before  us  a  vast  cave,  hewn  out  into  the 
form  of  a  cross,  and  divided  into  shadowy  aisles  by  many  pillars. 
Round  the  domes  of  its  roof  the  light  enters  only  through  narrow  ' 
apertures  like  large  stars  ;  and  here  and  there  a  ray  or  two  from  some 
far-away  casement  wanders  into  the  darkness,  and  casts  a  narrow 
phosphoric  stream  upon  the  waves  of  marble  that  heave  and  fall  in  a 
thousand  colours  along  the  floor.  What  else  there  is  of  light  is  from 
torches,  or  silver  lamps,  burning  ceaselessly  in  the  recesses  of  the 
chapels  ;  the  roof  sheeted  with  gold,  and  the  polished  walls  covered 
with  alabaster,  give  back  at  every  curve  and  angle  some  feeble  gleaming 
to  the  flames  ;  and  the  glories  round  the  heads  of  the  sculptured  saints 


26  VENICE. 

flash  out  upon  us  as  we  pass  them,  and  sink  again  into  the  gloom. 
Under  foot  and  over  head,  a  continual  succession  of  crowded  imagery,, 
one  picture  passing  into  another,  as  in  a  dream ;  forms  beautiful  and 
terrible  mixed  together ;  dragons  and  serpents,  and  ravening  beasts  of 
prey,  and  graceful  birds  that  in  the  midst  of  them  drink  from  running 
fountains  and  feed  from  vases  of  crystal ;  the  passions  and  the  pleasures- 
of  human  life  symbolised  together,  and  the  mystery  of  its  redemption  ;. 
for  the  mazes  of  interwoven  lines  and  changeful  pictures  lead  always  at 
last  to  the  Cross,  lifted  and  carved  in  every  place  and  upon  every 
stone ;  sometimes  with  the  serpent  of  eternity  wrapt  round  it,  some- 
times with  doves  beneath  its  arms  and  sweet  herbage  growing  forth 
from  its  feet ;  but  conspicuous  most  of  all  on  the  great  rood  that  crosses- 
the  church  before  the  altar,  raised  in  bright  blazonry  against  the  shadow 
of  the  apse.  And  although  in  the  recesses  of  the  aisles  and  chapels,, 
when  the  mist  of  the  incense  hangs' heavily,  we  may  see  continually  a 
figure  traced  in  faint  lines  upon  their  marble,  a  woman  standing  with 
her  eyes  raised  to  heaven,  and  the  inscription  above  her,  "Mother  of 
God,"  she  is  not  here  the  presiding  deity.  It  is  the  Cross  that  is  first 
seen,  and  always,  burning  in  the  centre  of  the  temple  ;  and  every  dome 
and  hollow  of  its  roof  has  the  figure  of  Christ  in  the  utmost  height  of 
it,  raised  in  power,  or  returning  in  judgment.' — Jttukin,  '  Stones  of 
Venice. ' 

It  is  the  general  impression,  not  the  detail,  of  S.  Mark's, 
which  makes  it  so  transcendent.  The  dim  effects  of  shadow 
amid  which  golden  gleams  here  and  there  illuminate  some 
precious  fragment  of  marble  wall,  or  the  peacock  hues  of  a 
portion  of  the  undulating  and  uneven  pavement,  make 
those  who  have  any  artistic  feeling  care  little  for  the  technical 
details  of  architecture  and  sculpture.  On  the  left  is  the 
beautiful  little  octagonal  chapel  or  shrine  of  the  Holy  Cross, 
The  Byzantine  picture  of  the  Madonna,  greatly  venerated 
by  the  people,  was  brought  from  Constantinople  in  1206. 
The  screen  of  the  choir  is  Greek,  surmounted  by  statues  by 
Jacobello  and  Pierpaolo  delle  Massegne,  1394,  and  between, 
these  the  bronze  crucifix  of  Jacopo  di  Marco  Benato,  1394. 
The  choir  is  richly  adorned  with  intarsiatura  work,  above 
which  are  six  bronze  reliefs  telling  the  story  of  S.  Mark,  by 
Jacopo  SansoviiiO)  1546. 

The  altar-front  is  only  of  silver-gilt,  but,  on  the  highest 
church  festivals,  the  glorious  Pala  <FOro,  of  solid  gold,  is  . 
exhibited  behind  the  high  altar.    On  these  occasions  candles. 


INTERIOR   OF  S.  MARCO.  27 

are  lighted  in  front  of  the  altar,  in  the  exquisite  candelabra, 
of  Doge  Cristoforo  Moro. 

The  Pala  d'  Oro  itself  was  originally  ordered  from  Con- 
stantinople by  Doge  Pietro  Orseolo  I.  in  the  tenth  century. 
The  work  then  sent  over  was  three  times  renewed,  lastly  by 
Giammaria  Boninsegna  for  Andrea  Dandolo,  in  1345,  when 
the  upper  part  of  the  Pala,  which  was  certainly  brought  to 
Venice  after  the  conquest  of  Constantinople  in  1205,  was 
probably  united  to  the  lower. 

The  High  Altar  itself  covers  the  supposed  relics  of  S. 
Mark.  The  original  relics  were  destroyed  in  976,  by  fire, 
but  a  legend  has  made  them  good. 

'  After  the  repairs  undertaken  by  the  Doge  Orseolo,  the  place  in 
which  the  body  of  the  holy  Evangelist  rested  had  been  altogether  for- 
gotten ;  so  that  the  Doge  Vital  Falier  was  entirely  ignorant  of  the  place 
of  the  venerable  deposit.  This  was  no  light  affliction,  not  only  to  the 
pious  Doge,  but  to  all  the  citizens  and  people  ;  so  that  at  last,  moved  by 
confidence  in  the  Divine  mercy,  they  determined  to  implore,  with  prayer 
and  fasting,  the  manifestation  of  so  great  a  treasure,  which  did  not  now 
depend  upon  any  human  effort.  A  general  fast  being  therefore  proclaimed, 
and  a  solemn  procession  appointed  for  the  25th  day  of  June,  while  the 
people  assembled  in  the  church  interceded  with  God  in  fervent  prayer 
for  the  desired  boon,  they  beheld,  with  as  much  amazement  as  joy,  a 
slight  shaking  in  the  marbles  of  a  pillar  (near  the  place  where  the  altar 
of  the  Cross  is  now),  which  presently  falling  to  the  earth,  exposed  to 
the  view  of  the  rejoicing  people  the  chest  of  bronze  in  which  the  body 
of  the  Evangelist  was  laid.' — Corner. 

Behind  the  High  Altar  on  the  left  is  a  small  bronze  door 
byy.  Sansovino,  with  reliefs  of  marvellous  beauty,  amongst 
which  that  of  the  Entombment  deserves  especial  attention. 
The  portraits  of  Titian,  Aretino,  and  other  contemporaries 
of  the  artist  are  introduced.  This  leads  to  the  Sacristy, 
adorned  with  sixteenth-century  mosaics,  and  intarsiatura 
work  by  Antonio  and  Paolo  da  Mantova,  and  Fra  Vincenzo 
da  Verona,  1523. 

Beneath  the  Choir  is  a  low  and  curious  labyrinthine  Crypt 
(open  from  12  to  2)  supported  by  50  pillars  of  Greek  mar- 
ble. Here,  behind  the  altar,  is  the  marble  sarcophagus 
which  originally  contained  the  body  of  S.  Mark,  moved 


28  VENICE. 

to  the  altar  above  in  1835.  The  crypt  was  more  or  less 
flooded  from  the  sixteenth  century  till  1830. 

The  Cappella  di  S.  Isidoro  was  built  by  Doge  Andrea 
Dandolo  to  receive  the  body  of  S.  Isidore,  which  had  been 
stolen  from  Chios  by  the  Doge  Domenico  Michiel  in  1 125,  but 
concealed  for  two  centuries  for  fear  it  should  be  reclaimed. 
The  figure  of  the  saint  is  represented  upon  his  tomb.  The 
mosaics  tell  the  story  of  his  life,  and  the  finding  of  his  body. 

From  the  south  Transept  is  the  entrance  to  the  Treasury 
(shown  on  Mondays  and  Fridays  from  12.30  to  2),  which  con- 
tains a  very  interesting  collection  of  Byzantine  work.  The 
Episcopal  Throne  is  said  to  have  been  given  by  the 
Emperor  Heraclius  to  the  Patriarch  of  Grado.  It  bears 
the  symbols  of  the  Evangelists  surrounded  with  six  wrings  of 
seraphs.  The  reliquary  of  the  True  Cross  was  given  in  1120 
to  S.  Sophia  of  Constantinople  by  Irene,  wife  of  the 
Emperor  Alexius  Comnenus. 

Having  visited  the  church  to  form  a  general  impression 
of  its  glories,  the  traveller  should  return  with  the  single  in- 
tention of  studying  the  Mosaics  and  observing  how  com- 
pletely they  are,  as  it  were,  an  epitome  and  history  of  the 
Christian  faith. 

'  A  large  atrium  or  portico  is  attached  to  the  sides  of  the  church,  a 
space  which  was  especially  reserved  for  unbaptized  persons  and  new 
converts.  It  was  thought  right  that,  before  their  baptism,  these  persons 
should  be  led  to  contemplate  the  great  facts  of  the  Old  Testament 
history ;  the  history  of  the  Fall  of  Man,  and  of  the  lives  of  the  Patriarchs 
up  to  the  period  of  the  Covenant  by  Moses  ;  the  order  of  the  subjects  in 
this  series  being  very  nearly  the  same  as  in  many  Northern  churches, 
but  significantly  closing  with  the  Fall  of  the  Manna,  in  order  to  mark 
to  the  catechumen  the  insufficiency  of  the  Mosaic  covenant  for  salvation, 
— "Our  fathers  did  eat  Manna  in  the  wilderness,  and  are  dead," — and 
to  turn  his  thoughts  to  the  true  bread  of  which  that  Manna  was  a  type. 

'  Then,  when  after  his  baptism  he  was  permitted  to  enter  the  church, 
over  its  main  entrance  he  saw,  on  looking  back,  a  mosaic  of  Christ  en- 
throned, with  the  Virgin  on  one  side  and  S.  Mark  on  the  other,  in 
attitudes  of  adoration.  Christ  is  represented  as  holding  a  book  open 
upon  his  knee,  on  which  is  written :  "  I  am  the  door  ;  by  Me  if  any  man 
enter  in,  he  shall  be  saved."  On  the  red  marble  moulding  which  sur- 
rounds the  mosaic  is  written  :  "I  am  the  Gate  of  Life  ;  let  those  who 


MOSAICS  OF  S.  MARCO.  29 

are  Mine  enter  by  Me. "  Above,  on  the  red  marble  fillet  which  forms 
the  cornice  of  the  west  end  of  the  church,  is  written,  with  reference  to 
the  figure  of  Christ  below  :  "  Who  He  was,  and  from  whom  He  came, 
and  at  what  price  He  redeemed  thee,  and  why  He  made  thee,  and  gave 
thee  all  things,  do  thou  consider." 

'  Now  observe,  this  was  not  to  be  seen  and  read  only  by  the  cate- 
chumen when  he  entered  the  church  ;  every  one  who  at  any  time 
entered,  was  supposed  to  look  back  and  to  read  this  writing  ;  their  daily 
entrance  into  the  church  was  thus  made  a  daily  memorial  of  their  first 
entrance  into  the  spiritual  Church  ;  and  we  shall  find  that  the  rest  of  the 
book  which  was  opened  for  them  upon  its  walls,  continually  led  them 
in  the  same  manner  to  regard  the  visible  temple  as  in  every  part  a  type 
of  the  invisible  Church  of  God. 

'  Therefore  the  mosaic  of  the  first  dome,  which  is  over  the  head  of 
the  spectator  as  soon  as  he  has  entered  by  the  great  door  (that  door 
being  the  type  of  baptism),  represents  the  effusion  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
as  the  first  consequence  and  seal  of  the  entrance  into  the  Church  of  God. 
In  the  centre  of  the  cupola  is  the  Dove,  enthroned  in  the  Greek  manner, 
as  the  Lamb  is  enthroned,  when  the  Divinity  of  the  Second  and  Third 
persons  is  to  be  insisted  upon  together  with  their  peculiar  offices.  From 
the  central  symbol  of  the  Holy  Spirit  twelve  streams  of  fire  descend 
upon  the  heads  of  the  twelve  apostles,  who  are  represented  standing 
around  the  dome  ;  and  below  them,  between  the  windows  which  are 
pierced  in  its  walls,  are  represented,  by  groups  of  two  figures  for  each 
separate  people,  the  various  nations  who  heard  the  apostles  speak,  at 
Pentecost,  every  man  in  his  own  tongue.  Finally,  on  the  vaults,  at  the 
four  angles  which  support  the  cupola,  are  pictured  four  angels,  each 
bearing  a  tablet  upon  the  end  of  a  rod  in  his  hand  ;  on  each  of  the 
tablets  of  the  first  three  angels  is  inscribed  the  word  "  Holy  ;  "  on  that 
of  the  fourth  is  written  "  Lord  ;"  and  the  beginning  of  the  hymn  being 
thus  put  into  the  mouths  of  the  four  angels,  the  words  of  it  are  continued 
round  the  border  of  the  dome,  uniting  praise  to  God  for  the  gift  of  the 
Spirit,  with  welcome  to  the  redeemed  soul  received  into  His  Church  : 

Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  of  Sabaoth  : 

Heaven  and  earth  are  full  of  Thy  glory  : 
Hosanna  in  the  highest : 

Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 
And  observe  in  this  writing  that  the  convert  is  required  to  regard  the 
outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  especially  as  a  work  of  sanctifitation.  It 
is  the  holiness  of  God  manifested  in  the  giving  of  His  Spirit  to  sanctify 
those  who  had  become  His  children,  which  the  four  angels  celebrate  in 
their  ceaseless  praise  ;  and  it  is  on  account  of  this  holiness  that  the 
heaven  and  earth  are  said  to  be  full  of  His  glory, 

'  After,  then,  hearing  praise  rendered  to  God  by  the  angels  for  the 
salvation  of  the  newly  entered  soul,  it  was  thought  fittest  that  the 


30  VENICE. 

worshippers  should  be  led  to  contemplate,  in  the  most  comprehensive 
forms  possible,  the  past  evidence  and  the  future  hopes  of  Christianity,  as 
summed  up  in  the  three  facts  without  assurance  of  which  all  faith  is  vain  ; 
namely,  that  Christ  died,  that  He  rose  again,  and  that  He  ascended 
into  heaven,  there  to  prepare  a  place  for  His  elect.  On  the  vault  be- 
tween the  first  and  second  cupolas  are  represented  the  crucifixion  and 
resurrection  of  Christ,  with  the  usual  series  of  intermediate  scenes — the 
treason  of  Judas,  the  judgment  of  Pilate,  the  crowning  with  thorns,  the 
descent  into  Hades,  the  visit  of  the  women  to  the  sepulchre,  and  the 
apparition  to  Mary  Magdalene.  The  second  cupola  itself,  which  is  the 
central  and  principal  one  of  the  church,  is  entirely  occupied  by  the  sub- 
ject of  the  Ascension.  At  the  highest  point  of  it  Christ  is  represented 
as  rising  into  the  blue  heaven,  borne  up  by  four  angels,  and  throned 
upon  a  rainbow,  the  type  of  reconciliation.  Beneath  Him,  the  twelve 
apostles  are  seen  upon  the  Mount  of  Olives,  with  the  Madonna,  and,  in 
the  midst  of  them,  the  two  men  in  white  apparel  who  appeared  at  the 
moment  of  the  Ascension,  above  whom,  as  uttered  by  them,  are  in- 
scribed the  words,  "  Ye  men  of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into 
heaven?  This  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  as  He  is  taken  from  you,  shall 
so  come,  the  arbiter  of  the  earth,  trusted  to  do  judgment  and  justice." 

'  Beneath  the  circle  of  the  Apostles,  between  the  windows  of  the  cupola, 
are  represented  the  Christian  virtues,  as  sequent  upon  the  crucifixion  of 
the  flesh,  and  the  spiritual  ascension  together  with  Christ.  Beneath 
them,  on  the  vaults  which  support  the  angles  of  the  cupola,  are  placed 
the  four  Evangelists,  because  on  their  evidence  our  assurance  of  the  fact 
of  the  Ascension  rests  ;  and  finally  beneath  our  feet,  as  symbols  of  the 
sweetness  and  fulness  of  the  Gospel  which  they  declared,  are  represented 
the  four  rivers  of  Paradise,  Pison,  Gihon,  Tigris,  and  Euphrates. 

'  The  third  cupola,  that  over  the  altar,  represents  the  witness  of  the 
Old  Testament  to  Christ ;  showing  Him  enthroned  in  its  centre,  and 
surrounded  by  the  patriarchs  and  prophets.  But  this  dome  was  little 
seen  by  the  people ;  their  contemplation  was  intended  to  be  chiefly 
drawn  to  that  of  the  centre  of  the  church,  and  thus  the  mind  of  the  wor- 
shippers was  at  once  fixed  on  the  main  groundwork  and  hope  of  Christi- 
anity,— "Christ  is  risen,"  and  "Christ  shall  come."  If  he  had  time  to 
explore  the  minor  lateral  chapels  and  cupolas,  he  could  find  in  them  the 
whole  series  of  New  Testament  history,  the  events  of  the  Life  of  Christ, 
and  the  apostolic  miracles  in  their  order,  and  finally  the  scenery  of  the 
Book  of  Revelation  ;  but  if  he  only  entered,  as  often  the  common  people 
do  at  this  hour,  snatching  a  few  moments  before  beginning  the  labour 
of  the  day  to  offer  up  an  ejaculatory  prayer,  and  advanced  but  from  the 
main  entrance  as  far  as  the  altar  screen,  all  the  splendour  of  the  glitter- 
ing nave  and  variegated  dome,  if  they  smote  upon  his  heart,  as  they 
might  often,  in  strange  contrast  with  his  reed  cabin  among  the  shallows 
of  the  lagoon,  smote  upon  it  only  that  they  might  proclaim  the  two 
great  messages, —  "Christ  is  risen,"  and  "Christ  shall  come."  Daily, 


MOSAICS   OF  S.   MARCO.  31 

as  the  white  cupolas  rose  like  wreaths  of  sea-foam  in  the  dawn,  while 
the  shadowy  campanile  and  frowning  palace  were  still  withdrawn  into 
the  night,  they  rose  with  the  Easter  Voice  of  Triumph, — "Christ  is 
risen  ; "  and  daily,  as  they  looked  down  upon  the  tumult  of  the  people, 
deepening  and  eddying  in  the  wide  square  that  opened  from  their  feet 
to  the  sea,  they  uttered  above  them  the  sentence  of  warning, — "Christ 
shall  come." 

'  And  this  thought  may  dispose  the  reader  to  look  with  some  change 
of  temper  upon  the  gorgeous  building  and  wild  blazonry  of  that  shrine 
of  S.  Mark's.  He  now  perceives  that  it  was  in  the  hearts  of  the  old 
Venetian  people  far  more  than  a  place  of  worship.  It  was  at  once  a 
type  of  the  Redeemed  Church  of  God,  and  a  scroll  for  the  written  word 
of  God.  It  was  to  be  to  them,  both  an  image  of  the  Bride,  all  glorious 
within,  her  clothing  of  wrought  gold  ;  and  the  actual  Table  of  the  Law 
and  the  Testimony,  written  within  and  without.  And  whether  honoured 
as  the  Church,  or  as  the  Bible,  was  it  not  fitting  that  neither  the  gold 
nor  the  crystal  should  be  spared  in  the  adornment  of  it  ;  that,  as  the 
symbol  of  the  Bride,  the  building  of  the  wall  thereof  should  be  of  jasper, 
and  the  foundations  of  it  garnished  with  all  manner  of  precious  stones  ; 
and  that,  as  the  channel  of  the  Word,  the  triumphant  utterance  of  the 
Psalmist  should  be  true  of  it, — "  I  have  rejoiced  in  the  way  of  thy  testi- 
monies, as  much  as  in  all  riches  "  ?  ' — Ruskin,  '  Stones  of  Venice.1 

Travellers  will  find  it  wearisome,  almost  impossible,  to 
examine  all  the  mosaics  of  S.  Mark's.  But  among  the  col- 
lateral series  is  one  of  special  interest  upon  the  soffit  of  the 
arch  which  overhangs  the  western  triforium. 

'  This  series  of  compositions,  from  the  early  history  of  the  Virgin,  is 
tlerived  from  the  Protevangelion  or  apocryphal  gospel  of  S.  Thomas, 
little  known  in  the  Latin  Church.  In  her  Marriage,  she  is  represented 
as  a  little  girl  of  twelve  years  old.  In  the  Annunciation,  she  is  in  the 
act  of  drawing  water  at  a  fountain  in  front  of  the  house,  and  the  angel 
addresses  her,  floating  in  the  air.  In  the  compartment  which  follows, 
she  receives  from  the  hand  of  the  High  Priest,  at  the  doors  of  the  temple, 
a  vase  containing  the  purple  with  which  it  had  fallen  to  her  lot  to  dye 
the  new  veil  of  the  sanctuary — six  virgins,  of  the  house  of  David,  are  in 
attendance  on  her.  In  the  Salutation,  she  is  represented  as  of  full 
stature,  being  then,  according  to  the  Protevangelion,  fourteen  years  old  ; 
— to  the  right,  in  the  same  composition,  Joseph — to  whom  she  had  been 
entrusted,  not  so  much  as  a  husband  as  a  guardian  of  her  virginity — vin- 
dicates himself  by  the  "  water  of  trial  "  from  the  suspicion  of  having 
' '  privately  married  "  her.  In  the  seventh  of  the  series,  the  angel  appears 
to  Joseph,  revealing  the  mystery  of  her  conception  ;  and  in  the  eighth 
is  represented  the  journey  to  Bethlehem  before  Our  Saviour  was  born. 
The  series  is  continued  on  the  adjacent  wall,  but  by  modern  artists,  the 


32  VENICE. 

earlier  compositions  having  perished.  These  eight  mosaics  have  much 
merit,  and  are  evidently  a  good  deal  later  than  those  of  the  cupolas,  the 
porch,  Murano  and  Torcello.' — Lord  Lindsay's  '  Christian  Art.1 

(The  Piazzetta  del Leoni,  on  the  north  side  of  the  church, 
is  named  from  two  red  marble  lions  erected  by  Doge  Alvise 
Mocenigo,  in  the  eighteenth  century.  Here  are  the  Palace 
of  the  Patriarchs,  and  the  desecrated  Church  of  S.  Basso^ 
built  in  1670.) 

From  S.  Mark's  the  traveller  must  turn  to  the  Palace  by 
its  side,  of  which  till  a  few  years  ago  it  was  only  the  chapel 
(Cappella  Ducale).  The  courtyard  of  the  palace  is  always 
open  :  its  chambers  may  be  visited  on  week-days  from  9  to 
4;  entrance  i  fr. 

A  Palazzo  Ducale  was  first  built  in  820  by  Doge  Angek> 
Participazio,  the  first  ruler  of  the  Venetian  colonists.  This 
was  a  Byzantine  Palace,  and  we  know  from  contemporary 
writers  that  it  was  of  great  magnificence.  Probably  it  somewhat 
resembled  the  'Fondaco  dei  Turchi.'  It  received  great 
additions  during  the  twelfth  century,  especially  from  the  Doge 
Sebastiano  Ziani,  who  '  enlarged  it  in  every  direction.'  In  the 
fourteenth  century  the  great  saloon  was  built,  with  many  other 
important  additions ;  but  the  palace  of  Ziani  still  remained, 
though  contrasting  ill  with  the  splendours  of  the  later  build- 
ing, and  so  strong  was  the  feeling  that  it  ought  to  be  rebuilt, 
thai,  to  save  the  vast  expense,  and  fearing  their  own  weak- 
ness, the  Senate  passed  a  decree  forbidding  any  one  to  speak 
of  rebuilding  the  old  palace,  under  a  penalty  of  a  thousand 
ducats.  But  in  1419  a  fire  occurred  which  destroyed  part 
of  the  old  buildings ;  a  decree  for  rebuilding  the  palace  was 
passed  under  Doge  Mocenigo  in  1422,  and  the  work  was 
carried  out  under  his  successor  Doge  Foscari. 

'  The  first  hammer-stroke  upon  the  old  palace  of  Ziani  was  the  first 
act  of  the  period  properly  called  the  "  Renaissance."  It  was  the  knell 
of  the  architecture  of  Venice — and  of  Venice  herself. 

'  A  year  had  not  elapsed  since  the  great  Doge  Mocenigo :  his  patriot- 
ism, always  sincere,  had  been  in  this  instance  mistaken ;  in  his  zeal  for 
the  honour  of  future  Venice,  he  had  forgotten  what  was  due  to  the  Venice 
of  long  ago.  A  thousand  palaces  might  be  built  upon  her  burdened 


THE  PALAZZO  DUCALE.  33 

islands,  but  none  of  them  could  take  the  place,  or  recall  the  memory,  of 
that  which  was  first  built  upon  her  unfrequented  shore.  It  fell  ;  and,  as 
if  it  had  been  the  talisman  of  her  fortunes,  the  city  never  flourished 
again.' — Ruskin. 

In  1574  another  great  fire  destroyed  the  upper  rooms  of 
the  sea  facade  and  almost  the  whole  of  the  interior  of  the 
palace,  and  it  was  debated  in  the  Great  Council  whether  the 
ruin  should  not  be  destroyed  and  an  entirely  new  palace 
built ;  but  it  was  saved  by  the  advice  of  an  architect  named 
Giovanni  Rusconi,  and  the  completion  of  the  repairs  necessi- 
tated at  this  time  brought  the  edifice  into  its  present  form ; 
the  architects  employed  were  three  members  of  the  family 
of  Bon  or  Buono,  and  to  them  the  two  principal  colonnades 
are  due. 

In  most  buildings  the  basement  story  is  the  heaviest,  and 
each  succeeding  story  increases  in  lightness  :  in  the  Ducal 
Palace  this  is  reversed,  making  it  unique  amongst  buildings. 
The  outer  walls  rest  upon  the  pillars  of  open  colonnades, 
which  have  a  more  stumpy  appearance  than  was  intended, 
owing  to  the  raising  of  the  pavement  in  the  piazza.  They 
had  however  no  bases,  but  were  supported  by  a  continuous 
stylobate.  The  chief  decorations  of  the  palace  were  em- 
ployed upon  the  capitals  of  these  thirty-six  pillars,  and  it 
was  felt  that  the  peculiar  prominence  and  importance  given 
to  its  angles,  rendered  it  necessary  that  they  should  be 
enriched  and  softened  by  sculpture,  which  is  most  interesting 
and  often  most  beautiful.  The  throned  figure  of  Venice 
above  bears  a  scroll  inscribed  :  '  Fortis,  justa,  trono  furias, 
mare  sub  pede,  pono.'1  One  of  the  corners  of  the  palace 
joined  the  irregular  buildings,  connected  with  S.  Mark's, 
and  is  not  generally  seen.  There  remained  therefore  only 
three  angles  to  be  decorated.  The  first  main  sculpture 
may  be  called  '  the  Fig-tree  angle,'  and  its  subject  is  '  the 
Fall  of  Man.'  The  second  is  'the  Vine  angle,'  and  re- 
presents the  '  Drunkenness  of  Noah.'  The  third  sculpture 

1  '  Strong  and  just,  I  put  the  furies  beneath  my  throne,  and  the  sea  beneath  my 
foot.' 

VOL.    II.  D 


34  VENICE. 

is  'the  Judgment  angle,'  and  portrays  the  'Judgment  of 
Solomon.' 

'  In  both  the  subjects  of  the  Fall  and  the  Drunkenness,  the  tree  forms 
the  chiefly  decorative  portion  of  the  sculpture.  Its  trunk,  in  both  cases, 
is  the  true  outer  angle  of  the  palace — boldly  cut  separate  from  the  stone- 
work behind,  and  branching  out  above  the  figures  so  as  to  encompass 
each  side  of  the  angle,  for  several  feet,  with  its  deep  foliage.  Nothing 
can  be  more  masterly  or  superb  than  the  sweep  of  this  foliage  on  the 
Fig-tree  angle  ;  the  broad  leaves  lapping  round  the  budding  fruit,  and 
sheltering  from  sight,  beneath  their  shadows,  birds  of  the  most  graceful 
form  and  delicate  plumage.  The  branches  are,  however,  so  strong,  and 
the  masses  of  stone  hewn  into  leafage  so  large,  that,  notwithstanding 
the  depths  of  the  under  cutting,  the  work  remains  nearly  uninjured  ; 
not  so  at  the  (opposite)  Vine-angle,  where  the  natural  delicacy  of  the 
vine-leaf  and  tendril  having  tempted  the  sculptor  to  greater  effort,  he 
has  passed  the  proper  limits  of  his  art,  and  cut  the  upper  stems  so  deli- 
cately that  half  of  them  have  been  broken  away  by  the  casualties  to 
which  the  situation  of  the  sculpture  necessarily  exposes  it.' — Ruskin. 

The  Doge's  Palace  was  not  merely  the  residence  of  the 
chief  of  the  state.  It  was,  like  our  Palace  of  Westminster, 
the  place  where  all  the  councils  of  state  were  held. 

'  In  the  early  times  of  Venice,  the  Doges  possessed  supreme  power, 
unfettered  by  councils.  But  defects  being  perceived  in  this  form  of 
government,  a  Grand  Council  was  established  by  consent  of  the  people, 
consisting  of  four  hundred  and  eighty  men  of  high  birth. 

'  The  grand  council  soon  limited  the  Doge's  prerogatives,  and  ap- 
pointed a  Council  of  Forty  to  administer  criminal  justice.  A  Council  of 
Sixty  assisted  the  Doge  in  administering  domestic  and  foreign  affairs, 
and  the  famous  Council  of  Ten  held  authority  over  the  other  councils, 
and  privately  investigated  and  punished  all  state  crimes. 

'  The  Doge  was  bound  to  have  no  private  correspondence  with  foreign 
states,  to  acquire  no  property  beyond  the  Venetian  dominions,  to  inter- 
fere in  no  judicial  process,  and  to  permit  no  citizen  to  use  tokens  of  sub- 
jection in  saluting  him. 

'It  was  a  serious  matter  to  be  Doge  of  Venice.  Five  of  the  first 
fifty  Doges  abdicated  ;  five  were  banished,  with  their  eyes  put  out ;  nine 
were  deposed  ;  five  were  massacred ;  and  two  fell  in  battle.' — '  Story  of 
Italy. ,' 

The  Palace  is  entered  from  the  Piazzetta  by  the  beautiful 
gate  called  Porta  della  Carta,1  which  is  inscribed  with  the 
name  of  its  architect  Bartolommeo  Bon  (1440-1443).  The 

1  From  being  the  place  where  the  secretaries  wrote. 


SCALA   DEI  GIGANTI.  35 

statues  of  Courage,  Prudence,  Hope,  and  Charity,  with 
Justice  throned  above  between  the  Lions,  are  also  by  the 
Bon  or  Buoni  family.  A  beautiful  sculpture  which  formerly 
existed  here,  representing  Doge  Francesco  Foscari  kneel- 
ing before  the  Lion  of  S.  Mark,  was  destroyed  by  the  mob 
in  1797. 

Opposite  the  gate  is  the  famous  Scala  del  Giganti,  built 
by  Antonio  Rizzo  in  1485.  It  derives  its  name  from  the 
colossal  statues  of  Mars  and  Neptune  wrought  by  Jacopo 
Sansovino  in  1554.  The  reliefs  are  by  A  less.  Vittoria.  At 
the  head  of  the  stairs  the  Doges  were  crowned,  with  the 
words:  'Accipe  coronam  ducalem  ducatus  Venetorum.' 
Here  also  a  tradition,  followed  by  Byron,  places  the  execu- 
tion of  Doge  Marino  Faliero,  though,  alas  !  the  staircase 
itself  is  of  later  date. 

Marino  Faliero,  formerly  Podesta  of  Treviso,  was  chosen  Doge  in 
1354,  being  then  an  old  man.  Of  very  choleric  temper,  resentment  at 
the  slight  punishment  inflicted  by  the  Council  of  Forty  upon  Ser  Michele 
Steno,  who  had  written  some  scurrilous  abuse  of  him  upon  his  wooden 
chair,  and  the  desire  of  punishing  them,  was  his  first  incentive  to  seize 
the  supreme  power.  A  conspiracy  was  engaged  in  by  which  all  the 
principal  citizens,  called  together  by  the  great  bell  on  April  15,  1355, 
were  to  be  cut  to  pieces,  and  Faliero  proclaimed  sovereign.  It  was 
exposed,  through  the  warning  given  to  his  master  by  Beltram,  a  servant 
of  one  of  those  who  were  doomed.  The  Council  of  Ten  was  hastily 
summoned  ;  the  minor  conspirators  were  first  executed  ;  then  the  Doge, 
stripped  of  his  insignia  of  office,  was  beheaded  in  the  closed  palace,  and 
one  of  the  council,  taking  the  bloody  sword  to  the  space  between  the 
columns  where  public  executions  were  usually  held,  brandished  it, 
saying — '  The  terrible  doom  hath  fallen  on  the  traitor.' 

In  the  court  are  two  magnificent  well-heads  (Puteali),  of 
bronze,  one  by  Nicolb  de  Conti,  Director  of  the  Foundries 
of  the  Republic,  1556,  the  other  by  Alfonso  Alberghetti, 

'559- 

On  the  left  of  the  loggia,  reached  by  the  Giant's  Staircase, 
is  the  Scala  d1  Ore,  so  called  from  the  richness  of  its  decora- 
tions, built  by  Jacopo  Sansovino,  1556-77. 

Beyond  this,  are  the  Tre  Stanze  degli  Am'ogadori,  the 
lawyers  who  kept  the  famous  Libra  d"  Ore,  which  was  the 


36  VENICE. 

peerage  of  the  Venetian  aristocracy.     In  one  of  the  chambers 
of  these  rooms  is  a  Pieta  by  Giov.  Bellini,  1472. 

Ascending  the  next  staircase  to  the  top,  we  should  now 
enter,  from  the  left,  a  suite  of  rooms  which  are  a  perfect 
gallery  of  sixteenth-century  art  at  Venice  :  many  of  the 
pictures  have,  however,  been  grievously  repainted. 

'As  the  oldest  Venetian  painting  has  immortalised  itself  in  the 
Church  of  S.  Mark,  so  the  latest,  that  of  the  followers  of  Titian,  has 
perpetuated  itself  in  the  Ducal  Palace.' — Btirckhardt. 

Here  we  first  become  acquainted  with  Tintoret,  whom 
we  must  know  intimately  before  we  leave  Venice.  There 
is  probably  no  great  master  upon  whose  excellence  so  great 
a  difference  of  opinion  has  existed.  Before  his  vast  pictures 
were  illuminated  and  explained  by  the  writings  of  Ruskin, 
there  were  few  who  saw  more  than  their  huge  uncouthness, 
coarseness,  and  blackness.  Now  the  deep  meaning  and 
careful  intention  with  which  they  were  painted  has  been  re- 
vealed to  us.  Yet  even  now  most  of  those  who  look  upon 
them,  and  all  those  who  look  upon  them  hastily,  will  see 
only  their  dark  side  : 

'  Along  with  much  that  was  grand,  there  was  in  Tintoret  a  certain 
coarseness  and  barbarism  of  feeling  ;  even  his  artistic  morality  often 
wavered,  so  that  he  was  capable  of  descending  to  the  most  unconscien- 
tious  daubing.  He  fails  in  the  higher  sense  of  law,  which  the  artist 
must  impose  on  himself,  especially  in  experiments  and  innovations.  In 
his  enormous  works  which  in  square  feet  of  painted  surface  amount 
perhaps  to  ten  times  as  much  as  the  fruits  of  Titian's  century  of  life, 
one  begins  to  surmise  that  he  undertook  such  things  like  a  contractor, 
and  executed  them  very  much  as  an  improvisor.' — Burckhardt. 

We  first  enter  the  Sola  della  Bussola,  which  was  the  Ante- 
Chamber  of  the  Council  of  Ten.  In  the  time  of  the  Re- 
public '  chiamar  a  la  Bussola '  meant  to  drag  a  man  before 
the  State  Inquisition.  Here  is  the  inner  opening  of  the 
famous  Bocca  di  Leone — the. Lion's  Mouth — through  which 
secret  denunciations  were  handed  in.  On  the  walls  are 
pictures  by  Aliense,  of  the  surrender  of  Bergamo  and  Brescia 
to  the  Venetians. 

Hence  we  enter  the  Sala  del  Capi—  that  is,  of  the  three 


SALA   DELLE   QUATTRO  PORTE,  37 

Presidents  of  the  Council  of  Ten.  The  fine  fifteenth- 
century  chimney-piece  is  by  Pietro  da  Sato  ;  the  ceiling  by 
Paul  Veronese. 

The  Atrio  Quadrato,  which  leads  to  the  Scala  d'  Oro,  has 
a  ceiling  by  Tintoret. 

The  Sala  delle  Quattro  Porte,  built  by  Palladio  in  1575, 
has  a  ceiling  designed  by  Palladio  and  Sansovino,  and  car- 
ried out  by  Aless.  Vittoria. 

'  La  Vittoria  en  fait  un  ensemble  sculpte  ou  se  meuvent  un  monde 
cle  statues  grandes  commes  nature  qui  viennent  s'agencer  dans  les 
enroulements,  autour  des  caissons,  en  cariatides,  en  cartouches,  en 
frises  ;  se  detachant  en  blanc  sur  le  fond  d'or  et  tenant  une  telle  place 
dans  cette  salle  que  les  peintures  du  Contarini,  celles  du  Titien,  de 
Carletto  Cagliari,  et  de  Vicentino  cedent  la  place  au  sculpteur  qui 
devait  evidemment  occuper  une  situation  plus  modeste. ' —  Yriarte. 

The  (restored)  frescoes  are  by  Tintoret.  The  principal 
pictures  are  : — 

Wall  of  Entrance  : 

Giov.  Contarini.     The  capture  of  Verona  by  the  Venetians  in  1439. 
Titian.     Antonio  Grimani  at  the  feet  of  Faith. 
Contarini.     Marino  Grimani  kneeling  before  the  Virgin. 

Wall  of  Exit : 

Carletto  Cagliari.     The  ambassadors  of  Nuremberg. 

Andrea  Vicentino.     Henry  III.  of  France  arriving  at  the  Lido,  and 

his  reception  by  the  Doge  Mocenigo. 
C.  Caliari.     The  reception  of  the  Persian  ambassadors  by  Doge 

Cicogna,  1585. 

The  door  opposite  that  by  which  we  entered  leads  to — 
The  Anticollegio,  containing  : 

*  Tintoretto.     Ariadne  and  Bacchus. 

Id.     Minerva  and  Mars. 

*P.  Veronese.     The  Rape  of  Europa. 

'  La  merveille  de  ce  sanctuaire  de  1'art  est  FEnlevement  d*  Europe. 
La  belle  jeune  fille  est  assise,  comme  sur  un  trone  d'argent,  sur  le  dos 
du  taureau  divin,  dont  le  poitrail  de  neige  va  s'enfoncer  dans  la  mer 
bleue  qui  tache  d'atteindre  de  ses  lames  amoureuses  la  plante  des  pieds 
qu' Europe  releve  par  une  enfantine  peur  de  se  mouiller,  detail  ingenieux 
des  metamorphoses  que  le  peintre  n'a  eu  garde  d'oublier.  Les  com- 


38  VENICE. 

pagnes  d'Europe,  ne  sachant  pas  qn'un  dieu  se  cache  sous  la  noble 
forme  de  ce  bel  animal  si  doux  et  si  familier,  s'empressent  sur  la  rive  et 
lui  jettent  des  guirlandes  de  fleurs,  sans  se  douter  qu'Europe,  ainsi 
enlevee,  va  nommer  un  continent  et  devenir  la  maitresse  de  Zeus  aux 
noirs  sourcils  et  a  la  chevelure  ambroisienne.  Quelles  belles  epaules 
blanches !  quelles  nuques  blondes  aux  nattes  enroulees  !  quels  bras  ronds 
et  charmants  !  quel  sourire  d'eternelle  jeunesse  dans  cette  toile  merveil- 
leuse,  oil  Paul  Veronese  semble  avoir  dit  son  dernier  mot !  Ciel,  nuages, 
arbres,  fleurs,  terrains,  mer,  carnation,  draperies,  tout  parait  trempe 
dans  la  lumiere  d'un  Llysee  inconnu.' — Gautier. 

Leandro  Bassano.     The  Return  of  Jacob  to  Canaan. 

Tintoretto.     The  Workshop  of  Vulcan. 

Jd.     Mercury  with  the  Graces. 

P.  Veronese.     Venice  throned  (on  the  ceiling). 

The  chimney-piece  and  a  beautiful  door  are  by  Scamozzi. 
Through  this  we  reach  : 

The  Sala  di  Collegia,  in  which  foreign  ambassadors  were 
received  by  the  Doge. 

'  La  salle  se  divise  en  deux  parties  :  1'une  surelevee  de  quelques 
marches,  avec  un  trone  adosse  au  mur,  orne  de  boiseries  a  mi-hauteur 
avec  des  stalles,  pour  les  conseillers  ;  1'autre,  vide  et  de  plain-pied 
avec  le  sol  de  1'etage,  comme  si  on  devait  y  stationner.  A  droite  et  a 
gauche  du  trone,  comme  dans  un  pretoire,  siegent  les  autres  magistrals  ; 
les  Petits  Sages  se  tiennent  debout  et  decouverts.  Encore  que  la 
majeste  du  College  qui  est  le  bras  qui  execute  ce  que  le  Grand  Conseil 
a  decide,  comporte  le  luxe  et  le  decorum,  on  a  mis  un  soin  particulier 
a  orner  le  lieu  de  ses  seances,  parce  qu'on  y  re9oit  les  ambassadeurs. 
Sur  le  paroi,  au-dessus  de  la  tete  du  doge  et  des  conseillers,  le  Veronese 
a  peint  le  Christ  dans  sa  gloire  ;  la  ville  de  Venise  et  Sainte  Justine 
sont  a  genoux ;  1'artiste  a  personnifie  la  Reine  de  1'Adriatique  dans  une 
grande  et  belle  jeune  femme  drapee  d'une  etoffe  blanche,  une  des  plus 
nobles  figures  que  le  peintre  ait  crees.  Le  Tintoret,  a  son  tour,  a 
peint  le  manage  de  Sainte  Catherine,  avec  les  doges  F.  Dona,  N.  da 
Ponte,  Mocenigo  et  Gritti,  dans  1'attitude  de  la  priere.  Soil  que  sa 
proportion  y  prete,  soit  que  1'objet  special  auquel  elle  etait  destinee 
comportat  plus  de  soin  et  de  recherche,  cette  salle  du  college  est  celle 
de  tout  le  Palais  Ducal  qui  a  le  plus  d'unite  et  oil  on  a  deploye  le  plus 
cle  gout  dans  la  decoration.  Quoique  soumise,  depuis  plus  de  quatre 
siecles,  a  des  restaurations  inevitables,  elle  a  conserve  son  caractere,  et 
1'imagination  peut  asseoir  sur  ces  banes  de  chene  les  venerables  chefs  de 
la  Quarantie,  les  conseillers  et  les  Sages  Grands,  tandis  que  les  jeunes 
patriciens  vaquent  aux  soins  des  affaires  ou  ecoutent,  debout  et  re- 
cueillis,  1'avis  des  grands  hommes  d'etat  et  des  experimentes  diplo- 
mates. ' —  Yriarte. 


SALA   DI  COLLEG1O,  SALA   DEL   SENATO.    39 

'  Nous  retrouvons  ici  Tintoret  et  Paul  Veronese,  1'un  roux  et  violent, 
1'autre  azure  et  calme  ;  le  premier  fait  pour  les  grands  pans  de  muraille, 
le  second  pour  les  plafonds  immenses. ' —  Gautur. 

The  best  pictures,  beginning  at  the  further  side  on  the 
right,  are  : 

C.  Cagliari.     Doge  Alvise  Mocenigo  adoring  the  Saviour. 

P.  Veronese  (over  the  throne).  A  votive  allegorical  picture  re- 
presenting the  triumph  of  Venice  afier  the  victory  of  Lepanto, 
1571.  Portraits  are  introduced  of  Doge  Sebastiano  Venier,  the 
hero  of  the  Battle  of  Lepanto,  and  of  Agostino  Barbarigo,  who 
perished  there. 

Tintoretto.     Doge  Andrea  Gritti  adoring  the  Virgin  and  Child. 

c  It  was  no  doubt  the  passage  of  the  Psalmist — Non  no&is,  Domine, 
non  nobis,  sed  no  mini  tuo  da  gloriam, — which  was  so  often  repeated  by 
the  Venetians  in  the  Crusades,  which  suggested  to  the  doges  and  naval 
commanders  the  idea  of  being  represented  in  a  kneeling  attitude  before 
the  infant  Christ  or  the  holy  Virgin,  in  the  pictures  destined  to  transmit 
their  names,  or  the  recollection  of  their  exploits,  to  future  generations. 
This  mode  of  pious  commemoration,  which  offers  the  touching  contrast 
of  a  humble  attitude  with  great  dignity  or  glory,  continued  in  use  during 
the  whole  of  the  sixteenth  century,  in  spile  of  the  paganism  so  univer- 
sally triumphant  elsewhere.  After  Giovanni  Bellini  and  Catena,  came 
the  celebrated  artists  who  adorned  the  second  period  of  the  Venetian 
school,  and  who  also  paid  the  tribute  of  their  pencil  to  this  interesting 
'subject.  It  is  on  this  account  that  pictures  representing  the  Madonna 
seated,  with  a  doge  or  a  general  kneeling  before  her,  are  so  frequently 
to  be  met  with  in  private  collections,  in  the  churches,  and  above  all  in 
the  Ducal  palace,  in  which  these  allegorical  compositions,  intended  to 
express  the  close  alliance  between  Religion  and  the  State,  seem  to  have 
been  purposely  multiplied.' — Rio. 

The  chimney-piece  is  by  Girolamo  Campagna,  the  ceiling 
designed  by  Antonio  da  Ponte  and  painted  by  Paul  Veronese. 

The  Sala  del  Senate,  where  the  Senators  assembled  every 
^Vednesday  and  Saturday,  is  also  called  the  Sala  del  Pregadi, 
because  originally,  before  these  days  were  fixed  for  their 
meetings,  messengers  were  sent  to  their  houses  topregare  each 
member  to  attend  at  the  Ducal  Palace.  This  hall  contains 
(turning  to  the  left  from  the  main  entrance)  : — 

Palma  Giovane.     (Over  door)  The  two  Doges  Priuli  in  prayer. 
y.  Tintoretto.     Doge  Pietro  Loredan  praying  to  the  Virgin. 


40  VENICE. 

Marco  Vecelli.  The  election  of  S.  Lorenzo  Giustiniani  to  the  Patri- 
archate of  Venice. 

Palma  Giovane.  The  League  of  Cambray — Venice  seated  in  de- 
fiance upon  a  lion. 

Id.     Doge  Pasquale  Cicogna  kneeling  before  the  Saviour. 

Id.     Doge  "Francesco  Venier  before  Venice. 

J.  Tintoretto.  The  Deposition  of  Christ,  with  saints  and  doges 
kneeling. 

Id.     (In  the  centre  of  the  ceiling)  Venice  as  Queen  of  the  Sea. 

The  Ante-  Chapel  contains  : — 

Bonifazio.     Christ  expelling  the  Money-changers. 

Seb.  Rizzi.     Cartoons  for  the  mosaics  of  the  story  of  S.  Mark  on 

the  Cathedral. 
J.  Tintoretto.     Saints. 

The  Chapel,  an  oratory  where  the  Doge  and  Council 
daily  heard  mass  said  by  the  ducal  chaplain,  has  an  altar  by 
Scamozzi,  and  a  statue  of  the  Madonna  by  Sansovino. 

At  the  foot  of  the  staircase  leading  down  from  the  Chapel 
to  the  Doges'  private  apartments  is  a  fresco  of  S.  Christopher, 
of  great  interest,  as  being  the  only  known  fresco  of  Titian. 
It  is  supposed  to  have  been  painted  in  honour  of  the  arrival 
of  the  French  (Sept.  13,  1523) J  at  the  village  of  S.  Cristo- 
foro  near  Milan.  This  was  the  political  event  of  the  year,  and 
much  to  the  satisfaction  of  Titian's  patron,  Doge  Andrea 
Gritti,  concerning  whom  Richard  Pace  wrote  from  Venice 
to  Wolsey  in  May  1523, — 'He  is  maydde  to  be  a  perfect 
Frenchman  and  for  thys  consideration  the  French  ambas- 
sador resident  here  made  grete  festes  and  triumphs  when  he 
was  chosen.'  The  satisfaction  of  the  Doge  and  the  political 
allusion  were  better  concealed  than  if  S.  Louis  or  S.  Denis 
had  been  represented.  This  fresco  is  only  shown  by  special 
permission  of  the  Conservatorio.  It  is  one  of  the  grandest 
pictures  in  Venice — the  head  of  S.  Cristopher  most  care- 
fully executed,  and  of  the  noblest  Venetian  type.  The 
Child  is  a  mundane  infant,  afraid  of  falling,  and  very 
inferior. 

Returning  by  the  Sala  del  Senato  and  the  Sala  delle 

'  '  1523,  Sept.   13.     Vennero  [i  Frances!]  a  San  Cristoforo  a  tin  miglio  pressa  a 
Milano  tra  Porta  Ticinese  e  Porta  Romana.' — Gtticciardini,  vol.  iii.  404. 


THE  P 10  MB  I,   PONTE  DEI  SOSPIRL  41 

Quattro  Porte,  we  reach  the  Sala  del  Qonsiglio  del  Died, 
containing,  with  other  pictures  :— 

Lcandro  Bassa.no.     Pope  Alexander  III.  meeting  Doge  Sebastiano 
Ziani  on  his  Return  from  his  Victory  over  Frederick  Barbarossa. 
Aliense.     The  Visit  of  the  Magi. 

Marco  Vecelli.     The  Treaty  between  Charles  V.  and  Clement  VII. 
Paul  Veronese.     (On  the  ceiling)  The  Old  Man  with  the  Young 

Wife. 

From  the  Anti-Collegio  a  staircase  leads  to  the  famous 
Piombi,  the  'Prisons  under  the  Leads,'  of  which  Jacopo 
Casanova,  who  was  imprisoned  there  in  1755,  has  left  such 
a  dramatic  description. 

'  But  let  us  to  the  roof, 

And,  when  thou  hast  surveyed  the  sea,  the  land, 
Visit  the  narrow  cells  that  cluster  there, 
As  in  a  place  of  tombs.     There  burning  suns, 
Day  after  day,  beat  unrelentingly  ; 
Turning  all  things  to  dust,  and  scorching  up 
The  brain,  till  Reason  fled,  and  the  wild  yell 
And  wilder  laugh  burst  out  on  every  side, 
Answering  each  other  as  in  mockery  ! 

Few  Houses  of  the  size  were  better  filled  ; 

Though  many  came  and  left  it  in  an  hour. 

"Most  nights,"  so  said  the  good  old  Nicolo 

(For  three  and  thirty  years  his  uncle  kept 

The  water-gate  below,  but  seldom  spoke, 

Though  much  was  on  his  mind),  "  most  nights  arrived 

The  prison-boat,  that  boat  with  many  oars, 

And  bore  away  as  to  the  Lower  World, 

Disburdening  in  the  Canal  Orfano, 

That  drowning-place,  where  never  net  was  thrown, 

Summer  or  Winter,  death  the  penalty  ; 

And  where  a  secret,  once  deposited, 

Lay  till  the  waters  should  give  up  their  dead."  ' — Rogers. 

That  '  pathetic  swindle,' J  the  Ponte  dei  Sospiri,  only 
dates  from  the  end  of  the  sixteenth  century,  since  which 
there  has  only  been  a  single  instance  (that  of  Antonio 
Foscarini)  of  political  imprisonment.  It  led  from  the 
criminal  courts  in  the  palace  to  the  criminal  prisons  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Rio  Canal. 

1  Howells. 


42  VENICE. 

1  The  Rio  Fagade  of  the  Ducal  Palace  (seen  from  the  Bridge  of 
Sighs),  though  very  sparing  in  colour,  is  yet,  as  an  example  of  finished 
masonry  in  a  vast  building,  one  of  the  finest  things,  not  only  in  Venice, 
but  in  the  world.  It  differs  from  every  other  work  of  the  Byzantine 
Renaissance,  in  being  on  a  very  large  scale  ;  and  it  still  retains  one  pure 
Gothic  character,  which  adds  a  little  to  its  nobleness,  that  of  perpetual 
variety.  There  is  hardly  one  window  of  it,  or  one  panel,  that  is  like 
another  ;  and  this  continual  change  so  increases  its  apparent  size  by 
confusing  the  eye,  that  though  presenting  no  bold  features,  or  striking 
masses  of  any  kind,  there  are  few  things  in  Italy  more  impressive  than 
the  vision  of  it  overhead,  as  the  gondola  glides  from  beneath  the  Bridge 
of  Sighs.' — '  Stones  of  Venice,"1  iii.  25. 

The  prisons  really  used  for  political  offenders  were  the 
Pozzi,  often  wrongly  described  as  being  beneath  the  level  of 
the  canal.  In  'the  last  of  these  prisons  are  inscriptions 
left  by  prisoners  upon  the  walls,  of  which  the  most  cele- 
brated is  : — 

"  Di  chi  mi  fido  guardami  Iclclio  ; 
Di  chi  non  mi  fido  guardero  io.'" 

Jacopo  Foscari  was  probably  the  most  remarkable  prisoner 
immured  here.  A  thick  wooden  casing  to  the  walls  protected 
the  inmates  from  damp,  and  the  romantic  accounts  of  the 
horrors  of  these  prisons  are  probably  all  imaginary.  The 
best  known  is  that  of  Dickens  : — 

'  I  descended  from  the  cheerful  day  into  two  ranges,  one  below  an- 
other, of  dismal,  awful,  horrible  stone  cells.  They  were  quite  dark. 
•  Each  had  a  loop-hole  in  its  massive  wall,  where,  in  the  old  time,  every 
day  a  torch  was  placed,  to  light  the  prisoners  within,  for  half-an-hour. 
The  captives,  by  the  glimmering  of  these  brief  rays,  had  cut  and 
scratched  inscriptions  in  the  blackened  vaults.  I  saw  them.  For  their 
labour  with  the  rusty  nail's  point  had  outlived  their  agony  and  them, 
through  many  generations. 

'  One  cell  I  saw,  in  which  no  man  remained  for  more  than  four-and- 
twenty  hours  ;  being  marked  for  dead  before  he  entered  it.  Hard  by, 
another,  and  a  dismal  one,  whereto,  at  midnight,  the  confessor  came — 
a  monk  brown-robed,  and  hooded — ghastly  in  the  day,  and  free  bright 
air,  but  in  the  midnight  of  that  murky  prison,  Hope's  extinguisher, 
and  Murder's  herald.  I  had  my  foot  upon  the  spot,  where,  at  the 
same  dread  hour,  the  shriven  prisoner  was  strangled  ;  and  struck  my 
hand  upon  the  guilty  door — low-browed  and  stealthy — through  which 
the  lumpish  sack  was  carried  out  into  a  boat  and  rowed  away,  and 
drowned  where  it  was  death  to  cast  a  net. 


SAL  A   DEL  MACGIOR   CONSIGLIO.  43 

'  Around  this  dungeon  stronghold,  and  above  some  parts  of  it,  lick- 
ing the  rough  walls  without,  and  smearing  themNyith  damp  and  slime 
within  ;  stuffing  dank  weeds  and  refuse  into  chinks  and  crevices,  as  if 
the  very  stones  and  bars  had  mouths  to  stop  :  furnishing  a  smooth  road 
for  the  removal  of  the  bodies  of  the  secret  victims  of  the  State — a  road 
so  ready  that  it  went  along  with  them,  and  ran  before  them,  like  a  cruel 
officer — flowed  the  water.' 

Entered  by  the  same  staircase  we  have  ascended,  on  the 
second  floor,  is  the  Library  (open  from  9  to  4) — founded 
in  1312  by  Petrarch,  who  bequeathed  all  his  collection  to 
Venice,  where  he  had  found  a  refuge  during  the  plague. 
A  very  small  portion,  however,  of  this  donation  reached  the 
destination  he  intended,  as  is  abundantly  proved  by  the 
number  of  his  MSS.  at  the  Vatican,  Laurentian,  Ambrosian, 
and  other  libraries.  The  person  who  really  was  the  greatest 
amongst  many  benefactors  (Grimani,  Contarini,  &c.)  was 
Cardinal  Bessarion. 

The  greatest  treasure  of  the  Library  is  the  famous  Gri- 
mani Breviary,  perhaps  the  most  beautiful  illuminated  work 
in  existence.  Its  miniatures  are  exquisite  works  of  Mem- 
ling,  Gerard  van  der  Meire,  Antonello  da  Messina,  Ales- 
sandro  Vittoria,  Ugo  d'  Anversa,  and  Livien  de  Gand.  It  is 
only  shown  on  Wednesday  at  3  P.M. 

From  the  Ante-chamber  of  the  Library  we  enter  the  Sala 
del  Maggior  Consiglio,  an  immense  room  (175?  feet  long, 
84^  broad,  51^  high),  where  Henri  III.  of  France  was 
received  at  a  great  banquet,  July  20,  1574.  It  was  originally 
decorated  with  frescoes  by  Guariento  (1365),  which  were 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1577,  and  replaced  by  pictures  of  the 
later  Venetian  school. 

'  The  greater  allegorical  pictures  of  the  Ducal  Palace  remain.  Those 
of  Paul  Veronese  are  celebrated  as  compositions  of  the  highest  poetry. 
Their  subjects  are  surely  poetical ;  but  the  works  themselves  are  full  of 
such  heads  and  such  gestures  as  were  common  at  Venice,  of  such  satins 
and  velvets  as  were  peculiarly  studied  in  that  portrait  and  pageant- 
painting  school.  Tintoret's  Paradise  is  a  multitudinous  confusion  of 
hurried  figures,  which  none  but  that  furious  "fulmine  di  pennello"  could 
assemble.  Palma's  Last  Judgment  is  another  immense  composition,  but 
more  intelligibly  detailed.  These  artists  seem  fond  of  introducing  their 


44  VENICE. 

friends  into  such  pictures.  In  one  part  of  this  work  you  see  Palma's 
mistress  in  heaven,  in  another  the  fickle  lover  sends  her  to  hell.  The 
paintings  of  the  great  council-chamber  form  a  continued  epic  on  the 
triumph  which  the  Republic  pretends  to  claim  over  Frederick  Barbarossa. 
In  one  picture  the  suppliant  Pope  is  discovered  by  the  Doge  ;  in  another, 
the  Venetians  defeat  the  imperial  galleys  ;  in  a  third,  young  Otho,  their 
prisoner,  bears  to  his  father  the  demands  of  the  conqueror  ;  in  a  fourth, 
the  emperor  is  prostrate  at  S.  Mark's.  Most  of  this,  I  believe,  is  a 
romance  ;  but  a  romance  more  pardonable  in  a  Venetian  painting, 
than  in  some  grave  histories  which  admit  it  without  any  warrant.' — 
Forty th, 

The  greatest  of  the  Venetian  masters  were  employed  upon 
the  decorations  of  the  ceiling. 

'  Of  the  three  large  ceiling  pictures,  those  of  Tintoretto  and  Palnia 
Giovane  are  far  surpassed  by  that  of  Paul  Veronese  :  Venice  crowned  by 
Fame.  First,  the  view  from  below,  and  the  architectural  perspective, 
are  far  more  carefully  treated  ;  also  Paolo  has  confined  the  allegorical 
and  historical  part  to  the  upper  group,  where  his  cloud-life  is  brought 
quite  harmoniously  into  connection  with  the  architecture  in  lines  and 
colour  ;  on  the  lower  balustrade  one  sees  only  beautiful  women  ; 
farther  below,  riders  keeping  watch,  and  a  populace,  spectators  of  the 
heavenly  ceremony  ;  most  wisely,  two  great  pieces  of  sky  are  left  free, 
a  breathing  space  which  Tintoretto  never  allows  his  beholder  ;  and,  in 
fine,  Paolo  has  given  himself  up  to  the  full  enjoyment  of  his  own  cheerful 
sense  of  beauty,  the  feeling  of  which  inevitably  affects  the  beholder.' — 
Burckhardt. 

The  whole  of  the  entrance  wall  is  occupied  by  one  vast 
subject : 

Tintoretto.     Paradise. 

'  At  first  this  Paradise  of  Tintoret  is  so  strange  that  no  wonder  the 
lovely  world  outside,  the  beautiful  court-yard,  the  flying  birds,  and 
drifting  Venetians,  seem  more  like  heaven  to  those  who  are  basking  in 
their  sweetness.  But  it  is  well  worth  while,  by  degrees,  with  some 
pain  and  self-denial,  to  climb  in  spirit  to  that  strange  crowded  place 
towards  which  old  Tintoret's  mighty  soul  was  bent.  Is  it  the  heaven 
towards  which  his  great  heart  yearned  ?  He  has  painted  surprise  and 
rapture  in  the  face  of  a  soul  just  born  into  this  vast  circling  vortex;  with 
its  sudden  pools  and  gleams  of  peace.  Mary  Mother  above  is  turning 
to  her  Son,  with  outstretched  arms,  and  pointing  to  the  crowds  with 
tender  motherhood.  In  the  great  eventful  turmoil  a  man  sits  absorbed 
in  a  book,  reading  unmoved.  Angels,  with  noble  wings,  take  stately 
flights,  cross  and  re-cross  the  darkened  canvas.  A  far-away  procession 
passes  in  radiance.  .  .  .' — Miss  Thackeray. 


SALA   DEL  MAGGIOR  CONSIGLTO.  45 

'  In  the  Paradise  of  Tintoret,  the  angel  is\seen  in  the  distance 
driving  Adam  and  Eve  out  of  the  Garden.  Not,  for  Tintoret,  the 
leading  to  the  gate  with  consolation  or  counsel.  His  strange  ardour  of 
conception  is  seen  here  as  everywhere.  Full  speed  they  fly,  the  angel 
and  the  human  creatures;  the  angel,  wrapt  in  an  orb  of  light,  floats  on, 
stooped  forward  in  his  fierce  flight,  and  does  not  touch  the  ground;  the 
chastised  creatures  rush  before  him  in  abandoned  terror.  All  this  might 
have  been  invented  by  another,  though  in  other  hands  it  would  assuredly 
have  been  offensive ;  but  one  circumstance,  which  completes  the  story, 
could  have  been  thought  of  by  none  but  Tintoret.  The  angel  casts  a 
shadow  before  him  towards  Adam  and  Eve.' — Raskin's  l  Modern 
Painters? 

The  walls  are  surmounted  by  a  noble  series  of  pictures 
illustrating  the  history  of  Venice,  and  though  greatly  black- 
ened and  often  injured  by  the  coarsest  re-painting,  they 
may  be  studied  with  profit.  They  are,  beginning  from  the 
left :— 

1.  Carlo  and  Gabriele  Cagliari.    Pope  Alexander  III.  talcing  refuge 

from  Frederic  II.,  1 177,  in  the  Convent  of  La  Carita,  where  he 
was  found  by  Doge  Ziani. 

2.  Id.     The  Embassy  from  the  Pope  and  the  Republic  to  Frederic 

II.  at  Pa  via. 

3.  (Above  the  window)  Leandro  Bassano.     The  Doge  receiving  a 

lighted  taper  from  the  Pope. 

4.  Jacopo  Tintoretto.     The  Ambassadors  implore  Frederic  at  Pavia 

to  restore  peace,  to  the  Church.  He  replies  that  unless  the 
Venetians  deliver  up  the  Pope,  he  '  will  plant  his  eagles  on 
the  portals  of  S.  Mark.' 

5.  Francesco  Bassano.     The  Pope  presents  the  Doge  with  a  con- 

secrated sword. 

6.  (Above  the  window)  Fiammingo.     The  Doge  receives  the  part- 

ing benediction  of  the  Pope. 

7.  Dom.  Tintoretto.     The  legendary  battle  of  Salvore,  in  which  the 

Imperialists  are.  said  to  have  been  totally  defeated  by  the 
Venetians,  and  Otho,  son  of  Frederic  II.,  to  have  been 
taken  prisoner. 

8.  (Over  a  door)  Andrea  Viccntino.     Otho  is  presented  by  Doge 

Ziani  to  the  Pope. 

9.  Palma  Giovane.     Otho  is  released  by  the  Pope. 

10.  F.  Zucchero.     The  Emperor  makes  his  submission  to  the  Pope. 

11.  (Over  a  door)  Girolamo  Gamberato.    The  Doge  lands  at  Ancona 

with  the  Pope  and  the  Emperor  after  the  Peace. 

12.  Giulio  dal  Moro.     The  Pope  (Alexander  III.)  presents  conse- 

crated banners  to  Doge  Ziani  in  the  church  of  S.  J.  Lateran. 


46  VENICE. 

To  continue  the  pictures  chronologically  we  must  now 
return  to  the  Paradise,  when  we  shall  find  on  the  right  : — 

13.  Le  Clerc.     The  Alliance  concluded  in  S.  Mark's,  1261,  between 

the  Venetians  and  the  Crusaders. 

14.  Andrea    Vicentino.      The    Siege  of  Zara   (1202),    under   Doge 

Andrea  Dandolo  and  the  Crusaders. 

15.  Domenico  Tintoretto  (over  the  window).    The  surrender  of  Zara. 

1 6.  Andrea  Vicentino.     Alexius  Comnenus  implores  the  help  of  the 

Venetians  in  behalf  of  his  father  Isaac. 

17.  Palina  Giovane.     The  Venetians  and  French,  led  by  the  blind 

Doge  Dandolo,  take  Constantinople  in  1203. 

1 8.  Domenicj  Tintoretto.     The  Crusaders  and  Venetians  take  Con- 

stantinople for  the  second  time  (when  the  bronze  horses  were 
carried  off),  in  1204. 

19.  And.   Vicentino.     Baldwin  of  Flanders  elected  Emperor  of  the 

East  by  the  Crusaders  in  Santa  Sophia. 

20.  Aliense.     The  Coronation  of  Baldwin  of  Flander     by  Enrico 

Dandolo. 

21.  Paul  Veronese.     The  Return  of  Doge  Contarini  after  his  Victory 

over  the  Genoese  at  Chioggia. 

Above  these  pictures  are  the  portraits  of  72  Doges,  be- 
ginning from  A.D.  809.  The  space  which  should  have  the 
portrait  of  Marino  Faliero  is  covered  with  black,  and  has  the 
inscription  :  '  Hie  est  locus  Marini  Falethri  decapitati  pro 
criminibus.' 

'  Le  patricien  appartient  a  la  Republique ;  des  1'age  de  vingt-cinq 
ans,  il  lui  doit  son  intelligence,  1' illustration  de  son  nom,  ses  facultes 
speciales  comme  legiste,  comme  diplomate,  comme  soldat. '  —  Yriarte. 

From  this  Hall  we  enter  the  Sola  de  Scruttnio,  occupying 
the  rest  of  the  facade  towards  the  Piazzetta.  Here  the  41 
nobles  were  elected,  by  whom  the  Doge  was  afterwards 
chosen.  Opposite  the  entrance  is  a  representation  of  the 
Triumphal  Arch  erected  by  the  Senate  in  1694  to  Doge 
Francesco  Morosini,  surnamed  Peloponnesiaco,  after  his  con- 
quest of  the  Morea.  The  walls  are  covered  with  historical 
pictures.  On  the  entrance  wall  is  a  Last  Judgment,  by 
Palma  Giovane. 

Opposite  the  entrance  of  the  Library  is  that  of  the  Archtzo- 
logical  Museum.  A  passage,  lined  with  indifferent  sculpture, 
leads  to  the  Stanza  degli  Scarlatti,  once  the  bedroom  of  the 


SALA   DELLO   SCUDO.  47 

Doge,  with  a  grand  chimney-piece  erectechor  Doge  Agostino 
Barbarigo  (1480-1501),  and  supposed  to  be  the  work  of 
Pietro  Lombardo.     The  best  piece  of  sculpture  here  is — 
102.  Cupid. 

The  Sala  dello  Scudo  is  the  room  where  the  shield  of  arms 
of  a  Doge  was  placed  on  his  election.  The  walls  are  hung 
with  maps  of  the  discoveries  made  by  Venetian  navigators. 
Here  is  the  map  of  the  world — Mappamondo — of  Fra  Mauro, 
one  of  the  most  precious  memorials  of  mediaeval  geography 
executed  between  1457  and  1459. 

The  Stanza  degli  Scudiert,  now  called  Sala  de*  Relievi, 
is  filled  with  poor  sculpture. 

The  Sala  d'  Udienza  del  Doge  (which  also  opens  from  the 
Sala  dello  Scudo)  is  now  occupied  by  a  collection  of  ancient 
busts. 


4S  VENICE. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 
VENICE. 

THE   GRAND    CANAL. 

HAVING  visited  the 'group  of  buildings  around  S.  Mark's 
the  traveller  cannot  do  better  than  engage  a  gondolier 
at  the  Piazzetta  and  bid  him  row  leisurely  up  and  down  the 
Grand  Canal,  which  the  Venetians  call  Canalazzo,  which 
will  give  him  a  general  impression  of  the  palaces,  to  be  more 
minutely  studied  afterwards.  The  buildings  also  of  the 
Grand  Canal,  unlike  the  rest  of  Venice,  can  in  most  cases 
only  be  seen  from  the  water.  Those  who  visit  its  palaces  on 
foot  must  make  constant  use  of  the  traghetti,  which,  shaded 
by  their  little  pergolas,  '  send  out  the  perfume  of  vine  flowers 
along  the  canal.'  Here  the  public  gondolas  cross  as  ferry- 
boats, and  here,  in  the  shade,  the  most  picturesque  groups 
may  usually  be  seen,  of  facchini  gossiping  with  the  gon- 
doliers, or  market-women  from  Mestre  waiting  with  their 
baskets  overflowing  with  fruits  and  greenery.  Here  a  pecu- 
liar class  of  beggars  are  always  stationed,  pretending  to  pull 
your  gondola  to  the  shore,  and  really  doing  you  no  service 
whatever,  called  by  the  Venetians  gr??*uri,  or  crab-catchers. 
Here  we  may  see  that  the  type  of  the  lagunes,  especially 
the  masculine  type,  is  now  that  which  Gozzi  describes  as 
'  bianco,  biondo,  e  grassotto,'  rather  than  the  dark,  bronzed, 
and  grave  figures  of  Giorgione.  Gravity  certainly  is  washed 
out  of  the  Venetian  character,  and,  in  the  places  where  dry 
land  affords  a  meeting  ground,  nothing  can  exceed  the 
energy,  excitement,  and  vivacity  displayed — almost  like  that 
of  Naples,  and  even  where  a  shrine  is  marked  by  its  red 


SEMINARIO  PATRIARCHALE.  49 

lamp  on  its  little  landing  place,  you  seldom  see  one  silent 
figure  kneeling,  but  two  or  three  votaries  pressing  forward 
to  the  Madonna  at  once,  as  if  they  had  a  secret  to  confide 
in  her.  It  is  an  ever-changing  diorama. 

'  You  will  see  Venice — glide  as  though  in  dreams 

Midmost  a  hollowed  opal :  for  her  sky, 
Mirrored  upon  the  ocean  pavement,  seems 

At  dawn  and  eve  to  build  in  vacancy 

A  wondrous  bubble-dome  of  wizardry, 
Suspended  where  the  light,  all  ways  alike 
Circumfluent,  upon  her  sphere  may  strike. 

'  There  Titian,  Tintoret,  and  Giambellin, 

And  that  strong  master  of  a  myriad  hues, 
The  Veronese,  like  flowers  with  odours  keen, 

Shall  smite  your  brain  with  splendours :  they  confuse 
The  soul  that  wandering  in  their  world  must  lose 
Count  of  our  littleness,  and  cry  that  then 
The  gods  we  dream  of  walked  the  earth  like  men. ' 

y.  A.  Symonds. 

As  S.  Maria  Salute  is  the  most  prominent  object,  we  will 
begin  by  noting  the  principal  objects  on  the  left,  marking 
those  on  the  right  as  we  return. 

Entering  the  Grand  Canal,  the  first  building  on  the  left 
is  the  Dogana,  of  1676.  Then  comes  the  Seminario  Patri- 
archate (entered  from  the  Campo  della  Salute),  built  by 
Baldassare  Longhena,  1670.  Its  oratory  contains  the  graves 
of  several  Venetian  patriarchs,  and  the  tomb  of  the  architect 
Jacopo  Sansovino,  with  a  terra-cotta  bust  by  Alessandro 
Vittoria  :  in  the  sacristy  are  statues  of  SS.  Cecilia  and 
Caterina  by  Tullio  Lombardo, 

The  Cloisters  contain  a  number  of  sculptures  and  in- 
scriptions from  suppressed  convents  and  churches,  many  of 
them  of  historic  interest.  We  may  notice — 

The  Inscription  from  the  tomb  erected  in  S.  Marina  by  the  Doge 
and  Senate  to  the  brave  Captain  Taddeo  Volpe  da  Imola, 
1534.  Above  hang  the  keys  of  Padua,  which  hung  in 
S.  Marina  over  the  tomb  of  Doge  Michael  Steno,  in  whose 
reign  (1405)  Padua  fell  into  the  hands  of  Venice. 

Bust  of  Lorenzo  Bragadin,  by  Girolaino  Campagna. 

Bust  of  the  physician  G.  B.  Peranda,  by  Ales*.  Vittoria,,  1586. 

VOL.    II.  E 


5o  VENICE. 

Tomb  of  Antonio  Corner,  i6th  century. 

Front  of  the  sarcophagus  of  Vitale  and  his  wife  Paolina,  Qth  century. 

Inscription  from  the  tomb  of  the  popular  Doge  Nicolo  da  Ponte,  by 
Vincenzo  Scamozzi,  1585,  to  overlook  which  the  Procuratore 
Marc  Antonio  Barbara  ( '  Le  Patricien  a  Venise ')  was  appointed 
by  the  Senate. 

Tomb  of  Doge  Francesco  Dandolo,  with  a  relief  of  the  Death  of  the 
Virgin,  1339. 

'  It  might  have  been  thought  that  the  ashes  of  the  great  Doge  Fran- 
cesco Dandolo  were  honourable  enough  to  have  been  permitted  to  rest 
undisturbed  in  the  chapter-house  of  the  Frari,  where  they  were  first  laid. 
But,  as  if  there  was  not  room  enough,  nor  waste  houses  enough  in  the 
whole  desolate  city,  to  receive  a  few  convent  papers,  the  monks,  want- 
ing an  "  archivio,"  have  separated  the  tomb  into  three  pieces  ;  the 
canopy,  a  simple  arch  sustained  on  brackets,  still  remains  on  the  blank 
walls  of  the  desecrated  chamber ;  the  sarcophagus  has  been  transported 
to  a  kind  of  museum  of  antiquities,  established  in  what  was  once  the 
cloister  of  Santa  Maria  della  Salute ;  and  the  painting  which  filled  the 
lunette  behind  it  is  hung  far  out  of  sight,  at  one  end  of  the  sacristy  of 
the  same  church.  The  sarcophagus  is  completely  charged  with  bas- 
reliefs  ;  at  its  two  extremities  are  the  types  of  S.  Mark  and  S.  John ;  in 
front,  a  noble  sculpture  of  the  Death  of  the  Virgin;  at  the  angles,  angels 
holding  vases.  The  whole  space  is  occupied  by  the  sculpture ;  there 
are  no  spiral  shafts  or  panelled  divisions ;  only  a  basic  plinth  below, 
and  crowning  plinth  above,  the  sculpture  being  raised  from  a  deep 
concave  field  between  the  two,  but,  in  order  to  give  piquancy  and 
picturesqueness  to  the  mass  of  figures,  two  small  trees  are  introduced  at 
the  head  and  foot  of  the  Madonna's  couch,  an  oak  and  a  stone  pine.' — 
fiuskin,  '  Stones  of  Venice ,'  iii. 

Gravestone  of  Fra  Fulgenzio  Micanzio,  the  friend  and  companion  of 

Fra  Paolo  Sarpi,  1664. 
Inscription  from  the  tomb  of  the  painters  Francesco  and  Jacobello 

del  Fiore,  1433. 
Tomb  of  Carlo  Ridolfi,  author  of  '  The  Lives  of  Venetian  Painters,' 

1668. 

The  Museo  Statuario  contains  : 

Statue  of  Tommaso  Rangoni  of  Ravenna,  by  A  less.  Vittoria,  brought 
from  S.  Giuliano. 

Kneeling  figure  of  Doge  Agostino  Barbarigo,  in  whose  reign  Rimini, 
Faenza,  and  Cyprus  were  added  to  the  domains  of  the  Re- 
public. This  figure,  attributed  to  Bartolommeo  da  Rovezzano, 
was  brought  from  the  magnificent  tomb  of  the  brothers 
Barbarigo  at  La  Carita.  Opposite  the  figure  of  Barbarigo 
knelt  the  (lost !)  statue  of  his  brother  Doge  Marco,  who  pre- 


S.   MARIA   BELLA   SALUTE.  51 

ceded  him,  and  who  died,  1486,  of  a  broken  heart,  from  his 

ill-tieatment. 
Part  of  the  portal  of  the  house  of  Bajamonte  Tiepolo,  destroyed  by 

decree  of  the  Senate  in  1314. 

S.  Andrea,  bas-relief  of  1362,  with  admirable  drapery. 
Bacchic  altar,  brought  hither  from  Burano,  originally  probably  from 

Altino. 

A  noble  sixteenth-century  staircase  by  Longhena  leads  to 
the  Pinacoteca  Manfredini.  It  contains: 

*  Leonardo  da  Vinci.  The  Holy  Family,  with  a  violin  player,  and 
the  arms  of  the  Sforza,  in  whose  house  the  painter  was  a 
guest,  and  was  wont  to  practise  music  with  Lodovico  Sforza. 

Titian      Portrait  of  Pietro  Aretino. 

The  Library  is  rich  in  Venetian  history,  and  possesses  a 
MS.  Decameron  of  1449.  Above  the  door  of  the  Refec- 
tory is  a  fresco  of  Paul  Veronese,  1551,  brought  from 
Soranza. 

Grand  marble  steps  approach  the  Church  of  Santa 
Maria  della  Salute  from  the  canal. 

'  Santa  Maria  della  Salute  was  built  by  Baldassare  Longhena  in  ]  632, 
according  to  a  decree  of  the  Senate,  as  a  votive  offering  to  the  Virgin 
for  having  stayed  the  plague  which  devastated  the  city  in  1630.  Con- 
sidering the  age  in  which  it  was  erected,  it  is  singularly  pure,  and  it  is 
well  adapted  to  its  site,  showing  its  principal  fa£ade  to  the  Grand  Canal, 
while  its  two  domes  and  two  bell-towers  group  most  pleasingly  in  every 
point  of  view  from  which  Venice  can  be  entered  on  that  side.  Exter- 
nally it  is  open  to  the  criticism  of  being  rather  too  overloaded  with 
decoration  ;  but  there  is  very  little  of  even  this  that  is  unmeaning,  or 
put  there  merely  for  the  sake  of  ornament.  Internally  the  great  dome 
is  only  65  ft.  in  diameter,  but  it  is  surrounded  by  an  aisle,  or  rather  by 
eight  side-chapels  opening  into  it  through  the  eight  great  pier  arches  ; 
making  the  whole  floor  of  this,  which  is  practically  the  nave  of  the 
church,  107  ft.  in  diameter.' — Fergusson. 

The  pillars  of  this  church  were  brought  from  the  amphi- 
theatre of  Pola.  Before  the  high  altar  is  a  grand  bronze 
candelabrum  by  Andrea  Bresdano.  The  ceiling  of  the  choir 
is  by  Titian ;  a  picture  of  Venice  imploring  deliverance  from 
pestilence,  by  fiammingo.  The  beautiful  bronze  candela- 
brum is  by  Andrea  d'Alessandro  Bresdano. 

The  Ante- Sacristy  contains,  amongst  other  pictures  : 

E2 


52  VENICE, 

*  Titian.  S.  Mark,  a  most  grand  figure,  with  the  shadow  of  a  cloud 
thrown  across  him.  On  the  left  are  SS.  Cosmo  and  Damian  ; 
on  the  right,  S.  Roch,  and  S.  Sebastian  with  an  arrow  lying  at 
his  feet. 

*Marco  Basaiti.  S.  Sebastian,  a  grand  figure,  in  a  beautiful  land- 
scape of  Umbrian  scenery. 

Opposite,  there  is  a  Pieta,  a  relief  of  the  l$th  century,  by  Antonio 
Dcntone. 

The  Sacristy  contains : 

Enhance   Wall.      Girolamo  (Pennachi)  da  Treviso.     S.  Roch  with 

SS.  Sebastian  and  Jerome. 
Sassoferrato.     Two  beautiful  Madonnas. 
Salviati.     The  Last  Supper,  and  Saul  and  David. 
Right.     Tintoret.     Marriage  at  Cana — from  the  Refectory  of  the 
Crociferi ;  one  of  the  few  pictures  of  the  artist  signed  with  his  name. 

'  An  immense  picture,  some  twenty-five  feet  long  by  fifteen  high,  and 
said  by  Lazari  to  be  one  of  the  few  which  Tintoret  signed  with  his  name. 
T  am  not  surprised  at  his  having  done  so  in  this  case.  Evidently  the 
work  has  been  a  favourite  with  him,  and  he  has  taken  as  much  pains  as 
it  was  even  necessary  for  his  colossal  strength  to  take  with  anything. 
The  subject  is  not  one  which  admits  of  much  singularity  or  energy  in 
composition.  It  has  always  been  a  favourite  one  with  Veronese,  be- 
cause it  gave  dramatic  interest  to  figures  in  gay  costumes  and  of  cheerful 
countenances  ;  but  one  is  surprised  to  find  Tintoret,  whose  tone  of  mind 
was  always  grave,  and  who  did  hot  like  to  make  a  picture  out  of  bro- 
cades and  diadems,  throwing  his  whole  strength  into  the  conception  of 
a  marriage  feast ;  but  so  it  is,  and  there  are  assuredly  no  female  heads 
in  any  of  his  pictures  in  Venice  elaborated  so  far  as  those  which  here 
form  the  central  light.  Neither  is  it  often  that  the  works  of  this  mighty 
master  conform  themselves  to  any  of  the  rules  acted  upon  by  ordinary 
painters  ;  but  in  this  instance  the  popular  laws  have  been  observed,  and 
an  academy  student  would  be  delighted  to  see  with  what  severity  the 
principal  light  is  arranged  in  a  central  mass,  which  is  divided  and  made 
more  brilliant  by  a  vigorous  piece  of  shadow  thrust  into  the  midst  of  it, 
and  which  dies  away  in  lesser  fragments  and  sparkling  towards  the  ex- 
tremities of  the  picture.  This  mass  of  light  is  as  interesting  by  its  com- 
position as  by  its  intensity.  The  cicerone  who  escorts  the  stranger 
round  the  sacristy  in  the  course  of  five  minutes,  which  allows  him  some 
forty  seconds  for  the  contemplation  of  a  picture  which  the  study  of  six 
months  would  not  entirely  fathom,  directs  his  attention  very  carefully  to 
the  "belP  effetto  di  prospettivo, "  the  whole  merit  of  the  picture  being,  in 
the  eyes  of  the  intelligent  public,  that  there  is  a  long  table  in  it,  one  end 
of  which  looks  farther  offthan  the  other  ;  but  there  is  more  in  the  "bell' 
effetto  di  pro-pettivo"  than  the  observance  of  the  common  law  of  optics. 


ABBAZI-A   DI  S.    GREGORIOf  53 

The  table  is  set  in  a  spacious  chamber,  of  which  the  windows  at  the  end 
let  in  the  light  from  the  horizon,  and  those  in  the  side  wall  the  intense 
blue  of  an  eastern  sky.  The  spectator  looks  all  along  the  table,  at  the 
farther  end  of  which  are  seated  Christ  and  the  Madonna,  the  marriage 
guests  on  each  side  of  it— on  one  side  men,  on  the  other  women  :  the 
men  are  set  with  their  backs  to  the  light,  which,  passing  over  their 
heads  and  glancing  slightly  on  the  table-cloth,  falls  in  full  length  along 
the  line  of  young  Venetian  women,  who  thus  fill  the  whole  centre  of  the 
picture  with  one  broad  sunbeam,  made  up  of  fair  faces  and  golden  hair. ' 
Close  to  the  spectator  a  woman  has  risen  in  amazement,  and  stretches 
across  the  table  to  show  the  wine  in  her  cup  to  those  opposite  ;  her  dark 
red  dress  intercepts  and  enhances  the  mass  of  gathered  light.  It  is  rather 
curious,  considering  the  subject  of  the  picture,  that  one  cannot  dis- 
tinguish either  the  bride  or  bridegroom  ;  but  the  fourth  figure  from  the 
Madonna  in  the  line  of  women,  who  wears  a  white  head-dress  of  lace 
and  rich  chains  of  pearls  in  her  hair,  may  well  be  accepted  for  the 
former,  and  I  think  that  between  her  and  the  woman  on  the  Madonna's 
left  hand  the  unity  of  the  line  of  women  is  intercepted  by  a  male  figure. 
The  tone  of  the  whole  picture  is  sober  and  majestic  in  the  highest 
degree  ;  the  dresses  are  all  broad  masses  of  colour,  and  the  only  parts 
of  the  picture  which  lay  claim  to  the  expression  of  wealth  or  splendour 
are  the  head-dresses  of  the  women.  In  this  respect  the  conception  of 
the  scene  differs  widely  from  that  of  Veronese,  and  approaches  more 
nearly  to  the  probable  truth.  Still  the  marriage  is  not  an  unimportant 
one  ;  an  immense  crowd,  filling  the  background,  forming  superbly  rich 
mosaic  of  colour  against  the  distant  sky.  Taken  as  a  whole,  the  picture 
is  perhaps  the  most  perfect  example  which  human  art  has  produced  of 
the  utmost  possible  force  and  sharpness  of  shadow  united  with  richness 
of  local  colour.  This  picture  unites  colour  as  rich  as  Titian's  with  light 
and  shade  as  forcible  as  Rembrandt's,  and  far  more  decisive.' — Ruskin, 
'  Sfones  of  Venice, '  iii. 

Palma  Ciovane.     Samson. 

The  altar  piece  of  the  Virgin  and  Child  is  by  Padovanino. 

The  Little  Sacristy  contains  a  fourteenth-century  relief  of 
the  Coronation  of  the  Virgin. 

Close  to  S.  Maria,  on  the  right,  is  the  rich  Gothic  Church 
of  S.  Gregorio  of  1342,  now  used  as  a  magazine.  The  rich 
Gothic  doorway  in  the  low  wall  beyond,  admits  to  the 
courtyard  of  the  Abbazia  di  S.  Gregorio  (founded  in  1342, 
by  monks  of  S.  Ilario,  who  fled  from  the  persecution  of 

1  To  give,  the  golden  tint  (handed  down  in  Venetian  pictures)  to  their  hair,  the 
city  beauties  used  to  steep  their  hair  in  a  special  preparation  and  thep  dry  it  in  the 
sun.  For  this  purpose  they  sat  for  hours  in  their  balconies,  with  broad-brimmed 
hats,  without  crowns,  shading  their  complexions,  and  their  hair  falling  over  them. 


54  VENICE. 

Ezzelino  in  1247),  now  let  in  tenements,  but  indescribably 
picturesque,  with  its  ancient  central  well  of  red  marble,,  its 
dark  arcades  supported  by  columns  with  richly  sculptured 
capitals,  and  the  masses  of  flowers  which  adorn  its  windows 
and  parapets.  Combined  with  the  grand  dome  of  S.  Maria  in 
the  background,  or  with  its  open  porch  towards  the  glisten- 
ing canal  and  old  palaces  on  the  opposite  shore,  it  is  a  glo- 
rious subject  for  an  artist. 

Beyond  S.  Maria,  as  the  canal  opens,  we  see  a  vista  of 
palaces. 

'  The  charm  which  Venice  still  possesses,  and  which  for  the  last  fifty 
years  has  made  it  the  favourite  haunt  of  all  the  painters  of  picturesque 
subjects,  is  owing  to  the  effect  of  the  Gothic  palaces,  mingled  with  those 
of  the  Renaissance. 

'  The  effect  is  produced  in  two  different  ways.  The  Renaissance 
palaces  are  not  more  picturesque  in  themselves  than  the  club-houses  of 
Pall  Mall  ;  but  they  become  delightful  by  the  contrast  of  their  severity 
and  refinement  with  the  rich  and  rude  confusion  of  the  sea-life  beneath 
them,  and  of  their  white  and  solid  masonry  with  the  green  waves.  Re- 
move from  beneath  them  the  orange  sails  of  the  fishing  boats,  the  black 
gliding  of  the  gondolas,  the  cumbered  decks  and  rough  crews  of  the 
barges  of  traffic,  and  the  fretfulness  of  the  green  water  along  their  founda- 
tions, and  the  Renaissance  palaces  possess  no  more  interest  than  those 
of  London  or  Paris.  But  the  Gothic  palaces  are  picturesque  in  them- 
selves, and  wield  over  us  an  independent  power.  Sea  and  sky  and 
every  other  accessory  might  be  taken  away  from  them,  and  still  they 
would  be  beautiful  and  strange.' — Ruskin,  ' Stones  of  Venice,'  ii.  ch.  vii. 

'While  other  Italian  cities  have  each  some  ten  or  twelve  prominent 
structures  on  which  their  claim  to  architectural  fame  is  based,  Venice 
numbers  her  specimens  by  hundreds  ;  and  the  residence  of  the  simple 
citizen  is  often  as  artistic  as  the  palace  of  the  proudest  noble.  No  other 
city  possesses  such  a  school  of  Architectural  Art  as  applied  to  domestic 
purposes  :  and  if  we  must  look  for  types  from  which  to  originate  a  style 
suitable  to  our  modern  wants,  it  is  among  the  Venetian  examples  of  the 
early  part  of  the  sixteenth  century  that  we  should  probably  find  what  is 
best  suited  to  our  purposes.' — Fergusson. 

Passing  the  beautiful  Lombard  front  of  the  Palazzo  Dario, 
of  1450,  inlaid  with  circular  disks  of  precious  coloured 
marbles,  we  reach  the  mosaic  manufactory  of  Salviati,  then 
the  Lombard  Palazzo  Manzoni  of  c.  1465.  Here,  passing 
under  the  hideous  iron  bridge,  we  arrive  at  the  steps  of  the 


THE  ACCADEMIA.      I  55 

Campo  delta  Carita — the  Field  of  Charity — belonging  to  the 

ancient  convent  of  La  Carith,,  which  dates  from  the  thirteenth 

century,  and  where  the  proud  Alexander  III.  took  refuge  in 

his  exile.     The  conventual  buildings  are  now  occupied  by — 

The  Academy  (open  daily  on  week  days  from  1 1  to  3,  on 

payment  of  i  fr.  per  head;  on  Sundays,  from  n  to  2,  free).1 

The  gallery  is  reached  by  a  corridor  lined  with  marble. 

A  passage  leads  to  the 

i st  Hall.  Containing  interesting  Furniture  in  boxwood 
and  ebony,  carved  by  the  celebrated  Brustolon  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  eighteenth  century,  showing  alike  the  perfection 
of  his  workmanship  and  the  detestable  taste  of  his  times. 

The  2nd  Hall  contains  a  collection  presented  in  1843  by 
Count  Girolamo  Contarini.     It  includes : — 
Left  Wall: 

84.  Palma  Vecchio.     Christ  and  the  Widow  of  Nain. 
*94.   Giovanni  Bellini.     Madonna  and  Child.     A  most  exquisitely 

beautiful  picture. 

96.  Marco  Marziale.     The  Supper   at   Emmaus ;    a  very  curious 

example  of  a  rare  and  harsh  master,  who  followed  Carpaccio. 

HO.  Pordenone.     Madonna  and  Child,  with  SS.  Catherine  and  J. 

Baptist. 
117.  Francesco  Bissolo.     The  Dead  Christ,  carried  by  angels. 

End  Wall : 

124.    Vincenzo  Catena.    The  Virgin  and  Child,  with  SS.  John  Baptist 

and  Jerome. 
*I25.  Cima  da  Conegliano.     Virgin  and  Child,  with  SS.  John  and 

Paul. 
132.  Bocaccino  da  Cremona.     The  Virgin  and  Child,  with  SS.  Peter, 

John  Baptist,  Catherine,  and  Barbara. 

"  133.  Polidoro  Veneziano.     Virgin  and  Child,  with  S.  J.  Baptist  and 
an  angel. 

Right  Wall : 

138.  Morone.     Female  Portrait. 

151.  J.  Callot.     'The    Market    of    Impruneta '    (still    held    near 

Florence),  a  curious  picture,  with  innumerable  figures. 
155.  Schiavone.     The  Circumcision. 

'  The  Academy  may  be  reached  on  foot  in  ten  minutes  from  the  P:azza  S.  Marco, 
by  S.  Moise,  S.  Maria  Zobenigo,  and  the  Campo  S.  Stefano,  on  tb-  left  of  which  is 
the  entrance  to  the  bridge— toll  two  centimes.  The  bridge  itseti  was,  till  recently, 
almost  the  only  modern  thing  in  Venice,  and  is  utterly  disgraceful  to  it. 


56  VENICE. 

Entrance  Wall : 

1 68.    Tintoretto.     A  Portrait. 

177.    Tinloret. 

1 86.  Francesco  Bissolo.     Madonna  and  Child. 

In  the  ^rd  Hall  we  may  notice  : — 

234 — 238.   Giovanni  Bellini.     Miniature  allegorical  pictures— very 
curious  and  interesting. 

tfh  Hall     Casts. 

$th  Hall.  Sala  degli  Antichi  Dipinti.  In  this  and  in 
the  other  rooms  only  the  most  remarkable  paintings  are 
noticed;  those  of  the  greatest  importance  are  indicated  by 
an  asterisk. 

1.  BdrtolommeoVivarini,  \afia,.     Madonna  and  four  Saints.    One  of 

the  earliest  works  of  the  artist,  painted  on  a  gold  ground,  from 
the  island  Church  of  the  Certosa. 

4  A  noble  picture  ;  not  of  any  supreme  genius,  but  completely  con- 
taining the  essence  of  Venetian  art.' — Rtiskin. 

2.  Michele  Mattel  (or  Lambertitif),   Bolognese.      The  Virgin   and 

Saints.    Above,  the  Crucifixion.    Below,  the  Story  of  S.  Helena, 
from  S.  Elena  in  Isola. 

4.  Marco  Basaiti.     S.  James,  from  the  Convent  of  the  Miracoli. 
*5.  Lorenzo-  Veneziano  and  Francesco  Bissolo.     The  Annunciation, 
with  Saints,  from  S.  Antonio  di  Castello. 

8.   Giovanni  and  Antonio  da  Murano,  1440.     The  Coronation  of 

the  Virgin,  signed,  formerly  in  S.  Barnaba. 

*23.  Giovanni  d'Alemagna  and  Antonio  da  Murano,  1496.  The  Ma- 
donna enthroned,  with  the  Doctors  of  the  Church,  from  the 
Scuola  della  Carita. 

The  6th  Hall,  Sala  dell'  Assunta,  has  a  ceiling  by 
Cherubini  Ottali,  with  a  painting  by  P.  Veronese  in  the 
centre  ;  it  contains  : — 

*24.   Titian.     The  Assumption.     The  most  important  picture  of  the 

master,  brought  from  the  Church  of  the  Frari. 

'  The  Madonna  is  a  powerful  figure,  borne  rapidly  upwards  as  if 
divinely  impelled.  Head,  figure,  attitude,  drapery,  and  colour  are  all 
beautiful.  Fascinating  groups  of  infant  angels  surround  her  ;  beneath 
stand  the  Apostles,  looking  up  with  solemn  gestures.' — Kugler. 

25.  Jacopo  Tintoretto.     Adam  and  Eve.     A  splendid  example  of  the 

master,  from  the  Scuola  della  Trinita. 
27.  Bonifazio  Veneziano.     S.  Mark. 


THE  ACCADEMIA.  57 

31.  Marco  Basiti,  1510.     The  Calling  of  the  Sons  of  Zebedee,  from 

the  Certosa. 

•  '  In  this  picture  the  naiw.  simplicity  of  the  attitudes,  the  expression 
of  humility  in  the  countenances  of  the  two  brothers,  and  their  stiictly 
apostolical  character,  cannot  fail  to  excite  our  admiration.' — Rio. 

32.  Jacopo  lintoretlo.     The  Virgin  and  Child,  with  three  Senators. 

33.  Titian.     The  Burial  of  Christ,  completed  by  Palma  Vecchio, 

from  S.  Angelo. 

'  Les  Beaux- Arts  renferment  le  dernier  tableau  de  Titien,  tresor  in- 
estimable !  Les  annees,  si  pesantes  pour  tous,  glisserent  sans  appuyer 
sur  ce  patriarche  de  la  peinture,  qui  traversa  tout  un  siecle  et  que  la 
peste  surprit  a  quatre-vingt-dix-neuf  ans  travaillant  encore. 

'Ce  tableau,  grave  et  melancolique  d'aspect,  dont  le  sujet  funebre 
semble  un  pressentiment,  represente  un  Christ  depose  de  la.  Croix ;  le 
ciel  est  sombre,  un  jour  livide  eclaire  le  cadavre  pieusement  soutenu  par 
Joseph  d'Arimathie  et  sainte  Marie-Madeleine.  Tous  deux  sont  tristts, 
sombres,  et  paraissent,  a  leur  morne  attitude,  desesperer  de  la  resur- 
rection de  leur  maitre.  On  voit  qu'ils  se  demandent  avec  une  anxiete 
secrete  si  ce  corps,  oint  de  baumes,  qu'ils  vont  confier  au  sepulchre,  en 
pourra  jamais  sortir  ;  en  effet,  jamais  Titien  n'a  fait  de  cadavre  si  mort. 
Sous  cette  peau  verte  et  dans  ces  veines  bleuatres  il  n'y  a  plus  une 
goutte  de  sang,  la  pourpre  de  la  vie  s'en  est  retiree  pour  toujours.  Pour 
la  premiere  fois,  le  grand  Venetien  a  etc  abandonne  par  son  antique  et 
inalterable  serenite.  L'ombre  de  la  mort  prochaine  semble  lutter  avec 
la  lumiere  du  peintre  qui  cut  toujours  le  soleil  sur  sa  palette,  et  enve- 
loppe  le  tableau  d'un  froid  crepuscule.  La  main  de  1'artiste  se  glaca 
avant  d'avoir  acheve  satache,  comme  le  temoigne  1'inscription  en  lettres 
noires  tracee  dans  le  coin  de  la  toile  :  Quod  Tizianus  inchoatum  reliquit 
Palma  reverenter  absolvit  Deoque  dicavit  opus.  "L'oeuvre  que  Titien 
laisse  inachevee,  Palma  1'acheva  respectueusement  et  1'offrit  a  Dieu." 
Cette  noble,  touchante,  et  religieuse  inscription  fait  de  ce  tableau  un 
monument.  Certes,  Palma,  grand  peintre  lui-meme,  ne  dut  approcher 
qu'avec  tremblement  1'ceuvre  du  maitre,  et  son  pinceau,  quelque 
habile  qu'il  fut,  hesita  et  vacilla  sans  doute  plus  d'une  fois  en  se  posant 
sur  les  touches  du  Titien.' — Theophile  Gautier. 

35.  Titian.     The  Visitation.     Called  the  first  picture  of  the  artist, 

from  the  Monastery  of  S.  Andrea. 

36.  Jacopo  Tintoretto.     The  Resurrection,  and  three  Senators. 

37.  Giorgione.     Much  retouched  by  Paris  Bordone.     The  famous 

Legend  of  S.  Mark  and  the  Fisherman,  from  the  Scuola  di 
S.  Marco. 

1  On  the  25th  of  February,  1340,  there  fell  out  a  wonderful  thing  in 
this  land  ;  for  during  three  days  the  waters  rose  continually,  and  in  the 
night  there  was  fearful  rain  and  tempest,  such  as  had  never  been  heard 


58  VENICE. 

of.  So  great  was  the  storm  that  the  waters  rose  three  cubits  higher 
than  had  ever  been  known  in  Venice  ;  and  an  old  fisherman  being  in 
his  little  boat  in  the  canal  of  S.  Mark,  reached  with  difficulty  the  Riva 
di  San  Marco,  and  there  he  fastened  his  boat,  and  waited  the  ceasing 
of  the  storm.  And  it  is  related  that,  at  the  time  this  storm  was  at  the 
highest,  there  came  an  unknown  man,  and  besought  him  that  he  would 
row  him  over  to  San  Giorgio  Maggiore,  promising  to  pay  him  well ; 
and  the  fisherman  replied,  "  How  is  it  possible  to  go  to  San  Giorgio  ? 
we  shall  sink  by  the  way  !  "  but  the  man  only  besought  him  the  more 
that  he  should  set  forth.  So,  seeing  that  it  was  the  will  of  God,  he 
arose  and  rowed  over  to  San  Giorgio  Maggiore  ;  and  the  man  landed 
there,  and  desired  the  boatman  to  wait.  In  a  short  time  he  returned 
with  a  young  man  ;  and  they  said,  "  Now  row  towards  San  Niccolo  di 
Lidc."  And  the  fisherman  said,  "How  can  one  possibly  go  so  far 
with  one  oar?"  and  they  said,  "  Row  boldly,  for  it  shall  be  possible 
with  thee,  and  thou  shalt  be  well  paid. "  And  he  went ;  and  it 
appeared  to  him  as  if  the  waters  were  smooth.  Being  arrived  at  San 
Niccolo  di  Lido,  the  two  men  landed,  and  returned  with  a  third,  and 
having  entered  into  the  boat,  they  commanded  the  fisherman  that  he 
should  row  beyond  the  two  castles.  And  the  tempest  raged  continually. 
Being  come  to  the  open  sea,  they  beheld  approaching,  with  such  terrific 
speed  that  it  appeared  to  fly  over  the  waters,  an  enormous  galley  full  of 
demons  (as  it  is  written  in  the  Chronicles,  and  Marco  Sabellino  also 
makes  mention  of  this  miracle)  :  the  said  bark  approached  the  castles 
to  overwhelm  Venice,  and  to  destroy  it  utterly ;  anon  the  sea,  which 
had  hitherto  been  tumultuous,  became  calm  ;  and  these  three  men, 
having  made  the  sign  of  the  cross,  exorcised  the  demons,  and  com- 
manded them  to  depart,  and  immediately  the  galley  or  the  ship  vanish- 
ed. Then  these  three  men  commanded  the  fisherman  to  land  them, 
the  one  at  San  Niccolo  di  Lido,  the  other  at  San  Giorgio  Maggiore, 
and  the  third  at  San  Marco.  And  when  he  had  landed  the  third,  the 
fisherman,  notwithstanding  the  miracle  he  had  witnessed,  desired  that 
he  would  pay  him,  and  he  replied,  "  Thou  art  right ;  go  now  to  the 
Doge  and  to  the  Procuratore  of  S.  Mark,  and  tell  them  what  thou 
hast  seen,  for  Venice  would  have  been  overwhelmed  had  it  not  been  for 
us  three.  I  am  S.  Mark  the  evangelist,  the  protector  of  this  city ; 
the  other  is  the  brave  knight  S.  George,  and  he  whom  thou  didst  take 
up  at  the  Lido  is  the  holy  bishop  S.  Nicholas.  Say  to  the  Doge  and 
to  the  Procuratore  that  they  are  to  pay  you,  and  tell  them  likewise  that 
this  tempest  arose  because  of  a  certain  schoolmaster  dwelling  at  San 
Felice,  who  did  sell  his  soul  to  the  devil,  and  afterwards  hanged  him- 
self." And  the  fisherman  replied,  "If  I  should  tell  them  this,  they 
would  not  believe  me  !  "  Then  S.  Mark  took  off  a  ring  which  was 
worth  five  ducats ;  and  he  said,  "  Show  them  this,  and  tell  them  when 
they  look  in  the  sanctuary  they  will  not  find  it,"  and  thereupon  he 
disappeared.  The  next  morning,  the  said  fisherman  presented  himself 


THE  ACCADEMIA.  59 

before  the  Doge,  and  related  all  he  had  seen  the  night  before,  and 
showed  him  the  ring  for  a  sign.  And  the  Procuratore  having  sent  for 
the  ring,  and  sought  it  in  the  usual  place,  found  it  not ;  by  reason  of 
which  miracle  the  fisherman  w^t5"paid,  and  a  solemn  procession  was 
ordained,  giving  thanks  to  God,  and  to  the  relics  of  the  three  holy 
saints  who  rest  in  our  land,  and  who  delivered  us  from  this  great 
danger.  The  ring  was  given  to  Signor  Marco  Loredano  and  to  Signor 
Andrea  Dandolo  the  Procuratore,  who  placed  it  in  the  sanctuary  ;  and, 
moreover,  a  perpetual  provision  was  made  for  the  aged  fisherman  above 
mentioned. ' — Jameson 's  '  Sacred  Art. ' 

*38.   Giovanni  Bellini.  The  Virgin  and  six  Saints.  A  most  beautiful 
picture,    painted  for   a    chapel   at    S.    Giobbe,    which   was 
especially  arranged  to  bring  all  its  beauties  into  relief.     It 
is  the  crowning  work  of  this  great  master,  which  established 
his  fame  and  led  to  his  employment  by  the  State. 
'  Finely  thought  out  is  the  concentration  of  light  on  the  Virgin, 
seated  with  the  Babe  on  her  knee,   looking  forward  as  if  struck  by 
some  external  event,  }et  full  of  calm  benevolence;  varied  the  move- 
ments of  the  three  angels  playing  instruments  at  her  feet ;  kindly,  in 
their  meditative  submission,  the  passive   S.  Francis,  the  praying  Job, 
the.  attentive    Baptist,    the    wounded    S.    Sebastian,    the   eager    SS. 
Dominic  and  Louis ;  a  broad  system  of  shadows,  tempered  to  suit  the 
gloom  of  the  chapel  for  which  the  picture  was  intended,  completes  the 
attraction.' — Crowe  and  Cavalcaselle. 

*45-  Jacopo  Tintoretto.     S.  Mark  delivering  a  Slave  condemned  to 

Death. 

'  Ce  tableau  a  pour  sujet  le  saint  patron  de  Venise  venant  a  1'aide  d'un 
pauvre  esclave  qu'un  maitre  barbare  faisait  tourmenter  et  gehenner  a 
cause  de  1'obstinee  devotion  que  ce  pauvre  diable  avait  a  ce  saint.  L'es- 
clave  est  etendu  a  terre  sur  une  croix  entouree  de  bourreaux  affaires,  qui 
font  de  vains  efforts  pour  1'attacher  au  bois  infame.  Les  clous  rebrous- 
stnt,  les  maillets  se  rompent,  les  haches  volent  en  eclats ;  plus  miseri- 
cordieux  que  les  hommes,  les  instruments  de  supplice  s'en.oussent  aux 
mains  des  tortionnaires  :  les  curieux  se  regardent  et  chuchotent  etonnes, 
le  juge  se  penche  du  haul  du  tribunal  pour  voir  pourquoi  Ton  n'execute 
pas  ses  ordres,  tandis  que  S.  Marc,  dans  un  des  raccourcis  les  plus 
violemment  strapasses  que  la  peinture  ait  jamais  risques,  pique  une  tete 
du  ciel  et.fait  un  plongeon  sur  la  terre,  sans  nuages,  sans  ailes,  sans 
cherubims,  sans  aucun  des  moyens  aerostatiques  employes  ordinairement 
dans  les  tableaux  de  saintete,  et  vient  delivrer  celui  qui  a  eu  foi  en  lui. 
Cette  figure  vigoureuse,  athletiquement  muselee,  de  proportion  colossale, 
fendant  1'air  comme  le  rocher  lance  par  une  catapulte,  produit  1'effet  le 
plus  singulier.  Le  dessin  a  une  telle  puissance  de  jet,  que  le  saint 
massif  se  soutient  a  1'ceil  et  ne  tombe  pas  ;  c'est  un  vrai  tour  de  force.' 
—  T.  Gautier. 


6o  VENICE. 

47.  Ahssandro  Varottari  (II  Padovanino).    The  Wedding  at  Cana. 

50.  Bonifazio.     The  Woman  taken  in  Adultery. 

51.  y.  Tintoretto.     Portrait  of  Doge  Al vise  Mocenigo. 

54.  Paul    Veronese.     The  Madonna    in    glory,    with  S.    Dominic 
beneath   distributing    garlands  of    roses.     From   S.  Pietro 
Martire  at  Murano. 
*55.  Bonifazio.     The  Judgment  of  Solomon — who  is  represented  as 

very  young  and  beautiful. 
*57.  Bonifazio.     The  Adoration  of  the  Magi. 
63.  J.Tintoretto.  The  Death  of  Abel,  from  the  Scuola  della  Trinita. 

The  ith  Hall,  with  a  ceiling  painted  by  Tintoretto,  con- 
tains : — 

65.  y.  Tintoretto.     Portrait  of  Pietro  Marcello. 

66.  Giuseppe  Porta  (Salviati).     The  Baptism  of  Christ. 
(Unnumbered).   Gentile  Bellini.     Doge  Cristoforo  Moro. 
•(Unnumbered).   Cima  da  Conegliano.     The  Angel  and  Tobias. 

The  8/A  Hall  contains  original  sketches  by  the  great 
masters.  The  drawings  by  Raffaelle  and  Lionardo,  but  es- 
pecially those  of  the  latter,  are  of  the  highest  importance. 

The  gth  and  loth  Halls  are  unimportant. 
In  the  i  \th  Hall  are : — 

566.  Domenico  Tintoretto,  1595.     Benedetto  Marcello,  Procuratore 

of  S.  Marco. 
568.  Jacopo   Tintoretto.     The   Descent  from  the   Cross,  from   S. 

Maria  dell'  Umilta. 

*572.  Bonifazio.     Adoration  of  the  Magi. 
582.   Cima  da  Conegliano.    The  Virgin  and  Child  throned,  with  SS. 

Sebastian,  George,  Jerome,  Nicholas,  Catherine  and  Lucy, 

from  the  Church  of  the  Carita. 
586.  Bonifazio.     SS.  Benedict  and  Sebastian — much  repainted,  but 

still  a  very  fine  picture. 
593.  Palma  Vecchio.     S.  Peter  throned,  with  other  Saints,  from  the 

Church  of  Fontanelle  d'  Oderzo. 

The  i2///,  13/7*,  and  i^th  Halls  contain  rubbish. 
The  i^th  /fa// contains : — 

*529.  Gentile  Bellini.  Part  of  the  True  Cross  having  fallen  into  one 
of  the  canals  during  a  procession  to  S.  Lorenzo,  is  saved  by 
Andrea  Vendramin,  Guardian  of  the  Confraternity.  Catarina 
Cornaro,  Queen  of  Cyprus,  and  her  suite  are  amongst  the 
spectators  lining  the  sides  of  the  canal.  Foremost  amongst 


THE  ACCADEMIA.  61 

a  kneeling  group  on  the  right,  is  said  to  be  the  artist  him- 
self. From  the  Scuola  di  S.  Giovanni  Evangelista. 
'  On  voit  dans  ces  toiles  les  aaCiennes  maisons  de  Venise  avec  leurs 
murs  rouges,  leurs  fenetres  aux  trefles  lombards,  leurs  terrasses  sur- 
montees  de  piquets,  leurs  cheminees  evasees,  les  vieux  ponts  suspendus 
par  des  chaines,  et  les  gondoles  d'autrefois,  qui  n'ont  pas  la  forme 
qu'elles  affectent  aujourd'hui :  il  n'y  a  pas  de  felce,  mais  un  drap  tendu 
sur  des  cerceaux,  comme  aux  galiotes  de  Saint-Cloud  ;  aucune  ne 
porte  cette  espece  de  manche  de  violon  en  fer  poli  qui  sert  de  contre-poids 
au  rameur  place  a  la  poupe  ;  elles  sont  aussi  beaucoup  moins  effilees. ' — 
T.  Gautier. 

*533-  Vittore  Carpaccio.  The  Dream  of  S.  Ursula,  the  daughter  of 
Theonotus,  King  of  Brittany,  that  she  must  undertake  a  pil- 
grimage to  the  shrine  of  the  martyrs.  (Painted,  with  its 
companion  pictures  in  1491-5,  for  the -School  of  S.  Ursula, 
near  SS.  Giovanni  and  Paolo.) 

'  Rien  n'est  plus  elegant,  plus  juvenilement  gracieux  que  la  suite  de 
peintures  oil  Vittore  Carpaccio  a  represente  la  vie  de  sainte  Ursule. 
Ce  Carpaccio  a  le  charme  ideal,  la  sveltesse  adolescente  de  Raphael 
dans  le  Mariage  de  la  Vierge,  un  de  ses  premiers  et  peut-etre  le  plus 
charmant  de  ses  tableaux  ;  on  ne  saurait  imaginer  rien  des  airs  de  tete 
plus  naivement  adorables,  des  tournures  d'une  plus  angelique  coquetterie. 
II  y  a  surtout  un  jeune  homme  a  longs  cheveux  vu  de  dos,  laissant 
glisser  a  demi  sur  son  epaule  sa  cape  au  collet  de  velours,  qui  est  d'une 
beaute  si  fiere,  si  jeune  et  si  seduisante,  qu'on  croirait  voir  le  Cupidon 
de  Praxitele  vetu  d'un  costume  moyen  age,  ou  plutot  un  ange  qui  aurait 
eu  la  fantaisie  de  se  travestir  en  magnijique  de  Venise.' —  T.  Gautier. 

*534-  Marco  Basaili.     The  Agony  in  the  Garden — a  lovely  example 

of  the  master,  from  S.  Giobbe. 

537.  Vittore  Carpaccio.  King  Theonotus  receives  the  ambassadors  of 
the  pagan  Agrippinus,  king  of  England,  who  had  come  to  ask 
the  hand  of  the  Christian  Princess  Ursula,  for  his  son  Conon. 

539.  Id.    The  ambassadors  ask  of  TheonoUu  the  hand  of  his  daughter, 

and  he  confers  with  the  Princess  Ursula,  who  demands  that 
Conon  should  first  be  baptized,  and  that  she  should  be  allowed 
three  years  for  her  pilgrimage  with  a  thousand  virgins  her 
companions. 

540.  Giovanni  Mansueti  (a  pupil  of  Bellini).     S.  Mark  preaching 

at  Alexandria.     From  the  School  of  S.  Marco. 

541.  Francesco  Bissolo.     The  Coronation  of  S.  Catherine  of  Siena 

—  an  important  example  of  the  great  artist  of  Treviso. 

542.  Vittore  Carpaccio.    Prince  Conon  agreeing  to  the  conditions  of 

Ursula,  takes  leave  of  his  father.  In  the  same  picture  he  is 
seen  meeting  his  betrothed.  He  embarks  with  her  upon  her 
pilgrimage. 


62  VENICE. 

544.  Id.  The  arrival  of  S.  Ursula  and  her  Virgins  at  Cologne—  dis- 
playing marvellous  correctness  of  perspective. 

546.  Id.  Pope  Cyriacus,  with  his  Cardinals,  receives  S.  Ursula,  with 
her  Brideg  oom,  and  the  Virgins,  at  Rome.  (Regarded  as  a 
subject  this  should  precede  554.) 

*547-  Paul  Veronese,  1572.  The  Supper  in  the  house  of  Levi,  painted 
for  the  refectory  of  SS.  Giovanni  and  Paolo.  Many  of  the 
figures,  especially  that  of  the  master  of  the  feast,  are  full  of 
the  noblest  Venetian  character. 

On  the  8th  of  July,  1 573,  Maestro  Paolo  Cagliari,  of  Verona,  then 
residing  in  the  parish  of  S.  Samuele,  was  summoned  before  the  Sacred 
Tribunal  in  the  Capella  di  S.  Teodoro,  to  be  examined  as  to  his  irre- 
verence in  painting  '  buffoons,  drunkards,  Germans,  dwarfs,  and  similar 
indecencies,'  at  supper  with  our  Lord.  Veronese  defended  himself  on 
the  authority  of  Michelangelo,  who  '  in  the  papal  chapel  at  Rome, 
painted  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  His  mother,  S.  John,  and  S.  Peter,  and 
all  the  court  of  heaven,  from  the  Virgin  Mary  downwards,  naked,  and 
in  various  attitudes,  with  little  reverence.'  Paul  Veronese  was  ordered 
to  correct  and  amend  the  picture  within  three  months  at  his  own 
expense  ;  but  the  sentence  was  a  matter  of  form  and  was  never  en- 
forced. 

548.  Giovanni  Mansueti.     From  the  Monastery  of  SS.   Giovanni 

and  Paolo.  A  Miracle  of  the  True  Cross,  when  the  monks 
who  carried  it  were  stopped  by  an  invisible  power  on  the 
bridge  of  S.  Leone.  From  the  Scuola  di  S.  Giovanni 
Evangelista. 

549.  Vittore  Carpacdo.     The  Ambassadors  of  Agrippinus  bringing 

back  the  answer  of  King  Theonotus. 

551.  Sebastiano  Florigerio.     SS.   Francis,  Anthony,  and  John  the 

Evangelist.     From  S.  Bovo  at  Padua. 

552.  Vittore  Carpacdo.     Meeting  of  SS.  Joachim  and  Anna.     SS. 

Louis  and  Ursula  are  introduced.     Painted  for  S.  Francesco 
of  Treviso. 
554.    Vittore  Carpacdo.     The  Martyrdom   of  S.   Ursula   and   her 

Virgins. 

*55S-  Gentile  Bellini.  A  miracle  of  the  Holy  Cross.  The  scene  is 
the  Piazza  S.  Marco.  The  church  is  exhibited  in  minute  de- 
tail. The  old  mosaics  of  the  recesses  above  the  doorways  and 
of  the  upper  gables  are  shown  as  they  existed  before  the 
alterations  of  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries.  The 
procession  has  issued  from  a  gate  between  the  church  and 
the  ducal  palace.  Near  the  shrine  kneels  Jacopo  Salis,  the 
merchant  of  Brescia,  whose  son  is  supposed  to  have  been 
healed  in  consequence  of  a  vow  which  he  then  made.  The 


THE  ACCADEMIA.  63 

picture  is  wonderfullyljarmonious  and  delicate,  and  is  full  of 
.  interesting  architecture  and  detail.     From  the  Scuola  di  S. 

Giovanni  Evangelista. 

'  In  each  of  these  three  magnificent  compositions,  which  were  painted 
by  Gentile  for  the  Confraternity  of  S.  John  the  Evangelist,  is  represented 
a  miracle  worked  by  a  fragment  of  the  True  Cross  in  the  possession  of 
the  brotherhood.  In  the  first,  a  young  man  of  Brescia,  dangerously 
wounded  in  the  head,  is  miraculously  cured  in  consequence  of  a  vow 
made  by  his  father  when  this  relic  was  carried  in  a  procession,  and  as  a 
proof  that  the  disposition  of  his  heart  was  in  perfect  harmony  with  the 
occupation  of  his  pencil,  the  artist  has  inscribed  the  following  touching 
words  beneath  : — 

Gentilis  Bellinus  amore  incensus  crucis,  1466. 

'The  next  miracle  which  he  represented  was  the  recovery  of  this  very 
relic  from  the  canal,  into  which  it  had  fallen  on  the  clay  that  it  was 
carried  in  procession  to  the  church  of  S.  Lorenzo,  by  the  intervention  of 
the  pious  Andrea  Vendramini  after  its  rescue  had  been  vainly  attempted 
by  the  profane.  In  representing  this  beautiful  legend,  the  heart  of  the 
painter  was  even  more  powerfully  affected  than  by  the  former  work, 
and  in  order  to  express  his  increasing  devotion  for  the  holy  sign  of  the 
Redemption,  he  inscribed  underneath  these  still  more  forcible  words  : — 

Gentilis  Bellinus  pio  sanctissimae  crucis  affectu  lubens  fecit  1 500. 

'  The  third  picture  was  worthy  to  be  the  companion  of  the  two  others. 
The  subject  he  had  to  represent  was  the  miraculous  cure  of  a  member 
of  the  Confraternity  from  a  quaternian  fever,  who  is  contemplating  the 
instrument  of  his  recovery  with  ecstatic  admiration.  This  gave  the 
aged  Bellini  another  opportunity  of  displaying  his  pious  imagination  : 
and  it  was  perhaps  his  last  work,  for  he  died  a  few  years  after  its  com- 
pletion, and  we  may  be  permitted  to  suppose  that  he  often  dwelt  on 
the  consoling  thought  that  it  embodies,  and  looked  himself  to  the  Cross 
for  the  cure  of  all  his  infirmities.' — Rio. 

560.  Vittore  Carfaccio,  1491.  S.  Ursula  with  her  Virgins  and  Pope 
Ciriacus,  receiving  the  reward  of  her  martyrdom.  This  pic- 
ture is  the  last  of  the  series,  which  is  arranged  in  the  gallery 
in  the  order  of  the  dates  at  which  it  was  painted. 
*56i.  Luigi  Vivarini,  1480.  The  Virgin  and  Child  throned  between 
saints— of  the  greatest  dignity  and  expression. 

564.  Vittore  Carpaccio,  A  sick  man  healed  by  the  True  Cross,  which 
is  presented  from  a  balcony  by  the  Patriarch  of  Grado.  The 
old  Rialto  — called  'Del  Bagatin' — is  introduced. 

'  We  can  desire  no  better  view  of  the  old  Rialto  and  the  palace  of 
the  Patriarch  of  Grado,  as  they  existed  at  the  close  of  the  fifteenth 


64  VENICE. 

century,  than  has  been  set  forth  with  all  the  advantage  of  true  perspective 
and  a  realistic  reproduction  of  nature.' — Crowe  and  Cavalcaselle. 

In  the  i6//z  Hall  (which  contains  the  original  model  for 
the  Hercules  and  Lycas  of  Canova,  and  which  has  a  ceiling 
by  Tiepolo)  are : — 

486.  Pordenone.     Our  Lady  of  Carmel  and  Saints. 
*4&7.   Titian.    The  Presentation  of  the  Virgin.    This  beautiful  picture 
is  one  of  the  earliest  works  of  the  master.     The  old  woman 
with  the  eggs  is  one  of  his  most  powerful  representations — 
from  the  Scuola  della  Carita. 

c  Au  sommet  d'un  enorme  escalier  grisatre  se  tiennent  les  pr6tres  et 
le  grand  pontife.  Cependant,  au  milieu  des  gradins,  la  petite  fillette, 
bleue  dans  une  aureole  blonde,  monte  en  relevant  sa  robe  ;  elle  n'a  rien 
de  sublime,  elle  est  prise  sur  le  vif,  ses  bonnes  petites  joues  sont  rondes  ; 
elle  leve  sa  main  vers  le  grand  pretre,  comme  pour  prendre  garde  et  lui 
demander  ce  qu'il  veut  d'elle  ;  c'est  vraiment  une  enfant,  elle  n'a  point 
encore  de  pensee  ;  Titien  en  trouvak  de  pareilles  au  catechisme.  Au 
premier  plan,  en  face  du  spectateur,  sur  le  bas  de  1'escalier,  il  a  pose 
une  vieille  grognonne  en  robe  bleue  et  capuchon  blanc,  vraie  villageoise 
qui  vient  faire  son  marche  a  la  ville,  et  garde  aupres  d'elle  son  panier 
d'ceufs  et  de  poulets  ;  un  Flamand  ne  risquerait  pas  davantage.  On  se 
sent  dans  une  ville  reelle,  peuplee  de  bourgeois  et  de  paysans,  oil  1'on 
exerce  des  metiers,  ou  1'on  accomplit  ses  devotions,  mais  ornee  d'an- 
tiquites,  grandiose  de  structure,  paree  par  les  arts,  illuminee  par  le 
soleil,  assise  dans  le  plus  noble  et  le  plus  riche  des  paysages.  Plus 
meditatifs,  plus  detaches  des  choses,  les  Florentins  creent  un  monde  ideal 
et  abstrait  par  dela  le  notre  ;  plus  spontane,  plus  heureux,  Titien  aime 
notre  monde,  le  comprend,  s'y  enferme,  et  le  reproduit  en  rembellissant 
sans  le  refondre  ni  le  supprimer.' —  Taine. 

*488.  Vittore  Carpaccio.  The  Presentation  of  Christ,  1510 — from 
S.  Giobbe — a  picture  to  study  in  its  marvellous  beauty, 
truthfulness,  and  detail — even  to  the  lovely  little  pictures 
on  the  edge  of  the  robe  of  S.  Simeon.  The  artist  was 
stimulated  to  his  utmost  efforts,  because  the  masterpiece  of 
Bellini,  whom  he  never  approached  so  closely  as  in  this 
picture,  was  placed  in  the  same  church. 

489.  Paul  Veronese.      The    Annunciation— from    the    Scuola  dei 
Mercanti. 

*490.  Pordenone.  SS.  Lorenzo  Giustiniani,  J.  Baptist,  Francis,  and 
Augustine,  with  the  Lamb— a  magnificent  work,  intended 
for  the  Renieri  altar  in  S.  Maria  del  Orto. 

*492.  Paris  Bordone.  The  Fisherman  presenting  to  the  Doge  the 
ring  he  received  from  S.  Mark— from  the  Scuola  di  S. 
Marco. 


THE  ACCADEMIA.  65 

'  This  picture  is  like  a  grand  piece  of  scenic  decoration  :  we  have 
before  us  a  magnificent  marble  hall,  with  columns  and  buildings  in  per- 
spective ;  to  the  right,  on  the  summit  of  a  flight  of  steps,  sits  the  Doge 
in  Council ;  the  poor  fisherman,  ascending  the  steps,  holds  forth  the 
ring.  The  numerous  figures,  the  vivid  colour,  the  luxuriant  architecture, 
remind  us  of  Paul  Veronese,  with,  however,  more  delicacy,  both  in 
colour  and  execution.' — Jameson's  '  Sacred  Art '.' 

'  The  splendid  execution  gives  this  picture  the  most  attractive  air  of 
truth,  to  which  the  view  of  the  grand  Venetian  buildings  much  con- 
tributes. ' — Kugler. 

495.  Rocco  Marconi.     The  Descent  from  the  Cross — full  of  grandeur 
and  touching  expression.     This  master  recalls  the  Spanish 
artist  Juan  de  Juanes.     From  the  Church  of  the  Servi. 
*5OO.  Bonifazio.      Lazarus  and  the   Rich  Man— from  the  Palazzo 
Grimani. 

'  Bonifazio  peignait  le  portrait.  Ses  physionomies  etudiees  et 
individuellement  caracteristiques,  rappellent  avec  fidelite  les  types  patri- 
ciens  de  Venise,  qui  ont  si  souvent  pose  devant  1'artiste.  L'anachronisme 
du  costume  fait  voir  que  Lazare  n'est  qu'un  pretexte  et  que  le  veritable 
sujet  du  tableau  est  un  repas  de  seigneurs  avec  des  courtisanes, 
leurs  maitresses,  au  fond  d'un  de  ces  beaux  palais  qui  baignent  leurs 
pieds  de  marbre  dans  1'eau  verte  du  grand  canal.' — T.  Gautier. 

503.  J.  Tintoretto.     The  Virgin  and  Child  and  four  Senators. 

505.  Bonifazio.     Our  Saviour  enthroned,  with  Saints. 

513.  Paul  Veronese.     The  Marriage  of  Cana. 

519.  Paul  Veronese.  The  Virgin  with  SS.  Joseph,  J.  Baptist,  Jus- 
tina,  Francis,  and  Jerome — from  S.  Zaccharia.  There  is  a 
replica  of  this  picture  in  the  Capitol  at  Rome. 

'  Certes,  les  amateurs  de  la  verite  vraie  ne  retrouveront  pas  ici 
I'humble  interieur  du  pauvre  charpentier.  Cette  colonne  en  brocatelle 
rose  de  Verone,  cet  opulent  rideau  ramage,  dont  les  plis  a  riche  cassure 
forment  le  fond  du  tableau,  annoncent  une  habitation  princiere  ;  mais  la 
sainte  famille  est  plutot  une  apotheose  que  la  representation  exacte  du 
pauvre  menage  de  Joseph.  La  presence  de  ce  S.  Fra^ois  portant  une 
palme,  de  ce  pretre  en  camail  et  de  cette  sainte  sur  la  nuque  de  laquelle 
s'enroule,  comme  une  corned 'Am  mon,  une  brillante  torsade  decheveux 
d'or  a  la  mode  venitienne,  1'estrade  quasi  royale  ou  trone  la  Mere 
divine,  presentant  son  bambin  a  1'adoration,  le  prouvent  surabondam- 
ment.' — T.  Gautier. 

The  17/7*  Hall  contains  : — 

441.  y.  Tintoretto.     Portrait  of  Marco  Grimani. 

443-  y&copo  Bellini  (father  of  Gentile  and  Giovanni).     Madonna 

and  Child — signed. 
VOL.    II.  F 


66  VENICE. 

447.  Sebastiano  Lazzaro.     A  saint  seated  in  a  tree  with  a  book,  and 

two  other  saints  beneath — very  curious. 

*4$6.   Cima  da  Conegliano.      The  Saviour  with  SS.   Thomas  and 
Magnus — a  most  noble  picture. 

The  \%th  Hall  contains  a  collection  bequeathed  by 
Countess  Renier  in  1850.  It  includes  : — 

419.  Piero  del/a  Francesco..  A  man  (supposed  to  be  Girolamo 
Malatesta,  son-in-law  of  Federigo  d'  Urbino)  kneeling  before 
his  patron  — S.  Jerome. 

421.   Cima  da  Conegliano.     Virgin  and  Child. 

423.  Marco  Bella.     Virgin  and  Child  with  S.  John. 
*424.   Giovanni  Bellini.     The  Virgin  with  SS.  Paul  and  George. 

429.   Cima  da  Conegliano.     Pieta. 

433.  Morone.     A  Portrait. 

435.  Francesco  Bissolo.     The  Presentation  in  the  Temple. 

436.  Gioz*.  Bellini.     Virgin  and  Child  with  SS.  Mary  Magdalen  and 

Catherine. 

In  the  2oth  Hall  is  : — 
388.   Giovanni  da  Udine.     Christ  amongst  the  Doctors. 

'  Christ  is  represented  seated  on  a  throne,  and  disputing  with  the 
Jewish  doctors,  who  are  eagerly  arguing  or  searching  their  books.  In 
front  of  the  composition  stand  S.  Jerome,  S.  Ambrose,  S.  Augustine, 
and  S.  Gregory,  who,  with  looks  fixed  on  the  youthful  Saviour,  appear 
to  be  reverently  listening  to,  and  recording,  His  words.  This  is  a 
wholly  poetical  and  ideal  treatment  of  a  familiar  passage  in  the  life  of 
Christ. ' — Jamesoris  '  Sacred  Art. ' 

The  2  ist  Hall  contains  : — 
360.  Bcata  Caterina  Vigri.     S.  Ursula. 

365.  A.  Schiavone.     The  Virgin  and  Child,  with  SS.  John,  Cathe- 

rine, Jerome,  and  James. 

366.  Titian.     S.  J.  Baptist. 

*368.  Bonifazio.     Adoration  of  the  Magi — from  the  Scuola  di  S. 

Teodoro. 
372.     Giovanni  Bellini.     The  Virgin  and  sleeping  Child. 

In  the  22nd Hall  (II  Corridoio)  are  : — 

295.  J.  Tintoretto.     Portrait  of  Antonio  Cappello — from  the  Pro- 

curatie  Nuove. 

310.  M.  A.  Caravaggio.     A  Portrait. 
313.   Giovanni  Bellini.     Madonna  and  Child. 
315.  Engelbrechten.     The  Crucifixion. 
318.   G.  Schiavone.     Madonna  and  Child. 
*3*9-   Titian.     Jacopo  Soranzo,     A  magnificent  portrait. 


PALAZZO   CONTARI^rPALAZZO  FOSCARI.     67 

•    "*326.  Bonifazio.     Madonna  and    Saints — with  glowing  colour  and 

beautiful  background — from  the  Scuola  di  S.  Pasquale. 

337.  Francesco  Bissolo.     Modonna  and  Child,  with  Saints. 

348.  Bernardo  Darentino.     The  Nativity. 

349.  Antonello  da  Messina.     The  Madonna. 

350.  Titian.     Portrait  of  Priamo  da  Lezze. 
352.  Tomtnaso  da  Modena.     S.  Catherine. 

354.  Andrea  da  Murano.      The   Saviour  throned,   between  two 
Saints. 

In  the  2T,rd  Hall  we  may  observe  : — 

254.  Lorenzo  di  Credi.     Holy  Family  and  S.  John. 
268.  Holbein.     A  portrait. 

273.  Andrea  Mantegna.     S.  George — with  a  landscape  marvellous 
in  its  detailed  truthfulness. 

Re-entering  our  gondola,  we  see  on  the  left  the  Pa- 
lazzo Contarini  degli  Scrignt,  of  which  one  side  is  built  in 
the  Lombard  style,  1504-1546,  the  others  in  the  Gothic  of 
the  1 5th  century.  On  the  latter  are  two  Renaissance 
•statues,  probably  by  Ant.  Rizzi.  There  were  eight  doges 
of  the  Contarini  family,  and  their  wealth  was  so  great  that 
the  people  called  their  residence  II  Palazzo  degli  Scrigni,  or 
•'of  the  money  chests.'  Some  of  the  curious  old  iron  chests 
in  which  the  Contarini  kept  their  treasures  are  still  to  be  seen 
here.  The  second  floor  of  this  palace  contains  the  English 
-Church. 

Beyond  this  is  the  noble  Palazzo  Rezzonico,  begun  by 
JsOnghena  in  1680,  finished  by  Massari,  1745.  TheRezzonico 
family  was  founded  here  by  the  merchant  Aurelia :  one  of  its 
•members  mounted  the  papal  throne  as  Clement  XIII.  We 
now  pass  the  two  Palazzi  Giustiniani  of  the  i5th  century. 
One  is  called  -del  Vescovi,  from  the  first  sainted  Patriarch 
•of  Venice,  who  was  a  member  of  the  family.  The  noble 
Palazzo  Foscari  is  of  1437. 

This  palace  will  always  be  connected  with  the  touching  story  of  Doge 
Foscari.  His  son  Giacopo  was  accused  to  the  Council  of  Ten  of  having 
received  presents  from  foreign  princes,  by  a  nobleman  named  Loredano, 
who  believed  that  the  death  of  two  of  his  own  relations  had  been  due 
'to  the  Doge,  and  who  wrote  in  his  books  '  Francesco  Foscari,  debtor 
for  the  deaths  of  my  father  and  uncle. ' 

F  2 


68  VENICE. 

Giacopo  was  tortured  on  the  rack  and,  being  found  guilty,  his  father 
was  forced  to  pronounce  his  sentence  of  banishment.  For  five  years 
he  languished  in  exile  at  Treviso,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  accused 
of  having  compassed  the  murder  of  Donato,  a  Venetian  senator,  from 
the  mere  fact  of  a  servant  of  his  being  found  near  at  the  time.  He  was 
brought  back  to  Venice,  again  tried  on  the  rack,  and  banished  for  life, 
on  presumptive  evidence,  to  Candia.  Hence  Giacopo  unwisely  wrote 
to  entreat  the  intercession  of  Francesco  Sforza,  Duke  of  Milan.  The 
letter  was  carried  to  the  Council  of  Ten.  He  was  brought  again  to 
Venice,  flogged,  and  then  tortured.  Being  asked  what  had  induced  him 
to  write  to  a  foreign  prince,  he  replied  that  he  had  done  it  knowing  the 
risk,  but  feeling  that  it  would  be  worth  while  to  undergo  the  torture  a 
third  time,  to  breathe  once  more  the  same  air  with  his  parents,  his  wife, 
and  children.  He  was  again  condemned  to  be  banished,  but  this  time 
a  sentence  of  close  imprisonment  was  added. 

One  farewell  interview  was  allowed  with  the  aged  Doge  and  Dogar- 
essa,  his  wife  Marina,  and  his  children.  '  Ah,  my  lord,  plead  for  me/ 
he  cried,  stretching  out  his  hands  to  his  father,  who  replied  firmly, 
'  O  Giacopo,  obey  what  thy  country  commands,  and  seek  nothing 
else.' 

On  reaching  his  prison  Giacopo  died  of  a  broken  heart.  Immediately 
afterwards,  but  too  late,  his  innocence  was  completely  established  r 
Erizzo,  a  Venetian  nobleman,  confessed,  on  his  death-bed,  that  he  was 
the  murderer  of  Donato. 

Yet  the  vengeance  of  Loredano  was  incomplete.  The  sobs  of  the 
Doge  on  taking  leave  of  his  unhappy  son  were  made  the  foundation  of 
an  accusation  of  imbecility  and  incapacity  for  government.  He  was 
formally  deposed  and  ordered  to  quit  the  Ducal  Palace  within  eight 
days.  Loredano  had  the  cruel  pleasure  of  carrying  the  mandate  to  the 
Doge,  who  listened  quietly  and  then  answered — '  I  little  thought  that 
my  old  age  would  be  injurious  to  the  State ;  but  I  yield  to  the  decree. r 
Stripping  himself  of  his  robes,  and  accompanied  by  all  his  family,  he 
left  the  palace  where  he  had  reigned  for  thirty-five  years  and  returned 
to  his  own  house  on  the  canal.  But  the  sound  of  the  great  bell  which 
announced  the  election  of  his  successor  was  his  death-knell ;  he  burst  a 
blood-vessel  and  died  instantly. 

'  When  the  bell  rang 

At  dawn,  announcing  a  new  Doge  to  Venice, 
It  found  him  on  his  knees  before  the  Cross, 
Clasping  his  aged  hands  in  earnest  prayer  ; 
And  there  he  died.     Ere  half  its  task  was  done, 
It  rang  his  knell. ' — Rogers. 

So  great  was  the  popular  excitement  on  hearing  of  this  event,  that  the 
senate  forbade  'the  affair  of  Francesco  Foscari  to  be  mentioned  on 
pain  of  death.' 


PALAZZO  PISANI.  69 

The  Foscari  and  its  two  adjoining  palaces  form  a  most 
•conspicuous  group  at  the  end  of  the  first  reach  of  the  Grand 
Canal. 

'  They  certainly  form  a  most  magnificent  group,  and  are  in  every  way 
worthy  of  their  conspicuous  position.  The  palace  at  the  junction  of  the 
two  waters  is  that  of  the  Foscari ;  the  others  belonged,  I  believe,  to  the 
Giustiniani  family.  The  date  of  the  smaller  palaces,  and  probably  of 
the  large  one  also,  is  very  early  in  the  fifteenth  century  ;  and  the  latter 
had,  in  1574,  the  honour  of  being  the  grandest  palace  that  the  Venetians 
could  find  in  which  to  Jodge  Henry  III.  of  France.  They  are  all  three 
very  similar  in  their  design.  Their  water-gates  are  pointed,  and  the 
windows  in  the  water-stage  small  and  unimportant.  The  second  stage 
is  more  important,  and  has  cusped  ogee  window-heads  and  balconies. 
The  third  stage  is,  however,  the  piano  nobile,  all  the  windows  having 
deep  traceried  heads  and  large  balconies.  The  fourth  stage  is  very 
nearly  like  the  first,  save  that  instead  of  balconies  there  is  a  delicate 
balustrading  between  the  shafts  of  the  windows,  which  is  very  frequent 
in  good  Venetian  work,  and  always  very  pretty  in  its  effect.' — G.  E. 
Street. 

We  should  enter  the  narrow  canal  called  Rio  di  Ca' 
Foscari  at  the  side  of  the  Palace. 

'  Here,  almost  immediately  after  passing  the  great  gateway  of  the 
Foscari  courtyard,  we  shall  see  on  the  left,  in  the  ruinous  and  time- 
stricken  walls  which  tower  over  the  water,  the  white  curve  of  a  circu- 
lar (Byzantine)  arch  covered  with  sculpture,  and  fragments  of  the  bases 
of  small  pillars,  entangled 'among  festoons  of  the  Erba  della  Madonna,' 
— Kuskin,  '  Stones  of  Venice,  Appendix  ii. 

Next  comes  the  Palazzo  Balbi  of  1582,  followed  by  the 
Palazzo  Grimani  a  S.  Polo  (1475-1485),  with  beautifully 
sculptured  capitals.  Close  to  this,  near  the  Ponte  S.  Toma, 
is  an  ancient  doorway  of  the  1 2th  century.  There  is  a  good 
•early  Gothic  door  on  the  bridge  itself. 

Passing  the  Palazzo  Persico  and  the  Palazzo  Tiepolo 
(1501),  we  reach  the  noble  Palazzo  Pisani,  a  splendid  build- 
ing of  the  1 5th  century.  There  is  a  gallery  here  hung  with 
fine  old  Venetian  mirrors.  It  was  from  this  palace  that  the 
Paul  Veronese  of  '  The  Family  of  Darius '  was  purchased  for 
the  British  National  Gallery  for  1 3,5607. 

The   neighbouring  Palazzo    Barbarigo  della   Terrazza, 


7o  .  VENICE. 

1568-1569,  was  at  one  time  the  residence  of  Titian.     Its- 
fine  collection  of  pictures  is  now  at  S.  Petersburg. 

Passing  the  Palazzo  Cappello  and  the  Pallazzo  Grimanir 
both  of  the  period  of  the  Lombardi,  we  reach  The  Palazzo 
Bernardo,  a  fine  building  of  the  15th  century. 

Passing  the  Traghetto  della  Madonnetta,  is  a  small  palace,, 
with  vestiges  of  arcades  and  Byzantine  work,  called  by 
Ruskin,  The  Madonnetta  House. 

The  Palazzo  Dona  is  much  restored.  Of  this  family  were 
the  Doges  Francesco  Benzon,  1545,  and  Leonardo  Nicolor 
1618.  The  Palazzo  Tiepolo  is  Renaissance  of  the  i6th  cen- 
tury, but  possesses  five  central  windows  with  a  plaited  or 
braided  border  of  Byzantine  work  :  hence  it  is  called  by 
Ruskin,  The  Braided  House.  Close  by  is  the  Casa  Busi- 
nello,  on  the  side  of  which  the  Byzantine  mouldings  appear- 
in  the  first  and  second  stories  of  a  house  lately  restored. 

Immediately  opposite  the  Palazzo  Grimani  is  the  Byzan- 
tine building  described  by  Ruskin  as  The  Terraced  House, 
'  It  has  a  small  terrace  in  front  of  it,  and  a  little  court  with 
a  door  to  the  water,  beside  the  terrace.  Half  the  house  is 
visibly  modern,  and  there  is  a  great  seam,  like  the  edge  of 
a  scar,  between  it  and  the  ancient  remnant,  in  which  the 
circular  bands  of  the  Byzantine  arches  will  be  instantly 
recognised.' 

Near  the  bend  of  the  canal  we  now  pass  the  Church  of 
S.  Stlvestro,  which  is  only  of  interest  as  containing : — 

1st  Altar  on  the  left. — Girolamo  da  Santa  Croce.  S.  Thomas  a> 
Becket  with  the  Baptist  and  S.  Francis. 

1st  Altar  on  the  right.  —  Tintoret.  The  Baptism  of  Christ  (the 
upper  part  an  addition). 

'  There  is  simply  the  Christ  in  the  water,  and  the  S.  John  on  the 
shore,  without  attendants,  disciples,  or  witnesses  of  any  kind  ;  but  the 
power  of  light  and  shade,  and  the  splendour  of  the  landscape,  which  is 
on  the  whole  well  preserved,  render  it  a  most  interesting  example.  The 
Jordan  is  represented  as  a  mountain-brook,  receiving  a  tributary  stream 
in  a  cascade  from  the  rocks,  in  which  S.  John  stands :  there  is  a  rounded 
stone  in  the  centre  of  the  current ;  and  the  parting  of  the  water  at, 
this,  as  well  as  its  rippling  among  the  roots  of  some  dark  trees  on  the 
left,  are  among  the  most  accurate  resemblances  of  nature  to  be  found  in, 


THE-THALTO.  it 

any  of  the  works  of  the  great  masters.  I  hardly  know  whether  most  to 
wonder  at  the  power  of  the  man  who  thus  broke  through  the  neglect  of 
nature  which  was  universal  at  his  time ;  or  at  the  evidences,  visible 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  conception,  that  he  was  >till  content  to 
paint  from  slight  memories  of  what  he  had  seen  in  hill-countries,  in- 
stead of  following  out  to  its  full  depth  the  fountain  which  he  had  opened. 
There  is  not  a  stream  among  the  hills  of  Friuli  which  in  any  quarter  of 
a  mile  of  its  course  would  not  have  suggested  to  him  finer  forms  of 
cascade  than  those  which  he  has  idly  painted  at  Venice.' — Ruskin, 
'  Stones  of  Venice, '  iii. 

The  famous  Adoration  of  the  Magi,  by  Paul  Veronese,  in  our  National 
Gallery,  was  painted  for  this  church  in  1573. 

Opposite  the  church,  in  the  Campo  S.  Silvestro,  Gior- 
gione  resided  when  in  Venice,  and  died  in  1511.  He  covered 
the  front  of  his  house  with  frescoes,  of  which  some  traces 
remain.  The  Patriarch  of  Grado  also  resided  near  this 
church  from  the  i2th  century  till  1451,  when  Nicholas  V., 
suppressing  that  dignity  together  with  that  of  the  Bishop 
of  Castello,  concentrated  them  in  the  new  Patriarchate  of 
Venice. 

We  now  approach  the  bridge — till  lately  the  only  bridge 
over  the  Grand  Canal — which  is  called  by  English  abbre- 
viation the  Rialto.  Venetians  speak  of  it  as  Ponte  di  Rialto, 
for  this  part  of  the  town  was  the  ancient  city  of  Venice,  and 
derives  its  name  from  Rivo-alto,  as  the  land  on  the  left  of 
the  canal  was  called  here.  After  the  limits  of  the  town  were 
extended,  it  continued,  like  the  City  of  London,  to  be  the 
centre  of  commerce  and  trade.  In  this  quarter  were  the 
Fabriche,  or  warehouses  and  custom-houses,  and  many  of 
the  handsomest  buildings,  such  as  the  Fondaco  dei  Turchi, 
and  the  Fondaco  de'.  Tedeschi.  The  Rialto  which  Shake- 
speare alludes  to,  when  Shylock  is  made  to  say— 

'  Signer  Antonio,  many  a  time  and  oft 
In  the  Rialto  you  have  rated  me 
About  my  monies  '— 

refers,  of  course,  to  this  quarter  of  the  town,  and  not  to  the 
bridge.  In  1180  an  engineer  named  Barattieri  made  the 
first  bridge  in  the  place  of  a  bridge  of  boats  which  had 


72  VENICE 

previously  existed  here,  and  his  bridge  is  to  be  seen  in  the 
great  picture  of  Carpaccio  in  the  Accademia.  In  the  i6th 
century  all  the  great  architects  of  the  period— Fra  Giocondo, 
Sansovino,  Palladio,  Vignola,  even  Michelangelo  himself— 
contended  for  the  honour  of  designing  the  new  bridge.  The 
prize  was  obtained  by  Antonio  da  Ponte,  by  whom  the  exist- 
ing Ponte  di  Rialto  (span  of  arch,  91  feet ;  height,  24^  feet; 
width,  72  feet)  was  begun  in  1588  under  Doge  Pasquale 
Cicogna.  It  was  abused  at  first,  but  criticism  was  soon 
silenced,  and  on  even  the  smallest  engravings  of  the  time  it 
is  designated  as  '  //  Famoso  Ponte."  The  footway  of  the 
bridge  is  lined  with  shops. 

'  Le  Rialto  est  certainement  un  coin  unique ;  la  se  pressent  les 
barques  noires  chargees  de  verdure,  qui  viennent  des  iles  pour  appro- 
visionner  Venise,  les  grands  radeaux  charges  de  cocomeri,  ftangurie, 
de  citrouilles  et  de  pasteques  qui  forment  des  montagnes  colorees;  la  se 
heurtent  les  gondoles,  et  les  gondoliers  s'interpellent  dans  leur  idiome 
venitien  qui  e'veille  1'idee  d'un  gazouillement  d'oiseaux ;  la  aussi  se 
tiennent  les  pecheurs,  dans  un  marche  grouillant,  vivant,  poiratre, 
curieux  par  1'aspect  des  batisses  et  par  les  types  des  marchands ;  et, 
comme  un  contraste  elegant,  sur  les  marches  du  pont,  devant  les 
boutiques  des  joailliers,  s'arretent  les  filles  des  dififerents  quartiers  de 
Venise,  celles  de  Cannareggio,  de  Dorso-Duro,  celles  de  San  Marco  et 
de  Santa  Croce,  venues  de  tous  les  coins  de  la  ville  pour  acheter  les 
fichus  colores  dont  elles  se  parent,  les  bijoux  d'or  finement  travailles, 
les  perles  de  verre  brillantes  de  Murano,  ou  ces  boules  de  verre  bul- 
beuses  irisees  de  vert,  de  bleu,  de  rose ;  tandis  que,  drapees  dans  leurs 
vieux  chales  gris  qui  ne  laissent  voir  que  leurs  profils  edentes  et  leurs 
meches  d'argent,  les  vieilles  femmes  du  Rialto  trainent  leurs  sandales 
sur  les  marches  et  se  glissent  dans  la  foule,  cachant  sous  les  pans  de 
leurs  tabliers  les  mets  etranges  qu'elles  viennent  d'acheter  a  tous  les 
marchands  de  friture  en  plein  vent  qui  se  tiennent  aux  abords  du 
Rialto.'—  Yriarte. 

Close  to  the  bridge  is  the  Church  of  S.  Giacomo  di  Rialto, 
said  to  date  from  the  earliest  foundation  of  the  town,  but 
possessing  no  remains  of  its  antiquity.  Over  the  high  altar 
is  a  statue  of  the  patron  saint  by  Alessandro  Vittoria,  re- 
markable for  its  calm  and  stately  attitude  and  the  simple 
folds  of  its  drapery.  The  statue  of  S.  Antonio  is  by  Girolamo 
Campagna. 


1L   GOB  BO  DI  RIALTO.  73 

'  The  campanile  of  S.  Giacomo  is  a  perfectly  fine  example.  It  is 
almost  entirely  of  brick,  and  the  long  lines  of  its  arcades  give  great 
effect  of  height,  while  the  details  are  all  good  and  quite  Gothic  in  their 
character.' — Street. 

Facing  the  church  is  the  curious  statue  of  a  hunchback, 
11  Gobbo  di  Rialto,  the  sixteenth-century  work  of  Pietro  da 
Safo,  supporting  a  pillar.  From  the  back  of  the  statue  the 
JLaws  of  the  Republic  used  to  be  proclaimed. 

In  the  times  of  the  Republic  this  was  the  centre  of  mer- 
cantile life  in  Venice. 

'  These  porticoes  are  daily  frequented  by  Florentine,  Genoese,  and 
Milanese  merchants,  by  those  from  Spain  and  Turkey,  and  all  the  other 
different  nations  of  the  world,  who  assemble  here  in  such  vast  multi- 
tudes that  this  piazza  is  celebrated  amongst  the  first  in  the  universe.' — 
Sansovino,  1580. 

The  market-place  is  still  full  of  colour  and  picturesque- 
ness  : — 

'  All  the  pictures  out  of  all  the  churches  are  buying  and  selling  in 
this  busy  market;  Virgins  go  by,  carrying  their  infants;  S.  Peter  is 
bargaining  his  silver  fish;  Judas  is  making  a  low  bow  to  a  fat  old  monk, 
who  holds  up  his  brown  skirts  and  steps  with  bare  legs  into  a  mysterious 
black  gondola  that  has  been  waiting  by  the  bridge,  and  that  silently 
glides  away.  .  .  .  Then  a  cripple  goes  by  on  his  crutches ;  then  comes 
a  woman  carrying  a  beautiful  little  boy,  with  a  sort  of  turban  round  her 
head.  One  corner  of  the  market  is  given  up  to  great  hobgoblin  pump- 
kins ;  tomatos  are  heaped  in  the  stalls ;  oranges  and  limes  are  not  yet 
over;  but  perhaps  the  fish-stalls  are  the  prettiest  of  all.  Silver  fish 
tied  up  in  stars  with  olive-green  leaves,  gold  fish,  as  in  miracles ;  noble 
people  serving.  There  are  the  jewellers'  shops  too,  but  their  wares 
•do  not  glitter  so  brightly  as  all  this  natural  beautiful  gold  and  silver.' — 
Miss  Thackeray, 

Following  the  Ruga  degli  Orefici  and  turning  to  the 
left,  we  reach  S.  Giovanni  Elemosinario,  rebuilt  in  the 
1 6th  century  on  the  site  of  a  church  of  the  nth  century. 
The  campanile  is  of  1398-1410. 

Chapel  right  of  High  Altar.  Pordcnone,  1530,  SS.  Sebastian, 
Catherine,  and  Roch. 

High  Altar.      Titian.     The  Charity  of  S.  Giovanni  Elemosinario. 

Sides  of  Last  Altar.  Marco  Vecclli.  A  Priest  offering  Holy  Water 
to  Doge  Leonardo  Dona  on  his  visiting  this  church,  and 
the  Charity  of  S.  Giovanni.  The  Doge  came  hither  every 


74  VENICE. 

Wednesday  in  Passion  Week  to  receive  the  Indulgence  left 
by  Alexander  III.  in  1177. 
Last  Altar.     Bonifazio.     The  Madonna  in  glory. 

We  must  now  return  to  our  gondola  at  the  little  wharf 
near  the  bridge,  one  of  the  most  picturesque  sites  on  the 
Grand  Canal : 

'  Venice  is  sad  and  silent  now,  to  what  she  was  in  the  time  of  Cana- 
letto ;  the  canals  are  choked  gradually,  one  by  one,  and  the  foul  water 
laps  more  and  more  sluggishly  against  the  rent  foundations;  but  even 
yet  could  I  but  place  the  reader  at  the  early  morning  on  the  quay  below 
the  Rialto,  when  the  market  boats,  full  laden,  float  into  groups  of  golden 
colour ;  and  let  him  watch  the  dashing  of  the  water  about  their  glitter- 
ing steelly  heads,  and  under  the  shadow  of  the  vine  leaves ;  and  show 
him  the  purple  of  the  grapes  and  the  figs,  and  the  glowing  of  the  scarlet 
gourds  carried  away  in  long  streams  upon  the  waves ;  and  among  them 
the  crimson  fish  baskets,  plashing  and  sparkling,  and  flaming  as  the 
morning  sun  falls  on  their  wet  tawny  sides ;  and  above,  the  painted 
sails  of  the  fishing  boats,  orange  and  white,  scarlet  and  blue;  and 
better  than  all  such  florid  colour,  the  naked,  bronzed,  burning  limbs  of 
the  seamen,  the  last  of  the  old  Venetian  race,  who  yet  keep  the  right 
Giorgione  colour  on  their  brows  and  bosoms,  in  strange  contrast  with. 
the  sallow,  sensual  degradation  of  the  creatures  that  live  in  the  cafes  of 
the  Piazza.,  he  would  not  be  merciful  to  Canaletto  any  more.' — Ruskin, 
1  Modern  Painters. ' 

We  should  visit  the  little  piazza  which  opens  to  the 
Rialto,  on  the  S.  Mark's  side  of  the  canal  (where  the  artist 
Vincenzo  Catena  lived,  and  died  September  1531),  for  the 
sake  of  some  very  interesting  examples  of  the  third  order  of 
Venetian  windows  in  one  of  its  houses. 

'  The  house  faces  the  bridge,  and  its  second  story  has  been  built  in 
the  thirteenth  century,  above  a  still  earlier  Byzantine  cornice  remaining, 
or  perhaps  introduced  from  some  other  ruined  edifice,  in  the  walls  of 
the  first  floor.  The  windows  of  the  second  story  are  of  pure  third  order, 
and  have  capitals  constantly  varying  in  the  form  of  the  flower  or  leaf 
introduced  between  their  volutes.' — Ruskin,  '  Stones  of  Venice,'  ii.  vii. 

Here  is  the  Church  of  S.  Bartolommeo,  to  which  the  great 
merchant  prince  Cristoforo  Fugger  presented  a  noble 
picture  of  Giovanni  Bellini,  now  in  the  Bohemian  monastery- 
of  Strahow. 

Close  to  the  Rialto  on  the  left  is  the  very  handsome 


PALAZZO  PESARO,   S.  STAE.  75 

Palazzo  dei  Camerlenghi,  built  in  1525  by  Gitglielmo  Berga- 
mesco,  but  of  irregular  form,  owing  to  the  space  afforded. 
Here  the  three  Camerlenghi  dwelt  as  Treasurers  of  the  State 
under  the  Republic. 

Passing  the  Traghetto  of  the  Pescheria,  we  reach  the 
Palazzo  Corner  delta  Regina  (built  by  Dom.  Rossi,  1724),  so 
called  from  Caterina  Cornaro,  Queen  of  Cyprus,  who  lived 
in  an  older  palace  on  this  site.  It  was  bequeathed  by  her  to 
the  Papacy,  by  whom  it  was  given  to  the  Counts  of  Cavanis, 
founders  of  the  Scuole  Pie.  The  palace  was  built  in  1724 
by  Domenico  Rossi.  It  is  now  used  as  a  Monte  di  Pieta. 

We  now  reach  the  magnificent  Palazzo  Pesaro,  built  by 
Baldassare  Longhena,  architect  of  the  Salute,  in  1679.  The 
Pesaro  family  is  one  of  the  most  illustrious  in  Venetian 
history.  They  first  came  to  Venice  in  1225,  being  descended 
from  Jacopo  Palmieri  of  Pesaro.  Besides  the  famous  gene- 
ral Bernardo  Pesaro  and  the  Doge  Giovanni,  many  illus- 
trious generals  and  procurators  were  of  this  house. 

'The  Pesaro  Palace,  built  by  Longhena,  though  over-ornamented ,. 
has  no  striking  faults.  Though  not  in  the  purest  taste,  it  still  perfectly 
expresses  the  fact  that  it  is  the  residence  of  a  wealthy  and  luxurious 
noble,  and  is,  taken  as  a  whole,  a  singularly  picturesque  piece  of 
palatial  architecture.  From  the  water-line  to  the  cornice,  it  is  a  rich, 
Varied,  and  appropriate  design,  so  beautiful  as  a  whole  that  we  can. 
well  afford  to  overlook  any  slight  irregularities  in  detail. ' — Fcrgusson. 

A  little  beyond  this  is  the  Church  ofS.  Stae  (S.  Eustachio),. 
built  by  Dom.  Rossi  in  ^og.1  The  pictures  are  all  of  the 
school  of  Tiepolo,  the  best  (in  the  sacristy)  representing 
S.  Eustachio  before  his  judges.  Near  the  second  altar  on. 
the. left,  is  the  bust  of  Antonio  Foscarini,  beheaded  April  21, 
1622,  by  order  of  the  Council  of  Ten,  for  having  conspired 
with  the  enemies  of  the  State,  and  pardoned  in  the  following- 
January,  the  accusations  against  him  having  been  proved 
false. 

(Hence,  by  the  Salizzada  and  the  Calle  del  Megio,  we 
reach  the  Palazzo  Sanudo  and  S.  Giacomo,  a  fine  building 

1  The  Sacristan  of  S.  Maria  MaterT>omini  has  the  keys. 


76  VENICE. 

of  the  1 5th  century,  which  was  the  residence  of  Manno 
Sanudo  il  Giovane,  the  historian  of  Venice.) 

Now,  on  the  Grand  Canal,  passing  first  the  Palazzo 
Diiodo,  built  originally  in  Gothic  of  the  i5th  century,  but 
altered,  then  the  classic  Palazzo  Tron,  and  the  Palazzo  Capo- 
villa,  marked  by  two  pyramids  on  its  parapet,  we  reach  the 
Fondaco  del  Turchi,  a  Byzantine  palace  of  the  Qth  century, 
and  one  of  the  earliest  buildings,  not  ecclesiastical,  in  Venice. 
It  belonged  originally  to  the  house  of  Este,  but  was  pur- 
chased by  the  Republic  in  the  i6th  century  for  the  Turkish 
merchants.  A  few  years  ago  it  was  one  of  the  most  unique 
and  curious  buildings  in  Europe,  and  the  most  important 
specimen  of  Italo-Byzantine  architecture,  but  it  was  modern- 
ised and  almost  rebuilt  by  the  present  Government  in  1869.  * 

It  is  now  used  to  contain  the  Museo  Civico,  which  is 
united  with  the  Museo  Correr,  bequeathed  to  the  town  by 
Teodoro  Correr,  in  1830.  It  is  open  from  10  to  4  on 
Mondays,  Wednesdays,  and  Saturdays.  A  cloister  opening 
upon  the  courtyard  contains  several  old  Venetian  well- 
heads of  extreme  beauty — one  dating  from  the  gth  century 
—and  the  noble  colossal  statue  of  M.  Agrippa,  which  once 
occupied  one  of  the  niches  at  the  sides  of  the  entrance  of 
the  Pantheon  at  Rome,  and  which  was  brought  to  Venice 
by  Cardinal  Domenico  Grimani.  It  long  occupied  a  striking 
position  in  the  courtyard  of  the  Grimani  Palace,  and  was 
bequeathed  to  the  museum  by  the  last  of  the  family,  Conte 
Michele  Grimani. 

'  Le  heros  est  represente  nu,  a  la  maniere  grecque,  son  glaive  dans 
la  main  droite,  sa  chlamyde  jetee  sur  1'e  paule,  lepas  en  avant  comme 
pour  1'attaque.  La  poitrine  se  developpe  largement,  partout  la  force 
eclate,  mais  sans  grace  aucune.  Vous  etes  devant  le  type  d'un  robuste 
laboureur  de  la  campagne  de  Rome,  la  nuque  tient  du  taureau,  et  les 
attaches  de  la  tete  montrent  une  musculature  herculeenne. ' — Henri 
Blaze  Le  Bury. 

The  rooms  contain  a  vast  amount  of  rubbish  and  a  few 
treasures.  We  may  notice : 

1  Ruskin  speaks  of  seven  other  Byzantine  palaces  in  Venice,  which  he  enumerates 
as  the  Casa  Loredan,  Casa  Farsetti,  Rio-Foscari  House,  Terraced  House,  Madon- 
netta  House,  Braided  House,  and  Casa  Businello. 


S.   SIM  EON E   GRANDE,  I  SCALZL  77 

Historical  Relics : 

A  Lectern  brought  from  the  island  of  Rhodes  by  Doge  Morosini. 

The  Cup  of  Doge  Manin. 

The  Door  of  the  Bucentaur  through  which  the  Doge  threw  the 

ring  into  the  sea. 
A  very  interesting  collection  of  Venetian  coins  and  medals. 

Pictures  : 

Gentile  Bellini.     Doge  Francesco  Foscari. 
Giovanni  Bellini.     Doge  Mocenigo. 
V.  Carpaccio.     The  Salutation. 
Marco  Palmczzano.     The  Cross-bearing. 

The  last  side  canal  on  the  left  before  the  Iron  Bridge 
leads  almost  immediately  to  the  Church  of  S.  Simeone 
Grande,  dating  from  the  loth  century.  It  contains  a  picture 
of  the  Trinity  by  Vincenzo  Catena.  Behind  the  high  altar 
is  the  Statue  of  S.  Simeone  Profeta,  a  glorious  work  of  Marco 
Romano,  1317,  the  one  Roman  sculptor  of  the  i4th  century 
whose  name  is  handed  down  to  us. 

'  The  face  is  represented  in  death ;  the  mouth  partly  open,  the  lips 
thin  and  sharp,  the  teeth  carefully  sculptured  beneath ;  the  face  full  of 
quietness  and  majesty,  though  very  ghastly ;  the  hair  and  beard  flowing 
in  luxuriant  wreaths,  disposed  with  the  most  masterly  freedom  yet 
severity  of  design,  far  down  upon  the  shoulders;  the  hands  crossed 
upon  the  body,  carefully  studied,  with  the  veins  and  sinews  perfectly 
and  easily  expressed,  yet  without  any  attempt  at  extreme  finish  or  play 
of  technical  skill.  This  monument  bears  date  1317,  and  its  sculptor 
was  justly  proud  of  it ;  thus  recording  his  name  : 

"  Caelavit  Marcus  opus  hoc  insigne  Romanus, 
Laudibus  hand  parcis  est  sua  digna  manus." ' 

Ruskin,  '  Stones  of  Venice? 

A  visit  to  this  marvellous  statue,  which  no  one  should 
omit  seeing,  forms  a  satisfactory  close  to  our  examination  of 
the  left  bank  of  the  Grand  Canal  (for  S.  Simeone  Piccolo 
and  the  Giardino  Papadopoli  beyond  the  Iron  Bridge,  are 
not  worth  seeing). 

Turning  our  attention  to  the  opposite  bank,  we  find, 
immediately  beyond  the  Railway  Station,  the  Church  of  the 
Scalzi  (S.  Maria  di  Scalzi) — or  Bare-footed  Friars,  built  at 
the  expense  of  six  noble  families  by  Baldassare  Longhenay 


78  VENICE. 

1649-1689.  The  interior  is  most  gorgeous  in  marbles  and 
inlaid  work,  and  doubtless  finds  many  admirers.  The  last 
Doge  of  Venice,  Lodovico  Manin,  is  buried  here.  He  fell 
down  in  a  fainting  fit  from  his  anguish,  at  the  moment  of 
taking  the  oath  to  Austria,  and  one  cannot  read  without 
sympathy  his  simple  epitaph — 'Manini  Cineres.'  }  Behind 
the  high  altar  is  the  gem  of  the  church — a  Madonna  and 
Child,  by  Giovanni  Bellini. 

'  This  church  is  a  perfect  type  of  the  vulgar  abuse  of  marble  in  every 
possible  way,  by  men  who  had  no  eye  for  colour,  and  no  understanding 
of  any  merit  in  a  work  of  art  but  that  which  arises  from  costliness  of 
material.' — Ruskin,  l  Stones  of  Venice,''  iii. 

A  little  further,  where  the  broad  canal  called  Canareggto 
opens,  is  the  Church  of  S.  Geremia,  a  Greek  cross,  designed 
by  Carlo  Corbelling  in  1753.  It  is  of  no  interest,  except  as 
containing  two  altars  of  curious  perspective  illusion,  by 
Gir.  Colonna  Mengozzi. 

Close  to  the  church  is  the  Palazzo  Labia,  built  1720-1750, 
by  Andrea  Cominelli,  a  good  specimen  of  its  time.  It  con- 
tains a  magnificent  dining-room,  painted  by  Tiepolo — a 
glorious  specimen  of  an  old  palace-chamber. 

On  the  Canareggio,  a  little  beyond  the  church,  is  the 
Palazzo  Manfrin,  of  the  i7th  century,  with  a  picture  gallery 
which  is  open  daily,  but  contains  nothing  worth  seeing,  all 
the  good  pictures  having  been  sold. 

Returning  to  the  Grand  Canal,  we  pass  the  Campo  and 
Church  oj  S.  Marcuola.  This  is  the  vulgar  name  for  the 
church  dedicated  to  SS.  Ermegora  and  Fortunate.  Bernoni, 
in  his  amusing  book  on  the  legends  of  Venice,  gives  a  ghost 
story  connected  with  this  building — of  the  parish  priest 
who  was  dragged  out  of  bed  and  soundly  kicked  and  cuffed 
by  all  the  corpses  buried  in  his  church,  because  he  had 
declared  in  his  sermons  his  disbelief  in  ghosts— and  had 
dared  to  say — '  Where  the  dead  are,  there  they  stay.' 

A  little  beyond  this  is  the  Palazzo  Vendramin  Calerghi. 

1  It  is  curious  that  a  Bonaparte,  in  restoring  Venice  to  Italy,  after  sixty-nine 
years  of  servitude,  should  have  given  back  the  national  independence  which  another 
Bonaparte  had  taken  away. 


PALAZZO    VENDRAMIN,  PALAZZO   GRLMANI.    79 

This  is  one  of  the  few  Venetian  palaces  which  are  well 
kept  up,  and  it  has  'a  garden  beside  it,  rich  with  ever- 
greens, and  decorated  by  gilded  railings  and  white  statues 
that  cast  long  streams  of  snowy  reflection  down  into  the 
deep  water.'  It  was  built  in  1481  for  Andrea  Loredan  by 
Sante  Lombardo,  one  of  the  extraordinary  family l  who 
•seemed  to  transmit  the  genius  of  architecture  like  a  heritage, 
and  imparted  the  name  of  Architettura  Lombardesca  to  the 
style  of  their  period.  A  hundred  years  afterwards  it  was 
sold  to  the  Duke  of  Brunswick,  who,  in  his  turn,  sold  it  to 
the  Duke  of  Mantua.  A  lawsuit  afterwards  compelled  its 
re-sale,  and,  in  1589,  it  was  bought  by  Vittore  Calerghi, 
whose  family  becoming  extinct  in  the  male  line,  it  passed 
to  the  Grimani,  and  thence  to  the  Vendramini,  by  whom  it 
was  sold  in  1842  to  the  Duchesse  de  Berri,  mother  of 
Henri  V.,  Comte  de  Chambord.  It  is  now  the  property  of 
the  Duca  della  Grazia. 

The  facade  (78  ft.  long,  63  ft.  high)  is  built  of  grey  Istrian 
stone,  with  pillars  of  Greek  marble,  and  medallions  of 
porphyry.  The  wing  towards  the  garden  is  by  V.  Scamozzi. 
In  the  interior  are  two  beautiful  statues  of  Adam  and  Eve 
by  Tallio  Lombardo. 

1  In  the  Palazzo  Vendramini  nothing  can  exceed  the  beauty  of  the 
proportions  of  the  three  cornices,  and  the  dignity  of  that  which  crowns 
•the  whole.  The  base,  too,  is  sufficiently,  solid  without  being  heavy, 
and  the  windows  being  all  mullioned,  and  the  spaces  between  rein- 
forced with  three-quarter  columns,  there  is  no  appearance  of  weakness 
anywhere,  while  there  is  almost  as  much  opening  for  light  and  air  as  in 
.any  building  of  its  age.' — Fergusson. 

The  neighbouring  Palazzo  Marcello  (now  Ricchetti)  was 
the  residence  of  Benedetto  Marcello,  the  musician.  The 
Palazzo  Erizzo,  of  the  i5th  century,  has  perishing  pictures 
•of  the  heroic  exploits  of  Paolo  Erizzo  at  the  defence  of 
Negroponte. 

At  the  opening  of  the  next  side  canal  is  the  Palazzo 
Grimani  built  by  Vincenzo  Scamozzi  in  the  i6th  century. 
It  was  formerly  decorated  outside  by  frescoes  of  Tintoret 

1  Pietro,  Tullio,  Santi,  Martino,  Antonio,  and  Moro  Lombard!. 


80  VENICE. 

which  have  disappeared.  There  were  three  Doges  of  the 
Grimani  family. 

The  next  building  of  importance  is  the  fairy-like  Ca'  Doro, 
so  named  from  its  ancient  owners,  the  family  of  Doro.  It 
is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  graceful  of  the  15th-century 
palaces,  and  is  crowned,  like  the  Ducal  Palace,  by  an  adap- 
tation of  the  delicate  '  crown-like  ornaments  which  crest  the 
walls  of  the  Arabian  mosque.'  Some  suppose  the  architect 
of  this  exquisite  palace  to  have  been  Filippo  Calendario, — 
'  Capo  maestro  del  Palazzo  Pubblico,'  hanged  for  the  con- 
spiracy of  Marino  Faliero. 

Beyond  this  is  the  Palazzo  Morosini  or  Sagredo,  dating 
from  the  i3th  century,  but  altered  in  later  times.  It  has  a 
grand  staircase  by  Andrea  Tirali,  decorated  with  a  picture 
of  the  Fall  of  the  Giants  by  Long/it,  1734.  Nicolb  Sagredo 
was  Doge  in  1674. 

Close  by  is  the  Palazzo  Micheli  delle  Colonne,  of  the  1 7th 
century.  It  contains  some  fine  old  tapestries  of  the  history 
of  Darius  and  Alexander  the  Great.  Three  Doges  belonged 
to  the  Micheli  family  ;  Vitale  (1095)  distinguished  in  the 
Holy  Land  ;  Domenico  (1117)  who  fought  in  the  East ;  and 
Vitale  II.  (son  of  the  last,  1155)  who  espoused  the  cause  of 
Pope  Alexander  III.  against  Frederick  Barbarossa.  Ad- 
joining this  palace  is  the  Corte  del  Reiner  with  Gothic  win- 
dows of  the  1 5th  century,  and  an  interesting  house  inlaid 
with  bands  of  colour. 

'  One  of  the  houses  in  the  Corte  del  Remer  is  remarkable  as  having 
its  great  entrance  on  the  first  floor,  attained  by  a  bold  flight  of  steps, 
sustained  on  four  pointed  arches  wrought  in  brick.  The  rest  of  the 
aspect  of  the  building  is  Byzantine,  except  only  that  the  rich  sculptures 
of  its  archivolt  show  in  combats  of  animals,  beneath  the  soffit,  a 
beginning  of  the  Gothic  fire  and  energy.  The  moulding  of  its  plinth  is 
of  a  Gothic  profile,  and  the  windows  are  pointed,  not  with  a  reversed 
curve,  but  in  a  pure  straight  gable,  very  curiously  contrasted  with  the 
delicate  bending  of  the  pieces  of  marble  armour  cut  for  the  shoulders  of 
each  arch.  There  is  a  two-lighted  window,  on  each  side  of  the  door, 
sustained  in  the  centre  by  a  basket-worked  Byzantine  capital  :  the  mode 
of  covering  the  brick  archivolt  with  marble,  both  in  the  windows  and 
doorway,  is  precisely  like  that  of  the  true  Byzantine  palaces.' — Ruskin, 
'  Stones  of  Venice,''  ii.  vii. 


FONDACO  DEI  TED&SCHI,  P.  DANDOLO.       81 

The  neighbouring  Church  of  the  Apostoli  is  for  the  most 
part  modern,  but  the  tower  of  the  i3th  century. 

Close  to  the  Rialto  is  the  Fondaco  dei  Tedeschi,  built  for 
the  German  merchants  by  decree  of  the  Senate,  by  Girolamo 
Tedesco^  in  1505.  The  side  towards  the  Grand  Canal  was 
painted  by  Gior'gione,  and  that  towards  the  Merceria  by 
Titian,  whose  works  on  this  occasion  so  excited  the  jealousy 
of  his  companion,  as  to  break  off  an  old  friendship  between 
the  two  artists.  The  frescoes  were  destroyed  in  a  '  restora- 
tion.' 

Passing  the  Rialto,  we  reach  the  Palazzo  Manin  (built 
in  the  i6th  century  by  Jacopo  Sansovino).  It  is  now  the 
National  Bank.  The  Manin  family  came  from  Florence  and 
was  ennobled  during  the  war  of  Chioggia  for  a  sum  of  money 
paid  to  the  State.  The  last  Doge  of  Venice  was  a  Manin 
and  lived  here. 

Just  beyond  this,  grouping  well  with  the  Rialto,  is  the 
Palazzo  Bembo,  of  the  beginning  of  the  i5th  century.  There 
is  a  beautiful  Byzantine  cornice  above  the  entresol.  Next 
comes  Palazzo  Dandolo,  of  the  i2th  century,  interesting  as 
having  been  the  residence  of  Enrico  Dandolo,  the  conqueror 
of  Constantinople. 

'  Enrico  Dandolo,  when  elected  Doge,  in  1192,  was  eighty-five  years 
of  age.  When  he  commanded  the  Venetians  at  the  taking  of  Constan- 
tinople, he  was  consequently  ninety-seven  years  old.  At  this  age  he 
annexed  the  fourth  and  a  half  of  the  whole  empire  of  Romania,  for  so 
the  Roman  empire  was  then  called,  to  the  title  and  territories  of  the 
Venetian  Doge. 

'  Dandolo  led  the  attack  on  Constantinople  in  person  :  two  ships,  the 
Paradise  and  the  Pilgrim,  were  tied  together,  and  a  drawbridge  or 
ladder  let  down  from  their  higher  yards  to  the  walls.  The  Doge  was 
one  of  the  first  to  rush  into  the  city.  Then  was  completed,  said  the 
Venetians,  the  prophecy  of  the  Erythraean  sybil  :  "A  gathering  to- 
gether of  the  powerful  shall  be  made  amidst  the  waves  of  the  Adriatic, 
under  a  third  leader ;  they  shall  beset  the  goat — they  shall  profane 
Byzantium — they  shall  blacken  her  buildings— her  spoils  shall  be  dis- 
persed ;  a  new  goat  shall  bleat  until  they  have  measured  out  and  run 
over  fifty-four  feet,  nine  inches,  and  a  half."  ' — Byron,  Notes  to  '  Childe 
Harold? 

1  A  German  named  Jerome. 

VOL.    II.  G 


82  VENICE. 

We  now  reach  Palazzo  Loredan,  of  the  i2th  century, 
covered  with  the  richest  sculpture.  The  capitals  of  the 
second  story  resemble  those  of  S.  Vitale  at  Ravenna. 

'  This  palace,  though  not  conspicuous,  and  often  passed  with 
neglect,  will  be  felt  at  last,  by  all  who  examine  it  carefully,  to  be  the 
most  beautiful  palace  in  the  whole  extent  of  the  Grand  Canal.  It  has 
been  restored  often,  once  in  the  Gothic,  once  in  the  Renaissance 
times, — some  writers  say,  even  rebuilt ;  but,  if  so,  rebuilt  in  its  old 
form.  The  Gothic  additions  harmonise  exquisitely  with  its  Byzantine 
work,  and  it  is  easy,  as  we  examine  its  lovely  central  arcade,  to  forget 
the  Renaissance  additions  which  encumber  it  above.' — Ruskin. 

Here  from  1363  to  1366,  lived  Peter  V.  Lusignan,  King 
of  Cyprus,  as  the  guest  of  Federigo  Corner  Piscopia.  His 
arms  are  over  some  of  the  windows.  Here  the  learned 
Elena  Cornaro  Piscopia  was  born. 

Passing  the  Traghetto  di  S.  Luca,  we  reach  Palazzo 
Farsetti  (once  Dandolo^  now  Muniripio\  In  the  latest  years 
of  the  republic  an  academy  was  established  here,  in  which 
the  Sculptor  Canova  received  his  first  education.  The  front 
is  modernised  and  exceedingly  rich,  but  the  ground  floor  and 
first  floor  have  nearly  all  their  shafts  and  capitals  from  an 
original  building  of  the  i2th  century,  only  they*  have  been 
much  shifted  from  their  original  positions.  The  adjoining 
Palazzo  Grimani  (now  Tribunale  d'  Appello)  is  a  noble 
work  of  Sanmicheli. 

'  Sanmicheli's  masterpiece  is  the  design  of  the  Grimani  Palace.  It 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  quite  finished  at  his  death,  in  1542,  but 
substantially  it  is  his,  and,  though  not  so  pleasing  as  some  of  the  earlier 
palaces,  is  a  stately  and  appropriate  building.  The  proportions  of  the 
whole  fa9ade  are  good,  and  its  dimensions  (92  ft.  wide  by  98  in  height) 
give  it  a  dignity  which  renders  it  one  of  the  most  striking  fa9ades  on 
the  Grand  Canal^while  the  judgment  displayed  in  the  design  elevates 
it  into  being  one  of  the  best  buildings  of  the  age  in  which  it  was 
erected. ' — Fergusson. 

The  Palazzo  Cavalli  is  of  the  I5th,  the  Palazzo  Marti- 
nengo  of  the  i6th  century.  The  Palazzo  Benzon  is  only 
interesting  as  having  been  at  times  the  residence  of  Byron, 
Moore,  Canova,  and  others.  The  Palazzo  Corner- Spinelli  is 
a  beautiful  Renaissance  building,  hyPietro  Lombardo,  c.  1500. 


PALAZZO   MORO-LIN^PALAZZO    GRASSI.      83 

The  balconies  are  exquisitely  decorated.  Portions  of  the 
interior  are  by  Sanmicheli.  Byron  usually  resided  here  when 
at  Venice,  and  many  are  the  quaint  stories  recollected  of  his 
life  here.  Amongst  other  eccentricities,  every  evening  he 
used  to  go  to  the  receptions  of  the  Contessa  Benzoni  (the" 
original  of  '  La  Biondina  in  Gondoletta '),  and  arriving  about 
twelve,  stayed  about  two  hours.  Then  his  servant  always 
arrived  with  a  lanthorn  and  a  board.  Lord  Byron  went 
downstairs,  undressed,  gave  his  clothes  to  his  servant,  and 
putting  the  lanthorn  on  the  board,  swam  home  with  it. 

The  Palazzo  Mocenigo  (1520-1524)  is  exceedingly  rich. ' 
The   Palazzo  Contarini  delle  Figure   is  of  1514-1546, 
and  very  beautiful. 

'  In  the  intervals  of  the  windows  of  the  first  story,  certain  shields 
and  torches  are  attached,  in  the  form  of  trophies,  to  the  stems  of  two 
trees  whose  boughs  have  been  cut  off,  and  only  one  or  two  of  their 
faHed  leaves  left,  scarcely  observable,  but  delicately  sculptured  here  and 
there,  beneath  the  insertions  of  the  severed  boughs.  It  is  as  if  the 
workman  had  intended  to  leave  us  an  image  of  the  expiring  naturalism 
of  the  Gothic  school.' — Ruskin^  'Stones  of  Venice^  iii. 

The  Palazzo  Moro-Lin,  by  the  Florentine  Seb.  Mazzoni, 
has  a  facade  of  the  four  orders  of  classic  architecture.  It 
contains  frescoes  by  Lazzarini.  This  palace  first  belonged 
to  the  family  of  Lin,  on  whose  extinction  it  passed  to  that  of 
Moro,  of  whom  was  Doge  Cristoforo  Moro,  by  some  believed 
to  have  been  the  original  of  Othello. 

The  Palazzo  Grasst,  now  Palazzo  Sina,  by  Giorgio 
Jlfassari,  only  dates  from  the  last  century,  but  has  a  most 
noble  staircase  decorated  by  Longhi.  The  walls  represent 
the  Carnival  of  1745,  with  portraits  of  the  family  of  that 
time,  young  and  old,  looking  over  the  balustrades.  The 
Grassi  family  came  from  Chioggia  in  1718,  and  bought  their 
nobility,  but  the  interior  of  their  palace  is  more  worth  seeing 
than  any  other  in  Venice. 

The  Palazzo  Giustiniani  Lonin  was  built  in  the  i7th 
century  by  Baldassare  Longhena.  The  family  claim  descent 
from  the  Emperor  Justinian.  They  were  settled  in  Venice 
from  the  earliest  period  of  its  history.  All  the  males  of  the 

G  2 


84  VENICE. 

house  were  killed  in  battle  against  Emmanuel  Comnenus, 
except  one,  who  was  a  monk,  and  who  was  released  from  his 
vows  for  a  year  by  the  Pope,  in  order  to  refound  the  family. 
He  married  the  daughter  of  Doge  Vitale,  became  father  of 
the  direct  ancestor  of  the  present  Prince  Giustiniani,  and 
re-entered  his  convent. 

At  the  iron  bridge  we  reach  the  Campo  S.  Vidal.  The 
red-towered  Church  of  S.  Vitale  contains  a  noble  and  ex- 
pressive picture  of  the  patron  saint  on  horseback  by  Vittore 
Carpaccio,  1514. 

The  Palazzo  Cavalli  is  of  the  i5th  century.  The  family 
were  founded  here  by  Giacomo  Cavalli,  who  came  from 
Verona  and  defended  Venice  against  the  Genoese  in  1389. 
Formerly  the  property  of  the  Comte  de  Chambord,  this 
palace  now  belongs  to  Baron  Franchetti,  who  married  one 
of  the  Rothschilds,  and  has  restored  it  with  more  splendour 
than  taste. 

The  Palazzo  Barbaro  belonged  to  descendants  of  the 
famous  procuratore  Marc  Antonio,  and  contained,  till  lately, 
a  frescoed  ceiling  by  Tiepolo  (sold  at  Paris  in  1874)  repre- 
senting the  triumph  of  Francesco  Barbaro  (1398-1454),  the 
defender  of  Brescia  against  Piccinino  of  Milan.  Formerly 
the  family  lived  in  the  quarter  of  the  Angelo  Raffaelle  at  the 
Zattere,  where  the  paternal  house  (much  disfigured)  still 
exists. 

The  front  of  the  Palazzo  Corner  della  Ca  Grande^  now 
the  Prefetoria,  is  a  noble  work  of  Jacopo  Sansovino  of  1532. 
There  is  here  a  beautiful  courtyard,  in  the  centre  of  which 
is  a  fountain  with  a  statue,  by  Francesco  Penso.  Caterina 
Cornaro,  Queen  of  Cyprus,  belonged  to  this  family. 

Passing  Palazzo  Fini,  and  Casa  Ferro,  with  a  beautiful 
four-sided  pergola  of  the  i4th  century,  we  reach  one  of  the 
most  exquisite  of  the  small  Gothic  buildings,  the  Palazzo 
Contarini  Fasan  (often  shown  as  the  House  of  Desdemona), 
of  the  1 4th  century,  with  corded  edges,  and  balconies  of 
surpassing  richness  supported  on  richly  sculptured  corbels. 


PALAZZO  EMO,   P.    GIUSTTNIANI.  85 

The  Palazzo  Emo,  now  Treves,  is  of  1680.  It  contains 
a  beautiful  staircase,  a  ceiling  telling  the  story  of  Psyche,  by 
Giovanni  Demin,  and  colossal  statues  of  Hector  and  Ajax 
by  Canova. 

The  Palazzo  Giustiniani,  now  Hotel  Europa,  is  of  the 
1 5th  century. 

We  now  reach  the  gardens  of  the  Royal  Palace,  and  the 
opening  to  the  lagoon,  opposite  S.  Giorgio. 


86  SOUTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

SOUTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 

« 

IN  a  gondola  to — 

S.  Zaccaria  ;  S.  Giorgio  dei  Greci  ;  S.  Antonino ;  S.  Giorgio  de' 
Schiavoni ;  Palazzo  Grimani;  S.  Maria  Formosa;  Ponte  del  Paradiso  ; 
SS.  Giovanni  e  Paolo  ;  S.  Lazzaro  ;  S.  Francesco  della  Yigna  ;  S.  Pietro 
di  Castello  ;  S.  Giuseppe  di  Castello  ;  Giardini  Pubblici ;  S.  Biagio.  The 
Arsenal ;  S.  Giovanni  in  Bragora. 

Those  who  wish  to  select,  should  leave  their  gondola  for  S.  Zaccaria, 
S.  Giorgio  de'  Schiavoni,  the  pictures  in  S.  Maria  Formosa,  SS. 
Giovanni  e  Paolo,  and  the  Arsenal. 

A  LITTLE  archway  on  the  left  of  the  Hotel  d'Angleterre 
J~\_  leads  from  the  Riva  degli  Schiavoni  to  the  beautiful 
Church  of  S.  Zaccaria,  built  by  Antonio  di  Marco,  1457-1477. 
Every  year,  at  Easter,  this  church  was  visited  with  a  solemn 
procession  by  the  Doge,  wearing  the  precious  ducal  buretta 
with  which  he  was  crowned,  which  was  the  gift  of  an  abbess 
of  S.  Zaccaria  to  the  Republic.  This  visit  had  its  origin  in 
the  reign  of  Sebastiano  Ziani  in  gratitude  to  the  nuns  who 
had  given  up  part  of  their  garden,  now  occupied  by  the 
Piazza  S.  Marco,  to  the  public.  In  837,  Doge  Pietro 
Tradonico,  visiting  S.  Zaccaria  on  the  festa  of  the  patron 
saint,  had  been  murdered  close  to  the  gate  towards  the  Riva 
dei  Schiavoni,  whence  the  doges  always  came  by  the  Via 
SS.  Filippo  e  Giacomo.  To  the  left  of  the  church  some 
remains  still  exist  of  the  ancient  Benedictine  monastery, 
suppressed  in  1810  ;  the  campanile  is  of  the  i3th  century. 
The  ancient  church  was  long  the  burial-place  of  the  doges, 
and  contained  the  tombs  of  Pietro  Tradonico,  837  ;  Orso 
Partecipazio,  88 1  ;  Pietro  Tribune,  888  ;  Tribune  Memo 


S.   ZACCARIA.  87 

(who  died  a  monk),  991  ;  Pietro  Orseolo  II.  (celebrated  for 
his  naval  victories,  which  secured  the  maritime  power  of 
Venice),  1009  ;  Domenico  Flabanico,  1042  ;  Vitale  Michielil. 
(who  sent  a  fleet  to  the  first  crusade),  1102  ;  and  Vitale 
Michieli  II.,  put  to  death  by  the  people  in  1172.  The 
fagade  of  the  later  church,  which  is  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful works  of  the  Renaissance,  is  doubtless  the  work  of 
Martino  Lombardo  (1477-1490),  architect  of  the  Scuola  di 
S.  Marco.  The  statue  of  S.  Zaccaria  over  the  principal 
entrance  is  by  Alessandro  Vittoria. 

'  One  of  the  finest  of  the  early  fa9ades  of  Italy  is  that  of  San 
Zaccaria  at  Venice.  The  church  was  commenced  in  1446,  and  inter- 
nally shows  pointed  arches  and  other  peculiarities  of  that  date.  The 
facade  seems  to  have  been  completed  about  I5I5»  and  though  not  so 
splendid  as  that  of  the  Certosa  at  Pavia,  and  some  of  the  more 
elaborate  designs  of  the  previous  century,  it  is  not  only  purer  in  detail, 
but  reproduces  more  correctly  the  internal  arrangements  of  the  church. 
Though  its  dimensions  are  not  greater  than  those  of  an  ordinary 
Palladian  front,  the  number  and  smallness  of  the  parts  make  it  appear 
infinitely  larger,  and,  all  the  classical  details  being  merely  subordinate 
ornaments,  there  is  no  falsehood  or  incongruity  anywhere  ;  while,  the 
practical  constructive  lines  being  preserved,  the  whole  has  a  unity  and 
dignity  we  miss  so  generally  in  subsequent  buildings.  Its  greatest  defect 
is  perhaps  the  circular  form  given  to  the  pediment  of  the  central  and 
side  aisles,  which  does  not  in  this  instance  express  the  form  of  the 
roof. ' — Ftrgusson. 

The  interior  is  semi-Byzantine  in  the  nave,  and  Gothic 
in  the  choir.  The  side  aisles,  which  are  divided  from  the 
nave  by  very  slender  columns,  are  exceedingly  lofty.  The 
church  is  a  perfect  gallery  of  pictures. 

Right  Aisle.  Over  the  2nd  Altar  is  the  monument  of  the  eloquent 
and  erudite  Marco  Sanudo,  1 505,  by  Leopardi. 

From  the  yd  arch  is  the  entrance  of  the  monastic  choir,  with  tarsia 
work  of  Francesco  and  Marco  da  Vicenza,  1464.  Here  also  are  : 

Palma  Vecchio.     Madonna  and  Saints. 

Tintoretto.     Birth  of  the  Baptist. 

The  Cappella  di  S.  Tarazio  (locked)  contains  curious  15th-century 
altars,  due  to  the  piety  of  different  nuns,  whose  names  they  bear, 
decorated  with  an  exaggerated  richness  very  rare  in  Venice,  but  which, 
in  the  north,  would  be  called  'flamboyant.'  The  tabernacle  over  the 
central  altar  is  by  Ludovico  da  Friuli  :  those  at  the  sides  by  Antonio 


88  SOUTH-EASTERN  VENICE. 

and  Giovanni  da  Murano,  1443.  Beneath  this  chapel  is  a  crypt,  which 
is  part  of  the  ancient  church  in  which  the  eight  Doges  who  ruled  from 
836  to  1172  were  buried. 

In  the  yd  Choir  Chapel  is  :  — 

Giovanni  Bellini.     The  Circumcision. 

*Left  Aisle,  2nd  Altar.  Giovanni  Bellini.  The  Virgin  and  Child, 
with  SS.  Peter,  Jerome,  Catherine,  and  Lucy — a  glorious  picture. 

Near  the  door  into  the  sacristy  is  the  monument  of  Alesiandro 
Vittoria,  the  'Michelangelo  of  Venice,'  the  last  great  artist  of  the  i6th 
century,  1 608,  designed  by  himself,  with  a  characteristic  bust. 

'  Quoiqu'il  nesoitmort  qu'en  i6oS,  Alessandro,  des  1595,  avait  com- 
mence son  monument  ;  il  est  plus  que  simple,  et  se  compose  d'un  cadre 
applique  au  mur,  supporte  par  des  cariatides  representant  1'Architecture 
et  la  Sculpture,  et  couronne  par  une  corniche  a  volutes  :  au  milieu  se 
dresse  le  buste  de  1'artiste,  sculpte  aussi  par  lui-me'me  ;  on  lit  au-dessous 
pour  toute  inscription  :  Alexander  Victoria.  Vivens  vivos  e  marmore 
duxit  -vultus  ;  Vivant  il  a  tire  du  marbre  des  frres  vivants.  Les  deux 
petites  figures  allegoriques  qui  suppbrtent  la  corniche  sont  d'une  grace 
achevee. ' —  Yriarte. 

There  is  a  beautiful  early  Gothic  gateway  at  the  further 
entrance  of  the  Campo  S.  Zaccaria,  with  a  relief,  by  the 
Masegne,  of  the  Virgin  between  two  saints.  Passing  through 
this,  in  the  direction  of  S.  Marco,  in  the  Canonica,  near  the 
palace  of  the  Patriarch,  is  the  Palazzo  Trevisan,  of  the 
1 6th  century,  by  Guglielmo  Bergamesco.  In  1577,  this 
palace  was  sold  by  Domenico  Trevisan  to  the  famous 
Bianca  Cappello,  who  purchased  it  for  her  brother  Vittore. 
It  was  afterwards  for  some  time  called  the  Palazzo 
Cappello. 

'  In  the  inlaid  design  of  the  dove  with  the  olive  branch,  in  the  Casa 
Trevisan,  it  is  impossible  for  anything  to  go  beyond  the  precision  with 
which  the  olive  leaves  are  cut  out  of  the  white  marble  ;  and,  in  some 
wreaths  of  laurel  below,  the  rippled  edge  of  each  leaf  is  finely  and 
easily  drawn,  as  if  by  a  delicate  pencil.  No  Florentine  table  is  more 
exquisitely  finished  than  the  fajade  of  this  entire  palace ;  and  as  an  ideal 
of  executive  perfection,  this  palace  is  most  notable  amidst  the  architec- 
ture of  Europe.' — Ruskin,  '  Stones  of  Venice,'  iii. 

(From  the  Fondamenta  dell'  Osmarin,  opposite  the 
neighbouring  Campo  S.  Provolo,  rises  the  beautiful  i4th- 
century  Palazzo  Priuli^  once  covered  with  paintings  by 


S.   GIORGIO  DEI  GRECI.  89 

Palma  Vecchio,  which  have  entirely  perished.  By  the 
Ponte  del  Diavolo  and  the  next  Calle  we  may  reach  the 
Fondamenta  di  S.  Severe,  where  on  the  left,  beyond  the 
canal,  is  seen  the  15th-century  Palazzo  Zorsi,  with  details 
of  such  exquisite  sculpture  that  it  is  usually  attributed  to 
Alessandro  Leopardi.  Following  the  Fondamenta,  and  the 
Borgoloco  on  the  right,  we  reach  the  Church  of  S.  Lorenzo, 
built  by  Simeone  Sorella,  1595-1605,  for  a  Benedictine 
convent.  It. has  a  high  altar  with  statues  by  Girolamo 
Campagna,  1615-1618.  In  the  old  church  on  this  site, 
Nicolb,  father  of  Marco  Polo  the  great  traveller,  was  buried, 
as  well  as  Giuseppe  Zarlino  di  Chioggia,  one  of  the  great 
musicians  of  the  i6th  century,  1590.) 

If  we  return  from  S.  Zaccharia  to  the  Schiavoni,  and 
take  the  first  side  canal  on  the  left,  we  reach  the  Church  of 
S.  Giorgio  dei  Greet,  built  by  Sante  Lombardo  and  Gian 
Antonio  Chioma,  1539-1570.  The  dome  was  added  in  1571 
by  Maestro  Andrea  ;  the  beautiful  leaning  campanile  by 
Bernardino  Angarin,  1587-1592.  The  west  front  and  the 
interior  are  decorated  with  Greek  mosaics.  Three  Gospels 
of  the  loth  century,  and  a  Ravenna  papyrus  of  553,  are 
preserved  here.  Above  the  side  door  on  the  right  is  the 
tomb  of  Gabriele  Severo,  Archbishop  of  Philadelphia  (1616), 
who  presided  over  the  Greek  colony  in  Venice,  and  the 
Collegia  Greco  Flangini,  which  rises  close  to  the  church  and 
was  built  by  the  Corsican,  Tommaso  Flangini,  from  designs 
of  Baldassare  Longhena,  for  the  education  of  young  Greeks. 
A  few  steps  (on  foot)  behind  S.  Giorgio  is  S.  Antonino, 
where  the  procurator  Alvise  Tiepolo  is  buried  in  a  tomb 
by  Alessandro  Vittoria,  1590. 

'  Among  other  privileges  of  the  Church,  abolished  in  Venice  long  ago, 
was  that  ancient  right  of  the  monks  of  S.  Anthony,  Abbot,  by  which 
their  herds  of  swine  were  made  free  of  the  whole  city.  These  animals, 
enveloped  in  an  odour  of  sanctity,  wandered  here  and  there,  and  were 
piously  fed  by  devout  people,  until  the  year  1409,  when,  being  found 
dangerous  to  children  and  inconvenient  to  everybody,  they  were  made 
the  subject  of  a  special  decree,  which  deprived  them  of  their  freedom 
of  movement.' — Ho-wells. 


90  SOUTH-EASTERN  VENICE. 

Beautifully  placed  on  a  platform  above  the  next  side 
canal  from  the  Schiavoni,  is  the  exquisite  little  Churdi  oj 
S.  Giorgio  dJ  Schiavoni,  rebuilt  in  the  i6th  century.  It 
occupies  the  site  of  a  priory  granted  in  1452  by  the  Council 
of  Ten  to  a  Dalmatian  Brotherhood  of  S.  George  and 
S.  Tryphonius,  in  whose  hands  it  still  remains,  the  duty  of 
the  confraternity  being  to  assist  all  poor  and  needy  Dal- 
matians in  Venice,  to  arouse  them  to  religious  duties  whilst 
living,  and  to  pray  for  them  when  dead.  •  It  has  become  a 
treasure-house  of  the  works  of  Vittore  Carpacdo,  who  was 
employed  to  pourtray  here  the  deeds  of  the  three  great 
Dalmatian  saints,  George,  Tryphonius,  and  Jerome,  whose 
festivals  are  celebrated  here.  The  church  is  an  oblong 
chamber,  brown  and  golden  in  colour,  with  exquisite 
wrought-iron  grilles  before  the  windows.  Beginning  on  the 
left,  we  must  carefully  study — 

*l.  S.  George  and  the  Dragon.  The  beautiful  youth,  with  rippled 
golden  hair  floating  on  the  wind,  riding  upon  a  brown  horse, 
transfixes  the  dragon  with  his  spear.  Beneath  the  feet  of 
the  horse  are  the  remains  of  former  victims  of  the  monster. 
The  rescued  princess  stands  by.  A  wonderful  landscape,  with 
a  city  and  ships,  is  seen  against  the  sunset  sky. 

2.  The  captive  dragon  is  brought  into  the  city  to  the  King  and 

Queen. 

3.  The  King  and  his  daughter  are  baptized  by  S.  George. 

*4.  The  child  S.  Tryphonius  subdues,  by  the  power  of  prayer,  the 
basilisk  which  has  ravaged  Albania — a  picture  of  marvellous 
beauty  and  finish. 

5.  Jesus  in  the  Garden  of  Gethsemane. 

6.  The  Calling  of  S.  Matthew,  executed  in  1502. 

7..  S.  Jerome  quells  the  lion  from  which  his  monastic  companions- 

are  taking  flight. 
*8.  The  Death  of  S.  Jerome   (1502)   exceedingly   beautiful   and 

simple. 
9.   S.  Jerome  in  his  study. 

A  commonplace  work  of  Aliense  over  the  altar  takes  the 
place  of  a  beautiful  14th-century  picture  of  the  Virgin 
between  SS.  Jerome  and  Tryphonius,  which  has  disappeared 
in  the  last  few  years.  The  Upper  Chamber  of  the  Oratory, 
with  poor  works  of  the  school  of  Palma  Giovine,  is  a  most 


P.    GRIMAXI,   S.  MARIA   FORMOSA.  91 

picturesque  room.  The  little  sacristy  contains  a  good 
throned  Madonna  by  Vincenzo  Catena,  once  used  as  a 
church  banner. 

The  gondola  quickly  takes  us  to  the  Palazzo  Grimani, 
of  the  i6th  century,  with  an  entrance  attributed  to  San- 
micheli.  In  its  court  long  stood  the  noble  colossal  statue 
of  M.  Agrippa,  now  in  the  Museo  Correr. 

Crossing  the  Ponte  Ragagiuffa,  on  the  left  is  the  Palazzo 
Malipiero,  wrongly  attributed  to  Sante  Lombardo,  and,  in 
the  same  line,  the  Palazzo  Querini,  containing  a  picture 
gallery  and  library,  and  collection  of  prints  bequeathed  to 
the  city  by  Giovanni  Querini  Stampaglia,  the  last  of  his  race, 
in  1868.  It  is  open  to  the  public  from  3  to  n  P.M.  on 
ordinary  days,  from  n  A.M.  to  n  P.M.  on  festivals. 

Close  by,  are  the  Campo  and  Church  of  S.  Maria  For- 
mosa. The  latter  was  built  by  Marco  £ergamesco,  1492, 
but  has  been  added  to  at  later  times.  Over  the  entrance  is 
the  sepulchral  urn  of  Vincenzo  Cappello,  1541,  conqueror  of 
the  Turks  at  Risano,  by  Domenico  da  Salb.  The  church 
contains  one  glorious  picture — 

*J\ight  Aisle,  1st  Altar.  Palma  Vecchio.  S.  Barbara — being  a 
portrait  of  the  painter's  daughter,  Violante,  beloved  by  Titian. 

'  She  is  standing  in  a  majestic  attitude,  looking  upwards  with  inspired 
eyes,  and  an  expression  like  a  Pallas.  She  wears  a  tunic  or  robe  of  a 
rich  warm  brown,  with  a  mantle  of  crimson  ;  and  a  white  veil  is  twisted 
in  her  diadem  and  among  the  tresses  of  her  pale  golden  hair  :  the 
whole  picture  is  one  glow  of  colour,  life,  and  beauty ;  I  never  saw  a 
combination  of  expression  and  colour  at  once  so  soft,  so  sober,  and  so 
splendid.  Cannon  are  at  her  feet,  and  her  tower  is  seen  behind.  Be- 
neath, in  front  of  the  altar,  is  a  marble  bas-relief  of  her  martyrdom  ; 
she  lies  headless  on  the  ground,  and  fire  from  heaven  destroys  the  e'xecu- 
tione.rs.' — Jameson's  '  Sacred  Art ','  ii.  495. 

'  The  head  is  of  a  truly  typical  Venetian  beauty,  the  whole  is  finished 
with  the  greatest  power  and  knowledge  of  colour  and  modelling.'— 
Burckhardt. 

The  picture  was  painted  for  the  Bombardieri.  S.  Barbara  was  the 
patroness  of  soldiers,  who  come  hither  to  adore  her  shrine.  At  its  sides 
are  SS.  Anthony  and  Sebastian,  SS.  J.  Baptist  and  Dominic  :  above  is 
the  Madonna  bending  over  the  dead  Christ. 


92  SOUTH-EASTERN  VENICE. 

2nd  Altar.  Bart.  Vivarini,  1473.  -^  Madonna  (sheltering  the  faith- 
ful under  her  robe) — with  Joachim  and  Anna  and  the  Birth  of  the 
Virgin. 

Right  Transept.     Leandro  Bassano.     The  Last  Supper. 

On  the  2nd  of  February,  944,  a  number  of  Venetian 
maidens  who  had  gone  to  be  married  at  S.  Pietro  in  Castello, 
taking  with  them  the  arcelle  (coffers)  containing  their  dowries, 
were  carried  off  by  a  sudden  inroad  of  pirates.  They  wer.e 
pursued  and  vanquished  by  the  Venetians  unde;  Doge 
Pietro  Cardiano  III.,  and  the  brides  were  brought  back; 
but  the  victory  was  owing  to  the  bravery  of  the  cabinet- 
makers of  S.  Maria  Formosa,  who  asked  as  their  sole 
reward  that  the  Doge  should  visit  their  church  on  that 
anniversary  every  year.  '  But  if  it  rains  ? '  said  the  Doge.  '  We 
will  give  you  hats  to  cover  you.'  'But  if  I  am  thirsty?' 
'  We  will  give  you  to  drink.'  Hence  dated  the  Festa  delle 
Marie,  which  was  always  held  in  this  church  on  February  2. 
First  twelve  and  afterwards  three  poor  maidens  were  always 
dowered  here  by  the  city  on  that  day,  when  the  Doge  always 
came  in  state  to  the  church,  and  received  from  the  priest 
two  hats  of  gilt  straw,  two  flasks  of  malvagia,  and  two 
oranges.  A  hat  presented  to  Doge  Manin  in  1797  is 
preserved  in  the  Museo  Civico. 

One  of  the  houses  in  the  Campo  S.  Maria  Formosa 
has  an  interesting  example  of  a  cross  let  in,  above  a 
window. 

To  the  left  of  the  west  front  of  the  church  is  a  beautiful 
Gothic  canopy  of  the  i4th  century,  over  the  entrance  to  a 
bridge  called  Ponte  del  Paradiso.  It  is  a  lovely  remnant, 
and  leads  into  a  street  called  Via  del  Paradiso,  so  curiously 
narrow  that  one  is  inevitably  reminded  of  'Strait  is  the 
gate  and  narrow  is  the  way  that  leadeth  unto  life,  and  few 
there  be  that  find  it'  (Matt,  vii.  15). 

'  This  archway,  appropriately  placed  hard  by  the  bridge  called  "  del 
Paradiso,"  is  one  of  the  most  exquisite  little  pieces  of  detail  in  the  whole 
city.  The  main  points  to  be  noted  are  the  characteristic  flatness  of  the 
details,  and  the  line  of  dentil-moulding,  which  defines  all  the  leading 


55.    GIOVANNI  E  PAOLO.  93 

architectural  features,  originally  invented  for  borders  of  incrustations  at 
S.  Mark's,  and  here,  as  everywhere  in  Venice,  used  for  decoration  after- 
wards. The  incrusted  circles  of  marble  on  each  side  of  the  figure  give 
great  life  to  the  spandrel  beneath  the  arch.  The  windows  close  by  show 
us  a  late  example  of  the  not  unfrequent  use  of  the  semi-circular  and  ogee 
arches  together  in  the  same  window. ' — Street. 

(Turning  to  the  right— on  foot — after  passing  theCalle  del 
Paradiso  we  reach  the  Church  of  S.  Lio  of  1619,  containing 
good  16th-century  sculptures  of  the  Lombardi  school.  From 
the  adjoining  Bridge  of  S.  Antonio,  an  elegant  little  palace  by 
one  of  the  Lombardi  is  seen  on  the  left.  From  the  Campo 
S.  Lio,  the  Calle  delle  Fava  leads  to  the  Chiesa  della  Fava, 
named  from  the  shops  in  this  neighbourhood  for  the  sale  of 
the  cake  (fava)  eaten  by  relations  when  they  visit  the  graves 
of  their  dead  on  All  Souls'  Day.  From  the  bridge  in  front  of 
the  church  we  see  the  fine  fagade  of  the  Palazzo  Giustiniani, 
'now  the  Post-office,  a  splendid  building  of  the  i5th  century. 
From  S.  Lio,  the  Ponte  del  Pister  and  Calle  della  Malvasia 
lead  to  the  Campo  di  S.  Marina,  which  contained  an  interest- 
ing church  built  1030,  rebuilt  1705,  destroyed  1820.  The 
tombs  of  the  Doges  Michele  Steno  and  Nicolo  Marcello, 
now  in  SS.  Giovanni  e  Paolo,  stood  here.  This  church 
was  annually  visited  by  the  Doge  on  the  anniversary  of  the 
conquest  of  Padua,  July  17,  1570,  and  the  keys  of  that 
city  hung  above  the  tomb  of  Doge  Steno.  They  still  exist 
in  the  Seminario  Patriarchate. ) 

A  few  strokes  of  the  gondolier  now  bring  us  to  the  pic- 
turesque group  formed  by  the  west  front  of  SS.  Giovanni 
and  Paolo,  the  Scuola  di  S.  Marco,  and  the  statue  of  the 
famous  condottiere,  Bartolommeo  Colleoni,  who  has  already 
become  familiar  to  us  at  Bergamo.  He  left  all  his  fortune 
to  the  Republic,  on  condition  of  his  statue  being  placed  in 
the  Piazza  S.  Marco.  This  was  contrary  to  the  laws,  but 
the  senate  found  a  loophole  for  securing  the  inheritance 
by  placing  it  in  front  of  the  Scuola  di  San  Marco.  The 
noble  equestrian  statue  was  designed  by  Andrea  Verocchio 
(Andrew  the  keen-eyed),  but  completed  by  Alessandro 
Leopardi,  whose  name  appears  on  the  cinghia  of  the  horse  ; 


94  SOUTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 

the  pedestal  is  also  by  Alessandro.     The  figure  looks  as  if 
it  were  riding  into  space. 

'  I  do  not  believe  that  there  is  a  more  glorious  work  of  sculpture 
existing  in  the  world  than  the  equestrian  statue  of  BartolommeoColleoni.' 
Ruskin. 

'  To  make  the  statue  Verocchio  came  to  Venice,  and  had  just  model- 
led the  horse,  when  a  report  reached  him  that  the  Signory  intended  to 
have  the  rider  executed  by  Donatello's  scholar,  Vellano  of  Padua.  In- 
dignant at  this  intended  insult,  he  instantly  broke  the  head  and  legs  of 
the  horse  in  pieces,  and  returned  to  Florence,  whither  he  was  followed 
by  a  decree  forbidding  him  under  pain  of  death  again  to  set  foot  upon 
Venetian  territory  ;  to  which  he  replied,  that  he  never  would  incur  that 
risk,  as  he  was  aware  that  if  his  head  were  once  cut  off,  the  Signory 
could  neither  put  it  on  again  nor  supply  its  place,  while  he  could  at  any 
time  replace  the  head  of  his  horse  by  a  better  one.  Feeling  the  truth  of 
this  answer,  the  Venetians  rescinded  their  unjust  edict,  and  not  only  in- 
vited Verocchio  to  resume  his  work,  but  doubled  his  pay,  and  pledged 
themselves  not  to  allow  him  to  be  in  any  way  interfered  with.  Pacified 
by  this  amende  honorable,  he  returned  to  Venice,  and  had  begun  to 
restore  his  broken  model,  when  he  was  attacked  by  a  violent  illness 
which  speedily  carried  him  to  his  grave.  How  much,  or  rather  how 
little,  of  his  task  was  then  completed,  is  clearly  shown  by  the  passage  of 
his  Will  in  which  he  supplicates  the  Signory  to  allow  his  scholar,  Lorenzo 
di  Credi,  to  finish  the  horse  which  he  had  commenced.  His  request  was 
not  complied  with,  and  Alessandro  Leopardi,  a  Venetian  sculptor,  was 
employed  to  complete  the  group,  but,  as  he  doubtless  used  Verocchio's 
sketches,  the  general  conception  must  be  ascribed  to  the  latter  ;  though 
as  we  look  upon  this  rich  and  picturesque  group,  whose  ample  forms  are 
so  opposed  to  the  meagreness  of  the  Tuscan  sculptor's  manner,  we  are 
led  to  conclude  that  Leopardi  worked  out  Verocchio's  idea  according  to 
his  own  taste,  and  honour  him  as  the  chief  author  of  this,  the  finest 
modern  equestrian  statue,  as  did  the  Venetians,  by  giving  him  the  sur- 
name "del  Cavallo." 

'  The  stalwart  figure  of  Colleoni,  clad  in  armour  with  a  helmet  upon 
his  head,  is  the  most  perfect  embodiment  of  the  idea  which  history  gives 
us  of  an  Italian  Condottiere.  As  his  horse,  with  arched  neck  and  slightly 
bent  head,  paces  slowly  forward,  he,  sitting  straight  in  his  saddle,  turns 
to  look  over  his  left  shoulder,  showing  us  a  sternly  marked  countenance, 
with  deep-set  eyes,  whose  intensity  of  expression  revea's  a  character  of 
iron  which  never  recoiled  before  any  obstacle.  It  indeed  admirably 
embodies  the  graphic  picture  of  Colleoni's  personal  appearance,  given  by 
Bartolommeo  Spina  in  these  words :  "  Saldo  passo,  vista  superba,  risplen- 
dente  per  le  ricche  armi  e  pennachi  sopra  nobil  corsiere  ;  occhi  neri, 
nella  guardatura  ed  acutezza  del  lume,  vivi,  penetranti  o  terribili. "  The 
stern  simplicity  of  the  rider  is  happily  set  off  by  the  richness  of  detail 


55.    GIOVANNI  E  PAOLO.  95 

lavished  upon  the  saddle,  the  breastplate,  the  crupper,  and  the  knotted 
mane  of  his  steed  ;  and  the  effect  of  the  whole  group  is  heightened  by 
the  very  elegant  pedestal  upon  which  Leopardi  has  placed  it.' — Perkins's 
'  Tuscan  Sculptors. ' 

The  grand  Church  of  SS.  Giovanni  and  Paolo  (in  Vene- 
tian dialect  S.  Zanipolo)  was  built  for  Dominicans ;  begun 
in  1234,  but  not  consecrated  till  1430,  which  explains  the 
varieties  of  style  in  its  construction.  It  is  a  Latin  Cross, 
with  three  aisles  in  the  nave.  It  is  290  ft.  long,  125  ft. 
broad  at  the  transepts,  and  108  feet  high  in  the  centre  and 
choir.  The  central  door  is  a  magnificent  example  of  14th- 
century  Gothic,  the  Roman  influence  being  visible  in  the 
columns  and  friezes.  There  are  some  curious  reliefs  let 
into  the  facade ;  Daniel  in  the  Lions'  Den  of  the  8th,  and 
the  Annunciation  of  the  yth  century.  Hither  every 
7th  October  the  Doge  came  to  a  state  service  in  honour 
of  the  victory  of  Venice  over  the  Turks  in  the  Dardanelles, 
and  here  the  Doges  lay  in  state  and  their  funeral  services 
were  held.  The  church,  '  which  the  common  poverty  of 
imagination  has  decided  to  call  the  Venetian  Westminster 
Abbey,' J  is  full  of  their  monuments.  Gentile  Bellini,  by 
his  own  desire,  was  buried  here,  Feb.  1507,  and  his  brother 
Giovanni  was  laid  by  his  side,  Nov.  1516. 

'  The  foundation  of  this  church  was  laid  by  the  Dominicans  about 
1234,  under  the  immediate  protection  of  the  Senate  and  the  Doge  Gia- 
como  Tiepolp,  accorded  to  them  in  consequence  of  a  miraculous  vision 
appearing  to  the  Doge  ;  of  which  the  following  account  is  given  in 
popular  tradition. 

'  In  the  year  1226,  the  Doge  Giacomo  Tiepolo  dreamed  a  dream  ; 
and  in  his  dream  he  saw  the  little  oratory  of  the  Dominicans,  and, 
behold,  all  the  ground  around  it  (now  occupied  by  the  church)  was 
covered  with  roses  of  the  colour  of  vermilion,  and  the  air  was  filled  with 
their  fragrance.  And  in  the  midst  of  the  roses,  there  were  seen  flying 
to  and  fro  a  crowd  of  white  doves,  with  golden  crosses  upon  their  heads. 
And  while  the  Doge  looked,  and  wondered,  behold,  the  angels  descended 
from  heaven  with  golden  censers,  and  passing  through  the  oratory,  and 
forth  among  the  flowers,  they  filled  the  place  with  the  smoke  of  their 
incense.  Then  the  Doge  heard  suddenly  a  clear  and  loud  voice  which 
proclaimed,  "  This  is  the  place  that  I  have  chosen  for  my  preachers  ! " 
and  having  heard  it,  straightway  he  awoke,  and  went  to  the  Senate,  and 
1  Howells. 


96  SOUTH-EASTERN  VENICE. 

declared  to  them  the  vision.  Then  the  Senate  decide:!  that  forty 
paces  of  ground  should  be  given  to  enlarge  the  monastery  ;  and  the 
Doge  Tiepolo  himself  made  a  still  larger  grant  afterwards. ' — Ruskin', 
'  Stones  of  Venice, '  iii. 

'  The  plan  of  this  church  is  of  the  same  sort  as  that  of  the  Frari — a 
nave  with  aisles,  and  transepts  with  two  chapels  opening  on  each  side 
of  them.  These  are  all'  apsidal,  hut  planned  in  the  usual  way  and  not 
as  at  the  Frari.  The  east  end  is  a  fine  composition,  having  an  apse  of 
seven  sides,  and  is  the  only  part  of  the  exterior  to  which  much  praise 
can  be  given.  Tt  is  divided  into  two  stages  by  an  elaborate  brick  cor- 
nice and  a  good  balustraded  passage  in  front  of  the  upper  windows. 
The  traceries  are  all  unskilfully  designed,  and  set  back  from  the  face  of 
the  wall  with  a  bald  plain  splay  of  brickwork  round  them  ;  the  lower 
windows  here  have  two  transomes  and  the  upper  a  single  band  of  heavy 
tracery  which  performs  the  part  of  a  transome  in  an  ungainly  fashion, 
though  not  so  badly  as  in  the  great  south-transept  window  in  the  same 
church.  Here,  just  as  at  the  Frari,  it  is  obvious  that  the  absence  of 
buttresses  to  these  many-sided  apses  is  the  secret  of  the  largeness  and 
breadth  which  mark  them  ;  and,  to  say  the  truth,  not  only  are  large 
buttresses  to  an  apse  often  detrimental  to  its  effect,  but  at  the  same  time 
they  are  very  often  not  wanted  for  strength. ' — Street. 

Making  the  round  of  the  church  from  the  west  end,  be- 
ginning on  the  right,  we  see : 

The  tomb  of  Doge  Pietro  Mocenigo,  with  fifteen  allegorical  figures, 
by  Pietro  Lombardo  and  his  sons  Tullio  and  Antonio,  1477-1488.  This 
Doge  only  held  the  supreme  power  two  years,  after  a  long  life  spent 
in  fighting  for  the  Republic  against  the  Turks. 

The  tomb  of  Admiral  Girolamo  Canal,  1535.  Under  this  is  a 
relief  of  Christ  throned  between  two  angels.  The  gravestone  of  Doge 
Ranieri  Zen,  1268. 

Right  Aisle.  Over  the  First  Altar  was  the  famous  picture  by 
Bellini  burnt  in  1867.  Then  comes  the  black  pyramidal  tomb  of 
the  painter  Melchior  Lancia,  1673,  then  the  tomb  to  Marc  Antonio 
Bragadin,  1596. 

'  The  defence  of  Famagosta,  the  principal  city  of  Cyprus,  was  one  of 
the  most  heroic  exploits  of  the  age  :  the  combined  conduct  and  valour 
of  the  Venetian  governor,  Sragadino,  were  the  theme  of  universal  praise  ; 
honourable  terms  were  to  be  granted  to  the  garrison  ;  and  when  he 
notified  his  intention  to  be  in  person  the  bearer  of  the  keys,  the  Turkish 
commander  replied  in  the  most  courteous  and  complimentary  terms,  that 
he  svould  feel  honoured  and  gratified  by  receiving  him.  Bragadino 
came,  attended  by  the  officers  of  his  staff,  dressed  in  his  purple  robes, 
and  with  a  red  umbrella,  the  sign  of  his  rank,  held  over  him.  In  the 
course  of  the  ensuing  interview  the  Pasha  suddenly  springing  up,  accused 
him  of  having  put  some  Mussulman  prisoners  to  death  :  the  officers 


SS.    GIOVANNI  E  PAOLO.  97 

were  dragged  away  and  cut  to  pieces/ whilst  Bragadino  was  reserved  for 
the  worst  outrages  that  vindictive  cruelty  could  inflict.  He  was  thrice 
made  to  bare  his  neck  to  the  executioner,  whose  sword  was  thrice  lifted 
as  if  about  to  strike  :  his  ears  were  cut  off :  he  was  driven  every  morning 
for  ten  days,  heavy  laden  with  baskets  of  earth,  to  the  batteries,  and 
compelled  to  kiss  the  ground  before  the  Pasha's,  pavilion  as  he  passed. 
He  was  hoisted  to  the  yard-arm  of  one  of  the  ships  and  exposed  to 
the  derision  of  the  sailors.  Finally,  he  was  carried  to  the  square  of 
Famagosta,  stripped,  chained  to  a  stake  on  the  public,  scaffold,  and 
slowly  flayed  alive,  while  the  Pasha  looked  on.  His  skin,  stuffed  with 
straw,  was  then  mounted  on  a  cow,  paraded  through  the  streets  with 
the  red  umbrella  over  it,  suspended  at  the  bowsprit  of  the  admiral's 
galley,  and  displayed  as  a  trophy  during  the  whole  voyage  to  Con- 
stantinople. The  skin  was  afterwards  purchased  of  the  Pasha  by 
the  family  of  Bragadino,  and  deposited  in  an  urn  in  the  church  of  SS. 
Giovanni  e  Paolo.' — Quarterly  Review ;  No.  274. 

Second  Altar.  A  picture  in  many  compartments,  probably  by  V. 
Carpaccio. 

Tomb  of  the  Procurator  Aloise  Michiel,  1589. 

In  the  pavement,  the  gravestone,  with  Cupids  in  relief,  of  Ludovico 
Diedo,  the  Venetian  admiral  who  took  Constantinople  from  the  Turks. 

Over  the  following  doors,  the  immense  Tombs  of  the  Doges  Silvestro 
and  Bertuccio  Valier,  and  by  Tirali,  1708,  of  Elisabetta  Quirini,  wife 
of  Silvestro,  who,  contrary  to  custom  and  law,  was  crowned  with  the 
ducal  berretto,  and  caused  medals  to  be  struck,  bearing  her  own  effigy. 

'  Towering  from  the  pavement  to  the  vaulting  of  the  church,  behold 
a  mass  of  marble,  sixty  or  seventy  feet  in  height,  of  mingled  yellow  and 
white,  the  yellow  carved  into  the  form  of  an  enormous  curtain,  with 
ropes,  fringes,  and  tassels,  sustained  by  cherubs ;  in  front  of  which,  in 
the  now  usual  stage  attitudes,  advance  the  statues  of  the  Doge  Bertuccio 
Valier,  his  son,  the  Doge  Silvester  Valier,  and  his  son's  wife,  Elizabeth. 
The  statues  of  the  Doges,  though  mean  and  Polonius-like,  are  partly 
redeemed  by  the  ducal  robes ;  but  that  of  the  Dogaressa  is  a  consum- 
mation of  grossness,  vanity,  and  ugliness, — the  figure  of  a  large  and 
wrinkled  woman,  with  elaborate  curls  in  stiff  projection  round  her  face, 
covered  from  her  shoulders  to  her  feet  with  ruffs,  furs,  lace,  jewels,  and 
embroidery.  Beneath  and  around  are  scattered  Virtues,  Victories, 
Fames,  Genii, — the  entire  company  of  the  monumental  stage  assembled, 
as  before  a  drop  scene,— executed  by  various  sculptors,  and  deserving 
attentive  study  as  exhibiting  every  condition  of  false  taste  and  feeble 
conception.  The  Victory  in  the  centre  is  peculiarly  interesting ;  the 
lion  by  which  she  is  accompanied,  springing  on  a  dragon,  has  been  in- 
tended to  look  terrible,  but  the  incapable  sculptor  could  not  conceive 
any  form  of  dreadfulness,  could  not  even  make  the  lion  look  angry.  It 
looks  only  lacrymose  ;  and  its  lifted  forepaws,  there  being  no  spring  nor 

VOL.    II.  H 


98  SOUTH-EASTERN  VENICE. 

motion  in  its  body,  give  it  the  appearance  of  a  dog  begging.  The  in- 
scriptions under  the  two  statues  are  as  follows  : — 

'  Bertucius  Valier,  Duke,  Great  in  wisdom  and  eloquence,  Greater 
in  his  Hellespontic  victory,  Greatest  in  the  Prince  his  son,  Died,  1658. 

'  Elizabeth  Quirina,  the  wife  of  Silvester,  Distinguished  by  Roman 
virtue,  By  Venetian  piety,  And  by  the  Ducal  Crown,  Died,  1708.'— 
Jtuskin,  '  Stones  of  Venice,'  iii. 

In  the  Chapel  which  opens  beneath  this  monument  (left)  is  a  picture 
of  S.  Hyacinth  by  Leandro  Bassano. 

The  Chapel  of  S.  Domenic  is  covered  with  rich  bronze  decorations 
by  Camilla  Mazza. 

Right  Transept  (on  the  wall).  S.  Augustine,  by  Bart.  Vivarini, 
1473 — one  of  the  finest  works  of  the  master.  Tomb  of  Nicolo  Orsini, 
Conte  di  Pitigliano,  I5°9>  who  commanded  the  armies  of  the  Republic 
in  the  war  against  the  League  before  Cambray — a  golden  warrior  on  a 
horse. 

Altar  with  S.  Antonino,  by  Lorenzo  Lotto. 

Over  the  door.  Monument  of  Luigi  Naldo  da  Briseghella,  general 
of  the  Republic,  distinguished  in  many  battles  during  the  League  of 
Cambray,  1510,  by  Lorenzo  Bregno — 'plus  mouvemente,  mais  beaucoup 
moins  correct  que  les  Lombardi  et  les  Leopardi.'  * 

Stained  glass  by  Girolamo  Mocetto,  from  designs  of  Vivarini,  1473. 

Altar.     Rocco  Marconi.     Christ  between  SS.  Andrew  and  Peter. 

'  This  is  one  of  the  best  pictures  of  the  school,  with  most  beautiful 
mild  heads,  especially  that  of  Christ,  which  resembles  the  Christ  of 
Bellini.  S.  Peter's  attitude  expresses  the.  deepest  devotion.  Above 
him,  is  a  choir  of  angels  making  music.' — Burckhardl. 

\st  Chapel,  East  End.     Bonifazio.     Three  Saints. 

Altar  by  Alessandro  Vittoria,  with  a  crucifix  by  Cavrioli. 

(Right).     Tomb  of  Paolo  Loredan,  1365. 

2nd  Chapel.  Cappella  della  Maddalena  (right}.  Monument  of 
Matteo  Giustiniani,  1574.  Over  the  altar  a  statue  of  the  Magdalen, 
by  Gugl.  Bergamesco. 

(Left).  Monument  of  Marco  Giustiniani,  1347,  ambassador  to  the 
Scaligers,  and  over  it  a  Madonna  with  kneeling  Senators,  by  J.  Tinto- 
retto. On  a  pillar,  a  pulpit  of  1510. 

Apse  (right  of  High  Altar).  The  beautiful  Gothic  tomb  of  Doge 
Michele  Morosini,  1382.  Morosini  only  reigned  for  four  months,  but 
they  were  rendered  remarkable  by  the  capture  of  Tenedos. 

The  tomb  of  Doge  Leonardo  Loredan,  by  Grapiglia,  1572— the 
statue  of  the  Doge  is  by  Campagna. 

(Left).  The  tomb  (brought  from  the  Church  of  the  Servi)  of  Doge 
Andrea  Vendramin,  1478,  by  Alessandro  Leopardi.  The  surrounding 
statuettes  are  of  great  beauty.  Much  praise  has  also  been  bestowed 
1  Yriarte. 


SS.   GIOVANNI  E  PAOLO.  99 


upon  the  figure  of  the  Doge,  but  spectators  are  not  generally  aware  that 
the  effigy  has  only  one  side,  that  turned  to  the  beholder.  The  statues 
of  the  Magdalen  and  S.  Catherine,  attributed  to  Lorenzo  Bregno,  occupy 
the  place  of  the  statues  of  Adam  and  Eve  by  Tullio  Lombardo,  which 
have  been  removed  to  the  Palazzo  Vendramin-Calerghi,  as  not  sufficiently 
severe  for  an  ecclesiastical  building. 

'  This  doge  died,  after  a  short  reign  of  two  years,  the  most  disastrous 
in  the  annals  of  Venice.  He  died  of  a  pestilence  which  followed  the 
ravage  of  the  Turks,  carried  to  the  shores  of  the  lagoons.  He  died, 
leaving  Venice  disgraced  by  sea  and  land,  with  the  smoke  of  hostile 
devastation  rising  in  the  blue  distances  of  Friuli ;  and  there  was  raised 
to  him  the  most  costly  tomb  ever  bestowed  upon  her  monarchs.  .  .  . 
Yet  who,  with  a  heart  in  his  breast,  could  have  stayed  his  hand,  as  he 
drew  the  dim  lines  of  the  old  man's  countenance— could  have  stayed  his 
hafid  as  he  reached  the  bend  of  the  grey  forehead,  and  measured  out 
the  last  veins  of  it,  at  so  much  the  zecchin  ? ' — Ruskin,  'Stones  of  Venice, ' 
ch.  i. 

Tomb  of  Doge  Marco  Corner,  1368,  with  saints  above,  of  beautiful 
14th-century  Gothic  ;  probably  of  the  Masegne. 

Cappella  della  Trinita  (right).  Tomb  of  the  procurator  Pietro 
Corner,  who  established  the  peace  of  1378  with  the  Duke  of  Austria. 

•$rd  Chapel  (right).    LeandroBassa.no.    A  Coronation  of  the  Virgin. 

(Left).  The  Monument  of  Andrea  Morosini  (1347),  illustrious  in 
the  war  against  Mastino  della  Scala. 

4th  Chapel,  Cappella  di  S.  Pio  (right).  Tomb  of  Jacopo  Cavalli, 
Commander  of  the  Venetian  troops  in  the  famous  Chioggian  war,  by 
Paolo  di  Jacobello  delle  Masegne,  1394,  with  an  inscription  in  Venetian 
dialect.1 

'  The  sarcophagus  is  heavily  but  richly  adorned  with  leaf-mouldings, 
and  with  roundels  containing  the  symbols  of  the  Evangelists  in  alto- 
relief.  Upon  it  lies  the  effigy  of  the  brave  knight  clad  in  armour.  His 
face  is  very  much  sunken  in  his  helmet,  his  hands  are  crossed  upon  his 
breast,  his  head  rests  upon  a  lion,  and  his  feet  upon  a  dog,  fitting 
emblems  of  his  honour  and  fidelity.' — Perkins's  ' Italian  Sculptors.'1 

Tomb  of  Doge  Giovanni  Dolfin,  1361. 

'  The  sarcophagus  is  enriched  with  statuettes,  and  with  bas-reliefs  of 
the  doge  and  the  dogaressa  kneeling  at  the  feet  of  the  enthroned  Christ, 
the  Death  of  the  Virgin,  and  the  Epiphany,  and  has  an  elaborate  leaf- 
work  cornice  and  plinth. ' — Perkinses  '  Italian  Sculptors. ' 

Beneath  this  the  tomb  of  Marino  Caballo,  1572. 

Left    Transept.     Marble  group,  of  Vittore   Cappello   (brother   of 

1  Quest'  opera  d"  intajo  e  fatto  in  piera 
Un  Venician  la  fe  cha  nome  Polo 
Nato  de  Jachomel  che  tajapiera. 
H  2 


ioo  SOUTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 

Bianca),  general-in-chief  of  the  Venetian  army  against  the  Turks,  re- 
ceiving the  staff  of  command  from  S.  Helena,  by  Antonio  Dentone, 
1467. 

( Over  the  door}.  Tomb  of  Doge  Antonio  Venier,  1400,  of  the  school 
of  the  Masegne.  Through  this  door  was  the  entrance  to  the  Cappella 
del  Rosario,  painted  by  Aless.  Vittoria,  still  a  ruin  from  the  fire  of 
August  1 6,  1867,  in  which  the  two  great  pictures  of  the  church  perished 
— the  famous  Titian  of  the  death  of  S.  Peter  Martyr,  and  one  of  the 
finest  works  of  Giovanni  Bellini. 

Tomb  of  Agnese,  wife  of  Doge  Antonio  Venier,  and  of  their 
daughter  Orsola,  1411. 

Tomb  of  Leonardo  da  Prato,  knight  of  Rhodes,  1511,  with  an 
equestrian  statue  in  gilt  wood,  erected  by  the  Senate. 

Left  Aisle.  Over  the  door  of  the  Sacristy,  busts  of  Titian  and  the 
two  Palmas  by  Jacopo  Alberelli,  1621.  Before  this  door  lie  the  bones 
of  Palma  Giovane  (Giovanni  and  Gentile  Bellini  are  also  buried  in  this 
church).  In  the  Sacristy  are  a  Cross-bearing  of  Alvise  Vivarini,  and  a 
Foundation  of  the  Dominican  Order,  Leandro  Bassano. 

Tomb  of  Doge  Pasquale  Malipiero— an  admirable  sarcophagus — 
Florentine  work  of  the  I5th  century. 

Under  this.     Giovanni  da  Udine?     Coronation  of  the  Virgin. 

Tomb  of  the  Senator  Bonzio,  1508.  Beneath  this  the  statue  of 
S.  Thomas,  by  Antonio  Lombardo,  and  of  S.  Peter  Martyr,  by  Paolo  da 
Milano. 

Tomb  of  Doge  Michele  Steno,  1413,  conqueror  of  Padua  (only 
part  of  the  original  tomb — brought  from  the  Church  of  S.  Marina). 
The  tomb  of  Alvise  Trevisan,  1528  (these  are  the  only  tombs  placed 
sufficiently  low  for  careful  examination). 

Monument  of  Pompeo  Giustiniani,  with  his  figure  on  horseback,  by 
Franc.  Terilli  da  Feltre,  1616.  Beneath  this,  the  epitaph  of  Doge 
Giovanni  Dandolo,  1289. 

Monument  of  Doge  Tommaso  Mocenigo,  1424,  during  whose  reign 
the  Republic  acquired  Friuli  and  much  of  Dalmatia ;  by  Pietro  di  Nicolb 
da  Firenze  and  Giovanni  di  Nicolb  da  Fiesole. 

1  The  tomb  of  this  Doge  is  wrought  by  a  Florentine  ;  but  it  is  of  the 
same  general  type  and  feeling  as  all  the  Venetian  tombs  of  that  period, 
and  it  is  one  of  the  last  which  retains  it.  The  classical  element  enters 
largely  into  its  details,  but  the  feeling  of  the  whole  is  as  yet  unaffected. 
Like  all  the  lovely  tombs  of  Venice  and  Verona,  it  is  a  sarcophagus 
with  a  recumbent  figure  above,  and  this  figure  is  a  faithful  but  tender 
portrait,  wrought  as  far  as  it  can  be  without  painfulness,  of  the  Doge  as 
he  lay  in  death.  He  wears  his  ducal  robe  and  bonnet— his  head  is  laid 
slightly  aside  upon  his  pillow — his  hands  are  simply  crossed  as  they  fall. 
The  face  is  emaciated,  the  features  large,  but  so  pure  and  lordly  in  their 
natural  chiselling,  that  they  must  have  looked  like  marble  even  in  their 


SCUOLA   DI  3.  MARCO.  101 

animation.  They  are  deeply  worn  away  by  thought  and  death ;  the 
veins  on  the  temples  branched  and  starting ;  the  skin  gathered  in  sharp 
folds ;  the  brow  high-arched  and  shaggy ;  the  eye-ball  magnificently 
large  ;  the  curve  of  the  lips  just  veiled  by  the  slight  moustache  at  the 
side  ;  the  beard  short,  double,  and  sharp-pointed  :  all  noble  and  quiet ; 
the  white  sepulchral  dust  marking  like  light  the  stern  angles  of  the 
cheek  and  brow.' — Ruskin,  'Stones  of  Venice,'  ch.  i. 

Monument  of  Doge  Nicolo  Marcello,  1474,  in  whose  reign  the 
Republic  acquired  Cyprus,  a  grand  specimen  of  the  Lombardi  style,  by 
Akss.  Leopardi — brought  from  the  destroyed  Church  of  S.  Marina. 
The  statues  of  Justice  and  Fortitude  are  inestimable. 

Sepulchral  inscription  of  Doge  Marino  Zarsi,  1312. 

Altar  of  the  Rosary.  A  copy  of  the  S.  Peter  Martyr  of  Titian,  which 
was  destroyed  in  the  Chapel  of  the  Rosario  on  the  morning  after  the 
festa  of  the  Assumption,  1867,  by  a  fire  probably  caused  by  the  smoulder- 
ing wax  candles  carelessly  put  away  in  the  chapel.  '  Painted  when 
Luther  was  at  his  zenith,  it  perished  in  the  days  of  Mazzini  and  Gari- 
baldi.' 

Monument  of  Orazio  Baglioni,  1617,  who  died  fighting  for  the 
Republic  in  Friuli,  with  an  equestrian  figure. 

The  Last  Altar,  by  Guglielmo  Bergamesco,  1523,  has  a  statue  of  S. 
Jerome,  by  Aless.  Vittoria.  At  the  foot  of  this  altar  rests  Verde,  wife 
of  Nicolo  d'  Este,  and  daughter  of  Mastino  della  Scala,  brought  hither 
from  the  Church  of  the  Servi. 

Monument' of  Doge  Giovanni  Mocenigo,  1485,  by  Ttdlio  Lombardo.1 

dose  to  the  great  door.  Tomb  of  Doge  Alvise  Mocenigo,  1576 ;  and 
his  wife,  Loredana  Marcella.  The  unhappy  reign  of  this  Doge  was 
marked  by  the  Plague,  and  the  loss  of  the  best  conquests  of  Venice. 

Tomb  of  Doge  Giovanni  Bembo,  by  Girol.  Grapiglia. 

Outside  the  church,  occupying  the  north  side  of  the 
Campo,  is  the  Scuola  di  S.  Marco,  built  by  Martino 
Lombardo,  1485,  a.  beautiful  specimen  of  the  peculiar  archi- 
tecture of  the  Lombardi,  decorated  with  coloured  marbles. 
The  perspective  views  in  marble  are  very  curious.  The 
interior  is  now  used  as  a  hospital  (Ospedale  Civile) :  it  has 
two  noble  halls.  Opening  from  the  lower  hall  was  the 
Chapel  of  La  Madonna  della  Pace,  the  burial-place  of  the 
Falier  family.  When  the  sarcophagus  of  the  unhappy  Doge 
Marino  Faliero  was  opened,  his  body  was  found  with  the 
head  between  his  knees. 

1  There  were  seven  Doges  of  the  Mocenigo  family. 


102  SOUTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 

In  the  adjoining  Campo  is  a  beautiful  Renaissance  well 
of  the  1 6th  century  with  sporting  amorini.  Another  much 
finer  specimen  of  a  well-head  is  an  exquisite  work,  attributed 
to  Bartolommeo  Bon,  in  the  adjoining  Corte  Bressana. 

Returning  to  our  gondola,  on  the  same  canal  (Rio  del 
Mendicanti),  is  the  Church  of  S.  Lazarn  de1  Mendicanti, 
built  by  Vine.  Scamozzi,  1601-1663.  Tne  portico  contains 
the  tomb  of  Alvise  Mocenigo,  the  heroic  defender  of  Candia 
against  the  Turks,  by  Giuseppe  Sardi. 

Entering  the  lagoon,  and  turning  to  the  right,  we  soon  ' 
pass  near  the  great .  Church  of  S.  Francesco  della  Vigna 
(entered  from  a  side  canal),  begun  in  1534,  but  not  finished 
till  1634.  It  derives  its  name  from  a  vineyard  bequeathed 
in  1253  by  Marco  Ziani,  son  of  the  Doge  Pietro,  to  the 
Convent  of  S.  Maria  dei  Frari.  Tradition  tells  that,  sur- 
prised by  a  great  storm  which  overtook  him  as  he  was 
returning  from  Aquileja,  S.  Mark  took  refuge  here,  and 
was  here  saluted  by  an  angel  with  the  words,  '  Pax  tibi, 
Marce,  Evangelista  meus,'  which  words  were  afterwards 
added  to  the  arms  of  the  Republic.  The  ancient  church, 
built  to  preserve  the  tradition,  was  destroyed  in  1180.  A 
second  church,  erected  by  Marino  di  Pisa  in  the  i3th  century, 
and  near  which  S.  Bernardino  da  Siena  lived  for  some  time 
in  a  cell,  was  destroyed  in  the  i6th.  The  existing  church 
was  built  at  the  expense  of  Doge  Andrea  Gritti.  The 
exterior  is  by  Palladia ;  the  interior,  which  was  completed 
first,  by  Sansovino.  We  may  observe  : 

Right  Aisle,  1st  Altar.     Paul  Veronese.     The  Resurrection. 

yd  Chapel.  Right :  Barocco  tomb  of  Doge  Alvise  Contarini, 
1676-1684.  Lejt :  Tomb  of  Doge  Francesco  Contarini,  1623-24. 

Ofth  Chapel.     Paul  Veronese.     The  Resurrection. 

Right  Transept,  Left  Chapel.  Vivarini,  often  ascribed  to  Fro, 
Antonio  da  Negroponte. 

'  The  Madonna,  with  a  kindly  round  physiognomy,  in  a  mantle 
shining  with  gold,  and  with  a  nimbus  painted  in  relief,  is  seated  before 
a  luxuriant  rosebush,  upon  a  stone  throne  of  a  showy  Renaissance  style 
of  architecture,  with  genii  and  antique  decorations  in  relief.  Above  the 
throne  are  rich  pendants  of  fruit,  and  below,  a  flowery  meadow  with 


S.   FRANCESCO  {DELLA    V1GNA.  103 

very  natural  birds.  She  is  adoring  the  Infant  who  lies  in  her  lap,  and 
who,  with  the  true  Paduan  feeling,  is  drawn  in  hard  and  sculpturesque 
style.  Four  cherubs  in  gay  robes  are  standing  by.' — Kugler. 

Over  door.  Tomb  of  Dom.  Trevisani,  a  much  honoured  ambassador 
and  procuratore,  by  Sansovino. 

Left  of  Altar.  Giustiniani  Chapel  with  beautiful  sculptures  of  the 
1 5th  century,  which  are  amongst  the  best  Venetian  works.  Tomb  of 
the  Doge  Marc- Antonio  Giustiniani,  1 688. 

The  architecture  of  the  side  door  serves  as  a  monument  to  Doge 
Marc-Antonio  Trevisani,  1554,  buried  in  front  of  the  high  altar.  The 
door  beneath  this  tomb  leads  to  the  Cappella  Santa  (so  called  from 
a  miraculous  Madonna),  containing  a  picture  of  the  Madonna  and 
Saints  by  Giovanni  Bellini.  Here  is  the  entrance  to  a  pretty  cloister. 

The  Sacristy  has  a  picture  of  SS.  Antonio,  Jerome,  and  Nicholas,  by 
Bernardino  de1  Fiori. 

Over  the  Ptilpit  is  Christ  with  God  the  Father,  by  Girolamo  Santa 
Croce. 

Ltft  Aisle,  1st  Chapel.  Paid  Veronese.  Virgin  and  Child ;  S.  Antony 
is  seen  below,  turning  towards  the  spectator,  his  pig  at  his  side  ;  a 
female  martyred  saint  seated  by  him  is  gazing  upwards. 

yd  Chapel.  Statue  of  Alvise  Sagredo  and  Tomb  of  Doge  Nicolo 
Sagredo,  mannered  works  of  Antonio  Cat,  1743. 

4th  Chapel.  Alessandro  Vittoria.  SS.  Antony,  Sebastian,  and 
Roch — the  figure  of  S.  Antonio  a  very  beautiful  work. 

Holy  Water  Basin.     S.  Francesco,  in  bronze,  by  A  less.   Vittoria. 

The  Cappella  Barbara  was  founded  by  Francesco  Barbara,  1488-1568, 
to  contain  the  ashes  of  his  illustrious  ancestors,  amidst  whom  he  is 
buried  himself.  His  tomb  bears  the  device — a  red  circle  (tondo)  on  a 
silver  field — which  was  granted  in  1125  to  the  Admiral  Marco  Barbaro, 
in  remembrance  of  his  having,  during  the  battle  of  Ascalon,  cut  oft"  the 
hand  of  a  Moor  who  had  seized  the  flag  of  his  vessel,  slain  him,  and 
turned  his  turban  into  a  banner,  after  having  traced  a  red  circle  with 
his  bleeding  arm. 

Close  by  is  the  Palazzo  del  Nunzio  Apostolico  of  1535, 
given  by  the  Republic  to  the  Papal  nuncio  when  the  Palazzo 
di  Venezia  at  Rome  was  received  from  Pius  V.  The  palace 
was  given  to  the  Franciscans  by  Gregory  XVI.  The  Calle 
del  Te  Deum  leads  to  the  suppressed  Church  of  S.  Giustina, 
built  by  Baldassare  Longhena,  1640,  for  the  Soranzo  family. 
It  was  visited  annually  by  the  Doge  on  Oct.  7,  the  anniver- 
sary of  the  victory  of  Curzolari  (1571),  on  which  occasion 


104  SOUTH-EASTERN  VENICE. 

the  Doge  gave  the  nuns  of  the  adjoining  convent  the  money 
called  Giustine,  first  struck  in  1571. 

(Near  S.  Francesco  are  several  interesting  palaces.  Cross- 
ing the  Ponte  di  S.  Francesco,  we  see,  on  the  Salizzada  di 
S.  Giustina,the  beautiful  Palazzo  Contarini '(or  Porta  diFerro) 
with  an  entrance  of  the  i3th  century,  which  once  had  the 
wrought-iron  gates,  which  gave  the  name  of  Porta  di  Ferro  to 
the  noble  family  of  which  the  Doge  Francesco  Contarini  was 
a  member.  The  courtyard  has  an  admirable  15th-century 
staircase  and  other  details  worthy  of  attention.  Proceeding 
hence  to  the  Campo  delle  Gatti  and  by  the  Calle  degli  Scudi 
to  the  Campo  dei  do  Pozzi,  we  enter  Calle  Magno,  on  the 
right  of  which  is  the  entrance  to  the  ancient  Palazzo  Bembo 
alia  Celestia,  an  important  work  of  the  i4th  century,  with  a 
beautiful  outside  staircase  in  its  courtyard — little  known,  but 
well  deserving  of  study.) 

Following  the  lagoon  along  the  outer  wall  of  the  Arsenal 
so  often  painted  by  our  landscape  artists,  we  enter  the  broad 
Canale  di  S.  Pietro,  under  the  Island  of  S.  Pietro,  where  the 
Doges  were  elected  in  the  earliest  times  of  the  Republic. 
It  was  here  that  the  Rape  of  the  Venetian  brides  took  place, 
Feb.  2,  944;  they  were  carried  off  by  pirates,  and  were 
pursued  and  rescued  (according  to  Daru  and  Sismondi)  by 
an  armament  hastily  equipped  by  the  Doge  in  person. 

The  Church  of  S.  Pietro  di  Castello,  formerly  SS.  Sergius 
and  Bacchus,  is  of  very  ancient  foundation,  and  was  the  early 
cathedral  of  the  Republic.  The  church  was  entirely  rebuilt 
at  the  end  of  the  i6th  century,  and  presents  nothing  to 
admire  except  the  campanile,  which  is  remarkable  for  the 
long  architectural  lines  which  give  it  so  stately  an  effect. 
This  tower  'is  one  which  has  forsaken  the  true  Roman- 
esque detail,  but  in  which  the  true  Romanesque  feeling  is 
not  lost.' 

1  It  is  credibly  reported  to  have  been  founded  in  the  seventh  century, 
and  (with  somewhat  less  of  credibility)  in  a  place  where  the  Trojans, 
conducted  by  An  tenor,  had,  after  the  destruction  of  Troy,  built  "  un 
castello,  chiamato  prima  Troja,  poscia  Olivolo,  interpretato,  luogo 
pieno."  It  seems  that  S.  Peter  appeared  in  person  to  the  Bishop  of 


S.   PIETRO  DJf  CASTELLO.  105 

Heraclea,  and  commanded  him  to  found,  in  his  honour,  a  church  in 
that  spot  of  the  rising  city  on  the  Kialto.  The  title  of  Bishop  of 
Castello  was  first  taken  in  1091  ;  S.  Mark's  was  not  made  the  cathedral 
church  till  1807.'—  Ruskin,  '  Stones  of  Venice,1 

'  At  a  comparatively  late  period,  Venetian  fathers  went  with  their 
daughters  to  a  great  annual  matrimonial  fair  at  S.  Pietro  di  Castello 
Olivolo,  and  the  youth  of  the  lagoons  repaired  thither  to  choose  wives 
from  the  numbers  of  the  maidens.  These  were  all  dressed  in  white, 
with  hair  loose  about  the  neck,  and  each  bore  her  dower  in  a  little  box, 
slung  over  her  shoulder  by  a  ribbon.  It  is  to  be  supposed  that  there 
was  commonly  a  previous  understanding  between  each  damsel  and  some 
youth  in  the  crowd.  As  soon  as  all  had  paired  off,  the  bishop  gave 
them  a  sermon  and  his  benediction,  and  the  young  men  gathered  up 
their  brides  and  boxes,  and  went  away  wedded.  It  was  on  one  of 
these  occasions  that  the  Triestine  pirates  stole  the  Brides  of  Venice 
and  their  dowers,  and  gave  occasion  to  the  Festa  delle  Marie,  and  to 
Rogers's  poem,  which  everybody  pretends  to  have  read. ' — Howells. 

The  interior  of  the  church  is  by  G.  Grapiglia.  We  may 
notice : 

Right.  Tomb  of  the  procurator  Filippo  Corner,  brother  of  Pope 
Gregory  XII.,  1410. 

Right.  Marco  Basaiti.  S.  George,  1520 — most  beautiful,  though 
injured. 

Right,  beyond  2nd  Altar.  An  old  Bishop's  chair,  of  Arabian  origin, 
engraved  with  a  sentence  from  the  Koran.  The  chair  was  given  by 
Michele  Paleologo  to  Doge  Pietro  Gradenigo,  in  1310.  A  tradition 
declares  that  it  was  used  by  S.  Peter  at  Antioch. 

*yd  Altar.  Marco  Basaiti.  S.  Peter  throned  between  four 
saints— a  noble  and  beautiful  picture— with  the  characteristic  of  the 
master,  who  loved  figures  in  shadow  against  a  glowing  sky. 

'  The  same  exclusively  religious  character  may  be  remarked  in 
Basaiti,  who  resembles  Cima  da  Conegliano  in  many  respects,  although 
he  differs  from  him  in  the  general  tone  of  his  compositions,  which 
rather  incline  to  softness  and  grace,  whilst  those  of  Cima  are 
characterised  by  a  majestic  severity.  Basaiti  is  particularly  distin- 
guished by  the  harmony  and  suavity  of  his  colouring,  by  his  knowledge 
of  chiaroscuro,  in  which  he  is  superior  to  most  of  his  contemporaries, 
and  by  the  expression  of  angelic  beatitude  and  calm  melancholy  which 
he  gives  to  his  personages.  He  is  inferior  to  Cima  in  the  arrangement 
of  his  landscapes  and  the  disposition  of  his  draperies,  but  these  purely 
external  defects  are  fully  compensated  by  the  deep  religious  feeling 
which  breathes  in  all  his  compositions.  ...  In  these  pictures  of  S. 
Pietro  in  Castello,  notwithstanding  their  injured  condition,  the  suave 
and  harmonious  touch  of  the  artist  may  still  be  recognised. ' — Rio. 


Io6  SOUTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 

Tomb  of  the  Patriarch  Federigo  Giovanelli,  1800. 

Behind  the  High  Altar.  Bust  of  the  I5th  century,  of  S.  Lorenzo 
Giustiniani  (1380-1456),  Bishop  of  Castello,  and  1st  Patriarch  of 
Venice. 

S.  Pietro  is  the  scene  of  a  charming  Romeo  and  Juliet 
story  in  Bandello.  Elena,  secretly  married  to  the  young 
Gerardo,  but  afterwards  separated  from  him,  and  falling 
into  a  trance  on  the  eve  of  another  enforced  marriage,  is 
laid  in  a  marble  sarcophagus  at  S.  Pietro ;  Gerardo,  return- 
ing that  evening  from  Syria,  finds  her  there,  and  carrying 
her  off,  breathes  back  life  with  his  embrace,  and  their  parents 
forgive  them. 

The  neighbouring  Church  of  S.  Giuseppe  di  Castello 
(seldom  open)  contains  the  splendid  tomb  of  Doge  Marino 
Grimani,  with  bronze  ornaments  by  Girolamo  Campagna, 
and  the  tomb  of  his  son  the  procurator  Girolamo  Grimani 
(a  liberal  protector  of  the  arts  and  builder  of  the  Palazzo 
Grimani  on  the  Grand  Canal)  by  Aless.  Vittoria. 

Close  to  this  is  the  entrance  of  the  Public  Gardens— 
Giardini  Pubblici — laid  out  by  Giannantonio  Selva  in  1810. 
They  are  approached  from  the  Riva  degli  Schiavoni  by  the 
widest  street  in  Venice,  now  called  Via  Garibaldi.  Here  is 
a  beautiful  Gothic  gateway.  The  gardens  are  generally 
deserted. 

'II  y  a,  comme  a  1'ordinaire,  tres-peu  de  promeneurs.  Les  Ve-ni- 
tiennes  elegantes  craignent  le  chaud  et  n'oseraient  sortir  en  plein  jour, 
mais  en  revanche  elles  craignent  le  froid  et  ne  se  hasardent  guere  dehors 
la  nuit.  II  y  a  trois  ou  quatre  jours,  faits  expres  pour  elles  dans  chaque 
saison,  ou  elles  font  lever  la  couverture  de  la  gondole,  mais  elles  mettent 
rarement  les  pieds  a  terre  ;  c'est  une  espece  a  part,  si  molle  et  si  delicate 
qu'un  rayon  de  soleil  ternit  leur  beaute,  et  qu'un  souffle  de  la  brise  ex- 
pose leur  vie.  Les  hommes  civilises  cherchent  de  preference  les  lieux 
oil  ils  peuvent  rencontrer  le  beau  sexe  :  le  theatre,  les  conversazioni,  les 
cafes,  et  1'enceinte  abritee  de  la  Piazzetta  a  sept  heures  du  soir.  II  ne 
reste  done  aux  jardins  que  quelques  vieillards  grognons,  quelques 
fumeurs  stupides,  et  quelques  bilieux  melancoliques. ' — George  Sand, 
'Lettres  <fun  VoyageurS 

'  The  gardens  were  made  by  Napoleon,  who  demolished  to  that  end 
some  monasteries  once  cumbering  the  ground.  They  are  pleasant  enough, 
and  are  not  gardens  at  all,  but  a  park  of  formally  planted  trees — syca- 


GIARDINP  PUBBLICI.  107 

mores,  chiefly.  There  is  also  a  stable,  where  are  the  only  horses  in 
Venice.  They  are  let  at  a  florin  an  hour.  On  the  Lunedl  dei  Giardini 
(in  September)  all  orders  of  the  people  flock  to  the  gardens,  and  pro- 
menade, and  banquet  on  the  grass. ' — Howells. 

The  Giardini  Pubblici  is  one  of  the  best  points  from 
which  to  watch  the  glorious  Venetian  sunset.  Here  are 
two  descriptions  of  it : 

'  Le  soleil  e"tait  descendu  derriere  les  monts  Vicentins.  De  grandes 
nuees  violettes  traversaient  le  ciel  au-dessus  de  Venise.  La  tour  de 
Saint-Marc,  les  coupoles  de  Sainte-Marie,  et  cette  pepiniere  de  fleches 
et  de  minarets  qui  s'eleve  de  tous  les  points  de  la  ville,  se  dessinaient  en 
aiguilles  noires  sur  le  ton  etincelant  de  1'horizon.  Le  ciel  arrivait,  par 
une  admirable  degradation  de  nuances,  du  rouge-cerise  au  bleu  de  smalt; 
et  1'eau,  calme  et  limpide  comme  une  glace,  recevait  exactement  le  re- 
flet de  cette  immense  iridation.  Au-dessous  de  Venise  elle  avait  Pa:r 
d'un  grand  miroir  de  cuivre  rouge.  Jamais  je  n'avais  vu  Venise  si  belle 
et  si  feerique.  Cette  noire  silhouette  jetee  entre  le  ciel  et  1'eau  ardente, 
comme  dans  une  mer  de  feu,  etait  alors  une  de  ces  sublimes  aberrations 
d 'architecture  que  le  poete  de  1' Apocalypse  a  dfi  voir  flotter  sur  les 
greves  de  Patmos,  quand  il  revait  sa  Jerusalem  nouvelle  et  qu'il  lacom- 
parait  a  une  belle  epousee. 

'  Peu  a  peu  les  couleurs  s'obscurcirent,  les  contours  devinrent  plus 
massifs,  les  profondeurs  plus  mysterieuses.  Venise  prit  1'aspect  d'une 
flotte  immense,  puis  d'un  bois  de  hauts  cypres  oil  les  canaux  s'enfon- 
gaient  comme  de  grands  chemins  de  sable  argente.  Ce  sont  1&  les 
instants  oil  j'aime  a  regarder  au  loin ;  quand  les  formes  s'effacent, 
quand  les  objets  semblent  trembler  dans  la  brume,  quand  mon  imagina- 
tion peut  s'elancer  dans  un  champ  immense  de  conjectures  et  de 
caprices.' — George  Sand,  ' Lettres  d'un  VoyageurS 

'  La  ligne  de  maisons  de  la  Giudecca  qu'interrompt  le  dome  de 
1'eglise  du  Redempteur  ;  la  pointe  de  la  Douane  de  mer  elevant  sa  tour 
carree,  surmontee  de  deux  Hercules  soutenant  une  Fortune  ;  les  deux 
coupoles  de  Santa  Maria  della  Salute,  forment  une  decoupure  merveil- 
leusement  accidentee,  qui  se  detache  en  vigueur  sur  le  ciel  et  fait  le  fond 
du  tableau. 

'  L'ile  de  Saint-Georges- Majeur,  placee  plus  avant,  sert  de  repous- 
soir,  avec  son  eglise,  son  dome  et  son  clocher  de  briques,  diminutif  du 
Campanile,  qu'on  aperfoit  a  droite,  au-dessus  de  1'ancienne  Bibliotheque 
et  du  palais  ducal. 

'  Tous  ces  edifices  baignes  d'ombre,  puisque  la  lumiere  est  derriere 
eux,  ont  des  tons  azures,  lilas,  violets,  sur  lesquels  se  dessinent  en  noir 
les  agres  des  bailments  a  1'ancre  ;  au-dessus  d'eux  eclate  un  incendie  de 
splendeurs,  un  feu  d'artifice  de  rayons  ;  le  soleil  s'abaisse  dans  des 
amoncellements  de  topazes,  de  rubis,  d'amethystes  que  le  vent  fait  couler 


io8  SOUTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 

a  chaque  minute,  en  changeant  la  forme  des  nuages  ;  des  fusees  eblouis- 
santes  jaillissent  entre  les  deux  coupoles  de  la  Salute,  et  quelquefois, 
selon  le  point  oil  Ton  est  place,  la  fleche  de  Palladio  coupe  en  deux  le 
disque  et  1'astre. 

'  Ce  coucher  de  so^il  a  la  lagune  pour  miroir  :  toutes  ces  lueurs, 
tous  ces  rayons,  tous  ces  feux,  toutes  ces  phosphorescences  ruissellent  sur 
le  clapotis  des  vagues  en  etincelles,  en  paillettes,  en  prismes,  en  trainees 
de  flamme.  Cela  reluit,  cela  scintille,  cela  flamboie,  cela  s'agite  dans 
un  fourmillement  lumineux  perpetuel.  Le  clocher  de  Saint-Georges- 
Majeur,  avec  son  ombre  opaque  qui  s'allonge  au  loin,  tranche  en  noir 
sur  cet  embrasement  aquatique,  ce  qui  le  grand  it  d'une  facon  demesuree 
et  lui  donne  1'air  d'avoir  sa  base  au  fond  de  1'abime.  La  decoupure  des 
edifices  semble  nager  entre  deux  ciels  ou  entre  deux  mers.  Est-ce 
1'eau  qui  reflete  le  ciel  ou  le  ciel  qui  reflete  1'eau  ?  L'ceil  hesite  et  tout 
se  confonde  dans  un  eblouissement  general.' — Gautier,  'Italia.' 

Very  near  one  end  of  the  gardens  is  the  Church  of  S. 
J3iagio,  containing  the  tomb  of  the  Admiral  Angelo  Emo 
(1731-1792)  by  Giovanni  Ferrari.  Close  to  this  our 
gondolier  should  turn  up  the  Rio  del  Arsenale,  to  the 
principal  buildings  of  the  Arsenal,1  which,  begun  in  1300,  is 
nearly  two  miles  in  circuit.  Its  battlemented  walls,  pro- 
tected by  fourteen  towers,  are  attributed  to  Andrea  Pisano, 
and  a  beautiful  Gothic  gate  bears  his  name.  The  Renais- 
sance gateway  has  quaint  red  towers.  The  statue  of  S. 
Giustina  is  by  Gir.  Campagna,  and  commemorates  the  Battle 
of  Lepanto,  fought  on  her  festival,  Oct.  7,  1571. 

The  Arsenal  was  the  foundation  of  the  strength  of  Venice, 
and  as  its  ruin  was  the  chief  object  of  an  enemy,  incessant 
surveillance  was  established  there.  In  1428,  a  man  sus- 
pected of  intending  to  set  fire  to  it  for  the  Duke  of  Milan, 
was  dragged  at  a  horse's  tail  by  the  Schiavoni,  and  quartered 
on  the  Piazzetta.  In  1491  three  keepers  of  the  Arsenal  were 
appointed,  who  were  to  remain  thirty-two  months  in  office, 
and,  during  that  time,  were  to  leave  their  own  palaces  and 
inhabit  three  official  houses  called  Paradise,  Purgatorio,  and 
Inferno.  Each  was  to  have  fifteen  days'  guard  in  turn,  and 
during  that  time  was  never  to  leave  the  inclosure. 

1  The  name  of  Arsenal  came  to  this  building  (which  Dante  calls  Arzanii)  from 
the  Arabic  darsanda,  whence  the  Venetian  darsena. 


THE  ARSENAL.  109 

On  either  side  the  entrance  stand  the  two  famous  Lions 
brought  from  Athens  in  1687  by  Doge  Francesco  Morosini. 

'  The  lion,  in  a  sitting  posture,  and  ten  feet  in  height,  stood  on  the 
inner  shore  of  the  Piraeus  harbour,  which  it  seemed  to  guard.  From 
that  statue  the  harbour  itself  derived  the  name  of  Porto  Leone,  which  it 
bore  among  the  Franks  all  through  the  Middle  Ages  and  down  to  our 
own  times.  As  such  it  is  mentioned  by  Lord  Byron  in  "  The  Giaour." 

'  The  second  statue,  also  of  Pentelic  marble,  was  nearly  equal  to  the 
first  in  point  of  art,  but  far  less  good  in  point  of  preservation.  The 
travellers  of  1675  saw  ^  on  ^s  original  base,  a  little  outside  the  city, 
near  the  ancient  "  Sacred  Way."  The  animal  is  represented  as  couch- 
ing and  at  rest  ;  and  Spon  says  that  he  felt  inclined  to  address  it  in  the 
following  words  :  "  Sleep  on,  Lion  of  Athens,  since  the  Lion  of  the 
Harbour  watches  for  thee."  l 

'  Close  observers  must  from  the  first  have  noticed  with  surprise  that 
the  statue  of  the  sitting  lion  bore  around  each  of  its  shoulders,  and  in 
serpentine  folds,  the  remains  of  barbaric  inscriptions.  These  strange 
characters  were  after  a  time  recognised  as  Norwegian  Runes.  Their 
interpretation  is  due  to  M.  Rafnr,  an  antiquary  of  Copenhagen.  I 
reduced  to  straight  lines  the  inscription  on  the  lion's  left  shoulder  is  as 
follows  : 

•  "'  Hakon.  combined  with  Ulf,  with  Asmund,  and  with  Orn,  conquered 
this  port  (the  Piraeus).  These  men  and  Harold  the  Tall 2  imposed  large 
fines,  on  account  of  the  revolt  of  the  Greek  people.  Dalk  has  been 
detained  in  distant  lands.  Egil  was  waging  war,  together  with  Ragnar, 
in  Roumania  and  Armenia." 

'  We  will  now  give  the  inscription  from  the  right  shoulder  of  the 
lion  : 

'  "  Asmund  engraved  these  Runes  in  combination  with  Asgeir,  Thor- 
leif,  Thord,  and  Ivar,  by  desire  of  Harold  the  Tall,  although  the  Greeks 
on  reflection  opposed  it."  ' —  Quarterly  Review. 

The  Armoury  and  Museum  (open  from  9  to  3,  upon 
leaving  your  name)  contains  much  of  interest,  especially  to 
those  conversant  with  naval  affairs.     Ordinary  travellers  will 
notice : 
Lower  Hall : 

Model  of  a  Venetian  house,  showing  the  piles  on  which  it  is  built. 

1  Voyages  de  Spon  et  IVheler,  vol.  ii.  pp.  145  et  177,  ed.  1679. 

a  Harold,  son  of  Sigurd,  called  Hardrada,  or  '  the  Severe."  In  1040  he  overcame 
the  Athenian  insurgents;  and,  in  1042,  dethroned  the  Emperor  Michael  and  pro- 
claimed Zoe  and  Theodora  joint  Empresses  of  Constantinople.  He  succeeded  Magnus 
the  Good  upon  the  throne  of  Norway,  and  on  September  25,  1066,  was  killed  by  an 
arrow  in  battle  at  Stamford  Bridge,  near  York,  whilst  Sghting  against  Harold  the 
Saxon  in  behalf  of  his  brother  Tosti. 


i  io  SOUTH-EASTERN  VENICE. 

Mast  of  the  Bucentaur. 
Model  of  the  Bucentaar. 

The  Bucentaur  was  used  in  the  ceremony  of  wedding  the  Adriatic, 
which  was  enjoined  by  the  gratitude  of  Pope  Alexander  III.  after 
the  victory  of  the  Venetians  under  Doge  Sebastino  Ziani  over  the  fleet 
of  Frederick  Barbarossa,  and  which  thenceforth  annually  proclaimed 
the  naval  supremacy  of  Venice  to  the  world.  This  was"  attended  by 
the  Papal  Nuncio  and  the  whole  of  the  diplomatic  corps,  who,  without 
protest,  every  year  witnessed  the  dropping  of  a  sanctified  ring  into  the 
sea,  with  the  prescriptive  accompaniment :  Desponsamus  te,  mare,  in  sig- 
num.  veri  perpetuique  dominii.  (We  espouse  thee,  sea,  in  sign  of  true  and 
lasting  dominion. ) 

'  The  spouseless  Adriatic  mourns  her  lord  ; 
And,  annual  marriage  now  no  more  renewed, 
The  Bucentaur  lies  rotting  unrestored, 
Neglected  garment  of  her  widowhood  ! 
S.  Mark  yet  sees  his  lion  where  he  stood 
Stand,  but  in  mockery  of  his  withered  power, 
Over  the  proud  Place  where  an  Emperor  sued, 
And  monarchs  gazed  and  envied  in  the  hour 
When  Venice  was  a  queen  with  an  unequalled  dower. ' 

Byron,  '  Childe  Harold. ' 

Upper  Hall : 

Banners  taken  at  Lepanto. 

Monument  and  relics  of  Vittore  Pisani,  1380. 

Armour  of  Sebastiano  Venier,  hero  of  Lepanto,  Oct.  7,  1571. 

Armour  of  Agostino  Barbarigo,  1571. 

Armour  of  Henri  IV.  of  France,  given  by  him  to  the  Republic  in 

1603. 

Armour  of  Doge  Corrtarini. 
Armour  of  Doge  Sebastiano  Ziani,  ob.  1178. 
Armour  of  Gattemelata,  1438. 

Armour  of  Cristoforo  Moro,  given  by  Pope  Pius  II.,  1468. 
Sword  of  Doge  Pesaro. 
Armour  of  Doge  Alvise  Mocenigo. 
Armour  used  in  Torture. 

The  Doge's  Chair,  used  when  he  visited  the  arsenal. 
Beautifully  wrought  Springal,  by  the  son  of  Doge  Pasquale  Cicogna, 

1 6th  century. 
Horse  Armour,  found  at  Aquileja. 

The  Arsenal  of  Venice  furnished  Dante  with  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  similes  for  his  '  Inferno.' 


S.    GIOVANNI  \IN  BR AGORA.  in 

'  Quale  nell'  arzana  de'  Viniziani 
Bolle  1'  inverno  la  tenace  pece 
A  rimpalmar  li  legni  lor  non  sani 

Chi  navicar  non  ponno  ;  e  'n  quella  vece 
Chi  fa  suo  legno  nuovo,  e  chi  ristoppa 
Le  coste  a  quel  che  piu  viaggi  fece  ; 

Chi  ribatte  da  proda,  e  chi  da  poppa ; 
Altri  fa  remi,  e  altri  volge  sarte  ; 
Chi  terzeruolo  ad  artimon  rintoppa  : 

Tal,  non  per  fuoco,  ma  per  divina  arte, 
Bollia  laggiuso  una  pegola  spessa.' — Inf.  xxi.  7-18. 

Close  to  the  Arsenal  is  the  Church  of  S.  Martina, 
formerly  belonging  to  the  Patriarch  of  Grado,  built  by 
J.  Sansovino,  1540-1653.  It  contains  : 

Right,  ewer  the  side  door.  Tomb  of  Doge  Francesco  Erizzo,  by  Matteo 
Camera,  1633.  After  many  years  of  peaceful  reign,  this  Doge  died 
as  he  was  preparing  to  lead  an  expedition  against  the  Turks  in  his  8oth 
year. 

Right  of  High  Altar.  Girolamo  da  Santa  Croce.  The  Resurrection. 
A  Bergamasque  master — one  of  his  early  pictures. 

On  the  Organ  Gallery.     Id.     The  Last  Supper,  1459. 

The  font  has  four  angels  by  Tullio  Lombardo,  1484 — amongst  the 
best  works  of  his  period. 

A  wooden  bridge  and  narrow  calle  lead  to  the  15th- 
century  Church  of  S.  Giovanni  in  Bragora,  originally  built 
by  S.  Magnus,  the  bishop,  in  obedience  to  a  vision  of  the 
Baptist  in  the  first  years  of  Venice.  It  contains  several  very 
fine  pictures  : 

1st  Chapel,  Right.   *  Giovanni  Bellini.     Madonna  and  Child. 

The  perfectly  divine  mother  is  seated  between  two  windows,  through 
which  an  exquisite  landscape  is  seen. 

Paris  Bordone.     Last  Supper. 

Right  Aisle.      Vivarini.     SS.  Martin,  Andrew,  and  Jame*. 

*  Right  of  High  Altar.     Cima  da  Conegliano.     Helena  and  Constan- 

tine. 

*  Apse.     Cima  da  Conegliano.     The  Baptism  of  Christ — one  of  the 

grandest  works  of  the  master,  which  ought  to  be  thoroughly 
studied.  It  can  only  be  properly  seen  by  standing  on  the 
altar.  The  picture  was  badly  restored  in  the  last  century. 
Sansovino  describes  how  the  landscape  is  taken  from 
Conegliano,  the  beloved  native  place  of  the  artist.  This 


112  .SOUTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 

was  probably  painted  in  rivalry  of  Bellini,  who  treated 
the  same  subject  at  Vicenza. 

'  In  the  dignity  of  the  head  of  Christ,  in  the  beauty  of  the  angels, 
and  the  solemn  gestures  of  the  Baptist,  this  picture  is  incomparable.  '— 
Burckhardt. 

Lui°i  Vivarini.  The  Resurrection,  1498. 

'  Here  the  hardness  of  Bartolomvneo  is  mellowed,  partly  through 
the  influence  of  Bellini,  into  a  really  noble  grace  and  fulness. ' — Burck- 
hardl. 

Bart.  Vivarini.     Madonna  and  Saints. 
The  beautiful  Font  is  by  Sansovino. 

In  the  Campo  di  S.  Giovanni  in  Bragora  is  the  fine  old 
Palazzo  Badoer,  of  1310,  inlaid  with  coloured  marbles.  It 
has  been  infamously  modernised. 

'  The  ogeed  arches  of  the  windows  are  more  than  usually  good  ; 
whilst  the  beauty  of  the  central  window,  inclosed  within  a  square  line 
of  moulding,  within  which  the  wall  is  incrusted  with  marble  relieved  by 
medallions,  is  very  great.  The  balconies  of  the  lower  windows  are 
clearly  modern,  but  there  is  a  trace  of  the  original  balustrade  between 
the  shafts  of  the  windows  in  the  second  stage ;  and  in  front  of  the  side- 
lights to  the  upper  window  is  a  grille  of  iron-work  taking  the  place  of 
a  balcony,  and  composed  of  a  combination  of  quatrefoils.  The  arrange- 
ment of  the  windows  in  this  part  is  not  absolutely  regular,  but  still  the 
centre  is  very  marked  ;  and  though  it  is  of  early  date,  the  true  use  of  the 
arch  nowhere  appears.  The  usual  dog-tooth  cornice  finishes  the  walls 
under  the  eaves.' — Street. 

In  the  Riva  degli  Schiavoni,  close  to  the  Ponte  del 
Sepolcro,  is  the  Casa  del  Petrarca,  originally  Palazzo  dei 
Molin,  which  was  given  in  1362  to  Petrarch  by  the  Republic, 
in  gratitude  for  the  gift  of  part  of  the  poet's  library.  The 
neighbouring  Chiesa  delta  Pieta  contains  a  ceiling  with  the 
Triumph  of  Faith,  the  best  fresco  of  Giambattista  Tiepolo, 
and,  behind  the  high  altar,  Christ  in  the  House  of  the 
Pharisee,  a  fine  work  of  Moretto  da  Brescia. 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

NORTH-EASTERN  VENICE. 
THE   NORTH-EASTERN   QUARTER   OF   VENICE. 

IN  a  gondola  to — 

S.  Moise,  S.  Fantino,  S.  Maria  Zobenigo,  S.  Maurizio,  S.  Stefano, 
S.  Luca,  Corte  del  Maltese,  S.  Salvatore,  S.  Giuliano,  S.  Lio,  Palazzo 
clei  Polo,  La  Madonna  dei  Miracoli,  Palazzo  Sanudo,  Palazzo  Bembo, 
Casa  di  Tiziano,  Palazzo  Falier,  S.  Apostoli,  S.  Maria  Gesuiti,  Cappella 
Zen,  S.  Felice,  S.  Fosca,  the  Servi,  the  Misericordia,  La  Madonna  dell' 
Orto,  S.  Giobbe,La  Maddalena. 

r  I  "HOSE  who  are  obliged  to  select  need  only  leave  their 
i  gondolas  at  S.  Stefano  and  S.  Maria  del  Orto,  and 
perhaps  for  the  staircase  in  the  Corte  del  Maltese.  But  this 
excursion  is  one  which  gives  an  admirable  idea  of  the  quiet 
bits  of  beauty  in  the  side  canals,  of  the  marvellous  variety  of  the 
palaces  rising  steeply  from  the  pale  green  water,  of  the  brilliant 
acacias  leaning  over  the  old  sculptured  walls,  of  the  banksia 
roses  falling  over  the  parapets  of  the  little  courts  like  snow- 
drifts, and  of  the  tamarisks  feathering  down  into  the  water, 
which  is  ever  lapping  with  melancholy  cadence  against  what 
Ruskin  calls  'the  sea- stories.'  Travellers  may  often  com- 
plain of  the  weariness  of  the  Venetian  sights,  and  of  their 
being  so  like  one  another.  It  is  quite  true  that  they  are  so, 
but  let  those  who  are  bored  sit  still  in  their  gondolas.  For 
the  sake  of  a  few  gems  many  churches  must  be  visited,  but 
the  gondola  days  afford  many  delightful  memories  for  those 
who  never  do  any  definite  sight-seeing. 

'  Floating  down  narrow  lanes,  where  carpenters,  at  work  with  plane 
and  chisel  in  their  shops,  toss  the  light  shaving  straight  upon  the  water, 
where  it  lies  like  weed,  or  ebbs  away  before  us  in  a  tangled  heap.  Past 

VOL.    II.  I 


ii4  NORTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 

open  doors,  decayed  and  rotten  from  long  steeping  in  the  wet,  through 
which  some  scanty  patch  of  vine  shines  green  and  bright,  making  un- 
usual shadows  on  the  pavement  with  its  trembling  leaves.  Past  quays 
and  terraces,  where  women,  gracefully  veiled,  are  passing  and  repassing, 
and  where  idlers  are  reclining  in  the  sunshine  on  flagstones  and  on 
flights  of  steps.  Past  bridges,  where  there  are  idlers  too,  loitering  and 
looking  over.  Below  stone  balconies,  erected  at  a  giddy  height,  before 
the  loftiest  windows  of  the  loftiest  houses.  Past  plots  of  garden,  theatres, 
shrines,  prodigious  piles  of  architecture, — Gothic — Saracenic — fanciful 
with  all  the  fancies  of  all  times  and  countries.  Past  buildings  that  were 
high  and  low,  and  black  and  white,  and  straight  and  crooked ;  mean 
and  grand,  crazy  and  strong.  Twining  among  a  tangled  lot  of  boats 
and  barges,  and  shooting  out  at  last  into  a  Grand  Canal ! ' — Dickens. 

The  part  of  Venice  we  are  about  to  visit  is  divided  by  a 
wider  canal  than  most  into  the  two  principal  islands  of 
Castello  and  S.  Nicole.  It  is  curious  to  see  how  traces  of  a 
fierce  rivalry,  at  least  350  years  old,  still  appear  in  their 
popular  songs,  e.g.  : 

'  Nu  semo  Castelani  e  tanto  basta, 
E  marciaremo  co  la  fassa  rossa, 
E  marciaremo  co  'I  sigaro  in  boca  : 
Faremo  le  cortelae,  chi  toca,  toca  ! ' 

'  E  semo  Nicoloti  e  tanto  basta, 
E  marciaremo  co  la  fassa  nera. 
La  fassa  negra  e  '1  fiore  su  '1  capelo 
Faremo  le  cortelae  co  quei  de  Castelo.' 

'  Nulle  part  il  n'y  a  plus  de  paroles  et  moins  de  faits,  plus  de  que- 
relles  et  moins  de  rixes.  Les  barcarolles  ont  un  merveilleux  talent  pour 
se  dire  des  injures,  mais  il  est  bien  rare  qu'ils  en  viennent aux  mains.  Deux 
barques  se  rencontrent  et  se  heurtent  a  Tangle  d'un  mur,  par  la  mala- 
dresse  de  1'un  et  1'inattention  de  1'autre.  Les  deux  barcarolles  attendent 
en  silence  le  choc  qu'il  n'est  plus  temps  d'eviter  ;  leur  premier  regard 
est  pour  la  barque  ;  quand  ils  se  sont  assures  1'un  et  1'autre  de  ne  s'etre 
point  endommages,  ils  commencent  a  se  toiser  pendant  que  les  barques 
se  separent.  Alors  commence  la  discussion. — Pourquoi  n'as-tu  pas  crie, 
siastalil — J'ai  crie. — Non. — Si  fait. — Je  gage  que  non,  corpo  di  Bacco. 
— Je  jure  que  si,  sangue  di  Diana. — Mais  avec  quelle  diable  de  voix? — 
Mais  quelle  espece  d'oreilles  as-tu  pour  entendre? — Dis-moi  dans  quel 
cabaret  tu  t'eclaircis  la  voixde  la  sorte. — Dis-moi  dequel  ane  ta  mere  a 
reve  quand  elje  etait  grosse  de  toi. — La  vache  qui  t'a  con9u  aurait  dft 
t'apprendre  k  beugler.— L'anesse  qui  t'a  enfante  aurait  du  te  donner  les 
oreilles  de  ta  famille.— Qu'est-ce  que  tu  dis,  race  de  chien  ?— Qu'est- 


F ANTING.  115 

ce  que  tu  dis,  fils  de  guenon?  Alors  la  discussion  s'anime,  etvatoujours 
s'echauffant  a  mesure  que  les  champions  s'eloignent.  Quand.  ils  ont  mis 
un  ou  deux  ponts  entre  eux,  les  menaces  commencent. — Viens  done  un 
peu  ici,  que  je  te  fasse  savoir  de  quel  bois  sont  faites  mes  rames. — 
Attends,  attends,  figure  de  marsouin,  que  je  fasse  sombrer  ta  coque  de 
noix  en  crachant  dessus. — Si  j'eternuais  aupres  de  ta  coquille  d'ceuf,  je 
la  ferais  voler  en  Pair. — Tagondole  aurait  bon  besoin  d'enfoncer  un  peu 
pour  laver  les  vers  dont  elle  est  rongee. — La  tienne  doit  avoir  des 
araignees,  car  tu  as  vole  le  jupon  de  ta  maitresse  pour  lui  faire  une 
doublure. — Maudite  soit  la  madone  de  ton  traguet  pour  n'avoir  pas 
envoye  la  peste  a  de  pareils  gondoliers  ! — Si  la  madone  de  ton  traguet 
n'etait  pas  la  concubine  du  diable,  il  y  a  longtemps  que  tu  serais  noye. 
— Et  ainsi  de  metaphore  en  metaphore  on  en  vient  aux  plus  horribles 
imprecations ;  mais  heureusement,  au  moment  oil  il  est  question  de 
s'egorger,  les  voix  se  perdent  dans  1'eloignement,  et  les  injures  continuent 
encore  longtemps  apres  que  les  deux  adversaires  ne  s'entendent  plus. ' — 
George  Sand. 

The  first  canal  on  the  right  beyond  the  mole  of  the  Piaz- 
zetta  leads  speedily  to  the  gorgeous  facade  of  the  Church  of 
S.  Motse,  built  by  A.  Tremignan,  1688.  It  contains,  near  the 
entrance,  the  grave  of  Law,  the  originator  of  the  South  Sea 
Bubble,  who  died  here,  1729.  Montesquieu,  who  met  him 
at  Venice,  wrote : 

'  C'etaitlememe  homme,  toujours  1'esprit  occupe  de  projets,  toujours 
la  tete  remplie  de  calculs  et  de  valeurs  numeraires  ou  representatives. 
II  jouait  souvent,  et  assez  gros  jeu,  quoiqile  sa  fortune  fut  fort  mince.' 

Chapel  left  of  Altar.     Palma  Giovane.     The  Last  Supper. 
Tintoretto.     Christ  washing  the  disciples'  feet. 

The  Via  2  2  Marzo  and  the  Calle  delle  Veste  lead  hence 
to  the  Church  of  S.  Fantino.  It  contains  :— 

Right.     Monument  of  the  physician  Parisano   Parisani,   1609,  by 

Ginlio  del  Moro. 
Cappella   Maggiore.     A  work   of  Sansovino,    1533.     Right  wall. 

Lombard  monument  of  Bernardino  Martini.     1518. 
Monument  of  Vinciguerra   Dandolo,  with  a  splendidly  sculptured 

eagle,  1517. 
Giovanni  Bellini.     Holy  Family. 

UAteneo  Veneto,  close  to  the  church,  was  formerly  the 
Scuola  di  S.  Girolamo,  belonging  to  a  confraternity  devoted 
to  the  burial  of  the  dead,  but  through  the  present  century  it 

I  2 


ii6  NORTH-EASTERN   VEMCE. 

has  been  occupied  by  a  literary  and  scientific  academy. 
The  architecture  is  by  Francesco  Contino.  In  the  fagade  is 
a  noble  relief  of  the  Crucifixion  by  Aless.  Vittoria.  The 
upper  halls  are  decorated  with  paintings  by  Tintoret,  Leonardo 
Corona,  Palma  Giovane,  &c.  In  the  Sala  Maggiore  are 
some  fine  busts  by  Aless.  Vittoria.  In  the  hall  of  entrance 
is  the  tomb  of  Santorio  Santorio,  1636,  a  famous  physician, 
brought  from  the  Church  of  the  Send. 

Returning  by  the  Calle  delle  Veste  to  the  Via  22  Marzo, 
and  passing  the  Ponte  delle  Ostriche,  one  reaches  : — 

The  Church  of  S.  Maria  Zobenigo  (or  del  Giglio), 
founded  by  the  extinct  family  of  Zobenico,  in  the  Qth 
century.  The  existing  building  (1680-83)  ^s  due  to  the  muni- 
ficence of  the  Barbaro  family,  four  of  whom  are  represented 
on  the  facade.  It  contains  the  tomb  of  the  procurator 
Giulio  Contarini  by  Aless,  Vittoria,  and  a  statue  of  Christ 
by  Giulio  del  Moro ;  also : 

*2nd  Altar  on  right.  Tintoret.  Christ  with  SS.  Giustina  and 
Agostino. 

'  Christ  appears  to  be  descending  out  of  the  clouds  between  the  two 
saints,  who  are  both  kneeling  on  the  sea-shore.  It  is  a  Venetian  sea, 
breaking  on  a  flat  beach,  like  the  Lido,  with  a  scarlet  galley,  in  the 
middle  distance,  of  which  the  chief  use  is  to  unite  the  two  figures  by  a 
point  of  colour.  Both  the  saints  are  respectable  Venetians  of  the  lower 
class,  in  homely  dress  and  with  homely  faces.  The  whole  picture  is 
quietly  painted,  and  somewhat  slightly  ;  free  from  all  extravagance,  and 
displaying  little  power  except  in  the  general  truth  or  harmony  of  colours 
so  easily  laid  on.  It  is  better  preserved  than  usual,  and  worth  dwelling 
upon  as  an  instance  of  the  style  of  the  master  when  at  rest. ' — Rwkin, 
'Stones  of  Venice,''  vol.  iii. 

Turning  to  the  right,  and  crossing  two  bridges,  we  reach 
the  Church  of  S.  Maurizio,  which  contains  sculptures  by 
Domenico  fadiga.  Near  it  is  the  Scuola  deglt  Albanesi, 
founded  by  Albanian  merchants  in  1447.  The  buildings  are 
of  1500  :  some  curious  reliefs  are  let  into  the  walls. 

Looking  upon  the  same  Campo  is  the  Palazzo  Baffo 
of  the  1 6th  century,  once  covered  with  frescoes  by  Paul 
Veronese,  of  which  few  vestiges  remain.  In  the  neighbour- 


S.   STEP  A  NO.  117 

ing  Calle  del  Dose  is  the  Palazzo  da  Ponte,  built  by  Doge 
Nicolb  da  Ponte  (1578-1585).  This  palace  was  also  adorned 
with  frescoes,  attributed  to  Procacdno. 

The  Church  of  S.  Stefano  was  built  by  Augustinian 
friars,  1294-1320.  Its  handsome  Gothic  door  is  probably 
by  the  Masegne. 

'The  want  of  proper  balance  between  decoration  and  the  thing 
decorated,  and  of  fit  subordination  of  detail  to  general  effect,  becomes 
more  and  more  palpable  as  we  approach  the  period  of  the  Renaissance. 
About  this  Gothic  arch  the  stone  vegetation  is  absolutely  rank,  and  quite 
out  of  proportion  with  the  dimensions  of  the  arch  itself. ' — Perkins's 
1 Italian  Sculptors.'1 

'  The  interior  of  S.  Stefano  is  very  fine  and  unlike  what  is  common 
in  the  North  of  Europe.  The  dimensions  are  very  large.  The  nave  is  about 
48  ft.  wide,  and  the  whole  length  about  170  ft.  There  are  a  cloister  and 
a  chapter-house  north  of  the  nave,  and  a  campanile  detached  at  some 
distance  to  the  east.  The  arcades  of  six  pointed  arches  dividing  the 
nave  from  either  aisle  are  very  light,  and  supported  on  delicate  marble 
columns,  whose  capitals,  with  square  abaci  and  foliage  of  classical  cha- 
racter, hardly  look  like  Gothic  work.  The  masonry  and  mouldings  of 
these  arches  are  not  arranged  in  a  succession  of  orders,  as  is  the  case  in 
almost  all  good  pointed  work,  but  have  a  broad,  plain  soffit,  with  a  small 
and  shallow  moulding  at  the  edge,  finished  with  a  dentil  or  fillet  orna- 
ment, which,  originally  used  by  the  architect  of  S.  Mark's  in  order  to 
form  the  lines  of  constructional  stonework  within  which  his  encrusted 
marbles  were  held,  was  afterwards,  down  to  the  very  decline  of  pointed 
architecture,  used  everywhere  in  Venice, — not  only  in  its  original  posi- 
tion, but,  as  at  S.  Stefano,  in  place  of  a  label  round  the  arch.' — Stre:t. 

In  the  centre  of  the  nave  is  the  slab  tomb  of  Doge 
Francesco  Morosini,  1694,  by  Filippo  Parodi.  This  great 
doge,  distinguished  as  a  general  in  the  defence  of  Candia, 
and  by  the  capture  of  Athens,  which  brought  him  the  name 
of  '  Peloponnesiaco,'  deserved  a  nobler  monument  Making 
the  round  of  the  church  we  see : 

Right  (above  the  tombs  of  Grazioso  GrazioH,  1588),  the  sepulchral 
inscription  of  Jacopo  dal  Verme,  1408,  a  famous  condottiere  in  the 
service  of  Gian  Galeazzo  Visconti,  who  afterwards,  1404,  passed  to  the 
service  of  Venice,  and  was  general  in  the  war  against  Francesco  Novello 
of  Carrara.  He  fell  fighting  against  the  Turks  in  1408. 

Near  the  Entrance  to  the  Sacristy.  An  altar  erected  by  Jacopo 
Suriano,  a  physician  of  Rimini,  where  he  is  represented  kneeling 


ii8  NORTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 

with  his  wife  Eugenia  at  the  feet  of  the  Virgin  and  Child.  i6th 
century. 

Sacristy.  At  the  sides  of  the  altar.  Fruarini,  SS.  Lorenzo  and 
Nicolo. 

Choir.  Reliefs  of  great  beauty  by  Vittore  Camelio.  Bronze  cande- 
labra of  the  school  of  Aless.  Vittoria,  1577.  Before  the  altar  the  grave 
of  the  Archduke  Frederick  of  Austria,  1847. 

Chapel  left  of  High  Altar.  Tomb  of  G.  B.  Ferretti,  a  lawyer  of 
Vicenza,  attributed  to  Sanmicheli,  1557.  It  once  bore  a  noble  bust 
by  Aless.  Vittoria. 

Baptistery.     Statue  of  the  Baptist  by  Ginlio  del  Moro. 

Over  the  Cloister  Door.  Monument  of  Bartolommeo  d'  Alviano,  a 
brave  general  of  the  Republic,  taken  prisoner  by  Louis  XII.,  but  who 
returned  to  be  distinguished  in  many  sieges  and  battles,  1515. 

Cloister.  Dilapidated  frescoes  by  Pordenone.  Fine  Lombard 
doorway  by  Fra  Gabriele,  1532.  Near  the  door  into  the  church  the 
fine  tomb  of  Doge  Andrea  Contarini,  under  whom  the  glorious  victory 
of  Chioggia  was  gained,  corbelled  out  of  the  wall,  1382.  '  MCCCVII. 
Dux  creatus  ;  MCCCLXXXII.  in  coelum  sublatus.' 

'  On  one  wall  of  this  court  are  remains — very  shadowy  remains 
indeed — of  frescoes  painted  by  Pordenone  at  the  period  of  his  fiercest 
rivalry  with  Titian ;  and  it  is  said  that  Pordenone,  while  he  wrought 
upon  the  scenes  of  scriptural  history  here  represented,  wore  his  sword 
and  buckler,  in  readiness  to  repel  an  attack  which  he  feared  from  his 
competitor.  The  story  is  very  vague,  and  I  hunted  it  down  in  divers 
authorities  only  to  find  it  grow  more  and  more  intangible  and  uncertain, 
but  it  gave  a  singular  relish  to  our  daily  walk  through  the  old  cloister.' 
— h 'owe Us. 

Left  of  the  principal  entrance.  The  noble  tomb  of  Jacopo  Suriano 
of  Rimini,  1551.  His  statue  reposes  upon  a  very  rich  urn,  and,  with 
the  bas-relief  of  the  lunette,  and  the  exquisite  surrounding  ornaments, 
is  amongst  the  most  beautiful  specimens  of  the  Lombard  art  of  the 
1 6th  century. 

The  arched  bridge  under  the  choir  (which  is  built  over  a 
canal)  should  be  noticed. 

The  Campo  S.  Stefano  contains  a  modern  statue  of 
Nicolo  Tommaseo  (1802-74),  and  a  number  of  beautiful  old 
buildings.  The  Palazzo  Loredan  (i6th  century),  of  Ionic 
and  Corinthian  architecture — once  adorned  with  frescoes  by 
Giuseppe  Salviati;  the  Palazzo  Morosini  of  the  i6th  cen- 
tury, in  which  the  Doge  Francesco  Morosini,  surnamed 
Peloponnesiaco,  was  born,  and  which  contains  his  bust, 
executed  at  the  cost  of  the  Republic  in  his  lifetime ;  the 


5.   LUC  A,   CORTE  /£>EL  MALTESE.  119 

huge  Palazzo  Pisani,  of  the  i  yth  century ;  and  the  Palazzo 
Baffo,  of  the  i6th  century,  once  covered  with  frescoes  by 
Paul  Veronese.  In  the  calle  which  leads  to  the  Campo 
S.  Samuele  is  a  house  with  a  most  beautiful  parapet,  having 
delicately  carved  devices  in  stone  let  into  each  pinnacle. 

Behind  S.  Stefano  is  the  wide  Campo  S.  Angelo,  which 
once  contained  the  Church  of  S.  Angelo,  destroyed  1838, 
where  Domenico  Cimarosa,  the  musician,  was  buried  in 
1801.  A  little  beyond  is  the  Church  of  S.  Luca,  built  1581, 
which  contains  a  picture  of  S.  Luke  and  the  Virgin  by  Paul 
Veronese.  Here,  with  the  grammarian  Dionisio  Atanigi, 
and  the  historian  Alfonso  Ulloa,  Pietro  Aretino  is  buried. 

'  Sur  le  mur  est  son  portrait,  par  Alvise  dal  Friso,  neveu  et  e'leve  de 
Paul  Veronese  ;  mais  il  n'y  a  aucune  trace  de  sa  sepulture,  qui  probable-, 
ment  aura  disparu  lorsque  1'eglise  fut  refaite,  a  la  fin  du  xvime  siecle. 
Les  cures  de  la  paroisse  se  sont  transmis  de  1'un  a  1'autre  que  1'Aretin, 
pres  de  mourir,  ayant  re9u  1'extreme-onction,  dit  en  riant  ce  vers  que  la 
bouffonnerie  italienne  rend  peut-etre  moins  impie  qu'il  ne  le  parait  : 

'  Guardatemi  da'  topi,  or  che  son  unto. ' —  Valery. 

Opposite  this  church  is  the  Teatro  Rossini,  and  just 
beyond  it  the  Palazzo  Contarini  Mocenigo,  a  fine  Renaissance 
building  of  the  i5th  century.  Close  by  is  the  Calle  delle 
Locande,  in  which,  in  the  courtyard  called  Corte  del  Maltese, 
is  a  beautiful  circular  twisted  staircase  of  the  i5th  century, 
probably  by  one  of  the  Lombardi.  'It  has  continuous 
open  arcades  following  the  rise  of  the  steps,  the  usual 
shafted  balustrade  filling  the  lower  part  of  the  openings  be- 
tween the  columns.'  The  palace  to  which  this  staircase  ap- 
pertained, belonged  originally  to  the  Contarini  del  Bovolo, 
afterwards  to  the  extinct  family  of  Minelli. 

In  the  neighbouring  Campo  S.  Benedetto  is  a  splendid 
half-ruined  Gothic  palace,  once  belonging  to  the  Pesaro 
family.  The  brackets  of  its  balconies,  the  flower-work  on 
its  cornices,  and  the  arabesques  on  the  angles  of  the  bal- 
conies themselves,  deserve  attention.  The  Church  of  S. 
Benedetto,  of  1619,  contains  • — 


120  NORTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 

2nd  Altar,  right.  Bernardo  Strozzi,  called  //  Prete  Genovese,  S. 
Sebastian. 

Near  this,  in  the  Campo  llfam'n,  formerly  .S1.  Paternian, 
is  the  red  house  of  Daniele  Manin  (ob.  1857),  honoured  as 
having  been  instrumental  in  re-establishing  the  independence 
of  Venice  in  1848.  His  statue  by  Luigi  Borro  was  erected 
here  in  1875,  the  Church  of  S.  Paterniano  being  demolished 
to  make  room  for  it  ! 

By  a  narrow  calle,  or  a  winding  canal,  we  reach  the 
Church  of  S.  Salvatore,  built  on  the  site  of  a  church  of  the 
1 2th  century,  in  the  porch  of  which  Pope  Alexander  III.  is 
said  to  have  taken  refuge  for  the  night.  The  facade  is  of 
1663.  The  interior  is  interesting  as  the  work  of  Tullio^ 
one  of  the  great  architect  family  of  the  Lombardi,  of  whom 
Venice  contains  so  many  masterpieces.  It  contains  : 

Right.     2nd  Altar.     Gir.  Campagna.     Madonna  and  Child. 

Jacopo  Sansovino.  The  stately  tomb  of  Doge  Francesco  Venier — 
of  uneventful  reign,  1554-56,  in  a  classic  style,  yet  showing  the  influence 
of  the  Lombard  school.  The  figure  of  the  dead  Doge  is  magnificent. 

yd  Altar.      Titian.     The  Coronation  of  the  Virgin. 

Right  Transept.  Bernardino  Conlino,  1570.  The  tomb  of  the 
famous  Caterina  Cornaro,  who,  born  1454,  married  in  1468  Jacopo 
Lusignano,  King  of  Cyprus,  and  in  1473  was  ^e^  a  widow  with  one 
child,  which  died  soon  after  its  father.  Harassed  by  wars  domestic 
and  foreign,  she  ceded  the  island  of  Cyprus,  the  key  of  Eastern  com- 
merce, to  the  Republic  of  Venice  in  1489,  and  received  the  Castle  of 
Asolo  and  the  right  of  retaining  her  proud  titles  in  recompense.  Treated 
with  the  utmost  distinction  at  Venice,  she  died  there  in  1510. 

Chapel  right  of  High  Altar.  Bonifazio.  The  Martyrdom  of  S. 
Theodore. 

High  Altar.  Titian.  The  Transfiguration.  On  the  altar  a  beau- 
tiful J-ala  d1  Argento  of  1290. 

*  Chapel  left  of  Altar.  Giovanni  Bellini  (sometimes  attributed  to 
Carpaccio).  The  Supper  at  Emmaus. 

The  Organ  Gallery  is  by  Sansovino.  Left  of  the  organ  is  an  altar  by 
Gugl.  Bergamesco,  with  a  figure  of  S.  Jerome  by  Tommaso  Lombardo. 

Close  to  the  church  is  the  Scuola  di  S.  Teodoro,  built 
in  the  i7th  century,  from  designs  of  Giuseppe  Sardi  and 


.    GIULIANO,   S.   LIO. 


121 


at  the  expense  of  one  Jacopo  Galli,  for  the  Confraternity  of 
S.  Teodoro. 

The  Church  of  S.  Giuliano,  a  little  behind  S.  Salvatore, 
was  designed  by  A  less.  Vittoria  and  finished  by  Sansovino 
in  the  i6th  century.  Over  the  entrance  is  a  very  effective 
seated  bronze  statue  of  Tommaso  da  Ravenna  by  Sansovino. 
The  church  contains  : 

1st  Altar,  right.  Paul  Veronese.  Dead  Christ  supported  by 
Angels. 

High  Altar.     Gir.  da  Santa  Croce.     The  Coronation  of  the  Virgin. 

1st  Altar,  left.  Boccacdno  da  Cremona.  The  Virgin  and  four 
Saints — signed. 

Farther  east  is  the  Church  of  S.  Lio  (S.  Leone)  originally 
built  by  the  Badoer  family  and  dedicated  to  Pope  Leo  IX. 
It  was  rebuilt  in  1619,  and  contains  : 

Left,  1st  Altar.      Titian.    S.  James— much  injured  by  restorations. 
Chapel  right  of  High  Altar.     Beautiful  sculptures  in  the  manner  of 
Tullio  Lombardo.     The  pendentives  of  the  cupola  deserve  attention. 

A  few  minutes  in  the  gondola  bring  us  to  the  Church  of 
S.  Gian  (Giovanni)  Crisostomo,  a  work  of  Sebastiano  da 
Lugano  and  Moro  Lombardo  in  1489.  It  contains  : 

*  Right,  1st  Altar.  Ciov.  Bellini,  1513.  SS.  Jerome,  Christopher, 
and  Augustin. 

High  Altar.    Sebastian  del  Piombo.    S.  Chrysostom  and  other  Saints. 

Last  Altar  but  one.  Tullio  Lombardo  (a  relief).  Coronation  of 
the  Virgin. 

In  the  Corte  del  Milione  behind  the  church,  is  the 
Palazzo  del  Polo,  of  the  i2th  century,  with  beautiful  Gothic 
windows,  a  lovely  cross  let  into  the  wall,  and  an  Arabic  door- 
frame. The  details  of  this  house  are  well  worth  study.  It 
was  the  birthplace  of  the  famous  traveller  Marco  Polo,  in 
1259,  and  he  died  here  in  1323.  In  the  Calle  del  Bazatin, 
near  this,  is  a  house  with  a  brick  parapet  with  beautiful 
varied  mouldings,  crested  with  Arabian  ornament. 

Passing  Ponte  di  S.  Gian  Crisostomo,  and  taking  the 
Calle  del  Fruttarol  to  the  right,  and  then  the  Calle  de'  Miracoli, 
one  reaches  the  Church  of  La  Madonna  de  Miracoli,  possess- 


122  NORTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 

ing  the  utmost  individuality.  It  was  built  by  Pietro  Lombardo, 
1484-1489,  and,  one  of  the  most  perfect  specimens  of  his 
style,  is  worthy  of  being  classed  with  the  masterpieces  of 
antiquity.  The  material  is  rich  white  marble,  inlaid  with 
red  and  black.  The  decorations  are  very  rich  and  deli- 
cately executed.  The  interior  is  also  by  Pietro  Lombardo  : 
the  proportions  of  the  balustrade  and  other  decorations 
of  the  Cappella  Maggiore  deserve  the  minute  attention  of 
architects.  The  statues  of  SS.  Francesco  and  Chiara  are 
by  Gir.  Campagna. 

'  It  seems  almost  incredible  that  eight  years  sufficed  for  the  construc- 
tion and  ornamentation  of  this  church,  which  is  one  of  the  most  elaborate 
examples  of  Renaissance  architecture.  Without  and  within,  its  walls, . 
doorways,  and  pilasters  are  covered  with  leaves,  flowers,  birds,  .and 
strange  creatures  born  of  a  fancy  wayward  but  even  logical  in  its  deduc- 
tions from  nature,  not  carelessly  carved,  but  conscientiously  worked 
out  in  every  detail  with  equal  taste  and  skill.  The  rich  balustrades  of 
the  staircase  leading  to  the  chapel  of  the  Sanctuary  are  adorned  with 
small  half-figures  of  the  Virgin,  the  Angel  of  the  Annunciation,  S. 
Francis,  and  S.  Chiara,  and  the  pilasters  and  panels  about  it  are  filled 
with  ornaments  inspired  by  but  not  copied  from  the  antique.' — Perkins's 
f  Italian  Sculptors.' 

One  should  follow  the  calle  at  the  side  of  the  church, 
and  cross  the  bridge  of  S.  Maria  Nova  to  admire  the  apse 
and  campanile,  executed  by  Pietro  Lombardo  between  1484 
and  1489. 

The  Palazzo  Sanudo  near  this  is  a  noble  Gothic  14th- 
century  palace  with  Byzantine  cornices  and  fragments,  espe- 
cially in  its  inner  court.  Its  door  is  quite  perfect, '  retaining 
its  wooden  valve  richly  sculptured,  its  wicket  for  examination 
of  the  stranger  demanding  admittance,  and  its  quaint  knocker 
in  the  form  of  a  fish.'  The  house  was  the  residence  of 
Marino  Sanudo,  1466-1535,  who  wrote  fifty-six  folio  volumes 
on  the  history  of  Venice  and  the  world. 

In  the  Campo  di  S.  Maria  Nuova  is  the  Palazzo  Bembo, 
on  the  front  of  which  is  a  niche  with  a  figure  bearing  a 
sundial,  erected,  as  an  inscription  tells,  by  Giammatteo 
Bembo  (1491-1570),  in  memory  of  his  friends  Paolo  Giovio 


CASA   DI  TIZIANOl  PALAZZO  FALIER.      123 

and  Sebastiano  Miinster.  Close  by,  converted  into  a  maga- 
zine, is  the  Church  of  S.  Maria  Nova  (1536),  where  Doge 
Nicolo  Contarini  was  buried  in  1631.  A  little  farther  is  the 
Campo  di  Tiziano,  where  the  House  of  Titian,  which  he 
inhabited  from  1531  to  1576,45  marked  by  an  inscription. 

'  This  house,  which  is  now  hemmed  in  by  larger  buildings  of  later 
date,  had  in  the  painter's  time  an  incomparably  "lovely  and  delightful 
situation.  "  Standing  near  the  northern  boundary  of  the  city,  it  looked 
out  over  the  lagoon,  across  the  quiet  isle  of  sepulchres,  San  Michele, 
across  the  smoking  chimneys  of  the  Murano  glass-works,  and  ihe  bell- 
towers  of  her  churches,  to  the  long  line  of  the  sea-shore  on  the  right, 
and  to  the  mainland  on  the  left  ;  and  beyond  the  nearer  lagoon  islands 
and  the  faintly  pencilled  outlines  of  Torcello  and  Buraiio  in  front,  to  the 
sublime  distance  of  the  Alps,  shining  in  silver  and  purple,  and  resting 
their  snowy  heads  against  the  clouds.  It  had  a  pleasant  garden  of 
flowers  and  trees,  into  which  the  painter  descended  by  an  open  stairway, 
and  in  which  he  is  said  to  have  studied  the  famous  tree  in  the  Death  of 
Peter  Martyr.  Here  he  entertained  the  great  and  noble  of  his  day,  and 
here  he  feasted  and  made  merry  with  the  gentle  sculptor  Sansovino, 
and  with  their  common  friend  the  rascal  poet  Aretino.  ^— 


Returning  a  little,  we  enter  the  Campo,  which  contains 
the  Church  of  S.  Canciano  of  the  iyth  century. 

Turning  to  the  right  by  the  Ponte  di  S.  Canciano  and  by 
the  Campiello  della  Cason,  one  reaches  the  Campo  dei 
SS.  Apostoli. 

Near  this,  on  the  Rio  dei  SS.  Apostoli,  is  the  Palazzo 
Fatter,  containing  some  portions  of  the  house  of  Marino 
Faliero,  beheaded  1355.  The  beautiful  Byzantine  window 
is  of  the  1  3th  century. 

'But  for  this  range  of  windows,  the  little  Piazza  SS.  Apostoli  would 
be  one  of  the  least  picturesque  in  Venice  ;  to  those,  however,  who  seek 
it  on  foot,  it  becomes  geographically  interesting  from  the  extraordinary 
involution  of  the  alleys  leading  to  it  from  the  Rialto.  It  is  only  with 
much  patience,  and  modest  following  of  the  guidance  of  the  marble 
thread  beneath  his  feet,  that  the  pedestrian  will  at  last  emerge  over  a 
steep  bridge  into  the  open  space  of  the  Piazza,  rendered  cheerful  in 
autumn  by  a  perpetual  market  of  pomegranates,  and  purple  gourds,  like 
enormous  black  figs  ;  while  the  canal,  at  its  extremity,  is  half  blocked 
up  by  barges  laden  with  vast  baskets  of  grapes  as  black  as  charcoal, 
thatched  over  with  their  own  leaves. 

'  Looking  back,  on  the  other  side  of  the  canal,   he  will  see  the 


124  NORTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 

windows  and  the  arcade  of  pointed  arches  beneath  them,  which  are  the 
remains  of  the  palace  of  Marino  Faliero.  The  balcony  is,  of  course, 
modern,  and  the  series  of  windows  has  been  of  greater  extent,  once 
terminated  by  a  pilaster  on  the  left  hand,  as  well  as  on  the  right,  but 
the  terminal  arches  have  been  walled  up.  What  remains,  however,  is 
enough,  with  its  sculptured  birds  and  dragons,  to  give  a  very  distinct 
idea  of  the  second  order  window  in  its  perfect  form.' — Ruskin,  '•Stones 
of  Venice  J  ii.  vii. 

Close  by  is  the  Scuola  delP  Angela  Custode,  of  the 
1 8th  century,  containing  a  Christ  in  Benediction,  by  Titian. 
The  building  is  now  used  as  a  German  Protestant  chapel. 

The  feeble  Church  of  the  SS.  Apostoli,  with  a  campanile 
by  Andrea  Tirali,  1672,  contains  : 

Right.  The  Cappella  Corner  ( Cornaro),  a  very  beautiful  reproduc- 
tion of  the  Lombard  style  in  1510  by  Gugl.  Bergamesco.  It  contains 
the  16th-century  monuments  of  Marco  and  Giorgio  Corner,  the 
father  and  uncle  of  Caterina,  Queen  of  Cyprus,  who  induced  her  to 
renounce  her  kingdom  in  favour  of  the  Republic. 

Left  of  High  Altar.     Paul  Veronese.     The  Descent  of  the  Manna. 

At  the  end  of  this  canal  to  the  east  is  the  Church  of  S. 
Maria  del  Gesuiti  (or  S.  Maria  Assunta),  due  externally  to 
Giambattista  Fattoretto,  and  internally  to  Domenico  Rossi, 
I7I5~3°-  It  contains  : 

Chapel  right  of  High  Altar.  Tomb  of  Orazio  Farnese,  distinguished 
in  the  Battle  of  the  Dardanelles  (1654). 

Hi^h  Altar.  A  curious  work  of  the  Carmelite  father,  Giuseppe 
Pozzo. 

Chapel  left  of  High  Altar.  Tomb  of  Doge  Pasquale  Cicogna, 
1585-95,  builder  of  the  Bridge  of  Rialto,  by  Girolamo  Camfagna. 

Following  Altar.     J.  Tintoretto.     The  Assumption. 

Last  Altar.  Titian.  The  Martyrdom  of  S.  Laurence.  Spoilt  by 
time  and  restoration. 

Entrance  Wall.  Tomb  of  the  procurators  Priamo,  Giovanni,  and 
Andrea  Lezze,  of  the  I7th  century. 

The  patriot,  Daniele  Manin,  is  buried  here,  the  church 
having  been  rebuilt  in  1715  by  the  liberality  of  his  family. 
After  being  imprisoned  by  the  Austrians,  he  was  released  by 
the  people,  and  became  their  heroic  leader,  driving  out 
the  Austrian  Marshal,  and  proclaiming  the  Republic  at 
the  Piazza.  In  less  than  a  year  the  city  was  besieged, 
but  only  capitulated  when  all  its  supplies  were  at  an  end. 


CAPPELLA   ZEN,   S.   FELICE.  125 


Manin  was  exiled  aim  supported  himself  by  giving  lessons 
in  Italian  at  Paris,  where  he  died  and  whence  his  body 
was  brought  back  in  state  when  Venice  was  finally  evacu- 
ated by  the  Austrians. 

In  the  Campo  de'  Gesuiti,  opposite  the  church,  and 
attached  to  the  Scuola  de1  Crociferi,  is  the  Cappella  Zen,  some- 
times called  Oratorio  di  SS.  Filippo  e  Luigi,  or  Chiesa  dell1 
Ospedaletto.  It  is  entered  by  a  gothic  portal  surmounted  by 
a  bas-relief  of  the  Virgin  and  Child,  to  whom  a  kneeling 
pilgrim  is  presenting  a  model  of  the  church,  and  a  book. 
The  interior  has  a  good  pannelled  ceiling  with  an  Assump- 
tion by  Palma  Giovane  in  the  centre.  The  pictures  round 
the  walls  are  also,  for  the  most  part,  by  Palma  Giovane, 
though  those  of  the  Flagellation  and  Deposition  have 
been  recently  ascribed  to  Tintoret.  They  are  : — 

Left  Wall.  I.  Doge  Pasquale  Cicogna  hearing  mass  in  a  senator's 
robe.  2.  The  same  Doge  receiving  the  news  of  his  promotion  to  the 
ducal  dignity.  3.  The  same  Doge  visiting  this  church. 

Ltft  of  Altar.  Pope  S.  Clement  instituting  the  Order  of  the  Crociferi. 
Left  of  Altar.  Pope  Paul  IV.  giving  the  ambassador  of  Venice  a  brief 
for  the  Crociferi. 

Right  Wall.     The  Flagellation.     The  Deposition. 

Wall  opposite  the  Altar.  The  Saviour  in  glory,  with  Doge  Raniero 
Zen  and  his  wife  granting  the  privileges  of  the  Hospice. 

Near  this,  on  the  Fondamenta  Zen,  is  the  Palazzo  Zen,  of 
1531.  Further  down  the  Fondamenta  is  the  Collegia  Marco 
Foscarini,  occupying  the  old  monastery  of  S.  Catherine.  In 
the  church  is  : — 

High  Altar.  Paul  Veronese.  The  Marriage  of  S.  Catherine. 
An  important  work  of  the  artist. 

At  the  sides  of  the  Choir.  Tintoret.  Six  pictures  of  the  Life  of 
S.  Catherine. 

At  the  end  of  the  Fondamenta  we  may  cross  the  Ponte 
Molin,  and  then  the  Ponte  Priuli,  and  follow  the  new  Via 
Vittorio  Emanuele  to  the  Church  of  S.  Felice,  founded  960, 
and  rebuilt  1551-56  in  the  style  of  the  Lombardi.  It 
contains  : 


126  NORTH-EASTERN  VENICE. 

Right,  yd  Altar.  Tintoretto.  S.  Demetrio  and  a  Suppliant  of  the 
Ghisi  Family. 

High  Altar.  Domenico  Cresti  da  Passignano.  The  Redeemer, 
with  S.  Felix  and  two  Suppliants.  Statues  of  Faith  and  Charity  by 
Giulio  del  Moro. 

Over  the  door  of  the  Sacristy.  An  inscription  commemorating  the 
baptism  of  Clement  XIII.  (Carlo  Rezzonico)  in  this  church,  March 
39, 


To  the  right  of  the  neighbouring  Ponte  di  Pasqualigo, 
rises  the  beautiful  15th-century  front  of  the  Palazzo  Gio- 
vanelli,  supposed  to  be  the  work  of  Filippo  Calendario. 
A  few  steps  distant  is  the  Campo  di  S.  Fosca,  where,  behind 
the  apse  of  the  church,  beyond  the  Rio,  we  see  the  fagade 
of  a  Palazzo  Vendramin  of  the  i5th  century,  with  a 
beautiful  portal.  The  Church  of  S.  Fosca,  built  1679,  has 
nothing  of  interest  except  its  15th-century  campanile.  The 
painter,  Bernardo  Strozzi,  'II  Prete  Genovese,'  was  buried 
in  this  church.  Crossing  the  Ponte  di  S.  Antonio,  we 
may  see  the  Church  of  La  Maddalena,  built  by  Tommaso 
Temenza  1750-55.  Returning  to  the  Campo  di  S.  Fosca 
and  crossing  the  Ponte  senza  Parapetti,  we  should  turn  to 
the  left  along  the  Fondamenta  beyond  the  Ponte  Diedo, 
where  Fra  Paolo  Sarpi,  the  great  Venetian  theologian, 
lawyer,  and  metaphysician,  was  stabbed  as  he  was  returning 
from  S.  Marco  to  his  own  convent  of  the  Servi,  October  3, 
1607. 

At  the  head  of  the  Fondamenta  are  the  ruins  of  the 
magnificent  Church  of  the  Servi,  demolished  in  1812,  con- 
sisting chiefly  of  the  wall  surrounding  the  Istituto  Canal, 
and  of  two  gateways.  The  destruction  of  this  church,  which 
dated  from  1330,  has  been  the  greatest  injury  inflicted  upon 
Venice  in  the  present  century.  It  contained  the  tombs  of 
Doge  Vendramin,  now  in  SS.  Giovanni  e  Paolo  ;  of  Doge 
Francesco  Dona,  destroyed  with  the  exception  of  the  statue, 
which  is  preserved  at  Maren  near  Conegliano  ;  of  Verde 
della  Scala,  now  at  SS.  Giovanni  e  Paolo  ;  of  Giovanni 
Emo,  General  of  the  Republic  (1483),  destroyed  except  the 
statue,  which  is  now  in  the  museum  at  Vicenza  ;  and  of 


LA   MADONNA   DELL    ORTO.  127 

Admiral  Angelo  Emo,  now  at  S.  Biagio.  Here  also,  amongst 
other  illustrious  monks,  was  buried  Fra  Paolo  Sarpi,  whose 
ashes  were  transported  to  S.  Michele  of  Murano. 

Close  to  the  ruins  of  the  church  is  the  Scuola  del  Volto 
Santo,  built,  in  1360,  by  Lucchese  established  at  Venice, 
and  decorated  in  1370  with  a  representation  of  the  story  of 
the  Volto  Santo  at  Lucca,  by  Nicolo  Semitecolo. 

Returning  to  the  Ponte  senza  Parapetti,  and  turning  to 
the  left,  we  find  the  Church  of  S.  Marziale,  dating  from  1 133, 
but  rebuilt  1693-1721.  It  contains  : — 

Left,  1st  Altar.      Titian.     Tobias  and  the  Angel. 

The  Festa  of  S.  Marziale  (July  i)  was  always  celebrated 
by  the  Republic,  being  the  anniversary  of  three  of  its  famous 
victories. 

Crossing  the  neighbouring  Ponte  di  S.  Marziale,  and 
turning  to  the  right  by  the  Fondamenta  della  Misericordia 
as  far  as  the  bridge,  then  turning  to  the  left,  and  crossing 
the  wooden  bridge  of  the  Abbazia,  we  reach  the  Abbazia 
della  Misericordia,  dating  from  the  loth  century,  but 
modernised. 

The  district  is  called  Fondamenta  dei  Mori,  from  having 
been  the  residence  of  three  brothers  Rioba,  who  came  from 
the  Morea,  and  were  on  that  account  vulgarly  called  Mori. 
Their  palace  is  adorned  with  a  spirited  relief  of  a  Moor  lead- 
ing a  laden  camel.  At  the  angle  of  the  wall  is  a  figure 
regarded  as  the  Pasquino  of  Venice — Sior  Antonio  Rioba, 
the  predecessor  of  Pantaloon,  for 

'  The  Planter  of  the  Lion  of  S.  Mark,  the  standard  of  the  Republic, 
is  the  real  origin  of  the  word  Pantaloon — Piantaleone,  Pantaleon, 
Pantaloon.' — JSyron,  Notes  to  '  Childe  Harold.^ 

It  was  in  this  building  that  the  famous  artist,  Jacopo 
Robusti,  called  II  Tintoretto,  lived  and  worked,  and  here 
he  died,  May  31,  1594. 

Close  by  rises  the  Church  of  La  Madonna  dell*  Orto. 
Originally  built  in  honour  of  S.  Cristoforo,  by  Fra  Tiberio 
da  Parma,  who  died  in  1371,  its  dedication  was  changed 


128  NORTH-EASTERN  VENICE. 

after  the  discovery  of  a  rude  image  of  the  Virgin  in  a  neigh- 
bouring kitchen  garden  in  1377.  In  1399  the  church  was 
almost  rebuilt,  and  its  facade  was  added  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  1 5th  century,  and  is  attributed  to  Bartolommeo 
Bon  :  the  statues  are  certainly  his.  Since  a  recent  restora- 
tion, an  attempt  has  been  made  to  revive  the  old  name  of 
S.  Cristoforo. 

'The  doorway  and  rose  windows  are  of  red  and  white  marble,  and 
in  the  side  windows  the  tracery  and  monials  are  of  white  marble,  and 
the  jambs  alternately  red  and  white.  The  rest  of  the  wall  is  brick,  but 
has  been  plastered  and  washed  with  pink.  The  windows  at  the  end  of 
the  aisles  are  remarkable  for  transoms  of  tracery  supported  upon  two 
heights  of  delicate  marble  shafts,  and  entirely  independent  of  the 
glazing  that  is  fixed  in  frames  within  them.  This  kind  of  arrangement, 
incongruous  and  unsatisfactory  as  it  is  here,  is  worth  recollecting,  as 
being  suggestive  of  an  obvious  opening  for  the  use  of  traceried  windows 
in  domestic  work ;  and  it  is  a  plan  of  most  frequent  occurrence  in  the 
best  Italian  ecclesiastical  architecture. ' — Street, 

To  see  this  church  well  it  should  be  visited  after  2  P.M. 
The  interior  is  very  handsome.  It  is  almost  entirely  of 
brick.  Luigi  Orsini,  strangled  in  prison  by  order  of  the 
Republic,  after  his  murder  of  Vittoria  Accoramboni,  is  buried 
in  this  church.  Here  also  rest  Alessandro  Leopardi,  Ranusio 
the  geographer,  and  Tintoretto,  with  his  family. 

'J'ai  regrette  de  ne  point  trouver  de  traces  du  tombeau  du  Tintoret 
et  de  celui  de  Marietta  Robusti,  sa  fille  et  son  eleve,  qu'il  cut  la  dou- 
leur  de  perdre  dans  un  age  peu  avance  ;  Marietta,  grand  peintre  de  por- 
traits, etait  encore  celebre  par  les  graces  de  sa  personne  et  ses  talens 
comme  musicienne  et  cantatrice,  talens  qu'elle  devait  aux  lecons  du 
Napolitain  Jules  Zacchino,  le  Cimarosa  de  son  temps  ;  invitee  a  se  rendre 
a  la  cour  de  Philippe  II.,  de  1'empereur  Maximilien,  et  de  1'archiduc 
Ferdinand,  son  pere  ne  put  jamais  se  separer  de  la  fille  dont  il  etait  si 
fier  ;  il  la  mariaaun  joaillier  Venitien,  homme  debon  sens,  desinteresse, 
et  qui  preferait  que  sa  femme  fit  le  portrait  de  ses  confreres  ou  de  ses 
amis  au  lieu  de  peindre  les  riches  et  les  grands.  La  mort  de  Marietta 
fut  a  Venise  une  perte  publique,  et  Tintoret  voulut  qu'elle  reposal  a  Ste 
Marie  dell'  Orto,  au  milieu  de  ses  propres  chefs-d'oeuvre,  qu'il  semblait 
en  quelque  sorte  lui  consacrer.' — Valery. 

The  church  contains  : — 

*Right  Aisle.  \st  Altar.  Cima  da  Conegliano.  The  Baptist 
between  SS.  Mark  and  Peter,  and  SS.  Jerome  and  Paul.  Behind,  a 


LA    MADONNA   DELL'   ORTO.  129 

tree  stands  out  against  a  clear  sky — beautiful  drawing  of  the  leaves  and 
branches,  also  of  the  flowers  in  the  foreground. 

'  The  type  of  S.  John  the  Baptist  was,  perhaps,  the  best  adapted  to 
the  genius  of  Cima,  who  has  not  only  surpassed  himself  in  it,  but  in  the 
conception  of  the  character  has  left  the  greatest  painters  of  the  age — 
Titian  and  Raffaelle  included — far  behind  him.  Cima's  superiority  in 
this  respect  must  be  admitted  by  all  who  see  this  his  chef-d'oeuvre,  in 
which  the  spare  form  of  the  Baptist  is  represented  clothed  in  a  garment 
of  camel's  hair,  his  visage  pale  and  hollow,  and  his  eyes  ecstatically 
raised  towards  heaven ;  he  is  mounted  on  a  sort  of  pedestal,  around 
which  are  ranged  S.  Mark,  S.  Jerome,  S.  Peter,  with  his  inspired  look, 
S.  Paul,  grasping  with  an  air  of  authority  the  sword  of  the  Word  ;  the 
whole  forming  a  group  which  will  bear  comparison  with  the  most  perfect 
productions  of  Christian  Art  in  Venice. '  —Rio. 

This  beautiful  picture  is  framed  in  an  altar  by  Leopardi. 
%rd  Altar.     Sansovino.     Statue  of  the  Madonna. 
Tomb  of  Girolamo  Gavazza,  ambassador  from  the  Republic  to  Spain, 
1681. 

4/A  Altar.     Daniel  Vandyke.     Martyrdom  of  S.  Lorenzo. 

On  right  wall  near  the  end.     Palma  Vecchio.     A  group  of  saints. 

'  St.  Vincent  stands  in  the  centre  on  a  kind  of  platform  :  he  is  habited 
in  the  deacon's  robe,  here  of  a  deep  glowing  red,  richly  embroidered  ; 
he  holds  the  palm,  and  has  no  other  attribute  ;  the  face  is  divinely 
beautiful — mild,  refined,  and  elevated  to  a  degree  uncommon  in  the 
Venetian  school.  Four  saints  stand  around  him  ;  St.  Helen  with  her 
cross,  a  Dominican  (I  think  St.  Vincent  Ferrer),  a  pope,  and  a  martyr- 
saint  whom  I  cannot  name.  This  picture  is  almost,  if  not  quite,  equal 
to  the  famous  S.  Barbara  of  the  same  artist.' — Jamesoits  '  Sacred  Art,'' 
«•  553- 

Cappella  di  S.  Mauro.  At  the  foot  of  the  Altar  is  the  gravestone 
of  Giovanni  de  Sanctis,  1392,  a  sculptor,  who  executed  the  Madonna 
over  the  door.  The  beautiful  figure  in  low  relief  is  probably  from 
his  own  hand.  On  the  left  of  that  of  De  Sanctis  is  the  gravestone  which 
originally  covered  the  ashes  of  Tintoret  and  his  family. 

In  Sacristy.  Gaspare  Morazzone.  The  head  of  S.  Christopher  (be- 
cause his  knee-cap  is  a  relic  over  one  of  the  altars).  A  curious  set  of 
pictures  of  the  saints  of  Venice  are  preserved  here. 

Chapel  right  of  High  Altar.  Gir.  Santa  Croce.  SS.  Augustine  and 
Jerome. 

Apse.     Flat  tomb  of  Giovanni  Grimani,  1512. 

Tintoret,  Worship  of  the  Golden  Calf. 

*ld.     The  Last  Judgment. 

'  By  Tintoret  only  has  this  unimaginable  event  been  grappled  with 
in  its  verity  ;  not  typically  nor  symbolically,  but  as  they  may  see  it  who 
VOL.    II.  K 


1 3o  NORTH-EASTERN    VENICE. 

shall  not  sleep,  but  be  changed.  Only  one  traditional  circumstance  he 
has  received  with  Dante  and  Michelangelo,  the  Boat  of  the  Con- 
demned ;  but  the  impetuosity  of  his  mind  bursts  out  even  in  the  adop- 
tion of  this  image  ;  he  has  not  stopped  at  the  scowling  ferryman  of  the 
one,  nor  at  the  sweeping  blow  and  demon-dragging  of  the  other,  but, 
seized  Hylas-like  by  the  limbs,  and  tearing  up  the  earth  in  his  agony, 
the  victim  is  lashed  into  his  destruction ;  nor  is  it  the  sluggish  Lethe, 
or  the  fiery  lake  that  bears  the  cursed  vessel,  but  the  oceans  of  the 
earth,  and  the  waters  of  the  firmament  gathered  into  one  white,  ghastly 
cataract ;  the  river  of  the  wrath  of  God,  roaring  down  into  the  gulf 
where  the  world  has  melted  with  its  fervent  heat,  choked  with  the  ruin 
of  nations,  and  the  limbs  of  its  corpses  tossed  out  of  its  whirling,  like 
water-wheels.  Bat-like,  out  of  the  holes  and  caverns  and  shadows  of 
the  earth,  the  bones  gather,  and  the  clay  heaps  heave,  rattling  and 
adhering  into  half-kneaded  anatomies,  that  crawl,  and  startle,  and 
struggle  up  among  the  putrid  weeds,  with  the  clay  clinging  to  their 
clotted  hair,  and  their  heavy  eyes  sealed  by  the  earth  darkness  yet,  like 
him  of  old  who  went  his  way  unseeing  to  the  Siloam  Pool  ;  shaking  off 
one  by  one  the  dreams  of  the  prison-house,  hardly  hearing  the  clangour 
of  the  trumpets  of  the  armies  of  God,  blinded  yet  more,  as  they  awake, 
by  the  white  light  of  the  new  Heaven,  until  the  great  vortex  of  the  four 
winds  bear  up  their  bodies  to  the  judgment-seat :  the  firmament  is  all 
full  of  them,  a  very  dust  of  human  souls,  that  drifts,  and  floats,  and  falls 
in  the  interminable,  inevitable  light ;  the  light  clouds  are  darkened  with 
them  as  with  thick  snow,  currents  of  atom  life  in  the  arteries  of  heaven, 
now  soaring  up  slowly,  and  higher  and  higher  still,  till  the  eye  and  the 
thought  can  follow  no  farther,  borne  up,  wingless,  by  their  inward  faith 
and  by  the  angel  powers  invisible,  now  hurled  in  countless  drifts  of 
horror  before  the  breath  of  their  condemnation. ' — Rnskin,  '  Modern 
Painters  J  ii.  172. 

Palma  Giovane.  The  Annunciation — all  the  other  pictures  by  Tin- 
toretto. 

Left  Aisle,  2nd  Chapel  (Cappella  Contarini).  Tintoret.  The 
Miracle  of  S.  Agnes. 

Before  the  Altar.  Tomb  of  Vincenzo  Contarini,  Ambassador  of  the 
Republic  to  England.  The  busts  of  Tommaso,  General  against  the 
Turks,  1578,  and  of  Cardinal  Gaspare,  1542,  are  by  Aless.  Vittoria. 

'  Ce  dernier  buste  est  considere  comme  1'un  des  plus  beaux,  et  le 
sentiment  eleve  qui  guidait  le  ciseau  des  sculpteurs  de  1'antiquite  semble 
animer  1' artiste  dans  cette  ceuvre  digne  de  1'art  grec. ' —  Yriarte. 

In  the  middle  of  the  Pavement.  The  grave  of  Marco  de'  Vescovi, 
father-in-law  of  Tintoret,  and  his  children  Domenico  and  Marietta. 

*yd  Chapel.  D.  Tintoret.  Presentation  of  the  Virgin.  The  stair- 
case introduced  in  this  picture  is  thoroughly  Venetian,  and  the  effect  of 
the  figures  in  shadow  admirable. 


GIOBBE.  131 

Palma  Giovane.     The  Crucifixion. 

4M  Chapel.     Dom.  Tintoretto.     The  Nativity. 

tyh  Chapel.  Giov.  Bellini.  Madonna  and  Child,  painted  with  a 
rich  background  of  gilt  stamped  leather.  The  head  of  the  Madonna  is 
the  only  beautiful  part  of  this  picture,  which  is  in  the  first  manner  of 
the  artist. 

Lorenzo  Lotto.     Pieta. 

Artists  will  not  fail  to  admire  the  expanse  of  the  shallow 
lagoon  behind  the  Madonna  del  Orto. 

'  Devant  cette  plaine  de  lumiere,  toutes  les  contrarietes,  tous  les 
mecomptes  s'oublient.  On  ne  se  lasse  pas  de  la  mer,  de  1'horizon  in- 
fini,  des  petites  bandes  lointaines  de  terre  qui  emergent  sous  une  verdure 
douteuse.  Un  vent  leger  ride  les  flaques  luisantes,  et  les  petites  ondula- 
tions  viennent  mourir  a  chaque  instant  sur  le  sable  uni.  Le  soleil 
couchant  pose  sur  elles  des  teintes  pourprees  que  le  renflement  de  1'onde 
tantot  assombrit,  tantot  fait  chatoyer.  Dans  ce  mouvement  continu, 
tous  les  tons  se  transforment  et  se  fondent.  Les  fonds  noiratres  ou 
couleur  de  brique  sont  bleuis  ou  verdis  par  la  mer  qui  les  couvre  ;  selon 
les  aspects  du  ciel,  1'eau  change  elle-meme,  et  tout  cela  se  mele  parmi 
des  ruissellements  de  lumiere,  sous  des  semis  d'or  qui  paillettent  les  • 
petits  flots,  sous  des  tortillons  d'argent  qui  frangent  les  cretes  de  1'eau 
tournoyante,  sous  de  larges  lueurs  et  des  eclairs  subits  que  la  paroi  d'un 
ondoiement  renvoie.  Le  domaine  et  les  habitudes  de  1'ceil  sont  trans- 
formes  et  renouveles.  Le  sens  de  la  vision  rencontre  un  autre  monde. 
Au  lieu  des  teintes  fortes,  nettes,  seches  des  terrains  solides,  c'est  un 
miroitement,  un  amollissement,  un  eclat  incessant  de  teintes  fondues  qui 
font  un  second  ciel  aussi  lumineux,  mais  plus  divers,  plus  changeant, 
plus  riche  et  plus  intense  que  1'autre,  forme  de  tons  superposes  dont 
1'alliance  est  une  harmonic.'—  7 ^aine. 

'  Yonder  square  white  house,  standing  out  to  sea,  fronting  Murano 
and  the  Alps,  they  call  the  Casa  degli  Spiriti.  No  one  cares  to  inhabit 
it ;  for  here,  in  old  days,  it  was  the  wont  of  the  Venetians  to  lay 
their  dead  for  a  night's  rest  before  their  final  journey  to  the  graveyard 
of  S.  Michele.  So  many  generations  of  dead  folk  had  made  that  house 
their  inn,  that  it  is  now  no  fitting  house  for  living  men. ' — jf.  A.  Symonds. 

Either  by  the  lagoon,  or  by  the  Grand  Canal,  we  may 
reach  the  Canareggio,  at  the  east  end  of  which  is  the  Church 
of  S.  Giobbe,  built  1462-1471,  and  very  rich  in  ornament. 

.  '  The  portal  is  surmounted  by  a  round  arch,  and  has  a  broad  archi- 
trave, which  rests  upon  two  Corinthian  pilasters  covered  with  the  most 
delicately  sculptured  convolvulus  plants,  upon  whose  winding  stems  sit 
all  but  living  birds.  The  architrave  is  adorned  with  symmetrically 
arranged  leaf- work ;  the  capitals  of  the  pilasters  are  composed  of 

K  2 


1 33  NORTH-EASTERN   VENICE. 

acanthus  leaves  and  ox-skulls,  from  whose  horns  hang  festoons  which  are 
twined  about  the  flower-filled  volutes  ;  and  the  cornice  and  archivolt  are 
enriched  with  architectural  details  borrowed  from  the  antique.  Statuettes 
of  SS.  Francis,  Bernardino  of  Siena,  and  a  bishop  are  placed  on  the  arch 
and  at  the  ends  of  the  entablature,  and  the  lunette  is  filled  with  a  bas- 
relief  representing  SS.  Francis  and  Giobbe  kneeling  in  prayer  on  either 
side  of  a  little  mount,  upon  which  rays  of  light  descend  from  heaven. 
The  more  we  regard  these  sculptures,  the  more  we  are  convinced  that 
they  are  the  work  of  several  hands  ;  if  the  arabesques  and  architecture  of 
the  door,  and  perhaps  the  statuettes,  are  by  Pietro,  the  bas-relief,  which 
is  dry  and  precise  in  its  style  and  forms,  can  scarcely  be  his.' — Perkins's 
'  Italian  Sculptors, ' 

The  church  contains  a  number  of  exquisite  works  by 
the  Lombardi — bas-reliefs,  arabesques  on  the  pilasters,  but 
especially  remarkable  are  the  refined  and  beautiful  angels 
supporting  medallions  of  the  four  Evangelists. 

We  should  also  observe  : 

After  yd  Altar.  Tomb  of  Renato  d'Argenson,  ambassador 
from  Louis  XIV.  to  the  Republic — by  Claude  Perreau,  1651. 

tfth  Altar.  Paris  Bordone.  S.  Andrew  on  a  pedestal,  with  SS. 
Nicholas  and  Peter. 

Tomb  of  Paolo,  Agostino,  and  Ermoleo  Nani,  c.  1640. 
Ante-Sacristy.     Gir.    Savoldo,    1540.      The   Nativity — ruined    by 
restoration. 

Sacristy.     Altar.      Vivarini.     The  Annunciation,  with  Saints. 

Andrea  Previtali  (or  Cordeliaghi),  ascribed  to  Gio.  Bellini. 
Virgin  and  Child  with  SS.  J.  Baptist  and  Catherine, 
Portrait  of  Doge  Moro. 

*  Chancel.  Beautiful  arch  and  friezes  of  sculpture  erected  by  Doge 
Cristoforo  Moro  in  1462.  In  the  centre  his  tomb  of  1471,  probably  by 
Pietro  Lombardo. 

Left  Aisle,  a,th  Chapel.     Majolica  roof. 

On  left  of  entrance.  A  beautiful  little  figure  of  S.  Anthony  of 
Padua,  with  the  Infant  Saviour. 

Close  to  this  church  is  the  entrance  of  the  very  pretty 
Orto  Botanico. 

The  Church  of  S.  Ahrise  in  this  neighbourhood  dates 
from  1388,  and  was  built  by  Antonia,  daughter  of  the  Doge 
Antonio  Venier,  in  obedience  to  the  Bishop  S.  Ludovico, 
whom  she  believed  to  have  appeared  to  her.  It  contains, 
with  other  pictures,  some  saints  by  Palma  Vecchio. 


133 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
WESTERN  VENICE. 

IN  a  gondola  to — 

S.  Trovaso,  S.  Sebastiano,  the  Carmine,  S.  Pantaleone,  S.  Andrea, 
S.  Nicolo  da  Tolentino,  S.  Rocco,  the  Frari,  S.  Giacomo  dell'  Orio, 
S.  Maria  Mater  Domini,  S.  Cassiano,  Palazzo  Cappello,  S.  Aponal, 
S.  Polo,  S.  Giovanni  Evangelista. 

These  who  select  should  see  S.  Sebastiano,  the  Carmine,  S.  Rocco, 
the  Frari,  and  S.  Giovanni  Evangelista. 

A  WIDE  canal  on  the  left,  beyond  the  Academy,  leads 
to  the  Church  of  S.  Trovaso  (or  SS.  Gervasio  e  Pro- 
tasio),  built   1590,  which,  with  its  campanile  and  the  old 
brown  warehouses  and  brilliant  acacias  surrounding  it,  forms 
a  subject  which  has  often  been  painted.     It  contains  : 

Right  Transept.    Altar  of  the  Lombardi,  1501,  with  reliefs  of  Angels. 

*Palma  Vecchio.     Madonna  and  Child. 
Chapel,  right  of  High  Altar.     Dom.   Tintoretto.     The  Crucifixion. 

Palma  Vecchio.     Christ  bound. 
Left  of  High  Altar.     Tintoretto.     The  Temptation  of  S.  Anthony. 

'  A  carefully  finished  picture,  but  marvellously  temperate  and  quiet 
in  treatment,  especially  considering  the  subject,  which  one  would  have 
imagined  likely  to  inspire  the  painter  with  one  of  his  most  fantastic 
visions.  As  if  on  purpose  to  disappoint  us,  both  the  effect,  and  the 
conception  of  the  figures,  are  perfectly  quiet,  and  appear  the  result 
much  more  of  careful  study  than  of  vigorous  imagination.  The  effect  is 
one  of  plain  daylight ;  there  are  a  few  clouds  drifting  in  the  distance, 
but  with  no  wildness  in  them,  nor  is  there  any  energy  or  heat  in  the 
flames  which  mantle  about  the  waist  of  one  of  the  figures.  But  for  the 
noble  workmanship,  we  might  almost  fancy  it  the  production  of  a  modern 
academy  ;  yet  as  we  begin  to  read  the  picture,  the  painter's  mind  be- 
comes felt.  S.  Anthony  is  surrounded  by  four  figures,  one  of  which 
only  has  the  form  of  a  demon,  and  he  is  in  the  background,  engaged  in 
no  more  terrific  act  of  violence  towards  S.  Anthony  than  endeavouring 


I34  WESTERN   VENICE. 

to  pull  off  his  mantle  ;  he  has,  however,  a  scourge  over  his  shoulder,  but 
this  is  probably  intended  for  S.  Anthony's  weapon  of  self-discipline, 
which  the  fiend,  with  a  very  Protestant  turn  of  mind,  is  carrying  oft". 
A  broken  staff,  with  a  bell  hanging  to  it,  at  the  saint's  feet,  also  ex- 
presses his  interrupted  devotion.  The  three  other  figures  beside  him 
are  bent  on  more  cunning  mischief ;  the  woman  on  the  left  is  one  of 
Tintoret's  best  portraits  of  a  young  and  bright-eyed  Venetian  beauty. 
It  is  curious  that  he  should  have  given  so  attractive  a  countenance  to  a 
type  apparently  of  the  temptation  to  violate  the  vow  of  poverty,  for  this 
woman  places  one  hand  in  a  vase  full  of  coins,  and  shakes  golden  chains 
with  the  other.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  saint,  another  woman, 
admirably  painted,  but  of  a  far  less  attractive  countenance,  is  a  type  of 
the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  yet  there  is  nothing  gross  or  immodest  in  her  dress 
or  gesture.  She  appears  to  have  been  baffled,  and  for  the  present  to 
have  given  up  addressing  the  saint ;  she  lays  one  hand  upon  her  breast, 
and  might  be  taken  for  a  very  respectable  person,  but  that  there  are 
flames  playing  about  her  loins.  A  recumbent  figure  on  the  ground  is 
of  a  less  intelligible  character,  but  may  perhaps  be  meant  for  Indolence  ; 
at  all  events,  he  has  torn  the  saint's  book  to  pieces.' — Ruskin,  '  Stones 
of  Venice,''  iii. 

Left  Transept.  Tintoretto.  Last  Supper.  Altars  in  the  style  of 
Sansovino. 

By  the  Ponte  S.  Trovaso  and  the  Fondamenta  Nani,  we 
may  reach  the  Chiesa  degli  Orfani,  an  elegant  little  building 
of  1494-1524,  and,  near  it,  the  Chiesa  dJ  Gesuati  (S.  Maria 
del  Rosario),  built  by  Giov.  Afassari,  1726-43.  On  the 
Fondamenta  Briati,  near  the  Ponte  del  Soccorso,  is  the  Pa- 
lazzo Cicogna  alF  Angelo  Raffaelle,  a  most  beautiful  work 
of  the  1 4th  century. 

'  The  whole  design  of  this  building  is  very  irregular  :  a  detached 
shaft  at  one  angle  supports  a  portion  of  the  house  which  overhangs  and 
forms  a  sort  of  open  passage-way  ;  to  the  right  of  this  opening  is  a  four- 
light  shafted  window,  and  then  a  plain  wall  pierced  with  two  windows, 
each  of  a  single  ogee  trefoiled  light.  The  upper  story  has  two  single 
windows  over  the  others,  whilst  over  the  larger  windows  and  the 
passage-way  is  a  large  window  conspicuous  from  its  size  and  the  pecu- 
liarity of  its  tracery.  It  is  of  six  lights  divided  by  very  good  shafts,  and 
properly  arched  with  pure  and  good  trefoiled  arches  ;  above  these,  and 
inclosed  within  the  perpetual  indented  or  billeted  string-course,  is  a  com- 
plicated system  of  intersecting  circles  pierced  at  regular  intervals  with 
quatrefoils.  The  whole  elevation  is  finished  with  a  shallow  cornice 
supported  upon  corbels.' — Street. 


5.   MA^RIA   DEI  C ARM  INI.  135 

In  this  district,  near  the  Ponte  Briati,  is  the  Palazzo 
Zenobio,  a  handsome  edifice  of  the  last  century,  by  Antonio 
Gaspari. 

Passing  the  Palazzo  Foscarini,  we  reach  the  Church  of 
S.  Maria  dei  Carmini,  built  1208-1348,  but  modernised.  It 
contains  : 

Over  the  entrance.  Tomb  of  Jacopo  Foscarini,  1602,  a  famous 
general  of  the  State. 

* Right,  2nd  Altar.     Cinia  da  Conegliano.     The  Nativity. 

'  The  Virgin  is  kneeling  in  an  attitude  of  the  most  graceful  humility 
before  the  crib  in  which  the  Child  is  lying.  On  the  right  is  Tobit,  con- 
ducted by  a  beautiful  angel ;  on  the  left,  Joseph  and  two  devout  shep- 
herds ;  further  in  the  picture  are  S.  Helen  and  S.  Catherine  in  conversa- 
tion. The  background  consists  of  a  steep  rock  overhung  with  trees, 
with  a  rich  evening  landscape,  with  towns  in  the  distance.' — Kugkr. 

'  The  landscape  is  delicious.  The  subject  is  evidently  borrowed 
from  the  Umbrian  school ;  and  it  is  the  more  interesting  to  discover 
this  sympathy,  because  the  total  absence  of  pagan  or  mythological 
subjects  in  the  works  of  Cima  affords  the  strongest  confirmation  of 
it. ' — Rio. 

4///  Altar.  Tomb  of  the  oft-victorious  general,  Andrea  Civran, 
1572. 

Left,  yd  Altar.     Lorenzo  Lotto,  1520.     S.  Nicholas  in  glory. 

Facing  the  entrance  of  the  cloister  is  a  very  interesting 
relief  of  the  Madonna  and  Child,  of  1340,  bearing  the 
name  of  the  early  Venetian  sculptor  Arduino  Tagliapietra. 
The  picturesque  side  porch  with  a  canopy  is  said  to  have 
been  brought  from  Aquileja.  On  the  right  is  the  Scuola  dei 
Carmini)  decorated  with  pictures  by  Tiepolo,  Zanchi,  and 
Lazzarini.  At  the  corner,  near  the  west  front  of  the  church, 
is  the  so-called  house  of  Othello,  with  a  statue,  probably  by 
Antonio  Rizzo,  facing  the  canal,  which  is  said  to  represent 
him.  It  is  impossible  to  say  why  this  palace,  originally 
belonging  to  the  family  of  Civran,  has  been  connected  with 
one  of  the  masterpieces  of  Shakspeare.  In  the  neighbour- 
ing Campo  S.  Margherita  is  a  beautiful  door  with  angels, — 
one  in  benediction,  the  other  holding  a  shield. 

Hence  we  coast  the  Fondamenta  delle  Zattere.  The 
neighbouring  Church  of  S.  Spirito  contains  the  monument 


i36  WESTERN   VENICE. 

of  Paolo  Paruta,  the  celebrated  historian,  1598,  and  his 
brother  and  son.  It  was  here  that  the  murderers  of 
Lorenzino  de'  Medici  took  sanctuary. 

The  neighbouring  barrack,  GV  Incurabili,  formerly  a 
hospital,  has  an  elegant  portal  by  Antonio  da  Ponte.  The 
church,  designed  by  Sansovino,  was  pulled  down  in  1831. 

The  Church  of  S.  Sebastiano  is  a  good  specimen  of 
1506-1548,  by  F.  da  Castiglione  and  A.  Scarpignano.  It  is 
the  burial-place  of  Paul  Veronese,  and  contains  some  of  his 
best  works,  much  injured  by  recent  'restoration.' 

Right,  1st  Altar.  Titian.  S.  Nicholas  (executed  in  the  artist's 
86th  year). 

2nd  Altar.     Paul  Veronese.     Madonna. 

yd  Altar.     Tommaso  Lombards,     Statue  of  the  Madonna. 

afh  Altar.     Paul  Veronese.     The  Crucifixion  and  the  three  Maries. 

Jacopo  Sansovino,  1556.  Tomb  of  Livio  Podacataro,  Archbishop 
of  Nicosia  in  Cyprus,  the  friend  of  Cardinal  Bembo. 

High  Altar.  Paid  Veronese,  1558.  Madonna  and  Saints.  (Right) 
The  Martyrdom  of  S.  Sebastian.  (Left)  Martyrdom  of  SS.  Mark  and 
Marcellinus. 

The  Organ  has  a  picture  of  the  Purification  by  Paul  Veronese  on  its 
outer  shutters,  and  of  the  Healing  of  the  Paralytic  within.  Beneath  is 
the  Adoration  of  the  Shepherds.  On  the  right  is  a  bust  of  P.  Veronese, 
by  Matteo  Camera,  and  beneath  it  the  grave  of  the  painter,  who  died 
April  19,  1558. 

Left  Aisle,  Ajh  Chapel.  Alessandro  Vittoria.  Bust  of  the  procura- 
tor M.  Ant.  Grimani,  1546. 

2nd  Altar.     Schiavone.     The  Disciples  of  Emmaus. 

yd  Altar.     Paul  Veronese.     The  Baptism  in  the  Jordan. 

The  Ceiling  is  entirely  by  Paid  Veronese. 

The  Sacristy  has  a  ceiling  of  the  Coronation  of  the  Virgin,  with  the 
four  Evangelists,  by  P.  Veronese,  and  is  almost  entirely  surrounded  by 
pictures  of  Bonifazio — Jacob's  Dream,  the  Passage  of  the  Red  Sea,  the 
Nativity,  the  Sacrifice  of  Isaac,  the  Baptism  in  Jordan,  the  Agony 
in  the  Garden,  the  Resurrection,  S.  Sebastiano,  the  Crucifixion, 
S.  Eus'.achio. 

The  well  of  S.  Sebastiano  was  sculptured  by  Marco 
Arian,  1349  ;  it  is  the  only  known  work  of  the  sculptor,  who 
has  left  his  name  upon  it.  The  magnificent  Paul  Veronese 
of  '  The  Supper  in  the  Pharisee's  House,'  now  in  the  Brera 
at  Milan,  was  brought  from  the  Convent  of  S.  Sebastiano. 


r.   PANTA 


^A  LEONE,   S.   ANDXEA.  137 

From  the  Campo  S.  Margherita,  it  is  only  a  few  steps, 
across  a  canal  bridge,  to  the  Church  of  S.  Pantaleone  (the 
patron  of  physicians),  built  1668-1675  by  Francesco  Comino. 
It  contains  : 

Right,  2nd  Chapel.  Paul  Veronese.  The  Healing  of  a  Boy  by 
S.  Pantaleone. 

*Left  of  High  Altar.  Giovanni  and  Antonio  da  Murano,  1444. 
Coronation  of  the  Virgin — an  important  Gothic  triptych.  Of  the  same 
period  is  a  richly  decorated  altar. 

'  This  church  is  particularly  interesting  to  those  who  love  to  study 
Venetian  character.  It  is  the  parish  church  of  a  dense  and  populous 
neighbourhood,  and  I  used  to  go  there  more  for  the  sake  of  looking  at 
the  people — the  picturesque  mothers  with  their  infants,  the  little  children 
reciting  their  catechism — than  to  study  art  and  pictures.  The  walls  are 
covered  with  the  beneficent  actions  of  the  patron  saint,  and  with  scrip- 
tural incidents  which  have  reference  to  the  healing  art.  None  of  these, 
however,  are  particularly  good.' — Jameson'' s  '  Sacred  Art,'  ii.  568. 

In  the  Campiello  Angaran  near  this,  is  a  curious  stone 
medallion  of  the  pth  century  in  a  wall,  with  the  portrait  of 
an  eastern  emperor.  Not  far  off  is  the  Ponte  del  Pugni, 
where  the  mark  of  a  shoe  in  the  pavement  is  the  spot  where 
the  combatants  set  their  left  foot  in  the  fist-fights  which  from 
time  immemorial  took  place  here,  the  vanquished  being 
hurled  into  the  canal  below.  There  are  several  other  Ponti 
dei  Pugni  in  Venice,  but  this  is  much  the  most  celebrated. 

From  S.  Pantaleone,  a  long,  canal  leads  to  the  lonely 
Church  of  S.  Andrea,  which  is  worth  visiting  for  the  sake  of 
its  grass-grown  Campo,  open  to  the  lagoon  and  Alps,  though 
the  view  is  rather  spoilt  by  the  railway  bridge.  The  church 
itself,  built  1475,  *s  unimportant.  Over  the  door  is  a 
curious  Renaissance  sculpture  of  S.  Peter  walking  on  the 
water  ;  worthy  of  observation  are  its  distant  landscape,  and 
the  oars  of  an  existing  gondola  floating  by  S.  Peter's  boat. 
The  Doge  Giovanni  Bembo  and  the  ecclesiologist  Flaminio 
Corner  are  buried  in  this  church.  We  may  also  observe — 

Right.     Paul  Veronese.     S.  Jerome. 
Left.     Paris  Bordone.     S.  Augustine. 

Returning,  we  may  visit  the   Chuich  of  S.  Nicolb  da 


t38  WESTERN   VENICE. 

Tolentino,  which  contains  pictures  by  Bonifazio  and  Palm  a 
Giovane,  but  nothing  of  much  importance.  The  Papadopoli 
Gardens,  rich  in  curious  plants,  occupy  the  site  of  a  church 
of  S.  Croce,  built  in  774. 

We  should  next  land  at  the  steps  near  the  Scuola  di 
S.  Rocco,  the  sanctuary  of  Tintoret,  one  of  the  five  Scuole, 
which  were  not  used  for  educational  purposes,  but  were 
centres  for  the  different  charitable  associations  for  fulfilling 
all  the  'Temporal  Works  of  Mercy'  which  abounded  in 
ancient  Venice. 

S.  Rocco  was  perhaps  the  richest  and  most  interesting  of 
these  Scuole.  It  was  founded  before  1415,  and  its  brother- 
hood having  succeeded  in  1485  in  stealing  the  relics  of  S. 
Roch,  erected  buildings  fit  to  receive  them.  From  Antonio 
Grimani  to  the  fall  of  the  Republic,  the  Doges  were  always 
enrolled  in  the  brotherhood  of  S.  Roch,  who  were  the  chief 
patrons  of  art,  especially  of  Tintoret,  who  worked  here  for 
eighteen  years.  The  buildings  were  begun  in  1517  by 
BartolommeoBon,zx\&  finished  in  1 5  50  \yyAntonio  Scarpagnino. 
They  are  an  admirable  specimen  of  the  style  of  the  Lom- 
bardi,  and  were  long  attributed  to  Santo  Lombardo,  who  was, 
however,  only  thirteen  at  the  time  they  were  begun.  The 
facade,  coated  with  marbles,  is  a  very  rich  specimen  of 
Renaissance  decoration. 

'  In  the  year  1485  the  Venetians,  who  from  their  commerce  with  the 
Levant  were  continually  exposed  to  the  visitation  of  the  plague,  deter- 
mined to  possess  themselves  of  the  relics  of  S.  Roch.  A  kind  of  holy 
alliance  was  formed  to  commit  this  pious  robbery.  The  conspirators 
sailed  to  Montpellier,  under  pretence  of  performing  a  pilgrimage,  and 
carried  off  the  body  of  the  saint,  with  which  they  returned  to  Venice, 
and  were  received  by  the  doge,  the  senate,  and  the  clergy,  and  all  the 
people,  with  inexpressible  joy.  The  magnificent  church  of  S.  Roch  was 
built  to  receive  the  relics  of  the  saint  by  a  community  already  formed  un- 
der his  auspices  for  the  purpose  of  tending  the  sick  and  poor,  and  par- 
ticularly those  who  were  stricken  by  infectious  disorders,  in  which  many 
of  the  chief  nobility  were  proud  to  enrol  themselves.  Such  was  the 
origin  of  the  famous  Scuola  di  San  Rocco  at  Venice,  in  the  decoration 
of  which  Tintoretto  and  his  scholars  lavished  their  utmost  skill.' — 
Jameson's  '  Sacred  Art, '  ii.  473. 


SCUOLA   DI  S.   ROCCO.  139 

The  interior  is  a  perfect  gallery  of  the  works  of  Jacofo 
Tintoretto,  whose  real  name  was  Robitsti,  and  who  received 
his  nickname  from  the  trade  of  his  father — a  dyer,  Tintore. 
He  was  born  in  1512,  and,  showing  an  extraordinary  aptitude 
for  art,  was  placed  in  the  studio  of  Titian,  who,  however, 
whether  from  his  own  jealousy,  or  from  the  inattention  of 
his  pupil,  expelled  him  from  his  academy,  saying  that  he 
'would  never  be  anything  but  a  dauber.'  Without  losing 
heart,  however,  Tintoret  opened  a  studio  of  his  own,  in- 
scribing on  its  wall,  as  the  guiding  principle  of  his  work — 
'  II  disegno  di  Michelangelo  ;  il  colorito  di  Tiziano.'  His 
wonderful  conceptions  and  the  immense  amount  of  story  in 
his  pictures — for  he  frequently  drew  without  designs,  com- 
posing as  he  went  on  with  his  picture — atone  for  his  frequent 
coarseness  of  expression  and  violence  of  treatment. 

The  Lower  Hall  of  the  Scuola,  by  Girolamo  Campagna, 
which  is  closed  by  a  statue  of  S.  Roch,  has  eight  large 
pictures  by  Tintoret. 

I.  The  Annunciation. 

'  Not  in  meek  reception  of  the  adoring  messenger,  but  startled  by  the 
rush  of  his  horizontal  and  rattling  wings,  the  Virgin  sits,  not  in  the  quiet 
loggia,  not  by  the  green  pasture  of  the  restored  soul,  but  houseless, 
under  the  shelter  of  a  palace  vestibule,  ruined  and  abandoned,  with  the 
noise  of  the  axe  and  hammer  in  her  ears,  and  the  tumult  of  a  city  round 
about  her  desolation.  The  spectator  turns  away  at  first,  revolted,  from 
the  central  object  of  the  picture  forced  painfully  and  coarsely  forward, 
a  mass  of  shattered  brickwork,  with  the  plaster  mildewed  away  from  it, 
and  the  mortar  mouldering  from  its  seams  ;  and  if  he  looks  again,  either 
at  this  or  at  the  carpenter's  tools  beneath  it,  will  perhaps  see,  in  the  one 
and  the  other,  nothing  more  than  such  a  study  of  scene  as  Tintoret  could 
but  too  easily  obtain  among  the  ruins  of  his  own  Venice,  chosen  to  give 
a  coarse  explanation  of  the  calling  and  the  condition  of  the  husband  of 
Mary.  But  there  is  more  meant  than  this.  When  he  looks  at  the  com- 
position of  the  picture,  he  will  find  the  whole  symmetry  of  it  depending 
on  a  narrow  line  of  light,  the  edge  of  a  carpenter's  square,  which  con- 
nects these  unused  tools  with  an  object  at  the  top  of  the  brickwork,  a 
white  stone,  four-square,  the  corner-stone  of  the  old  edifice,  the  base  of 
the  supporting  column.  This,  I  think,  sufficiently  explains  the  typical 
character  of  the  whole.  The  ruined  house  is  the  Jewish  dispensation  ; 
that  obscurely  arising  in  the  dawning  of  the  sky  is  the  Christian  ;  but 
the  corner-stone  of  the  old  building  remains,  though  the  builders'  tools 


1 40  WESTERN   VENICE. 

lie  idle  beside  it,  and  the  stone  which  the  builders  refused  is  become  the 
Headstone  of  the  Corner.' — Ruskin,  'Modern  Painters,'  ii.  165. 

2.  The  Adoration  of  the  Magi. 

'  In  Tintoret's  Adoration  of  the  Magi,  the  Madonna  is  not  an  en- 
throned queen,  but  a  fair  girl,  full  of  simplicity  and  almost  childish 
sweetness.  To  her  are  opposed  (as  Magi)  two  of  the  noblest  and  most 
thoughtful  of  the  Venetian  senators  in  extreme  old  age, — the  utmost 
manly  dignity  in  its  decline,  being  set  beside  the  utmost  feminine  sim- 
plicity in  its  dawn.  The  steep  foreheads  and  refined  features  of  the 
nobles  are,  again,  opposed  to  the  head  of  a  negro  servant,  and  of  an 
Indian,  both,  however,  noble  of  their  kind.  On  the  other  side  of  the 
picture,  the  delicacy  of  the  Madonna  is  further  enhanced  by  a  largely 
made  farm-servant,  leaning  on  a  basket.  All  these  figures  are  in  repose : 
outside,  the  troop  of  the  attendants  of  the  Magi  is  seen  coming  up  at  the 
gallop. 

'  I  bring  forward  this  picture,  not  as  an  example  of  the  ideal  in  concep- 
tion of  religious  subject,  but  of  the  general  ideal  treatment  of  the  human 
form  ;  in  which  the  peculiarity  is,  that  the  beauty  of  each  figure  is  dis- 
played to  the  utmost,  while  yet,  taken  separately,  the  Madonna  is  an 
unaltered  portrait  of  a  Venetian  girl,  the  Magi  an  unaltered  Venetian 
senator,  and  the  figure  with  the  basket,  an  unaltered  market-woman  of 
Mestre. ' — Ruskin,  '  Modern  Painters, '  iii.  85. 

3.  The  Flight  into  Egypt. 

4.  The  Massacre  of  the  Innocents. 

'  Knowing,  or  feeling,  that  the  expression  of  the  human  face  was,  in 
such  circumstances,  not  to  be  rendered,  and  that  the  effort  could  only 
end  in  an  ugly  falsehood,  Tintoret  denies  himself  all  aid  from  the 
features,  he  feels  that  if  he  is  to  place  himself  or  us  in  the  midst  of  that 
maddened  multitude,  there  can  be  no  time  allowed  for  watching  expres- 
sion. Still  less  does  he  depend  on  details  of  murder  or  ghastliness  of 
death  ;  there  is  no  blood,  no  stabbing,  or  cutting,  but  there  is  an  awful 
substitute  for  these  in  the  chiaroscuro.  The  scene  is  the  outer  vestibule 
of  a  palace,  the  slippery  marble  floor  is  fearfully  barred  across  by  san- 
guine shadows,  so  that  our  eyes  seem  to  become  bloodshot  and  strained 
with  strange  horror  and  deadly  vision  ;  a  lake  of  life  before  them,  like 
the  burning  sun  of  the  doomed  Moabite  on  the  water  that  came  by  way 
of  Edom  :  a  huge  flight  of  stairs,  without  parapet,  descends  on  the  left ; 
down  this  rush  a  crowd  of  women  mixed  with  the  murderers  ;  the  child 
in  the  arms  of  one  has  been  seized  by  the  limbs,  she  hurls  herself  over 
the  edge,  and  falls  head  downwards,  dragging  the  child  out  of  the  grasp  by 
her  weight ;— she  will  be  dashed  dead  in  a  second  ;  —close  to  us  is  the 
great  struggle  ;  a  heap  of  the  mothers  entangled  in  one  mortal  writhe 
with  each  other  and  the  swords,  one  of  the  murderers  dashed  down  and 
crushed  beneath  them,  the  sword  of  another  caught  by  the  blade,  and 
dragged  at  by  a  woman's  naked  hand  ;  the  youngest  and  fairest  of  the 


SCUOLA   DI  S.   ROCCO.  141 

women,  her  child  just  torn  away  from  a  death  grasp,  and  clasped  to  her 
breast  with  the  grip  of  a  steel  vice,  falls  backwards  helplessly  over  the 
heap,  right  on  the  sword  points  ;  all  knit  together  and  hurled  down  in 
one  hopeless,  frenzied,  furious  abandonment  of  body  and  soul  in  the 
effort  to  save.  Far  back,  at  the  bottom  of  the  stairs,  there  is  something 
in  the  shadow  like  a  heap  of  clothes.  It  is  a  woman,  sitting  quiet — 
quite  quiet — still  as  any  stone  ;  she  looks  down  steadfastly  on  her  dead 
child,  laid  along  on  the  floor  before  her,  and  her  hand  is  pressed  softly 
upon  her  brow.' — ftuskin,  '  Modern  Painters, '  ii.  170. 

5.  S.  Mary  Magdalen. 

6.  S.  Mary  of  Egypt. 

7.  The  Presentation  in  the  Temple. 

8.  The  Assumption  of  the  Virgin. 

A  magnificent  staircase  (observe  the  admirable  but  simple 
ornament  on  the  steps)  has,  on  its  landing  : 

Titian.     Annunciation. 
Tintoret.     The  Salutation. 

The  Upper  Sata,  where  the  brotherhood  used  to  assemble, 
has  an  altar  with  statues  of  the  Baptist  and  S.  Sebastian  by 
G.  Campagna,  and  a  picture  of  S.  Roch  in  glory  by  Tintoret. 
The  seven  compartments  of  the  ceiling  are  by  Tintoret.  On 
the  oak  panelling  are  twenty  subjects  from  the  life  of  S.  Roch, 
carved  by  Giovanni  Marchiori  and  his  pupils,  in  the  last 
century.  The  pictures,  beginning  from  the  right,  are  : 

The  Nativity. — The  Holy  Family  are  represented  as  in  a  loft  above 
a  stable. 

The  Baptism  in  Jordan. 

'  The  river  flows  fiercely  under  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock.  From 
its  opposite  shore,  thickets  of  close,  gloomy  foliage  rise  against  the  roll- 
ing chasm  of  heaven  through  which  breaks  the  brightness  of  the 
descending  Spirit.  Across  these,  dividing  them  asunder,  is  stretched  a 
horizontal  floor  of  flaky  cloud,  on  which  stand  the  hosts  of  heaven. 
Christ  kneels  upon  the  water,  and  does  not  sink  ;  the  figure  of  S.  John 
is  indistinct,  but  close  behind  his  raised  right  arm  there  is  a  spectre  in 
the  black  shade  ;  the  Fiend,  harpy-shaped,  hardly  seen,  glares  down 
upon  Christ  with  eyes  of  fire,  waiting  his  time.  Beneath  this  figure 
there  comes  out  of  the  mist  a  dark  hand,  the  arm  unseen,  extended  to 
a  net  in  the  river,  the  spars  of  which  are  in  the  shape  of  a  cross. 
Behind  this  the  roots  and  under  stems  of  the  trees  are  cut  away  by  the 
cloud,  and  beneath  it,  and  through  them,  is  seen  a  vision  of 
melancholy,  boundless  light ;  the  sweep  of  the  desert,  and  the  figure  <>f 


1 42  WESTERN   VENICE. 

Christ  is  seen  therein  alone,  with  His  arms  lifted  up  as  if  in  supplica- 
tion or  ecstasy,  borne  of  the  Spirit  into  the  wilderness  to  be  tempted 
of  the  Devil. 

'  There  are  many  circumstances  which  combine  to  give  to  this  noble 
work  a  more  than  usually  imaginative  character.  The  symbolical  use 
of  the  net,  which  is  the  cross  net  still  used  constantly  in  the  canals  of 
Venice,  and  common  throughout  Italy,  is  of  the  same  character  as  that 
of  the  carpenter's  tools  in  the  Annunciation ;  but  the  introduction  of 
the  spectral  figure  is  of  bolder  reach,  and  yet  more,  that  vision  of  the 
after  temptation  which  is  expressly  indicated  as  a  subject  of  thought 
rather  than  of  sight,  because  it  is  in  a  part  of  the  scene  which  in  fact 
must  have  been  occupied  by  the  trunks  of  the  trees  whose  tops  are  seen 
above  ;  and  another  circumstance  completes  the  mystic  character  of  the 
whole,  that  the  flaky  clouds  which  support  the  angelic  hosts  take  on 
the  right,  where  the  light  first  falls  upon  them,  the  shape  of  the  head 
of  a  fish,  the  well-known  type  both  of  the  baptismal  sacrament  and  of 
Christ.' — Ruskin,  '  Modern  Painters J  ii.  168. 

The  Resurrection. 

The  Agony  in  the  Garden. 

The  Last  Supper. 

On  the  left  are  : 

The  Miracle  of  the  Loaves  and  Fishes. 

The  Resurrection  of  Lazarus. 

The  Ascension. 

The  Pool  of  Bethesda. 

The  Temptation. 

The  Portrait  of  the  Artist  at  the  age  of  66. 

In  the  adjoining  Sala  deir  Albergo,  so  called  because  here 
the  guests  of  the  brotherhood  were  received,  is  the  most 
celebrated  work  of  Tintoret. 

The  Crucifixion. 

'  Tintoret  here,  as  in  all  other  cases,  penetrating  into  the  root  and 
deep  places  of  his  subject,  despising  all  outward  and  bodily  appear- 
ances of  pain,  and  seeking  for  some  means  of  expressing,  not  the  rack 
of  nerve  or  sinew,  but  the  fainting  of  the  deserted  Son  of  God  before 
His  Eloi  cry  ;  and  yet  feeling  himself  utterly  unequal  to  the  expression 
of  this  by  the  countenance,  has,  on  the  other  hand,  filled  his  picture 
with  such  various  and  impetuous  muscular  exertion  that  the  body  of  the 
Crucified  is,  by  comparison,  in  perfect  repose,  and,  on  the  other,  has 
cast  the  countenance  altogether  into  shade.  But  the  Agony  is  told  by 
this,  and  by  this  only  ;  that,  though  there  yet  remains  a  chasm  of  light 
on  the  mountain  horizon,  where  the  earthquake  darkness  closes  upon 


S.   ROCCO.  143 

the  day,  the  broad  and  sunlike  glory  about  the  head  of  the  Redeemer 
has  become  wan,  and  of  the  colour  of  ashes. 

'  But  the  great  painter  felt  he  had  something  more  to  do  yet.  Not 
only  that  Agony  of  the  Crucified,  but  the  tumult  of  the  people,  that  rage 
which  invoked  His  blood  upon  them  and  their  children.  Not  only  the 
brutality  of  the  soldier,  the  apathy  of  the  Centurion,  nor  any  other  merely 
instrumental  cause  of  the  Divine  suffering,  but  the  fury  of  His  own 
people,  the  noise  against  Him  of  those  for  whom  He  died,  were  to  be  set 
before  the  eye  of  the  understanding,  if  the  power  of  the  picture  was  to  be 
complete.  This  rage,  -be  it  remembered,  was  one  of  disappointed 
pride  ;  and  disappointment  dated  essentially  from  the  time  when,  but  five 
days  before,  the  King  of  Zion  came,  and  was  received  with  hosannahs, 
riding  upon  an  ass,  and  a  colt  the  foal  of  an  ass.  To  this  time,  then,  it 
was  necessary  to  divert  the  thought,  for  therein  are  found  both  the  cause 
and  the  character,  the  excitement  of,  and  the  witness  against,  this  mad- 
ness of  the  people.  In  the  shadow  behind  the  cross,  a  man,  riding  on  an 
ass's  colt,  looks  back  to  the  multitude  while  he  points  with  a  rod  to  the 
Christ  crucified.  The  ass  is  feeding  on  the  remnants  of  -withered palm- 
leaves.'' — Ruskin,  '  Modern  Painters > ,' ii.  168. 

Other  subjects  in  this  room,  are  : 

Christ  before  Pilate. 

The  Cross-bearing. 

The  Crowning  with  Thorns. 

(On  the  ceiling.}  The  Apotheosis  of  S.  Roch.  In  1560  Paolo 
Veronese,  Andrea  Schiavone,  Giuseppe  del  Salviati,  Federigo  Zuccaro, 
and  Tintoretto  entered  into  competition  for  the  design  of  this  com- 
partment of  the  ceiling,  but  whilst  the  others  had  only  sketched  their 
design,  the  last  produced  a  finished  picture.  The  Confraternity  were 
unwilling  to  allow  it  to  remain,  but  upon  Tintoret  declaring  it  to  be  a 
gift  to  S.  Rocco,  they  could  not  refuse  an  offering  made  to  the  saint. 

The  Church  of  S.  Rocco  was  rebuilt  1725.  Hither  the 
Doge  came  annually  on  August  16  to  implore  S.  Roch  to 
avert  the  Plague  from  the  Republic.  It  contains  a  fine 
15th-century  altar  from  designs  of  Bartolommeo  Bon,  1495, 
and  contains  also  : 

Right,  1st  Altar.      Tintoret.     The  Pool  of  Bethesda. 

Chapel  right  of  High  Altar.  Titian.  The  Betrayal.  Francesco 
Sansovino  records  that  the  number  of  offerings  to  this  ('miraculous') 
picture  of  Titian  had  enriched  the  church,  and  Vasari  says  that  it 
obtained  more  money  in  alms  than  both  Titian  and  Giorgione  by  a  life- 
time of  labour. 

Choir.     Tintoret.     Four  great  pictures  of  the  Charity  of  S,  Roche. 


I44  WESTERN    VENICE. 

Entrance  to  Sacristy.     The   fine  tomb  of  the  warrior  Pellegrino 

Baselli  Grille,  1517. 
Fonfenone.     Fresco  of  S.  Sebastian. 

Left  Wall.  Pordenone.  S.  Martin  and  the  Beggar — a  fresco 
removed  from  the  fa9ade  of  the  old  church  on  this  site. 

Immediately  behind  the  Scuola  di  S.  Rocco  rises  the 
great  Gothic  brick  Church  of  S.  Maria  Gloriosa  dei  Frari, 
begun  in  1250,  for  the  Frati  Minori  di  S.  Francesco,  who 
had  been  settled  in  Venice  in  1227,  and  to  whom  the  Frari 
belonged  till  it  was  seized  by  the  Government  in  1810. 
Nicola  Pisano  without  sufficient  cause  is  said  to  have  been 
the  architect  of  the  church,  but  it  was  more  probably  due 
to  Scipione  Bon,  who,  as  Fra  Pacifico,  was  a  brother  of  the 
order.  The  tower  was  begun  in  1361  by  Jacopo  Celega 
(dalle  Masegne),  and  finished  in  1396  by  his  son  Pietro 
Paolo,  as  is  told  by  an  inscription  on  its  walls.  The  Porta 
Maggiore  is  very  rich,  but  much  later  than  the  time  of 
Pisano,  to  whom  it  is  attributed  by  Cicognara.  The  exquisite 
outer  door  of  the  Cappella  Corner  deserves  especial  notice. 
The  interior  is  a  Latin  cross,  the  nave  being  divided  from 
the  aisles  by  circular  columns.  The  general  effect  is  very 
striking  :  the  lines  of  the  church  are  broken  half-way  down 
by  a  screen,  of  1475,  w^tn  pulpits  at  either  end. 

c  The  internal  effect  of  the  church  is  much  finer  than  its  west  front 
would  lead  one  to  expect.  The  plan  is  simple ;  a  nave  and  aisles  of 
six  bays,  transepts  with  three  eastern  chapels  to  each,  and  a  choir  of  one 
bay  with  an  apse  of  four  bays  projecting  beyond  the  others.  The  tower 
is  in  the  angle  between  the  north  transept  and  the  nave,  and  a  large 
sacristy  with  an  eastern  apse  is  built  against  the  south  transept.  The 
nave  and  aisles  measure  about  230  feet  by  104,  and  the  transept  160 
feet  by  48 — magnificent  dimensions  undoubtedly.  The  columns  are 
simple,  cylindrical,  and  very  lofty,  their  capitals  -carved  with  foliage, 
which  looks  late  and  poor  in  its  execution,  though  grouped  in  the  old 
way  in  regular  tufts  or  balls  of  foliage.  The  arrangement  of  the  wall 
above  the  main  arcade  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  Veronese,  and  in- 
deed to  that  of  most  Italian  Gothic  churches  ;  a  plain  wall  being  carriedx 
up  to  the  groining,  relieved  only  by  a  small  clerestory  window  at  the 
highest  point.  One  is  apt  to  compare  this  arrangement  with  the  artistic 
arrangement  of  clerestory  and  triforium  in  our  own  churches  ;  but 
herein  we  do  not  act  quite  fairly  to  Nicola  Pisano,  who  is  said  to  have 


FRARL  145 

designed  the  Frari,  and  his  brethren.  They  had  to  work  in  a  country 
where  light  must  be  admitted  very  sparingly,  and  where  therefore  it  is 
impossible  for  architects  to  revel  in  the  rich  traceries  which  fill  the  bays 
of  the  churches  in  the  North  ;  they  lived  among  a  nation  of  painters, 
and  deemed,  perhaps,  that  these  plain  surfaces  of  wall  would  one  day 
glow  with  colour  and  with  Scripture  story.  The  real  beauty  of  these 
interiors  is  owing,  more  than  anything  else,  I  believe,  to  the  simplicity 
and  beauty  of  the  quadripartite  groining  which  covers  them  in,  and 
which,  even  where  other  features  would  seem  to  tell  of  debasement  and 
absence  of  pure  feeling,  invariably  recalls  us  to  a  proper  recollection  of 
the  infinite  value  of  simplicity  in  this  important  feature — a  point  lost 
sight  of  in  England  after  the  thirteenth  century,  to  the  incalculable 
detriment  of  the  beauty  of  some  of  our  greatest  churches.  '—Street. 

'  It  always  causes  a  sensation  to  walk  from  the  blazing  sun  and  labour- 
ing life  without  into  these  solemn  enclosures.  Here  are  the  tombs  of  the 
Doges  resting  from  their  rule.  They  seem  pondering  still  as  they  lie 
carved  in  stately  marble  death,  contemplating  the  past  with  their  calm 
brows  and  their  hooked  noses.  The  great  church  is  piled  arch  upon 
arch,  tomb  upon  tomb  ;  some  of  these  monuments  hang  in  the  nave 
high  over  the  heads  of  the  people  as  they  kneel ;  above  the  city  and  its 
cries,  and  its  circling  life,  and  the  steps  of  the  easy-going  Venetians.  '— 
Miss  Thackeray. 

This  church  may  be  regarded  as  the  Pantheon  of  Venice. 
Making  the  circuit  of  the  Interior  from  the  west  door  : — 

Right  (on  the  holy-water  bason).  G.  Campagna,  1593.  Statuette 
of  Chastity. 

After  the  \itAltar.  Luigi  and  Pietro  Zandoniencghi,  1838-1852. 
The  monument  of  Titian  erected  by  the  Emperor  <>f  Austria.  The 
painter  is  seated,  surrounded  by  allegorical  statues  and  reliefs  from  his 
best  works.  To  the  right  of  this  is  his  grave,  with  a  remnant  of  the 
inscription : — 

'  Qui  giace  il  gran  Tiziano  de'  Vecelli 
Emulator  de'  Zeusi  e  degli  Apelli.' 

2nd  Altar.     Salviati.     The  Presentation  of  the  Virgin. 

The  Monument  erected  by  the  Senate  to  Almerigo  d'Este,  son  of 
Francesco  I.  of  Modena,  whom  Cardinal  Mazarin  intended  to  be  his 
heir  and  the  husband  of  his  niece  Hoitensia  Mancini.  He  was  general 
of  the  Republic  during  the  Candian  war,  and  died  at  the  island  of 
Paros,  in  1660.  His  monument  was  erected  at  the  expense  of  the 
Republic. 

yd  Altar.     Alessandro  Vitloria.     Statue  of  S.  Jerome,  considered 
to  be  the  masterpiece  of  the  artist  in  sculpture,  and  to  represent  Titian 
in  his  ninetieth  year.     Extraordinary  knowledge  of  anatomy  is  shown 
in  the  muscles,  the  arms,  hands,  and  feet  of  the  old  man. 
VOL.    II.  L 


I46  WESTERN  VENICE. 

Monument  of  Jacopo  Barbara,  1511,  general  of  the  Republic  in  the 
war  of  1480  against  the  Turks,  in  the  style  of  the  Lombardi. 

4/A  Altar.  Palma  Giovane.  Martyrdom  of  S.  Catherine — a 
picture  which  was  so  unsatisfactory  to  the  Frari,  that  they  bitterly  re- 
proached Aless.  Vittoria,  who  had  recommended  the  artist. 

Monument  of  Marco  Zen,  Bishop  of  Torcello,  1691. 

Monument  of  Benedetto  Brugnolo  da  Legnago,  1505,  with  an  ad- 
mirable portrait  statue. 

Over  the  door.  A  rude  wooden  sarcophagus,  containing  the 
remains  of  a  Delia  Torre,  but  intended  for  the  famous  condottiere, 
Francesco  Bussone,  Count  of  Carmagnola.  As  general  of  the  Republic 
in  the  war  against  Milan,  he  gained  the  Battle  of  Macalo,  and  took 
Bergamo.  Suffering  a  defeat  on  the  Po  in  1431,  he  was  accused  of 
treason,  beguiled  back  to  the  Venice  he  had  served,  and  tortured  and  be- 
headed '  between  the  pillars  '  in  1432,  by  the  jealousy  of  the  Senate.  His 
body,  buried  at  first  in  S.  Francesco  della  Vigne,  was,  after  many  years, 
removed  to  the  church  of  S.  Francesco  Grande  at  Milan,  and  laid  by 
that  of  his  wife,  Antonietta  Visconti. 

Right  Transept.  Tomb  of  Jacopo  Marcello,  1484,  a  beautiful  work 
of  the  Lombard  school. 

Bartolommeo  Vivarini,  1482.  Altar-piece.  Christ  on  the  Cross 
above,  and,  below,  the  Virgin  with  SS.  Peter  and  Paul,  Andrew  and 
Nicholas. 

Beautiful  Gothic  tomb  of  Fra  Pacifico  (Scipione  Bon),  1437,  under 
whom  the  church  of  the  Frari  was  completed.  The  family  of  Bon 
raised  this  monument  a  century  after  the  death  of  the  frate,  who  was 
enrolled  amongst  the  '  Beati. ' 

Forming  the  Entrance  to  the  Sacristy.  Tomb  of  the  Venetian 
Admiral  Benedetto  Pesaro,  1510,  by  Lorenzo  Bregno.  The  statue  of 
Mars  on  the  right  is  by  Baccio  de  Montelupo. 

'  L'architecture  et  la  sculpture  ont  fait  de  cette  tombe  un  veritable 
arc  de  triomphe,  oil  tous  les  emblemes  qui  rappellent  la  carriere  du 
grand  capitaine  se  trouvent  rassembles. ' —  Yriarte. 

Sacristy  (opposite  the  entrance).  Reliquary  of  the  1 7th  century,  with 
marble  reliefs  by  Cabianca.  (/«  the  inner  division)  a  little  altar  of  the 
1 5th  century  with  a  relief  of  the  Entombment  of  Christ,  with  angels, 
and  statuettes  of  S.  Antonio  and  the  Baptist,  the  former  attributed  to 
the  rare  sculptor  Marco  Citrini,  the  latter  by  Francesco  Belli. 

*  Giovanni  Bellini,  1488.  An  altar-piece  of  the  Madonna  and  saints, 
in  three  divisions. 

'  The  figure  of  the  Virgin,  and  those  of  the  saints,  by  whom  she  is 
surrounded,  have  all  the  imposing  gravity  of  a  religious  composition, 
while  the  angels  equal  the  most  charming  miniatures  for  freshness  of 
colouring  and  naivete  of  expression  :  it  is  a  work  which  may  boldly  take 
its  place  beside  the  finest  mystical  productions  of  the  Umbrian  school. 
It  seems  as  if  a  foretaste  of  celestial  beatitude  had  beamed  on  the  soul 


TH. 


'HE  FRAR1.  147 

of  the  aged  painter  while  occupied  with  this  work  ;  he  has  thrown  aside 
that  veil  of  melancholy  in  which  he  loved  to  wrap  the  countenance  of 
the  Virgin ;  it  is  no  longer  the  Mother  of  the  Seven  Sorrows  which  he 
has  painted,  but  rather  the  source  of  his  joy — causa  nostrae  laetitiae — to 
whom  he  has  addressed  this  short  prayer : 

"  Janua  certa  poli,  due  mentem,  dirige  vitam, 
Quae  peragam  commissa  tuae  sint  omnia  curae. " ' — Rio. 

'  Au  fond  d'une  chapelle,  au-dessus  de  1'autel,  dans  une  petite 
architecture  d'or,  la  Vierge,  en  grand  manteau  bleu,  siege  sur  un  trone. 
Elle  est  bonne  et  simple  comme  une  paisible  et  simple  paysanne.  A 
ses  pieds,  deux  petits  anges  en  courte  veste  semblent  des  enfants  de 
chneur,  et  leurs  cuisses  potelees,  enfantines,  ont  la  plus  belle  couleur  de 
la  chair  saine.  Sur  les  deux  cotes,  dans  les  compartiments,  sont  deux 
couples  de  saints,  personnages  immobiles,  en  habits  de  moine  et  d'eveque, 
debout  pour  toujours  dans  1'attitude  hieratique,  figures  reelles  qui  font 
penser  aux  pecheurs  bronzes  de  PAdriatique.  Toutes  ces  figures'  ont 
vecu ;  le  fidele  qui  s'agenouillait  devant  elles  y  apercevait  les  traits  qu'il 
rencontrait  autour  de  lui  dans  sa  barque  et  dans  ses  ruelles,  le  ton  rouge 
et  brun  des  visages  hales  par  le  vent  de  la  mer,  la  large  carnation  claire 
des  fraiches  filles  elevees  dans  1'air  humide,  la  chape  damasquinee  du 
prelat  qui  commandait  les  processions,  les  petites  jambes  nues  des 
enfants  qui  le  soir  pechaient  les  crabes.  On  ne  pouvait  s'empecher  de 
croire  en  eux ;  une  verite  si  locale  et  si  complete  conduisait  a  1'illusion.' 
—  Tain*. 

'  We  fancy  this  to  have  been  the  gem  before  which  Cima  stood, 
imprinting  its  beauties  on  his  memory  and  striving  to  revive  them,  as 
Francia  might  have  done  after  contemplating  a  Madonna  by  Perugino. 
Every  part  of  the  picture  is  a  natural  complement  of  the  rest.' — Crowe 
and  Cavalcaselk. 

Titian  ?     Madonna  and  saints. 

Returning  to  the  Church.  The  tomb,  with  an  equestrian  statue,  of 
Paolo  Savelli,  General  of  the  Republic,  who  died  fighting  against 
Francesco  di  Carrara,  1405. 

1st  Chapel,  right  of  Choir.  Two  tombs  of  the  Bernardo  family, 
1500. 

2nd  Chapel.  Tomb  of  Duccio  degli  Alberti,  Ambassador  of 
Florence,  as  the  ally  of  the  Republic  against  Mastino  of  Verona,  1336. 
Tomb  of  an  unknown  warrior,  1337. 

'  An  early  fourteenth,  or  perhaps  late  thirteenth  century  tomb,  an 
exquisite  example  of  the  perfect  Gothic  form.  It  is  a  knight's ;  but 
there  is  no  inscription  upon  it,  and  his  name  is  unknown.  It  consists 
of  a  sarcophagus,  raised  against  the  chapel  wall,  bearing  the  recumbent 
figure,  protected  by  a  simple  canopy  in  the  form  of  a  pointed  arch, 
pinnacled  by  the  knight's  crest  ;  beneath  which  the  shadowy  space 
is  painted  dark  blue ;  and  strewn  with  stars.  The  statue  itself  is 

L  2 


148  WESTERN   VENICE. 

rudely  carved ;  but  its  lines,  as  seen  from  the  intended  distance,  are 
both  tender  and  masterly.  The  knight  is  laid  in  his  mail,  only  the 
hands  and  face  being  bare.  The  hauberk  and  helmet  are  of  chain- 
mail,  the  armour  for  the  limbs,  of  jointed  steel ;  a  tunic,  fitting  close 
to  the  breast,  and  marking  the  swell  of  it  by  the  narrow  embroidered 
lines,  is  worn  over  the  mail ;  his  dagger  is  at  his  right  side ;  his  long 
cross-belted  sword,  not  seen  by  the  spectator  from  below,  at  his  feet; 
His  feet  rest  on  a  hound  (the  hound  being  his  crest),  which  looks  up 
towards  its  master.  The  face  is  turned  away  from  the  spectator  to- 
wards the  depth  of  the  arch ;  for  there,  just  above  the  warrior's  breast, 
is  carved  a  small  image  of  S.  Joseph  bearing  the  infant  Chi  1st,  who 
looks  down  upon  the  resting  figure  ;  and  to  this  image  its  countenance 
is  turned.  The  appearance  of  the  entire  tomb  is  as  if  the  warrior  had 
seen  the  vision  of  Christ  in  his  dying  moments,  and  had  fallen  back 
peacefully  upon  his  pillow,  with  his  eyes  still  turned  to  it,  and  his  hands 
clasped  in  prayer.' — Ruskin,  '  Stones  of  Venice,'  iii. 

Apse.  The  High-Altar,  of  1516,  has  an  Assumption  by  Salviati. 
It  belonged  to  the  Church  of  the  Servi,  and  was  brought  here  to 
replace  the  famous  Assumption  of  Titian  (erected  here  May  19,  1519), 
now  in  the  Accademia. 

Right.  The  Tomb  of  the  unhappy  Doge  Francesco  Foscari  (see 
Foscari  Palace),  I457>  by  Pietro  (?)  and  Ant,  Rizzo. 

Left.  Tomb  of  Doge  Nicolo  Tron  (1476),  under  whom  the  Vene- 
tians took  Smyrna,  by  Antonio  Rizzo.  This  was  the  last  Doge  whose 
effigy  appears  on  the  coinage.  At  his  death  it  was  ordained  that  no 
Doge  should  be  represented  on  Venetian  coins  except  as  kneeling  at 
the  feet  of  S.  Mark. 

1st  Chapel  left  of  Choir.  Bernardino  da  Pordenone.  Madonna 
enthroned  with  saints. 

2nd  Chapel.  Tomb  of  Melchior  Trevisan,  a  general  of  the  Republic, 
who  died  in  Cephalonia,  1500,  by  Ant.  Dentone. 

On  the  Altar.     S.  John  Baptist,  in  wood,  by  Donatella,  1428. 

yd  Chapel  (del  Milanese}.  S.  Ambrose  in  glory  with  saints ;  an 
altar-piece,  begun  by  Bart.  Vivarini,  finished  by  Marco  Basaiti. 
Under  a  stone  in  the  centre  of  the  floor  rests  the  musician  Claudio 
Monteverde  (1568-1643),  the  great  reformer  of  ecclesiastical  and 
theatrical  music. 

Over  the  entrance  of  the  next  chapel — Cappella  Corner — is  an  angel 
in  marble,  by  Jacopo  de  Padova.  The  beautiful  pprtal  is  a  work  of  the 
Masegne.  The  stained  glass,  of  1335,  by  Marco  Pittore. 

Left  Transept.  Bart.  Vivarini,  1474.  Altar-piece  of  S.  Mark 
and  other  saints. 

Monument  of  Generosa  Orsini,  wife  of  Luca  Zen,  procurator  of 
S.  Mark,  and  of  Maffeo  Zen. 

*  Cappella  di  S.  Pietro.     A  beautiful  Gothic  altar,  with  statuettes  of 


THE  FRARI.  149 

the  school  of  the  Masegne.     Tomb  of  Pietro  Miani,   a  very  learned 
Bishop  of  Vicenza,  1464. 

Font,  on  which  is  a  seated  figure  of  the  Baptist  \ayjacopo  Sansovino, 

1554- 

Choir  (in  the  nave  west  of  the  transepts,  as  in  Westminster  Abbey 
and  in  the  Spanish  cathedrals),  124  stalls  of  tarsia  work  by  Marco  da 
Vicenza,  1458-1468. 

Nave.  Left  Aisle.  Tomb  of  Jacopo  Pesaro  (1547),  Bishop  of 
Pafo,  in  Cyprus,  and  General  against  the  Turks  under  Alexander  VI. 

*  Titian.  Altar-piece,  called  La  Pala  del  Pesari.  Madonna  with 
saints  and  members  of  the  Pesaro  family,  ordered  by  Jacopo  Pesaro  in 
1519.  The  artist  received  96  ducats  for  his  work,  the  most  magnifi- 
cent ex-voto  picture  in  the  world. 

'A  work  of  quite  unfathomable  beauty.' — Burckhardt. 
'  A  work  of  the  finest  truth  and  life. ' — Kugler. 

The  enormous  tomb  of  Doge  Giovanni  Pesaro,  by  Baldassare  Lon- 
gfiena  and  Melchiorre  Barthel,  1669.  Pesaro  sustained  many  difficult 
embassies  for  the  Republic  to  various  European  courts,  and  by  his 
influence  in  the  Senate  prevented  it  from  accepting  a  dishonourable 
peace  from  the  Turks,  by  which  much-disputed  Candia  would  have 
been  lost.  Elected  Doge  in  1658,  his  single  year  of  sovereignty  was 
marked  by  a  defeat  of  the  fleet  of  the  Sultan  and  ravaging  of  the  coasts 
of  Anatolia. 

The  Tomb  of  Canova,  erected  1827— a  pyramid,  with  allegorical 
figures  by  his  scholars. 

'Consummate  in  science,  intolerable  in  affectation,  ridiculous  in 
conception,  null  and  void  to  the  uttermost  in  invention  and  fetling. ' — 
Ruskin. 

'  Jamais  le  talent  ne  re$ut  un  plus  vaste  homage :  Angleterre  a  fourni 
le  quart  de  la  depense  qui  s'est  elevee  a  8,000  sequins  (102,000  frs.) ; 
la  France,  1'Allemagne,  ont  contribue  pour  un  autre  quart ;  1'Amerique 
(celle  du  sud,  et  non  1'Amerique  industrielle  et  marchande  du  nord)  a 
souscrit  pour  40  sequins  ;  1'Italie  et  principalement  les  villes  veniti- 
ennes  ont  fait  le  reste  ;  malgre  1'exaggeration  ordinaire  des  inscriptions 
de  monuments,  1'inscription  de  celui-ci  ex consolatione  Europae  ttniversae, 
est  un  peu  au-dessous  de  la  verite  ;  il  est  reellement  erige  aux  frais  de 
1'univers.' —  Valery. 

On  the  Holy- Water  Bason,  Statuette  of  S.  Antonio,  by  Gir.  Cam- 
pagna,  1593. 

Urn  of  Simeone  Dandolo,  one  of  the  senators  who  voted  the 
death  of  Marino  Faliero,  1360. 

Tomb  of  Pietro  Bernardo,  1558,  by  Aless.  Leopardi.  Quite  incom- 
parable in  design  and  delicacy  of  sculpture. 


I5o  WESTERN   VENICE. 

The  Monastery  of  S.  Maria  Gloriosa  dei  Frari  contains 
the  enormous  collections  of  the  Public  Archives.  Above 
three  hundred  halls  and  chambers  are  filled  with  these  trea- 
sures, which  include  the  interesting  correspondence  of  the 
Republic  with  foreign  States — with  Oliver  and  Richard 
Cromwell,  the  Emperor  Charles  V.,  Francis  I.,  and  Henri  IV. 
of  France,  Andrea  Doria,  &c.  A  number  of  the  more 
curious  autographs  are  shown  in  the  room  called  Sala  delta 
Regina  Margherita.  The  courts  of  the  ancient  convents 
are  most  stately,  and  beautiful  in  colour. 

'  The  little  Campiello  San  Rocco  is  entered  by  a  sotto-portico, 
behind  the  church  of  the  Frari.  Looking  back,  the  upper  traceries  of 
the  magnificent  apse  are  seen  towering  above  the  irregular  roofs  and 
chimneys  of  the  little  square  ;  and  our  lost  Prout  was  enabled  to  bring 
the  whole  subject  into  an  exquisitely  picturesque  composition,  by  the 
fortunate  occurrence  of  four  quaint  trefoiled  windows  in  one  of  the 
houses  on  the  right.  Those  trefoils  are  amongst  the  most  ancient  efforts 
of  Gothic  art  in  Venice,  and  are  most  valuable,  as  showing  the  way  in 
which  the  humblest  houses,  in  the  noble  times,  followed  out  the  system 
of  the  larger  palaces,  as  far  as  they  could,  in  their  rude  materials.  It 
is  not  often  that  dwellings  of  the  lower  orders  are  preserved  to  us  from 
the  thirteenth  century.' — Ruskin,  '  Stones  of  Venice ','  ii.  7. 

At  the  Ponte  S.  Tomd,  between  the  Frari  and  the  Grand 
Canal,  is  a  doorway  quite  worthy  of  a  visit. 

'  It  has  the  usual  square  opening  of  reddish  marble,  and  above  this 
a  pointed  arch  of  moulded  brick  ;  the  tympanum  is  filled  in  with  a 
square  carved  centre  panel,  and  the  ground  beyond  this  with  quatrefoils 
of  brick  or  tile  very  prettily  disposed. ' — Street. 

The  Church  of  S.  Toma  (S.  Tommaso),  rebuilt  1652,  by 
Baldassare  Longhena,  and  again  in  1742,  contains  statues 
of  SS.  Tommaso  and  Pietro,  by'  Gir.  Cqmpagna,  1616. 
In  the  adjoining  Oratory  is  a  wonderful  collection  of 
relics,  and  autographs  of  SS.  Lorenzo  Giustiniani  and 
Lnigi  Gonzaga.  Opposite  the  church  is  the  Scuola  de1 
Caholai.  At  the  side  opens  the  Campiello.  At  the 
entrance  of  the  Calle  Centani  is  the  Palazzo  Centani 
(Zentani),  a  beautiful  building  of  the  fourteenth  century. 
Here  a  bust  and  inscription  record  the  birth  of  Carlo 


S.    GIACOMO  DELL!   ORIO.  151 

Goldoni,  the  great  Italian  dramatist,  in  1707.     The  house 
has  an  admirable  Gothic  staircase. 

Returning  to  our  gondola,  we  may  now  visit  the  Church 
of  S.  Giacomo  delF  Orw,  founded  555,  but  dating  internally 
from  1225,  though  repeatedly  modernised.  In  the  right 
transept  is  a  beautiful  Ionic  column  of  verde  antico,  a  relic 
of  some  early  building.  Near  the  side  door  on  the  right  is 
a  very  curious  holy-water  basin,  which  served  for  the  bap- 
tism of  infants  as  long  as  the  rite  of  immersion  lasted.  We 
may  also  notice  : — 

Right.     Buonconsigll.     SS.  Sebastiano,  Lorenzo,  and  Rocco. 

Left  of  Side  Door.  Francesco  Bassano.  The  Preaching  of  the 
Baptist. 

Over  Sacristy  Door.     Paul  Veronese.     Faith,  Hope,  and  Charity. 

Chapel  Left  of  High  Altar.  Lorenzo  Lotto,  1546.  Madonna  en- 
throned, receiving  the  homage  of  SS.  James,  Andrew,  and  Cosmo  and 
Damian — painted  under  the  influence  of  Titian. 

The  Pulpit,  of  a  kind  rare  in  Italy,  but  common  in  Belgium,  is 
most  fantastically  designed. 

After  last  Altar.  Paul  Veronese.  SS.  Lorenzo,  Girolamo,  and 
Nicolo. 

In  the  Campiello  della  Strope,  close  to  this  church,  is  a 
beautiful  example  of  the  Jfifth  order  of  Venetian  windows. 
It  is  remarkable  for  its  excessive  purity  of  curve,  and 
is  of  very  early  date,  its  mouldings  being  simpler  than 
usual. 

The  neighbouring  Church  of  S.  Maria  Mater  Domini, 
designed  1510  by  Pietro  Lombardo,  with  a  facade  of  1540 
by,/  Sansovino,  contains  : — 

Right,  1st  Altar.  Lorenzo  Bregno  and  Ant.  Minello  de>  Bardi, 
1500-1501.  Three  statues— SS.  Andrew,  Peter,  and  Paul. 

*  2nd  Altar.  Vincenzo  di  Biagio,  usually  called  Catena,  1520.  The 
vision  of  our  Lord  to  S.  Cri-tina— a  very  lovely  picture.  The  saint  is 
represented  upon  the  borders  of  the  lake  of  Bolsena,  with  angel  sup- 
porting the  millstone  suspended  round  her  neck. 

'  No  subject  could  be  better  adapted  to  the  kind  of  charm  which 
this  artist-poet  knew  how  to  throw  over  his  compositions ;  indeed  it 
may  be  called  his  chef-cTwivre,  and  that  which  most  completelyjustifies 
the  enthusiasm  of  the  senator  Marc -Antonio  Michele,  who  entreats  a 


152 


WESTERN   VENICE. 


certain  Marsilio,  to  whom  he  wrote  at  Rome  in  1521,  with  all  the 
solicitude  of  patriotism  and  friendship,  to  watch  over  the  life  of  Catena ; 
because  death,  he  says,  seems  to  delight  in  cutting  off  the  greatest 
painters,  having  already  thrown  his  dart  at  Raffaelle,  and  holding  his 
scythe  ready  to  strike  Michelangelo.' — Rio,  '  Christian  Art.' 

Right  Transept.      Tintoret.     The  Finding  of  the  Cross. 

Chapel  left  of  High  Altar.     A  beautiful  15th-century  altar. 

Left  Transept.     Bonifazio.     The  Last  Supper — very  fine  in  colour. 

Last  Altar.  Fr.Bissolo,\$\2..  The  Transfiguration — much  repainted. 

In  the  adjoining  Campo  is  an  example  of  a  house  in 
which  a  cross  is  introduced  between  every  window.  The 
Church  of  S.  Cassiano  contains  : — 

Right,  \st  Altar.  Palma  Vecchio.  The  Baptist  and  four  other 
saints.  This  takes  the  place  of  a  famous  picture  by  Antonello  da 
Messina,  which  made  the  great  reputation  of  that  artist. 

yd  Altar.     Leandro  Bassano.     The  Visitation. 

Chapel  right  of  High  Altar.  L.  Bassano.  Birth  of  the  Virgin,  and 
Zacharias. 

Apse.  Tintoret.  *The  Crucifixion,  the  Descent  into  Hades,  1568, 
and  the  Resurrection,  1565. 

In  the  same  Campo  is  a  beautiful  example  of  an  early 
Gothic  window,  '  where  the  reversed  curve  at  the  head  of 
the  pointed  arch  is  just  perceptible  and  no  more.' 

At  the  Ponte  del  Corner  near  S.  Cassiano  is  '  a  noble 
fourteenth-century  house,  in  which  the  spandrils  of  the  win- 
dows are  filled  by  the  emblems  of  the  Four  Evangelists, 
sculptured  in  deep  relief,  and  touching  the  edges  of  the 
arches  with  their  expanded  wings.' 1 

Near  this,  on  the  Fondamenta  Pesare,  .is  an  especially 
stately  fourteenth-century  palace. 

The  Church  of  S.  Aponal  (S.  Apollinare)  was  founded  in 
the  eleventh  century  by  some  natives  of  Ravenna  in  honour 
of  their  patron  saint.  It  was  rebuilt  in  the  fifteenth  century. 
The  tower  is  of  the  fourteenth.  The  portal  was  brought 
from  S.  Elena  in  Isola.  Its  sculptures  represent  Vittore 
Cappello  (brother  of  Bianca)  kneeling  at  the  feet  of  S.  Elena, 
and  are  probably  by  Antonio  Dentone,  1480.  In  the  ex- 
terior of  the  apse  are  curious  reliefs  of  1294. 

1  Ruskin,  Stones  of  Venice. 


PALAZZO   CAPPELLO,   S.    POLO.  153 

Looking  at  the  facade  of  the  church,  a  Calle  on  the  left 
leads  to  the  Ponte  Storto,  on  the  left  side  of  which  rises 
beyond  the  Rio,  a  fifteenth-century  palace  which  was  the 
bank  of  the  Salviati  of  Florence  in  1563.  On  the  right  is 
the  Palazzo  Cappello  (now  Layard)  of  the  beginning  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  where  the  famous  Bianca  Cappello  was 
born  in  1548,  and  whence^fn  1563,  she  fled  to  Florence, 
with  Pietro  Bonaventura,  an  employe  in  the  Salviati  bank. 
There  she  afterwards  married  the  Grand  Duke  Francesco 
de'  Medici  (1578),  who  is  said  to  have  poisoned  not  only 
Bonaventura,  but  his  own  wife,  Giovanna  d'  Austria,  to 
bring  about  this  result.  The  time-serving  Republic  of 
Venice  declared  the  new  Grand  Duchess  its  daughter, 
and  she  reigned  till  October  20,  1587,  when  she  died,  a  few 
hours  after  her  husband,  with  strong  suspicion  of  poison. 

Returning  to  the  Campo  di  S.  Aponal,  the  Calle  del 
Perdon,  the  Campiello  dei  Melloni,  and  the  Ponte  della 
Madonetta  lead  to  the  wide  Campo  S.  Polo  (S.  Paolo). 
The  Church  of  S.  Polo,  founded  by  Doge  Pietro  Tradonico 
in  837,  was  modernised  in  1804,  when  an  ancient  chapel 
covered  with  mosaics  was  destroyed,  and  a  silver  Byzantine^ 
altar-front  lost.  The  tower  is  of  1375.  The  church  contains 
some  large  pictures  by  Salviati.  At  the  sides  of  the  high 
altar  are  : — 

Aless.  Vitioria.     SS.  Paul  and  Antonio  Abate,  in  bronze. 

On  the  external  wall  of  the  apse  is  the  Madonna  and 
Child  between  SS.  Peter  and  Paul— a  relief  of  the  twelfth 
century. 

It  was  after  he  had  passed  through  this  church,  and 
come  out  from  its  southern  door,  that  Lorenzino  de'  Medici 
(the  brutal  murderer  of  Duke  Alessandro)  was  murdered  by 
the  bravi  Bibboni  and  Bebo.  They  had  long  watched  him 
from  a  cobbler's  shop  opposite  his  palace  on  the  Campo, 
and  had  studied  his  movements  ;  but  he  died,  as  Varchi 
describes,  more  by  his  own  carelessness  than  the  watchful 
hatred  of  his  enemies. 


I54  WESTERN   VENICE. 

Opposite  the  Campanile  is  the  Oratorio  del  Crodfisso, 
with  stations  and  a  ceiling  by  Domenico  Tiepolo,  1749. 

On  the  right  of  the  Ponte  S.  Polo  is  the  Palazzo  Corner 
Mocenigo,  nowRevedin,  a  beautiful  work  of  1548,  by  Michele 
Sammichele.  On  the  other  side  of  the  Campo  S.  Polo,  near 
'Ponte  Bernardo,  is  the  Palazzo  Bernardo,  on  the  Canale 
Pesaro,  a  glorious  Gothic  building  of  1350-1400  ;  its  facade 
was  once  painted  by  G.  Salviati,  and  it  is  quite  superb  in 
picturesqueness  and  colour. 

Following  the  Calle  del  Scaletter  to  the  end,  and  turning 
to  the  left,  we  reach  the  Campo  di  S.  Agostino,  where  an  in- 
scription let  into  the  wall  of  an  ancient  house  records  that 
there  Aldo  Pio  Manuzio  established  his  famous  printing- 
press.  Behind  the  suppressed  Church  of  S.  Agostino  (founded 
in  the  tenth  century,  and  rebuilt  in  1634),  stood  a  pillar 
commemorating  the  house  of  Bajamonte  Tiepolo,  destroyed 
by  decree  of  the  Senate  in  1314,  after  his  conspiracy.  The 
pillar  is  now  in  the  garden  of  Villa  Melzi  on  the  Lake  of 
Como.  Its  inscription  is  one  of  the  earliest  in  the  Venetian 
dialect.1 

Passing  the  Ponte  Dona  in  front  of  S.  Agostino,  and 
crossing  the  Campo  di  S.  Stin,  the  Calle  del  Tabacco  leads 
to  the  Scuola  di  S.  Giovanni  Evangelista. 

.  Its  court  has  a  lovely  screen  of  1481,  of  grey  and  white 
marble,  and  black  slatestone,  with  an  eagle  surmounting  the 
entrance.  From  the  hall  an  exquisite  staircase,  attributed  to 
Pietro  Lombardi,  leads  to  the  church,  decorated  with  pictures 
by  Dom.  Tintoretto.  Over  the  side  door  is  the  urn  of  Giannan- 
drea  Badoer  (by  Danese  Cattaneo,  1561),  a  member  of  the 
family  who  first  founded  a  hospice  here  for  twelve  poor 
persons.  A  curious  reliquary  is  said  to  contain  a  piece  of 
the  true  Cross.  The  winter  chapel  is  decorated  with  paint- 
ings by  Palma  Giovane. 

1  Beautiful  the  place  is,  even  in  its  squalid  misery.     As  long  as  it  is 

1  De  Baiamonte  fo  questo  teren 
E  mo  per  lo  so  iniquo  tradimento 
S'e  posto  in  chomun  per  altrui  spavento 
Et  per  mostrar  a  tutte  sempre  seno. 


S.    GIOVANNI  EVANGEL1STA.  15? 

let  alone,  in  its  shafts  and  capitals  you  will  see  on  the  whole  the  most 
characteristic  example  in  Venice  of  the  architecture  that  Carpaccio, 
Cima,  and  John  Bellini  loved.' — Riukin. 


1  Lights  flash  from  the  upper  windows  of  the  tall  palaces,  balconies 
start  overhead  marked  upon  the  sky.  Now  it  is  a  palace  to  let,  with 
wooden  shutters  swinging  in  shadow ;  now  we  pass  the  yawning  vaults. 
of  great  warehouses  piled  with  saffron  and  crimson  dyes,  where  barges 
are  moored  and  workmen  strain  at  the  rolling  barrels.  Now  it  is  the 
brown  wall  of  some  garden  terrace ;  a  garland  has  crept  over  the  brick, 
and  droops  almost  to  the  water ;  one  little  spray  encircles  a  rusty  ring 
hanging  there  with  its  shadow.  Now  we  touch  palace  walls,  and  with 
a  hollow  jar  start  off  once  more.  Now  comes  a  snatch  of  song  through 
an  old  archway;  here  are  boats  and  voices,  the  gondolier's  earrings 
twinkle  in  the  sun;  here  are  vine  wreaths,  and  steps  where  children, 
those  untiring  spectators  of  life,  are  clustering ;  more  barges  with  heavy 
fruit  and  golden  treasure  go  by.  A  little  brown-faced  boy  is  lying  with 
his  brown  legs  in  the  sun  on  the  very  edge  of  a  barge,  dreaming  over 
into  the  green  water ;  he  lazily  raises  his  head  to  look,  and  falls  back 
again  ;  now  a  black  boat  passes  like  a  ghost,  its  slender  points  start 
upwards  in  a  line  with  the  curve  of  yonder  spire ;  now  it  is  out  of  all 
this  swing  of  shadow  and  confusion  that  we  cross  a  broad  sweet  breadth 
of  sunlight,  and  come  into  the  Grand  Canal.' — Miss  Thackeray. 


i56  SUBURBAN  VENICE. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

SUBURBAN   VENICE. 

THE    GIUDECCA    AND    IL    REDENTORE,     S.    GIORGIO,    THE 
ARMENIAN   CONVENT,    S.    ELENA,  AND   THE   LIDO. 

WE  must  now  direct  our  gondola  up  the  wide  canal 
of  La  Giudecca,  which,  like  a  broad  river,  separates 
the  largest  of  the  islands  on  the  south-west  from  the  rest  of 
the  city. 

'  Veritablement  on  nage  dans  la  lumiere.  Le  ciel  la  verse,  1'eau  la 
colore,  les  reflets  la  centuplent ;  il  n'y  a  pas  jusqu'aux  maisons  blanches 
et  roses  qui  ne  la  renvoient,  et  la  poesie  des  formes  vient  achever  la 
poesie  du  jour.  En  vain  le  canal  de  la  Giudecca,  presque  vide,  semble 
attendre  des  flottes  pour  peupler  son  noble  port ;  on  ne  songe  qu'aux 
couleurs  et  aux  lignes.  Trois  lignes  et  trois  couleurs  font  tout  le 
spectacle :  le  large  cristal  mouvant,  glauque  et  sombre,  qui  tourne  avec 
une  dure  couleur  luisante ;  au-dessus,  detachee  en  vif  relief,  la  file  des 
batisses  qui  suit  sa  courbure ;  plus  haut  enfin  le  ciel  clair,  infini,  presque 
pale.' — Taine. 

The  most  important  building  on  La  Giudecca  is  the  great 
Church  of  II  Redentore,  built  by  Palladia,  1577,  as  the  votive 
offering  of  the  Venetians,  after  the  cessation  of  the  plague 
of  1576. 

'  Une  fois  le  genre  admis,  1'eglise  du  Redempteur  fait  assez  belle 
figure  au  bord  du  canal,  ou  elle  se  mire  avec  son  grand  escalier  monu- 
mental de  dix-sept  marches  de  marbre,  son  fronton  triangulaire,  ses 
colonnes  corinthiennes,  sa  porte  et  ses  statues  de  bronze,  ses  deux 
pyramidions  et  sa  coupole  blanche,  qui  fait  un  si  bel  effet  dans  les 
couchers  de  soleil,  quand  on  se  promene  au  large  en  gondole  entre  les 
jardins  publics  et  Saint-Georges.' — Theophile  Gautier. 

'  The  nave  is  a  great  hall,  50  ft.  wide  by  105  in  length,  with  narrow 
side  chapels,  between  which  ranges  a  Corinthian  Order,  of  great  beauty 
in  itself,  and  standing  on  the  floor  without  pedestals.  It  is  merely  an 


S.    GIORGIO  MAGGIORE.  157 

ornament  however,  and  has  no  architectural  connection  with  the  plain 
flat  elliptical  vault  of  the  church,  which  is  most  disagreeably  cut  into  by 
the  windows  that  give  light  to  the  nave.  A  worse  defect  of  the  design 
is  that,  instead  of  the  church  expanding  at  the  intersections,  the  sup- 
ports of  the  dome  actually  contract  it ;  and  though  the  dome  is  of  the 
same  width  as  the  nave,  and  has  a  semi-circular  tribune  on  each  side, 
the  arrangement  is  such  that  it  IOOHS  smaller  and  more  contracted  than 
the  nave  that  leads  to  it.  If  we  adcr  to  these  defects  of  design  that,  both 
here  and  at  San  Giorgio,  no  marble  or  colour  is  used — nothing  but  plain 
cold  stone  and  whitewash — it  will  be  understood  how  very  unsatisfactory 
these  interiors  are,  and  how  disappointing,  after  all  the  praise  that  has 
been  lavished  on  them.' — Fergutt&n. 

The  Crucifix  over  the  high  altar  is  by  Gir.  Campagna.  The  pictures 
in  the  church  are  unimportant,  but  in  the  sacristy  are  three  of  the  most 
exquisite  pictures  in  Venice — by  Giovanni  Bellini :  Madonna  with 
SS.  John  Baptist  and  Catherine ;  Madonna  with  SS.  Jerome  and 
Francis  ;  Madonna  with  the  sleeping  Child  and  two  angels. 

On  the  Festa  del  Redentore  (the  third  Sunday  in  July), 
a  bridge  of  boats  is  formed  across  the  Giudecca  to  the 
church,  and  is  crossed  night  and  day  by  vast  throngs  of 
people,  singing,  dancing,  and  eating  cakes  and  fruit,  which 
are  sold  in  booths  before  the  church. 

West  of  the  Church  are  the  Fondamenta  di  S.  Biagio. 

A  Saint-Blaise,  a  la  Zuecca 
Vous  etiez,  vous  etiez  bien  aise 

A  Saint-Blaise. 
A  Saint-Blaise,  a  la  Zuecca, 

Nous  etions  bien  la. 

Mais  de  vous  en  souvenir 

Prendrez-vous  la  peine  ? 
Mais  de  vous  en  souvenir 

Et  d'y  revenir. 

A  Saint-Blaise,  a  la  Zuecca 

Dans  le  pres  fleuris  cueillir  la  verveine  ; 

A  Saint-Blaise,  a  la  Zuecca 

Vivre  et  mourir  la. — Alfred  de  Musset. 

The  Church  of  S.  Giorgio  Maggiore,  conspicuous  in 
most  of  the  distant  views  of  Venice,  draws  attention  to  an 
island  at  the  eastern  point  of  the  Giudecca.  Recent  ex- 
cavations and  the  discovery  of  Roman  remains  at  a  great 


I58  SUBURBAN  VENICE. 

depth  prove  that  this  island  was  inhabited  several  centuries 
before  the  foundation  of  the  city.  It  was  called  Isola  dei 
Cipressi  before  the  first  Church  of  S.  Giorgio  was  built  in 
790,  near  which  a  Benedictine  monastery  was  erected  in  983. 
Thrown  down  by  earthquake  in  1223,  it  was  rebuilt  by  the 
Doge  Pietro  Ziani,  who  died  there  as  a  friar.  After  the 
death  of  Pius  VI.  in  exile  it  received  in  1800  the  wandering 
College  of  Cardinals,  who  met  there  in  the  conclave  which 
elected  Barnaba  Chiaramonti  to  the  papal  throne  as  Pius 
VII.  In  1 1 10,  during  the  reign  of  Ordelafo  Falier,  the 
body  of  S.  Stephen  was  brought  to  Venice  from  Constanti- 
nople, and  the  Doge  himself  assisted  to  bear  the  coffin  on 
his  shoulders  to  the  high  altar  of  this  church,  which  was 
always  visited  in  state  by  his  successors  on  Christmas  Eve 
and  the  morning  of  Christmas  Day — a  very  beautiful  and 
striking  ceremonial. 

The  noble  church  is  one  of  the  masterpieces  of 
Palladio,  1565-1610.  The  interior,  of  grand  proportions, 
contains : — 

Right.  Monument  of  Lorenzo  Venier,  procurator  and  general, 
1667. 

1st  Altar.     Jacopo  Bassano.     The  Nativity. 

2nd  Altar.  A  crucifix,  believed  to  have  been  sculptured  in  1433, 
by  Michelozzo  Afirhelozzi,  who  accompanied  Cosimo  de'  Medici  in 
his  exile  from  Florence,  when  the  monks  of  S.  Giorgio  gave  hospitality 
to  the  prince. 

yd  Altar.      Tintoret.     SS.  Cosmo  and  Damian. 

6,th  Altar.     Tintoret.     The  Coronation  of  the  Virgin. 

Presbitery.  Right  Wall.  *  Tintoret,  1564.  The  Last  Supper. 
Observe  '  the  ghostly  flight  of  angels  and  the  weird  play  of  lights. ' 

Left  Wall.      Tintoret.     The  Fall  of  Manna  in  the  Wilderness. 

High  Altar.  Girolamo  Campagna,  1593.  The  Almighty  upon 
the  globe,  supported  by  the  Evangelists.  A  magnificent  group  in 
bronze. 

Splendid  candelabra  by  Cesare  Groppo  and  Nicolino  Roccatagliata 
of  Genoa,  1596. 

In  a  Corridor  near  the  High  Altar  is  the  Tomb  of  the  great  Doge 
Doaienico  Michele,  the  work  of  Baldassare  Longhena.  This  was  the 
Doge  who  assisted  in  the  crusade  of  S.  Bernard  and  Godfrey  de  Bouillon 
— who  was  the  conqueror  of  Jaffa,  Jerusalem,  Tyre,  and  Ascalon — and 
who  brought  back  to  Venice  the  granite  columns  of  the  piazza  and 


S.   LAZARO.  159 

the  body  of  S.   Isidore.     His   epitaph   consists   of  the   appropriate 
words :  — 

'  Terror  Graecorum  jacet  hie.' 

Left,  1st  Altar.     Tintoret.     The  Resurrection. 

Last  Altar.     Leandro  Bassano.     Martyrdom  of  S.  Lucia. 

The  seventeenth-century  tomb  jof  Doge  Marcantonio  Memmo, 
1615. 

Above  tJie  principal  Entrance.  The  monument  of  Doge  Leonardo 
Dona,  1 606- 1 2,  the  friend  of  Galileo,  a  great  protector  of  arts  and 
literature,  who  ruled  admirably  in  difficult  times,  during  the  disputes  of 
the  Republic  with  Paul  V. 

Several  of  the  gravestones  in  relief  deserve  attention,  especially 
that  of  Bonincontro  de'  Boaterii,  Bishop  of  Torcello,  1380,  who  is 
represented  in  his  episcopal  robes  ;  and  that  of  Tommaso  Tomasini, 
Bishop  of  Feltre,  1446. 

In  a  Chapel  belonging  to  the  Monastery  of  S.  Giorgio  is 
or  was  a  wonderful  Entombment  by  Tintoret^ 

Now  we  must  embark  in  our  gondola  for  a  rather  longer 
voyage  than  those  we  have  hitherto  taken,  when,  freed  from 
musty  churches  and  wearisome  pictures,  we  may  enjoy  the 
full  glory  of  this  wonderful  water-land.  We  may  imagine 
the  young  Giorgione  floating  in  his  gondola,  accompanying 
his  '  divine  voice '  with  his  lute,  fresh  from  his  studies  under 
Gian.  Bellini. 

'  As  I  floated  down  the  lagunes  in  the  full  sunshine,  and  observed 
how  the  figures  of  the  gondoliers  in  their  motley  costume,  moving  lightly, 
as  they  rowed,  above  the  sides  of  the  gondola,  stood  out  against  the 
bright  green  water  and  the  blue  sky,  I  caught  the  best  and  freshest 
possible  type  of  the  Venetian  school.  The  sunshine  brought  out  the 
local  colours  with  dazzling  brilliancy,  and  even  the  shadows  were  so 
luminous,  that  they,  in  their  turn,  might  serve  as  lights.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  the  reflection  from  the  sea-green  water.  All  was  painted 
"chiaro  nel  chiaro,"  so  that  foaming  waves  and  lightning  flashes  were 
necessary  to  give  it  grandeur  '  (um  die  Tupfchen  auf  sie  zu  setzen). — 
Goethe. 

In  the  direction  of  the  Lido  is  the  Island  of  S.  Lazaro. 
Here  is  the  Armenian  Convent  which  has  obtained  a  ficti- 
tious celebrity  through  Byron,  who  studied  here  for  six 
months. 

On  Dec.  5,  1816,  Byron  wrote  to  Moore  : 


160  SUBURBAN   VENICE. 

'  By  way  of  divertissement,  I  am  studying  daily,  at  an  Armenian 
monastery,  the  Armenian  language.  I  found  that  my  mind  wanted 
something  craggy  to  break  upon  ;  and  this— as  the  most  difficult  thing 
I  could  discover  here  for  an  amusement — I  have  chosen,  to  torture  me 
into  attention.  It  is  a  rich  language,  however,  and  would  amply  repay 
any  one  the  trouble  of  learning  it.  I  try,  and  shall  go  on  ;  but  I  answer 
for  nothing,  least  of  all  for  my  intentions  or  my  success.  There  are  some 
very  curious  MSS.  in  the  monastery,  as  well  as  books;  translations  also 
from  Greek  originals,  now  lost,  and  from  Persian  and  Syriac,  &c.; 
besides  works  of  their  own  people.  Four  years  ago  the  French  instituted 
an  Armenian  professorship.  Twenty  pupils  presented  themselves  on 
Monday  morning,  full  of  noble  ardour,  ingenuous  youth,  and  impregnable 
industry.  They  persevered,  with  a  courage  worthy  of  the  nation  and  of 
universal  conquest,  till  Thursday  ;  when  fifteen  of  the  twenty  succumbed 
to  the  six-and-twentieth  letter  of  the  alphabet.  It  is,  to  be  sure,  a 
Waterloo  of  an  alphabet — that  must  be  said  for  them.' 

The  Convent  was  founded  in  the  last  century,  and  pos- 
sesses an  excellent  library  and  a  printing  press.  Its  con- 
tinued existence  is  due  to  its  being  under  the  protection  of 
Turkey. 

'  The  society  of  the  Convent  of  S.  Lazarus  appears  to  unite  all  the 
advantages  of  the  monastic  institution,  without  any  of  its  vices. 

'  The  neatness,  the  comfort,  the  gentleness,  the  unaffected  devotion, 
the  accomplishments,  and  the  virtues  of  the  brethren  of  the  order,  are 
well  fitted  to  strike  a  man  of  the  world  with  the  conviction  that  "  there 
is  another  and  a  better,  even  in  this  life. " 

'  These  men  are  the  priesthood  of  an  oppressed  and  noble  nation, 
which  has  partaken  of  the  proscription  and  bondage  of  the  Jews  and  of 
the  Greeks,  without  the  sullenness  of  the  former  or  the  servility  of  the 
latter.  The  people  has  attained  riches  without  usury,  and  all  the 
honours  that  can  be  awarded  to  slavery  without  intrigue.  But  they  have 
long  occupied,  nevertheless,  a  part  of  "the  House  of  Bondage,"  who  has 
lately  multiplied  her  many  mansions.  It  would  be  difficult,  perhaps,  to 
find  the  annals  of  a  nation  less  stained  with  crimes  than  those  of  the 
Armenians,  whose  virtues  have  been  those  of  peace,  and  their  vices 
those  of  compulsion.  But  whatever  may  have  been  their  destiny, — and 
it  has  been  bitter,  — whatever  it  may  be  in  future,  their  country  must  ever 
be  one  of  the  most  interesting  on  the  globe  ;  and  perhaps  their  language 
only  requires  to  be  more  studied  to  become  more  attractive.  If  the 
Scriptures  are  rightly  understood,  it  was  in  Armenia  that  Paradise  was 
placed — Armenia,  which  has  paid  as  dearly  as  the  descendants  of  Adam 
for  that  fleeting  participation  of  its  soil  in  the  happiness  of  him  who  was 
created  from  its  dust.  It  was  in  Armenia  that  the  flood  first  abated,  and 


S.   ELENA,    THE  LIDO.  161 

the  dove  alighted.  But  with  the  disappearance  of  Paradise  itself  may 
be  dated  almost  the  unhappiness  of  the  country  ;  for,  though  long  a 
powerful  kingdom,  it  was  scarcely  ever  an  independent  one,  and  the 
satraps  of  Persia  and  the  pachas  of  Turkey  have  alike  desolated  the 
region  where  God  created  man  in  His  own  image.' — Byron^  P/eface  to 
i/ie  Armenian  Grammar  found  amongst  his  papers. 

The  once  lovely  Island  of  S.  Elena  is  only  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  Public  Gardens.  It  was  occupied  by  a 
large  convent  now  desecrated,  and  till  lately  was  full  of 
poetic  beauty.  There  was  here  till  1880  a  beautiful  Gothic 
cloister  where  the  roses  and  jessamine  poured  their  masses 
of  blossom  over  the  parapets,  and  a  large  garden  with 
exquisite  views,  especially  at  low  water,  towards  S.  Pietro 
and  Murano.  Artists  always  gave  up  a  day  to  S.  Elena,  so 
lovely  in  its  desolation,  though  it  ever  seemed  to  say  to  the 
lapping  waters — 

'  Break,  break,  break, 

On  thy  cold  grey  stones,  O  sea  ! 
For  the  tender  grace  of  a  day  that  is  dead 
Will  never  come  back  to  me.' 

But  now  all  is  spoilt  by  a  hideous  iron  foundry,  erected 
1880-82. 

The  Lido  is  a  name  sometimes  applied  to  the  whole  strip 
of  shore  (formed  by  three  islands),  which,  seven  miles  in 
length  and  half  a  mile  in  breadth,  extends  along  the  mouth 
of  the  lagoon  and  forms  the  outer  bulwark  of  Venice  against 
the  sea  ;  but,  in  its  common  acceptation,  the  name  refers  to 
that  portion  of  the  barrier  which  is  nearest  to  Venice,  and 
whither  its  people  resort  to  ride  on  the  sands  or  to  bathe  in 
the  sea.  Steamers  leave  the  Schiavoni  constantly  for  the 
Lido,  returning  every  hour,  and  it  is  a  very  pleasant  resort  on 
late  summer  evenings,  and  worth  while  even  for  the  beauty 
of  the  return  to  Venice,  when  all  its  lights  are  reflected  in 
the  still  water.  The  weird  sands,  however,  where  Byron  rode 
and  which  travellers  of  a  few  years  ago  will  remember,  have 
now  disappeared,  and  a  pergola  of  vines  leads  from  the 
lagoon  to  the  sea  (about  7  minutes'  walk).  Still  the  view  is 
the  same  as  Shelley  describes  : — 

VOL.    II.  M 


1 62  SUBURBAN   VENICE. 

'  I  rode  one  evening  with  Count  Ma^dalo 
Upon  the  bank  of  sand  which  breaks  the  flow 
Of  Adria  towards  Venice  :  a  bare  strand 
Of  hillocks,  heaped  from  ever  shifting  sand, 
Matted  with  thistles  and  amphibious  weeds, 
Such  as  from  earth's  embrace  the  salt  ooze  breeds, 
Is  this,  an  uninhabited  seaside, 
Which  the  lone  fisher,  when  his  nets  are  dried, 
Abandons,  and  no  other  object  breaks 
The  waste,  but  one  dwarf  tree  and  some  few  stakes, 
Broken  and  unrepaired,  and  the  tide  makes 
A  narrow  space  of  level  sand  thereon, 
Where  'twas  our  wont  to  ride  till  day  went  down. 
This  ride  was  my  delight.     I  love  all  waste 
And  solitary  places  ;  where  we  taste 
The  pleasure  of  believing  what  we  see 
Is  boundless,  as  we  wish  our  souls  to  be  : 
And  such  was  this  wide  ocean,  and  this  shore 
More  barren  than  its  billows  .  .  . 
As  those  who  pause  on  some  delightful  way 
Though  bent  on  pleasant  pilgrimage,  we  stood 
Looking  upon  the  evening,  and  the  flood 
Which  lay  between  the  city  and  the  shore 
Paved  with  the  image  of  the  sky  :  the  hoar 
And  airy  Alps,  towards  the  north,  appeared, 
Thro'  mist,  a  heaven-sustaining  bulwark,  reared 
Between  the  east  and  west ;  and  half  the  sky 
Was  roofed  with  clouds  of  rich  emblazonry, 
Dark  purple  at  the  zenith,  which  still  grew 
Down  the  steep  west  into  a  wondrous  hue 
Brighter  than  burning  gold,  even  to  the  rent 
Where  the  swift  sun  yet  paused  in  his  descent 
Among  the  many-folded  hills — they  were 
Those  famous  Euganean  hills,  which  bear, 
As  seen  from  Lido  through  the  harbour's  piles, 
The  likeness  of  a  clump  of  peaked  isles — 
And  then,  as  if  the  earth  and  sea  had  been 
Dissolved  into  one  lake  of  fire,  were  seen 
Those  mountains  towering,  as  from  waves  of  flame, 
Around  the  vaporous  sun,  from  which  there  came 
The  inmost  purple  spirit  of  light,  and  made 
Their  very  peaks  transparent.     "  E'er  it  fade," 
Said  my  companion,  "  I  will  show  you  soon 
A  better  station."     So  o'er  the  lagune 
We  glided  ;  and  from  that  funereal  bark 
I  leaned  and  saw  the  city,  and  could  mark 


THE  LIDO.  163 

How  from  their  many  isles,  in  evening's  gleam, 

Its  temples  and  its  palaces  did  seem 

Like  fabrics  of  enchantment  piled  to  heaven.' 

Julian  and  Maddalo. 


Turning  to  the  left  along  the  lagoon  towards  S.  Nicolb,  we 
may  cross  the  desecrated  Jewish  cemetery.  Many  pretty 
ornaments  sold  in  Venice  are  made  of  the  pearl  shells  of 
Lido,  '  flowers, '  fior  di  mare,  the  Venetians  call  them  ;  they 
have  no  others.  It  was  to  the  Porto  di  Lido  that  the  Doge 
went  forth  annually  for  the  ceremony  of  the  espousals  of 
Venice  with  the  Adriatic,  and  cast  the  ring  into  the  sea  from 
the  Bucentaur. 

'  Once  did  she  hold  the  gorgeous  East  in  fee, 
And  was  the  safeguard  of  the  West  ;  the  worth 
Of  Venice  did  not  fall  below  her  birth, 
Venice,  the  eldest  child  of  liberty. 
She  was  a  maiden  city,  bright  and  free  ; 
No  guile  seduced,  no  force  could  violate  ; 
And  when  she  took  unto  herself  a  mate, 
She  must  espouse  the  everlasting  sea. 
And  what  if  she  had  seen  those  glories  fade, 
Those  titles  vanish,  and  that  strength  decay, — 
Yet  shall  some  tribute  of  regret  be  paid 
When  her  long  life  hath  reached  its  final  day  : 
Men  are  we,  and  must  grieve  when  even  the  shade 
Of  that  which  once  was  great  has  passed  away. ' 

W.  Wordsworth. 

The  Castello  di  S.  Andrea  was  built  by  Michele  San- 
michele  in  1544.  The  Church  of  S.  Nicolb,  founded  1044, 
was  rebuilt  in  1626.  It  contains,  over  the  door,  the  tomb 
of  Doge  Domenico  Contarini,  1070. 


M  2 


i64  CHIOGGIA. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

CHIOGGIA. 

THE  delightful  excursion  to  Chioggia  will  occupy  a  day. 
The  steamer  leaves  at  93  A.M.,  and  arrives  at  Venice, 
again  at  65  P.M.,  allowing  five  hours  at  Chioggia.  This  ex- 
pedition is  the  best  means  of  seeing  the  general  features  of 
the  lagoon  and  the  natural  bulwarks  of  Venice.  The  most 
feeble  sailors  will  only  find  it  rough  for  a  few  minutes,  in 
crossing  the  bars  of  Malamocco  and  Chioggia. 

Crossing  the  lagoon  we  pass  on  the  right  the  Island  of 
S.  Servolo,  which  contains  the  great  Lunatic  Asylum,  built 
1725,  by  Giov.  Scalfurotto. 

•  I  looked  and  saw  between  us  and  the  sun 
A  building  on  an  island  ;  such  a  one 
As  age  to  age  might  add,  for  uses  vile, — 
A  windowless,  deformed,  and  dreary  pile  ; 
And  on  the  top  an  open  tower,  where  hung 
A  bell,  which  in  the  radiance  swayed  and  swung ; 
We  could  just  hear  its  coarse  and  iron  tongue  : 
The  broad  sun  sank  behind  it,  and  it  tolled 
In  strong  and  black  relief.     ' '  What  we  behold 
Shall  be  the  mad-house  and  its  belfry  tower," 
Said  Maddalo,  ' '  And  even  at  this  hour, 
Those  who  may  cross  the  water  hear  that  bell, 
Which  calls  the  maniacs,  each  one  from  his  cell, 
To  vespers."  ' — Sfalley,  '  Julian  and  MaddaloS 

'  Honour  aright  the  philosophic  thought, 
That  they  who,  by  the  trouble  of  the  brain 
Or  heart,  for  usual  life  are  over-wrought, 
Hither  should  come  to  discipline  their  pain. 
A  single  Convent  on  a  shoaly  plain 
Of  waters  never  changing  their  dull  face 
But  by  the  sparkles  of  the  thick -falling  rain 


CHIOGGIA.  165 

Or  lines  of  puny  waves, — such  is  the  place. 
Strong  medicine  enters  by  the  ear  and  eye  ; 
That  low  unaltering  dash  against  the  wall 
May  lull  the  angriest  dream  to  vacancy  ; 
And  Melancholy,  finding  nothing  strange 
For  her  poor  self  to  jar  upon  at  all, 

Frees  her  sad-centred  thoughts,  and  gives  them  pleasant 
range. ' — Monckton  Milnes. 

Our  route  is  now  like  a  highway  on  the  sea,  an  avenue  of 
posts  marking  the  deep  water  on  either  side.  On  the  right 
is  the  Island  of  Poveglia.  The  outer  bulwark  of  the  lagoon 
is  formed  by  three  islands.  That  which  ends  to  the  north 
in  the  castle  of  S.  Andrea,  and  to  the  south  in  the  fort  of 
Alberoni,  is  called  Littorale  di  Malamocco.  The  original 
island  of  Malamocco,  on  which  the  fugitives  from  Padua 
took  refuge  from  Attila  in  452,  and  which  was  the  seat  of 
government  and  residence  of  the  Doges  from  742  to  810, 
was  submerged  in  1107.  The  next  island,  Littorale  di  Peles- 
tina,  is  guarded  by  the  Castello  di  S.  Pietro,  and  the  Forte 
di  Caroman.  The  southernmost  island,  Littorale  di  Sotto 
Marina,  forms  the  bulwark  of  Chioggia.  Both  the  last- 
named  islands  are  defended  by  the  strong  sea  walls,  called 
/  Murazzi,  erected  1774-1782,  being  4603  yards  long  on 
the  coast  of  Pelestina  and  1522  yards  on  that  of  Sotto 
Marina.  As  we  coast  along  the  shores  we  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  how  their  many  villages  have  all  the  same 
peculiar  characteristics  ; — the  tall  campanile  ;  the  white- 
washed houses  with  Venetian  Gothic  windows  ;  the  minia- 
ture piazza  with  the  lions  supported  on  tall  staffs  ;  the 
bronzed  Giorgione  figures  lounging  over  the  little  piers 
green  with  sea-weed  ;  the  strip  of  shore  with  reed  fences 
protecting,  the  gardens  from  the  salt  winds,  and  the  feathery 
tamarisks  hanging  over. 

The  female  population  is  almost  entirely  occupied  in 
lace-making,  especially  at  Pelestina,  and  it  is  characteristic  of 
the  Venetian  character  that  till  a  few  years  ago  all  the  lace- 
stitches  had  religious  names,  '  Aves,'  '  Paters,'  &c. 

The  islands,  and  the  views  across  the  sparkling  lagoon 


166 


CHIOGGIA. 


— broken  here  and  there  into  strips  of  the  brightest  emerald- 
green — to  the  beautiful  Euganean  hills,  will  occupy  us  till 
we  reach  Chioggia  (Hotel  Luna),  where  a  considerable  town 
occupies  the  whole  of  one  of  the  larger  islands.  Its  chief 
features  are  one  immensely  broad  street,  and  one  wide  canal 
which  perfectly  blazes  with  colour — orange,  yellow,  crimson, 
and  red — from  the  sails  'of  its  fishing-boats,  which  have  the 
most  extraordinary  vanes  at  the  top  of  their  masts,  wrought 
into  the  quaintest  possible  designs.  When  all  these  boats 
set  forth  and  skim  over  the  lagoon,  it  is  like  the  flight  of  a 
swarm  of  butterflies.  The  people  of  Chioggia,  too,  retain  all 


Street  of  Chioggia. 

the  finest  characteristics    of  the   old   Venetian   type,  and 
painters  still  find  their  best  models  here. 

The  dramatist  Goldoni  went  to  reside  at  Chioggia  with 
his  family  when  very  young,  and  he  has  left  an  interesting 
account  of  his  life  there  in  his  memoirs.  His  'Baruffe 
Chiozzotte'  gives  an  amusing  picture  of  the  quarrels  in 
which  the  women  of  Chioggia  indulge,  and  for  which  they 
are  still  celebrated 

.  '  The  Chiozzotte  are  the  only  women  of  this  part  of  Italy  who  still 
preserve  a  semblance  of  national  costume ;  and  this  remnant  of  more 
picturesque  times  consists  merely  of  a  skirt  of  white,  which,  being  open 
in  front,  is  drawn  from  the  waist  over  the  head  and  gathered  in  the 


CHIOGGIA.  167 

hand  under  the  chin,  giving  to  the  flashing  black  eyes  and  swarthy 
features  of  the  youthful  wearer  a  look  of  very  dangerous  shyness  and 
cunning.  The  dialect  of  the  Chiozzotti  is  said  to  be  that  of  the  early 
Venetians,  with  an  admixture  of  Gijeek,  and  it  is  infinitely  more  sweet 
and  musical  than  the  dialect  now  spoken  at  Venice.' — Howells. 

Chioggia  was  the  residence  of  the  painter  Rosalba 
Carrera,  and  of  the  great  sixteenth-century  composer 
Giuseppe  Zarlino. 

Cut  off  from  the  rest  of  the  world  by  water,  the  life  here 
is  still  the  life  of  centuries  ago,  and  Ariosto  is  even  now 
(1883)  read  publicly  in  the  evenings  in  the  principal  street, 
by  a  regular  reader  to  a  large  and  delighted  audience. 

'  In  questo  paese  si  divide  tutta  la  populazione  in  due  classe :  ricchi, 
e  poveri.  Quelli  che  portano  una  parrucca  ed  un  mantello,  sono  i 
ricchi ;  quelli  che  non  hanno  che  un  berretto  ed  un  cappotto,  sono  i 
pqveri ;  ben  spesso  questi  ultimi  hanno  quattro  volte  piu  danaro  degli 
altri.' — Goldoni. 

Few  visitors  will  care  to  go  building-hunting  at  Chioggia. 
There  is  a  Granary  of  1322,  resting  on  64  pillars.  The 
Cathedral  was  built  1633-1674,  by  Bald  Longhena,  and 
has  some  good  reliefs  by  Bonasso  at  the  altar  of  S.  Agnes 
and  on  the  pulpit.  The  Oratory  of  S.  Martino,  of  1393,  has 
an  altar  of  1394.  The  Church  of  S.  Andrea  has  an  altar  by 
Sansovino.  Chioggia  is  joined  to  the  island  of  Brondolo  (a 
continuation  of  the  Lido)  by  a  bridge  of  43  arches. 

Beautiful  are  the  effects  of  sunset  on  the  still  lagoon,  and 
still  more  perhaps  the  effects  of  moonlight,  enjoyed  by  those 
who  return  in  the  evening  from  Chioggia. 

'  On  ne  nous  avail  certainement  pas  assez  vante  la  beaute  du  ciel  et 
les  delices  des  nuits  de  Venise.  La  lagune  est  si  calme  dans  les  beaux 
soirs  que  les  etoiles  n'y  tremblent  pas.  Quand  on  est  au  milieu,  elle 
est  si  blanche,  si  unie,  que  1'oeil  ne  saisit  plus  la  ligne  de  Phorizon,  et  que 
1'eau  et  le  ciel  ne  font  plus  qu'un  voile  d'azur,  oil  la  reverie  se  perd  et 
s'endort.' — George  Sand. 

'  Now  am  I  also  one  of  the  birds  of  the  Adriatic  Sea,  as  every 
Venetian  feels  himself  to  be,  while  reclining  in  his  gondola.  All  that 
surrounds  me  is  dignified— a  grand  venerable  work  of  combined  human 
energies,  a  noble  monument,  not  of  a  ruler,  but  of  a  people.  And 
if  their  lagunes  are  gradually  filling  up,  if  unwholesome  vapours  are 


1 63  CHIOGGIA. 

floating  over  the  marsh,  if  their  trade  is  declining,  and  their  power  has 
passed  away,  still  the  great  place  and  its  essential  character,  will  not 
for  a  moment  be  less  venerable.' — Goethe. 

The  approach  to  Venice,  seen  in  coming  from  Trieste  on 
this  side,  affords  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  striking  views 
of  the  water-city. 

'  Underneath  day's  azure  eyes, 
Ocean's  nursling,  Venice  lies, — 
A  peopled  labyrinth  of  walls, 
Amphitrite's  destined  halls, 
Which  her  hoary  sire  now  paves 
With  his  blue  and  gleaming  waves. 
.Lo  !  the  sun  upsprings  behind, 
Broad,  red,  radiant,  half-reclined 
On  the  level  quivering  line 
Of  the  waters  crystalline ; 
And  before  that  chasm  of  light 
As  within  a  furnace  bright, 
Column,  tower,  and  dome,  and  spire, 
Shine  like  obelisks  of  fire, 
Pointing  with  inconstant  motion 
From  the  altar  of  dark  ocean 
To  the  sapphire-tinted  skies ; 
As  the  flames  of  sacrifice 
From  the  marbled  shrines  did  rise 
As  to  pierce  the  dome  of  gold 
Where  Apollo  spake  of  old.' — Shelley. 


169 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
MURANO  AND    TOR  CELLO. 

A  WHOLE  day  must  be  given  to  this  delightful  excur- 
JT\.  sion,  and  a  calm  sea  should  be  chcsen.  It  is  some- 
times very  rough  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Murano. 

Emerging  from  the  narrow  canals  of  Venice  at  the  Fon- 
damente  Nuove,  we  find  ourselves  in  the  op'en  lagoon.  The 
nearest  island,  to  which  boat-funerals  are  gliding  stealthily 
with  black  flags,  is  that  of  S.  Michele,  occupied  by  the 
Cemetery. 

1  As  we  go  by  the  Cemetery  of  S.  Michele,  Piero  the  gondolier 
and  Giovanna  improve  us  with  a  little  solemn  pleasantry. 

'  "  It  is  a  small  place,"  says  Piero,  "  but  there  is  room  enough  for 
all  Venice  in  it. " 

'  "  It  is  true,"  asserts  Giovanna,  "  and  here  we  poor  folks  become 
landowners  at  last.'" — Hywells1  '  Venetian  Life.'' 

The  handsome  church  beside  the  burial  ground  dates 
from  the  fifteenth  century,  and  contains,  above  the  main 
entrance,  the  tomb  of  Giovanni  Dolfin,  Bishop  of  Vicenza, 
1622,  with  statues  by  Bernini,  and,  near  this,  in  the  pave- 
ment, the  gravestone  of  Fra  Paolo  Sarpi.  Amongst  the 
monks  of  the  Camaldolese  convent  were  the  learned  Placido 
Zurla,  afterwards  cardinal,  and  Mauro  Cappellari,  who,  in 
1831,  mounted  the  papal  throne  as  Gregory  XVI. 

'  The  pure  cumuli  of  cloud  lie  crowded  and  leaning  against  one 
another,  rank  beyond  rank,  far  over  the  shining  water,  each  cut  away 
at  its  foundation  by  a  level  line,  trenchant  and  clear,  till  they  sink  to  the 
horizon  like  a  flight  of  marble  steps,  except  where  the  mountains  meet 
them,  and  are  lost  in  them,  barred  across  by  the  grey  terraces  of  those 
cloud  foundations,  and  reduced  into  one  crestless  bank  of  blue,  spotted 
here  and  there  with  strange  flakes  of  wan,  aerial,  greenish  light,  strewed 


1 7o  MURANO  AND   TORCELLO. 

upon  them  like  snow.  And  underneath  is  the  long  dark  line  of  the 
mainland,  fringed  with  low  trees  ;  and  then  the  wide  waving  sur- 
face of  the  burnished  lagoon  trembling  slowly,  and  shaking  out  into 
forked  bands  of  lengthening  light  the  images  of  the  towers  of  cloud 
above.  To  the  north,  there  is  first  the  great  cemetery  wall,  then  the  long 
stray  buildings  of  Murano,  and  the  island  villages  beyond,  glittering  in 
intense  crystalline  vermilion,  like  so  much  jewelry  scattered  on  a  mirror, 
their  towers  poised  apparently  in  the  air  a  little  above  the  horizon,  and 
their  reflections,  as  sharp  and  vivid  and  substantial  as  themselves,  thrown 
on  the  vacancy  between  them  and  the  sea.  And  thus  the  villages  seem 
standing  on  the  air ;  and,  to  the  east,  there  is  a  cluster  of  ships  that  seem 
sailing  on  the  land ;  for  the  sandy  line  of  the  Lido  stretches  itself  be- 
tween us  and  them,  and  we  can  see  the  tall  white  sails  moving  beyond 
it,  but  not  the  sea,  only  there  is  a  sense  of  the  great  sea  being  indeed 
there,  and  a  solemn  strength  of  gleaming  light  in  the  sky  above. 

'  The  most  discordant  feature  in  the  whole  scene  is  the  cloud  which 
hovers  above  the  glass  furnaces  of  Murano ;  but  this  we  may  not  regret, 
as  it  is  one  of  the  last  signs  left  of  human  exertion  among  the  ruinous 
villages  which  surround  us.  The  silent  gliding  of  the  gondola  brings  it 
nearer  to  us  every  moment ;  we  pass  the  cemetery,  and  a  deep  sea- 
channel  which  separates  it  from  Murano,  and  finally  enter  a  narrow 
water-street,  with  a  paved  footpath  on  each  side,  raised  three  or  four 
feet  above  the  canal,  and  forming  a  kind  of  quay  between  the  water  and 
the  doors  of  the  houses.  These  latter  are,  for  the  most  part,  low,  but 
built  with  massy  doors  and  windows  of  marble  or  Istrian  stone,  square 
set,  and  barred  with  iron ;  buildings  evidently  once  of  no  mean  order, 
though  now  only  inhabited  by  the  poor.  Here  and  there  an  ogee 
window  of  the  fourteenth  century,  or  a  doorway  deeply  enriched  with 
cable  mouldings,  shows  itself  in  the  midst  of  more  ordinary  features  ; 
and  several  houses,  consisting  of  one  story  only  carried  on  square  pillars, 
forming  a  short  arcade  along  the  quay,  have  windows  sustained  on 
shafts  of  red  Verona  marble,  of  singular  grace  and  delicacy.  All  now 
in  vain ;  little  care  is  there  for  their  delicacy  or  grace  among  the  rough 
fishermen  sauntering  on  the  quay  with  their  jackets  hanging  loose  from 
their  shoulders,  jacket  and  cap  and  hair  all  of  the  same  dark -greenish 
sea-grey.  But  there  is  some  life  in  the  scene,  more  than  is  usual  in 
Venice:  the  women  are  sitting  at  their  doors  knitting  busily,  and  various 
workmen  of  the  glass  houses  sifting  glass  dust  upon  the  pavement,  and 
strange  cries  coming  from  one  side  of  the  canal  to  the  other,  and  ringing 
far  along  the  crowded  water,  from  vendors  of  figs  and  grapes,  and 
gourds  and  shell-fish ;  cries  partly  descriptive  of  the  eatables  in  question, 
but  interspersed  with  others  of  a  character  unintelligible  in  proportion 
to  their  violence,  and  fortunately  so,  if  we  may  judge  by  a  sentence 
which  is  stencilled  in  black,  within  a  garland,  on  the  white-washed 
walls  of  nearly  every  other  house  in  the  street,  but  which,  how  often 
soever  written,  no  one  seems  to  regard :  "  Beaemme  non  piii.  Lodate 
£esu." 


MURANO.  171- 

•  We  push  our  way  between  large  barges  laden  with  fresh  water  from 
Fusina,  in  round  white  tubs  seven  feet  across,  and  complicated  boats 
full  of  all  manner  of  nets  that  look  ais  if  they  could  never  be  disentangled, 
hanging  from  their  masts  and  over  tReir  sides ;  and  presently  pass  under 
a  bridge  with  the  lion  of  S.  Mark  on  its  archivolt,  and  another  on  a 
pillar  at  the  end  of  the  parapet,  a  small  red  lion  with  much  of  the  puppy 
in  his  face,  looking  vacantly  up  into  the  air  (in  passing  we  may  note 
that,  instead  of  feathers,  his  wings  are  covered  with  hair,  and  in  several 
other  points  the  manner  of  his  sculpture  is  not  uninteresting).  Presently 
the  canal  turns  a  little  to  the  left,  and  thereupon  becomes  more  quiet, 
the  main  bustle  of  the  water-street  being  usually  confined  to  the  first 
straight  reach  of  it,  some  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  the  Cheapside  of 
Murano.  We  pass  a  considerable  church  on  the  left,  S.  Pietro,  and  a 
little  square  opposite  to  it  with  a  few  acacia  trees,  and  then  find  our 
boat  suddenly  seized  by  a  strong  green  eddy,  and  whirled  into  the  tide- 
way of  one  of  the  main  channels  of  the  lagoon,  which  divides  the  town 
of  Murano  into  two  parts  by  a  deep  stream  some  fifty  yards  over,  crossed 
only  by  one  wooden  bridge.  We  let  ourselves  drift  some  way  down  the 
current,  looking  at  the  low  line  of  cottages  on  the  other  side  of  it, 
hardly  knowing  if  there  be  more  cheerfulness  or  melancholy  in  the  way 
the  sunshine  glows  on  their  ruinous  but  white-washed  walls  and  sparkles 
on  the  rushing  of  the  green  water  by  the  grass  grown  quay.  It  needs  a 
strong  stroke  of  the  oar  to  bring  us  into  the  mouth  of  another  quiet 
canal  on  the  other  side  of  the  tideway,  and  we  are  still  somewhat  giddy 
when  we  run  the  head  of  the  gondola  into  the  sand  on  the  left-hand  side 
of  this  more  sluggish  stream,  and  land  under  the  east  end  of  the  Church 
of  San  Donato,  the  "  Matrice  "  or  "  Mother  "  church  of  Murano. 

'  It  stands,  it  and  the  heavy  campanile  detached  from  it  a  few  yards, 
in  a  small  triangular  field  of  somewhat  fresher  grass  than  is  usual  near 
Venice,  traversed  by  a  paved  walk  with  green  mosaic  of  short  grass 
between  the  rude  squares  of  its  stones,  bounded  on  one  side  by  ruinous 
garden  walls,  on  another  by  a  line  of  low  cottages,  on  the  third,  the 
base  of  the  triangle,  by  the  shallow  canal  from  which  we  have  just 
landed.  Near  the  point  of  the  triangular  space  is  a  simple  well,  bearing 
date  1502;  in  its  widest  part,  between  the  canal  and  campanile,  is 'a 
four-square  hollow  pillar,  each  side  formed  by  a  separate  slab  of  stone, 
to  which  the  iron  hasps  are  still  attached  that  once  secured  the  Venetian 
standard. 

'  The  cathedral  itself  occupies  the  northern  angle  of  the  field,  en- 
cumbered with  modern  buildings,  small  outhouse-like  chapels,  and 
wastes  of  white  wall  with  blank  square  windows,  and  itself  utterly 
defaced  in  the  whole  body  of  it,  nothing  but  the  apse  having  been 
spared ;  the  original  place  is  only  discoverable  by  careful  examination, 
and  even  then  but  partially.  The  whole  impression  and  effect  of  the 
building  are  irretrievably  lost,  but  the  fragments  of  it  are  still  most 
precious.' — Ruskin,  '  Stones  of  Venice.' 


1 72.  MURANO  AND   TaRCELLO. 

According  to  legend,  the  foundation  of  the  principal 
Church  of  Murano  is  due  to  Otho  the  Great,  to  whom 
the  Virgin  appeared  in  a  vision,  showing  him  this 
very  triangular  meadow  overgrown  with  scarlet  lilies, 
and  desiring  him  to  build  a  church  there  in  her  honour. 
In  1125  S.  Donate  was  joined  with  the  Virgin  as  patron 
of  the  church,  which  was  henceforth  called  by  his  name, 
and  to  which  his  body,  brought  from  Cephalonia,  was 
presented  by  the  Doge  Domenico  Michele.  It  is  believed 
that  on  the  acquisition  of  this  treasure  the  whole  church  was 
rebuilt.  Gaily  Knight  supposes  that  the  best  part  of  the 
existing  remains  is  of  the  twelfth  century.  The  semi- 
circular apse  is  the  most  remarkable  feature.  It  has  two 
stories  of  circular  arches,  intersected  by  a  double  band  of 
triangular  marbles  of  the  most  wondrous  delicacy  of  sculp- 
ture. Many  of  these  marbles  are  coloured,  and  Ruskin 
teaches  us  that  in  no  case  was  their  arrangement  without 
the  most  careful  intention.  '  The  subtlety  and  perfection  of 
artistical  feeling  in  all  this  are  so  redundant,  that  in  the 
building  itself  the  eye  can  rest  upon  this  coloured  chain 
with  the  same  kind  of  delight  that  it  has  in  a  piece  of  the 
embroidery  of  Paul  Veronese.'  The  balustrade  round  the 
upper  gallery  is  also  a  remarkable  feature.  The  lower  stage 
is  mainly  arcaded  in  red  brick. 

The  interior  of  the  church  has  been  grievously  modernised 
and  is  dismal  and  bare  in  the  extreme,  But  it  retains  the 
old  basilica  form,,  the  beautiful  inlaid  pavement  of  1140, 
some  of  the  delicately  wrought  ancient  capitals,  and,  in  the 
apse,  a  sad-looking  Greek  mosaic  of  the  Madonna,  in  a  blue 
robe.  Beneath  it,  is,  in  Latin,  the  inscription  : 

'  Whom  Eve  destroyed,  the  pious  Virgin  Mary  redeemed ; 
All  praise  her,  who  rejoice  in  the  Grace  of  Christ.' 

'  At  Murano  the  Mosaic  in  the  ti  ibune  of  the  Duomo,  executed  about 
the  middle  of  the  twelfth  century,  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  of  the 
Byzantine  revival— a  single  figure  only,  the  Virgin,  the  Greek  type — 
standing  on  a  cushion  of  cloth  of  gold,  alone  in  the  field,  and  completely 
enveloped  in  her  long  blue  robe  ;  her  hands  are  held  forth  appealingly 
towards  the  spectator,  two  large  .tear-drops  hang  on  her  cheek,  settled 


MURANO.  173 

.sorrow  dsvells  on  every  feature  ;  the  very  spirit  of  the  "  Stabat  Mater" 
breathes  through  this  affecting  portraiture— the  silent  searching  look 
for  sympathy  is  irresistible.  T\he  face  not  beautiful  but  impressive 
and  dignified  ;  there  is  a  feeling  of  elegance  in  the  attitude,  finished  with 
care,  evidently  by  one  of  the  best  artists  of  the  time. ' — Lord  Lindsay's 
'  Christian  Art.' 

The  Church  of  the  Angeli  dates  from  1187,  but  was  re- 
built in  1520.  On  the  gate  of  its  courtyard  is  a  graceful 
Annunciation  by  some  of  the  pupils  of  Donatello.  The 
Church  of  S.  Pietro,  of  the  sixteenth  century,  contains  a 
noble  Giovanni  Bellini,  of  the  Madonna  and  saints,  with 
the  donor,  Doge  A.  Barberigo,  1488.  The  picture  was 
formerly  in  the  convent  of  S.  Maria  degli  Angeli,  of  which 
Barberigo  had  been  the  administrator,  and  where  two  of  his 
daughters  were  nuns. 

'  Who  that  has  visited  Murano  does  not  know  that  beautiful  canvas 
with  its  tasteless  frame  of  the  seventeenth  century,  on  which  the  Prince 
of  Venice,  introduced  by  S.  Mark  and  S.  Augustine,  kneels  in  all  the 
pomp  of  orange  and  ermine,  yet  with  all  the  humility  of  a  sinner,  before 
the  Virgin  ?  Who  has  not  been  delighted  by  the  lovely  calm  of  that 
Virgin,  with  the  boy  on  her  knee,  imparting  the  benediction  to  the 
sound  of  viol  and  guitar  ?  What  charm  dwells  in  those  two  children 
or  that  wonderful  row  of  cherubs'  heads  that  hang  on  cloudlets  about 
the  purple  curtain,  what  attractiveness  in  the  vegetation  of  the  land- 
scape and  its  beds  of  weeds  and  flowers,  in  which  the  crane,  the  pea- 
cock, and  partridge  alike  elect  to  congregate  !  How  noble  the  propor- 
tions of  the  saints,  how  grand  and  real  the  portrait  of  the  Doge  !  It  is 
that  here  large  contrasts  of  light  and  shade  are  united  with  bright  and 
blended  tone ;  that  the  atmosphere  is  playing  round  these  people,  and 
helping  them  to  live  and  move  before  us,  and  nature  is  ennobled  by 
thought  and  skill. ' —  Crowe  and  Cavalcaselle. 

Another  fine  work  here,  brought  from  the  same  convent, 
is  an  Assumption  by  Marco  Basaiti. 

Travellers  should  not  leave  Murano  without  visiting 
Salviatfs  Glass  Manufactory,  and  seeing  his  wonderful 
imitations  both  of  the  ancient  mosaics  and  of  the  old 
Venetian  glass,  varied  in  a  thousand  forms,  and  tinted  with 
the  exquisite  and  delicate  colours  known  as  girasole  (opal), 
lattimo,  rubino,  alabastro,  giallo  d'oro,  acqua  marina,  &c. 


174  MURANO  AND   TORCELLO. 

A  path  in  the  sea,  marked  at  intervals  with  posts,  leads 
picturesquely  across  the  shallow  lagoon  to  the  Island  of 
Burano,  which  has  a  large  lace-making  population,  and  be- 
yond this  to  the  Island  of  Mazzorbo,  which  is  a  vast  kitchen 
garden  for  the  inhabitants  of  Venice.  Here  there  is  an 
interesting  Gothic  doorway,  with  the  figure  of  our  Lord  and 
kneeling  figures,  under  an  ogee  canopy,  dated  A.D.  1368. 


A  A  Path  in  the  Sea  to  Torcello. 

No  lady  visiting  these  parts  should  omit  a  visit  to  the 
Lace  Manufacture  (Fabbrica  di  Merletti  di  Burano),  where, 
under  the  judicious  protection  of  Countess  Marcello,  the 
celebrated  point  de  Burano  has  been  successfully  revived, 
its  old  patterns  being  adopted.  Hundreds  of  young  girls 
(whose  almost  universal  beauty  will  certainly  strike  a 


Canal  of  Burano,  Venice. 

stranger)  find  daily  employment  here,  to  the  relief  of  their 
families  and  the  general  profit  of  their  desolate  and  indigent 
island. 

Beautiful  are  the  effects,  in  passing  through  the  canal 
which  divides  these  islands,  of  the  low-lying  reaches  of  wind- 
stricken  shore,  with  a  tall  campanile  and  lonely  cypress. 
Again  a  wide  space  of  open  lagoon,  and,  between  banks  of 


TORCELLO.  175 

samphire   and  low  lilac   bushes,   we   enter  the    canal   of 
Torcello.  \ 

i  Seven  miles  to  the  north  of  Venice,  the  banks  of  sand,  which  near 
the  city  rise  little  above  low-water  mark,  attain  by  degrees  a  higher 
level,  and  hoist  themselves  at  last  into  fields  of  salt  morass,  raised  here 
and  there  into  shapeless  mounds,  and  interrupted  by  narrow  creeks  of 
sea.  One  of  the  feeblest  of  these  inlets,  after  winding  for  some  time 
among  buried  fragments  of  masonry,  and  knots  of  sunburnt  weeds 
whitened  with  webs  of  fucus,  stays  itself  in  an  utterly  stagnant  pool  be- 
side a  plot  of  greener  grass  covered  with  ground-ivy  and  violets.  On  this 
mound  is  built  a  rude  brick  campanile,  of  the  commonest  Lombardic 
type,  which  if  we  ascend  towards  evening  (and  there  are  none  to  hinder 
us,  the  door  of  its  ruinous  staircase  swinging  idly  on  its  hinges),  we  may 
command  from  it  one  of  the  most  notable  scenes  in  this  wide  world  of 
ours.  Far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  a  waste  of  wild  sea  moor,  of  a  lurid 
ashen-grey  ;  not  like  our  northern  moors  with  their  jet-black  pools  and 
purple  heath,  but  lifeless,  the  colour  of  sackcloth,  with  the  corrupted 
sea-water  soaking  through  the  roots  of  its  acrid  weeds,  and  gleaming 
hither  and  thither  through  its  snaky  channels.  No  gathering  of  fan- 
tastic mists,  nor  coursing  of  clouds  across  it ;  but  melancholy  clear- 
ness of  space  in  the  warm  sunset,  oppressive,  reaching  to  the  horizon 
of  its  level  gloom.  To  the  very  horizon,  on  the  north-east ;  but  to  the 
north  and  west,  there  is  a  blue  line  of  higher  land  along  the  border  of 
it,  and  above  this,  but  farther  back,  a  misty  band  of  mountains,  touched 
with  snow.  To  the  east,  the  paleness  and  roar  of  the  Adriatic,  louder 
at  momentaiy  intervals  as  the  surf  breaks  on  the  bar  of  sand ;  to  the 
south,  the  widening  branches  of  the  calm  lagoon,  alternately  purple  and 
pale  green,  as  they  reflect  the  evening  clouds  or  twilight  sky ;  and  almost 
beneath  our  feet,  on  the  same  field  which  sustains  the  tower  we  gaze 
from,  a  group  of  four  buildings,  two  of  them  little  larger  than  cottages 
(though  built  of  stone,  and  one  adorned  by  a  quaint  belfry),  the  third  an 
octagonal  chapel,  of  which  we  can  see  but  little  more  than  the  flat  red 
roof  with  its  rayed  tiling,  the  fourth,  a  considerable  church  with  nave 
and  aisles,  but  of  which,  in  like  manner,  we  can  see  little  but  the  long 
central  ridge  and  lateral  slopes  of  roof,  which  the  sunlight  separates  in 
one  glowing  mass  from  the  green  field  beneath  and  grey  moor  beyond. 
There  are  no  living  creatures  near  the  buildings,  nor  any  vestige  of 
village  or  city  round  about  them.  They  lie  like  a  little  company  of 
ships  becalmed  on  a  far-away  sea. 

'  Then  look  farther  to  the  south.  Beyond  the  widening  branches 
of  the  lagoon,  and  rising  out  of  the  bright  lake  into  which  they  gather, 
there  are  a  multitude  of  towers,  dark,  and  scattered  among  square-set 
shapes  of  clustered  palaces,  a  long  irregular  line  fretting  the  southern  sky. 

'  Mother  and  daughter,  you  behold  them  both  in  their  widowhood, 
— Torcello  and  Venice. 


1 76  MURANO  AND   TORCELLO. 

'  Thirteen  hundred  years  ago,  the  grey  moorland  looked  as  it  does 
this  day,  and  the  purple  mountains  stood  as  radiantly  in  the  deep  dis- 
tances of  evening ;  but  on  the  line  of  the  horizon,  there  were  strange 
fires  mixed  with  the  light  of  sunset,  and  the  lament  of  many  human 
voices  mixed  with  the  fretting  of  the  waves  on  their  ridges  of  sand.  The 
flames  rose  from  the  ruins  of  Altinum ;  the  lament  from  the  multitude 
of  its  people,  peeking,  like  Israel  of  old,  a  refuge  from  the  sword  in  the 
paths  of  the  sea. 

'  The  cattle  a-e  feeding  and  resting  upon  the  site  of  the  city  that 
they  left ;  the  mower's  scythe  swept  this  day  at  dawn  over  the  chief 
street  of  the  city  that  they  built,  and  the  swathes  of  soft  grass  are  now 
sending  up  their  scent  into  the  night  air,  the  only  incense  that  fills  the 
temple  of  their  ancient  worship.  Let  us  go  down  into  that  little  space 
of  meadow  land. 

*  The  inlet  which  runs  nearest  to  the  base  of  the  campanile  is  not 
that  by  which  Torcello  is  commonly  approached.  Ano;her,  somewhat 
broader,  and  overhung  by  alder  copse,  winds  out  of  the  main  channel  of 
the  lagoon  up  to  the  very  edge  of  the  little  meadow  which  was  once  the 
Piazza  of  the  city,  and  there,  stayed  by  a  few  grey  stones  which  present 
some  semblance  of  a  quay,  forms  its  boundary  at  one  extremity.  Hardly 
larger  than  an  English  farmyard,  and  roughly  enclosed  on  each  side  by 
broken  palings  and  hedges  of  honeysuckle  and  briar,  the  narrow  field 
retires  from  the  water's  edge,  traversed  by  a  scarcely  traceable  footpath, 
for  some  forty  or  fifty  paces,  and  then  expanding  into  the  form  of  a  small 
square,  with  buildings  on  three  sides  of  it,  the  fourth  being  that  which 
.opens  to  the  water.  Two  of  these,  that  on  our  left  and  that  in  front  of 
us  as  we  approach  from  the  canal,  are  so  small  that  they  might  well  be 
taken  for  the  out-houses  of  the  farm,  though  the  first  is  a  conventual 
building,  and  the  other  aspires  to  the  title  of  the  "  Palazzo  Pubblico, ''  both 
dating  as  far  back  as  the  beginning  of  the  fourteenth  century;  the  third, 
the  octagonal  church  cf  Santa  Fosca,  is  far  more  ancient  than  either,  yet 
hardly  on  a  larger  scale.  Though  the  pillars  of  the  portico  which  sur- 
rounds it  are  of  pure  Greek  marble,  and  their  capitals  are  enriched  with 
delicate  sculpture,  they,  and  the  arches  they  sustain,  together  only  raise 
the  roof  to  the  height  of  a  cattle-shed ;  and  the  first  strong  impression 
which  the  spectator  receives  from  the  whole  scene  is,  that  whatever  sin 
it  may  have  been  which  has  on  this  spot  been  visited  with  so  utter  a 
desolation,  it  could  not  at  least  have  been  ambition.  Nor  will  this 
impression  be  diminished  as  we  approach,  or  enter,  the  larger  church 
to  which  the  whole  group  of  building  is  subordinate.  It  has  evidently 
been  built  by  men  in  flight  and  distress ;  who  sought  in  the  hurried 
erection  of  their  is' and  church  such  a  shelter  for  their  earnest  and  sor- 
rowful worship,  as,  on  the  one  hand,  would  not  attract  the  eyes  of  their 
enemies  by  its  splendour,  and  yet,  on  the  other,  might  not  awaken  too 
bitter  feelings  by  its  contrast  with  the  churches  which  they  had  seen 
destroyed.  There  is  visible  everywhere  a  simple  and  tender  effort  to 


TORCELLO.  177 

recover  some  of  the  form  of  the  temples  which  they  had  loved,  and  to 
do  honour  to  God  by  that  which  they  were  erecting,  while  distress  and 
humiliation  prevented  the  desire,  and  prudence  precluded  the  admission, 
either  of  luxury  of  ornament  or  magnificence  of  plan.  The  exterior  is 
absolutely  devoid  of  decoration,  with  the  exception  only  of  the  western 
entrance  and  the  lateral  door,  of  which  the  former  has  carved  side-posts 
and  architrave,  and  the  latter  crosses  of  rich  sculpture ;  while  the  mossy 
stone  shutters  of  the  windows,  turning  on  huge  rings  of  stone,  which 
answer  the  double  purpose  of  stanchions  and  brackets,  cause  the  whole 
building  rather  to  resemble  a  refuge  from  Alpine  storm  than  the  cathe- 
dral of  a  populous  city;  and,  internally,  the  two  solemn  mosaics  of  the 
eastern  and  western  extremities, — one  representing  the  Last  Judgment, 
the  other  the  Madonna,  her  tears  falling  as  her  hands  are  raised  to  bless, 
— and  the  noble  range  of  pillars  which  enclose  the  space  between  ter- 
minated by  the  high  throne  for  the  pastor,  and  the  semi-circular  raised 
seats  for  the  superior  clergy,  are  expressive  at  once  of  the  deep  sorrow 
and  the  sacred  courage  of  men  who  had  no  home  left  them  upon  earth,  but 
who  looked  for  one  to  come,  of  men,  "  persecuted  but  not  forsaken,  cast 
down  but  not  destroyed."' — Ruskin,  '  Stones  of  Venice,"1  ii.  2. 

'  Two  hundred  years  after  the  invasion  of  Attila  had  driven  many  of 
the  inhabitants  of  Aquileja  and  Altina  from  their  homes,  the  province 
was  desolated  by  the  Lombards.  The  Altinese,  alarmed  at  their  approach, 
anxiously  deliberated  whether  they  should  remain  to  face  this  "  Australis 
plaga,"  or  seek  safety  in  flight,  when  they  beheld  vast  flocks  of  birds, 
with  their  fledglings  in  their  beaks,  take  flight  from  the  city  walls  and 
towers  and  direct  their  course  seaward.  Regarding  this  as  a  sign  from 
heaven,  some  departed  to  Ravenna,  some  to  Pentapolis,  and  others  to 
Istria,  leaving  behind  them  a  band  of  devout  persons,  who  in  order  to 
obtain  a  more  direct  manifestation  of  the  will  of  heaven  determined  to 
fast  and  pray  for  three  days,  according  to  the  advice  of  their  bishop, 
Paulus.  At  the  end  of  that  time  they  heard  a  voice  like  thunder, 
saying,  "  Ascend  into  the  city  tower  and  look  at  the  stars. "  They  beheld 
a  vision  of  boats,  and  ships,  and  islands,  and  taking  this  as  an  indication 
that  their  course  should  be  directed  seaward,  they  removed  their  most 
precious  possessions  to  the  island  of  Torcello.  .  .  .  Paulus,  Bishop  of 
Altina,  migrated  with  his  flock,  their  relics,  and  treasure,  to  Torcello  and 
the  neighbouring  islands,  A.D.  641.' — Perkins,  '•Italian  Sculptors.' 

Amongst  the  external  features  of  Torcello  is  the  marble 
seat — low-lying  amongst  the  rye-grass — called  Attila's 
Throne. 

The  Cathedral,  which  was  rebuilt,  evidently  exactly  in 
the  form  of  an  earlier  church,  in  the  beginning  of  the  eleventh 
century,  has  many  curious  mosaics  of  the  same  date,  and 

VOL.    II.  N 


173 


MURANO  AND    TORCELLO. 


probably  by  the  same  artist  as  that  at  Murano.  It  has 
three  parallel  naves  of  ten  bays,  ending  in  apses.  The 
columns  dividing  the  nave  from  the  aisles,  are  of  veined 
marble,  with  exquisitely  wrought  capitals,  half  Corinthian, 
half  Byzantine.  The  Holy  Water  basin  of  the  tenth  cen- 
tury is  very  curious.  The  crypt  is  probably  a  remnant  of  a 
building  of  the  seventh  century.  The  choir  is  fenced  off  by 
a  marble  screen,  '  the  prototype  of  that  at  S.  Mark's,'  and  is 
adorned  with  sculptures  of  lions  and  peacocks,  probably 
brought  from  Aquileja. 

'  North-west  of  the  rood-screen  stands  the  marble  ambon — a  pulpit 
of  two  divisions,  one  (circular)  facing  south,   the  other   (square)  facing 


Torcello. 

west.  This  and  the  staircase  leading  to  it  are  full  ot  delicate  and  good 
carved  work.  The  arrangement  has  an  absurd  likeness  to  many  a 
modern  English  scheme  of  pulpit,  and  reading  pew,  and  there  is  certainly 
force  in  the  observation,  that  such  an  arrangement  would  never  have 
been  thought  of,  unless  the  Gospel  was  to  be  understood  by  the  people. 
Now  they  do  not  understand  it,  it  is  no  longer  said  from  an  ambon,  and 
ambons  seem  to  be  much  less  useful  to  the  Romans  than  rood-screens 
are  to  us  ! ' — Street. 

The  cathedral  was  greatly  injured,  and  its  exterior  com- 
pletely modernised,  during  injudicious  and  hasty  repairs 
under  the  Austrians,  when  the  new  roof  was  put  on.  The 


TORCELLO.  179 

chancel  is  most  remarkable,  the  seats  rising  in  tiers  with  the 
semi-circular  form  of  a  theatre,  and  the  episcopal  throne  in 
the  centre  raised  above  these  seats,  and  approached  by  its 
own  steep  staircase. 

'  There  is  one  circumstance  which  we  ought  to  remember  as  giving 
peculiar  significance  to  the  position  which  the  episcopal  throne  occupies 
in  the  island  church,  namely,  that  in  the  minds  of  all  early  Christians 
the  Church  itself  was  most  frequently  symbolised  under  the  image  of  a 
ship,  of  which  the  bishop  was  the  pilot.  Consider  the  force  which  this 
symbol  would  assume  in  the  imaginations  of  men  to  whom  the  spiritual 
Church  had  become  an  ark  of  refuge  in  the  midst  of  a  destruction  hardly 
less  terrible  than  that  from  which  the  eight  souls  were  saved  of  old,  a 
destruction  in  which  the  wrath  of  man  had  become  as  broad  as  the 
earth  and  as  merciless  as  the  sea,  and  who  saw  the  actual  and  literal 
edifice  of  the  Church  raised  up,  itself  like  an  ark  in  the  midst  of  the 
waters.  No  marvel  if  with  the  surf  of  the  Adriatic  rolling  between  them 
and  the  shores  of  their  birth,  from  which  they  were  separated  fcr 
ever,  they  should  have  looked  upon  each  other  as  the  disciples  did  when 
the  storm  came  down  on  Tiberias  Lake  and  have  yielded  ready  and 
loving  obedience  to  those  who  ruled  them  in  His  name,  who  had  there 
rebuked  the  winds  and  commanded  stillness  to  the  sea.  And  if  the 
stranger  would  yet  learn  in  what  spirit  it  was  that  the  dominion  of  Venice 
was  begun,  and  in  what  strength  she  went  forth  conquering  and  to  con- 
quer, let  him  not  seek  to  estimate  the  wealth  of  her  arsenals  or  numbers 
of  her  armies ;  nor  look  upon  the  pageantry  of  her  palaces,  nor  enter 
into  the  secrets  of  her  councils ;  but  let  him  ascend  the  highest  tier  of 
the  stern  ledges  that  sweep  round  the  altar  of  Torcello,  and  then,  look- 
ing as  the  pilot  did  of  old  along  the  marble  ribs  of  the  goodly  temple- 
ship,  let  him  re-people  its  ruined  deck  with  the  shadows  of  its  dead 
mariners,  and  strive  to  feel  in  himself  the  strength  of  heart  that  was 
kindled  within  them,  when  first,  after  the  pillars  of  it  had  settled  in  the 
sand,  and  the  roof  of  it  had  been  closed  against  the  angry  sky  that  was 
still  reddened  by  the  fires  of  their  homesteads, — first,  within  the  shelter 
of  its  knitted  walls,  amidst  -the  murmur  of  the  waste  of  waves  and  the 
beating  of  the  wings  of  the  sea-birds  round  the  rock  that  was  strange  to 
them, — rose  that  ancient  hymn,  in  the  power  of  their  gathered  voices  : 
— "  The  sea  is  fits,  and  He  made  it :  and  His  hands  prepared  the  dry 
land."1 — Ruskin,  '  Stones  of  Venice.' 

The  Baptistery,  or  Church  of  S.  Fosca,  is  connected  with 
the  cathedral  by  a  most  picturesque  little  cloister.  It  is  a 
square  church,  with  small  projections  on  either  side,  and  a 
deeper  one  on  the  east,  where  the  high  altar  is  raised 

N  2 


i8o  MURANO  AND   TORCELLO. 

above  the  relics  of  the  virgin  martyr  Fosca,  who  suffered 
under  Decius. 

'  There  are  three  eastern  apses,  and  the  western  side  is  screened  by 
an  open  cloister,  which  is  octagonal  in  plan.  The  square  centre  is 
domed  on  very  simple  pendentives,  and  the  capitals  are  similar  in 
character  to  those  in  the  cathedral.  The  best  detail  is  to  be  seen  out- 
side the  east  end,  where  there  is  some  good  arcading  and  an  enriched 
band  of  chevron  ornament,  formed  by  recessing  the  brickwork,  and  a 
mixture  of  red  and  buff  brick  work,  which  is  very  effective.' — Street. 

'  At  Torcello  everything  is  on  the  tiniest  scale ;  you  can  touch  with 
your  hand  the  capitals  of  the  columns  that  support  the  roof,  and  though 
the  basilica  be  a  respectably-sized  parish  church,  its  title  of  Duomo  pre- 
pares one  to  expect  a  building  of  far  greater  magnitude.  The  contrast 
is  striking  too  in  other  respects.  The  spot  once  so  populous  is  now 
almost  utterly  abandoned.  The  two  churches,  the  baptistery  and  steeple, 
an  isolated  marble  column,  an  ancient  well,  sculptured  with  the  Greek 
cross,  the  Archivio  and  Tribunal  (such  no  longer) — these,  and  one  or 
two  dilapidated  buildings,  all  closely  adjacent,  are  the  sole  remains  of 
the  ancient  town,  and  form  now  the  centre  of  a  wilderness  ;  the  piazza 
\vhich  they  encircled,  is  completely  overgrown  with  grass  and  encircled 
by  hedgerows — a  narrow  pathway  is  the  only  street ;  the  little  birds 
sing  amid  the  profound  silence— and  on  finishing  your  survey,  you  will 
probably  find  yourself  leaning  against  the  marble  pillars  which  once 
sustained  the  flag-staff  of  the  republic,  long  before  those  of  her  tributary 
principalities,  Cyprus  and  Candia,  waved  in  the  breeze.  I  know  nothing 
in  its  way  like  Torcello ;  it  is  a  scene  sui generis  for  simplicity  and  soli- 
tude,— and  yet  not  melancholy,  for  they  are  not  the  ruins  of.  fallen  great- 
ness ;  the  emotions  excited  are  akin  rather  to  those  one  experiences  in 
visiting  the  source  of  some  mighty  river,  or  gazing  at  the  portrait  of  a 
hero  in  his  childhood.' — Lindsay's  '  Christian  Art.' 

The  Campanile  of  the  eleventh  century  is  well  worth 
ascending  for  the  sake  of  the  singular  view. 


The  excursion  to  Torcello  forms  a  fitting  close  to  a  stay 
at  Venice,  which  no  one  who  has  stayed  long  enough  to 
enjoy  its  melancholy  beauty  can  leave  without  regret. 

'  Prime  model  of  a  Christian  commonwealth 
Thou  wise  simplicity,  which  present  men 
Calumniate,  not  conceiving, — joy  is  mine, 
That  I  have  read  and  learnt  thee  as  I  ought, 
Not  in  the  rude  compiler's  painted  shell, 


FAREWELL    TO    VENICE.  181 

But  in  thine  own  memorials  of  live  stone, 

And  in  the  pictures  of  thy  Vneeling  princes, 

And  in  the  lofty  words  on  lofty  tombs, 

And  in  the  breath  of  ancient  chroniclers, 

And  in  the  music  of  the  outer  sea.' — Monckton  Milnes. 

1  La  campagna  me  consola, 
Ma  Venezia  ze  la  sola 
Che  me  posa  contentar. 
O  Venezia  benedetta, 
No  le  vogio  piii  lasar. ' —  Venetian  Barcarole. 


1 82  TREVISO,    UDINE,   AND  AQUILEJA. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

TREVISO,    UDINE,   AND  AQUILEJA. 

THESE  places  will  probably  be  visited  by  many  travellers  who  go 
by  rail  from  Venice  to  Vienna.  Except  by  those  who  are  sufficiently 
interested  in  history  to  make  the  (well-worth)  pilgrimage  to  Aquileja, 
they  will  not  be  made  the  subject  of  a  separate  excursion. 

THE  railway  to  Trieste  branches  off  from  the  Milan 
line  at  Mestre,  and  reaches :  — 

26  kil.  Treviso  (Inns.  Quattro  Corone,  very  good,  though 
of  humble  exterior.  Postal)  This  town,  in  its  narrow 
winding  arcaded  streets,  has  a  reminiscence  of  Venice.  In 
the  centre  is: — 

The  Cathedral  of  S.  Pietro,  chiefly  brick,  and  modernised 
in  the  fifteenth  century  by  Tullio  Lombardo,  and  with  a 
classic  portico,  on  the  steps  of  which  the  ancient  red  lions 
remain.  It  has  five  cupolas. 

Right,  2nd  Chapel.     Paris  Bordone.     The  Nativity. 

Chapel  right  of  High  Altar.  Titian.  The  Annunciation.  The 
fresco  of  the  Adoration  of  the  Magi,  and  the  Salutation  above,  are  by 
Pordenone. 

The  High  Altar  is  by  Tullio  Lombardo,  as  well  as  the  fine  tomb 
near  it  of  Bishop  Zannetti. 

*Left,  yd  Chapel.  Fr.  Bissolo  (1504),  a  native  of  Treviso,  a  pupil 
of  G.  Bellini.  S.  Barbara  with  SS.  Catherine  and  John  Baptist  and 
the  donor.  A  beautiful  picture. 

2nd  Chapel.     Paris  Bordone.     Madonna  and  four  Saints. 

A  little  to  the  left  (from  the  west  front  of  the  cathedral) 
is  the  fine  brick  Dominican  Church  of  S.  Niccolo  de  Bari, 
one  of  the  loftiest  and  largest  Gothic  parish  churches  in 
Italy.  It  was  built  by  two  Dominican  architects,  1310-1352. 
The  immense  nave  ends  in  a  tribune,  and  is  separated 


ASOLO,    VILLA   BARBARO.  183 

from  its  aisles  by  enormous  pillars,  upon  which  there  are 
frescoes.     On  the  right  wall  is  a  gigantic  S.  Christopher. 

High  Altar.  Fra  Marco  Pensaben,  finished  by  Girolamo  SavolJo, 
1520.  Madonna  throned,  with  saints  and  angels. 

Left  of  Ckoir.  The  tomb  of  Conte  d'  Onigo,  by  Tullio  Lombardo, 
1794. 

Chapel  right  of  High  Altar.  Giovanni  Bellini  (or  Sebastian  del 
Piombo  ?)  Christ  and  the  Twelve  Apostles  :  the  donor  and  his  family 
beneath. 

Sacristy.     Paolo  Flamingo.     The  Magdalen. 

Many  of  the  churches  have  works  of  the  native  artists, 
Pietro  Maria  Pennachi,  1464-1528,  a  follower  of  Carpaccio, 
and  his  son,  commonly  called  Girolamo  de  Treviso,  1497- 
1544,  who  became  architect  and  engineer  to  Henry  VIII. 
of  England,  and  was  killed  by  a  cannon-ball  whilst  com- 
manding the  works  at  the  siege  of  Boulogne.  We  must 
also  notice  an  Entombment  in  the  Monte  di  Pieta,  a  fine 
picture,  probably  by  Giprgione,  though  it  is  unlike  the  usual 
works  of  the  master  in  its  violent  action  and  foreshortening. 

The  church  of  S.  Cristina,  5  m.  from  Treviso,  has  a  very 
remarkable  altar-piece  by  Lorenzo  Lotto. 

[Treviso  is  perhaps  the  best  point  on  the  railway  from 
whence  to  visit  (by  carriage)  Asolo,  where  Caterina  Cornaro, 
Queen  of  Cyprus,  had  her  famous  villa ;  and  the  still  existing 
Villa  Masena  (sometimes  called  Villa  Barbaro,  or  Villa 
Mann,  from  having  been  the  residence  of  the  last  doge  of 
Venice),  which  the  three  great  artists  of  the  Renaissance — 
Palladio,  Paul  Veronese,  and  Alessandro  Vittoria — united 
to  raise  and  embellish  for  the  brothers  Daniele  Barbaro, 
patriarch  of  Aquileja,  and  Marc  Antonio  Barbaro,  Pro- 
curator of  S.  Mark  and  Ambassador  of  the  Republic, 
familiar  from  his  magnificent  portrait  in  the  Belvidere  at 
Vienna.  An  excursion  to  the  Villa  Masena  is  easily  prac- 
ticable in  the  day  from  Venice,  and  carriages  at  moderate 
prices  (to  be  arranged  beforehand)  may  be  obtained  at  the 
station  of  Treviso. 

The  first  point  reached  is  the  Chapel,  built  1580.     It 


184  TREVISO,   UDINE,  AND  AQUILEJA. 

bears  the  inscription,  '  Marcus  Antonius  Barbarus  Procurator 
Francisci  Filius.'  On  the  right  is  a  fountain  richly  adorned 
in  the  style  of  John  of  Bologna.  Hence  an  avenue  leads  to 
the  Villa,  at  the  foot  of  the  hills. 

'  Palladio  dispose  son  plan  suivant  les  necessites  de  la  vie  patri- 
cienne  et  de  la  villegiature,  et  il  accuse  franchement  dans  sa  fa£ade  les 
differents  usages  auxquels  servira  chacune  des  parties  de  1'habitation. 
Au  centre,  il  fait  largement  saillir  un  avant-corps  d'une  proportion 
grandiose,  et  luxueusement  orne  de  sculptures  qui  annoncent  la  partie 
la  plus  noble,  1'habitation  patricienne  avec  sa  loge  en  saillie.  Au  second 
plan,  a  droite  et  a  gauche,  il  relegue  les  dependances  sous  un  grand 
portique  a  arcades  simples  qui  les  abrite  centre  le  soleil  ;  enfin,  aux 
deux  extremites,  il  ferme  ses  lignes  par  deux  autres  petits  pavilions 
legerement  sortants,  couronnes  par  un  colombier  et  peints  a  fresque  a 
1'exterieur. 

'  L'architecture  proprement  elite  est  reservee  pour  la  partie  centrale, 
qui  affecte  la  forme  d'un  temple  d'ordre  ionique  et  rappelle  la  Fortutu 
Virile,  typecher  a  Palladio;  au  milieu  s'ouvre  la  Loggia  avec  son  balcon 
monumental ;  et  dans  le  fronton,  la  Vittoria  a  modele  en  stuc  deux 
figures  agenouillees  d'une  grande  tournure,  qui  portent  1'ecusson  de  la 
famille  entoure  de  rinceaux  de  feuillages.  Dans  la  frise  on  lit  les 
noms  des  deux  freres  fondateurs  de  la  villa. 

'  Le  rez-de-chaussee  n'a  pas  re9u  de  decoration  ;  les  murs  sont  peints 
en  blanc,  le  sol  est  fait  de  mosa'ique  de  Florence  ;  mais  des  qu'on  arrive 
a  1'etage  superieur,  on  est  frappe  de  la  grandeur  du  parti  pris.  Le  plan 
affecte  Ja  forme  d'une  croix  dont  le  bras  principal  tout  entier  n'est 
qu'une  immense  galerie.  La  perspective  n'est  coupee  par  aucun  orne- 
ment  saillant  :  colonnes  accouplees  ou  pilastres  de  haut-relief.  Ce 
n'est  cependant  pas  dans  cette  salle  de  nobles  proportions  que  le 
Veronese  a  peint  ses  fresques  :  c'est  dans  une  serie  de  pieces  qui  se  suivent 
formant  les  deux  petits  bras  de  la  croix,  et  dans  des  sortes  de  stanze 
paralleles  a  la  galerie  et  qui  la  desservent.  On  se  demande  comment 
le  Veronese,  qui  aimait  les  larges  surfaces,  a  pu  laisser  la  plus  vaste 
des  salles  vides  de  peinture,  et  a  prefere  prendre  pour  champ  les  stanze, 
oil  le  spectateur,  qui  touche  pour  ainsi  dire  du  doigt  les  sujets,  n'a  plus 
1'illusion  necessaire  et  le  recul  indispensable  pour  juger  une  ceuvre  d'art 
de  grandes  proportions.  L'explication  de  ce  fait  est  evidemment  dans 
le  genre  d'existence  que  menent  les  Italiens  en  villegiature.  C'est 
dans  les  petits  reduits  elegants  de  la  villa  que  le  patricien  a  1'habitude  de 
vivre  ;  la  salle  de  gala  ne  s'ouvre  que  rarement,  et  il  veut  avoir  a  tout 
instant  sous  les  yeux  les  sujets  qui  le  charment.' — Yriarte. 

Palladio  may  be  regarded  as  the  genius  of  the  whole 
villa,  Veronese  of  the  frescoes,  and  Vittoria  of  the  sculptures, 


CONEGLIANO,  PORDENONE.  185 

in  which  Marc  Antonio  Barbaro  himself  worked  at  the 
decorations  for  the  grotto  in  the  garden.  The  great  gallery 
is  adorned  with  eight  allegorical  figures — suonatrici — each 
in  a  niche,  in  grisaille.  Of  the  other  endless  frescoes  of 
mythological  subjects,  the  most  important  is  the  Olympus, 
in  a  cupola. 

'  Les  figures  sont  beaucoup  plus  grandes  que  nature.  Au  centre,  une 
jeune  femrne  assise  sur  un  nuage  represente  PImmortalite  qui  monte  dans 
1'empyiee:  Mercure  la  regarde  le  bras  leve  vers  les  cieux  et  son  caducee  a 
la  main;  Diane  est  au  repos,  appuyee  sur  son  grand  levrier  qu'elle  caresse; 
Saturne,  sous  les  traits  d'un  vieillard  a  barbe  blanche,  repose  sa  tete  sur  sa 
main  droiteet  de  la  main  gauche  retientsa  faux;  Jupiter  domine  unpeu  la 
scene,  que  completent  Mars,  Apollon,  Venus  et  le  dieu  Cupidon.  Au- 
dessous  de  la  coupole,  par  un  contraste  qui  plait  a  son  esprit,  1'artiste  a 
deroule  la  plus  singuliere  des  compositions,  la  moins  en  rapport  avec  le 
sujet  qu'il  vient  de  trailer.  II  simule  d'abord  dans  cette  sorte  de  frise 
circulaire  un  appui  a  balustres  qui  coupe  les  figures  a  mi-corps  :  une 
vieille  riclee,  vetue  a  la  mode  du  temps,  indique  a  une  belle  jeune 
femme,  qui  s'appuie  sur  le  marbre,  un  jeuna  homme  en  pourpoint  qui 
retient  un  chien  pret  a  s'elancer  sur  un  page  qui  lit  tranquillement. 
Un  singe,  \\n  petit  chien  a  longues  oreilles  et  un  enfant  contemplant  un 
perroquet  forment  un  groupe  qui  complete  la  composition.  C'est 
inattendu,  plein  de  relief  et  de  vie,  traite  avec  cette  surete  de  main  qui 
distingue  le  Veronese,  et,  a  cote  de  1'Olympe,,  le  contrast e  est  frappant. 
Puis,  revenant  a  1'allegorie  dans  les  retombees  des  voiites,  1'artiste  peint 
Ceres  et  Bacchus  appuyes  1'un  sur  1'autre,  les  elements,  et  la  naissance  de 
1'Amour.' —  Yriarte.] 

After  crossing  the  immense  generally  dry  bed  of  the 
Piare,  the  railway  reaches — 

55  kil.  Conegliano  (Inn.  Posta).  In  the  Church  of 
S.  Lorenzo  is  an  altar-piece  by  the  native  painter  Giovanni 
Battista  Cima,  generally  called  '  Cima  da  Conegliano,'  who 
was  born  here  in  1460.  A  house  in  the  Borgo  della 
Madonna  (No.  323)  is  decorated  within  and  without  with 
frescoes  by  Dario  de  Treviso  :  many  other  houses  in  the 
town  have  frescoes  by  him.  At  Serravalle,  near  this,  is  a 
noble  piece  by  Titian.  Conegliano  is  the  starting-point  by 
diligence  for  Belluno. 

83  kil.  Pordenone — (Portus  Naonis).  (Inn.  Posta).  The 
Cathedral  of  S.  Marco  has  a  magnificent  campanile  and 
contains  : — 


1 86  TREVISO,  UDINE,  AND .AQUILEJA. 

Right,  1st  Altar.  Giovanni  Antonio  Licinio,  commonly  called  '  II 
Pordenone,'  who  was  born  here,  1484.  S.  Christopher  with  the  Holy 
Family.  The  Madonna  shelters  Francesco  di  Tetio,  for  whom  the 
picture  was  painted,  with  his  wife  and  three  of  their  family  under  her 
cloak.  Pordenone  grafted  the  teaching  of  Palma  and  Giorgione  upon 
Friulan  art. 

Right,  yd  Altar.  Marcello  Fogolino  of  Vicenza.  SS.  Francis, 
John  Baptist,  and  Daniel.  . 

Frescoes  of  SS.  Erasmus  and  Roch  are  by  Pordenone. 

Some  of  the  finest  early  works  of  Pordenone  may  be 
seen  in  the  chapel  of  S.  Salvatore  of  Colalto,  in  this  neigh- 
bourhood. Another  admirable  but  injured  work  of  the 
master  is  the  altar-piece  of  Susigara,  a  manor  of  the 
Colalto  family. 

109  kiL  Cadroipo.  A  little  to  the  right  is  the  village  of 
Campo-Formio,  where  the  treaty  was  made  Oct.  18,  1797,  by 
which  Illyria,  Dalmatia,  and  Venice  were  ceded  to  Austria. 

132  kil.  Udine.  (Inn.  Italia,  excellent  and  reasonable) 
— the  old  capital  of  Friuli,  united  to  Venice  in  1420.  It  is 
a  most  pleasant  and  prosperous  place,  and  it  can  only  have 
been  a  hostile  pen  which  wrote  the  old  proverb, — 

'  Udine,  giardini  senza  fieri,  castfcl  senza  cannoni,  fontane  senza 
acqua,  nobilta  senza  creanza.' 

In  the  midst  of  the  town  is  the  Cathedral,  built  in  1517 
by  Giovanni  Fontana,  on  an  artificial  hill  which  tradition 
declares  to  have  been  thrown  up  by  Attila,  in  order  that 
from  thence  he  might  the  better  behold  the  burning  of 
Aquileja.  At  its  foot  is  the  Piazza  di  S.  Giovanni,  which 
has  a  Palazzo  (with  a  loggia  now  disused  and  containing 
remains  of  a  fresco  of  Pordenone)  standing  on  a  broad  stone 
platform,  decorated  with  a  fountain,  pillars,  and  statues  ; 
the  statue  at  the  end,  representing  Maria  Louisa,  was 
erected  after  the  treaty  of  Campo-Formio. 

The  beautiful  Gothic  Palazzo  Pubblico,  of  1457,  rests  upon 
an  open  colonnade,  which  has  a  Gothic  balustrade  of  marble 
and  serpentine,  and  under  which  is  a  Madonna  of  1 5 1 6,  by 
Pordenone. 


UD1NE.  187 

A  little  to  the  right  is  the  Cathedral,  which  has  an  octa- 
gonal tower,  and  a  Gothic  front  with  some  curious  reliefs. 
It  contains  : 

Left,  isl  Altar.  Giovanni  Martina  da  Udine,  1501.  S.  Mark 
throned,  with  two  bishops  below. 

Left,  2nd  Altar.  Giovanni  da  Udine,  1502.  S.  Joseph  with  the 
Infant  Jesus  and  S.  John.  A  most  lovely  picture.  S.  John,  a  beauti- 
ful youth,  leans  against  the  parapet  of  a  portico  and  gazes  up  at  the 
child  in  the  arms  of  the  old  man. 

Right  Aisle.  Tomb  of  Bishop  Zaccharia  Briceto,  '  Angelo  di  carita,' 
erected  by  his  people,  1851. 

In  the  Contrada  S.  Maria  Maddalena  are  the  remains 
of  the  Palazzo  Ting/ii,  covered  in  1527  with  frescoes  by 
Pordenone,  which  are  greatly  extolled  by  Vasari.  The  Town 
Hall  has  an  apotheosis  of  S.  Gottardo  by  Pordenone. 

The  hotel  at  Udine  is  a  good  one  (with  German  cleanli- 
ness), and  all  travellers  should  stay  here  two  nights,  in 
order  to  make  the  very  important  excursion  to  Aquileja, 
for  which  this  is  by  far  the  best  starting-point.  As  a  matter 
of  fact,  Aquileja  is  still  just  within  the  Austrian  frontier  ; 
but  its  history  and  associations  so  connect  it  with  Italy 
that  a  thorough  Italian  tour  would  still  be  as  incomplete 
without  visiting  it,  as  it  would  have  been  without  a  visit  to 
Venice,  when  that  was  no  longer  Italian. 

(It  is  about  18  miles — 3  hours'  drive — from  Udine  to  Aquileja.  The 
landlord  will  make  an  arrangement  for  18  frs.,  by  which  a  little  carriage 
may  be  taken  to  Palma  (midway)  and  there  exchanged  for  a  fresh  carriage 
and  horse,  the  driver  of  the  first  carriage  awaiting  the  return  and  under- 
taking all  the  payments. 

The  help  of  a  Sacristan  is  necessary  at  Aquileja  to  open  doors,  &c. 
The  schoolmaster  will  send  for  him.  He  should  be  desired  to  bring 
his  telescope,  if  the  Campanile  be  ascended. 

If  the  traveller  have  any  small  Austrian  money,  he  may  take  it  to 
Aquileja  with  advantage,  but  Italian  money  will  pass.) 

The  road  to  Aquileja  crosses  a  level,  richly-cultivated 
plain.  Midway  we  reach  the  strongly-fortified  town  of 
Palma  Nuova,  which  has  clear  streams  running  down  all 
the  streets,  and  a  large  piazza  with  quaint  statues  at  each 
street  corner. 


1 88  TREVISO,  UDINE,  AND  AQUILEJA. 

There  are  quantities  of  shrines  along  the  road.  The  driver 
touches  his  hat  to  them  all,  but  when  he  passes  a  church 
he  takes  it  off  altogether,  for  this  is  almost  Austria,  and 
religion  has  not,  as  they  say,  '  gone  out '  here,  as  it  has  in 
Italy  generally,  since  it  became  '  Unita.'  At  Strassoldo, 
two  little  huts  painted  black  and  yellow,  and  a  Dogantere, 
announce  that  we  have  entered  Austria  (no  paper  or  pass- 
port necessary).  Then,  across  the  endless  lines  of  white 
mulberries,  a  huge  campanile  rises  in  pale  pink  shadow 
against  the  aerial  distance.  It  is  Aquileja. 

Except  that  the  country  is  very  fertile,  the  approach 
would  remind  us  of  that  to  Ostia.  Aquileja  lies  in  the  same 
way  near  a  sea  which  has  receded,  one  great  building 
stranded  in  the  desolation,  and  the  fields  all  around  are 
littered  in  the  same  way  with  fragments  of  brick  and  marble, 
while  pillars  and  capitals  may  frequently  be  seen  lying  neg- 
lected amongst  the  rank  grass.  A  Roman  colony  was 
settled  here  in  B.C.  181,  when  the  accidental  omen  of  an 
eagle  gave  it  the  name  of  Aquileja,  and  it  speedily  rose  to 
the  greatest  wealth  and  prosperity.  It  became  the  great 
centre  for  the  traffic  of  Italy  with  the  north  and  east  of 
Europe,  was  enriched  by  the  discovery  of  gold-mines  in  the 
neighbourhood,  and  was  chosen  by  Caesar  as  the  head- 
quarters of  his  legions  in  Cisalpine  Gaul.  As  late  as  the 
fourth  century  it  was  reckoned  by  Ausonius  as  the  ninth 
city  of  the  Roman  Empire,  and  amongst  those  of  Italy 
only  inferior  to  Capua  and  Milan.  It  safely  survived  many 
dangers.  In  A.D.  238  it  was  besieged  by  Maximin,  who 
was  murdered  by  his  own  soldiers  while  investing  it ;  in 
A.D.  340  it  beheld  the  younger  Constantine  defeated  and 
slain,  almost  beneath  its  walls  ;  and  in  388  it  saw  the  defeat 
of  the  usurper  Maximus  by  the  Emperor  Theodosius  the 
Great,  and  his  death.  But  in  A.D.  452  it  was  besieged, 
taken,  and  totally  destroyed  by  Attila,  king  of  the  Huns. 

On  the  site  of  the  famous  town  of  Augustus,  which  had 
more  than  100,000  inhabitants,  there  are  now  only  a  few 
low  cottages,  and  the  one  gigantic  church  which  has  risen 


AQUILEJA. 


189 


upon  the  fragments  of  the  early  Christian  cathedral — the 
crypt,  baptistery  and  campanile — which  alone  were  spared 
when  every  other  building  was  so  totally  destroyed  by  Attila 
in  452,  in  revenge  for  the  resistance  he  encountered  here, 
that  scarcely  a  stone  remained  perfect.  The  inhabitants 
had  already  fled  with  their  treasures  to  Grado  and  to  Torcello, 
and  thus  the  destruction  of  Aquileja  became  the  foundation 
of  Venice. 

The  church— long  the  cathedral,  now  only  a  parrbcchia — 
has  little  ornament  outside.  It  belongs  mostly  to  the  early 
part  of  the  eleventh  century,  when  the  pillars  which  had 
been  thrown  down  were  again  raised  upon  their  foundations 


Aquileja. 

« 

and  newly  enclosed.  At  the  west  end  is  a  low  portico,  sup- 
ported by  heavy  pillars,  leading  to  the  small  solid  church 
which  was  spared  in  the  destruction  of  the  ancient  city.  It 
contains  a  fresco  of  SS.  John  Baptist  and  Nicholas.  Here 
a  number  of  early  inscriptions  and  other  fragments  have 
been  collected.  Through  this  we  enter  the  baptistery  used 
for  immersion  in  the  time  of  Constantine,  surrounded  by  six 
pillars,  but  now  open  to  the  air.  This  church  and  bap- 
tistery are  believed  to  date  from  the  time  of  S.  Ermagora, 
the  first  apostle  of  Friuli  and  bishop  of  Aquileja,  who  is  said 
to  have  been  consecrated  by  S.  Peter  himself,  and  to  have 
been  succeeded  by  the  holy  deacon  S.  Fortunato.  In  the 
little  forecourt  are  a  number  of  ancient  tombs,  capitals  of 


190 


TREVISO,   UDINE,  AND  AQUILEJA. 


columns,  £c.  The  ruined  pillars  on  the  south  of  the  church 
are  said  to  have  belonged  to  the  portico  which  led  to  the 
palace  of  the  patriarch. 

The  Interior  oi  the  church  is  most  stately  and  impressive. 
The  immense  nave  is  separated  from  the  very  wide  aisles 
by  magnificent  ranges  of  columns,  two  on  each  side,  with 
glorious  Corinthian  capitals,  supporting  pointed  arches. 
The  roof  is  of  wood,  like  that  of  the  Eremitani  at  Padua, 
cusped,  boarded,  and  panelled  in  small  square  panels.  At 
the  end  of  the  nave  a  great  flight  of  steps  ascends  to  the 
tribune. 

Right  and  left  of  entrance.  Two  splendid  capitals,  used  as  Holy 
Water  basons. 

Right.     The  Chapel  of  SS.  Ambrose  and  Margaret,  of  1268,  con-, 
taining  magnificent  marble  tombs  of  the  Delia  Torre  family  (the  arms 
a  tower)  ;  one  of  whom  was  Patriarch  and  another  Treasurer  of  this 
church. 

At  the  angle  of  the  ivall.  A  figure  of  the  sainted  Bishop  Siro,  who 
foretold  the  destruction  by  Attila  many  years  before. 

Sacristy.  The  mitre,  sandals,  and  four-sided  berretto  of  Bishop 
Popponi,  under  whom  the  present  cathedral  was  built.  In  the  library 
above  is  an  ancient  gilt  figure  of  S.  Ermagora. 


Throne  of  the  Patriarch,  Aquileja. 

A  chapel,  with  a  most  glorious  marble  screen  with  symbolical 
subjects. 

The  tomb,  with  agate  panels,  raised  on  four  pillars,  which  contained 
the  relics  of  S.  Quirinus,  given,  with  those  of  S.  Marco  Vescovo,  by 
John  XIX.  in  1031.  These  relics  were  removed  and  divided  between 
the  cathedrals  of  Udine  and  Gorizia,  when  the  bishopric  was  taken 
away  from  Aquileja. 


GRADO.  igi 

The  Choir  has  a  cinque-cento  screen.  Behind  the  altar  is  a  picture 
of  saints,  attributed  to  G.  Bellini,  and,  beneath  it,  the  throne  of  the 
Patriarch  Popponi,  of  white  marble  and  serpentine,  approached  by 
steps. 

The  tomb  of  S.  Marco  Vescovo,  adorned  with  statuettes. 

Left  Aisle.  A  very  odd  circular  building  with  a  cone-like  roof.  Its 
object  is  unknown.  Some  say  it  was  a  baptistery,  and  some  for  contain- 
ing holy  oil,  &c. 

The  Crypt  is  anterior  to  the  destruction  by  Attila.  It  contains  the 
relics  of  S.  Ermagora.  In  spite  of  the  immense  iron  bars  with  which 
they  are  protected,  its  treasures  were  robbed  in  1821. 

The  great  Campanile  stands  in  the  cemetery  quite  de- 
tached from  the  church.  It  is  well  worth  ascending  for  the 
sake  of  its  wonderful  view  of  the  Alps,  of  Trieste  and 
Miramar,  and  of  the  lagunes  of  Aquileja,  which  are  some- 
thing like  those  of  Venice.  Not  far  from  the  mainland  is 
the  Island  of  Grado,  crowded  with  fishermen's  houses — dis- 
tinctly visible  through  the  telescope.  The  church  of  Grado 
— 'Venetae  orae  Istriaeque  Ecclesiarum  caput  et  mater' — 
somewhat  resembles  that  of  Aquileja,  though  much 
smaller.  There  was  always  great  jealousy  between  the  two 
churches,  which  came  to  a  climax  in  1156,  when  the 
patriarch  of  Aquileja  at  the  head  of  his  canons  took  Grado 
unawares,  and,  having  plundered  the  church,  was  carrying 
off  his  booty  to  his  vessels,  when  he  was  arrested  by  the 
arrival  of  a  fleet  from  Venice.  The  patriarch  obtained  his 
liberty,  but  was  forced  to  pay  a  ransom  which  was  to  bear 
witness  to  the  contempt  in  which  the  spiritual  dignity  of 
Aquileja  was  held  at  Venice.  Every  year  thenceforth  on 
Giovedi  Grasso  (Zioba  grasso,  in  the  Venetian  dialect)  the 
patriarch  of  Aquileja  was  forced  to  send  to  Venice  a  bull 
and  twelve  boar  pigs,  a  deputation  representing  himself  and 
his  chapter.  They  were  paraded  through  the  streets,  and 
afterwards  slaughtered  with  mock  solemnities  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  Doge,  who  distributed  their  flesh  to  the 
people. 

Grado  is  well  worthy  of  a  visit,  but  very  seldom  seen, 
for  it  takes  three  hours  to  reach  in  a  boat  by  the  canal,  and 
the  traveller  who  would  go  there  must  return  to  sleep  at 


192  TREVISO,  UDINE,  AND  AQUILEJA. 

Palma  and  start  early  next  day,  or  sleep  at  the  little  inn  at 
Aquileja ;  but  if  he  has  travelled  south  in  the  Volscian  and 
Hernican  mountains,  he  will  have  slept  in  many  worse 
places.  All  that  guide-books  have  hitherto  copied  from  one 
another  as  to  the  malaria  at  Aquileja  is  either  ignorance  or 
invention  :  it  is  a  very  healthy  place,  with  a  flourishing  little 
population. 

Every  day  more  antiquities  are  discovered  at  Aquileja, 
and  a  Museum  of  the  minor  objects  found  has  been  formed 
at  the  house  of  the  Podesta.  Some  of  the  Scavi  recently 
opened,  and  the  different  ranges  of  building  found  one 
beneath  another,  have  given  rise  to  the  belief  that  the  town 
must  have  been  destroyed  and  risen  again  three  separate  , 
times. 

(Another  interesting  excursion  may  be  made  from  Udine 
— about  12  miles — to  Cividale  (Forum  Julii),  where  a 
quantity  of  Roman  remains  have  been  discovered  and  are 
arranged  in  a  Museum.  The  curious  tomb  of  Duke  Gisulf 
of  Friuli  has  lately  been  found  here.  In  the  Church  of 
S.  Maria  d£  Battuti  is  a  Madonna  with  saints  by  Pellegrino 
di  San  Daniele,  1529  ;  in  that  of  S.  Maria  in  Valle  is 
another  work  of  the  same  Friulan  master.  Many  more  of 
his  pictures  are  to  be  seen  at  S.  Daniele,  where  he  married 
the  daughter  of  the  constable  of  the  city  gates  :  the  frescoes 
of  S.  Antonio,  executed  1514-22,  are  his  most  important 
and  interesting  works.  He  died  here,  Dec.  23,  1547. 
The  Duomo  of  S.  Daniele  contains  a  Trinity,  a  large  altar- 
piece,  executed  1335,  by  Pordenone,  and  other  works  of  the 
master.) 


'93 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

FERRARA. 

By  the  quick  train  it  is  2\  hrs.  from  Venice  to  Ferrara. — 13  frs.  15  &  ; 

9  frs.  25  c. 
Inns:  Stella  d'Oro,  best,  facing  the  castle;  Europa,  in  the    Corso ; 

Tre  Corone. 

FERRARA  is  one  of  the  most  Italian  of  Italian  towns, 
and  one  of  the  most  melancholy.  Its  interest  is 
entirely  of  the  past,  and  it  is  more  ragged  than  picturesque. 
It  seems  to  have  gone  to  sleep  in  the  end  of  the  sixteenth 
century,  when  it  was  annexed  to  the  States  of  the  Church, 
and  never  to  have  awakened.  All  its  prosperity  was  me- 
diaeval, when  the  House  of  Este  ruled  here,  and  when  its 
court  was  the  most  brilliant  in  Europe,  especially  in  the 
time  of  the  Duchess  Rende,  who  gave  sanctuary  at  Ferrara 
to  so  many  distinguished  refugees,  including  the  Protestant 
divines  Calvin  and  Marot,  Aonio  Paleario,  and  the  famous 
Olympia  Morata. 

The  Dukes  of  Ferrara  of  the  House  of  Este  were  descended  from 
Giulio,  the  second  son  of  Welf,  Duke  of  Bavaria.  In  the  I4th  century 
Obizzo  d'Este  III.  increased  the  power  of  his  house  by  adding  Modena 
and  Reggio  to  his  dominions.  In  1452,  Borso  d'  Este,  celebrated  for  the 
magnificence  of  his  life,  received  the  title  of  Duke  of  Modena  and 
Reggio  from  the  Emperor  Frederick  III.,  and  that  of  Duke  of  Ferrara 
from  Pope  Paul  II.  He  died  in  1471,  and  was  succeeded  by  his 
brother  the  great  Duke  Hercules  I.  (1471-1505),  under  whom  the 
size  of  the  capital  was  doubled.  Alfonso  I.  (1505-34),  the  son  of 
Hercules,  was  the  third  husband  of  Lucrezia  Borgia,  still  only  in  her 
twenty-fifth  year,  who  amended  her  life  while  at  Ferrara,  and  died  here 
in  1519,  greatly  beloved  and  respected.1  The  brother  of  Alfonso 

1  '  Her  husband  and  his  subjects  all  loved  her  for  her  gracious  manners  and  her 
true  piety,  to  which,  having  long  before  abandoned  all  worldly  vanities,  she  wholly 

VOL.  II.  O 


I94  FERRARA. 

was  Cardinal  Ippolito  d'  Este,  the  friend  of  Ariosto,  of  whom  Brantome 
says  :'  '  No  prince  or  prelate  ever  showed  himself  more  noble,  splendid, 
or  liberal.'  Hercules  II.,  the  son  of  Alfonso  (1534-1558),  and  his 
wife  Renee  were  the  patrons  of  the  Protestant  divines.  Their  son 
Alfonso  II.,  who  died  childless,  was  the  patron  of  Tasso  and  Guarini, 
and  in  his  days  the  literary  eminence  of  the  court  of  Ferrara  reached  its 
climax.  Of  his  three  sisters,  Anna  (1531-1617)  married  the  Due  de 
Guise,  and  afterwards  the  Due  de  Nemours  ;  Lucrezia  (1534-1598) 
married  the  Duke  of  Urbino  ;  and  Leonora  (1537-1581),  who  died 
unmarried,  was  the  idol  of  Tasso. 

Alfonso  II.  was  succeeded  by  Cesare  d'  Este,  the  natural  son  of 
Alfonso  I.,  but  only  as  Duke  of  Modena  and  Reggio,  for  Ferrara  and 
Comacchio  were  claimed  by  Pope  Clement  VIII.  as  vacant  fiefs,  and 
united  to  the  States  of  the  Church.  The  papal  rule,  however,  was 
excessively  unpopular  here,  and  was  only  maintained  by  a  strong 
Austrian  garrison ;  this  was  withdrawn  in  1859,  and  in  March,  1860, 
these  provinces  were  united  to  the  kingdom  of  Sardinia. 

'Melancholy  as  the -city  looks  now,  every  lover  of  Italian  poetry 
must  view  with  affection  the  retreat  of  an  Ariosto,  a  Tasso,  a  Guarini. 
Such  is  the  ascent  of  wealth  over  genius,  that  one  or  two  princes  could 
create  an  Athens  in  the  midst  of  this  Bceotia.  The  little  courts  of 
Ferrara  and  Urbino  seemed  to  emulate  those  of  Alexandria  and 
Pergamos,  contending  for  pre-eminence  only  in  literature  and  ele- 
gance. ' — Forsyth. 

1  Ferrara  !  in  thy  wide  and  grass-grown  streets, 
Whose  symmetry  was  not  for  solitude, 
There  seems  as  'twere  a  curse  upon  the  seats 
Of  former  sovereigns,  and  the  antique  brood 
Of  Este,  which  for  many  an  age  made  good 
Its  strength  within  thy  walls,  and  was  of  yore 
Patron  or  tyrant,  as  the  changing  mood 
Of  petty  power  impell'd,  of  those  who  wore 
The  wreath  which  Dante's  brow  alone  had  worn  before. ' 

Byron,  '  Childe  Harold.'1 

Ferrara,  La  Gran  Donna  del  Po,  as  Tassoni  calls  it,  is 
situated  low  in  the  plain,  about  3^  miles  S.  of  the  river. 
The  town  is  neglected  and  damp  and  decaying,  grass  grows 
long  in  the  side  streets,  and  the  palaces  look  deserted. 
Hurried  travellers  will  care  little  for  it,  but  those  who  are 

gave  herself  up.  She  used  to  spend  the  morning  in  prayer,  and  in  the  evening  would 
invite  the  ladies  of  Ferrara  to  embroidery  parties,  in  which  accomplishment  she  was 
a  great  proficient.  Her  liberality  to  the  poor  and  to  literary  men  was  especially 
noticeable.'— Frizzi,  '  Mem.  per  la.  Storia  di  Ferrara,'  iv.  281. 


CASTLE   OF  FERRARA.  195 

really  interested  in  the  study  of  history  and  art,  will  find 
inexhaustible  interest  in  its  desolate  courts  and  bye-streets, 
where  the  terra-cotta  ornament  is  often  gloriously  rich  and 
delicate,  and  in  which  the  artist  will  discover  many  charm- 
ing subjects  of  twisted  columns,  ancient  wells,  and  sculp- 
tured cornices,  with  fresh  vines  hanging  over  them.  The 
castle,  all  the  churches  except  the  front  of  the  cathedral, 
and  all  the  palaces  and  houses  except  the  Palazzo  dei  Dia- 
manti,  are  built  of  brick,  and  are  often  wonderfully  beauti- 
ful examples  of  the  power  of  decoration  which  lies  in  that 
material.  The  country  round  Ferrara  is  flat  and  marshy, 
and  the  climate  damp  and  unhealthy. 

The  sights  most  worth  seeing  by  the  passing  traveller, 
are  the  exterior  of  the  Castle  and  Cathedral,  the  Relics  of 
Ariosto  at  the  University,  and  the  Pinacoteca.  The  following 
walk  embraces  all  else  of  importance  in  the  place  : — 

The  Castle,  which  is  the  centre  of  everything  in  Ferrara, 
is  the  finest  complete  middle-age  fortress  in  Italy.  It 
is  built  entirely  of  brick,  and  surrounded  by  a  deep  moat, 
crossed  on  each  side  by  bridges  which  support  wings  of  the 
building.  The  four  towers  and  the  side  walls  have  a  wide 
projecting  basement,  separated  by  a  corded  band  from  the 
rest  of  the  edifice.  The  broad  projecting  parapets  above 
rest  upon  huge  machicolations,  trefoiled  at  the  top.  English 
travellers  will  wonder  where  they  have  been  so  familiar 
with  this  castle  before — at  the  bottom  of  all  willow- 
patterned  washing-basins  !  It  stands,  moated  and  flanked 
with  towers,  in  the  heart  of  a  subjugated  town,  like  a  tyrant 
entrenched  amongst  slaves,  and  recalls  to  a  stranger  that 
gloomy  period  described  by  Dante  : — 

'  Che  le  terre  d'ltalia  tutte  piene 
Son  di  tiranni  :  ed  un  Marcel  diventa 
Ogni  villan  che  parteggiando  viene. '  * 

The  buildings  enclose  a  great  courtyard  with  two  ancient 
wells.  Little  that  is  ancient  remains  in  the  interior  except 
two  ceilings  by  Dosso  Dossi.  The  rooms  are  the  same  in 

1  Purg.  vi.  124 
O  2 


196  FERRARA. 

which  Renee  of  France,  daughter  of  Louis  XII.,  married 
to  the  Duke  Hercules  II.,  suffered  for  the  evangelical  faith, 
which  she  had  been  led  to  embrace  by  the  teaching  of 
Calvin.  For  a  long  time  she  was  consoled  for  her  hus- 
band's neglect  and  for  the  disrespect  of  the  court  by  the 
companionship  of  her  governess,  Madame  de  Soubise,  and 
her  daughter,  Anne  de  Parthenai,  and  by  the  friendship  of 
Olympia  Morata.  It  was  her  separation  from  her  friends, 
and  their  banishment  in  obedience  to  a  mandate  from  the 
Pope,  which  drew  from  Clement  Marot,  then  residing  in 
the  castle,  the  lines  addressed  to  the  Queen  of  Navarre : — 

'  Ha  !  Marguerite  !  ecoute  la  souffrance 
Du  noble  cceur  de  Renee  de  France  ; 
Puis  comme  soeur  plus  fort  que  d'esperance 

Console-la ! 

Tu  sais  comment  hors  de  son  pays  alia, 
Et  que  parens  et  amis  laissa  la  ; 
Mais  tu  ne  sais  quel  traitement  elle  a 

En  terre  etrange. 

Elle  ne  voit  ceux  a  qui  se  veut  plaindre, 
Son  ceil  rayant  si  loin  ne  peut  atteindre ; 
Et  puis  les  monts,  pour  ce  bien  lui  eteindre, 

Sont  entre  deux.' 

Renee  was  afterwards  for  a  time  deprived  even  of  her 
children,  but  continued,  in  the  words  of  Brantome,  '  of  a 
lofty  and  noble  heart,'  and  according  to  Maimbourg,  '  of 
inexhaustible  sweetness  and  goodness.'  On  the  death  of 
her  husband  in  1559,  she  was  permitted  to  return  to  France, 
where  she  died  in  1575. 

It  was  in  one  of  the  dungeons  of  this  castle  Faventino 
Fanino  of  Faenza  was  imprisoned  for  two  years,  during 
which  time  he  was  frequently  visited  by  Olympia  Morata 
and  the  Princess  Lavinia  della  Rovere,  and  afterwards 
in  1550  (under  Julius  III.)  was  one  of  the  first  who  suffered 
death  for  the  evangelical  faith.  It  was  also  in  one  of  the 
castle  dungeons,  that,  May  21, 1425,  Niccolo  III.,  Marchese 
d'  Este,  caused  his  wife  Parisina,  and  her  lover,  who  was  his 
own  natural  son  Hugo,  to  be  beheaded — a  story  narrated  by 
Gibbon,  which  Byron  has  made  the  subject  of  a  poem. 


CATHEDRAL   OF  FERRARA.  197 

A  few  steps  to  the  left  brings  us  to  the  Piazza  del  Duomo,  y~~ 
surrounded  by  old  buildings.  Opposite,  is  the  Gothic 
Palazzo  della  Ragione,  which  dates  from  1326  ;  on  the 
right  is  the  Municipio,  with  a  great  courtyard  containing  a 
beautiful  open  staircase  with  arches,  and  in  front  some 
columns  which  once  sustained  bronze  statues,  taken  away 
by  the  French,  and  never  restored.  On  the  left  is  the 
beautiful  grey  front  of  the  Duomo,  which  will  a  little  remind 
Englishmen  of  Peterborough. 

The  Cathedral,  externally,  is  chiefly  of  the  beginning  of  X* 
the  twelfth-century.  Its  west  front  has  three  gables  adorned 
with  ranges  of  arches,  which  increase  in  depth  and  richness 
of  moulding  and  shadow  to  the  top,  where  there  are  very 
fine  open-arched  galleries.  The  projecting  central  porch  is 
gabled  on  the  front  and  sides,  is  supported  by  banded 
columns  resting  on  huge  lions  of  red  marble,  and  is  adorned 
with  rude  reliefs.  In  the  niche  above  the  entrance  is  a 
statue  of  the  Madonna  by  Niccolb  da  Pisa  ;  the  sculptured 
lunette  over  the  great  door  represents  S.  George,  who  is, 
jointly  with  S.  Maurelius,  patron  saint  of  the  city.  Red 
marble  lions,  without  columns,  stand  in  front  of  the  side 
doors.  Over  that  on  the  right  is  a  medallion  bust  in  high 
relief,  popularly  called  '  Donna  Ferrara.'  Near  it  is  a 
quaint  statue  of  Alberto  d'  Este  in  the  pilgrim's  dress  in 
which  he  went  to  Rome  for  the  benefit  of  the  indulgences 
of  the  jubilee  year  of  1391,  attended  by  four  hundred  per- 
sons, all  in  penitential  habits  like  his  own.  On  the  south 
of  the  Church  is  a  fragment  of  a  Gothic  loggia,  which  has 
been  continued  with  heavy  columns  enclosing  an  arcade  for 
shops  all  along  the  wall,  and  as  (Deo  gratias  !)  it  has  never 
been  '  restored,'  the  effect  is  most  picturesque,  with  the 
beautiful  Lombard  campanile  soaring  behind. 

The  Interior  has  been  modernised  in  the  last  century, 
and  consists  of  a  long  nave  with  several  small  bays,  a 
chancel,  and  tribune. 

At  the  end  of  the  right  aisle  is  a  bronze  S.  George  with  other 
figures  by  Binddli  and  Marescotti.  The  choir  contains  a  modern 


198  FERRARA. 

monument  to  Pope  Urban  III.,  who  died  of  grief  for  the  failure  of  the 
second  crusade.  The  tribune  is  adorned  with  the  Last  Judgment  of 
Bastianino.  The  choir-books,  presented  by  Bishop  Bartolommeo  della 
Rovere,  have  exquisite  illuminations  by  Cosimo  Tura,  who  was  son  of 
a  tailor  at  Ferrara.  Returning  to  the  left  aisle  we  find — 

1st  Chapel,  F.  Francia.  The  Coronation  of  the  Virgin,  with  saints 
below. — S.  Catherine  with  her  wheel  in  the  foreground. 

3rd  Chapel,  Garofalo.     Virgin  and  Child  throned,  with  saints. 

Behind  the  tribune  of  the  Cathedral,  under  its  beautiful 
terra-cotta  cornices,  are  some  old  pillars,  lions,  and  a  well. 

Turning  to  the  left  from  the  west  door  of  the  Cathedral, 
the  Corso  Porta  Reno  leads  us,  under  an  arch,  to  the 
terribly  damp  Church  of  S.  Paolo,  where  the  painters 
Giobattista  Dossi  and  Bastaruolo  are  buried.  Here  also 
lies  Pordenone  (Giovanni  Antonio  de  Corticellis),  who  died 
at  Ferrara  in  the  Albergo  del  Angelo,  1538,  having  come  to 
execute  a  commission  for  Duke  Ercole  II.  At  the  end  of 
the  nave  (right)  is  a  fine  bust  by  Alessandro  Vicentini  to 
Antonio  Montecatino.  The  Assumption  of  Elijah  and  the 
scenes  from  the  Life  of  S.  Paul  in  the  choir  are  by 
Scarsellino  and  Bonone. 

Returning  almost  to  the  castle,  and  turning  (left)  under 
the  arches  adjoining  it,  we  reach  the  great  Church  of  S. 
Domenico.  Its  pictures  are  removed,  and  the  neighbouring 
convent  is  almost  entirely  stripped  of  the  library  bequeathed 
to  it  by  the  astronomist  Celio  Calcagnini,  the  friend  and 
correspondent  of  Olympia  Morata,  who  was  celebrated  by 
Ariosto  : — 

'  II  dotto  Celio  Calcagnin  lontana 
Fara  la  gloria  e  '1  bel  nome  di  quella 
Nel  regno  di  Monese,  in  quel  di  Juba, 
In  India  e  Spagna  udir  con  chiara  tuba.' 

Or.  Fur.  xlii.  90. 

His  bust  was  placed  over  the  library  door,  and  his  tomb 
with  the  touching  inscription  : — '  Ex  diuturno  studio  in 
primis  hoc  didicit :  mortalia  omnia  contempere  et  igno- 
rantiam  suam  non  ignorare.5 

Hence  if  we  descend  (left)  the  lime-avenues  of  the  Corso 


S.  BENEDETTO,    THE  CAMPO-SANTO.       199 

dei  Giardini,  which  leads  from  the  castle  to  the  walls,  and 
turn  to  the  right,  we  shall  come  to  (marked  by  its  tall, 
terribly-leaning  campanile)  the  Church  of  S.  Benedetto^ 
where  Ariosto  was  buried,  but  whence  his  tomb  and  ashes 
were  removed  by  the  French  to  the  University.  The  best 
pictures  in  the  church  have  been  taken  away,  but  on  the 
vestibule  of  the  refectory  in  the  Paradise  of  Dosso  Dossi,  in 
which  Ariosto  is  represented  at  his  own  request,  '  not  being 
certain  of  entering  the  real  one.' 

The  first  street  on  the  left  is  the  Via  dei  Ariostei.  Here 
(left)  is  the  old  brick  house  of  Ariosto,  on  which  he  inscribed 
between  the  stories  : — 

'  Parva  sed  apta  mihi,  sed  nulli  obnoxia,  sed  non 
Sordida,  parta  meo  sed  tamen  acre  domus. '  * 

A  tablet  above  was  added  by  his  son  Virginio  : — '  Sic 
domus  haec  Ariosto  propitios  habeat  decs,  olim  ut  Pindarica.' 
The  chamber  of  the  poet  on  the  upper  floor,  '  perche  alia 
venerazione  della  gente  durasse]  has  been  carefully  restored. 
The  furniture,  however,  is  only  copied  from  his,  and  the 
only  thing  here  which  belonged  to  him  is  his  '  other  ink- 
stand ' — the  celebrated  one  being  at  the  University. 

Hence  (right)  a  desolate,  grass-grown  street  (Via  Aria- 
nuova)  leads  to  the  Campo- Santo  which  has  been  formed  in 
the  cloisters  of  the  suppressed  Certosa.  Several  tombs 
from  ruined  churches  have  been  removed  here,  and  there  is 
a  fine  bust  of  Cicognara  by  Canova,  but  there  is  not  much 
to  see.  Some  of  the  epitaphs  are  interesting — 

'  I  found  such  a  pretty  epitaph  in  the  Certosa  cemetery  at  Ferrara— 
or  rather  two ;  one  was 

"Martini  Luigi 

Implora  pace  ; " 
the  other, 

"  Lucrezia  Picini 

Implora  eterna  quiete." 

That  was  all ;  but  it  appears  to  me  that  these  two  and  three  words 
comprise  and  compress  all  that  can  be  said  on  the  subject, — and  then, 

1  '  Small  is  my  house,  but  suited  to  me  ;  standing  in  no  one's  way  ;  not  miserably 
poor,  and  yet  paid  for  out  of  my  own  money.' 


200  FERRARA. 

in  Italian,  they  are  absolute  music.  They  contain  doubt,  hope,  and 
humility;  nothing  can  be  more  pathetic  than  the  "  implora  "  and  the 
modesty  of  the  request ;  they  have  had  enough  of  life  ;  they  want 
rest ;  they  implore  it,  and  "eterna  quiete."  It  is  like  a  great  inscrip- 
tion in  some  good  old  heathen  "  City  of  the  Dead."  ' 

Byron,  Letter  to  Mr.  Hoppner,  June  6,  1819. 

The  neighbouring  church  has  lost  its  fine  pictures.  On 
the  green  lawn  in  front  is  a  large  solitary  tomb  to  '  Alfred 
Lowell  Putnam.' 

The  Via  Borsa  leads  (left)  to  the  Piazza  Ariosfea,  a  grassy 
square  adorned  with  a  statue  of  '  II  nostro  Poeta,'  as  the 
people  of  Ferrara  call  him.  At  the  corner  of  the  square  are 
the  Palazzo.  Bevilacqua  and  the  Palazzo  Zatti.  Descending 
the  Corso  Porta  Mare,  on  the  left  is  the  exceedingly 
beautiful  Palazzo  d£  Diamanti,  so  called  from  the  manner 
in  which  the  stones  are  cut.  It  was  originally  built  by 
Sigismondo  d'  Este  in  1492,  but  altered  by  Cardinal  Luigi 
d'  Este  in  1567.  The  friezes  at  the  angles  and  near  the 
entrance  are  of  wonderful  richness.  This  palace  is  now 
called  the  Ateneo  Civico,  and  contains,  in  its  upper  story, 
the  Pinacoteca,  open  (free)  from  9  A.M.  to  3  P.M.  It  has 
a  very  interesting  collection,  almost  exclusively  illustrative 
of  the  peculiar  school  of  Ferrara,  of  which  Garofalo  was 
the  most  eminent  example. 

There  are  few  specimens  in  the  town,  of  Ferrarese  painters 
before  the  time  of  Cosimo  Tura,  who  was  a  pupil  of  Galeasso 
Galassi  in  the  fifteenth  century.  Of  the  same  period  was 
Lorenzo  Costa.  His  pupils  embraced  Ercole  Grande, 
Mazzolino,  and  Domenico  Lanetti,  who  was  the  master 
(though  he  afterwards  studied  from  Raffaelle  and  Michel- 
angelo) of  Benvenuto  Tisio,  called  Garofalo  from  the  pink 
which  he  introduced  into  his  pictures.  Contemporary  with 
this  great  master  were  Dosso  and  Giobattista  Dossi,  and 
Ortolano.  Following  Garofalo  were  Girolamo  da  Carpi, 
Scarsellino,  Giuseppe  Mazzuoli  or  Bastaruolo,  and  Bastiano 
Filippi,  generally  called  Bastianino.  Giulio  Cromer,  Carlo 
Bononi  a  pupil  of  Bastaruolo,  and  Alfonso  Rivarola  or 
Chenda,  were  the  last  artists  of  any  eminence  in  Ferrara. 


PINACOTECA    OF  FERRARA.  201 

The  pictures  in  the  gallery  (very  few  seats)  are  not 
now  arranged  according  to  their  numbers,  but  it  will  not  be 
difficult  to  refer  to  them.  They  are  all  shining  under  a 
wholesale  '  restoration.'  The  best  specimens  are  : — 

2.  Bastaruolo.     The  Crucifixion,  with  the  Virgin  and  S.  John.    From 

II  Gesu. 
4.    Carlo  Bononi.     The  Marriage  at  Cana  ;    a  huge  picture.     From 

the  Certosa. 

Id.  S.  Antony  of  Padua  raising  a  dead  man.     From 

S.  Francesco. 

10.  Bastianino.     The  Virgin,  with  S.  Matthew  and  S.  Lucia.    From 

the  convent  of  S.  Lucia. 

11.  Id.  The  Annunciation.     From  S.  Agostino. 

12.  Id.  The  Nativity.     From  S.  Antonio. 
19.  Boccaccino  de  Cremona.     The  Death  of  the  Virgin. 

23.  Lorenzo  Costa.     The  Madonna  throned,  with  S.  Petronius  and 

S.  Jerome. 
54.  Id.  Picture  in  five  compartments  :  The  Virgin ;  S. 

Jerome  ;    the  Magdalen  ;  The  Annunciation  ; 

S.  Antony  and  S.  Paul  the  Hermit. 

25.   Michele  Cortellini.     The  Madonna  throned,  with  saints.     From 
S.  Andrea. 

27.  Id.  The   Virgin    throned,    with    S.    Agata,    S. 

Apollonia  and  S.  Lucia.     From  S.  Maria 
in  Vado. 

28.  Girolamo  Carpi.     A  Miracle  of  S.  Antonio. 

Id.  S.   Catherine :   a  fresco.     From    the  Hospital 

of  S.  Anna. 

22.  Calzolaretto  (Gabriele  Cappellini)  SS.  Francis  of  Assisi,  Antony 
of  Padua,  James  the  Great,  Peter  the  Apostle,' 
and  Louis.  From  S.  Francesco. 

*3i.  //  Cremonese,    Giuseppe    Caletti    (1600- -1660).     S.   Mark   the 
Evangelist.     From  S.  Benedetto. 

'  This  artist  is  distinguished  by  fleshes  of  a  sun-burnt  hue,  by  certain 
bold  lights,  strengthened  by  contrast  with  somewhat  loaded  shadows. 
But  his  S.  Mark  is  a  grand  and  correct  figure,  full  of  expression,  and 
very  picturesquely  surrounded  by  abundance  of  volumes,  in  whose 
drawing  he  is  so  true  and  natural,  as  to  have  been  called  the  painter  of 
books.  Having  completed  this  work,  II  Cremonese  disappeared  out 
of  the  city,  and  was  no  more  heard  of.' — Lanzi. 

•33.    Vittore  Carpacdo.     The  death  of  the  Madonna,  with  the  Apostles 
around,  and  the  Almighty  above. 


202  FERRARA. 

27.  Dosso  Dossi.  An  altar-piece  in  six  compartments,  the  Virgin 
and  Saints ;  a  very  magnificent  work.  From 
S.  Andrea. 

'    *3&  Id.  S.    John    the    Evangelist   in    Patmos.     From    S. 

Maria  in  Vado. 

'  The  head  is  a  master-piece  of  expression,  and  acknowledged  by 
Cochin  himself  to  be  highly  Raffaellesque. ' — Lanzi. 

)L   *39.   Dosso  Dossi.     The  Annunciation.     From  S.  Spirito. 

40.          Id.  Portrait  of  Monsignor  Gillino  Malatesta.     From  S. 

Andrea. 

42.  Ercole  Grandi.     Nativity. 

43.  Id.  The  Dead  Christ,    with   the  Virgin,  the  Mag- 

dalen,   and    S.    John.     From  the   Church  of 
Baura. 

43  B.         Id.  S.    Sebastian,    with  S.  Joseph  and  S.   Giobbe, 

and  with  portraits  of  the  donors.     From  S. 
Paolo. 

44.  Stefano  Fahagalloni.     The  Madonna  and  Child  throned,  with  S. 

Roch  and   S.   Antonio  Abbate.     From 
S.  Maria  in  Vado. 

45.  Id.  Christ   and   the    twelve   Apostles.      Half 

lengths. 

49.  Galeasso  Galassi.     The   Crucified    One    sustained   by   God   the 

Father. 

50.  Garofalo  (Benvenuto  7'isio).     The  Old  and  New  Testaments.    An 

immense   fresco.     From  the  Re- 
fectory of  S.  Andrea. 

51.  Id.  The  Holy  Family,  with  S.  Bartho- 

lomew  and    the   Coming  of  the 
Magi.     From     S.     Bartolommeo 
,»  Suburbano. 

52.  Id.  The  death  of  S.Peter  Mai  tyr.   From 

S.  Domenico. 

*S3.  Id.  The  HolyFamily,  called' II  Riposo.' 

\s  From  S.  Francesco. 

V\.  *54.  Id.  The  Madonna,  called  '  Del  Pilastro, ' 

with  SS.  Jerome  and  John  Baptist. 
From  S.  Francesco. 
55-  Id.  The  Adoration  of  the  Magi.     From 

S.  Giorgio  Suburbano. 
56.  Id.  Jesus  praying  in  the  Garden  of  Geth- 

semane.     From  S.  Silvestro. 

57-  Id.  The  Flight  into  Egypt.     From  S. 

Francesco. 


PINACOTECA    OF  FERRARA.  203 

58.    Garofalo  (JBenvenuto  Tisto).   The  Massacre  of  the  Innocents.  From 

S.  Francesco.  A  wonderful  pic- 
ture. The  agonised  entreaty  of 
the  mother  in  the  foreground  is 
most  touching,  and  the  inwardly 
relenting  soldier,  who  says,  '  I 
must  obey  orders.' 

'  The  figures  of  the  soldiers  and  others  in  this  picture  are  so  full  of 
life,  that  it  is  a  perfect  marvel.  The  various  expressions  of  the  many 
faces,  also,  are  admirably  rendered  ;  grief  and  fear  in  the  countenances 
of  the  mothers  and  nurses,  pain  and  death  in  those  of  the  infants,  and 
cruelty  in  the  faces  of  the  murderers.' —  Vasari. 

58.  Garofalo  (Benvenuto  Tisio).  The   Return  of  the   Holy   Family 

•  from  Egypt.     From  S.  Francesco. 

64.   Guercino.  The  Martyrdom  of  S.  Maurelio,  painted  for  the  Abbot 

of  S.  Giorgio.     S.  Maurelio  was  the  first  bishop 

and   patron   of  the  town,  and   appears  upon  the 

ancient  coinage. 

*79.   Ortolano  (G.  B.  JSenvenuti).  The  Nativity.    From  S.  Francesco. 

81.  Palma  Vecchio.  The  Tribute  Money.    From  S.  Maria  in  Vado. 

82.  Domenico  Panetti.  The  Salutation.     From  S.  Maria  in  Vado. 

83.  Id.  The  Annunciation.    From  S.  Maria  in  Vado. 

84.  Id.  S.  Andrew.     From  S.  Andrea. 

85.  86.          Id.  The  Annunciation.     From  S.  Andrea. 
88.                Id.  S.  Augustine.     From  S.  Andrea. 

90.  Id.  S.  Paul.     A  fresco.     From  S.  Niccolo. 

92.  Niccolb  Roselli.  The  Ascension.     From  S.  Francesco. 

95.  Sigismondo  Scarselli.  The  Burial  of  Christ.     From  S.  Barto- 

lommeo  Suburbano. 

96.  Ippolito  Scarsellino.  The  Marriage  at  Cana. 

97.  Id.  SS.  Lorenzo  and  Francesco,  with  the  donor. 

98.  Id.  The  Conception,  with  the  Mysteries  of  the 

Rosary  around  it.     From  S.  Andrea. 

99.  Id.  The  Annunciation.     From  S.  Andrea. 

104.  Dom.  Tintoretto.  The  Madonna  del  Rosario,  with  SS.  George 

and    Maurelio,   and   others   in  adoration. 
From  the  Chiesa  Nuova. 

105.  Cosimo  Tura.  S.  Jerome.     On  wood. 

106.  Id.  S.  Jerome.     From  S.  Girolamo. 

*IO7.  Timoteo  della  Vite.  The  Assumption  of  S.  Mary  of  Egypt.  A 
lovely  white  rabbit  and  a  dove  are  in 
the  foreground.  From  S.  Andrea. 

Hence,  descending  the  Via  dei  Pioppini,  in  which  there 
is  a  second  House  of  Ariosto  (where  he  lived  when  young, 


204  FERRARA. 

and  in  which  he  acted  the  fable  of  Thisbe  with  his  brothers 
and  sisters),  we  pass  on  the  left  the  Church  of  II  Gestt, 
which  contains,  in  the  choir,  the  monument  of  Barbara  of 
Austria,  wife  of  Alfonso  II. 

Turning  left  down  the  Strada  della  Giovecca,  on  the  left 
is  the  Hospital  of  S.  Anna,  containing  the  wretched  cellar 
shown  as  the  earlier  Prison  of  Tasso,  in  which  he  was 
confined  from  March,  1579,  to  December,  1580. 

Tasso,  who  had  long  resided  at  Ferrara  in  the  utmost 
favour  with  the  Duke  Alfonso  and  his  illustrious  sisters,  to 
whom  he  addressed  many  of  his  poems,  eventually  offended 
the  duke  by  a  freedom  of  speech,  which  was  mistaken  for, 
or  represented  as  insanity.  In  a  letter  written  at  this  time, 
the  poet  calls  '  the  bowels  of  Jesus  Christ  to  witness  that 
he  was  less  mad  than  the  duke  was  mistaken.'  Fearing 
detention,  however,  he  escaped  through  the  Abruzzi  to  his 
sister  Cornelia  at  Sorrento.  He,  was  warned  by  the  duke 
that  if  he  returned  he  would  be  placed  under  surveillance, 
nevertheless,  he  did  return  twice,  the  second  time  during  the 
festivities  on  Alfonso's  marriage  with  the  sister  of  the  Duke 
of  Mantua.  It  was  a  violent  outbreak  of  passion,  if  not 
insanity,  on  this  occasion,  and  not  his  love  for  the  beautiful 
Leonora,  which  led  to  his  imprisonment  in  S.  Anna,  which 
was  at  once  hospital,  madhouse,  and  prison.  Hence,  at 
first,  he  wrote  to  the  Duke  of  Mantua — 

'  Chiaro  Vincenzo,  io  pur  languisco  a  morte 
In  career  tetro  e  sotto  aspro  governo.' 

But  his  imprisonment  was  afterwards  modified,  and  he 
wrote  to  the  Marchese  Buoncompagni  that  the  duke  did 
not  keep  him  in  prison,  but  in  a  hospital,  where  monks  and 
priests  could  visit  him  and  show  him  all  possible  kindness. 
Nevertheless,  he  vainly  solicited  the  duke  and  the  princesses 
for  his  release.  The  Emperor  Rudolph  and  the  Prince  of 
Mantua  (the  brother  of  the  new  duchess)  also  interceded 
for  him  in  vain.  The  duke's  reply  was  that  his  only  object 
was  to  '  benefit  and  cure  '  him,  and  that  when  convalescent 
he  should  be  set  at  liberty. 


PRISON  OF   TASSO.  205 

While  he  was  imprisoned,  his  once-beloved  Princess  Leo- 
nora died,  Feb.  u,  1581.  There  is  a  letter  of  Tasso  extant 
of  this  time,  imploring  a  celebrated  preacher  at  Ferrara  to 
kiss  in  his  name  the  hand  of  the  dying  Leonora,  and  say 
that  he  was  praying  for  her  recovery.  A  few  months  before 
her  death  he  was  removed  to  a  more  comfortable  apartment, 
where  he  could,  according  to  his  own  expression,  '  philoso- 
phise and  walk  about.'  But  he  was  still  persecuted  in  a 
hundred  petty  ways,  and  was  forced  to  beg,  during  the 
vintage,  in  verse,  for  a  small  supply  of  wine. 

After  the  publication  of  the  '  Gerusalemme,'  public  opinion 
mitigated  the  captivity  of  the  poet,  and  many  eminent 
persons  were  permitted  to  visit  him  ;  and,  in  1563,  the  soli- 
citations of  the  Duchess  of  Mantua  so  far  induced  the  duke 
to  relax  his  confinement,  that  he  was  sometimes  permitted 
to  go  out  under  surveillance.  On  July  5,  1586,  Tasso  was 
finally  released,  after  a  captivity  of  seven  years  and  two 
months,  and  was  permitted  to  go  away  with  the  Prince  ot 
Mantua,  his  liberator.  At  Mantua  he  had  a  comfortable 
apartment,  and  was  soothed  by  every  kindness,  but  was 
driven  away  by  the  effect  of  the  damp  climate  upon  his 
health.  He  died  at  Rome,  April  25,  1595. 

Speaking  of  the  Dukes  of  Ferrara,  Byron  says  : — 

'  And  TassT  is  their  glory  and  their  shame. 
Hark  to  his  strain  !  and  then  survey  his  cell  ! 
And  see  how  dearly  earn'd  Torquato's  fame, 
And  where  Alfonso  bade  his  poet  dwell  ; 
The  miserable  despot  could  not  quell 
The  insulted  mind  he  sought  to  quench,  and  blend 
With  the  surrounding  maniacs,  in  the  hell 
Where  he  had  plunged  it.     Glory  without  end 
Scatter'd  the  clouds  away  ;  and  on  that  name  attend 

'  The  tears  and  praises  of  all  time  ;  while  thine 
Would  rot  in  its  oblivion — in  the  state 
Of  worthless  dust,  which  from  thy  boasted  line 
Is  shaken  into  nothing  ;  but  the  link 
Thou  formest  in  his  fortunes  bids  us  think 
Of  thy  poor  malice,  naming  thee  with  scorn — 
Alfonso  !  how  thy  ducal  pageants  shrink 


2o6  FERRARA. 

From  thee  !  if  in  another  station  born, 
Scarce  fit  to  be  the  slave  of  him  thou  mad'st  to  mourn. 

'  Peace  to  Torquato's  injured  shade  !  'twas  his 
In  life  and  death  to  be  the  mark  where  Wrong 
Aim'd  with  her  poison'd  arrows  ;  but  to  miss. 
Oh,  victor,  unsurpass'd  in  modern  song  ! 
Each  year  brings  forth  its  millions  ;  but  how  long 
The  tide  of  generation  shall  roll  on, 
And  not  the  whole  combin'd  and  countless  throng 
Compose  a  mind  like  thine  ?  though  all  in  one 
Condens'd  their  scatter'd  rays,  they  would  not  form  a  sun.' 

Childe  Harold. 

The  '  Prison '  had  originally  a  second  window ;  it  is 
entirely  scratched  over  with  the  names  of  devotees,  chiefly 
English,  who  have  also  carried  away  the  bedstead  and  the 
original  door  in  fragments.  There  are  inscriptions  on  the 
walls  by  Byron,  Casimir  Delavigne,  and  by  Lamartine  the 
verses  : — 

'  La  le  Tasse,  brule  d'une  flamme  fatale, 
Expiant  dans  les  fers  sa  gloire  et  son  amour, 
Quand  il  va  recueillir  la  palme  triomphale, 
Descend  au  noir  sejour.' 

Close  to  the  Prison  is  the  beautiful  Palazzo  Roverella, 
with  a  six-sided  bay  window.  This  is  one  of  the  best  speci- 
mens in  Italy  of  a  palace  with  terra-cotta  ornamentation. 
The  friezes  are  excessively  rich,  and  are  divided  by  pillars, 
which  widen  at  the  basement.  Opposite,  is  the  Church  of 
S.  Gaetano,  which  contains  : — 

Left  Transept.     Guercino.     The  Presentation  in  the  Temple. 
2nd  Chapel,  Left.     Chenda.     S.  Gaetano. 

The  third  street,  on  the  right  beyond  this,  leads  to  the 
large  Church  of  S.  Francesco,  the  roof  of  which  is  curiously 
divided  into  a  series  of  small  cupolas,  which,  from  a  par- 
ticular point  in  the  centre  of  the  nave,  produce  the  most 
extraordinary  and  oft-repeated  echo  imaginable.  The  pic- 
tures now  here  are  for  the  most  part  copies.  The  first 
chapel  on  the  left,  which  has  a  relief  of  the  Agony  in  the 
Garden,  has  frescoes  of  the  Donor  and  of  the  Betrayal  by 


UNIVERSITY,   S.   MARIA   IN   VADO.          207 

Garofalo.  In  the  right  transept  is  the  tomb,  adorned  with 
bas-reliefs  of  his  conquests  and  battle-feats,  of  the  Mar- 
chese  di  Villa,  who  defended  Candia  against  the  Turks. 

Hence  the  Via  Terra  Nuova  leads  to  the  University 
(Studio  Pubblico).  In  the  courtyard  are  some  fine  sarco- 
phagi, Pagan  and  Christian.  The  Library  contains  some 
splendid  illuminated  church-books.  Here  are  preserved 
the  relics  of  Tasso.  At  the  end  of  a  long  room  is  his  tomb, 
brought  hither  by  the  French  in  1801.  Lord  Byron  says 
that  the  bust  formerly  wore  a  wreath,  and 

'  The  lightning  rent  from  Ariosto's  bust 
The  iron  crown  of  laurel's  mimic'd  leaves  ; 
Nor  was  the  ominous  element  unjust, 
For  the  true  laurel-wreath  which  Glory  weaves 
Is  of  the  tree  no  bolt  of  thunder  cleaves, 
And  the  false  semblance  but  disgraced  his  brow  ; 
Yet  still  if  fondly  Superstition  grieves, 
Know,  that  the  lightning  sanctifies  below 
Whate'er  it  strikes  ; — yon  head  is  doubly  sacred  now. ' 

but  the  librarians  say  there  never  was  a  wreath,  and  that  the 
lightning  was  a  poet's  imagination.  In  the  next  room  are 
Ariosto's  chair,  his  inkstand  with  the  figure  of  Silence, 
made  for  him  by  Duke  Alfonso  ;  his  MSS.,  with  many 
erasures  and  corrections — '  pentimenti,'  as  the  Italians  pic- 
turesquely call  them  ;  the  first  edition  of  his  poems,  with  his 
own  marginal  notes  ;  and  many  letters  of  his  and  of  Tasso. 
Here  is  also  the  MS.  of  the  Pastor  Fido  of  Guarini,  an 
illustrious  native  of  Ferrara,  whose  house  the  municipality 
are  wishing  to  decorate  with  an  inscription,  but  still  vainly 
endeavouring  to  identify. 

Returning  to  S.  Francesco  and  tHe  Via  Savonarola,  the 
Via  Praisolo  on  right,  and  the  Via  Campofranco  on  left, 
lead  to  the  small  Church  of  Corpus  Domini,  which  contains 
some  tombs  of  the  House  of  Este.  Hence  the  Via 
Pergoleto  and  the  Via  Borgo  di  Sotto  lead  to  the  great 
Church  of  S.  Maria  in  Vado,  famous  for  a  miracle  of  the 
bleeding  Host,  like  that  of  Bolsena,  which  is  said  to  have 
occurred  on  Easter  Sunday,  1171,  to  establish  the  faith  of  a 


2o8  FERRARA. 

doubting  prior.  The  pictures  in  this  church,  and  even 
the  bones  of  the  painters  who  were  buried  here,  have  been 
removed. 

On  the  right  of  the  church  is  the  fine  old  Gothic  Palazzo 
Schifanoia  (Begone  dull  Care),  built  by  Duke  Borso  d'  Este, 
and  decorated  with  frescoes  by  Cosimo  Tura  and  his  pupils, 
representing  the  Months,  with  the  different  amusements 
they  afforded  to  the  Court.  Some  of  the  figures  are  very 
curious  and  beautiful.  Amongst  subjects  represented  is  the 
marriage  of  Bianca  d'Este  with  Galeotto  Pico  della 
Mirandola.  The  frescoes  were  only  discovered  in  1840, 
since  which  the  palace  has  been  purchased  by  the  munici- 
pality and  turned  into  a  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

To  the  right  is  the  ruined  Church  of  S.  Andrea,  now 
turned  into  a  granary,  and  behind  it,  on  a  bastion  of  the 
wall,  the  public  walk  of  the  Montagnone.  Hence,  turning 
left,  we  may  regain  the  Strada  della  Giovecca. 

In  the  Church  of  S.  Giorgio,  outside  the  walls,  is  the  tomb, 
by  Ambrogio  da  Milano,  of  Lorenzo  Roverella,  physician  to 
Pope  Julius  II.,  and  afterwards  Bishop  of  Ferrara. 

'  Its  style  is  pure  quattrocentro,  and  its  general  arrangement  that 
adopted  by  the  Tuscan  masters,  The  recumbent  effigy  lies  upon  a 
sarcophagus  within  an  arched  recess  adorned  with  cherub  heads.  Out- 
side the  arch  are  two  "  putti  ";  upon  the  top  is  a  group  of  S.  George 
and  the  Dragon  ;  and  within  the  lunette  a  roundel  containing  a  group 
of  the  Madonna  and  Child,  with  adoring  angels.  On  either  side  of  the 
recess  are  five  excellent  statuettes  of  saints.  The  technical  handling  is 
excellent  throughout,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  masterpieces  of  the 
Florentine  sculpture  at  Florence  and  Lucca,  we  do  not  know  of  any 
monument  so  beautiful  in  design  or  so  free  from  mannerism  as  this.' — 
Perkins,  '  Italian  Sculptors.'1 


An  excursion  should  be  made  from  Ferrara  to  the 
interesting  town  of  Cento  (which  may  be  visited  on  the  way 
to  Bologna,  being  five  miles  from  the  station  of  S.  Giorgio), 
the  native  place  of  one  of  the  greatest  painters  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  Giovanni  Francesco  Barbieri,  generally 
known  as  Guercino,  1590-1666.  The  town  is  situated 
near  the  Reno,  which  abounds  in  fish,  and  it  is  said  to  take 


CENTO.  209 

its  name  from  the  hundred  huts  (cento  capannucce)  which 
formed  an  ancient  settlement  of  fishermen.  Guercino  was 
quite  devoted  to  his  native  place,  where  he  founded  his 
'  Scuola,'  and  which  he  refused  to  abandon  for  the  titles  of 
Court  Painter  offered  him  by  the  kings  of  France  and 
England.  The  Casa  di  Guercino  still  exists,  where  he 
received  ad  uno  squisito  banchetto  two  cardinals  who  had 
come  to  the  Fair  of  Cento,  and  where  his  pupils  waited 
upon  them  and  performed  una  bella  commedia  in  the  evening. 
Here  also  he  was  visited  by  Queen  Christina  of  Sweden. 
The  walls  of  the  house  are  adorned  with  several  of  his 
frescoes,  and  in  its  little  chapel  is  a  beautiful  picture  by  him 
of  the  Madonna  receiving  two  pilgrims. 

*  L'eglise  du  Rosaire  est  appelee  a  Cento  la  Galerie,  titre  profane 
qu'elle  justifie  assez  par  son  apparence  et  la  maniere  dont  les  tableaux 
y  sont  ranges.  Le  Guerchin  n'y  eclata  pas  moins  que  chez  lui.  Cette 
eglise  est  remplie  de  ses  peinturss  ;  il  a  donne,  dit-on,  le  dessin  de  la 
fa9ade,  du  clocher,  et  travaille  a  la  statue  de  bois  de  la  Vierge  :  il  s'y 
montre  ainsi  peintre,  sculpteur  et  architecte  ;  mais  surtout  il  y  est 
chretien.  Une  cbapelle  fondee  par  lui  porte  son  nom  :  il  avait  fait  un 
legs  pour  qu'on  y  celebrat  un  service,  et  laisse  a  I'image  de  la  Vierge 
du  Rosaire  une  chaine  d'or  d'un  grand  prix,  offrande  pieuse  qui  fut 
voice  vers  le  milieu  du  dernier  siecle  par  un  custode  de  1'eglise.'— 
Valery. 

At  Pieve,  near  Cento,  is  a  fine  Assumption  of  Guido. 


VOL.  II. 


210  PIACENZA. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

PIACENZA. 

IT  is  four  hours  by  quick  train  (20  frs.  40  c.  :  14  frs. 
30  c.)  from  Turin  to  Piacenza. 

Trains  are  generally  changed  at  Alessandria  (Albergo 
delf  Universe,  Europd),  built  in  1146  by  the  Lombard 
League  against  Frederick  Barbarossa,  and  called  after  its 
chief,  Pope  Alexander  III.  It  was  colonised  with  the 
inhabitants  of  the  surrounding  villages,  and  so  well  fortified, 
that  though  Barbarossa  contemptuously  called  it  '  Alessan- 
dria della  Paglia,'  in  allusion  to  the  straw  which  the  builders 
mixed  with  their  materials,  it  successfully  withstood  a  siege 
from  his  army  in  1174.  Alessandria  has  a  Cathedral,  but  is 
not  worth  halting  at. 

From  Alessandria  to  Piacenza  the  railway  passes  across 
flat  plains,  only  enlivened  by  the  distant  views  of  the 
mountains,  and  the  picturesque  and  varied  campaniles  of  the 
villages.  Soon  after  leaving  Piacenza  we  cross  the  battle- 
field of  Marengo,  where  Napoleon  gained  his  great  victory 
over  the  Austrians,  on  June  13,  1800. 

Among  the  stations  are  : — 

Tortona,  where  the  Duomo  contains  a  curious  sarcophagus, 
with  Greek  and  Latin  inscriptions,  to  P.  Oelius  Sabinus,  the 
sculptured  emblems  being  partly  Pagan  and  partly  Christian. 

Voghera,  where,  in  the  Church  of  S.  Lorenzo,  are  two 
ancient  reliquaries,  and  the  uncorrupt  body  of  the  blessed 
Taddeo  of  Vesme,  from  which  it  is  said  that  blood  flowed 
on  its  discovery,  in  1646,  208  years  after  his  death.  Here 
also  is  the  tomb  of  Archbishop  Pietro  di  Georgi,  who 


CASTEGGIO,   THE   TREBBIA.  211 

presented  to  the  church  a  thorn  of  the  True  Cross  preserved 
in  one  of  the  reliquaries. 

Casteggio,  marking  the  ancient  Clastidium,  where  Marcus 
Marcellus  defeated  and  slew  Virdomarus,  King  of  the 
Gaesatae.  The  place  was  given  up  to  Hannibal  by  its 
governor,  who  was  bribed  with  200  pieces  of  gold.  A 
spring  near  the  town  still  bears  the  name  of  '  La  Fontana 
d'  Annibale.'  Close  to  this  town  Napoleon  gained  the 
victory  called  Montebello  (from  a  neighbouring  village), 
June  9,  1800.  Here  also  the  Austrians  were  defeated  by 
the  French  and  Italian  forces  in  May,  1859. 

Broni,  where  a  silver  shrine  in  the  principal  church  con- 
tains the  relics  of  S.  Contardo,  son  of  Azzo,  Marquis  of 
Este,  its  founder. 

Near  San  Niccolo  we  cross  the  Trebbia,  remarkable  for 
the  victory  of  Hannibal  in  B.C.  218  ;  for  that  of  the  Pied- 
montese  over  the  allied  armies  of  France  and  Spain  in  1 746  ; 
and  for  that  of  the  Russians  under  Suwarrow  over  the 
French  under  Macdonald,  June  20,  1799.  The  Trebbia,  a 
little  above  Piacenza,  falls  into  the  Po,  which  is  here  often 
most  violent  in  its  aggressive  floods. 

'  Sic  pleno  Padus  ore  tumens  super  aggere  tutas 
Excurrit  ripas,  et  totos  concutit  agros. 
Succubuit  si  qua  tellus,  cumulumque  furentem 
Undarum  non  passa,  ruit  ;  turn  flumine  toto 
Transit,  et  ignotos  aperit  sibi  gurgite  campos. 
Illos  terra  fugit  dominos  ;  his  rura  colonis 
Accedunt,  donante  Pado.' — Lucan,  vi.  272. 

Piacenza  was  called  by  the  Romans  Placentia  from  its 
situation,  yet  visitors  may  wonder  what  is  the  beauty  of 
being  situated  in  a  sandy,  wind-stricken,  dust-laden  plain, 
which  in  winter  is  liable  to  floods  from  the  Trebbia,  and 
which,  in  summer,  is  a  dry  bed  of  gravel,  affording  no 
moisture  to  the  miserable  burnt  turf  of  the  adjoining  country. 

Nevertheless,  artists  will  find  Piacenza  delightful,  and  will 
be  filled  with  admiration  of  the  lovely  effects  of  colour 
formed  by  its  great  houses,  palaces,  and  churches  standing 

P2 


•212  PIACENZA. 

out  against  the  clear  sky  and  ever-delicate  distances;  and  the 
architect  will  be  enchanted  with  the  grandly-colossal  forms 
of  its  buildings,  enriched  here  and  there  by  the  most  deli- 
cate tracery  of  terra-cotta,  and  shaded  by  vast  projecting 
roofs  supported  on  such  huge  stone  corbels  as  a  northern 
architect  has  never  dreamt  of.  On  the  whole,  this  is  one  of 
the  most  picturesque  and  full  of  colour  of  all  the  Lombard 
towns. 

Piacenza  was  founded  as  a  Roman  colony  B.C.  219,  at  the  same  time 
with  Cremona,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Po,  at  the  point  where  it  was 
crossed  by  the  Via  Aemilia,  running  from  Milan  to  Parma.  It  was 
burnt  by  the  Gauls  in  B.C.  200,  but  soon  began  to  flourish  again.  In 
549  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Goths,  but  continued  to  be  an  important 
city.  It  was  one  of  the  first  Italian  towns  which  organised  itself  into  a 
Republic,  took  part  with  Milan  in  the  war  against  Frederick  Barbarossa, 
and  was  one  of  the  principal  members  of  the  Lombardic  league.  In 
1250  Uberto  Pallavicino  was  its  lord.  He  was  succeeded  by  Charles  of 
Anjou,  who  was  followed  in  1290  by  Alberto  Scoto.  In  1313  it  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  Visconti,  who  were  rivals  with  the  papacy  in  its 
sovereignty.  In  1447  it  was  stormed  by  Francesco  Sforza  ;  in  1499  it 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  French,  returned  to  the  Pope  after  the  battle 
of  Ravenna  (1582),  then  again  to  Francis  I.  Having  been  recovered  by 
LeoX.,  it  remained  papal,  till  Paul  III.  raised  it  into  a  duchy  under  his 
grandson,  Pierluigi  Farnese.  Antonio  was  the  last  lord  of  the  House 
of  Farnese.  After  a  short  interregnum  under  Philip  V.  of  Spain,  the 
emperor  Charles  V.,  and  Charles  Emanuel  of  Sardinia,  the  Duchy, 
together  with  Parma  and  Guastalla,  came  to  Philip  of  Bourbon  at  the 
treaty  of  Aquisgrana  (1748).  Napoleon  I.  included  it  in  the  '49buone 
citta  dell'  Impero, '  and  gave  it  new  arms.  After  the  fall  of  the  Emperor, 
his  wife,  Marja  Louisa,  was  regent  of  Piacenza,  and  after  her  death  in 
1847,  the  Duchy  returned  to  the  Bourbons.  In  1848  Piacenza  was  the 
first  town  which,  freeing  itself  from  Austria,  joined  Piedmont,  but  the 
Austrians  re-occupied  if,  and  Charles  III.  again  became  its  duke,  but 
was  stabbed  in  -1854.  Piacenza  was  annexed  to  the  kingdom  of  Victor 
Emmanuel  in  1859. 

Piacenza  may  be  seen  between  two  trains,  and  this  will 
be  facilitated  by  excellent  carriages  at  two  francs  an  hour  : 
but  much  more  time  may  advantageously  be  given. 

Inns.     La  Croce  Bianca,  good  and  reasonable  ;  Italia ;  S.  Marco. 
Vetturino,  for  carriages  to  Bobbio,  Velleja,  &c.,  Fratelli  Tenelli, 
Piazza  dei  Cavalli,  Via  del  Sopramuro. 

Entering;  the  town  from  the  station  we  should  turn  to  the 


DUO  MO,   S.   ANTONIO.  213 

right  by  the  fine  brick  Church  of  S.  Savino  of  the  fifteenth 
century.  It  has  a  tenth-century  crjpt  and  a  tesselated 
pavement.  We  should  then  take  a  street  on  the  left  to 

The  Duomo,  which  is  chiefly  of  the  fourteenth  century. 
Its  campanile,  300  feet  high,  was  built  in  1333.  Halfway 
up  it  is  an  iron  cage,  erected  in  1495  by  Ludovico  il  Moro, 
for  the  exposure  of  criminals  guilty  of  sacrilege.  In  the 
west  front  are  three  grand  projecting  porches,  adorned  with 
quaint  bas-reliefs,  and  with  pillars  resting  upon  lions,  or  the 
backs  of  men  who  are  riding  upon  monsters.  The  solemn 
effect  of  the  interior  of  this  ancient  Gothic  church  is  greatly 
marred  by  the  frescoes  with  which  it  is  decorated,  though 
they  are  beautiful  in  themselves.  The  choir  has  rich  stall- 
work  of  1471  by  Gian-Giacomo  of  Genoa.  Between  the 
nave  and  transepts  is  an  octagonal  cupola  adorned  with 
frescoes  of  prophets  and  sibyls,  £c.,  by  Guercino  and 
Morazzone.  Lower  down  are  figures  of  Charity,  Truth, 
Chastity,  and  Humility,  by  Franchi. 

Over  the  high  altar  is  the  Ascension  of  the  Virgin  with 
sibyls  at  the  sides,  by  C.  Procacdni ;  on  the  vault  above  the 
apse  is  the  Assumption  of  the  Virgin  by  Ann.  Caracci ;  on 
the  vault  of  the  choir  are  the  Consecration  of  the  Virgin, 
by  C.  Procaccini,  and  the  Fathers  of  the  Church  in  Hades, 
by  Lod.  Caracci ;  on  one  side  of  the  choir  are  the  Nativity 
of  the  Virgin  and  the  Salutation,  by  Lod.  Caracci,  on  the 
other  are  the  Visitation  and  the  Day  of  Pentecost,  by 
C.  Procaccini.  Over  the  west  door  is  a  beautiful  piece  of 
tabernacle-work  of  1479,  when  B.  Gropallo  executed  the 
painting  and  Antonio  Burlonghi  the  sculpture.  The  laby- 
rinth of  pillars  in  the  great  crypt  is  very  picturesque. 

From  the  west  porch  the  '  Contrada  Dritta ' — the  jewel- 
lers' street,  where  the  pretty  angular  gold  pins  made  at 
Piacenza  are  sold — leads  to  the  principal  square,  but  if  we 
turn  to  the  left  and  then  to  the  right,  we  pass  the 

Church  of  S.  Antonio,  once  the  cathedral,  founded  in 
324,  on  a  spot  where  S.  Barnabas  is  said  to  have  preached. 
It  has  been  frequently  restored,  but  some  portions  of  1350 


214  PI  ACE  NZ A. 

are  very  striking,  especially  the  octagonal  bell-tower,  and  the 
grand  porch,  called  '  II  Paradiso,'  consisting  of  a  vast  single 
arch  beneath  a  rose  window,  and  enriched  with  delicate  terra- 
cotta cornices  and  pinnacles.  Outside  the  west  porch  are 
two  ancient  stone  sarcophagi. 

Near  S.  Antonio  is  the  Church  of  S.  Vincenzo,  con- 
taining pictures  of  David  and  Isaiah,  painted  by  Camilla 
Bocaccino  in  1530  ;  also  near  this  a  small  chapel  with  a  most 
beautifully  decorated  round-headed  door. 

From  S.  Antonio  a  street  to  the  right  takes  us  to  the 
great  square,  the  centre  of  life  in  Piacenza,  which  is  called 
the  Piazza  dei  Cavalli,  from  its  statues.  This  square  is  one 
of  the  most  picturesque  in  Lombardy.  The  whole  of  the 
south  side  is  occupied  by  the  splendid  Palazzo  Communale, 
most  lovely  and  harmonious  in  colour  ;  on  the  east  a  smaller 
piazza  opens  upon  the  fine  Church  of  S  Francesco,  which  has 
a  lofty  brick  front  ornamented  with  terra-cotta  (1278),  and 
which  contains  a  cupola  and  an  altar-piece  (4th  chapel  on 
right)  by  Malosso.  In  front  of  the  great  palace  stand  two 
grand  equestrian  statues  by  Francesco  Mocchi,  a  pupil  of 
Giovanni  da  Bologna.  That  on  the  right  (erected  1624)  is 
Alessandro  Farnese,  Governor  of  the  Netherlands,  and 
'  the  Prince  of  Parma,'  of  the  reign  of  our  Elizabeth.  That 
on  the  left  (erected  1620)  is  his  son  Ranuccio,  celebrated 
for  his  oppressions  and  cruelties.  Those  who  have  visited 
the  glorious  palace  of  Caprarola  will  have  become  familiar 
with  the  story  of  these  nephews  of  Paul  III.,  which  is  told 
there  in  the  endless  frescoes  of  the  Zuccheri. 

There  are  few  buildings  which  deserve  more  careful  study 
than  the  Palazzo  Communale. 

•  This  building  was  erected  by  the  merchants  of  Piacenza,  and  was 
begun  in  1281.  The  lower  part  of  it  is  of  red  and  white  limestone,  and 
in  the  pointed  style ;  the  upper  half  is  in  the  round  style,  and  of  brick, 
with  terra-cotta  mouldings  and  ornaments.  The  building  is  one  of  the 
many  instances  which  prove  that  the  Saracenic  style,  rinding  its  way 
through  Venice,  had  in  the  middle  ages  a  partial  influence  upon  the 
architecture  of  Italy.  The  windows  and  the  forked  battlements  of  this 
building  are  in  a  Saracenic  manner,  and  the  Saracenic  passion  for 


S.  MARIA   DELLA   CAMPAGNA.  215 

variety  appears  in  the  dissimilarity  of  its  parts,  for  the  windows  of  the 
front  are  varied,  and  the  two  ends  of  the  building  are  purposely  made 
unlike  each  other.  It  is  a  noble  building,  i,n  spite  of  its  anomalies  and 
mixture  of  different  styles  and  materials.' — Gaily  Knight. 

A  street  to  the  left  of  the  Palazzo  Communale  leads  past 
the  Church  of  S.  Sepolcro,  a  very  grand  work  of  Bramante 
(1531),  now  used  as  a  barrack,  to  the  Church  of  S,  Maria 
delta  Campagna,  near  the  gate  towards  Alessandria.  This 
(also  due  to  Bramante)  is  a  perfect  gallery  of  the  grand 
works  of  Giovanni  Antonio  Licinio  Regillo,  commonly  called 
//  Pordenone.  A  competition  was  proposed  for  the  honour 
of  painting  the  chapels  and  cupola,  and  different  artists  were 
desired  to  produce  something  as  a  sample  of  their  powers. 
Two  of  these  remain  at  the  entrance  of  the  church — a 
S.  George  by  Gatti,  on  the  right,  and  S.  Augustine  by 
Pordenone,  on  the  left.  Upon  looking  at  this  picture,  with 
its  awkward  principal  figure  and  sprawling  angels,  one  won- 
ders that  its  painter  should  have  been  successful,  yet  in  the 
next  chapel  (of  the  Magi)  we  are  quite  carried  away  by  his 
wondrous  power.  First,  we  have  an  immense  picture  of  the 
Birth  of  the  Virgin,  with  the  Flight  into  Egypt  in  the 
lunette  above  ;  then  the  Adoration  of  the  Magi,  with  the 
Nativity  above.  At  the  next  altar  are  S.  Francis  receiving 
the  Stigmata,  with  smaller  subjects  from  his  life,  and 
S.  Sebastian  and  S.  Roch  by  C,  Procaccini.  Then  comes 
the  Chapel  of  Catherine,  entirely  by  Pordenone,  with  two 
grand  pictures  representing  the  saint  disputing  with  the 
Doctors,  and  her  allegorical  marriage  with  the  Infant 
Saviour.  In  the  former  (a  fresco)  the  artist  has  introduced 
his  own  portrait  in  the  figure  of  the  Doctor  who  is  lying 
upon  the  ground  with  an  open  book,  in  the  latter  in  the 
figure  of  S.  Paul.  These  pictures  were  executed  in  1546 
for  the  Countess  Scotta  Fontana,  who  built  the  chapel. 
The  frescoes  in  the  cupola  are  most  difficult  to  see,  but 
they  are  also  by  Pordenone.  Scriptural  and  mythological 
subjects  are  here  incongruously  mingled.  Above  the  arches 
of  the  nave  and  choir  is  a  frieze  of  pictures  by  Guercino, 
Gavassetti,  Tiarini,  and  Crespi.  In  the  choir,  behind  the 


216  PIACENZA. 

altar,  are  a  S.  Catherine  of  Pordenone,  and  an  Annunciation 
of  Bocaccino.  The  proportions  of  the  church  (a  Greek 
cross)  have  been  injured  by  additions  to  this  choir. 

Returning  to  the  town,  and  turning  left,  we  reach  the  de- 
serted monastery  and  the  Church  of  S.  Sisto.  Over  its  altar 
hung  the  famous  Madonna  di  S.  Sisto,  which  was  sold  by 
the  monks  to  the  Elector  of  Saxony  in  1754.  A  copy,  by 
Aranzini,  hangs  in  its  place  (looking  wonderfully  small)  and 
is  said  to  occupy  the  original  frame.  In  the  3rd  and  4th 
chapels  on  the  right  are  two  pictures  of  the  Virgin  and 
Child,  with  saints,  by  C.  Procacdni.  On  the  right  of  the  choir 
are  the  Slaughter  of  the  Innocents,  by  C,  Procacdni ;  the 
Martyrdom  of  S.  Benedetto  and  S.  Flaviano  by  Paolo  and 
Orazio  Farinato  degli  Uberti,  and  the  Martyrdom  of  S. 
Barbara  by  Palma  Giorane.  On  the  left  of  the  choir 
is  the  Martyrdom  of  S.  Martina,  by  Bassano.  Under  the 
high  altar  is  an  urn  with  the  body  of  S.  Sistus,  the  Pope 
represented  by  Raffaelle,  and  in  the  crypt  beneath  are  many 
altars  rich  in  saintly  bodies,  the  same,  however,  which  are 
claimed  by  many  other  churches  in  Italy.  The  stalls  of  the 
choir  have  beautiful  mforsiatitra-vfork.  In  the  north  tran- 
sept is  the  black  and  white  marble  monument  of  Margaret 
of  Austria,  wife  of  Ottavio  Farnese  (1586)  by  Giadnio 
Fiorentino. 

Between  S.  Sisto  and  the  station  we  pass  the  stately  old 
Palazzo  Farnese,  now  used  as  a  barrack.  It  was  built 
from  designs  of  Vignola  (the  architect  of  Caprarola),  by 
Margaret  of  Austria,  in  1558.  From  one  of  its  windows 
the  body  of  Pier  Luigi  Farnese  was  shown  to  the  people  by 
his  murderers,  and  then  thrown  into  the  ditch  beneath. 

Many  other  buildings  may  be  visited  by  those  who  linger 
in  Piacenza.  Among  them,  the  Church  of  S.  Agostino,  by 
Vignola,  now  half-ruined,  and  S.  Giovanni  in  Canale,  a 
church  of  the  Templars,  which  contains  a  tomb  by  Algardi 
to  Orazio  Scotti. 

Only  a  mile  from  Piacenza,  in  the  direction  of  Parma, 


S.  LAZZARO.  217 

is  the  great  leper-hospital  of  6*.  Lazzaro,  now  turned  into  an 
ecclesiatical  seminary.  In  the  room  called  '  the  Cardinal's 
Chamber '  (from  Cardinal  Alberoni,  who  left  his  property 
to  the  college)  are  : — 

Taddeo  Zucchero.    Our  Saviour  appearing  to  S.  Francesca  Romana. 

Borgognone.     Knights  on  horseback. 

P.  Pcrugino.     Virgin  and  Child. 

M.  Polidoro  di  Caravaggio.     Portrait  of  himself. 

The  church  contains  the  tomb  of  Alberoni,  and  a  picture 
of  the  Crucifixion  by  C.  Procacdni. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Piacenza,  S.  Roch  is  especially 
reverenced,  for — 

'  He  travelled  from  city  to  city ;  and  wherever  he  heard  that  there 
was  pestilence  and  misery  prevailing,  there  was  he  found,  and  a  blessing 
waited  on  his  presence.  At  length  he  came  to  the  city  of  Piacenza, 
where  an  epidemic  of  a  frightful  and  unknown  kind  had  broken  out 
amongst  the  people ;  he  presented  himself,  as  usual,  to  assist  in  the 
hospital ;  but  here  it  pleased  God  to  put  him  even  to  that  trial  for  which 
he  had  so  often  prayed — to  subject  him  to  the  same  suffering  and 
affliction  which  he  had  so  often  alleviated — and  made  him  in  his  turn 
dependent  on  the  charity  of  others  for  aid  and  for  sympathy. 

'  One  night,  being  in  the  hospital,  he  sank  down  on  the  ground, 
overpowered  by  fatigue  and  want  ot  sleep  ;  on  awaking  he  found  him- 
self plague-stricken ;  a  fever  burned  in  every  limb,  and  a  horrible  ulcer 
had  broken  out  in  his  left  thigh.  The  pain  was  so  insupportable  that 
it  obliged  him  to  shriek  aloud :  fearing  to  disturb  the  inmates  of  the 
hospital,  he  crawled  into  the  street ;  but  here  the  officers  of  the  city 
would  not  allow  him  to  remain,  lest  he  should  spread  infection  around. 
He  yielded  meekly ;  and  supported  only  by  his  pilgrim's  staff,  dragged 
himself  to  a  wood  or  wilderness  outside  the  gates  oi  Piacenza,  and  there 
laid  himself  down,  as  he  thought,  to  die. 

'  But  God  did  not  forsake  him  ;  far  from  all  human  help,  all  human 
sympathy,  he  was  watched  over  and  cared  for.  He  had  a  little  dog, 
which  in  all  his  pilgrimage  had  faithfully  attended  him  ;  this  dog  evtry 
day  went  to  the  city,  and  came  back  at  evening  with  a  loaf  of  bread  in 
his  mouth,  though  where  he  obtained  it  none  could  tell.  Moreover,  as 
the  legend  relates,  an  angel  from  heaven  came  and  dressed  his  wound, 
and  comforted  him,  and  ministered  to  him  in  his  solitude  until  he  was 
healed.' — Jameson's  '  Sacred  Art, '  II.,  427. 


Piacenza  is  the  best  point  from  which  to  make  the  excur- 
sion to  the  famous  Abbey  of  Bobbio  (32  Italian  miles  from 


2i8  PI  ACE  NZ A. 

Piacenza)  founded  by  S.  Columbano  in  612,  containing  his 
tomb,  and  the  place  whence  all  the  palimpsests  known  in 
the  world  have  at  some  time  or  other  emerged.  It  is  a  most 
fatiguing  expedition.  A  carriage  for  three  people  costs 
15  frs.  to  I  Periti ;  when  the  road  is  finished  it  will  probably 
cost  20  frs.  to  Bobbio. 

The  road  crosses  a  rich  plain  to  the  fine  old  castle  of 
jyiviano,  now  a  silk  factory.  A  little  beyond  this  it  enters 
the  valley  of  the  Trebbia  and  passes  under  the  still-inhabited 
castle  of  Monte  Chiaro.  Till  1876  there  was  no  road  be- 
yond I  Periti,  22  miles  from  Piacenza,  where  it  was  neces- 
sary to  engage  (5  frs.)  the  white  mule  of  the  contadino 
Napoleone,  and  to  follow,  as  one  best  could,  sometimes  the 
stony  bed  of  the  Trebbia,  sometimes  the  steep  rocky  path 
in  the  hills  overhanging  it,  for  7  miles,  till,  about  2  miles 
from  Bobbio,  one  could  join  the  road  from  Pavia.  The 
large  town  of  Bobbio  stands  in  the  upper  valley  of  the 
Trebbia,  encircled  by  luxuriantly  wooded  hills,  and  has  a 
long  bridge  of  many  arches  of  different  forms  and  sizes. 
Deserted  and  neglected  as  Bobbio  is  now,  it  must  always 
have  a  special  interest  as  the  place  where  '  S.  Columban 
lighted  the  flame  of  science  and  learning,  which  for  a  long 
time  made  it  the  torch  of  Northern  Italy,'1  and  whose  school 
and  library  were  perhaps  the  most  celebrated  of  the  middle 
ages. 

S.  Columbano,  the  great  rival  of  S.  Benedict,  was  born  in 
Leinster  in  543,  the  year  of  S.  Benedict's  death.  The 
temptations  to  which  his  great  personal  beauty  exposed  him 
and  the  admonitions  of  a  female  hermit,  who  bade  him  take 
warning  by  Adam,  Samson,  David,  and  Solomon,  made  him 
enter  the  monastery  of  Bangor  at  a  very  early  age.  Hence 
the  thirst  for  a  more  severe  rule  of  life  drove  him  across  the 
sea,  and  he  was  welcomed  by  Gontran,  king  of  Burgundy, 
who  assigned  him  a  hermitage  at  Annegray  near  the  Vosges. 
Here  he  lived,  in  perpetual  mortification,  on  charity,  or  the 
shoots  of  wild  myrtle  and  other  herbs.  Like  S.  Francis,  he 

1  MontalemberU 


HISTORY  OF  BOB  BIO.  219 

was  beloved  by  all  beasts  ;  the  birds  descended  to  caress 
him  ;  squirrels  took  refuge  in  the  sleeves  of  his  habit ;  a  bear 
resigned  its  cave  to  him.  At  length,  numbers  of  disciples 
collecting  around  him,  he  founded  the  monasteries  of 
Annegray,  Luxeuil,  and  Fontaines.  Here  he  introduced  the 
extreme  severities  of  what  was  called  'the  Irish  rule,'  the 
smallest  offences  being  visited  with  severe  fasts  and  relent- 
less corporal  punishments.  Yet  he  was  not  content  with 
outward  observances.  '  To  mortify  the  flesh  of  the  soul  that 
bears  no  fruit,'  he  preached  at  Luxeuil,  'is  to  till  the  ground 
and  to  disregard  the  harvest.  What  is  the  use  of  making 
war  abroad  if  there  is  civil  war  within  ?  A  religion  of  out- 
ward acts  is  vain,  true  piety  consists  in  humility  of  the 
heart  and  not  in  genuflexions.'  Yet  the  monkish  nobles 
continued  to  flock  around  him,  imploring  him  to  cut  off  their 
long  hair,  at  once  the  sign  of  nobility  and  liberty,  and  with 
all  his  severity  of  rule,  he  combined  the  personal  tenderness 
of  a  father,  while  the  intersst  which  he  took  in  each  of  his 
monks  individually  is  shown  by  his  letters,  which  begin — 
'  To  his  most  sweet  sons,  to  his  very  dear  pupils,  to  his 
brothers  in  the  frugal  life  ;  Columban  the  sinner.' 

Shocked  at  the  immoralities  of  the  young  king  Thierry  II. 
and  the  cruelties  of  his  grandmother  Brunehaut,  he  threat- 
ened them  with  excommunication,  and  was  expelled  from 
the  kingdom.  His  exile  was  like  a  triumphal  progress  ; 
what  were  regarded  as  miracles  attended  him  at  every  step, 
and  as,  when  he  was  embarked  at  the  mouth  of  the  Loire, 
the  ship  stranded  on  a  sandbank,  it  was  received  as  an  omen, 
and  he  was  permitted  to  go  where  he  would.  After  visiting 
the  court  of  Neustria,  he  joined  S.  Gall,  also  an  Irish 
missionary,  and  in  his  company  evangelised  the  Pagan 
tribes  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine,  and  broke  in  pieces  the 
idols  on  the  shores  of  the  lakes  of  Zurich  and  Constance. 
Having  prophesied  with  exact  fidelity  the  misfortunes  which 
would  arise  from  the  war  between  the  brothers  Theodobert 
of  Austrasia  and  Thierry  of  Burgundy,  he  left  S.  Gall  to  com- 
plete his  work  in  Switzerland,  and  passed  into  Italy.  Here 


220  PIACENZA. 

he  was  welcomed  by  Agilulf,  king  of  the  Lombards,  and 
the  great  Theodolinda  his  wife,  who  allowed  him  to  establish 
himself  where  he  pleased.  He  at  once  began  to  attack  the 
Arianism  which  was  prevalent  in  the  north  of  Italy,  and, 
choosing  Bobbio  on  the  Trebbia  as  a  residence,  made  it 
'the  citadel  of  orthodoxy  against  the  Arians.'  It  was  in 
A.D.  612  that  Columban  came  to  Bobbio.  A  ruined  church 
dedicated  to  S.  Peter  already  existed  there.  This  he  re- 
stored, personally  labouring  at  the  work  in  spite  of  his  great 
age.  He  refused  all  invitations  from  the  Frankish  kings  to 
recross  the  Alps,  but  continued  by  letters  to  direct  the  affairs 
of  all  the  institutions  he  had  founded,  especially  those  of 
Luxeuil,  and  wrote  a  number  of  poems  which  still  exist.  As 
a  specimen  we  may  give  the  farewell  of  his  last  letters  from 
Bobbio  to  his  friend  Fedolius — - 

'  Haec  tibi  dictabam,  morbis  oppressus  amaris, 
Corpore  quos  fragili  patior  tristique  senectae. 
Nam  dum  praecipiti  labuntur  tempora  cursu, 
Nunc  ad  Olympiadis  ter  senae  venimus  annos. 
Omnia  praetereunt,  fu^it  irreparabile  tempus. 
Vive,  vale  laetus,  tristisque  memento  senectae.' 

Having  established  his  foundation,  Columban  retired  into 
a  cave  on  the  other  side  of  the  Trebbia,  where  he  had  dedi- 
cated a  chapel  to  the  Virgin.  Here  he  passed  his  last  days 
in  fasting  and  prayer,  only  returning  to  the  monastery  on 
Sundays  and  feastdays,  and  here  he  died  Nov.  21,  615,  in 
his  chapel,  which  long  remained  an  object  of  pilgrimage. 
S.  Columbano  left  Bobbio  one  of  the  most  active  intellectual 
centres  in  the  peninsula.  '  The  light  which  he  shed  by  his 
learning  and  his  doctrine  in  all  the  places  where  he  appeared 
has  been  compared  by  a  contemporary  writer  to  the  course 
of  the  sun  from  east  to  west,  and  he  continued,  after  his 
death,  to  shine  through  the  disciples  whom  he  had  educated 
to  learning  and  piety.' 1 

The  immediate  successor  of  Columban  at  Bobbio  was 
his  friend  Attala,  whom  he  had  left  Abbot  of  Luxeuil,  but 

1  Hist.  Litter,  de  la.  France,  iii. 


HISTORY  OF  BOB  BIO.  221 

whose  affection  had  led  to  his  following  him  across  the  Alps. 
He  enforced  to  the  full  the  rule  which  Columban  had 
established,  that — '  The  monk  must  live  under  the  rule 
of  one  and  in  the  company  of  many,  in  order  to  learn 
humility  from  the  one  and  patience  from  the  other.  He 
must  not  do  that  which  is  pleasing  to  himself.  He  must  eat 
that  which  is  given  him,  must  possess  nothing  but  that 
which  is  doled  out  to  him,  must  obey  those  who  are  dis- 
tasteful to  him.  He  must  go  to  bed  so  weary  that  he  falls 
asleep  on  the  way,  yet  he  must  arise  before  his  sleep  is 
satisfied.  He  must  fear  his  superior  as  God,  and  he  must 
love  him  as  a  father.  He  must  never  pass  a  judgment 
upon  the  decision  of  his  elders.  His  duty  is  to  obey  orders, 
according  to  the  words  of  Moses — "  Hear,  O  Israel,  and  be 
silent  ! " ' 

The  number  of  Frankish,  Italian,  and  Lombard  monks 
who  had  now  collected  at  Bobbio,  included  many  who  found 
themselves  unable  to  submit  to  its  rule,  and,  under  S.  Attala, 
a  rebellion  took  place.  But  he  allowed  the  malcontents  to 
leave,  following  the  written  advice  of  Columban — 'it  is  of  no 
use  to  be  of  one  body,  if  one  is  not  of  one  heart ' — and 
his  society  continued  to  flourish.  Through  the  favour  of 
Theodolinda,  all  the  privileges  of  the  monastery  were  con- 
firmed to  reward  his  zeal  against  Arianism,  and  having  en- 
larged the  abbey,  he  died  in  the  odour  of  sanctity  in  627,  at 
the  foot  of  the  crucifix  which  he  had  placed  at  the  entrance 
of  his  cell,  that  he  might  always  salute  it  on  entering  or 
going  out. 

The  third  abbot  was  S.  Bertulphus,  under  whom  the 
privileges  of  the  abbey  were  confirmed  by  the  Arian  Ario- 
wald.  This  chieftain  had  been  won  over,  because,  when 
the  monk  Blidulf,  being  at  Pavia,  refuse  to  salute  him 
(being  an  Arian),  one  of  his  soldiers  attacked  him  and  left 
him  for  dead,  but  the  monk  recovered  and  his  assailant  fell 
mortally  ill,  which,  in  the  spirit  of  those  times,  established 
the  invincibility  of  Columban. 


222  PIAC&NZA. 

Bertulphus,  dying  in  640,  was  succeeded  by  the  Greek 
Bobbolena,  and  he  by  the  Irish  Glongell,  and  from  this 
time  for  several  centuries,  many  of  the  most  celebrated 
European  teachers  and  bishops  belonged  at  some  time  or 
other  to  Bobbio.1 

'  La  prodigieuse  activite  intellectuelle  dont  les  moines  de  Bobbio 
firent  preuve  durant  cette  periode,  n'indique-t-elle  pas  que,  sans  compter 
d'autres  mobiles,  ils  furent  alors  soumis  a  la  double  impulsion  egalement 
puissante,  egalement  fertile  en  resultats  avantageux  pour  la  science  et 
les  lettres  ?  Le  genie  de  saint  Benoit  et  celui  de  saint  Columban 
s'unirent  done  en  ce  monastere  pour  y  repandre  leur  lumineuse  influence, 
comme  deux  astres  jumeaux  qui  se  rapprochent  et,  confondant  leurs 
rayons,  eclairent  d'autant  mieux  un  meme  point  du  ciel. ' — Dantier. 

In  964,  Gerbert  of  Auvergne,  tutor  of  Otho  II.  (and 
afterwards  Archbishop  of  Ravenna,  and  Pope  as  Sylvester 
II.)  was  made  Abbot  of  Bobbio,  and  it  was  to  his  studies 
here  that  the  accusation  of  magic  afterwards  brought  against 
him  was  applied.  After  the  nth  century  the  abbey  began 
to  decline.  The  magnificent  library  collected  by  Columban 
and  his  successors  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Florentine 
book  hunters  of  the  time  of  Lorenzo  de'  Medici ;  Tommaso 
Inghirami,  librarian  of  Julius  II.,  carried  off  many  of  its 
most  precious  treasures  to  the  Vatican,  and  the  greater  part 
of  those  remaining  were  sold  by  the  Abbot  Paolo  Silvarezza 
in  the  time  of  Paul  V.  Mabillon,  visiting  Bobbio  in  the 
1 7th  century,  found  it  'only  the  shadow  of  its  former  self.' 

It  is  at  the"  upper  end  of  the  little  town  that  the  great 
Church  of  S.  Columbano  stands,  joining  the  now  desecrated 
monastery  with  its  immense  buildings.  The  west  front  of 
the  church  is  of  brick  with  terra-cotta  ornaments,  and  has 
an  arched  atrium.  It  is  a  Latin  cross,  the  nave  being  ex- 
ceedingly lofty,  with  low  narrow  aisles,  but  it  is  so  spoilt  by 
paint  and  whitewash  as  to  show  little  of  its  original  character. 
Over  the  chancel  arch  is  a  curious  picture  of  Columban 
founding  the  monastery,  throned  amongst  its  other  benefac- 

1  Amongst  the  most  remarkable  of  the  monks  was  Jonas  of  Susa,  who  travelled  to 
Ireland  and  Luxeuil  for  his  materials  and  then  wrote  the  life  of  S.  Columban. 


BOBBIO. 


223 


tors.  The  choir  has  fine  old  stall-work.  But  the  crypt  is 
the  shrine  of  all  that  is  most  precious  in  Bobbio.  On  the 
walls,  supported  on  brackets,  are  the  sarcophagi  of  the 
canonized  abbots,  and  amongst  those  on  the  left,  that  of  the 
Scotch  S.  Cummian,  who  coming  hither  into  retreat,  died 
here  in  722.  His  tomb  was  erected  by  King  Luitprand, 
who,  in  the  epitaph,  recommends  himself  to  the  prayers  of 
the  holy  bishop,  '  who  for  20  years  gave  the  companions  of 
his  austerities  an  example  of  monastic  virtue.' 

On  either  side  of  the  high  altar  are  S.  Attala  and  S. 
Bertulphus.  The  altar,  which  supports  the  gilt  shrine  of 
Columban,  is  decorated  with  several  curious  reliefs,  viz., 
i.  His  vision,  bidding  him  to  found  the  monastery.  2.  His 


i  '/ 


Bobbio. 

receiving  the  permission  of  the  Pope.  3.  His  converting 
the  natives,  out  of  whom  many  devils  are  flying.  Behind, 
is  the  venerable  figure  of  Columban,  partly  coloured,  with 
his  mitre,  pastoral  staff,  &c.,  and  his  feet  resting  on  an 
open  book,  inscribed  on  the  one  page — '  Nequaquam  ex  his 
comedetis  nisi  quos  dimisistis  venerint,'  and,  on  the  other — 
'  Tanta  piscium  copia  est  rete  impletum  ut  vix  pro  multi- 
tudine  trahi  potuisset.' — Close  to  S.  Columbano  is  buried  the 
abbot  Wala,  who  came  hither  from  Corbey,  and  greatly  en- 
riched the  monastery  and  its  library.  He  was  sent  to  con- 
clude an  alliance  between  Lothaire  and  Louis  le  Debonnaire 
and  the  Empress  Judith,  and  died  at  the  court  of  Pavia  on 
his  return. 


224  P1ACENZA. 

In  the  cloisters  is  a  bust  in  honour  of  Agilulf,  by  whom 
the  lands  were  given  to  Columban. 

Next  to  its  saints,  its  manuscripts  have  rendered  Bobbio 
famous — 

' .  .  .  puisque  c'est  a  Bobbio  qu'ont  etc  decouvertes  les  oeuvres 
manuscrites  de  Cassianus  Bassus,  d'Adamantius  Martyrius,  de  Probus, 
de  Sergius  le  grammairien,  et  de  Cornelius  Fronton,  le  precepteur  de 
Marc-Aurele.  Plus  tard  la  correspondance  de  ce  meme  Fronton  avec 
1'empereur,  son  eleve,  sera  extraite  par  1'erudition  modernedes  palimp- 
sestes  de  Bobbio  qui  fourniront  encore,  outre  la  Republique  de  Ciceron, 
les  plaidoyers  de  cet  orateur  pour  Scaurus,  Tullius  et  Flaccus.  Devan- 
9ant  ces  decouvertes  de  notre  epoque,  1'auteur  de  Vlter  italicum  cut  la 
consolation,  malgre  1'etat  de  denument  ou  il  trouva  la  bibliotheque  de 
1'antique  monastere  de  saint  Columban,  d'y  recueillir  encore  quelques 
glanes  echappees  a  ceux  qui  y  avaient  moissonne  avant  lui.  II  en  rapporta 
notamment  le  tres-ancien  et  tres-curieux  manuscrit  sur  la  liturgie  galli- 
cane,  qu'il  publia  sous  le  titre  de  Sacrament arium  Gallicanum,  et  qui, 
d'apres  toute  vraisemblance,  autrefois  en  usage  dans  les  eglises  de  la 
Burgondie  ou  etait  situe  Luxeuil,  passa  de  ce  monastere  a  celui  de 
Bobbio. ' — Dander. 

'  Apres  douze  siecles  ecoules  et  du  fond  des  cendres  amoncelees  du 
passe,  un  dernier  rayon  de  cette  gloire  intellectuelle  a  resplendi  de  nos 
jours  sur  la  derniere  fondation  de  saint  Columban.  'Le  palimpseste  de 
la  Vaticane,  d'ou  le  genie  de  la  patience,  personnifie  dans  le  cardinal 
Mai,  a  tire  le  De  Kepublicd  de  Ciceron,  provenait  de  cette  bibliotheque, 
et  cet  illustre  parchemin  porte  encore  1'inscription :  Liber  sancti 
Columbani  de  Bobbio. ' — Montalembert. 

In  the  piazza  of  the  town  is  the  Duomo,  into  which  you 
descend  by  steps.  It  has  a  huge  Lombard  nave,  separated 
by  very  heavy  piers  from  very  low  aisles.  The  choir  is 
reached  from  the  nave  by  a  flight  of  steps  which  gives  space 
for  the  lofty  crypt.  It  is  in  the  late  return  (for  it  can 
scarcely  be  otherwise)  from  Bobbio,  that  the  traveller  will 
probably  have  his  first  experience  of  night  travelling  in  the 
Apennines. 

'  The  Apennine  in  the  light  of  day 
Is  a  mighty  mountain  dim  and  grey 
Which  between  the  earth  and  sky  doth  lay : 
But  when  night  comes,  a  chaos  dread 
On  the  dim  starlight  then  is  spread, 
And  the  Apennine  walks  abroad  with  the  storm.'— Shelley. 


VELLEIA,   LODI.  225 

.  From  Piacenza  an  excursion  of  20  miles  may  be  made  to 
the  remains  of  the  Roman  city  Velleia,  long  buried  by  a 
landslip,  and  chiefly  disinterred  in  1760.  The  ruins  are  in- 
significant, and  the  principal  objects  found  have  been  re- 
moved to  the  Museum  at  Parma.  The  road  to  Velleia 
passes  the  castle  and  villa  (by  Vignola)  of  the  Scotti  family, 
at  San  Giorgio. 

A  branch  line  of  railway  leads  from  Piacenza  to  Milan 
through  country  so  rich  as  to  verify  the  proverb,  '  La  Lom- 
bardia  e  il  giardino  del  mondo.'  The  principal  station  is 
Lodi  (Inns.  Sole,  Europd),  which,  however,  is  scarcely  worth 
a  special  visit.  The  Roman  settlement,  founded  by  Cn. 
Pompeius  Strabo,  father  of  Pompey  the  Great,  was  called 
Laus  Pompeia  in  his  honour ;  it  was  afterwards  simply  called 
Laus,  whence  Lodi.  The  modern  city,  5  miles  distant  from 
the  old  site,  was  founded  by  Frederick  Barbarossa  in  1158. 
The  Duomo  has  a  fine  Lombard  porch  with  lions.  A  curious 
relief  of  the  Last  Supper  was  brought  from  the  old  Lodi. 
Near  the  high  altar  are  some  frescoes  by  Guglielmo  and 
Alberto  di  Lodi,  till  lately  covered  with  whitewash. 

The  fine  Chunk  of  the  Incoronata,  built  by  Bramante, 
1476,  contains  pictures  and  frescoes  by  the  native  artist, 
Calisto  Piazza,  1517-1556.  Twice  a  year  a  famous  fair  is 
held  at  Lodi  for  the  sale  of  Parmesan  cheese,  which  is  all 
made  near  this  town.  The  capture  of  the  Bridge  of  Lodi 
(over  the  Adda)  was  one  of  the  great  exploits  of  Napoleon 
and  Berthier,  May  10,  1796,  when  it  was  defended  by 
7000  Austrians  under  Sebotendorf. 


VOL.  II. 


2-6  PARMA. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 
PARMA. 

IT  is  i^  hour  by  rail  from  Piacenza  to  Parma,  6  frs.  60  c.; 
4  frs.  60  c.  The  railway  crosses  a  level  plain.  Among 
the  stations  are — 

Fiorenzuola,  where  the  collegiate  church  of  S.  Fiorenzo 
contains  beautiful  carved  stallwork,  and,  in  the  sacristy, 
some  fine  mediaeval  works  of  art.  From  hence  there  is  a 
nearer  road  than  that  from  Piacenza  (by  Casttl  Arquato, 
which  has  a  stately  Gothic  town  hall,  and  near  which  is 
Monte  Zago,  rich  in  fossil  remains)  to  the  Roman  Velleia. 
On  the  left  is  Busseto,  the  capital  of  the  little  state  (Stato 
Pallavicino)  which  was  ruled  by  the  princely  family  of  the 
Pallavicini.  It  contains  a  fine  old  castle  (La  Rocca)  where 
a  meeting  took  place  between  Paul  III.  and  Charles  V. 

Borgo  S.  Donino  (Inn.  Croce  Bianco)  has  a  Gothic  town- 
hall,  and  a  thirteenth  -century  cathedral,  one  of  the  richest 
and  most  beautiful  of  Lombard  buildings.  On  the  exterior 
are  curious  bas-reliefs.  The  porches  are  magnificent,  and 
have  different  names.  That  called  Taurus  is  decorated  with 
bulls,  that  called  Aries  with  rams,  &c. 

'  San  Donino,  in  whose  honour  this  church  was  erected,  was  a  soldier 
in  the  army  of  the  Emperor  Maximian,  and  served  under  his  orders  in 
Germany.  Donino,  with  many  others,  became  a  Christian ;  and  when 
Maximian  issued  an  edict,  ordering  all  persons  to  renounce  the  Christian 
faith  on  pain  of  death,  Donino  fled,  but  was  overtaken  near  the  river 
Strione  by  the  emissaries  of  the  tyrant  and  immediately  put  to  death. 
Near  that  spot  there  was  at  that  time  a  village  called  Julia. 

'  In  362  the  Bishop  of  Parma,  admonished  by  a  dream,  sallied  forth 
and  discovered  the  body  of  Donino — known  to  be  that  of  the  martyr  by 
an  inscription  found  upon  the  spot,  and  by  the  sweet  odour  which  issued 


BORGO   S.   DON/NO. 


227 


from  the  grave.  A  chapel  was  immediately  erected  to  receive  the  holy 
remains,  and  we  learn  from  a  letter  from  S.  Ambrose  to  Faustinus  that 
the  village  of  Julia  had  changed  its  name  into  that  of  San  Donino  as 
early  as  387. 

'  From  that  time  the  shrine  of  San  Donino  became  one  of  the  most 
frequented  in  Italy,  and  received  oblations  which  led  to  the  construction 
of  a  temple  on  a  larger  scale.  The  existing  church  is  a  large  building, 
and  has  undergone  various  alterations.  The  oldest  part  of  it  is  in  the 
Lombard  style ;  but  the  very  curious  and  rich  fa9ade  belongs  to  times 


At  Borgo  S.  Donino. 

subsequent  to  those  of  the  Lombard  — to  times  when  the  imitation  of  the 
Roman  bas-relief  succeeded  to  the  monstrous  imagery  of  the  7th  and 
8th  centuries.  No  record  remains  of  the  period  at  which  this  facade  was 
erected ;  but  there  are  various  circumstances  which  give  us  reason  to 
believe  that  it  cannot  be  older  than  the  I2th  century.  The  barbarous 
character  of  the  sculpture,  the  neglect  of  all  proportions,  the  heads  as 
large  as  the  bodies,  might  seem  to  indicate  a  remoter  antiquity ;  but 
there  is  a  bas-relief  over  one  of  the  gates  of  Milan,  known  to  have  been 
executed  at  the  close  of  the  I2th  century,  which  is  no  less  rude,  and 

Q2 


228  PARMA. 

which  proves  that  the  arts  of  Italy,  down  to  that  period,  continued  to 
be  in  a  state  of  the  lowest  depression.  The  projecting  portals,  the 
pediment  over  the  doors,  the  pillars  resting  on  animals,  are  all  features 
of  the  latter  part  of  the  I  ith  and  of  the  I2th  century.' — Gaily  Knight. 

We  now  pass  Parola,  where  Ariosto  describes  the  castle 
built  by  the  Podesta  of  Parma  to  keep  the  Borghigiani 
in  check. 

'  Giacea  non  lungi  da  Parigi  un  loco 
Che  volgea  un  miglio,  o  poco  meno  intorno : 
Lo  cinge  a  tutto  un  argine  non  poco 
Sublime,  a  guisa  d'  un  teatro  adorno. 
Un  castel  gia  vi  fu,  ma  a  ferro  e  a  fuoco 
Le  mura  e  i  tetti,  ed  a  rovina  andorno. 
Un  simil  puo  vederne  in  su  la  strada, 
Qualvolta  a  Borgo  il  Parmigiano  vada. ' 

Orlando  Furioso,  xxvii. 

At  La  Rocca  di  Fontanellato,  on  the  left  of  the  road, 
three  miles  beyond  this,  is  the  villa  of  the  San  Vitale  family, 
where  there  is  a  room  painted  in  fresco  by  Parmigianino. 
One  of  the  lunettes  contains  a  portrait  of  a  Countess  of  San 
Vitale. 

Near  Castel  Guelfo  station  is  the  castle  formerly  called 
Torre  d'  Orlando,  from  its  lord  Orlando  Pallavicini,  a 
Ghibelline  chieftain,  but  which  changed  its  name  when  it 
was  taken  by  Ottone  Terzi,  of  Parma  (1407),  a  leader  of 
the  Guelfs. 

We  now  cross  the  stony  bed  of  the  Taro,  which  is  entirely 
dry  except  in  the  rainy  season,  but  where  a  fine  bridge  erected 
by  Maria  Louisa  in  1816,  occupies  the  site  of  a  bridge  built 
in  1 1 70  through  the  begging  efforts  of  Nonantola,  a  poor 
hermit.  Here  the  towers  of  Parma  come  in  sight,  and, 
skirting  the  garden  of  the  summer  palace,  we  enter  the 
station. 

Parma  (Inns.  Croce  Bianca,  tolerable  and  clean,  but 
a  thoroughly  Italian  inn — the  best  rooms  contain  curious 
old  pictures  and  majolica  ;  La  Posta). 

Founded  by  the  Boian  Gauls,  on  the  river  of  the  same  name,  Parma 


HISTORY  OF  PARMA.  229 

was  made  a  Roman  colony  with  Modena  in  183  B.C.  It  was  embel- 
lished by  Augustus,  and  then  received  the  name  of  Colonia  Julia.  We 
learn  from  Martial  that  it  was  celebrated  for  its  wool. 

'  Magnaque  Niliacae  servit  tibi  gleba  Syenes, 
Tondet  et  innumeros  Gallica  Parma  greges.' 

v.  Ep.  13. 

'  Velleribus  primis  Apulia,  Parma  secundis 
Nobilis. '  xiv.  Ep.  155. 

The  town  was  destroyed  by  Attila  in  452.  Theodoric  fortified  it 
again  and  built  an  aqueduct.  Under  the  Byzantine  rule  it  was  so 
flourishing  as  to  be  called  Chrysopolis  (the  Golden  town).  It  was  de- 
stroyed by  the  Lombards ;  and  restored  again  in  773  under  Charlemagne. 
In  834  Cunigunda,  widow  of  Bernard,  King  of  Italy,  built  at  Parma 
the  convent  where  she  died.  In  the  1 1  th  century  it  gave  to  the  Church 
the  Anti-Pope,  Cadalous,  1063,  and  Giberto  de'  Giberti,  1075.  By 
the  exertions  of  the  first  of  these,  the  cathedral  and  bishopric  were 
founded.  In  1247  the  Guelfic  town  successfully  withstood  a  siege  from 
Frederick  II.  In  1303  the  Republic  fell  under  the  power  of  Giberto 
da  Correggio ;  then  of  Rolando  Rossi ;  then  of  Gianquirici  Sanvitali ; 
of  Pope  John  XXII.  1326;  of  Louis  of  Bavaria,  1328;  and  of  John 
of  Bohemia,  1331.  From  1335  to  1341  Parma  was  in  the  possession  of 
the  Scalas,  who  sold  it  to  Lucchino  Visconti.  Bernabo  Visconti,  fearing 
the  hatred  of  the  citizens,  built  the  Castello  de  S.  Maria  Nuova,  where 
the  garden  now  is,  and  the  fortifications  on  the  Ponte  Verde.  In  1365 
a  plague,  which  lasted  nine  months,  carried  off  40,000  inhabitants ! 
After  the  death  of  Ludovico  il  Moro,  in  1512,  with  short  intervals  of 
subjection  to  the  Visconti  and  Sforza,  Parma  came  into  possession  of 
Pope  Julius  II.,  and  of  his  successor  Leo  X.,  in  whose  reign  it  was 
subject  to  Francis  I.  of  France  from  1515  to  1521.  Under  Leo  X. 
the  celebrated  historian  Francesco  Guicciardini  was  Governatore  of 
Parma. 

In  the  papal  period  of  the  Cinquecento,  the  beautiful  church  of  La 
Madonna  della  Steccata  was  built,  the  interior  of  S.  Giovanni  was  re- 
built, and  one  of  the  most  remarkable  painters  of  the  best  Italian 
period,  Antonio  Allegri  of  Correggio,  executed  his  masterpieces.  In 
1503  Francesco  Mazzola  was  born  at  Parma,  and  became  celebrated  as 
a  painter  under  the  name  of  Parmigianino.  He  was  chiefly  remarkable 
for  his  portraits. 

Clement  VII.  was  succeeded  by  Alessandro  Farnese  as  Paul  III. 
(1534),  who  in  1509  had  been  Bishop  of  Parma.  In  his  care  for  his 
family,  he  procured  for  Pier  Luigi  Farnese,  in  1545,  the  investiture  of 
Parma  and  Piacenza,  which  had  been  formed  into  duchies.  Eight  Dukes 
of  the  Farnese  family  succeeded  one  another.  Pier  Luigi  died  the  death 
of  a  tyrant  at  Piacenza,  September  n,  1547.  His  grandson  Alessandro 
(the  '  Eroe  di  Casa  Farnese'),  won  for  himself  as  Governor  of  Flanders 


230  PARMA. 

the  title  of  'II  Grande  : '  he  died  from  a  bullet  wound  in  1502.  An 
equestrian  statue  was  raised  to  his  honour  in  the  principal  piazza. 
His  son  Ranuccio  I.  was  superstitious  but  magnificent :  he  built  (1597) 
the  Pilotta  Palace,  and  (1613)  the  Teatro  Farnese.  Under  the  youth- 
ful Odoardo  Farnese,  Parma  engaged  in  a  contest  with  the  Roman 
Barberini  (1622)  for  the  possession  of  Castro  and  Ronciglione.  This 
war  was  continued  and  the  disputed  towns  lost  under  the  next  Prince 
Ranuccio  II.  He  had  no  male  heirs,  and  died  of  obesity,  which  had 
become  hereditary  in  the  Farnese  family.  He  was  succeeded  by  his 
brothers,  Francesco  (1694),  and  Antonio  (1727)  the  last  Farnese — 
'  non  men  buono,  enormamente  pingue,  gran  parassita' — who  died 
childless  in  1731. 

The  Austrians  besieged  Parma  in  behalf  of  the  nephew  of  the  Farnese, 
Don  Carlos,  the  Infant  of  Spain,  son  of  the  Queen  Elisabetta  Farnese. 
When  Don  Carlos  was  proclaimed  King  of  Naples,  he  carried  away  the 
most  valuable  art  treasures  from  Parma  and  presented  them  to  his  new 
capital  (no  pictures — I  Michelangelo,  I  Correggio,  8  Raffaelles,  9 
Titians,  &c. ;  27  antique  statues,  including  the  Hercules  and  Flora  ;  39 
ancient  bronzes ;  the  Tazza  Sardonica;  10,000  coins,  and  the  curious 
archives  of  Parma).  In  the  War  of  the  Succession,  the  bloody  battle  of 
S.  Pietro  was  fought  under  the  walls  of  Parma,  in  which  the  then  united 
Franco-Sardinians,  'combattendo  da  leoni,'  defeated  the  Austrians. 
By  the  peace  of  1728,  Philip  de  Bourbon,  second  son  of  Elisabetta, 
was  made  Lord  of  Parma,  Piacenza,  and  Guastalla  ;  his  minister  was 
the  celebrated  Frenchman  Du  Tillot,  who  raised  Parma  to  be  the 
'  Atene  d'  Italia  : '  he  founded  the  Accademia  delle  Belle  Arti,  the 
Library  and  the  Museum,  he  remodelled  the  University,  and  intro- 
duced a  maufactory  of  majolica,  silk  cultivation,  and  agricultural  in- 
stitutions. Don  Ferdinando  (1765),  brought  up  by  the  celebrated 
Condillac  (who  wrote  philosophical  books  for  him),  was  a  good- 
natured  and  popular  prince.  Du  Tillot  ruled  under  him  till  1791, 
when,  having  become  an  object  of  suspicion  to  the  Austrian  court, 
because  he  tried  to  win  the  hand  of  Beatrice  d'  Este  for  his  master  (she 
was  afterwards  given  to  an  archduke,  while  Ferdinando  married  an 
archduchess),  he  was  deposed,  banished,  and  died  in  poverty  in  France. 
On  October  8,  1802,  the  duke  was  poisoned  at  the  Badia  di  Fonterivo, 
and  the  duchies  were  declared  by  Tuscany  to  be  incorporated  with  the 
French  Republic.  At  the  Vienna  congress,  the  Empress  Maria  Louisa 
obtained  Parma,  Piacenza,  and  Guastalla  '  in  piena  proprieta  e 
sovranita. '  She  died  in  1847,  and  is  still  remembered  with  affection. 
She  was  followed  by  the  last  of  the  Bourbons,  Charles  II.,  and  (after 
the  revolution  of  1843  an^  tne  intermediate  reign  of  Charles  Albert, 
1848-1849)  by  Charles  III.  till  March  20,  1854,  when  he  was  murdered 
in  the  Strada  S.  Lucia.  His  widow,  a  wise,  beneficent,  and  popular 
princess,  was  driven  out  to  make  way  for  the  government  of  Victor 


CHARACTERISTICS   OF  PARMA.  231 

Emmanuel  in  1856,  since  which  Parma  has  sunk  to  the  condition  of  a 
third-rate  provincial  city. 

Parma  well  deserves  a  halt  from  the  traveller.  It  is  an 
old  University  city,  has  sixty  churches  and  a  fine  cathedral, 
and  many  palaces  richly  adorned  with  beautiful  terra-cotta 
ornamentation. 

'  Parma  is  perhaps  the  brightest  Residenzstadt  of  the  second  class  in 
Italy.  Built  on  a  sunny  and  fertile  tract  of  the  Lombard  plain,  within 
view  of  the  Alps,  and  close  beneath  the  shelter  of  the  Apennines,  it 
shines  like  a  well-set  gem,  with  stately  towers  and  cheerful  squares 
in  the  midst  of  verdure.  The  cities  of  Lombardy  are  all  like  large 
country-houses ;  walking  out  of  their  gates,  you  seem  to  be  stepping 
from  a  door  or  window  that  opens  on  a  trim  and  beautiful  garden,  where 
mulberry-tree  is  married  to  mulberry  by  festoons  of  vines,  and  where 
the  maize  and  sunflowers  stand  together  in  rows  between  patches  of  flax 
and  hemp.' — J.  A.  Symonds, 

Besides  its  architectural  attractions,  Parma  is  filled  with 
the  masterpieces  of  Antonio  Allegri  (1494-1543)  called 
Correggio  from  his  birthplace,  and  of  those  of  his  scholars  ; 
his  son  Pomponio  Allegri,  Bernardino  Gatti,  Francesco 
Rondani,  Michelangelo  Anselmi,  and  the  Mazzolas — 
Girolamo,  and  Francesco,  who  was  called  Parmigianino. 
Vasari  speaks  of  Correggio  as  the  '  Pittore  singularissimo,' 
and  he  is  generally  included  in  the  circle  of  the  five  greatest 
masters,  with  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  Michelangelo,  Raffaelle, 
and  Titian. 

'  Inwardly  as  little  under  the  influence  of  any  ecclesiastical  traditions 
as  Michelangelo,  Correggio  never  sees  in  his  art  anything  but  the 
means  of  making  his  representation  of  life  as  sensuously  charming  and 
as  sensuously  real  as  possible.  His  gifts  in  this  direction  were  great  ; 
in  all  that  assists  realisation  he  is  an  originator  and  discoverer,  even 
when  compared  with  Leonardo  and  Titian.  ...  In  the  works  of 
Correggio,  there  is  an  entire  absence  of  any  moral  elevation,  but  he  is 
the  first  to  represent  entirely  and  completely  the  reality  of  genuine 
nature.  He  fascinates  the  beholder,  not  by  this  or  that  beautiful  and 
sensual  form,  but  by  convincing  him  entirely  of  the  actual  existence  of 
these  forms,  by  means^of  perfectly  realistic  representations  (enhanced  by 
concealed  means  of  attraction)  of  space  and  light.  Among  his  means 
of  representation,  his  chiaroscuro  is  proverbially  famous.  In  Correggio 
first  chiaroscuro  becomes  essential  to  the  general  expression  of  a  pic- 
torially  combined  whole :  the  stream  of  light  and  reflection  gives  exactly 


232  PARMA. 

the  right  expression  to  the  special  moment  in  nature.  Besides  this, 
Correggio  was  the  first  to  reveal  the  charm  of  the  surface  of  the  human 
body  in  half-light  and  reflected  light. 

'  His  colour  is  perfect  in  the  flesh  tints,  and  laid  on  in  a  way  that 
indicates  infinite  study  of  the  appearance  in  air  and  light.  In  the  defi- 
nition of  other  materials  he  does  not  go  into  detail ;  the  harmony  of  the 
whole,  the  euphony  of  the  transitions,  is  his  chief  object.  But  the  most 
striking  point  of  his  style  is  the  complete  expression  of  motion  in  his 
figures,  without  which  there  is  for  him  no  life  and  no  complete  repre- 
sentation of  space,  which  can  properly  only  be  measured  by  the  eye. 
The  real  measure  of  his  performance  is  in  the  human  form  in  motion, 
with  indeed  an  entire  appearance  of  reality,  and  in  some  circumstances 
violently  foreshortened.  He  first  gives  to  the  glories  of  the  other  world 
a  cubically  measurable  space,  which  he  fills  with  powerful  floating 
forms.  This  motion  is  nothing  merely  external ;  it  interpenetrates  the 
figures  from  within  outwards.  Correggio  divines,  knows,  and  paints 
the  finest  movements  of  nervous  life.  Of  grandeur  of  lines,  of  severe 
architectonic  composition,  there  is  no  question  with  him,  nor  of  grand 
free  beauty.  What  is  sensuously  charming  he  gives  in  abundance. 
Here  and  there  he  shows  real  depth  of  feeling,  which,  beginning  with 
the  real,  reveals  great  spiritual  secrets  :  there  are  pictures  of  suffering 
by  him,  which  are  not  indeed  grand,  but  perfectly  noble,  touching,  and 
executed  with  infinite  intelligence. '  —J.  Burckhardt. 

All  the  principal  sights  of  Parma  may  be  taken  in  one 
circuit,  starting  from  the  Piazza  Grande,  close  to  which  is 
the  principal  hotel. 

The  Piazza  Grande  is  picturesque,  and  generally  crowded 
with  countrymen  in  their  brown  cloaks,  and  countrywomen 
in  red  shawls  and  hoods.  It  has  a  Clock  tower  on  one  side  ; 
on  the  other  is  a  fine  old  brick  palace  with  arcades,  in  front  of 
which  stands  a  modern  statue  of  Correggio,  who  seems  strange 
under  his  real  name  of  Antonio  Allegri.  On  the  other  side 
of  the  palace  is  a  fine  bronze  group  of  wrestlers,  crowning 
a  fountain.  The  Via  Emilia  runs  through  the  square,  and 
divides  the  city  almost  equally.  Following  it,  by  the  Strada 
Maestro  di  S.  Michele,  architects  will  linger  at  the  corner  of 
a  neighbouring  alley  on  the  right,  to  admire  an  exquisite 
terra-cotta  shrine,  and  further  on  at  the  Collegia  Lalatta, 
which  has  a  grand  entrance,  supported  by  giants.  Artists 
will  proceed  to  S.  Sepolcro,  the  last  church  on  the  right,  to 


S.    GIOVANNI  EVANGELISTA.  233 

see  a  Parmigianino  (in  the  first  chapel  on  the  right,)  if  they 
can  get  in,  which  is  not  very  likely.     . 

The  street  close  to  S.  Antonio,  on  the  left  of  the  Strada 
S.  Michele,  leads  to  the  Cathedral,  and  the  view  on 
approaching  it  thus,  from  behind,  is  far  the  most  effective. 
The  outline  is  greatly  varied.  The  apses  and  cupola  are 
decorated  by  delicate  Romanesque  arcades  all  glowing  with 
rosy  colour,  and  beyond  rises  the  soaring  campanile,  with 
its  slender  arches  and  its  low  spire  crowned  by  a  golden 
angel.  Behind,  in  the  shadow,  lies  the  Baptistery.  This 
quiet  square,  with  its  ancient  surroundings,  has  a  look 
of  repose  almost  like  that  of  an  English  close  ;  but  the 
buildings  are  embossed  on  a  pellucid  sky,  such  as  one  sees 
in  the  pictures  of  Perugino. 

Behind  the  cathedral  stands  the  grand  Renaissance 
Church  of  S.  Giovanni  Evangelista,  built  in  1510  by  Ber- 
nardino Zaccagni  da  Torrechiara.  The  front,  of  1604,  is 
by  Simone  Moschino  da  Orvieto.  It  is  adorned  with  great 
statues  of  S.  John  and  various  Benedictine  saints,  and  sur- 
mounted by  the  bronze  eagle  of  the  Evangelist. 

Inside,  this  church  is  sublime  in  its  proportions,  and  is 
rendered  more  effective  by  the  rich  dark  colouring  of  the 
arabesques  by  Anselmi  on  the  vaulting  of  the  ceiling. 
Here,  the  frescoes  are  in  complete  harmony  with,  and  seem 
part  of  the  building.  In  the  cupola  are  famous  frescoes  of 
Correggio  (painted  1520-24),  but  it  is  very  difficult  to  see 
them,  and  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  understand  these  and 
many  other  of  Correggio's  frescoes,  unless  prepared  by  a 
careful  study  of  the  beautiful  copies  by  Toschi  and  his 
pupils  in  the  Accademia. 

'This  is  the  first  dome  devoted  to  a  great  general  composition; 
Christ  in  glory,  surrounded  by  the  Apostles  sitting  upon  clouds,  all 
introduced  as  the  Vision  of  John,  seated  on  the  edge  below.  The 
Apostles  are  genuine  Lombards  of  the  noble  type,  of  a  grandiose  physical 
form  ;  the  old  ecstatic  John  (purposely  ?)  less  noble.  The  view  from 
below,  completely  carried  out,  of  which  this  is  the  earliest  preserved 
instance,  and  certainly  the  earliest  so  thoroughly  carried  through, 
appeared  to  contemporaries  and  followers  a  triumph  of  all  painting. 


234  PARMA. 

They  forgot  what  parts  of  the  human  body  were  most  prominent  in  a 
view  from  below,  while  the  subject  of  this  and  most  later  dome  paint- 
ings, the  glory  of  heaven,  would  only  bear  what  had  most  spiritual  life. 
They  did  not  perceive  that  for  such  a  subject  the  realisation  of  the 
locality  is  unworthy,  and  that  only  ideal  architectonic  composition  can 
awaken  a  feeling  at  all  in  harmony  with  this.  Now  here  the  impression 
is  certainly  overpowering :  the  confused  group  of  numberless  angels, 
who  here,  rushing  towards  each  other  with  the  greatest  passion,  and 
embracing,  is  without  example  in  art :  whether  this  is  the  noblest  conse- 
cration of  the  events  represented  is  another  question.  If  so,  then  the 
confusion  of  arms  and  legs  was  not  to  be  avoided  ;  if  the  scene  were 
real,  it  must  have  been  something  like  this.  Farther  below,  between  the 
windows,  stand  the  Apostles  gazing  after  the  Virgin ;  behind  them,  on 
a  parapet,  are  Genii  busy  with  candelabra  and  censers.  In  the  Apostles, 
Correggio  is  not  logical ;  no  one  so  excited  as  they  are  could  stand  still 
in  his  corner  ;  even  their  supposed  grandeur  has  something  unreal  about 
it.  But  some  of  the  Genii  are  quite  wonderfully  beautiful ;  also  many 
of  the  angels  in  the  paintings  of  the  cupola  itself,  and  especially  those 
which  hover  round  the  four  patron  saints  of  Parma,  on  the  pendentives. 
It  is  difficult  to  analyse  exactly  the  sort  of  intoxication  with  which  these 
figures  fill  the  senses.  I  think  that  the  divine  and  the  very  earthly  are 
here  closely  combined.' — Burckhardt. 

'  It  must  be  evident  that  gradations  in  magnitude  will  be  more  full 
and  varied  when  they  comprehend,  if  only  in  a  limited  degree,  the  per- 
spective diminution  of  forms.  In  the  cupola  of  Parma  (to  say  nothing 
of  the  objects  being  represented  as  if  above  the  eye)  the  perspective 
diminution  is  extreme  :  so  that  even  the  principal  figures  are  altogether 
subservient  to  the  expression  of  space.' — Eastlake. 

The  paintings  on  the  ceilings  of  the  choir  are  by  Girol. 
Mazzola ;  those  on  the  sides  of  the  nave  are  by  Latanzio 
Gambara  (1568-73) ;  the  woodwork  of  the  choir  is  by 
Cristoforo  da  Lendinara  ;  the  Ciborium,  of  1484,  is  by  Leon 
Battista  Alberti.  The  pictures  are  : — 

Choir.     Parmigianino.     The  Transfiguration. 

Left  Transept.  *  Correggio.  (Over  the  door. )  A  beautiful  fresco  of 
S.  John  the  Evangelist  writing  his  Gospel.  He  is  seated,  pausing  with 
his  hand  on  his  book,  and  looking  up  for  inspiration. 

Left  Aisle,  6tA  Chapel.     Anselmi.     Christ  bearing  his  cross. 

4/A  Chapel.  Girol.  Mazzola.  The  Virgin  gives  a  palm  branch  to 
S.  Catherine  ;  S.  Nicholas  stands  by. 

1st  and  2nd  Chapels.  Parmigianino.  The  saints  and  cherubs  on 
the  arches,  very  grand,  but  ill  seen. 


CATHEDRAL  OF  PARMA.  235 

The  Campanile  of  the  Church,  built  in  1614,  is  exceed- 
ingly handsome.  The  adjoining  Monastery  (now  a  barrack) 
has  stately  cloisters  and  corridors. 

It  is  well  that  S.  Giovanni  should  be  seen  before  the 
Ditomo,  after  which  it  pales.  The  latter  is  a  Latin  cross, 
7019  met.  long  by  2565  met  broad.  The  west  front  is 
magnificent.  It  had  three  porches,  but  of  the  two  at 
the  sides  only  the  monsters  which  supported  the  pillars 
remain.  The  central  porch  rests  on  two  huge  lions  of  red 
Verona  marble,  one  with  a  ram,  the  other  with  a  serpent ; 
it  is  the  work  of  Bono  da  Bisone  (1281),  In  the  upper 
story  is  the  pulpit  whence  the  bishop  gives  the  papal  bless- 
ing to  the  people.  A  chapel  on  the  north  side  should  be 
observed  for  its  exquisite  terra-cotta  ornaments,  especially 
the  vine-leaves  and  grapes  round  the  windows. 

The  Interior  is  a  mass  of  beautiful  decaying  colour. 
The  walls  are  almost  entirely  covered  with  precious  frescoes 
of  Correggio  and  his  scholars.  In  general  effectiveness  this 
church  can  scarcely  be  surpassed.  The  nave  is  compara- 
tively dark,  only  lighted  by  such  rays  as  steal  in  through  the 
side  chapels  and  by  a  tiny  line  of  windows  in  the  triforium  ; 
but  beyond  where  a  mighty  staircase  leads  up  into  the 
choir,  a  whole  mass  of  sunlight  glory  pours  in  from  the 
cupola  and  transepts,  and  strikes  upon  the  altar,  and  the 
golden  baldacchino  and  organ  galleries.  The  frescoes, 
especially  of  the  cupola,  are  almost  impossible  to  decipher 
without  a  previous  acquaintance  through  the  drawings  of 
Toschi.  Little  can  be  seen  of  the  Assumption  of  the 
Virgin,  and  the  spectator  is  inclined  to  agree  with  the  criti- 
cism of  one  of  the  canons  to  the  painter,  that  it  is  un 
guazzeto  di  rant,  'a  hash  of  frogs.' 

'  In  1526-30,  in  the  dome  of  the  cathedral,  Correggio  gave  himself 
up  altogether,  without  any  limit,  to  his  special  conception  of  the  super- 
natural. He  makes  everything  external  and  desecrates  it.  In  the 
centre,  now  much  injured,  Christ  precipitates  himself  towards  the 
Virgin,  who  is  surrounded  with  a  rushing  crowd  of  angels  and  a  mass 
of  clouds.  The  chief  figure,  Christ,  is  foreshortened  in  a  truly  froglike 


236  PARMA. 

manner,  and  with  some  of  the  apostles  the  knees  reach  quite  up  to  their 
necks.  Clouds,  which  Correggio  treats  as  solid  round  bodies  of  definite 
volume,  are  employed  to  define  the  locality,  also  as  a  means  of  support 
and  as  seats,  and  pictorially  as  means  of  gradation  and  variety.  Even 
on  the  pendentives  of  the  cupola  are  seated  figures,  very  beautiful  in 
themselves,  but  exaggeratedly  foreshortened  ;  an  evangelist  and  a  Father 
of  the  Church  on  clouds,  where  Michelangelo  in  a  similar  place  would 
have  given  his  prophets  and  sibyls  solid  thrones.'-  jBurckhardt. 

'  As  a  consequence  of  his  predilection  for  sensuous  and  voluptuous 
forms,  Correggio  had  no  power  of  imagining  grandly  or  severely.  His 
Apostles,  gazing  after  the  Virgin  who  has  left  the  earth,  are  thrown 
into  attitudes  so  violent  and  so  dramatically  foreshortened,  that  seen 
from  below  upon  the  pavement  of  the  Cathedral,  very  little  of  their  form 
is  distinguishable,  except  legs  and  arms  in  violent  commotion.  .  .  . 
Correggio  appears  to  have  been  satisfied  with  realising  the  tumult  of 
heaven  rushing  to  meet  earth,  and  earth  straining  upwards  to  ascend  to 
heaven  in  violent  commotion — a  very  orgasm  of  frenetic  rapture.  The 
essence  of  the  event  is  forgotten  ;  its  external  manifestation  alone  is 
presented  to  the  eye  ;  and  only  the  accessories  of  beardless  angels  and 
cloud-encumbered  cherubs  are  really  beautiful  amid  a  surge  of  limbs  in 
restless  movement.' — J.  A.  Symonds. 

In  each  of  the  angles  of  the  cupola  is  an  Evangelist  with 
a  Father  of  the  Church  ;  Luke  with  Ambrose  ;  Matthew 
with  Jerome ;  John  with  Augustine  ;  Mark  with  Gregory. 
In  the  frieze  are  the  symbols  of  the  Evangelists  with  garlands 
and  ornaments  like  those  on  ancient  reliefs.  Making  the 
circuit  of  the  church  are  : 

Right  Aisle,  2nd  Chapel,  F.  Francia.  The  Virgin  Mother  adores  her 
Child — a  shepherd  stretches  out  his  hands  in  ecstasy. 

T>rd  Chapel  (Cappella  Baiardi).  An  interesting  example  of  early  sculp- 
ture in  the  masterpiece  of  Antelami  da  Parma,  of  the  I2th  century, 
originally  intended  for  the  pulpit. 

'  In  this  alto-relief,  the  body  of  our  Lord,  which  Nicodemus  mounts 
upon  a  ladder  to  detach  from  the  cross,  is  sustained  by  Joseph  of  Arima- 
thea,  while  an  angel  above  the  Virgin  (who  forms  one  of  a  procession 
of  mourners)  aids  her  in  holding  up  his  left  arm.  In  a  similar  position, 
upon  the  other  side  of  the  composition,  appears  the  archangel  Raphael, 
above  a  soldier,  who  threatens  with  his  hand  a  reluctant  priest,  whom 
the  Divine  messenger  is  pushing  forward  to  the  foot  of  the  cross,  and 
who,  we  imagine,  from  the  word  "synagoga,"  inscribed  above  his  head, 
typifies  the  stiff-necked  Jews.  It  would  be  easy  to  criticise  this  compo- 
sition (if  such  it  may  be  called),  but  if  we  bear  in  mind  the  period 
when  it  was  sculptured,  we  shall  recognise  the  artist's  superior  capacity 


BAPTISTERY  OF  PARMA.  237 

for  expression  above  his  contemporaries,  and  shall  feel  inclined  to  pardon 
these  defects.' — Perkins,  '  Tuscan  Sculptors.' 

6th  Chapel.  A  monument  to  Petrarch,  once,  as  he  quite  accurately  de- 
scribed himself,  the  'inutile  Arcidiacono '.of  this  cathedral,  put  up 
by  Canon  Cicognari  in  1713.  Here  also  is  Christ  bearing  his 
cross,  by  Bernardino  Gatti. 

Left  Aisle,  $th  Chapel,  Frescoes  of  the  fifteenth  century,  by  Loschi 
and  Grossi.  The  west  window  has  some  remains  of  fine  stained 
glass  of  1574,  by  Gondrate. 

The  stately  Crypt  is  supported  by  thirty  pillars,  with  varied 
capitals.  The  services  held  here,  especially  funeral  services, 
are  very  effective.  The  tomb  of  Bartolommeo  Prato  (1542), 
with  two  weeping  figures  and  beautiful  arabesques,  is  by 
Prospero  dementi. 

The  Baptistery  (the  keys  are  kept  in  the  house  opposite 
the  south  door,)  is  built  of  red  and  grey  marble,  and  sur- 
rounded by  four  tiers  of  small  columns,  with  flat  entabla- 
tures, which  give  it  a  harsh  appearance.  Encircling  the 
lower  story  is  a  frieze  of  animals  and  human-headed  mon- 
sters in  square  frames.  There  are  pinnacles  at  the  angles 
resting  on  small  pointed  arches.  The  three  portals  are 
richly  sculptured.  On  the  north  door  is  inscribed  :  'Bis 
binis  demptis  annis  de  mille  ducentis  incepit  dictus  opus 
hoc  sculptor  Benedictus.'  This  was  Benedetto  Antelami, 
who  began  the  work  in  1196,  but  it  was  not  finished  till 
1281. 

'  A  lunette  over  the  south  door  shows  the  mystical  tendencies  of 
Antelami.  It  represents  a  youth  seated  in  the  branches  of  a  tree,  so 
absorbed  in  eating  a  honeycomb,  that,  like  a  man  who  forgets  the  future 
in  present  enjoymen',  he  does  not  see  a  furious  dragon  watching  him 
from  below. ' — Perkins,  '  Italian  Sculptors. ' 

The  interior  has  sixteen  sides,  from  which  rise  the  ribs 
which  support  the  cupola.  In  the  centre  is  an  octagonal 
font  inscribed  with  the  name  of  its  sculptor,  Johannes 
Pallassonus,  1298.  There  is  another  font  covered  with 
quaint  carving,  which  is  now  used  for  the  baptism  of  all  the 
children  born  in  Parma.  The  whole  is  lighted  by  twenty- 


238  PARMA. 

four  windows  in  the  roof,  which  is  covered  with  paintings  of 
c.  1220.  Those  below,  of  the  fourteenth  century,  are  by 
Niccolb  da  Reggio  and  Bartolino  da  Piacenza. 

The  street  in  front  of  the  cathedral  leads  to  the  Piazza 
di  Corte,  where  are  Palazzo  Ducale,  with  a  modern  front, 
the  Teatro  Nuovo,  and  a  little  beyond,  to  the  left,  the 

Church  of  La  Madonna  della  Steaata,  begun  1521,  from 
plans  of  Giov.  Francesco  Zaccagni^  and  finished  in  1539.  It 
derived  its  name  from  a  palisade  (steccato)  erected  round 
a  popular  painting  of  the  Virgin  upon  a  house-wall,  which 
was  supposed  to  be  miraculous,  and  which  the  church  was 
afterwards  built  to  enclose.  The  interior  is  very  similar  to 
the  Madonna  della  Campagna  of  Piacenza,  a  Greek  cross, 
with  apsides  at  the  four  arms,  at  the  angles  of  which  are 
little  polygonal  chapels,  with  cupolas,  and  in  the  centre  a 
lofty  and  wide  round  cupola.  The  effect  is  very  striking, 
and  the  colour  and  design  most  harmonious.  Over  the 
high  altar  is  a  fresco  of  the  Coronation  of  the  Virgin  by 
M.  A.  Anselmi.  The  paintings  in  chiaroscuro  on  the  arches 
are  by  Parmigianino  (Francesco  Mazzola):  of  these  the 
Moses  is  the  most  remarkable,  and  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds 
mentions  in  confirmation  of  the  impression  it  leaves  upon 
the  mind,  that  Gray  '  had  warmed  his  imagination  with  the 
remembrance  of  this  noble  figure  of  Parmigianino  when  he 
conceived  his  sublime  idea  of  the  indignant  Welsh  bard.' 
The  frescoes  of  the  cupola  are  by  Gatti, 

Right  Transept.  A  Pieta  by  Bondoni,  erected  by  the  town  in 
memory  of  Maria  Louisa. 

Over  the  altar  is  S.  George  by  Francheschini. 

Right,  2nd  Chapel.  A  fine  tomb  of  Count  Guido  da  Correggio,  by 
Barbieri,  1568. 

Left,  1st  Chapel.  F.  Francia.  Madonna  and  Child,  with  S.  Luke 
and  S.  J.  Baptist— much  injured. 

Left,  2nd  Chapel.  A  beautiful  tomb  of  Sforzino  Sforza  (1523),  son 
of  Francesco  Sforza  II. ,  by  Agnate,  and  the  tomb  of  Ottavio  Farnese 
(1567),  a  bust,  with  his  sword  and  helmet,  by  Briante. 

In  the   Piazzale   della  Steccata,  a  monument  to  Fran- 


PALAZZO  AND   TEATRO  FARNESE.         239 

cesco  Mazzola — Parmigianino — by  Chierici,  was  erected  in 
1882. 

Opposite  this  is  the  Church  of  S.  Alessandro,  with  a 
wholly  uninviting  exterior,  but  inside  of  remarkably  good 
classical  architecture.  It  was  built,  1625,  by  Margaret  of 
Austria,  from  designs  of  Magnani.  The  Ionic  pillars  are 
of  red  Verona  marble. 

Right,  2nd  Chapel.     Tiarini.     S.  Bertoldo. 

High  Altar.     Parmigianino.     The  Virgin  and  S.  Giustina. 

The  colossal  Palazzo  Farnese,  commonly  called  La 
Pilotta,  stands  behind  the  modern  Ducal  Palace.  It  was 
begun  by  Ranuccio  Farnese  I.,  in  1597.  Its  courtyard  is 
handsome.  The  immense  brick  buildings  include  Palace, 
Academy,  Archaeological  Museum,  Picture  Gallery,  Library, 
and  the  Farnese  Theatre.  Crossing  the  court,  on  the  left 
of  the  second  gate  which  leads  to  the  bridge,  is  a  staircase, 
on  the  first  landing  of  which  we  reach  the 

Archaological  Museum,  founded  by  Duke  Philip,  c.  1760. 
It  is  chiefly  interesting  from  relics  of  the  neighbouring 
Roman  town  of  Velleia. 

The  2nd  Room  con  tains  the  Tabula  Alimentaria  of  Trajan — his  decree 
for  the  maintenance  of  poor  children,  engraved  upon  bronze.  The 
giving  of  this  charity  is  represented  on  reliefs  lately  discovered  in  the 
Roman  forum.  Here  is  a  statue  of  Germanicus,  and  a  small  bronze 
statuette  of  the  Drunken  Hercules — full  of  character,  from  Velleia. 

4/7*  Room.  Statues  of  Livia  and  Agrippina  the  elder  from  Velleia, 
and  a  statuette  of  Leda  and  the  Swan  from  the  Roman  Theatre  of 
Parma,  deserve  notice. 

The  heavy,  richly  ornamented  door  opposite  the  top  of 
the  staircase  leads  to  the  Teatro  Farnese,  built  1618,  and 
opened  in  1628  on  the  marriage  of  Duke  Odoardo  with 
Princess  Margaret  of  Tuscany.  It  is  well  worth  visiting. 

'  It  is  a  large  wooden  structure,  of  the  horse-shoe  shape  ;  the  lower 
seats  arranged  upon  the  Roman  plan,  but  above  them  great  heavy 
chambers,  rather  than  boxes,  where  the  nobles  sate,  remote,  in  their 
proud  state.  Such  desolation  as  has  fallen  on  this  theatre,  enhanced  in 
the  spectator's  fancy  by  its  gay  intention  and  design,  none  but  worms 
can  be  familiar  with.  A  hundred  and  ten  years  have  passed  since  any 


240  PARMA. 

play  was  acted  here.  The  sky  shines  in  through  the  gashes  in  the  roof; 
the  boxes  are  dropping  down,  wasting  away,  and  only  tenanted  by 
rats  ;  damp  and  mildew  smear  the  faded  colours,  and  make  spectral 
maps  upon  the  panels  ;  lean  rags  are  dangling  down  where  there  were 
gay  festoons  on  the  proscenium  ;  the  stage  has  rotted  so,  that  a  narrow 
wooden  gallery  is  thrown  across  it,  or  it  would  sink  beneath  the  tread, 
and  bury  the  visitors  in  the  gloomy  depths  beneath.  The  desolation 
and  decay  impress  themselves  on  all  the  senses.  The  air  has  a  moulder- 
ing smell,  and  an  earthy  taste  ;  any  stray  outer  sounds  that  straggle  in 
with  some  lost  sunbeam,  are  muffled  and  heavy  ;  and  the  worm,  the 
maggot,  and  the  rot  have  changed  the  surface  of  the  wood  beneath  the 
touch,  as  time  will  seam  and  roughen  a  smooth  hand.  If  ghosts  ever 
act  plays,  they  act  them  on  this  ghostly  stage.' — Dickens. 

Left  of  the  theatre  is  the  entrance  to  the  Picture  Gallery, 
open  from  9  to  4  (on  festas  from  10  to  2).  There  is  no 
special  arrangement  of  the  pictures.  The  greater  part  of 
the  collection  occupies  one  great  gallery,  divided  at  intervals, 
which  count  as  so  many  chambers  (II.  to  VI.).  The 
seventh  room  is  entered  from  the  oval  in  the  middle  of  the 
gallery  and  leads  to  a  number  of  small  chambers  which 
surround  a  courtyard.  The  pictures  are  not  hung  as  they 
are  numbered.1  We  should  notice 

Room  II. 

38.   Jacopo  Loschi  (1471).     Virgin  throned,  with  angels. 

50.  Cristoforo  Casclli,  detto  II  Temporello  (1499).  Virgin  and 
Child  with  S.  J.  Baptist  and  S.  Paul  the  Hermit. 

47.  Pierilario  Mazzola  (1538).     Virgin  and  child  with  saints. 

45.  Alessandro  Araldi  (1465).     Annunciation.    • 

44.  Parmigianino.     Marriage  of  the  Virgin. 

35.  Michelangelo  Anselmi  (1491-1554)-  Virgin  and  Child  in  glory 
with  saints. 

31.*  Correggio.  La  Madonna  della  Scala.  A  fresco  originally  on 
the  wall  of  a  chapel  near  the  Porta  Romana.  It  takes  its  name  from 
the  ladder  introduced  in  the  background. 

30.  Girolamo  Mazzola  (1503-68).  Virgin  and  Child,  with  angels, 
in  a  grove  of  flowers.  S.  John  asleep  in  the  foreground.  A  very 
lovely  and  original  picture. 

27,  28,  79,  80,  81.   Gir.  Mazzola.     Five  life-size  figures  of  saints. 
*76.  Parmigianino    (Francesco    Mazzola,    1503-40).      Virgin   and 
Child  with  S.  Jerome  and  S.  Benedict.     A  most  beautiful  picture. 

1  The  order  of  the  hanging  is  followed  here. 


PINACOTECA    OF  PARMA.  241 

68.   Girolamo  Mazzola.     S.  Gregory  and  S.  Augustine. 
61.  Fortunate  Gatti  (1648).     Virgin  and  Child  with  S.  Bruno  and 
S.  James. 

Room  III.  (the  Oval  Hall)  contains  : 

Two  gigantic  statues  of  basalt :  on  the  right,  Hercules  ;  on  the  left, 
Bacchus  and  Ampelos  ;  found  in  1724  on  the  Palatine  at  Rome. 

Room  IV.-VL  (beginning  on  left): 

I2O.  Bart.  Schidone  (1560-1615).     Entombment. 

122.  Lodovico  da  Parma  (1469-1540).     Virgin  with  S.  Catherine 
and  S.  Sebastian. 

123.  F.  Francia.     The  Deposition. 

130.*  Id.  'La  Madonna  di  San  Vitale.'  The  Virgin  and  Child 
•with  saints.  The  infant  S.  John  points  to  the  throned  group.  Two 
female  saints  adore ;  Scholastica  holds  a  book,  on  which  her  white 
dove  rests ;  the  Child  turns  to  S.  Catherine.  Two  male  saints,  Bene- 
dict and  Placidus,  seem  to  guard  the  picture  with  their  croziers. 

133.  Schidone.  The  Holy  Women  finding  the  Angel  at  the  Se- 
pulchre. 

134.*  Lodovico  Caracci  (1555-1619).  The  Funeral  of  the  Virgin. 
Her  figure,  in  grand  repose,  is  carried  by  the  weeping  Apostles  with 
lighted  torches  ;  the  sweeping-onwards  appearance  of  the  figures  is  quite 
magnificent. 

158.  Fra  Paolo  da  Fistoia.     Adoration  of  the  Magi. 

203.  Josaphat  Aldis.  S.  Sebastian.  The  arrow  in  the  forehead  is 
unusual. 

188.  Agostino  Caracci  (1558-1601).     Virgin  and  saints. 

209-212.  Agostino  Caracci.  Copies  of  the  frescoes  of  Correggio  at 
S.  Giovanni. 

231.    Tintoret.     The  Entombment. 

'  In  the  gallery  at  Parma  there  is  a  canvas  of  Tintoret,  whose  sub- 
limity of  conception  and  grandeur  of  colour  are  seen  in  the  highest 
perfection,  by  their  opposition  to  the  morbid  and  vulgar  sentimentalism 
of  Correggio.  It  is  an  entombment  of  Christ,  with  a  landscape  dis- 
tance. Dwelling  on  the  peculiar  force  of  the  event  before  him,  as  the 
fulfilment  of  the  final  prophecy  respecting  the  passion,  "  He  made  his 
grave  with  the  wicked  and  with  the  rich  in  his  death,"  Tintoret  desires 
to  direct  the  mind  of  the  spectator  to  the  receiving  of  the  body  of  Christ, 
in  its  contrast  with  the  houseless  birth  and  the  desert  life.  And,  there- 
fore, behind  the  ghastly  tomb  grass  that  shakes  its  black  and  withered 
blades  above  the  rocks  of  the  sepulchre,  there  is  seen,  not  the  actual 
material  distance  of  the  spot  itself  (though  the  crosses  are  shown 
faintly),  but  that  to  which  the  thoughtful  spirit  would  return  in  vision, 
a  desert  place,  where  the  foxes  have  holes  and  the  birds  of  the  air  have 
VOL.  II.  R 


242  PARMA. 

nests,  and  against  the  barred  twilight  of  the  melancholy  sky  are  seen 
the  mouldering  beams  and  shattered  roofing  of  a  ruined  cattle-shed,  the 
canopy  of  the  Nativity.  ^—Ruskin,  '  Modern  Painter sj  \\.  164. 

165.  Guerdno.     Virgin  and  Child  with  S.  Francis  and  S.  Chiara. 

1 66.  Lod.  Caracci.    The  Apostles  at  the  empty  tomb  of  the  Virgin. 
160.  Annibale  Caracci.     The  dead  Christ  with  saints. 

At  the  end  of  the  gallery  is  a  seated  statue  of  Maria  Louisa  as  Con- 
cord, by  Canova. 

Room  VIII.  (entered  on  right  from  the  Oval  hall)  : 

297,  303.  Gir.  Mazzola.  Portraits  of  Alessandro  Farnose  and  his 
wife. 

300.  Antonio  Moro.     A  portrait. 

312,  314,  315.     Portraits  attributed  to  Velasquez. 

Room  IX.  (hung  with  green   silk,  stamped  with  A  A  in 
honour  of  '  Antonio  Allegri '). 

369.*  Correggio.  'La  Madonna  della  Scodella.'  So  called  from 
the  dish  in  the  hand  of  the  Virgin,  being  the  arms  of  the  Scodellari,  for 
whom  the  picture  was  painted. 

'  The  dreamy  lights  in  the  mysterious  wood,  the  charming  heads, 
and  the  indescribable  beauty  of  the  whole  treatment  cause  us  to  forget 
that  this  picture  is  essentially  composed  for  the  colour,  and  is  exceed- 
ingly indistinct  in  its  motives.' — Burckhardt. 

Room  X. 

Drawings  of  Toschi  and  his  pupils  from  the  frescoes  of  Correggio. 
Here  study  the  invisible  cupolas. 

Room  XL 

351.*  Correggio.  'La  Madonna  di  San  Girolamo.'  So  called  from 
the  prominent  figure  of  S.  Jerome. 

'  The  astonishing  execution  cannot  outweigh  the  great  material  de- 
ficiencies. The  attitude  of  Jerome  is  affected  and  insecure.  Correggio 
is  never  happy  in  grand  things  :  the  child  who  beckons  to  the  angel 
turning  over  the  book,  and  plays  with  the  hair  of  the  Magdalen,  is 
inconceivably  ugly,  as  also  the  Putto  who  smells  at  the  vase  of  oint- 
ment of  the  Magdalen.  Only  the  latter  figure  is  inexpressibly  beautiful, 
and  shows,  in  the  way  she  bends  down,  the  highest  sensibility  for  a 
particular  kind  of  female  grace. ' — Burckhardt. 

Louis  XVIII.  vainly  tempted  Maria  Louisa,  in  her  sorest  poverty, 
by  the  offer  of  a  million  of  francs,  to  allow  this  picture  to  remain  in  the 
Louvre. 


V 


CAMERA   DI  S.  PAOLO.  243 

Room  XII.  (by  a  door  in  the  silk  hanging). 
f~*  Exquisite  drawings  of  Toschi,  &c.,  after  Correggio. 

Room  XIII. 

*  Cima  da  Conegliano.    Virgin  and  Child  throned  with  saints. 
361.*  Id.  Virgin  and  Child  with  S.  Michael  and 

S.  Andrew. 

362.*  Leonardo  da  Vinci.     A  most  lovely  head. 
^.    352.*  Correggio.     The  Maries  with  the  Dead  Christ. 

243.*         Id.         The  Martyrdom  of  S.  Placidus  and  S.  Flavia. 

.Holbein.     Portrait  of  Erasmus. 

*  Francia.     Virgin  and  Child  with  S.  John. 

Schidone.     Virgin  and  Child  with  S.  John. 

Room  XIV. 

371.*  Giulio  Romano,  (From  a  drawing  by  Raffaelle,  which  is  at 
the  Louvre.)  Jesus  glorified  between  the  Virgin  and  S.  J.  Baptist  : 
beneath  the  Virgin  stands  S.  Paul,  beneath  the  Baptist  S.  Catherine 
kneels  with  her  wheel. 

367.    Titian.     Head  of  Christ. 

364.  Murillo.     Job. 

378.    Van  der  Heist.     Portrait. 

Room  XV. 

Early  fourteenth-century  painting  —  not  remarkable  specimens. 

The  Library  (open  from  9  to  3,  entrance  opposite  the 
Picture  Gallery),  contains  the  valuable  Hebrew  and  Syriac 
MSS.  of  De  Rossi,  bought  by  Maria  Louisa  in  1816. 
Amongst  the  curiosities  is  the  '  Livres  d'Heures  '  of  Henri  II. 
of  France,  and  Luther's  Hebrew  Psalter,  with  his  autograph 
notes.  In  the  2nd  room  is  the  remnant  of  Correggio's  fresco 
of  the  Coronation  of  the  Virgin,  brought  hither  from  S. 
Giovanni. 

At  the  Picture  Gallery  we  can  obtain  the  keys  of  the 
famous  Camera  di  S.  Paolo  (on  the  other  side  of  the  Piazza 
Grande,  in  the  Monastery  of  S.  Ludovico).  Here,  in  1518, 
Correggio,  by  order  of  the  abbess,  Donna  Giovanna  da 
Piacenza,  painted  a  wonderful  chamber,  which  remains  in 
the  most  perfect  preservation.  Over  the  chimney-piece  is  a 
fresco  of  the  abbess  herself  as  Diana,  being,  as  it  were,  the 


244  PARMA. 

goddess  of  an  enchanted  bower,  for  from  all  the  coves  of 
the  ceiling  lovely  groups  of  cupids  are  looking  out  from  a 
mass  of  leaves  and  flowers.  Beneath  are  chiaroscuro  repre- 
sentations of  mythological  subjects. 

'  That  which  sharply  distinguished  Correggio  from  all  previous 
artists,  was  the  faculty  of  painting  a  purely  voluptuous  dream  of  beau- 
tiful beings  in  perpetual  movement,  beneath  the  laughter  of  moving 
light,  in  a  world  of  never  failing  April  hues.  When  he  attempts  to 
depart  from  the  fairyland  of  which  he  was  the  Prospero,  and  to  match 
himself  with  the  masters  of  sublime  thought  or  earnest  passion,  he 
proves  his  weakness.  But  within  his  own  magic  circle  he  reigns 
supreme,  no  other  artist  having  blended  the  witcheries  of  colouring, 
chiaroscuro,  and  faun-like  loveliness  of  form  into  a  harmony  so  perfect 
in  its  sensuous  charm.' 

'The  northern  traveller,  standing  beneath  Correggio's  master- 
works  in  Parma,  may  hear  from  each  of  those  radiant  and  laughing 
faces  what  the  young  Italian  said  to  Goethe  :  "  Perche pensa  ?  pensando 
s'  invecchia"  ' — J.  A.  Symonds. 

An  inner  chamber  has  frescoes  by  Alessandro  Araldi. 
Over  its  chimney  are  three  crescent  moons,  the  arms  of  the 
abbess. 

Through  the  Palazzo  Pilotta,  by  the  bridge  called  Potite 
Verde,  with  its  old  gate-towers,  we  may  reach  the  Palazzo 
del  Giardino,  built  originally  by  Ottavio  Farnese,  but  altered 
in  1767.  In  one  of  its  rooms  are  unfinished  frescoes  by 
Agostino  Caracci.  This  was  the  favourite  residence  of  the 
late  excellent  Duchess  Regent  of  Parma,  with  whose 
departure  the  prosperity  of  the  town  departed.  The 
gardens,  always  open,  but  little  used,  are  laid  out  with 
clipped  hedges  and  formal  tanks  of  water.  In  summer, 
birds  sing  undisturbed  all  the  day  long  amid  the  tall  trees 
in  the  park,  which  are  allowed  to  grow  as  they  will.  We 
may  return  to  the  town  by  the  neighbouring  Strada  Maestra 
di  S.  Croce,  which  contains  a  hospital  founded  by  Maria 
Louisa,  and  the  Church  of  the  Anmmziata,  in  which  are  the 
remains  of  a  fresco  of  the  Annunciation  by  Correggio,  and 
the  masterpiece  of  Francesco  Zaganellt,  a  Madonna  and 
Child  with  saints.  Belonging  to  this  picture,  but  separated 
from  it  (in  the  choir),  are  interesting  portraits  of  Rolando 


CANOSSA.  245 

Pallavicini,  his  wife  Domicilla,  and  their  daughter.  We 
cross  the  Parma  torrent  by  the  bridge  called  Ponte  del 
Mezzo,  which  has  a  chapel  built  by  Pier  Luigi  Farnese  to 
S.  John  Nepomuk  in  1517.  Higher  up  the  river  we  see  the 
Ponte  di  Caprazucca,  built  1280,  and  restored  in  the  fifteenth 
century.  The  other  churches  of  Parma  are  of  little  interest. 
Several  of  them  contain  pictures  by  Girolamo  and  Ales- 
sandro  Mazzola. 


Parma  is  the  best  point  from  whence  to  make  the  very 
important  excursion  to  the  fortress  of  the  Countess  Matilda 
at  Canossa,  where  the  Emperor  Henry  IV.  performed  his 
famous  penance.  Canossa  is  distant  18  Italian  miles  from 
Parma,  and  15  from  Reggio.  The  station  of  S.  Ilario  is 
a  few  miles  nearer,  but  there  are  no  carriages  there.  A 
carriage  from  Parma  to  Seano,  the  nearest  practicable  point, 
costs  20  frs.  Very  little,  however,  is  remembered  about 
Canossa  in  any  of  the  neighbouring  towns.  The  writer 
found  it  necessary  to  send  to  the  University  to  find  out 
where  it  was,  and  then  the  answer  was  that  the  professors 
knew  nothing  about  it,  unless  it  was  the  same  as  '  II 
Castello  di  Donna  Matilda.' 

The  road  lies  through  a  dull  plain,  and,  after  crossing  the 
wide,  stony  bed  of  the  Enza,  by  a  long  bridge,  ascends  by 
the  side  of  the  torrent  from  S.  Ilario  to  Montecchino,  where 
Attendolo  Sforza  was  born.  Hence,  it  passes  through 
S.  Polo  to  the  foot  of  the  Apennines,  on  which  several 
castles  may  be  distinguished,  the  most  conspicuous  being 
that  of  Rossena,  a  castle  whose  aspect  would  delight  Robert 
Browning,  who  says: — 

'  What  I  love  best  in  all  the  world 
Is  a  castle,  precipice  encurl'd, 
In  a  gash  of  the  wind-grieved  Apennine. ' 

At  Seano  it  is  best  to  take  a  guide  for  the  day  (4  frs.), 
otherwise  it  will  be  impossible  to  find  the  way.  The  savage 
ascent  begins  immediately  behind  the  village,  grassless,  tree- 


246 


PARMA. 


less,  even  weedless.  There  is  no  path  whatever,  and  only 
sometimes  something  which  passes  for  it  in  the  furrows  riven 
by  the  melted  snow.  At  the  end  of  April  there  were  great 
patches  of  snow  itself,  apparently  level,  but  into  which 
one  sank  knee-deep  in  crossing  the  hollows.  At  the 
top  of  the  first  ascent,  rising  from  blackened  excoriated 
rocks,  is  the  fortress  of  Rossena,  with  a  solitary  tower 
known  as  Castel  d'  Asso,  on  a  second  eminence,  and  a  little 
village  nestling  between  the  two,  in  the  dreariest  position 
that  can  be  imagined — an  eternal  winter,  with  scarcely  a 
blade  of  vegetation  to  look  upon.  From  the  battlements  of 


View  from  Canossa. 

the  tower  the  beautiful  Everelina  threw  herself  to  escape  the 
love  of  its  lord.  Further  on,  the  country  becomes  wilder 
still.  Beyond  the  range  on  which  we  stand,  rise  a  forest  of 
snowy  Apennine  peaks,  but  they  look  cheerful  by  comparison 
with  the  nearer  hills,  which  are  riven  and  furrowed  by  vol- 
canic action  like  those  near  Radicofani,  every  inch  of  the 
ground  being  twisted  and  tossed  and  contorted  into  the 
most  hideous  chaos  of  crevasses,  a  Mer  de  Glace  repeated 
in  all  the  frightfulness  of  hardened  brown  mud.  We  wind 
along  a  ridge,  looking  down  an  avenue  of  ghastly  abysses, 
in  which  foxes  are  the  sole  inhabitants.  Where  the  valley 
opens,  we  see  the  stony  bed  of  the  Enza,  and  across  the 


CANOSSA. 


247 


hills  on  the  other  side  of  it,  the  white  line  of  the  Po.  On 
the  further  side  of  the  mud  valley  of  desolation  is  a  dis- 
torted hill  apparently  of  stronger  material  than  the  rest, 
supporting  some  solid  buttresses  of  rock,  and  from  these, 
looking  like  rocks  themselves,  from  the  equality  with  which 
Time  has  bestowed  her  colouring  upon  both,  rise  some 
shapeless  fragments  of  broken  castle  walls.  This  is  Canossa 
— alba  Canossa. 

It  is  a  most  impregnable-looking  place.     No  road  can 


Gate  of  the  Penance,  Canossa. 

ever  have  approached  it.  It  must  always  have  had  its 
present  hideous  aspect,  as  if  utterly  abandoned  by  Nature. 
At  first  the  rock  walls  seem  utterly  to  cut  it  off  from  all 
human  access,  no  path  is  apparently  possible,  and  its  plat- 
form appears  to  be  without  an  entrance.  But,  on  coming 
close,  a  thread-like  way  discovers  itself  where  a  single  per- 
soa  can  but  just  pass,  the  only  way  which  ever  existed  here, 
and  which  struggles  up  through  the  great  grey  stones  and  the 
withered  brambles,  till,  close  to  the  top,  it  widens  a  little 


248  PARMA. 

where  the  castle  well,  the  least  ruined  thing  in  this  chaotic 
overthrow,  still  pierces  the  ground  under  a  stone  mouth, 
and  where  an  arched  gate  remains  in  the  mouldering  and 
broken  wall.  It  is  the  gate  where  the  great  Emperor  sate 
shivering,  fasting,  and  wailing  for  three  days  and  nights. 

'  It  was  towards  the  end  of  January.  The  earth  was  covered  with 
snow,  and  the  mountain  streams  were  arrested  by  the  keen  frost  of  the 
Apennines,  when,  clad  in  the  thin  penitential  garment  of  white  linen, 
and  bare  of  foot,  Henry,  the  descendant  of  so  many  kings,  and  the 
ruler  of  so  many  nations,  ascended  slowly  and  alone  the  rocky  path 
which  led  to  the  outer  gate  of  the  fortress  of  Canossa.  With  strange 
emotions  of  pity,  of  wonder,  and  of  scorn,  the  assembled  crowd  gazed 
on  his  majestic  form  and  noble  features,  as  passing  through  the  first 
and  second  gateway,  he  stood  in  the  posture  of  humiliation  before  the 
third,  which  remained  inexorably  closed  against  his  further  progress. 
The  rising  sun  found  him  there  fasting  ;  and  there  the  setting  sun  left 
him  stiff  with  cold,  faint  with  hunger,  and  devoured  by  shame  and  ill- 
suppressed  resentment.  A  second  day  dawned,  and  wore  tardily  away, 
and  closed,  in  a  continuance  of  the  same  indignities  poured  out  on 
Europe  at  large  in  the  person  of  her  chief,  by  the  Vicar  of  the  meek, 
the  lowly,  and  compassionate  Redeemer.  A  third  day  came,  and  still 
irreverently  trampling  on  the  hereditary  lord  of  the  fairer  half  of  the 
civilised  world,  Hildebrand  once  more  compelled  him  to  prolong  till 
nightfall  this  profane  and  hollow  parody  on  the  real  workings  of  the 
broken  and  contrite  heart. 

'  Nor  was  he  unwarned  of  the  activity  and  the  strength  of  the  indigna- 
tion aroused  by  this  protracted  outrage  on  every  natural  sentiment,  and 
every  honest  principle,  of  mankind.  Lamentations  and  reproaches 
rang  through  the  castle  of  Canossa.  Murmurs  from  Henry's  inveterate 
enemies  and  his  own  zealous  adherents,  upbraided  Gregory  as  exhibiting 
rather  the  cruelty  of  a  tyrant,  than  the  rigour  of  an  apostle.  But  the 
endurance  of  the  sufferer  was  the  only  measure  of  the  inflexibility  of 
the  tormentor  ;  nor  was  it  till  the  unhappy  monarch  had  burst  away 
from  the  scene  of  his  mental  and  bodily  anguish,  and  sought  shelter  in 
a  neighbouring  convent,  that  the  Pope,  yielding  at  length  to  the  instances 
of  Matilda,  would  admit  the  degraded  suppliant  into  his  presence.  It 
was  the  fourth  day  on  which  he  had  borne  the  humiliating  garb  of  a 
penitent,  and  in  that  sordid  raiment  he  drew  near  on  his  bare  feet  to 
the  more  than  imperial  Majesty  of  the  Church,  and  prostrated  himself, 
in  moie  than  servile  deference,  before  the  diminutive  and  emaciated  old 
man,  "  from  the  terrible  glance  of  whose  countenance,"  we  are  told, 
"  the  eye  of  every  beholder  recoiled  as  from  the  lightning. "  Hunger, 
cold,  nakedness,  and  shame,  had,  for  the  moment,  crushed  the  gallant 
spirit  of  the  sufferer.  He  wept  and  cried  for  mercy,  again  and  again 


CANOSSA.  249 

renewing  his  entreaties,  until  he  had  reached  the  lowest  level  of  abase- 
ment to  which  his  over-enfeebled  heart,  or  the  haughtiness  of  his  great 
antagonist  could  depress  him.  Then,  and  not  till  then,  did  the  Pope 
condescend  to  revoke  the  anathema  of  the  Vatican. ' — Sir  jf.  Stephens. 

Canossa  is  an  extraordinary  place  and  well  worth  the 
great  trouble  of  getting  there,  for  in  summer  the  heat  on  the 
arid  rocks  must  be  quite  as  trying  as  the  struggle  through 
the  snow  in  winter.  There  is  no  beauty  in  the  castle,  but 
the  view  is  full  of  interest. 

'  Reggio  lies  at  our  feet,  shut  in  between  the  crests  of  Monte  Car- 
boniano  and  Monte  delle  Celle.  Beyond  Reggio  stretches  Lombardy 
• — the  fairest  and  most  memorable  battle-field  of  nations,  the  richest 
and  most  highly  cultivated  garden  of  civilised  industry.  Nearly  all  the 
Lombard  cities  may  be  seen,  some  of  them  faint  like  bluish  films  of 
vapour,  some  clear  with  dome  and  spire.  There  is  Modena  and  her 
Ghirlandina.  Carpi,  Parma,  Mirandola,  Verona,  Mantua,  alike  well 
defined  and  russet  on  the  flat  green  map  ;  and  there  flashes  a  bend  of  the 
lordly  Po ;  and  there  the  Euganeans  rise  like  islands,  telling  us  where 
Padua  and  Ferrara  nestle  in  the  amethystine  haze.  Beyond  and  above 
all  to  the  northward  sweep  the  Alps,  tossing  their  silvery  crests  up 
into  the  cloudless  sky  from  the  violet  mist  that  girds  their  flanks  and 
drowns  their  basements.  Monte  Adamello  and  the  Ortler,  the  cleft 
of  the  Brenner,  and  the  sharp  peaks  of  the  Venetian  Alps  are  all  dis- 
tinctly visible.  An  eagle  flying  straight  from  our  eyrie  might  traverse 
Lombardy  and  light  among  the  snow-fields  of  the  Valtelline  between 
sunrise  and  sundown.  Nor  is  the  prospect  tame  to  southward.  Here 
the  Apennines  roll,  billow  above  billow,  in  majestic  desolation,  soaring 
to  snow  summits  in  the  Pellegrino  region.  As  our  eye  attempts  to 
thread  that  labyrinth  of  hill  and  vale,  we  tell  ourselves  that  those  roads 
wind  to  Tuscany,  and  yonder  stretches  Garfagnana,  where  Ariosto 
lived  and  mused  in  honourable  exile  from  the  world  he  loved.'  — 
jf.  A.  Symonds. 


REGGIO  AND  MODENA. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

REGGIO  AND  MODENA. 

IT  is  if  hr.  by  quick  train  (5  frs.  85  c.;  4  frs.  15  c.)  from 
Parma  to  Modena.     The  country  is  exceedingly  rich 
and  luxuriant. 

'  Here,  they  twine  the  vines  around  trees,  and  let  them  trail  along 
the  hedges  ;  and  the  vineyards  are  full  of  trees,  regularly  planted  for 
this  purpose,  each  with  its  own  vine  twining  and  clustering  around  it. 
Their  leaves  in  autumn  a-e  of  the  brightest  gold  and  deepest  red,  and 
never  was  there  anything  so  enchantingly  graceful  and  full  of  beauty. 
Through  miles  of  these  delightful  forms  and  colours,  the  road  winds  its 
way.  The  wild  festoons;  the  elegant  wreaths,  and  crowns,  and  gar- 
lands of  all  shapes ;  the  fairy  nets  flung  over  the  great  trees,  and  making 
them  prisoners  in  sport ;  the  tumbled  heaps  and  mounds  of  exquisite 
shapes  upon  the  ground ;  how  rich  and  beautiful  they  are  !  And  every 
now  and  then,  a  long,  long  line  of  trees,  will  be  all  bound  and  garlanded 
together  :  as  if  they  had  taken  hold  of  one  another,  and  were  coming 
dancing  down  the  field !  ' — Dickens. 

Half  an  hour  takes  us  from  Parma  to  Reggio  (Inn,  La 
Postd),  occupying  the  site  of  the  ancient  Regium  Lepidum. 
In  the  twelfth  century  it  was  a  Republic  under  the  Visconti 
and  Gonzaga,  but  in  1409,  under  Niccolo  d'  Este,  was 
united  to  Modena.  Ariosto  was  born  here  in  1474. 

Reggio  is  not  worth  lingering  at.  The  town  is  dull  and 
uniform,  and,  like  Parma,  is  divided  into  two  parts  by  the 
Via  Emilia,  In  the  centre  is  the  Cathedral,  of  the  fifteenth 
century.  At  the  entrance  are  recumbent  statues  of  Adam 
and  Eve  by  the  native  artist  Prospero  dementi,  1561.  In 
the  interior : 

Left,  1st  Chapel.  Tomb  of  P.  Clementi  with  his  bust,  by  his  pupil 
Piicchione. 


REGGIO,    GUASTALLA.  251 

Ckapcl  left  of  Choir.     Tomb  of  a  Bishop,  by  Bartol.  Statins,  1508. 

Choir.  SS.  Prospero,  Maximus,  and  Catherine,  by  P.  dementi; 
also  a  bronze  group  of  Christ  Triumphant  at  the  high  altar. 

Chapel  right  of  Choir.  Tomb  of  Bishop  Ugo  Rangoni,  1562,  by 
P.  dementi. 

Westward  from  the  Cathedral  is  the  Church  of  La  Ma- 
donna della  Ghiaja,  a  Greek  cross,  with  five  cupolas,  designed 
by  Balbi  in  1597.  The  interior  is  covered  with  frescoes 
(1620-1640)  by  the  inferior  artists  of  the  Bolognese  school, 
who  had  studied  under  the  Caracci, — Lionello  Spada,  Ttarini, 
Luca  Ferrari  of  Reggio,  £c.  West  from  this,  is  the  Church 
of  S.  Prospero,  in  front  of  which  stand  six  marble  lions, 
once  the  supports  of  its  Lombard  portico.  In  the  interior 
are  frescoes  by  Campi,  Tiarini,  Procaccini,  &c.  The  famous 
'  Notte  '  of  Correggio,  now  at  Dresden,  was  painted  for  one 
of  the  chapels  of  this  church, 

(About  20  m.  from  Reggio  on  the  road  to  Mantua  is 
Guastalla,  a  small  unimportant  cathedral  town.  It  was  a 
Countship  of  the  Torelli  from  1406  to  1509,  and  afterwards 
belonged  to  the  Gonzagas.  With  Parma  and  Piacenza  it 
formed  the  sovereignty  of  Maria  Louisa.  In  the  piazza  is  a 
bronze  statue  of  Ferrante  Gonzaga  I.  by  Leone  Leoni.) 

Half  an  hour  more  of  railway  brings  us  to  Modena. 

(Inns.  Albergo  Reale,  Corso  Canale  Grande ;  S.  Marco,  Corso  di 
Via  Emilia ;  Leopardo. 

Carriages,  the  course,  70  c.,  night,  I  fr. ;  with  2  horses,  90  c. ,  night, 

1  fr.  20  c.;  I  hour,  I  fr.  10  c.,  night,  I  fr  40  c. ;  with  2  horses,  I  fr. 
70  c.,  night,  2  fr.;  each  succeeding  \  hour,  with  i  horse,  50  c.,  with 

2  horses,  80  c. 

Omnibus,  20  c.,  each  box  20  c.,  each  bag  10  c. 
Post-office,  between  the  University  and  the  Porta  Bologna.) 
Modena,    the   ancient    Mutina,    called    by   Cicero    '  firmissima   et 

splendidissima  colonia,'  was  the  earliest  Roman  colony  in  these  parts. 

Like  Parma  it  was  celebrated  for  its  wool — 

'  Sutor  cerdo  dedit  tibi,  culta  Bononia,  munus ; 
Fullo  dedit  Mutinae.' — Martial,  iii.  Ep.  59. 

In  the  time  of  S.  Ambrose  the  town  was  so  reduced,  as  to  be  described 
by  him  as  only  the  corpse  of  a  city.  In  the  Middle  Ages,  it  again 


252  REGGIO  AND  MODENA. 

flourished,  though  constantly  the  scene  of  conflicts  between  the  Guelfs 
and  Ghibellines.  Obizzo  d'  Este  obtained  the  chief  power  in  1288,  and 
bequeathed  it  to  his  descendants.  In  1452  Bono  d'  Este  was  created 
Duke  of  Modena  by  the  Emperor  Frederick  III.,  and  to  this,  the 
Dukedom  of  Ferrara  was  added  by  Pope  Paul  II.,  Duke  Hercules  I. 
(1471-1505)  and  his  son  Alfonso  I.  (husband  of  Lucrezia  Borgia)  weie 
the  patrons  of  Ariosto.  Alfonso  II.  (1558-1597)  was  the  patron  cele- 
brated by  Tasso  — 

'  Tu,  magnanimo  Alfonso,  il  qual  ritogli 
Al  furor  di  fortuna,  e  guidi  in  porto 
Me  peregrino  errante,  e  fra  gli  scogli, 
E  fra  1'  onde  agitato,  e  quasi  assorto ; 
Queste  mie  carte  in  lieta  fronte  accogli, 
Che  quasi  in  voto  a  te  sacrate  i'  porto.' 

Cerus.  Lib.  i.  4. 

On  the  death  of  this  Duke,  without  children,  his  dominions  of 
Reggio  and  Modena  passed  to  his  connection  Cesare  d'  Este  (natural 
grandson  of  Alfonso  I.),  but  he  was  expelled  from  Ferrara  by  Pope 
Clement  VII.  The  wife  of  Cesare  was  Virginia  de'  Medici,  daughter 
of  the  Grand-Duke  Cosimo  I.,  by  his  second  marriage  with  Camilla 
de'  Martelli.  He  was  succeeded  in  1628  by  his  son  Alfonso  III.,  who, 
after  the  death  of  his  wife  Isabella  of  Savoy,  was  so  heart-broken  that 
he  retired  into  a  Capuchin  convent  in  the  Tyrol,  leaving  his  dominions 
to  his  son  Francesco  III.  In  the  reign  of  this  prince  the  historian 
Muratori  (ob.  1794)  lived  at  Modena  as  ducal  Librarian.  Hercules  III., 
who  died  at  Treviso  in  1803,  was  the  last  sovereign  of  the  house  of 
Este,  and  lost  his  dominions  at  the  Peace  of  Luneville.  His  pretensions 
were  transferred  to  the  Archduke  Ferdinand  (third  son  of  the  Emperor 
of  Austria),  who  had  married  his  only  daughter  Beatrix,  and  who  died 
in  1846.  His  son  was  Francesco  IV.,  who,  when  driven  out  of  his 
country,  fled  to  Vienna  and  was  restored  by  the  aid  of  Austrian  troops. 
The  government  came  to  an  end,  in  1859,  under  his  successor 
Francesco  V.,  when  the  country  proclaimed  Victor  Emmanuel  its  ruler. 

For  a  description  of  the  situation  of  Modena,  we  may 
read  the  lines  of  Alessandro  Tassoni,  who  was  born  here 
Sept.  28,  1565. 

'  Modana  siede  in  una  gran  pianura, 

Che  da  la  parte  d'  austro  e  d'  occidente 

Cerchia  di  baize  e  di  scoscese  mura 

Del  selvoso  Apennin  la  schiena  algente ; 

Apennin  ch'  ivi  tanto  a  1'  aria  pura 

S'  alza  a  veder  nel  mare  il  sol  cadente, 

Che  sulla  fronte  sua  cinta  di  gelo 

Par  che  s'  incurvi  e  che  riposi  il  cielo. 


CATHEDRAL   OF  MODENA. 


253 


Da  1'  oriente  ha  le  fiorite  sponde 
Del  bel  Panaro  e  le  sue  limpid'  acque ; 
Bologna  incontro ;  e  a  la  sinistra,  1'  onde 
Dove  il  Pglio  del  Sol  gia  morto  giacque  : 
Secchia  ha  da  1'  aquilon,  che  si  confonde 
Ne'  giri  che  mutar  sempre  le  piacque  ; 
Divora  i  liti,  e  d'  infeconde  arene 
Semina  i  prati  e  le  campagne  amene. ' 

La  Secchia  Rapita,  I.  8,  9. 

The  town,  which  is  well  built,  is  divided  by  the  Via  Emilia. 
Almost  in  the  centre  (close  to  the  Hotels)  is  the  Cathedral, 


Lions  of  Modena. 

which  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  picturesque  build- 
ings of  its  time.  It  was  begun  in  1099  by  the  desire  of  the 
Countess  Matilda  of  Tuscany,  from  the  designs  of  one  Lan- 
francus,  who  is  described  by  an  inscription  in  the  choir,  as — 
'  ingenio  clarus,  doctus  et  aptus,  operis  princeps  et  rector.' 
In  1108  the  church  was  sufficiently  advanced  for  the  body 
of  S.  Geminianus,  the  patron  saint  of  Modena,  to  be  deposited 
there.  In  1184  it  was  consecrated  in  the  presence  of  Pope 
Lucius  III. 


254  REGGIO  AND  MO  DEN  A. 

The  west  front  has  a  grand  porch  of  two  stories  high  (the 
upper  story  containing  a  tomb),  with  pillars  resting  on  the 
backs  of  the  colossal  lions  which  were  frequently  used,  being 
intended  to  typify  the  strength  and  watchfulness  of  the 
Church,  but  which  here  are  perfectly  stupendous  in  their 
calm  magnitude.  The  reliefs  upon  the  walls  are  exceedingly 
curious,  and  are  perhaps  the  oldest  pieces  of  sculpture  in 
Northern  Italy. 

'  The  reliefs  on  the  fa9ide  are  divided  into  four  groups  ;  the  style  is 
genuinely  Romanesque,  similar  to  German  works  of  the  same  period, 
and  without  any  touch  of  Byzantine  influence.  The  three  first  divisions 
depict  the  history  of  the  Creation  up  to  Cain's  murder  of  his  brother. 
We  see  throughout  how  the  effort  after  lively  expression  struggles  with 
the  unskilfulness  of  the  chisel.  Wonderful,  for  instance,  are  the  kneel- 
ing angels,  who  are  supporting  the  Creator.  Equally  curious  is  the 
action  of  Adam,  who,  in  his  creation,  is  in  the  act  of  prostrating  himself 
before  the  Lord.  In  the  Fall  of  Man,  they  are  standing  one  behind  the 
other;  Eve  is  looking  round  towards  Adam,  who,  unconcerned,  is 
biting  the  apple.  In  the  next  scene,  where  God  is  reproving  the  two 
sinners,  the  expression  of  embarrassment  in  Eve's  countenance  becomes 
a  broad  grin.  In  the  Expulsion  from  Paradise  they  are  advancing  sadly 
behind  one  another,  covering  themselves  w  ith  fig-leaves,  while  the  left 
hand  support!  the  head  with  an  expression  of  intense  grief. .  The 
influence  of  northern  legends  is  evidenced  in  the  fourth  relief  group, 
which  represents  the  history  and  death  of  King  Artus.  In  the  principal 
portal  the  inner  part  of  the  side-posts  contains,  likewise,  in  strict 
Romanesque  style,  the  figures  in  relief  of  the  Prophets.  The  ornament, 
which  is  full  of  spirit  and  beauty,  contrasts  strikingly  with  the  simple 
and  awkward  style  of  the  human  figures.  Splendid  branch-work  covers 
the  pilasters,  interspersed  with  small  figures  of  animals  and  fantastic 
creatures,  sirens,  lions,  and  dragons,  all  full  of  sparkling  life,  and 
excellently  finished.  Still  more  excellent  are  the  arabesques  on  the 
main  portal  of  the  south  side,  while  the  figures  of  the  apostles  on  the 
side-posts  and  the  six  small  scenes  on  the  architrave,  though  full  of 
life,  are  just  as  primitive  as  the  work  of  the  facade. ' — Liibke, 

The  west  front  is  hemmed  in  by  houses  on  each  side. 
From  under  an  archway  on  the  right,  we  enter  the  pictur- 
esque Piazza  Grande,  crowded  with  stalls  of  fruit,  which  the 
market-women  hold  under  matted  roofs  like  sheds.  Upon 
this  busy  scene  looks  down  the  south  front  of  the  cathedral, 
with  a  porch  of  red  marble,  resting  on  grand  lions.  Beyond 


CATHEDRAL   OF  MO  DEN  A.  255 

this  is  an  open-air  pulpit,  decorated  with  the  emblems  of  the 
Evangelists.  The  sculptured  frieze  round  the  smaller  door 
on  this  side,  is  wonderfully  beautiful  and  delicate. 

The  noble  tower,  315  ft.  high,  is  only  connected  with  the 
church  by  a  cloistered  walk.  It  is  called  La  Ghirlandina, 
from  the  sculpture  which  encircles  it  like  a  garland,  and  it 
is  always  regarded  as  one  of  the  four  great  towers  of 
Northern  Italy.  It  was  partially  finished  in  1224  and  com- 
pleted in  1319.  In  the  tower  is  preserved  the  famous 
bucket  '  La  Secchia  Rapita '  which  was  carried  off  by  the 
Modenese  (the  '  Geminiani,'  from  their  saint)  from  a 
fountain  at  Bologna,  to  the  great  discomfiture  of  the  '  Pe- 
troniani '  or  protected  of  S.  Petronio. 

'  Quivi  Manfredi  in  su  1'  altar  maggiore 
Pose  la  Secchia  con  divozione  ; 
E  poi  ch'  egli,  ed  il  clero,  e  Monsignore 
Fecero  al  santo  lunga  orazione, 
Fu  levata  la  noUe  a  le  tre  ore, 
E  dentro  ur,a  cassetta  di  cotone 
Nella  torre  maggior  fu  riserrata, 
Dove  si  trova  ancor  vecchia  e  tarlata.' 

Tassoni,  i.  63. 

'  Ma  la  Secchia  fu  subito  portata 
Nella  torre  maggior,  dove  ancor  stassi 
In  alto  per  trofeo  posta,  e  legata 
Con  una  gran  catena  a  curvi  sassi. 
S'  entra  per  cinque  porte  ov'  e  guardata  ; 
E  non  e  cavalier,  che  di  la  passi, 
Ne  pellegrin  di  conto,  il  qual  non  voglia 
Veder  si  degna  e  gloriosa  spoglia.' 

Tassoni,  3rd  ed.  1625. 

In  the  Piazzetta  at  the  foot  of  the  tower  is  a  statue  of  the 
poet  Tassoni  (1565 — 1635)  erected  in  1860. 

The  Interior  of  the  cathedral  is  very  stately  in  effect. 

'  A  grand  crypt  with  arches  on  slender  shafts  occupies  the  whole 
space  under  the  eastern  part  of  the  church.  The  access  to  the  choir 
from  the  nave  is  by  stairs  against  the  side  walls  in  the  same  position  as 
at  San  Zenone,  Verona.  Here  the  stairs  and  their  hand-rails  are  not 
later  than  the  thirteenth  century,  and  the  choir  is  divided  from  the  aisles 
by  screens  of  the  same  age  ;  solid  below,  and  with  a  continuous  cornice 


256  REGGIO  AND  MODENA. 

carried  on  coupled  shafts  above.  The  cathedral  is  said  to  have  been 
founded  in  1099,  but  an  inscription  on  the  south  wall  gives  the  date  of 
the  consecration  of  the  building  by  Pope  Lucius  III.,  in  July  1184.  I 
believe  that  the  former  date  represents  the  age  of  the  plan,  and  of  most 
of  the  interior  columns  and  arches  still  remaining,  but  that  before  the 
later  date  the  whole  exterior  of  the  cathedral  had  been  modified,  and 
the  groining  added  inside.  The  work  of  both  periods  is  extremely  good 
and  characteristic.  The  columns  of  the  nave  are  alternately  great  piers 
and  smaller  circular  columns  of  red  marble  ;  the  great  piers  carry  cross 
arches  between  the  groining  bays,  and  each  of  these  in  the  nave  is 
equal  to  two  in  the  aisles.  The  capitals  here  are  very  close  imitations 
of  classical  work,  with  the  abaci  frequently  concave  on  plan.  The  main 
arches  and  the  triforium  openings  of  three  lights  above  them  are  seen 
both  in  the  nave  and  aisles,  the  vaulting  of  the  latter  being  unusually 
raised.  There  is  also  a  plain  clerestory,  and  the  vaults  are  now  every- 
where quadripartite.  The  outside  elevation  of  the  side  walls  is  very  in- 
teresting. Here  we  seem  to  have  the  old  aisle  wall  with  its  eaves-arcade 
added  to  and  raised  in  the  twelfth  century,  and  adorned  with  a  fine  deep 
arcade  in  each  bay,  enclosed  under  round  arches,  which  are  carried  on 
half  columns  in  front  of  the  buttresses  or  pilasters.' — G.  E.  Street. 

The  pictures  are  not  generally  of  great  importance  : — 

Left,  2nd  Chapel.     A  curious  terra-cotta  Altar  of  the  I5th  century. 

yd  Chapel.  A  Gothic  Altar-piece,  with  one  of  the  earliest  specimens 
of  Modenese  art,  a  Coronation  of  the  Virgin,  &c.,  by  Seraphinus  de 
Scraphinis,  1385. 

\irth  Chapel.  Dosso  Dossi,  1536,  one  of  the  best  works  of  the 
master.  A  Madonna  in  the  clouds  with  SS.  Antony  and  Pellegrino, 
and  SS.  J.  Baptist,  Sebastian,  and  Jerome  below.  Opposite  is  a  beau- 
tiful Gothic  pulpit  by  Tommaso  Ferri,  or  Tommaso  da  Modena,  1322. 

In  a  Niche.     Ant.  Begarelli,  1521.     The  Nativity. 

At  the  end  ~of  the  aisle,  on  right,  a  richly-sculptured  Holy- water 
Bason. 

Left  of  the  Choir.  Tomb  of  Claudio  Rangoni,  Count  of  Castelvetro, 
°b-  I537-  He  married  Lucretia,  daughter  of  the  famous  Pico  clella 
Mirandola.  The  tomb  was  designed  by  Giulio  Romano,  as  was  that  of 
Lucia  Rusca  Rangoni,  mother  of  Claudio.  Here  also  is  the  tomb  of 
Francesco  Molza  the  Poet,  and  (in  a  chapel)  that  (by  Pisari)  of  Ercole 
Rinaldo,  last  Duke  of  the  House  of  Este,  who  was  deprived  of  his 
dominions  by  the  French,  ob.  1803.  His  only  child  Mary  Beatrix 
married  the  Archduke  Ferdinand  of  Austria,  and  was  the  grandmother 
of  Francesco  V.,  Duke  of  Modena. 

The  immense  Crypt  extends  under  the  whole  of  the  transepts  and  the 
three  tribunes.  S.  Geminiano  reposes  here.  Near  the  altar  is  a  very 
curious  coloured  terra-cotta  group  of  the  Adoration  of  the  Infant  Saviour 
by  Mazzoni.  At  the  entrances  are  four  grotesque  lions. 


PINACOTECA    OF  MO  DEN  A.  257 

If  we  take  the  cathedral  as  a  centre  for  exploring  the  town, 
we  may  follow  the  Contrada  della  Torre  to  the  Piazza  Reale, 
where  stands  the  vast  and  handsome  Palazzo  Ducale,  built 
by  Bart.  Avanzini  for  Duke  Francesco  I.  in  1534.  Since 
the  revolution  by  which  Modena  degraded  itself  from  the 
rank  of  a  capital  to  that  of  a  third-rate  provincial  town,  this 
abode  of  its  former  princes  has  in  part  been  used  as  a  mili- 
tary school.  On  the  further  side,  however,  it  retains  its  — 

Picture  Gallery  (~jitnn~>  N  .   i|,  C.iji.1  C'lvrm 


from  9  to  3  The  catalogue  is  useless  and  the  names  are 
under  the  pictures).  There  are  very  few  important  pictures 
—  the  great  names  given  being  frequently  false.  We  may 
notice  :  — 

2nd  Hall  : 
ENTRANCE  WALL  : 

30.  Baldavinettil  (1425-1499).     Madonna. 

Bernabo  da  Modena,  1370.     Madonna  and  Crucifixion. 

LEFT  WALL  : 

36.  Francesco  Francia.     Annunciation. 

37.  Luigi  Angussola  da  Cremona,  1512.     Baptism  of  Christ. 

WALL  OF  EXIT  : 

39.  F.  Francia.     Assumption. 

42.  Lorenzo  Bicci,  1400-1460.     Madonna  and  Child. 

43.  Filippo  Lippi.     Madonna  and  Child  with  S.  John. 

44.  Antonio  Veneziano  (1309-1383).     Annunciation. 

46.  Bart.  Bonasia  da  Modena,  1485.  Christ  in  the  tomb  between 
the  Virgin  and  S.  John  the  Evangelist.  '  Interesting  from 
its  powerful  colouring."  It  is  signed  '  Hoc  opus  pinxit  Bar- 
tolomeus  de  Bonasciis.' 

50.  Francesco  Caroto,  1501.  Madonna  sewing  a  little  shirt.  There 
is  a  background  of  lemon-trees.  The  Infant  Saviour  pulls 
at  the  veil  of  the  Madonna. 

RIGHT  WALL  : 

52.  Spinello  A  retina  (1308-1389).     Marriage  of  a  Knight. 

yd  Hall  : 
On  the  ceiling  is  a  medallion  of  the  Rape  of  Ganymede,  on  linen, 

by  Correggio,  transported  by  the  Duke  of  Modena  from  the 

Gonzaga  castle  of  Novellara. 
VOL.  II.  S 


258  REGGIO  AND   MODENA. 

66,  67,  71,  78,  83,  89,  94,  95  to  100.     Niccolo  Abbateda  Modena. 

A  series  of  scenes  from  the  Aeneid,  brought  from  the  Bojardi 

castle  of  Scandiano,  together  with  several  landscapes  by  the 

same  master. 

M*        66.   Correggio.     Cheuib^om_a--€ciHng"atwifc»vellara. 

107.  Niccolo  Abbate.  Eight  medallions  from  Scandiano,  represent- 
ing Count  Matteo  Maria  Boiardo  with  figures  singing  and 
playing. 

4th  Hall  (Venetian  School)  : 

On  the  ceiling  —five  scenes  from  Ovid  by  Tintoret. 
ENTRANCE  WALL  : 

117.  Titian.  'La  Moretta,'  a  portrait  of  a  woman  with  a  Moor- 
ish boy. 

113.   Paul  Veronese.     A  Warrior. 

LEFT  WALL  : 

125.  Paris  Bordone.  The  Coming  of  the  Magi. 

127.    Gio.  Bellini.  (?)  Madonna  and  S.  Sebastian. 

129.   Palma  Vecchio.  Holy  Family. 

RIGHT  WALL  : 
i    *I4I.  Bonifazio.     The  Adoration  of  the  Magi  —  a  grand  and  beau- 

tiful picture. 

143.  Cima  da  Conegliano.  The  Deposition  from  the  Cross,  '  exe- 
cuted for  Alberto  Pio  of  Carpi,  a  well-known  admirer  of  the 
works  of  Cima.'  —  Crowe.  The  deep  woe  in  the  face  of 
the  Madonna,  who  has  fainted,  is  very  striking. 


ENTRANCE  WALL  : 

149.   Guido  Rent.    The  Crucifixion  —  a  poor  specimen  of  the  master. 
WALL  OF  EXIT  : 

164.  Lod.  Caracci.     Assumption. 

6th  Hall  (School  of  Ferrara)  : 
ENTRANCE  WALL  : 

172.   Garofalo.     The  Crucifixion. 

176.  Dosso  Dossi  (1480-1560).     The  Nativity. 

178.  Id.     Hercules  II.,  Duke  of  Ferrara. 

WINDOW  WALL  : 

189.  Garofalo.     Madonna  with  S.  Contardo  d'  Este,  the  Baptist, 

and  S.  Lucia. 

190.  Id.     Madonna  and  Saints. 


PINACOTECA    OF  FERRARA.  259 

*igi.  Dosso  Dossi.     Alfonso  I.,  Duke  of  Ferrara — a  magnificent 
portrait. 

WALL  OF  EXIT  : 

192.  Girolamo  Carpi.     AKonso  II.,  Duke  of  Ferrara. 

193.  Dosso  Dossi.     A  laughing  figure — grand  in  colour. 

1th  Hall  (Bolognese  School)  : 

ENTRANCE  WALL  : 

205.  Mich.  Ang.  Caravaggio.     Drinking  Soldier. 

LEFT  WALL  : 
207.    Guercino.     Amnon  and  Tamar. 

206.  Id.     Venus  and  Mars. 
210.   Francesco  Albani.     Aurora. 

239.  Lod.  Lana  da  Modena  (1579-1646).     Clorinda  and  Tancred. 

WINDOW  WALL  : 
218.    Guercino.     Portrait  of  Cardinal  Mazarin. 

Zth  Hall : 
LEFT  WALL  : 
251.  Paul  Potter.     A  Peasant's  Cottage. 

gth  Hall : 
WTALL  OF  ENTRANCE  : 

298.  Bern.  Luini.  (?)     The  Saviour. 

297.  Falsely  attributed  to  Andrea  del  Sarto. 

lothHall: 

ENTRANCE  WALL  : 

335.  Ippolito  Scarsellini,  1551-1721.     The  Nativity. 

337.    G.  C.  Procaccini,  1616.     The  Circumcision. 

341.   Guercino.     The  Preparation  for  the  Crucifixion  of  S.  Peter. 

348.  Lionello  Spada.     Masquerade. 

LEFT  WALL  : 

355.   Guercino,   1650.     Marriage  of  S.  Catherine.     A  beautiful 
picture. 

OPPOSITE  WALL  : 

363.  Lionello  Spada.     Vision  of  S.  Francis. 
370.  Nice  old  dalle  Pomerance  (1519-1591).     Crucifixion. 
375.   Guide  Reni.     S.  Roch  in  prison. 


26o  REGGIO  AND  MODENA. 

\\th  Hall  (School  of  Modena)  : 
LEFT  WALL  : 

404.   Gaspare  Pagani  da  Modena.     Marriage  of  S.  Catharine — the 
only  known  picture  of  the  artist. 

WALL  OF  EXIT  : 

418.  Abbate  Pietro  Paolo  da  Modena  (1592-1630).     The  Presenta- 

tion in  the  Temple. 

419.  F.rcole  Sette  da  Modena  (1575).     Coronation  of  the  Virgin. 

420.  Munari  da  Modena  (1480-1523),  a  pupil  of  Raffaelle.     The 

Nativity. 

i3//<  Hall : 
ENTRANCE  WALL  : 

123.   Giorgione.  (?)  (More  likely  Palma  Vecchio).     A  portrait. 
458.   Gerard  David -von  Brugge.     S.   Christopher— a  copy  from 
the  Memling  at  Munich. 

RIGHT  WALL  : 

471.   Girol.  Moceto.   1480.     His  own  Portrait. 
WALL  OF  EXIT  : 

488.  Attributed  to  Raffaelle,  but  by  an  indifferent  pupil  of  Perugino. 
Madonna  and  Child  with  two  angels. 

The  Passage  leading  to  the  library  is  filled  with  a  very  interesting 
collection  of  Drawings  by  the  Old  Masters. 

The  Biblioteca  Estense  was  brought  from  Ferrara  by 
Cesare  d'  Este.  West  of  the  Palace  are  the  dull  Giardini 
Pubbliei. 

From  these  we  may  descend  the  Corso  Canale  Grande 
to  (right)  the  Church  of  S.  Vincenzo,  which  contains  sepul- 
chral memorials  of  the  ducal  family,  especially  (in  the  right 
transept)  the  tomb,  by  Mainoni,  of  Maria  Beatrix  wife  of 
Francesco  IV. 

Passing  (right)  the  University,  founded  1683,  we  reach 
(left — at  the  south-east  angle  of  the  town)  the  Church  of  S. 
Pietro,  the  earliest  building  in  Modena.  The  facade  is 
richly  adorned  with  terra-cotta.  The  interior  (spoilt  by 
hideous  modern  painting)  has  five  aisles,  the  centre  with 
round  arches,  the  side  aisles  pointed.  It  contains  : — 

*Right,  yd  Altar.     Dosso  Dossi.     Assumption.     The  Virgin  with 
the  Dead  Christ  -  a  grand  and  solemn  picture. 


61.  FRANCESCO,  S.   MARIA   POMPOSA.        261 

Right  Transept.  Antonio  Begarelli,  1532.  A  curious  terra-cotta 
group  (in  perspective),  of  the  Madonna  in  glory,  with  a  group  of  saints 
beneath. 

Chapel  Right  of  Choir.  Antonio  Begarelli.  Four  terra-cotta  figures 
bewailing  the  dead  Christ. 

'  The  Madonna  is  sustained  by  S.  John  as  she  kneels  by  the  dead 
body  of  our  Lord,  whose  head  rests  upon  the  lap  of  Nicodemus.  The 
mourners  are  absorbed  by  one  feeling,  their  draperies  are  well  managed, 
and  the  head  of  S.  John  especially  is  full  of  sentiment.' — Perkins, 
'  Italian  Sculptors. ' 

Against  the  pillars  of  the  central  aisle  are  terra-cotta  statues. 

From  hence  we  may  cross  the  town  to — at  its  south-west 
angle — the  Gothic  Church  of  S.  Francesco,  which  contains : — 

Chapel  left  of  Choir.  Ant.  BegarellL  A  very  remarkable  deposi- 
tion in  terra-cotta. 

'  Nicodemus  and  Joseph  of  Arimathea  with  two  other  persons  are  re- 
presented in  the  act  of  detaching  the  body  of  our  Lord  from  the  cross,  at 
whose  base  the  Virgin  swoons  in  the  arms  of  the  three  Marys.  SS. 
Anthony  of  Padua  and  Jerome  stand  at  the  foot  of  the  two  side  crosses, 
and  SS.  Francis  and  John  the  Baptist  kneel  near  them  in  ecstatic  con- 
templation. By  far  the  most  striking  feature  in  the  composition  is  the 
central  group  of  women,  one  of  whom  supports  the  head,  while  the  other 
two  hold  up  the  drooping  hands  of  the  Virgin,  whose  attitude  is  one  of 
complete  abandonment,  and  whose  face  wears  that  expression  of  suffering 
which  the  features  sometimes  retain  while  consciousness  is  suspended. 
Had  this  group  been  painted  by  Correggio,  it  would  have  ranked  as  a 
masterpiece,  but  owing  to  its  fluttering  and  complicated  draperies,  and 
the  hasty  action  of  the  women  who  seem  to  have  turned  from  the 
Crucified  just  in  time  to  receive  the  fainting  form  of  His  mother,  it  is 
bad  in  sculpture.' — Perkins. 

Mounting  the  wall  at  the  adjacent  Porta  S.  Francesco,  we 
may  follow  the  Passeggio  Pubblico  to  the  Porta  S.  Agostino, 
near  the  vast  Piazza  d'Armi,  where,  in  the  Piazzale  di  S. 
Agostino,  is  the  Church  of  S.  Maria  Pomposa.  It  contains  a 
Pieta  of  Begarelli.  Left  of  the  High  Altar  is  the  tomb  of 
Carlo  Sigonius,  1524-1584,  and  close  by,  in  the  pavement, 
the  grave  of  Lod.  Ant.  Muratori,  the  historian.  There  is  a 
monument  to  him  in  the  side-porch,  and  his  statue  adorns  a 
neighbouring  piazza.  Close  to  the  Church  is  the  Museo 
Lapidario  with  a  collection  of  ancient  sarcophagi  and  in- 
scriptions. 

v  -  w      *       m^*.  m  m  ~  *  ^       *m       _ 

OL 


262  REGGIO  AND  MODENA. 

The  Church  of  S.  Giovanni  Decollate  may  be  visited  for 
the  sake  of — 

'  The  Mortorio,  by  Guido  Massoni,  called  //  Modanino  after  his 
birthplace,  and  //  Paganino  after  his  grandfather.  The  dead  body  of 
our  Lord  lies  upon  the  ground;  the  Madonna,  a  weeping  old  woman, 
who  kneels  on  one  knee  at  the  foot  of  the  cross  behind  the  body  of  her 
son,  is  supported  by  the  beloved  disciple,  and  by  the  Magdalen,  who 
leans  forward  with  dishevelled  hair  and  distorted  features,  as  if  scream- 
ing in  an  agony  of  grief.  S.  Joseph  sits  at  the  head  of  the  body 
stretching  out  his  hand  towards  it,  and  several  of  the  disciples  are 
grouped  around.  The  startling  effect  of  these  coloured  life-sized  figures, 
robed  in  heavy  but  carefully  arranged  draperies,  modelled  with  no 
small  skill,  may  easily  be  imagined.'—  Parkins. 


263 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

BOLOGNA. 

*"  I  ^HREE  quarters  of  an  hour  in  quick  train  (4  frs.  20  c.  ; 
_L       2  frs.  95  c.)  bring  us  from  Modena  to  Bologna. 

(Inns.     Albergo  Brun,  very  good  and  central.    Enropa.    Del  Pelle* 
grino.     Italia.     Del  Commercio. 

Banker.     Neri,  Pal.  Fava,  Strada  Galliera. 

Post-office.     Selciata  di  S.  Francesco — to  the  left  of  the  hotels. 

Carriages,   from  the  station  to  the   hotels,    with  I  horse,    I    fr.  ; 

2  horses,  2£  frs.     In  the  town,   75  centimes  the  course,   \\  fr.   the 
hour.     With  2  horses  I  fr.  the  course,  2  frs.  the  hour ;  for  each  half- 
hour  beyond,  I  fr.     To  S.  Michele  in  Bosco  i£,  or,  with  2  horses, 

3  frs.) 

Bologna  had  its  origin  in  Felsina,  which  is  mentioned 
by  Pliny  as  the  chief  of  the  Etruscan  cities  ('  princeps  Etru- 
riae ')  north  of  the  Apennines.  It  became  a  Roman  colony 
in  B.C.  189,  under  the  name  of  Bononia.  St.  Ambrose  (Ep.  39) 
speaks  of  it  as  much  decayed  in  the  4th  century.  But 
after  the  fall  of  the  Roman  empire  it  seems  to  have  regained 
its  importance.  In  mediaeval  times  it  was  one  of  the  fore- 
most cities  in  the  Guelfic  cause,  and  became  especially 
distinguished  in  the  war  of  1249,  which  followed  upon  the 
event  of  '  La  Secchia  Rapita.'  King  Enzio,  the  Ghibelline 
chieftain,  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Bolognese  in  the  battle 
of  Fossalto,  and  incarcerated  for  the  remaining  23  years  of 
his  life  in  the  palace  of  the  Podesta.  In  the  i3th  century  the 
city  was  distracted  by  the  feuds  of  the  Gieremei  family  with 
that  of  the  Lambertazzi,  the  former  being  Guelfs,  the  latter 
Ghibellines.  Pope  Nicholas  III.  was  called  in  as  mediator 
and  the  chief  power  rested  with  the  Popes,  till  a  revolution  in 


264  BOLOGNA. 

1334,  under  Taddeo  Pepoli,  who  seized  the  government  of 
Bologna,  which  he  afterwards  sold  to  the  Visconti.  The 
feuds  between  the  Visconti  and  the  Popes  gave  a  handle 
to  the  powerful  clan  of  Bentivoglio — of  which  so  many 
memorials  remain  in  the  city — who  seized  and  administered 
the  government  in  the  Pope's  name.  But  their  almost  in- 
dependent rule  excited  the  jealousy  of  Julius  II.,  who  de- 
stroyed their  palaces  and  exiled  their  race.  Bologna  was 
long  considered  as  the  second  city  in  the  Papal  States,  but 
under  the  rule  of  the  Popes  retained  the  management  of  its 
finances,  the  election  of  its  magistrates,  and  the  adminis- 
tration of  its  laws,  that  is  to  say,  the  essential  forms  of  a 
republic.  It  resisted  every  encroachment  upon  its  privi- 
leges, and  not  unfrequently  expelled  the  papal  legates  when 
inclined  to  overstrain  the  prerogatives  of  office.  This  guarded 
and  conditional  dependence  produced  at  Bologna  all  the 
advantages  that  accompany  liberty  ;  industry,  commerce, 
plenty,  population,  knowledge,  and  refinement.1 

Burke,  in  speaking  of  the  state  of  Bologna  under  the 
papal  rule  before  the  French  invasion,  calls  it  'the  free, 
fertile,  and  happy  city  and  state  of  Bologna,  the  cradle  of  re- 
generated law,  the  seat  of  sciences  and  of  arts,  the  chosen 
spot  of  plenty  and  delight.'  Very  different  has  been  the 
state  of  the  city  since  its  union,  in  1860,  with  the  new 
kingdom  of  Victor  Emmanuel.  It  still  however  retains  its 
reputation  as  the  most  intellectual  of  Italian  towns,  and  has 
an  agreeable  society  of  well-informed  resident  nobility. 
The  palaces  formerly  contained  very  fine  collections  of 
pictures,  but  since  the  owners  have  become  impoverished 
by  the  taxations  of  the  present  government,  these  have,  for 
the  most  part,  been  dispersed. 

4  The  two  grand  features  of  the  Bolognese  character,  are  formed  by 
the  two  most  honourable  passions  that  can  animate  the  human  soul — 
the  love  of  knowledge,  and  the  love  of  liberty ;  passions  which  pre- 
dominate through  the  whole  series  of  their  history,  and  are  justly  ex- 
pressed on  their  standard,  where  "  Libertas  "  (Liberty)  blazes  in  golden 

1  See  Eustace's  Classical  Tour. 


THE  SCHOOL  OF  BOLOGNA.       265 

letters  in  the   centre,   while   "Bononia  docet "   (Bologna  distributes 
knowledge)  waves  in  embroidery  down  the  borders.' — Eustace. 

No  one  will  visit  Bologna  without  wishing  to  know  some- 
thing of  its  famous  School  of  Painting.  Its  founder  is  said 
by  Malvasia  to  have  been  Franco,  a  miniaturist  celebrated 
by  Dante,  but  all  his  works  have  perished.  His  more  re- 
markable pupils  were  Lorenzo,  and  Vitale  (1230),  surnamed 
Delle  Madonne,  from  his  success  in  painting  the  Virgin  : 
Jacopo  Avanzi ;  and  Lippo  Dalmasio,  also  Delle  Madonne. 
To  these  succeeded,  as  if  inspired  by  the  pictures  of  Peru- 
gino,  which  first  appeared  about  that  time,  the  glorious 
Francesco  Francia,  1490-1538.  Of  the  pupils  who  followed 
in  his  steps,  the  chief  were  his  son  Giacomo  Francia,  Amico 
and  Guido  Aspertini,  and  Lorenzo  Costa.  Innocenza  da 
Itnola  and  Bagnacavallo  were  also  his  pupils,  but  afterwards 
exchanged  his  style  for  that  of  Mariotto  Albertinelli,  under 
whom  they  studied  at  Florence.  The  style  of  Michel- 
angelo was  afterwards  to  a  certain  extent  engrafted  upon 
the  Bolognese  school  by  Francesco  Primaticdo,  Niccolb  Abate, 
and  Pellegrino  Tibaldi.  These  painters  were  followed  by 
Lorenzo  Sabbatini,  Orazio  Fumacchini,  Lavinia  Fontana, 
and  Passerotto. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  i6th  century,  when  the  works  of 
Correggio  were  in  highest  repute,  the  importance  of  the 
Eolognese  school,  which  had  long  been  waning,  was  revived 
under  the  Caracci.  Of  these,  the  greatest  was  undoubtedly 
Lodovico  (1555-1619),  who,  after  a  long  course  of  study 
under  Titian  and  Tintoret  at  Venice,  and  from  the  works 
of  Correggio  and  Parmigianino  at  Parma,  began  to  compete 
with  the  old  school,  introducing  a  new  style  of  his  own,  and 
for  that  purpose  formed  a  party  among  the  rising  pupils  at 
Bologna.  Of  these  the  most  important  were  his  own  two 
cousins,  Agostino  (1558-1631)  and  Annibale  (1560-1609) 
— sons  of  a  tailor  at  Bologna.  The  extraordinary  genius  of 
the  Caracci,  and  their  temper  and  judgment,  speedily  filled 
their  school,  and  amongst  their  pupils  were  Domenichino 
(Domenico  Zampieri),  Francesco  Albani  (1578-1660),  and 


265  BOLOGNA. 

Guido  Reni  (1575-1642),  in  whose  time  Bologna  attained 
its  greatest  celebrity.  Guido  had  many  pupils  and  suc- 
cessors, of  whom  Semenzi,  Domenico  Canuti,  Guido  Cognacd, 
Simone  Cantarini,  Gio.  Andrea  Sirani  and  his  daughter 
Elisabetta,  are  the  best  known.  Among  other  celebrated 
followers  of  the  Caracci  were,  Guercino  (Gio.  Francesco 
Barbieri),  1590-1666 ;  Giovanni  Lanfranco,  1581-1647  ; 
Giacomo  Cavedone ;  Lionello  Spada  •  Alessandro  Tiarini  ; 
and  Lucio  Mazzari.  Dionysius  Calvaert  (II  Fiammingo) 
was  a  contemporary  of  the  Caracci,  but  their  most  zealous 
opponent. 

The  works  of  Lodovico  Caracci  especially  ought  not  to  be 
judged  anywhere  except  at  Bologna  or  Parma.  Here  no 
one  can  fail  to  notice  their  grandeur. 

'  The  three  Caracci  may  be  almost  said  to  define  the  boundaries  of 
the  golden  age  of  painting  in  Italy.  They  are  her  last  sovereign  masters, 
unless  we  are  willing  to  admit  a  few  of  their  select  pupils,  who  extended 
that  period  during  the  space  of  some  years.  Excellent  masters,  doubt- 
less, flourished  subsequently;  but  after  their  decease,  the  powers  of 
such  artists  appearing  less  elevated  and  less  solid,  we  begin  to  hear 
complaints  respecting  the  decline  of  art. ' — Lanzi. 

The  pictures  are  the  chief  attraction  of  Bologna,  but  there 
is  much  to  be  admired  in  its  picturesque  old  buildings, 
and  curious  piazzas,  with  their  relics  of  mediaeval  architec- 
ture and  sculpture  ;  and  delightful  excursions  may  be  made 
into  the  lower  ranges  of  the  Apennines,  which  are  most 
beautiful  when  the  woods  with  which  they  are  covered  are 
glowing  with  the  scarlet  tints  of  autumn. 

'  Bologna  is  emphatically  the  city  of  columns.  Every  street  has  its 
long  shady  arcades,  with  capitals  often  richly  wrought ;  and  to  the  west 
of  the  town  a  colonnade  of  three  miles  in  length,  built  at  different  times 
by  the  liberality  of  various  individuals  and  societies  among  the  citizens, 
eads  up  to  the  church  of  La  Madonna  della  Guardia.  This  fancy  for 
colonnades  has  made  Bologna  a  very  picturesque  city,  and  renders  its 
exploration  much  more  pleasant  to  the  traveller,  who  is  enabled  to  pass 
from  church  to  church  in  the  shade.' — Dean  Alford. 

'  To  enter  Bologna  at  midnight  is  to  plunge  into  the  depths  of  the 
middle  ages. 

'  Those  desolate  sombre  streets,  those  immense  dark  arches,  those 


SIGHTS  OF  BOLOGNA.  267 

endless  arcades  where  scarce  a  foot-fall  breaks  the  silence,  that  labyrinth 
of  marble,  of  stone,  of  antiquity :  the  past  alone  broods  over  them  all. 

'  As  you  go  it  seems  to  you  that  you  see  the  gleam  of  a  snowy  plume, 
and  the  shine  of  a  rapier  striking  home  through  cuirass  and  doublet, 
whilst  on  the  stones  the  dead  body  falls,  and  high  above  over  the  lamp- 
iron,  where  the  torch  is  flaring,  a  casement  uncloses,  and  a  woman's 
hand  drops  a  rose  to  the  slayer,  and  a  woman's  voice  murmurs,  with  a 
cruel  little  laugh,  "  Cosa  fatta  capo  ha  ! " 

'  There  is  nothing  to  break  the  spell  of  the  old  world  enchantment. 
Nothing  to  recall  to  you  that  the  ages  of  Bentivoglio  and  the  Visconti 
have  fled  for  ever. ' — Pascarel. 

Two  or  three  days  may  be  most  advantageously  given  to 
the  town,  where  the  traveller  will  find  every  comfort  in  the 
hotels.  Modena  and  Ferrara  may  also  be  pleasantly  visited 
in  the  day  from  Bologna,  but  Ravenna  has  too  much  of 
interest,  and  richly  deserves  a  separate  visit.  Most  of  the 
churches  in  Bologna  itself  contain  some  object  worth  seeing, 
but  the  sights  which  should  on  no  account  be  left  unvisited 
are,  the  Piazza  Maggi ore  and  S.  Petronio,  the  Leaning  Towers, 
the  pictures  in  S.  Giacomo  and  S.  Cecilia,  the  University, 
the  Pinacoteca,  the  Portico  of  the  Servi,  the  extraordinary 
Church  of  S.  Stefano,  and  the  tomb  of  S.  Domenic  in  S. 
Domenico,  with  its  adjoining  piazza.  Besides  these  build- 
ings in  the  town,  no  one  should  fail  to  see  La  Madonna  di 
Mezzaratta,  and  to  ascend  the  hill  to  the  Church  of  S. 
Michele  in  Bosco,  and  the  magnificent  view  from  the  garden 
of  what  was  the  Papal  Palace.  Most  travellers  will  also 
consider  the  Campo  Santo  well  worth  visiting.  S.  Luca 
may  be  omitted  if  S.  Michele  is  seen.  It  should  be  re- 
membered that  the  smaller  churches  are  seldom  open  after 
1 2  o'clock.  The  principal  hotels  are  all  close  together  and 
in  the  best  situation.  We  shall  therefore  take  them  as  a 
centre. 

Turning  to  the  right  from  the  Hotel  Brun  by  the 
Via  Ugo  Bassi,1  and  skirting  the  walls  of  the  Zecca  or  Mint 
with  its  huge  machicolations,  built  in  1578  by  Dom.  Tibaldi> 

1  So  called  from  Ugo  Bassi  (who  lived  here),  shot  with  Ciceruacchio  for  their  part 
in  the  Garibaldian  campaign  of  1849. 


268  BOLOGNA. 

we  are  almost  immediately  amid  the  group  of  buildings 
which  form  both  the  historic  and  the  actual  centre  of  the 
city.  The  open  spaces,  used  as  markets,  and  crowded  with 
picturesque  figures,  with  their  brilliant  stalls  shaded  by  great 
red  and  blue  umbrellas,  are  surrounded  by  a  succession  of 
magnificent  buildings,  rugged  indeed  and  unfinished  as 
most  Italian  buildings  are,  but  stupendous  in  their  forms, 
grand  in  their  proportions,  and,  from  the  rich  and  varied 
colouring  of  their  dark  brown  roofs,  grey  walls,  and  brilliant 
orange  window-blinds,  well  worthy  of  an  artist's  sketch-book. 

The  first  portion  of  the  square  on  the  right  is  called 
Piazza  Nettuno.  On  its  right  is  the  Palazzo  Pubblico,  on 
its  left  the  Palazzo  del  Podesta,  and,  in  the  centre,  the 
famous  fountain,  surmounted  by  the  celebrated  Statue  of 
Neptune,  executed  in  1564  by  Giovanni  da  Bologna?-  which 
is,  as  Vasari  calls  it,  '  a  most  beautiful  work,  studied  and 
executed  to  perfection.'  The  marble  sculpture  below  is  by 
Antonio  Lupi.  All  the  surroundings  are  grandiose  to  the 
last  degree,  and  make  one  smile  to  remember  to  what 
buildings  one  is  accustomed  to  apply  such  epithets  as 
'  magnificent '  in  England. 

The  Palazzo  Pubblico,  formerly  Apostolico,  begun  in  1 300, 
is  adorned  on  the  outside  with  a  Madonna  in  terra-cotta  by 
Nicole  deW  Area,  and  a  bronze  statue  of  Gregory  XIII.,  who 
was  a  native  of  Bologna,  by  Alessandro  Menganti  (1580). 
In  1796,  in  order  to  preserve  it  from  the  revolutionists,  the 
tiara  was  removed  and  it  was  turned  into  a  statue  of  S. 
Petronius,  the  patron  of  the  city.  To  the  right  of  this  is  a 
beautiful  range  of  terra-cotta  arches,  now  filled  in  with 
brick-work. 

If  we  enter  the  palace,  we  shall  find  a  magnificent  stair- 
case a  cordoni,  a  work  of  Bramante,  which  leads  to  the  great 
ante-chamber  called  the  Hall  of  Hercules,  from  a  colossal 
model  of  a  seated  statue  by  Alfonso  Lombardi  of  Ferrara. 
Several  of  the  other  rooms  are  interesting.  The  Sala  Farnese 
(so  called  from  a  bronze  statue  of  Paul  III.)  has  frescoes 

1  He  was  really  a  native  of  Douai  in  Flanders. 


PALAZZO  DEL  PODESTA.  269 

relating  to  the  history  of  Bologna  by  Carlo  Cignani,  Scara- 
muccia,  Pasinelli,  and  others.  The  ante-chamber  of  the 
second  floor  has  a  beautiful  door  decorated  with  the  arms  of 
Julius  III.  In  the  third  court  is  a  fountain  by  Francesco 
Terribilia. 

The  Palazzo  del  Podestd,  was  begun  in  1201,  and  was 
worked  at  with  such  diligence  that  its  beautiful  tower — 
Torrazzo  dell'  Aringo — was  finished  in  1264.  The  fagade  was 
added  in  1485  under  Bartolommeo  Fioravanti.  The  sculpture 
of  its  pillars  and  the  richly-wrought  iron-work  are  of 
great  beauty.  Pope  John  XXIII.  was  elected  (1410) 
in  the  great  hall  called  Sola  del  Re  Enzio.  On  the  upper 
staircase  leading  to  the  Archivio  is  a  curious  picture  of  the 
Annunciation  by  the  rare  master  Jacopo  di  Paolo  Avanzi. 
The  archives  are  of  great  interest  and  importance,  and  con- 
tain among  their  treasures  the  Bull  Spiritus  Sanctus  of 
Eugenius  IV.  (July  6,  1439)  for  the  union  of  the  Greek  and 
Latin  Churches. 

Amongst  those  who  have  inhabited  this  vast  old  palace, 
the  chief  interest  hangs  around  the  unfortunate  King  Enzio 
(son  of  the  Emperor  Frederick  II.),  who  was  imprisoned  here 
from  1249  to  1272. 

'  In  a  skirmish  before  the  city  Enzio  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner. 
Implacable  Bologna  condemned  him  to  perpetual  imprisonment.  All 
the  entreaties  to  which  his  father  humbled  himself;  all  his  own  splendid 
promises  that  for  his  ransom  he  would  gird  the  city  with  a  ring  of 
gold,  neither  melted  nor  dazzled  the  stubborn  animosity  of  the  Guelfs; 
a  captive  at  the  age  of  twenty-four,  this  youth,  of  beauty  equal  to  his 
bravery — the  poet,  the  musician,  as  well  as  the  most  valiant  soldier 
and  consummate  captain  -  pined  out  twenty-three  years  of  life,  if  not  in 
a  squalid  dungeon,  in  miserable  inactivity.'— Milman,  '•Hist,  of  Latin 
Christianity.'' 

Beneath  this  vast  old  pile  are  four  arched  corridors,  paved 
ruggedly  like  streets,  and  occupied  by  vendors  of  small 
wares.  At  the  centre,  where  they  meet,  are  terra-cotta 
statues  of  the  four  saintly  protectors  of  Bologna  by  Alfonso 
Lombardo}-  Artists  will  not  fail  to  admire  the  exquisite 

1  There  are  a  vast  number  of  the  works  of  Alfonso  Lombardo  in  Bologna,  who  was 
much  patronised  while  here  by  Charles  V.     He  made  himself  exceedingly  unpopular 


270  BOLOGNA. 

effect  of  the  beautiful  fountain  of  Giovanni  with  its  jets  of 
silvery  spray  shooting  up  against  the  rich  colour  of  the 
opposite  palace,  as  seen  through  the  deep  shadow  of  one 
of  these  dark  arcades. 

The  wider  part  of  the  square  towards  which  the  Palazzo 
del  Podesta  faces,  is  the  Piazza  Maggiore  (now  sometimes 
foolishly  called  Vittorio  Emanuele).  On  the  right  is  the 
Portico  dei  Banchi,  arranged  (1562)  by  the  great  architect 
Vignola,  and  containing  some  of  the  best  shops  in  the  town 
— a  cloistered  walk  with  the  most  charming  effects  of  per- 
spective imaginable.  In  the  Residenza  dei  Notari,  which 
cpens  from  the  portico,  a  building  of  the  thirteenth  century, 
Roiandino  Passeggieri  acted  as  pro-consul.  The  chapel 
contains  a  Madonna  by  Bart.  Passerotti  and  a  diploma  of 
Frederick  III.,  1462  (confirmed  by  a  bull  of  Julius  II.),  con- 
ferring the  singular  power  of  legitimatising  natural  children  ! 

The  noble  church  which  reigns  over  the  piazza  is  the 
Basilica  of  S.  Petronio,  the  most  important  ecclesiastical 
building  in  Bologna.  It  was  begun  on  the  most  colossal 
scale  by  Antonio  Vincenzi  in  1388,  what  we  now  see  being 
only  the  nave  and  aisles  of  the  original  design,  according  to 
which  its  length  would  have  been  750  feet,  136  more  than 
that  of  S.  Peter's  at  Rome,  with  a  dome  183  feet  in 
diameter. 

Unfinished  as  it  is,  the  facade  with  its  marble  platform 
and  huge  basement  is  exceedingly  grand,  and  its  details 
deserve  the  most  careful  examination.  Many  of  the  most 
famous  architects  of  the  i4th  and  i5th  centuries  have  laboured 
at  it  ;  Paolo  di  Bonasuto  in  1394,  who  executed  several  of 
the  half-length  figures  of  saints  ;  Giacomo  della  Quercia  in 
1429,  by  whom  are  the  reliefs  round  the  central  doorway, 
which  are  of  marvellous  beauty  ;  and  in  their  footsteps 
followed  Alfonso  Lombardo  (1520),  Niccolb  Tribolo,  and  many 
others. 

by  his  vanity,  and  was  eventually  driven  out  of  Bologna  by  the  ridicule  excited,  when 


S.   PETRONIO.  271 

Over  the  principal  entrance,  the  famous  bronze  statue,  by 
Michelangelo,  of  Julius  II.,  was  erected  in  1508.  The 
Pope  was  represented  seated,  with  the  keys  and  a  sword  in 
his  left  hand  and  his  right  hand  raised — 'to  bless  or  to 
curse  ? '  asked  the  warrior  pope, — '  to  teach  the  Bolognese 
to  be  reasonable,'  replied  the  sculptor.  The  statue  only 
existed  for  three  years,  then  it  was  destroyed  by  the  people 
and  sold  as  old  metal  to  the  Duke  of  Ferrara,  who  made  out 
of  it  the  cannon  called  '  Julian.' 

Though  injured  in  effect  by  paint  and  whitewash,  the  In- 
terior of  S.  Petronio  is  sublimely  beautiful  in  its  proportions, 
and  reminds  the  traveller  of  the  pure  Gothic  north  of  the 
Alps.  From  the  great  nave,  a  vast  number  of  chapels  open 
on  either  side,  immense  in  themselves.  S.  Petronio  has  been 
compared  to  the  universal  Church  of  Christ,  in  which  many 
separate  churches  exist,  and  hold  their  own  services  quite 
distinct,  none  having  any  share  with  its  neighbour,  though 
all  with  the  same  end  in  view,  and  all  diverging  from  one 
great  common  centre.  Charles  V.  was  crowned  here  by 
Clement  VI I. ,  Sep.  24,  1530.  On  the  right  and  left  of  the 
great  door  are  the  tombs  of  Bishop  Beccadelli  and  Cardinal 
Lazzaro  Pallavicini.  Making  the  round  of  the  church  from 
the  right,  we  find  : — 

1st  Chapel.     Hans  Ferrabeck.     Madonna  della  Pace. 

2nd  Chapel  (of  the  Pepoli  family).  Two  frescoes  on  the  side-walls 
of  Madonnas  with  Saints  by  Luca  di  Peruxa,  a  Bolognese  master, 
signed  1431  and  1457. 

3«/  Chapel.  Amico  Aspertini  (1519).  A  Pietk  in  tempera.  The 
monument  of  Cardinal  Carlo  Oppizzoni,  Archbishop  of  Bologna  for  53 
years,  who  left  all  his  fortune  to  the  charities  of  the  city. 

i,th  Chapel.  Stained  glass  by  the  Beatojacopo  (of  Ulm),  1407-91. 
The  beautiful  marble  rails  are  by  Vignola. 

bth  Chapel.     Lorenzo  Costa.     S.  Jerome — injured. 

"]th  Chapel — of  the  Relics — quite  a  Museum. 

8t&  Chapel  (of  the  Malvezzi  Campeggi),  by  Vignola,  the  stall  work 
is  by  Raffaelle  da  Brescia. 

<)th  Chapel.  Jacopo  Sansovino.  Statue  of  S.  Antonio.  On  the 
walls  the  miracles  of  the  saint  are  painted  in  chiaroscuro  by  Girolamo 
Pennacchi  da  Trevigi. 


272  BOLOGNA. 

\\th  Chapel.  Niccolb  Tribolo.  A  relief  of  the  Assumption.  The 
two  angels  on  the  right  and  left  are  by  Properzia  de"  Rossi. 

We  now  reach  the  Sacristy,  which  contains  22  pictures  of  the  life  of 
S.  Petronio  by  different  artists. 

The  Baldacchino  is  from  a  design  by  Terribilia.  The  fresco  of  the 
Madonna  and  S.  Petronio,  with  the  town  of  Bologna,  is  by  Franceschitri. 

Opposite  to  the  entrance  of  the  Sacristy  is  that  of  the  halls  of  the 
Referenda  Fabbrica  (the  workshop  of  the  church),  which  contain  many 
interesting  designs  for  the  unfinished  fa£ade  by  the  great  architects  of 
the  time — Palladio,  Peruzzi,  Giulio  Romano,  Vignola,  &c.  The  most 
interesting  of  the  sculptures  preserved  here  are  those  of  the  unhappy 
Properzia  del  Rossi  (so  greatly  extolled  by  Vasari),  who  died  of  unre- 
quited love  during  the  coronation  of  Charles  VII.,  just  when  Pope 
Clement  VII.,  struck  by  her  genius,  had  decided  to  give  her  an  honour- 
able appointment  at  Rome.  They  include  the  bust  of  Count  Guido 
Pepoli,  executed  as  a  proof  of  her  skill  when  competing  to  be  allowed 
to  work  in  the  bas-reliefs  of  the  great  doorway  ;  and  a  relief  of  Poti- 
phar's  wife,  which  is  considered  to  be  her  masterpiece. 

Returning  by  the  left  aisle  of  the  church  : — 

\i,th  Chapel.  Dion  Ca/z^r/(Fiammingo).  The  Archangel  Michael. 
A  beautiful  iron  railing  of  the  I5th  century. 

i$th  Chapel,     farmegianino.     S.  Roch. 

*i6th  Chapel.  Lorenzo  Costa  (1492).  S.  Anne  and  the  Virgin  en- 
throned, with  saints.  The  stained  glass  is  from  designs  of  Costa. 
Here  are  the  tombs  of  Elisa  Bacciochi,  sister  of  Napoleon  I.,  and  her 
husband. 

iSfh  Chapel.  Francesco  Cossa  of  Ferrara.  Martyrdom  of  S.  Sebastian. 
The  frescoes  of  the  Annunciation  and  the  12  Apostles  are  by  Lorenzo 
Costa.  The  stall  work  is  by  Agostino  da  Crema.  The  enamelled  tiles 
are  0^1487.  On  the  pillar  beyond  this  chapel  is  a  very  curious  ancient 
wooden  statue  of  S.  Petronio.  He  was  Bishop  and  Patron  Saint  of  the 
town,  and  is  represented  in  the  latter  character  in  the  great  Pieta  of 
Guido.  He  died  a  natural  death  October  4,  430,  having  been  chiefly 
distinguished  for  banishing  the  Arians  from  Bologna. 

iqtA  Chapel  (Bolognini)  of  1392,  which  has  a  screen  of  red  and 
white  marble,  is  the  oldest  part  of  the  church.  The  frescoes,  which 
are  very  curious,  are  attributed  by  Vasari  to  Buffalmacco. 

2ist  Chapel  was  gaily  modernised  to  receive  the  head  of  S.  Petronio, 
removed  by  Benedict  XIV.  from  S.  Stefano. 

The  four  ancient  Crosses  in  this  church  have  been  brought  here  from 
different  quarters  of  the  town.  That  near  the  clock  bears  the  name 
'  Petrus  Alberici,'  and  the  date  1159. 

'  Tradition  says  that  these  crosses  were  erected  near  the  old  gates 
by  S.  Petronius,  in  the  $th  century.  One  of  them  is  particularly  inte- 


ANTICO  ARCHIGINNASIO.  273 

resting  on  account  of  its  sculptures,  and  because  the  names  of  Petrus 
Albericus  and  his  father  who  made  it  are  recorded  in  one  of  its  inscrip- 
tions. At  the  back  of  this  cross  Christ  is  represented  in  a  mandorla, 
supported  by  the  three  Archangels,  Michael,  Gabriel,  and  Raphael, 
holding  the  book  of  the  new  law  open  upon  his  knee,  and  giving  the 
benediction  with  his  right  hand.  Upon  the  front,  Christ  crucified 
holds  this  dialogue  with  his  mothtr  :  "  My  son,"  she  says  to  him  ;  and 
he,  "What,  mother?" — Q.  "Are  you  God?" — A.  "I  am."  — 
Q.  "  Why  do  you  hang  (upon  the  cross)  ?  " — A.  "  That  mankind  may 
not  perish."' — Perkins,  'Italian  Sculptors.' 

On  the  Pavement  is  the  meridian  line  of  Giov.  Dom.  Cassini,  1653. 
So  many  citizens  of  Bologna  are  called  after  S.  Petronio,  as  of  Modena 
after  S.  Gemignano,  that  the  names  are  often  used  generically.  Thus 
in  the  '  Secchia  Rapita,' 

'  Un  infelice  e  vil  secchia  di  legno 
Che  tolsero  a  i  Petroni  i  Gemignani.' 

Behind  S.  Petronio,  on  the  left  of  the  arcade,  is  the 
Public  Library,  formerly  the  Antico  Archiginnasio  (open 
daily,  in  winter  from  8  to  4  and  in  summer  from  6  to  5).  It 
was  built  by  Terribilia  in  1562.  The  court  is  most  brilliant 
in  colour,  its  colonnades  being  completely  covered  with 
armorial  bearings  of  former  professors  of  the  University. 
From  hence  opens  the  Chapel  (S.  Maria  de'  Bulgari) 
covered  with  frescoes  of  the  Life  of  the  Virgin  by  Bart. 
Cesi.  The  altar-piece  of  the  Annunciation  is  by  Dion. 
Calvaert.  In  the  upper  floor  are  a  long  series  of  halls  filled 
with  books,  and  decorated  with  armorial  bearings  of 
distinguished  students,  producing  altogether  a  beautiful  and 
harmonious  effect  of  colour.  Beyond  these  is  the  Museum^ 
containing  an  admirable  collection  of  Egyptian  and  Etruscan 
antiquities,  beqeathed  by  Cav.  Pelagic  Pelagi.  But  most 
interesting  is  the  collection  of  Etruscan  antiquities,  of  great 
importance,  discovered  in  1870  at  Bologna  itself,  when 
digging  the  foundations  of  a  house  near  the  Campo-Santo. 
They  have  all  been  removed  and  brought  hither  with  great 
care,  and  comprise  a  number  of  monumental  stones  of  very 
curious  forms,  and  sculptured  in  low  relief  (one  of  them,  of  a 
dead  man  received  by  a  good  Genius,  of  wonderful  beauty), 
a  number  of  perfect  skeletons  of  people  who  lived  2500 

VOL.   II.  T 


274  BOLOGNA. 

years  ago — the  ladies  in  several  cases  still  wearing  their 
bracelets,  and  with  their  bottles  of  perfume  by  their  sides, 
the  children  having  whole  services  of  little  cups  and  saucers, 
in  some  of  which  egg-shells,  &c.,  remain,  a  noble  bronze 
cista,  and  a  great  variety  of  candelabra,  vases,  and  jewels. 
To  the  student  of  Etruscan  antiquities  this  collection  will 
prove  quite  invaluable.1 

The  Anatomical  Theatre  has  a  ceiling  of  cedar  repre- 
senting the  constellations,  and  many  statues  of  professors. 
Here  Galvani  gave  his  lessons,  and  here  the  female  professor, 
Morandi  Mazzolini,  veiled,  gave  her  lectures  en  anatomy. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  Piazza.  Nettuno  is  the  Cathedral 
of  S.  Pietro,  a  dull  edifice  of  the  iyth  century,  with  an 
ancient  campanile.  The  interior,  which  is  of  Corinthian 
architecture,  contains  : — 

Right,  2nd  Chapel.  The  skull  of  S.  Anna,  given  by  Henry  VI.  of 
England  to  the  Blessed  Niccolo  Albergato. 

On  the  arch  above  the  High-aLar.  Lodovico  Caracii.  The  Annun- 
ciation. Lanzi  mentions  that  the  artist  died  of  grief  on  discovering 
that  he  had  made  a  fault  in  the  foot  of  this  Madonna,  which  he  was 
not  allowed  to  rectify. 

The  Holy-water  Basons  are  supported  by  marble  lions  which  pro- 
bably upheld  the  portico  of  the  earlier  church.  They  are  ascribed 
to  Ventura  da  Bologna. 

In  the  Crypt  is  a  curious  group  of  the  Maries  mourning  over  the 
'  dead  Christ  by  Alfonso  Lomlardo. 

Behind  the  cathedral,  with  a  tall  mediaeval  tower  on 
either  side,  is  the  handsome  Palazzo  Arrivescovile,  built  by 
Pellegrino  Tibaldi,  1577,  and  adorned  by  modern  artists. 

A  little  to  the  left,  beyond  the  Duomo,  is  the  Church  of 
La  Madonna  di  Galliera,  which  has  a  beautiful  unfinished 
fagade  of  terra-cotta  of  1470,  though  the  church  itself  was 
built  by  Giov.  Batt.  Torri  in  1689.  It  contains  : — 

Left,  \st  Chapel.     Guercino.     The  Ecstasy  of  S.  Filippo  Neri. 

2nd  Chapel.  Albani.  A  very  lovely  picture.  '  The  presentiment 
of  the  Passion  is  expressed  by  the  child  Christ  looking  up  with  emotion 
at  the  cherubs  floating  above  with  the  instruments  of  martyrdom  (like 
playthings)  ;  at  the  foot  of  the  steps  are  Mary  and  Joseph  ;  above,  Clod 
the  Father,  sad  and  calm.' — Burckhardt. 

*  The  present  curator  of  the  Archiginnasio,  Signer  Antonio  Boni,  is  celebrated  as  a 
linguist  and  a  very  remarkable  self-educated  man. 


P.   FAVA,    THE  LEANING   TOWERS.          275 

The  oil  lunettes  of  Adam  and  Eve  and  the  decorations  of  the  roof 
are  also  by  Albani. 

£,lh  Chapel.      Teresa  Muratori.     The  Incredulity  of  S.  Thomas. 

Opposite  this  church  is  the  Palazzo  Fava  (No.  591), 
which  has  a  handsome  courtyard,  and  is  richly  adorned 
with  the  works  of  the  Caracci.  The  great  hall  is  decorated 
with  the  story  of  Jason,  the  first  work  in  fresco  by  Agostino 
and  Annibale.  In  the  adjoining  chamber  the  voyage  of 
Aeneas  is  described  by  Lodovico.  The  next  room  is  painted 
by  Albani,  with  a  continuation  of  the  Aeneid.  In  the 
following  room  the  same  artist  was  the  assistant  of  Lurio 
Mazzari.  The  story  of  the  Rape  of  Europa,  in  a  small 
chamber,  is  by  Annibale  Caracci.  The  history  of  Aeneas, 
painted  in  opposition  to  a  frieze  by  Cesi,  in  the  same 
chamber,  was  the  turning-point  in  the  history  of  the  Caracci. 
Then,  as  Lanzi  says,  '  Bologna  at  length  prepared  to  do 
justice  to  the  worth  of  that  divine  artist  Lodovico.' 

Behind  the  church  is  the  Palazzo  Piella  (formerly  Bocchi), 
built  by  Vignola  for  Achille  Bocchi,  the  founder  of  the 
Academy.  It  has  a  ceiling  by  Prospero  Fontana. 

Returning  to  and  following  the  Mercato  di  Mezzo,  be- 
tween the  Palazzo  Podesta  and  the  Cathedral,  we  soon  reach 
the  twin  Leaning  Towers.  Of  these — 

The  Torre  degli  Asinelli  derives  its  name  from  Gherardo 
degli  Asinelli,  by  whom  it  was  begun  in  1109.  It  is  292! 
feet  high,  and  its  inclination  is  as  much  as  3  ft.  4  in.  from 
the  centre  of  gravity.  It  can  easily  be  ascended,  and  pos- 
sesses a  fine  view.  Its  neighbour  La  Garisenda,  built  about 
the  same  time,  by  the  brothers  Filippo  and  Oddo  Garisendi, 
is  only  130  feet  high,  but  leans  8  feet  from  the  perpendicular 
to  the  south,  and  3  feet  to  the  east.  Dante  compares  the 
giant  Antaeus  bending  to  lift  him  down  into  the  depths  of 
Inferno  to  this — 

'  Qual  pare  a  riguardar  la  Garisenda 

Sotto  il  chinato,  quando  un  nuvol  vada 
Sovr'  essa  si,  ch'  ella  in  contrario  penda  ; 
Tal  parve  Anteo  a  me  che  stava  a  bada 
T  2 


276  BOLOGNA. 

i 

Di  vederlo  chinare,  e  fu  talora 
Ch'  io  avrei  voluto  ir  per  altra  strada.' — Inf.  xxxi. 

'  Pour  rendre  sensible  le  mouvement  formidable  du  colosse  s'abais- 
sant  ainsi  vers  les  profondeurs  de  1'enfer,  le  poete  a  fait,  commeen  tant 
d'autres  endroits  de  son  poeme,  un  emprunt  a  la  realite  physique  :  il  a 
pris  pour  objet  de  comparaison  un  objet  determine,  un  monument 
celebre  en  Italic,  la  tour  de  la  Garisenda  ;  il  compare  done  Fimpres- 
sion  produite  sur  lui  par  le  geant  qui  se  penche  a  1'effet  qu'un  nuage, 
passant  au-dessus  de  cette  tour  et  venant  du  cote  vers  lequel  il  s'incline, 
produit  sur  le  spectateur  place  au-dessous  d'elle.  C'est  alors  la  tour 
qui  semble  s'abaisser  de  toute  la  vitesse  du  nuage.' — Ampere. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  inclination   of  the 
towers  is  the  result  of  an  earthquake,  owing  to  which  Gari-  ' 
senda  was   never  completed.     Nevertheless,  the  theory  of 
Goethe  is  very  ingenious  : — 

'  The  leaning  tower  has  a  frightful  look,  and  yet  it  is  most  probable 
that  it  was  built  thus  designedly.  This  seems  to  me  an  explanation  of 
the  absurdity.  In  the  troublous  times  of  the  city  every  large  house  was 
a  fortress,  and  every  powerful  family  had  a  tower.  By  and  by  the 
very  possession  of  such  a  building  became  a  mark  of  importance  and 
distinction,  and  as  at  last  a  perpendicular  tower  became  a  perfectly 
common  and  everyday  object,  a  leaning  tower  was  built.  Architect 
and  owner  attained  their  object  :  the  mass  of  upright  towers  are  just 
glanced  at,  and  all  hurry  on  to  examine  the  leaning  one.' — Goethe. 

Garisenda  especially,  having  been  begun  in  rivalry  a  little 
later  than  Asinelli,  may  be  looked  upon  as  a  memorial  of 
architectural  family  pride. 

Behind  the  Towers,  is  the  Church  of  S.  Bartolommeo  di 
Porta  Ravegnana,  of  1653,  with  a  portico  (of  an  earlier 
church)  by  Andrea  Marchesi  (1516-1531).  It  contains  : — 

Right,  2nd  Chapel.  Lod.  Caracci.  S.  Carlo  at  the  tomb  at  Varallo, 
with  an  angel. 

*&,th  ChapeL  Allani,  1632.  Annunciation.  By  the  same  artist 
are  the  pictures  of  the  Nativity  and  Joseph's  Dream  at  the  sides  of  the 
chapel.  The  beautiful  figure  of  Gabriel  in  the  Annunciation  is  cer- 
tainly a  glorious  contrast  to  Lod.  Caracci's  conception  of  the  same 
subject  in  the  apse  of  the  cathedral. 

Behind  High-altar.    Franceschini.  Martyrdom  of  S.  Bartholomew. 

The  roof  of  the  nave  is  decorated  by  Colonna  with  pictures  relating 
to  the  Theatins,  to  whom  the  church  formerly  belonged. 


LOGGIA   DEI  MERCANTI. 


277 


Opposite  the  Towers  is  a  beautiful  Palazzo,  with  rich  terra- 
cotta ornaments.  Close  by,  to  the  right  of  the  Towers,  is 
the  Loggia  dei  Mercanti^  a  beautiful  brick  building  of  1294, 
restored  in  1439  by  the  Bentivoglio  family.  It  is  richly 
ornamented  with  terra-cotta.  The  medallions  between  the 
arches  contain  the  images  of  the  patron  saints,  and  below 
the  windows  are  the  arms  of  the  city  and  of  the  Bentivoglio 


family,  who  ruled  Bologna  during  the  greater  part  of  the  isth 
century.  From  the  canopied  balcony  in  the  centre  sentences 
were  passed,  and  bankruptcies  proclaimed.  Within  the 
building  is  the  Exchange.  The  staircase  is  decorated  with 
paintings  of  the  arms  of  the  ten  city  corporations. 

Turning  to  the  left,  by  the  Torre  Garisenda,  down  the 
arcades  of  the  Strada  Luigi  Zamborii,  formerly  S.  Donato — 
which  are  occasionally  wonderfully  picturesque  with  their 


278  BOLOGNA. 

heavy  sculptured  capitals,  and  fragments  of  colour  and 
terra- cotta  work — we  reach  on  the  right,  the  handsome 
brick  Gothic  Church  of  S.  Giacomo  Maggiore,  which  was 
begun  in  1267,  but  afterwards  much  enlarged.  The  beau- 
tiful clock-tower  is  of  1472.  The  cloistered  walk  with  its 
34  arches  towards  the  street  is  by  Fra  Giovanni  Pad,  1477. 
The  pillars  of  the  doorway  rest  upon  lions  ;  on  either  side 
are  arched  recesses  for  tombs. 

Right  Aisle,  \st  Chapel.  '  La  Madonna  della  Cintura,'  an  ancient 
fresco. 

4/#  Chapel.     JErcole  Procaccini.     The  Conversion  of  S.  Paul. 

$tk  Chapel.  Giacomo  Cavedone.  Christ  appearing  to  Giov.  de 
S.  Facondo. 

(>th  Chapel.  Bart.  Passarotti.  Madonna  enthroned,  surrounded 
by  saints  and  donors. 

"jth  Chapel.     Prospero  Fontana.     S.  Alexis  giving  alms. 

*&/A  Chapel.  Innocenza  da  Intola.  Marriage  of  S.  Catherine — her 
wheel  is  broken  in  the  foreground  ;  noble  figures  of  saints  stand  at  the 
sides.  The  Nativity  is  represented  in  the  gradino. 

'  One  of  the  greatest  and  most  characteristic,  perhaps  the  most 
beautiful  picture  of  the  master,  of  most  praiseworthy  solidity  of  execu- 
tion for  the  year  of  its  production,  1536.' — Miindler. 

loth  Chafe!.  Led.  Caracci.  S.  Roch  comforted  by  an  angel  while 
sick  of  the  plague. 

I \th  Chapel.  Lor.  Sabbatini  and  Diony?.  Cahaert.  S.  Michael 
tramples  on  Satan,  and  weighs  souls  in  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Family. 

\2tJi  Chapel  (of  the  Poggi  Family),  built  and  painted  by  Pelhgrino 
Tibaldi.  (The  altar-piece  of  the  Baptism  of  our  Lord  and  the  com- 
partments of  the  roof  are  by  Prospero  Fontana.) 

'Pellegrino  Tibaldi  (1527-1591)  was  recognised  by  the  Caracci  as 
the  true  representative  of  the  transition  from  the  great  masters  to  their 
own  epoch.  His  large  fresco  in  S.  Giacomo  is  almost  grand  in  its 
realisation  of  an  important  symbolical  idea — "  Many  are  called,  but 
few  are  chosen." ' 

'  The  Caracci  bestowed  the  highest  praise  on  these  works  of  Tibaldi, 
and  it  was  on  these  that  they  and  their  pupils  bestowed  most  study. 
In  the  one  fresco  is  represented  the  preaching  of  S.  John  in  the  desert; 
in  the  other  the  separation  of  the  elect  from  the  wicked,  where,  in  the 
features  of  the  celestial  messenger  announcing  the  tidings,  Pellegrino 
has  displayed  those  of  his  favourite — Michelangelo.  What  a  school  for 
design  and  expression  is  here  !  What  art  in  the  distribution  of  such  a 
throng  of  figures,  in  varying  and  in  grouping  them. ' — Lanzi. 


5.    GIACOMO  MAGGIORE.  279 

\yh  Chapel.  Dion.  Calvaert.  Madonna  in  glory,  with  SS.  Lucy 
and  Catherine  and  the  Beato  Ranierl  beneath. 

i$tk  Chapel.  Jacopo  Avanzi.  The  Coronation  of  the  Virgin,  the 
central  compartment  of  a  large  altar-piece.  On  the  left  wall  is  a 
Crucifix  by  Simone  da  Bologna,  1370. 

*\^>th  Chapel  (of  the  Bentivogli).  Francesco  Francia.  The  Ma- 
donna and  Child  with  angels  and  saints— one  of  the  loveliest  works  of 
the  master. 

'  Francia  produced  his  first  picture  in  the  year  1490,  when  he  had 
already  attained  his  fortieth  year.  The  first  essay  was  considered  a 
master-piece,  and  the  artist  was  immediately  employed  to  paint  a 
Madonna,  with  all  the  accessory  details,  in  the  chapel  of  Giovanni 
Bentivoglio.  Here  he  so  far  surpassed  the  hopes  his  countrymen  had 
entertained  of  him,  that  they  began  to  look  upon  him  as  something 
superhuman,  and  proudly  opposed  him  to  the  leaders  of  the  rival 
schools." — Rio. 

'  This  picture  was  so  admirably  painted  by  Francia,  that  he  not 
only  received  many  praises  from  Messer  Giovanni,  but  also  a  very 
handsome  and  most  honourable  gift.' — Vasari. 

'  In  1490  Francesco  Francia  was  employed  by  Gio.  Bentivoglio  to 
paint  the  altar-piece  of  his  chapel,  where  4ie  signed  himself  "  Franciscus 
Francia  Aurifex,"  as  if  to  imply  that  he  belonged  to  the  goldsmiths- 
art,  not  to  that  of  painting.  Nevertheless,  that  work  is  a  beautiful 
specimen,  displaying  the  most  finished  delicacy  of  art  in  every  figure 
and  ornament,  especially  in  the  arabesque  pilasters,  in  the  Mantegna 
manner. ' — Lanzi. 

The  lunette  above,  an  '  Ecce  Homo,'  is  also  by  Francia.  Another 
lunette,  a  vision  from  the  Revelations,  is  by  Lorenzo  Costa,  as  well  as 
the  picture  (of  1488),  on  the  right  wall,  of  Gio.  Bentivoglio  and  his 
Family  in  adoration  before  the  Virgin,  and  the  two  curious  alle- 
gorical processions  on  the  left  wall.  The  relief  of  Annibale  Benti- 
voglio (ob.  1458)  on  horseback  is  by  Niccolo  tielf  Area.  The  bas-relief 
of  Giov.  Bentivoglio  is  attributed  to  Francia.  Outside  the  chapel  on 
the  choir  is  the  tomb,  attributed  to  Jacopo  del/a  Querda,  of  Antonio 
Bentivoglio,  who  was  beheaded  in  1435.  Near  it  is  the  very  interest- 
ing tomb  of  Niccolo  Fava,  a  famous  professor  of  medicine  in  the 
1 5th  century  ;  he  is  represented  above  in  death,  and  below  lecturing  to 
his  attentive  pupils. 

Near  the  24th  chapel,  by  a  side  door,  is  a  Madonna  in  fresco  re- 
moved from  the  ancient  palace  of  the  Bentivogli. 

In  the  Presbytery  is  the  noble  tomb  of  a  Marchese  de'  Fabri,  1438. 

The  custode  of  S.  Giacomo  has  the  keys  of  the  adjoining 
Church  of  S.  Cecilia,  built  1481  by  Gaspare  Nadi  for  the 


28o  BOLOGNA. 

famous  Giovanni  II.  Bentivoglio.  It  was  famous  for  its 
frescoes  of  the  school  of  the  Francias,  which  were  sadly 
mutilated  during  the  French  occupation.  They  are  still, 
however,  worthy  of  examination,  as  follows  : — 

1.  Francesco  Francia.     The  marriage  of  Cecilia  and  Valerian. 

2.  Lorenzo  Costa.     Pope  Urban  instructs  Valerian  in  the  Christian 

faith. 

3.  Giacomo  Francia.     The  Baptism  of  Valerian. 

4.  Chiodarolo.     An  angel  crowns  Valerian  and  Cecilia  with  roses. 

5.  Amico  Aspertini.     The  Martyrdom  of  Valerian  and  his  brother 

Tiburtius. 

6.  Id.     Their  Burial. 

7.  Chiodarolo.     S.  Cecilia  before  the  Prefect. 

8.  Giacomo  Francia.     S.  Cecilia  condemned  to  the  boiling  bath. 

9.  Lor.  Costa.     Having  survived  the  bath,  Cecilia  distributes  her 

wealth  to  the  poor. 

10.  Francesco  Francia.     The  burial  of  Cecilia. 

1  The  composition  in  these  works  is  extremely  simple,  without  any 
superfluous  accessory  figures  :  the  particular  moments  of  action  are  con- 
ceived and  developed  in  an  excellent  dramatic  style.  We  have  here  the 
most  noble  figures,  the  most  beautiful  and  graceful  heads,  an  intelligible 
arrangement  and  pure  taste  in  the  drapery,  and  masterly  landscape 
backgrounds. ' — Kugler. 

'  The  most  celebrated  of  Francia's  pupils  were  collected  round  him 
when  he  worked  at  the  chapel  of  S.  Cecilia,  but  only  three  among  them 
appear  to  have  assisted  in  the  execution  of  these  frescoes,  still  so  beau- 
tiful, in  spite  of  the  injuries  they  have  sustained,  and  which  are  for  the 
(school  of  Francia,  what  the  Loggia  of  the  Vatican  is  for  that  of 
Raffaelle.'—  Rio,  '  Poetry  of  Christian  Art.' 

Close  to  S.  Giacomo  is  the  Liceo  Rossini,  which  has  a 
magnificent  musical  library  worthy  of  the  musical  reputation 
of  Bologna.  Near  this,  is  the  Casa  Lambertini,  in  which 
Pope  Benedict  XIV.  was  born,  with  the  inscription  : — 

'  Parva  domus  Benedictum  excepit  matris  ab  alvo 
Magnum  parva  cui  maximo  Roma  fuit.' 

Opposite  S.  Giacomo,  is  the  Palazzo  Malvezzi-  Campeggio, 
remarkable  as  containing  some  tapestries  given  by  Henry 
VIII.  to  Cardinal  Campeggio,  when  papal  legate  in  England. 

A  little  behind  this,  marked  by  the  pillar  in  its  piazza,  is 
the  Gothic  Church  of  S.  Martino,  built  by  the  Carmelites 


THE    UNIVERSITY.  281 

in  the  i4th  century,  but  much  modernised  externally.     It 
contains  : — 

Right,  1st  Chapel.  Girolaino  de1  Carpi.  The  Adoration  of  the 
Shepherds. 

5//z  Chapel.  Amico  Astertini.  The  Virgin  and  Child  with  saints 
— girls  receiving  their  dowries. 

Jf/i  Chapel.     Gir.  Sicciolanle.     Virgin  and  Child  with  saints. 

8tA  Chapel.  Perugino  ?  Assumption,  with  the  Apostles  at  the 
empty  tomb. 

gth  Chapel.     Lod.  Caracci.     S.  Jerome. 

loth  Chapel.      Cesi.     The  Crucifixion. 

The  Cloister  is  rich  in  interesting  monuments.  That  (on  the  right 
wall)  of  a  professor  of  the  Saliceti  family  (1403)  lecturing,  is  attributed 
to  Andrea  da  Fiesole.  Near  it  is  a  similar  tomb  to  Professor  Fabio 
Renucci,  of  1610,  most  powerful  and  expressive.  On  the  same  wall 
is  an  interesting  monument  of  a  young  knight,  with  the  names  of  the 
battles  in  which  he  fought.  A  monument  on  the  next  wall  encloses  a 
fine  fragment  of  fresco— the  head  of  Christ. 

Returning  to  the  Strada  S.  Donato,  the  quaint  tower  on 
the  right  is  that  of  The  University,  which  was  founded  in  1 1 19, 
by  a  Professor  of  Law  named  Irnerius.  In  the  i3th  century 
it  assembled  as  many  as  10,000  students.  The  University 
was  moved  here  (to  the  ancient  Palazzo  Poggi)  in  1711,  from 
the  '  Antico  Archiginnasio '  near  S.  Petronio.  One  of  its 
remarkable  features  has  been  the  number  of  its  distinguished 
female  professors,  of  whom  was  Novella  d'Andrea  in  the 
1 4th  century,  whose  beauty  was  so  great  that  she  was  made 
to  lecture  from  behind  a  curtain,  in  order  that  the  attention 
of  the  students  might  not  be  distracted  by  her  charms.  In 
later  times  Laura  Bassi  was  Professor  of  Mathematics  and 
Natural  Philosophy,  Madonna  Mazzolina  was  Professor  of 
Anatomy,  and  (early  in  the  present  century)  the  beautiful 
and  saintly  Clotilda  Tambroni  was  Professor  of  Greek. 

'  The  honours,  titles,  and  privileges  conferred  upon  this  University 
by  kings  and  emperors,  by  synods  and  pontiffs,  the  deference  paid  to 
its  opinions,  and  the  reverence  that  waited  upon  its  graduates,  prove 
the  high  estimation  in  which  it  was  once  held ;  and  the  names  of 
Gratian  and  Aldrovandus,  of  Malpighi  and  Guglieltnini,  of  Ferres  and 
Cassini,  are  alone  sufficient  to  show  that  this  high  estimation  was  not 
unmerited. '— Eustace. 


282  BOLOGNA. 

The  University  possesses  (on  the  ground-floor)  a  small 
collection  of  antiquities  Egyptian  and  Etruscan,  the  gem  of 
the  latter  being  a  very  beautiful  Patera  from  Arezzo  repre- 
senting the  birth  of  Minerva.  At  the  end  of  the  last  hall, 
between  fine  bronze  busts  of  Gregory  XIV.  and  XV.,  is  a 
most  extraordinary  statue  of  Boniface  VIII. 

'  The  colossal  statue  of  Boniface  VIII.  is  made  of  beaten  plates  of 
metal  fastened  together  with  nails.  It  is  the  work  of  a  native  goldsmith 
and  painter  named  Manno,  and  was  erected  to  the  pope  during  his  life- 
time by  the  Bolognese,  out  of  gratitude  for  a  decision  he  had  given 
against  the  Modenese  in  a  dispute  between  them  concerning  the  castles 
of  Bazzano  and  Savignano.  The  eyes  are  staring  and  inexpressive  ;  the 
head  is  covered  with  a  plain  mitre ;  and  the  stiff  figure  is  robed  in  a 
long  vestment,  with  a  short  cape  falling  over  the  shoulders ;  one  hand 
rests  upon  the  heart,  and  the  fingers  of  the  other  are  bent  in  sign  of 
benediction.' — Perkins,  ''Italian  Sculptors.'' 

In  the  fine  Library,  the  famous  Giuseppe  Mezzofanti 
(born  1776),  whose  father  was  a  small  shopkeeper  in 
Bologna,  began  his  career  as  librarian.  In  his  35th  year 
he  spoke  18  languages  fluently,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
as  many  as  42.  He  was  made  Cardinal  in  1837  by  Gregory 
XVI.,  and  died  at  Naples  in  1849.  The  Library  of  Mez^o- 
fanti,  sold  after  his  death,  was  purchased  by  Pope  Pius  IX., 
and  presented  to  the  University.  It  occupies  the  last  room 
of  the  suite.  In  the  Reading  Room  are  a  number  of  por- 
traits, including  that  of  Clotilda  Tambroni.  In  the  corridor 
are  monuments  to  Morgagnio  the  Anatomist,  and  Galvano 
the  inventor  of  Galvanism.  The  University  now  possesses 
48  professors  and  about  400  students. 

On  the  left,  a  few  steps  down  the  Via  delle  Belle  Arti, 
formerly  Borgo  della  Paglia  (No.  i),  is  the  entrance  of  the 
Auademia  delle  Belle  Arti,  containing  the  Picture  Gallery, 
which  is  open  daily  from  9  to  3,  on  payment  of  i  fr.  per 
head.  The  pictures  are  not  numbered  as  they  are  hung,  but 
occur  in  the.prder  described  here.  They  occupy  a  series  of 
shabby  rooms,  where  they  suffer  terribly  from  damp.  Visitors 
ring.  The  catalogue  (i^  fr.)  is  useless. 

From  the  entrance  corridor,  it  is  necessary  to  turn  first  to 


ACCADEMIA   DELLE  BELLE  ARTL          283 

the  left,  to  take  the  Schools  in  their  order.     We  then  find — 
znd  Hall  (or  Corridor)  B.  : 

64.  Francesco  Cossa  da  Ferrara  (1474).     Madonna  with  SS.  Peter 
and  John. 

'  An  excellent  work,  though  the  heads  are  wanting  in  charm.' — 
Bitrckhardt. 

145.  Jac.  Tintoretto.     The  Visitation. 
33.  Lod.  Caracci.     S.  Roch. 
30.  Ann.  Caracci.     The  Assumption. 
141.   Guido  Reni.     Coronation  of  the  Virgin. 
292.   (over  door)  Innocenza  da  Inula.     Madonna  with  SS.  Francis 

and  Clara. 
'  Freely  executed  in  the  Raphaelesque  spirit.' — Btirckhardt. 

yd  Hall  C.   (containing  a  curious  collection  of  early  pic- 
tures chiefly  by  Bolognese  masters) : 

IO2.    Giotto.     An  Ancona,   originally  in  four  divisions,   with  the 

figures  of  SS.  Peter  and  Paul,  Michael  and  Gabriel.     (The 

central  compartment  is  at  Milan.) 
205.  Ant.  e  Bart.    Vivarini  da  Murano,    1450.      Madonna  and 

saints.     The  ornaments  by  Cristoforo  da  Ferrara. 
2O2.     S.  Caterina  Vigri  (an   Ursuline  nun,  the  only  female  artist 

canonised,  1413-1463).     S.  Ursula. 

'  Her  pictures  are  of  weak  but  pleasing  expression,  and  may  be 
classed  with  the  better  Sienese  works  of  the  day. ' — Kugler. 

109.    Giov.  Martorelli.     Altar-piece  with  Madonna  and  Saints. 
160.  Jacopo  degli  Avanzi.     The  Bearing  of  the  Cross. 

4//;  Hall  D.  : 

392.   Lorenzo  Costa,  1491.     Throned  Madonna  with  saints. 
*l.  Francesco  Albani  (1599).     Madonna  with  SS.  Catherine  and 

Mary  Magdalene,  painted  by  the  artist  in  his  2 1st  year. 
275.  An.  Raphael  Mengs.    Pope  Clement  XIII.  (Carlo  Rezzonico). 

'  Grander,  truer,  and  less  pretentious  than  any  Italian  portrait  of 
the  1 8th  century.' — Burckhardt. 

6 1.    Cima  da  Conegliano.     Madonna  with  God  the  Father  above. 
129.    Giuliano  Bugiardini  (1481-1556).     Madonna. 
*83.  Francesco  Francia.    The  dead  Christ  supported  by  two  angels. 
116.  Parmigianino.     Madonna  and  Child  with  saints. 

$th  Hall  E.  (the  masterpieces  of  the  Bolognese  School) : 

182.  Aless.    Tiarini  (1577-1668).      Lamentation  over   the   Dead 
Christ. 


284  BOLOGNA. 

*I35-   Guido  Reni.     The  Massacre  of  the  Innocents. 

'  A  very  celebrated  picture.  The  female  figures  are  beautiful,  and 
the  composition  is  very  animated,  but  the  feeling  for  mere  abstract 
beauty  is  here  very  apparent.' — Kugler. 

'  Guido  personified  hardness  in  the  executioners,  but  not  bestial 
ferocity ;  he  softened  the  grimace  of  lamentation,  and  even  by  beautiful 
truly  architectonic  arrangement,  and  by  nobly-formed  figures,  elevated 
the  horrible  into  the  tragic;  he  produced  this  effect  without  the  ac- 
cessories of  a  heavenly  glory,  without  the  doubtful  contrast  of  ecstatic 
fainting  at  the  horrors :  his  work  is  certainly  the  most  perfect  com- 
position of  the  century  as  to  pathos.' — Burckhardt. 

138.  Guido  Reni,  1630.  'La  Madonna  del  Rosario,' seen  above 
the  town  of  Bologna,  with  the  patron  saints  interceding  for 
it.  This  picture,  which  commemorated  the  deliverance  of 
the  town  from  a  pestilence,  was  formerly  in  the  Palazzo 
Pubblico,  and  used  to  be  carried  in  processions. 
13.  Guerdtic.  S.  Bruno  in  the  Wilderness,  and  his  Vision  of  the 
Virgin. 

*I37.  Guido  Reni.  The  triumph  of  Samson  after  having  vanquished 
the  Philistines.  Painted  to  go  over  a  chimney-piece  (whence 
the  form)  for  Cardinal  Ludovisi-Buoncompagni,  Archbishop 
of  Bologna,  who  bequeathed  it  to  the  town. 

12.  Guercino  (1620).  S.  William,  Duke  of  Aquitaine,  receiving 
the  habit  of  a  monk  from  S.  Felix.  From  the  church  of  S. 
Gregorio. 

*I36.    Guido  Reni.     The  Crucifixion. 

'The  Madonna  and  S.  John  are  beside  the  Cross;  the  Virgin  is  a 
figure  of  solemn  beauty;  one  of  Guide's  finest  and  most  dignified  crea- 
tions. ' — Kugler. 

208.  Domenichino.     Death  of  S.  Peter  Martyr.     Painted  for  two 
nuns  of  the  Spada  family,  for  the  convent  of  '  Le  Monache 
Dominicane. '     A  horrible  picture,  'only  a  new  edition  of 
the  work  of  Titian.' 
38.  Annibale  Caracd.     The  Assumption. 

*I34.  Guido  Reni  (1616).  'La  Madonna  della  Pieta,'  with  two 
angels  bewailing  the  dead  Christ.  Below  are  SS.  Petronio, 
Domenico,  Carlo  Borromeo,  Francis,  and  Proculus,  with 
the  town  of  Bologna. 

*I4O.  Id.     S.  Sebastian  bound  to  a  cypress-tree. 

'  Le  S.  Sebastien  n'est-qu'ebauche,  et  cependant  il  a  toute  son  ex- 
pression de  douleur  et  de  sacrifice.' — I'a'.cry. 

•139.  Id.  S.  Andrea  Corsini,  Bishop  of  Fiesole  (ob.  I3?3\  In  the 
right  hand,  which  is  gloved,  he  holds  his  pastoral  staff,  in 


ACCADEMIA   DELLE  BELLE  ARTI.          285 

the  left  a  copy  of  the  Scriptures— a  picture  full  of  solemn 
expression  and  beauty. 

6///   Hall  F.    (said  to   be  in  course  of  re-arrangement  in 
1883) : 

84.    Giacomo  Francia  (son  of  Francesco),  1526.     Madonna  with 
SS.  Francis,  Bernard,  Sebastian,  and  George. 

122.  Niccolb  da  Cremona  (1518).     The  Deposition  from  the  Cross. 

*78.  Francesco  Francia  (1495).  Madonna  with  the  Baptist,  SS. 
Augustine  and  Monica,  SS.  Francis,  Proculus,  and  Sebastian, 
and  the  donor — Bartolommeo  Felicini ;  most  exquisite  in 
colour  and  expression. 

""197.  Pietro  Perugino.  Madonna  in  glory,  with  SS.  Michael,  Cath- 
erine, Apollonia,  and  John  (in  old  age)  beneath ;  formerly 
in  the  Cappella  Vizzani  in  S.  Giovanni  in  Monte.  Signed 
'  Petrus  Peruginus  pinxit.' 

79.  F.  Francia.    Annunciation.     The  Virgin  receives  the  message 

standing  between  the  Baptist  and  S.  Jerome. 

*2O4.  Timoteo  della  Vite,  1508.  (The  favourite  and  son-like  pupil 
of  Francia.)  The  Magdalen  in  the  Wilderness,  from  the 
cathedral  of  Urbino. 

'  The  Magdalen  stands  in  a  cave  clothed  in  a  red  mantle ;  her  hair 
flows  to  her  feet,  as  she  leans  her  head  gracefully  towards  her  left 
shoulder.  This  picture,  though  in  the  old  manner,  is  extremely  well 
executed ;  the  drapery  falls  in  large  and  beautiful  folds :  the  painting 
is  soft  and  warm,  and  the  expression  of  the  countenance  full  of  feel- 
ing. ' — Kughr. 

'  A  mysteriously  attractive  figure. ' — Burckhardt. 

'The  Magdalen  is  standing  before  the  entrance  of  her  cavern, 
arrayed  in  a  crimson  mantle ;  her  long  hair  is  seen  beneath  descending 
to  her  feet ;  the  hands  joined  in  prayer,  the  head  declined  on  one  side, 
and  the  whole  expression  that  of  girlish  innocence  and  simplicity,  with 
a  touch  of  the  pathetic.  A  mendicant,  not  a  Magdalen,  is  the  idea 
suggested ;  and,  for  myself,  I  confess  that  at  the  first  glance  I  was 
reminded  of  the  little  Red- Riding  Hood,  and  could  think  of  no  sin 
that  could  have  been  attributed  to  such  a  face  and  figure,  beyond  the 
breaking  of  a  pot  of  butter;  yet  the  picture  is  very  beautiful.' — Jame- 
son's  '  Sacred  Art. ' 

89.  Innocenzo  da  Imola,  1517.     Madonna  in  glory  with  angels. 

S.  Michael  subdues  Satan  beneath. 

189.  Giorgio  Vasari,  1540.  The  Supper  of  S.  Gregory,  in  which 
our  Saviour  appeared  as  the  thirteenth  guest. 

80.  Francesco  Francia.     Madonna  and  saints. 

26.    Gugl.  Bugiardini.     Marriage  of  S.  Catherine. 


286  BOLOGNA. 

*I52.  Raffaelle.     S.    Cecilia  in  ecstasy,   surrounded  by  SS.    Paul, 
John  the  Evangelist,  Augustine,  and  Mary  Magdalen.     In 
listening  to  the  heavenly  choir,  the  saint  has  dropped  her 
earthly  instruments  of  music,  which  lie  broken  at  her  feet.  — 
Painted  for  the  Bentivoglio  chapel  at  S.  Giovanni  in  Monte. 
'  All  are  listening  to  the  choir  of  angels  only  indicated  in  the  air 
above.    Raffaelle  gave  song  to  this  wonderfully  improvised  upper  group, 
whose  victory  over   instruments   is   here  substituted  for  the  conquest 
itself  impossible  to  represent,  of  heavenly  tone  over  the  earth'y,  with  a 
symbolism  worthy  of  all  admiration.     Cecilia  is  wisely  represented  as 
a  rich  and  physically  powerful  being;  only  thus  (not,  e.g.  as  a  nervous 
interesting  being)  could  she  give  the  impression  of  full  happiness  without 
excitement.     Her  regal  dress  also  is  essential  for  the  desired  objecf, 
and  increases  the  impression  of  complete  absorption  in  calm  delight. 
Paul,  inwardly  moved,  leans  on  his  sword :  the  folded  paper  in  his 
hand  indicates  that  in  the  presence  of  the  heavenly  harmonies  the 
written  revelation  also  must  be  silent,  as  something  that  has  been  ful- 
filled.   John,  in  whispered  conversation  with  S.  Augustine,  both  listen- 
ing,  variously  affected.      The   Magdalen  is,   to   speak  openly,  made 
unsympathetic,  in  order  to  make  the  beholder  rightly  conscious  of  the 
delicate  scale  of  expression  in  the  four  others ;  for  the  rest,  one  of  the 
giandest,  most  beautiful  figures  of  Raffaelle.     The  true  limits  within 
which  the  inspiration  of  several  different  personages  has  to  be  repre- 
sented, are  in  this  picture  preserved  with  a  tact  which  is  entirely  strange 
to  the  latest  painters  of  the  Feast  of  Pentecost.' — Burckhardt. 

'  There  appears  in  the  expression  throughout  this  simply-arranged 
group  a  progre-sive  sympathy,  of  which  the  revelation  made  to  S.  Cecilia 
forms  the  central  point.' — Kugler. 

i  '  S.  Cecilia  is  listening  in  ecstasy  to  the  songs  of  the  eel  stial  choir, 
as  their  voices  reach  her  ear  from  heaven  itself.  Wholly  given  up  to 
the  celestial  harmony,  the  countenance  of  the  saint  affords  full  evidence 
of  her  abstraction  from  the  things  of  earth,  and  wears  that  rapt  expres- 
sion which  is  wont  to  be  seen  upon  the  faces  of  those  who  are  in  ecstasy. 
Musical  instruments  lie  scattered  around  her,  and  these  do  not  seem  to 
be  merely  painted,  but  might  be  taken  for  the  objects  they  represent. 
...  It  may  indeed  with  truth  be  declared  that  the  paintings  of  other 
masters  are  properly  to  be  called  painting,  but  those  of  Raffaelle  may 
well  be  described  as  the  life  itself,  for  the  flesh  trembles,  the  breathing 
is  made  obvious  to  sight,  the  pulses  of  his  fingers  beat,  and  life  is  in 
its  utmost  animation  through  all  his  works. ' —  Vasari. ' 

1  The  story  told  by  Vasari  that  Francia  died  of  envy  on  seeing  this  picture  is 
utterly  false.  Francia  survived  Raffaelle  ten  years,  and  regarded  him  with  unmixed 
respect  and  affection.  They  were  correspondents,  and  presented  each  other  with 
their  portraits.  When  Francia  suffered  severely  by  the  expulsion  of  the  Bentivoglio 
family,  Raffaelle  wrote  imploring  him  to  take  courage,  and  assuring  him  that  he  felt 
his  affliction  as  his  own. 


ACCADEMIA   DELLE  BELLE  ARTI.          287 

133.  Bart,  Raincnghi  (Bagnacarallo}  (1484-1542).  A  pupil  of 
Francia  and  Raffae'.le.  Holy  Family  with  saints— a  very 
lovely  picture. 

*65-  Lorenzo  Costa.   S.  Petronio,  S.  Francis,  and  S.  Thomas  Aquinas 

— magnificent  colour  on  a  gold  ground. 

81.  Francesco  Francia  (i499\  The  child  Jesus  with  the  Madonna, 
SS.  Augustine,  Jo-eph,  and  Francis,  also  the  portraits  of 
the  Protonotary,  Mgr.  Antonio  Galeazzo  Bentivoglio,  and 
the  poet  Girolamo  dei  Pandolfi  di  Casio.  Painted  for  the 
church  of  the  Misericordia  and  known  as  '  the  Bentivoglio 
Madonna.' 

108.    Gijolamo  da  Cotignola.     Marriage  of  the  Virgin. 

'  His  master-piece,  inspired  indeed  not  by  his  father,  but  by  the 
Venetians,  and  therefore  free  from  sentimentality.'—  Burckhardt. 

1th  Hall  G.  (works  of  the  Caracci  and  their  scholars.)" : 

37.   Annibale  Caracci,  1593.     Madonna  and  Saints. 
2.  Francesco  Albani.      The   Baptism  of  Christ,    with  God   the 
Father  in  glory.     From  the  church  of  S.  Giorgio. 

'On  looking  at  the  angels  in  this  picture  one  remembers  in- 
voluntarily how,  in  mediaeval  pictures,  the  angels  who  hold  up  drapery 
have  still  time  and  feeling  to  spare  for  adoration. ' — Btirckhardt. 

42.  Lod.  Caracci,  1558.     Madonna  with  saints  and  angels. 
*2o6.  Domenichino.     The  Martyrdom  of  S.  Agnes. 

Lanzi  mentions  that  Guido,  the  rival  of  Domenichino,  valued  this 
picture  above  the  works  of  Raffaelle.  It  was  painted  for  the  Convent 
of  S.  Agnes,  where  it  remained  till  1796.  This  famous  group  of  the 
mother  and  terrified  child  is  introduced  here,  on  the  right,  as  at  S. 
Gregorio  at  Rome. 

'  The  stabbing  on  the  pile  of  wood,  makes  the  harshest  possible 
contrast  with  all  the  violin-playing,  flute-blowing,  and  harping  of  the 
angelic  group  above. ' — Burckhardt. 

36.  Ann.  Caracci.  Madonna  and  Child  in  glory,  with  saints  below. 
From  the  high  altar  of  SS.  Ludovico  ed  Alessio.     The  S. 
Roch  is  a  magnificent  figure. 
55.  Agostino  Caracci.     Assumption. 
47.  Lod.  Caracci,  1607.     Conversion  of  S.  Paul. 

43.  Id.  1593.     The  Transfiguiation. 

45.  Lod.  Caracci  (iy)-j).  The  Birth  of  the  Baptist.  The  portrait 
of  Monsignor  Ratta  is  introduced,  who  gave  the  picture  to 
the  monastery  of  S.  John  Baptist. 

'  A  resolute,  grand  picture. ' — Burckhardt. 

183.  Aless.  Tiarini  (1577-1668).     Marriage  of  S.  Catherine. 


288  BOLOGNA. 

'  SS.  Margaret  and  Barbara  also  assist  at  the  ceremony.  The  good 
Joseph  in  the  meantime  converses  in  the  foreground  with  the  three 
litile  messengers  who  have  in  charge  the  wheel  of  S.  Catherine,  the 
dragon  of  S.  Margaret,  and  the  little  tower  of  S.  Barbara.' — Burckhardt. 

34.  Agost.  Caracci.  The  Communion  of  S.  Jerome.  The  most 
important  picture  by  Agostino  (whose  works  are  rare)  in  the 
Gallery. 

46.  Lod.  Caracci  (1602).  The  Preaching  of  the  Baptist. 
207.  Donunichino.  Madonna  del  Rosario.  From  this  the  famous 
Domenichino  at  the  Vatican  is  eviiently  in  great  measure 
taken.  Pope  Honorius  III.  kneels  amongst  the  figures  in 
the  foreground.  From  the  Ratta  chapel  at  S.  Giovanni  in 
Monte. 

'  The  Madonna  del  Rosario  is  seated  in  glory,  and  in  her  lap  the 
Divine  Infant ;  both  scatter  roses  on  the  earth  from  a  vase  sustained  by 
three  lovely  cherubs.  At  the  feet  of  the  Virgin  kneels  S.  Domenic, 
holding  in  one  hand  the  rosary;  with  the  other  he  points  to  the  Virgin, 
indicating  by  what  means  she  is  to  be  propitiated.  Angels  holding  the 
symbols  of  the  "  Mysteries  of  the  Rosary  "  (the  joys  and  sorrows  of  the 
Virgin),  surround  the  celestial  personages.  On  the  earth,  below,  are 
various  groups,  expressing  the  ages,  conditions,  calamities,  and  neces- 
sities of  human  life : — lovely  children  playing  with  a  crown ;  virgins 
attacked  by  a  fierce  warrior,  representing  oppressed  maidenhood ;  a 
man  and  his  consort,  representing  the  pains  and  cares  of  marriage,  &c. 
And  all  these  with  rosaries  in  their  hands  are  supposed  to  obtain  aid, 
"  per  1'  intercessione  del' santissimo  Rosario.'" — Jameson's  '•Monastic 
Orders.' 

55.    Giacomo   Cavedoni   (1580-1668).       Madonna   in   glory,   with 

kneeling  saints. 

44.  Lod.  Caracci.  The  calling  of  S.  Matthew.  Painted  for  the 
chapel  of  the  Corporation  of  Meat-Salters. 

St/i  Hall  H. : 

172.   Giov.  Andrea  Sirani.     The  Presentation  of  the  Virgin  in  the 

Temple. 
75.  Lavinia  Fontana,  1590.     S.   Francesco  di  Paula  blesses  the 

Infant  son  of  the  Duchess  of  Savoy. 
175.  Elis.  Sirani,  1662.    S.  Antony  of  Padua  kneeling  at  the  feet 

of  the  Infant  Saviour. 
82.  F.  Francia.     Small  pictures  from  the  Life  of  Christ. 

'  The  Virgin  is  represented  in  a  vast  and  sublime  landscape,  which 
for  the  pastoral  poetry  it  contains  equals,  if  it  does  not  surpass,  the 
most  celebrated  works  of  the  same  kind  produced  by  other  painters.' — 
J\io. 


55.    VITALE  ED  AGRICOLA.  289 

*I42.  Guido  Reni.    Head  of  Christ.     Study  on  paper  for  the  picture 

in  the  Louvre. 

14.    Guercino.     The  Death  of  S.  Peter  Martyr. 
3.  Fr.  Albani.     Madonna,  with  saints  and  angels. 

'  Of  Albani  it  has  been  said  that  the  Loves  seem  to  have  mixed  his 
colours,  and  the  Graces  to  have  fashioned  his  forms ;  such  is  the  soft 
glow  of  his  tints,  such  the  ease  and  beauty  of  his  groups  of  figures.  '— 
Eustace. 

19.    Guercino.     Magdalen,  half-length. 

48.  Lod.   Caracci.     Madonna  in  a  glory  of  angels,  standing  on  the 

moon,  with  SS.  Jerome  and  Francis  beside  her. 
1 8.   Guercino.     S.  John,  half-length. 
279.   Dion  Calvaert.     The  Flagellation. 

74.  Prospero  Fontana.     The  Deposition. 

274.  Francesco  Francia.  Madonna  with  SS.  Bernard,  Anthony, 
John  Baptist,  and  Roch.  Signed  '  Francia  Aurifex.  B.  pinxit 
MCCCCC.' 

On  a  screen,  360.  Nicolo  Alunno  di  Foligno,  1482.  An  Altar- 
piece  painted  on  both  sides. 

Behind  the  Academy  is  the  Orto  Botanico  e  Agrario,  which 
is  worth  visiting,  as  it  occupies  the  site  of  the  villa  of  Gio- 
vanni 1 1.  Bentivoglio.  The  only  part  of  the  ancient  buildings 
remaining  (now  used  as  a  lecture-room)  is  decorated  with 
frescoes  of  classical  subjects  by  Innocenzo  da  Imola. 

In  the  Borgo  della  Paglia  is  the  Palazzo  Bentivoglio,  com- 
memorating by  its  name  the  ancient  palace  destroyed  at  the 
instigation  of  Julius  II. 


Returning  to  the  Leaning  Towers,  let  us  now  follow  the 
Strada  S.  Vitale.  On  the  left  is  the  Church  of  SS.  Vitale 
ed  Agricola,  on  the  site  of  a  building  said  to  have  been  con- 
secrated by  S.  Petronius  and  S.  Ambrose  in  428.  In  the 
porch  is  a  sarcophagus  by  Maestro  Rosa  da  Parma,  the 
tomb  of  the  anatomist  Mondino  de'  Liucci  :  it  is  adorned 
with  a  relief  of  the  professor  expounding  to  his  pupils.  The 
church  contains  : — 

Right  2nd  Chapel.     Aless.    Tiarini.     Scene  from  the  Flight  into 

Egypt- 

6th  Chapel.     Wrongly  attributed  to  Perugino.     The  Nativity. 
VOL.  II.  U 


290  BOLOGNA. 

•jlh  Chapel.     Giacomo  Francia  (fresco).     The  Nativity. 

Bagnacavallo  (fresco).     The  Visitation  (with  portraits  of  the  donors). 

8M  Chapel.  Francesco  Francia.  Covering  an  old  picture  of  the 
Madonna. 

The  column  with  an  ancient  Cross  in  this  church  once  marked  the 
spot  in  the  street  outside,  where  SS.  Vitale  and  Agricola  were  martyred. 

Opposite  the  church  is  the  Palazzo  Fantuzzi  or  Pedrazzi, 
built  1605,  after  plans  left  by  A.  Marchesi.  At  each  angle 
is  the  crest  of  its  original  owner,  an  elephant  with  a  castle 
on  its  back. 

Returning  to  the  Towers,  and  following  the  Strada  Mag- 
giore,  on  the  left  is  the  Palazzo  Zampieri,  which  formeily 
contained  a  very  fine  collection  of  pictures.  These  have  now 
been  dispersed  ;  but  the  ceilings  of  the  five  principal  apart- 
ments are  decorated  with  noble  frescoes,  viz. : 

1.  Lod.  Caracci.     Jupiter  in  combat  with  Hercules. 

2.  Ann.  Caracci.     Hercules  conducted  by  Virtue. 

3.  Agost,  Caracci.     Hercules  and  Atlas. 

4.  Guercino.     Hercule?  and  Antaeus. 

5.  Id.     Hercules,  the  Genius  of  Power. 

Just  beyond  this  Palazzo  is  the  Casa  Rossini  (No.  243), 
built  by  Rossini  in  1828,  and  adorned  with  Latin  and  Italian 
inscriptions.  In  front  is — from  Cicero — 

'  Non  domo  dominus,  sed  domino  domus. ' 

On  the  right  is  the  Church  of  S.  Maria  dei  Senn,  with 
its  beautiful  Portico  resting  upon  marble  columns,  built  by 
Fra  Andrea  Manfredi  da  Faenza  in  1393.  In  the  lunettes 
under  the  church  wall  are  20  subjects,  illustrative  of  the  life 
of  the  Beato  Filippo  Benizzi,  by  the  later  painters  of  the 
Bologna  school.  The  Church  is  also  from  designs  of 
Manfredi,  and  was  begun  in  1383.  It  contains  : — 

Right  2nd  Chapel.  Franceschini  (painted  in  his  85th  year).  Ma- 
donna giving  the  habit  to  the  seven  founders  of  the  Servites. 

fyh  Chapel.     Dion.  Calvaert,  1601.     Paradise. 

loth  Chapel.  A  marble  pitcher  said  to  have  been  used  at  the  Feast 
of  Cana,  presented  by  Fra  Vitale  Baccilini,  general  of  the  Servites,  who 
had  been  ambassador  to  the  Sultan  of  Egypt  in  1350. 

The  High  Altar  is  by  Ginlio  JBoz'i,  1560,  the  figures  of  Adam  and 


S.   CRISTINA,  S.   GIOVANNI  IN  MONTE.      291 

Moses  near  it  by  Fro.  Gio.  Angiolo  da  Montcrsolo.  At  the  back  of  the 
choir  is  the  slab  tomb  of  the  architect  Manfredi,  ob.  1396. 

2\st  Chapel  (of  S.  Carlo)  is  said  by  tradition  to  have  been  painted  by 
Guido  by  lamplight  in  one  night. 

2$rd  Chapel.  Innocenzo  da  Imola.  Annunciation.  The  roof  and 
walls  are  by  Bagnacavallo. 

2$:h  Chapel.  Albani.  S.  Andrew  adores  the  cross  on  which  he  is 
about  to  suffer.  The  tomb  of  Cardinal  Ulisse  Gozzadini. 

7.1th  Chapel.  Id.     'Noli  me  tangere.' 

Opposite  the  Servi  is  the  huge  .Palazzo  Bargellini. 

Just  beyond  S.  Maria  is  the  Palazzo  Hercolani,  built  at 
the  end  of  the  last  century  by  Ang.  Ventitruli,  with  a  fine 
staircase  by  Carlo  Bianconi.  All  its  art-collections  have 
been  dispersed. 

The  next  street  on  the  right,  beyond  this,  leads,  by  the 
closed  Church  of  S.  Cristina,  to  the  Strada  S.  Stefano,  near 
the  Porta  of  that  name,  and  almost  opposite  the  Palazzo  de' 
Bianchi,  which  has  a  frescoed  ceiling  by  Guido  Rent  repre- 
senting Aeneas  and  the  Harpies.  Adjoining  this  palace  is 
the  Church  of  the  SS.  Trinitd,  which  contains  : — 

Right,  2nd  Altar.     Lavinia  Foutana.     Birth  of  the  Virgin. 
High  Altar.     Guercino.     The  Virgin  appearing  to  S.  Roch. 

Turning  towards  the  town,  down  the  Strada  S.  Stefano, 
we  come  (left),  close  to  the  Teatro  del  Corso,  to  the  Church 
of  S.  Giovanni  in  Monte,  so  called  from  being  situated  on  a 
slight  rise,  the  highest  ground  in  the  city.  It  was  founded 
by  S.  Petronio,  in  433,  was  rebuilt  in  1221,  and  though 
restored  since,  retains  internally  somewhat  of  its  Gothic 
character.  The  eagle  of  S.  John  in  painted  terra-cotta,  over 
the  great  door,  is  by  Niccolo  dell'  Area.  The  interior  con- 
tains : — 

Right,  1st  Chapel.   Giac.  Francia.   Christ  appearing  to  the  Magdalen. 

2nd  Chapel.     Bart.  Cesi.    The  Crucifixion. 

yd  Chapel.      Guercino.     Oval  pictures  of  S.  Joseph  and  S.  Jerome. 

That  of  S.  Joseph  is  excellent.  The  Child  holds  out  to  its  foster- 
father  a  rose  to  smell. 

6th  Chapel.  Lippo  Dalmasio,  1340.  Small  picture  of  the  Madonna. 
Some  authorities  attribute  this  picture  to  Vitale. 

yth  Chapel.     Lorenzo  Costa,     Madonna  throned  with  Saints, 
u  2 


292 


BOLOGNA. 


Apse  of  Choir.  Id.  The  Virgin  throned  with  the  Almighty  and  the 
Saviour  ;  beneath,  SS.  John,  Augustin,  Victor,  and  others.  Theintarsia 
work  of  the  choir  stalls  is  by  Paolo  Sacca,  I52S-  The  terra-cotta  busts 
of  the  Apostles  over  the  stalls  are  by  Alfonso  Lomlardo. 

12th  Chapel.  The  original  position  of  the  S.  Cecilia  of  Raffaelle  —  a 
bad  copy  is  now  here.  Under  the  altar  is  buried  the  Beata  Elena  Dugli- 
oli  dall'  Olio,  at  whose  expense  the  picture  was  painted. 

i"jth  Chapel  (last  but  one).    Guercino.    S.  Francis  adoring  the  crucifix. 

The  Stained  Glass  is  good,  especially  the  round  window  representing 
S.  John  in  Patmos. 


S.  Stefano,  Bologna. 

A  little  further  down  the  street,  on  the  right,  is  the  Church 
of  S.  Stefano,  one  of  the  most  curious  in  Bologna,  said  to 
have  been  built  in  imitation  of  the  Church  of  the  Holy 
Sepulchre,  to  which  its  only  likeness  consists  in  the  union  of 
a  number  of  small  churches  under  one  roof.  The  chief 
portal  (near  which  is  an  outside  pulpit)  leads  into  the 
Church  of  the  Crocifisso  of  1637.  Hence  some  steps  lead 
down  into  the  Chapel  of  the  Beata  Giuliana  de1  Banzi,  who 
is  buried  there  in  a  marble  sarcophagus.  The  third  church 
is  S.  Sepolcro,  evidently  an  ancient  Baptistery  (restored  1882), 
surrounded  by  marble  columns,  said  to  be  taken  from  a  temple 
of  Isis,  and  rather  like  S.  Vitale  at  Ravenna.  Beneath  the 
altar  is  the  tomb  which  was  intended  to  receive  the  body  of 
S.  Petronio,  who  is  said  to  have  rendered  the  water  of  the 
central  well  miraculous.  The  fourth  church,  SS.  Pietro  e 


5.   STEFANO.  293 

Paolo,  is  said  to  have  been  the  original  cathedral  of  Bologna, 
founded  by  S.  Faustinianus  in  330.  It  contains  a  Madonna 
and  Child  with  SS.  Nicolas  and  John,  by  Lor.  Sabbatini,  and 
a  Crucifix  by  Simon  of  Bologna.1 

'  Like  Giotto's,  the  crucifixes  of  "  Simone  de'  Crocifissi"  have  only  one 
nail  in  the  feet,  but  the  emaciation  is  in  the  worst  Byzantine  taste,  and 
grief  in  the  attendant  figures  of  the  Virgin  and  S.  John  is  uniformly 
caricatured.  This  is  perhaps  one  of  his  best  works.' — Lord  Lindsay. 

The  fifth  church,  which  is  in  fact  a  small  open  cloister, 
called  LAtrio  di  Pilato,  contains  a  mediaeval  font  removed 
from  the  Baptistery,  and  a  Crucifixion  with  SS.  Jerome, 
Francis,  and  Mary  Magdalen  by  Gtac.  Francia,  1520.  The 
sixth  church,  La  Confessions,  is  a  kind  of  crypt,  in  which  the 
native  martyrs  Vitale  and  Agricola  are  buried.  The  seventh 
church,  S.  Trinita,  contains  a  reliquary  by  Jacopo  Rossetti, 
1380,  a  figure  of  S.  Ursula  by  Simone  da  Bologna,  and 
some  quaint  pictures. 

'  This  nest  of  queer  little  churches  has  little  of  architectural,  as  dis- 
tinguished from  antiquarian  interest.  .The  brickwork  in  the  cloister 
and  in  some  of  the  external  walls  is  extremely  good.  Some  of  the  latter 
are  diapered  or  reticulated  on  the  face  with  square  yellow  tile«  with 
dividing  lines  of  red  brick,  and  the  cornices  are  of  the  same  two  colours 
also.  In  the  cloister  the  columns  and  inner  order  of  the  arches  are  of 
stone,  the  rest  of  the  walls  and  cornices  being  of  red  and  yellow  bricks, 
and  in  one  part  there  is  a  course  of  red,  green,  and  yellow  tiles  alternated. 
The  effect  of  this  is  extremely  pretty. ' — Street. 

On  the  left  side  of  the  piazza  is  the  Palazzo  Bolognini 
of  1525,  adorned  with  terra-cotta  heads  in  medallions  by 
Alfonso  Lombardi. 

The  adjoining  Palazzo  Pepoli  (facing  into  the  street 
behind  the  Strada  S.  Stefano)  is  an  immense  brick  building 
of  1344,  more  like  a  castle  than  a  palace.  It  has  a  beautiful 
terra-cotta  entrance.  Opposite  it,  is  a  later  palace  of  the 
same  name,  occupying  the  site  of  the  palace  of  the  great 
captain  Taddeo  Pepoli. 

La  Madonna  del  Barracano  contains,  at  its  high-altar,  a 

1  It  is  inscribed : — '  Affixus  lingno  pte  suffero  penas.     Symon  fecit  hoc  opus. 
Memento  Q.  Pulvis  es,  et  pulve  reuteris.    Age  penitecia  et  vives  in  Eternum.' 


294 


BOLOGNA. 


very  curious  miraculous  fresco  of  the  Madonna,  originally 
painted  by  Lippo  Dalmasio,  but  only  the  heads  of  the  Virgin 
and  Child  are  his  work,  the  rest  was  repainted  by  Francesco 
Cossa  of  Ferrara,  in  1472,  at  the  order  of  Giovanni 
Bentivoglio,  who  caused  his  own  portrait  and  that  of  Maria 
Vinziguerra  to  be  added  as  suppliants. 

(On  the  left  of  the  Via  Castiglione  (some  way  down)  is 
the  Church  of  S.  Lucia,  which  contains  a  letter  in  Portuguese 
written  by  S.  Francis  Xavier,  and  a  fine  picture  by  Cigna?ii 
($rd  altar,  left]  in  which  the  Holy  Child  rewards  SS.  John 


Piazza  S.  Domenico,  Bologna. 

and  Teresa  with  crowns.  The  Church  of  La  Madonna  della 
Misericordia,  just  outside  the  gate,  has  some  good  carving  by 
Marco  Tedesco  da  Cremona.") 

The  first  turn  to  the  right  of  the  Strada  Castiglione  (Via 
Ponte  di  Ferro),  will  bring  us  to  the  Piazza  Cavour,  above 
which  is  the  interesting  Piazza  di  S.  Domenico,  highly 
picturesque,  from  its  two  columns  supporting  statues  of  the 
Virgin  and  S.  Dominic  (1623),  and  two  curious  canopied 
mediaeval  tombs — that  in  the  centre  of  the  piazza,  of 
Rolandino  Passaggieri,  who  wrote  the  proud  answer  of  the 


S.  DOMENICO.  295 

republic  to  the  Emperor  Frederick  II.,  when  he  demanded 
the  release  of  his  son  Enzius  ;  and  that,  of  one  of  the  Fos- 
cherari  family  of  1289. 

'  The  Foscherari  monument  has  a  square  basement  of  brick,  sup- 
porting detached  shafts,  above  which  are  round  arches,  the  whole  being 
finished  with  a  brick  pyramid.  Under  the  canopy  thus  formed  is  placed 
the  sarcophagus,  marked  with  a  cross  at  the  end,  and  finished  at  the 
top  with  a  steep  gabled  covering.  The  detail  of  this  is  all  of  late 
Romanesque  style.  The  Passeggieri  monument  is  of  later  date  and  much 
finer  design,  though  keeping  to  the  same  general  outline.  In  place  of 
the  brick  basement  of  the  first,  this  has  three  rows  of  three  shafts,  which 
support  a  large  slab.  On  this  are  arcades  of  pointed  arches,  three  at 
the  sides  and  two  at  the  ends,  carried  on  coupled  shafts,  and  within  this 
upper  arcade  is  seen  the  stone  coffin  carved  at  the  top,  and  with  a  stiff 
effigy  of  the  deceased  carved  as  if  lying  on  one  of  the  perpendicular  sides. 
This  monument  is  also  finished  with  a  brick  pyramid.  The  whole  de- 
sign is  certainly  striking  ;  it  has  none  of  the  exquisite  skill  that  marks 
the  best  Veronese  monuments,  but  it  is  a  very  good  example  of  the  con- 
siderable success  which  may  be  achieved  by  an  architectural  design 
without  any  help  from  the  sculptor,  without  the  use  of  any  costly 
materials,  and  with  only  moderate  dimensions.  The  upper  tier  of 
arches  is  kept  in  position  by  an  iron  tie,  and  in  spite  of  its  slender  look, 
still  stands,  after  five  hundred  years'  exposure,  in  perfect  condition.'— 
Street. 

The  Church  itself  has  been  quite  modernised,  but  is  very 
interesting  from  its  monuments,  especially  from  the  glorious 
tomb  of  the  Founder  of  the  Order  of  Friars  Preachers,  S. 
Dominic  (de  Guzman),  who  died  at  Bologna,  August  6, 1221. 
He  was  buried  at  first  in  the  Church  of  S.  Niccola,  without 
any  monument,  and  literally,  as  he  had  himself  desired, 
'  beneath  the  feet '  of  his  friars. 

Right,  \st  Altar.  Lippo  Dalmasio  (1376—1410).  La  Madonna 
'di  Velluto.' 

yd  Chapel.     F.  Francia  (?)     Madonna. 

(>th  Chapel  (of  S.  Domenico).  On  the  ceiling  is  represented  the 
reception  of  the  saint  in  Paradise,  by  Guido  Reni.  The  picture  on  the 
right,  of  his  raising  a  boy  from  the  dead,  is  by  Tiarini ;  that  on  the  left,  of 
his  burning  heretical  books,  is  the  masterpiece  of  Liomllo  Spada,  another 
pupil  of  the  Caracci.  In  the  centre  stands  the  famous  shrine  called  the 
Area  di  S.  Domenico,  one  of  the  great  works  of  Niccolb  Pisano.  The 
lowest  series  of  reliefs  was  added  by  Alfonso  Lombardo,  1528,  the  statu- 
ette of  S.  Petronius  in  front  and  the  angel  on  the  left  by  Michelangelo. 


296  BOLOGNA. 

1  This  angel  is  so  utterly  unlike  the  style  of  Michelangelo,  that  its 
authenticity  might  well  be  questioned  were  it  not  for  the  evidence  of 
Vasari  and  Condivi,  both  of  whom  had  from  his  own  lips  the  story  of 
his  residence  in  Bologna.  We  can  only  account  for  this  by  supposing 
that  he  endeavoured  as  far  as  possible  to  assimilate  his  work  to  the  other 
statuettes  about  the  shrine,  and  then  for  a  moment  lost  his  individuality.' 
— Per&ins's  'Italian  Sculptors' 

'  This  is  perhaps  the  most  pleasing  work  Michelangelo  ever  pro- 
duced, the  effusion  of  an  imaginative  youthful  mind,  scarcely  yet  come 
into  contact  with  the  rude  reality  of  life. ' — Liibke. 

'  The  prominent  feature  of  the  Area  are  the  six  large  bas-reliefs,  de- 
lineating the  principal  events  in  the  legend  of  S.  Dominic,  disposed, 
two  behind,  one  at  each  extremity,  and  two  in  front,  between  which  last 
is  fixed  a  small  statue  of  the  Virgin,  crowned,  and  holding  the  infant 
Saviour  in  an  attitude  which  almost  every  one  of  the  successors  of 
Niccola  has  imitated  during  the  following  century,  none,  however, 
equalling  the  original.  A  small  statue  of  our  Saviour  occupies  the  cor- 
responding part  at  the  back  of  the  Area,  and  the  four  Doctors  of  the 
Church  are  sculptured  at  the  angles.  The  operculum,  or  lid,  was  added 
about  two  hundred  years  afterwards. 

'  The  series  of  bas-reliefs  begins  and  ends  at  the  back,  running  round 
from  left  to  right.  The  subjects  are  briefly  as  follows  : — 

'  I.  The  Papal  confirmation  of  the  rule  of  the  Dominican  order. — S. 
Dominic,  a  Spaniard,  of  the  illustrious  Gothic  house  of  Guzman,  having 
formed  the  scheme  of  a  new  religious  fraternity,  expressly  devoted  to  the 
defence  of  the  faith  against  heresy,  applied  to  the  Pope  for  his  sanction, 
but  unsuccessfully  ;  the  following  night  his  Holiness  beheld  in  a  dream 
the  Church  of  the  Lateran  giving  way,  and  the  Saint  propping  it  with 
'  his  shoulders.  The  warning  was  obvious,  and  the  confirmation  was 
accordingly  granted.  Each  step  in  the  march  of  this  important  event  is 
represented  in  a  distinct  group  in  this  compartment. 

'  II.  The  appearance  of  the  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul  to  S.  Dominic, 
while  praying  in  S.  Peter's — S.  Peter  presented  him  with  a  staff,  S.  Paul 
with  a  book,  bidding  him  go  forth  and  preach  to  Christendom.  To 
the  right,  S.  Dominic  is  seen  sending  forth  the  "  friars  preachers  "  on 
their  mission  to  mankind. 

'  III.  S.  Dominic  praying  for  the  restoration  to  life  of  the  young 
Napoleone  Orsini,  nephew  of  the  Cardinal  Stefano,  who  had  been 
thrown  from  his  horse  and  killed,  as  seen  in  the  foreground ;  his 
mother  kneels  behind,  joining  in  the  prayer. 

'IV.  S.  Dominic's  doctrine  tested  by  fire. — After  preaching 
against  the  Albigenses,  he  had  written  out  his  argument  and  delivered 
it  to  one  of  his  antagonists,  who,  showing  it  to  his  companions  as  they 
stood  round  the  fire,  they  determined  to  submit  it  to  that  ordeal ;  the 
scroll  was  thrice  thrown  in,  and  thrice  leapt  out  unburnt. 


S.   DOMENICO.  297 

'  V.  The  miracle  of  the  loaves. — The  brethren,  forty  in  number, 
assembled  one  day  for  dinner,  but  nothing  -was  producible  from  the 
buttery  except  a  single  loaf  of  bread.  S.  Dominic  was  dividing  it 
among  them,  when  two  beautiful  youths  entered  the  refectory  with 
baskets  full  of  loaves,  which  they  distributed  to  the  fraternity,  and  then 
immediately  disappeared. 

'  VI.  The  profession  of  the  youthful  deacon  Reginald. — He  fell 
suddenly  ill  when  on  the  eve  of  entering  the  order ;  his  life  was  de- 
spaired of.  S.  Dominic  interceded  for  him  with  the  Virgin,  who 
appeared  to  him  the  following  night,  when  on  the  point  of  death, 
accompanied  by  two  lovely  maidens,  anointed  him  with  a  salve  of 
marvellous  virtue,  accompanying  the  unction  with  words  of  mystery 
and  power,  and  promised  him  complete  recovery  within  three  days, 
showing  him  at  the  same  moment  a  pattern  of  the  Dominican  robe  as 
she  willed  it  to  be  worn  thenceforward,  varied  from  the  fashion  pre- 
viously in  use  ;  three  days  afterwards  he  received  it  from  the  saint's 
hands  in  perfect  health,  as  the  Virgin  had  foretold. 

'  With  the  exception  of  the  Adoration  of  the  Kings  on  the  pulpit  at 
Pisa,  I  know  nothing  by  Niccola  Pisano  equal  to  these  bas-reliefs. 
Felicity  of  composition,  truth  of  expression,  ease,  dignity,  and  grace  of 
attitudes,  noble  draperies,  together  with  the  negative  but  emphatic 
merit  of  perfect  propriety,  are  their  prevailing  characteristics  ;  but  the 
whole  are  finished  with  unsurpassed  minuteness  and  delicacy.  And 
you  will  recollect  too  that  these  compositions  are  wholly  Niccola's  own 
— he  had  no  traditional  types  to  guide  and  assist  him,  the  whole  is  a 
new  coinage,  clear  and  sharp,  from  the  mint  of  his  own  genius.  Alto- 
gether, the  "  Area  di  S.  Domenico  "  is  a  marvel  of  beauty,  a  shrine  of 
pure  and  Christian  feeling,  which  you  will  pilgrimise  to  with  deeper 
reverence  every  time  you  revisit  Bologna.' — Lord  Lindsay's  '  Christian 
ArtS 

The  Sacristy  contains  a  terra-cotta  Pieta  by  Ronddlone,  and  rail- 
ings with  intarsia  work  by  Fra  Damiano  da  Bergamo. 

The  Cappella  Isolani  (right  of  the  apse),  Filippino  Lippi,  1501- 
1551,  Marriage  of  S.  Catherine  (in  the  presence  of  SS.  Paul,  Sebastian, 
Peter,  and  J.  Baptist),  painted  in  the  decline  of  the  master. 

Choir.  The  stalls,  with  intarsia-v/or\it  are  by  Fra  Damiano  da 
Bergamo,  1530,  of  the  history  of  the  Old  and  New  Testament.  The 
picture  of  the  Adoration  of  the  Magi  is  by  Bart.  CesL 

Left.  Tomb  (dating  only  from  1731)  of  Enzio  (Enrico),  the  chival- 
rous troubadour,  natural  son  of  the  Emperor  Frederick  II.,  and  the 
noblest  of  all  his  children,  who,  crowned  King  of  Sardinia  in  his 
twenty-fifth  year,  was  taken  in  battle  by  the  Bolognese  in  1249,  and 
languished  in  prison  for  twenty  years,  having  once  attempted  to 
escape  concealed  in  a  barrel,  when  he  was  discovered  by  a  tress  of  his 
bright  golden  hair.  Remarkable  for  his  beauty,  love  was  the  only 


298  BOLOGNA. 

consolation  permitted  to  his  imprisonment,  and  the  great  family  of 
Bentivoglio  trace  their  name  to  the  loving  words  of  their  ancestress, 
Lucia  Viadagolo,  '  Enzio,  che  ben  ti  voglio.' 

'  Diciannov'  anni  il  giovane  reale 
Non  compie  ancora,  ed  e  mezzo  gigante. 
Bionda  ha  la  chioma  :  e  'n  tutto  il  campo  eguale 
Non  trova  di  valor  ne  di  sembiante. 
Se  maneggia  destrier,  s'  avventa  strale, 
Se  muove  al  corso  le  veloci  piante, 
Se  con  la  spada  o  con  la  lancia  fiede, 
Sia  in  giostra  o  sia  in  battaglia  ogni  altro  eccede. ' 

Tassoni,  '  Secc.  Rap.'  v.  65. 

In  the  adjoining  chapel  is  the  fine  tomb  of  Taddeo  Pepoli,  1337,  by 
Jacopo  Lanfrani.  The  altar-piece  of  SS.  Michael,  Dominic,  and 
Francis,  with  our  Saviour  and  angels  above,  is  by  Giac.  Francia. 

Transept.  Opposite  the  tomb  of  King  Enzius  is  a  very  interesting 
picture  of  S.  Thomas  Aquinas,  by  Simon  e  da  Bologna,  proved  to  be  an 
authentic  portrait  by  the  annals  of  the  Order. 

\<^th  Chapel  (of  the  Relics].  Here  is  preserved  the  head  of  S. 
Dominic,  in  a  silver  case ;  the  body  of  the  Heato  Giacomo  da  Ulma, 
who  painted  on  glass  ;  and  the  mummy  of  the  Venerable  Serafino 
Capponi. 

The  Chapel  of  the  Rosary  (opposite  S.  Domenico)  is  adorned  with 
frescoes  by  Dion.  Calvaert,  Guido  Reni,  Lod.  Caracci,  &c.  In  the 
centre  is  the  grave  of  Guido  Reni  and  his  pupil  Elizabetta  Sirani,  1665. 
The  early  and  sudden  death  of  the  latter  excited  at  the  time  some  sus- 
picion of  poison,  but  it  was  afterwards  proved  that  she  died  from 
internal  inflammation. 

'  In  the  porch  leading  from  the  aisle  into  the  piazza  is  the  tomb  of 
the  learned  Alessandro  Tartagni  of  Imola,  1477,  by  Francesco  di 
Simone.  It  is  ornamented  with  beautiful  and  delicate  foliage  and 
arabesques  quite  deserving  of  study.  Opposite  this  is  a  tomb  of  the 
Volta  family,  1557,  with  a  statue  by  Prospero  dementi. 

Last  Chapel  but  one.  Lod.  Caracci.  S.  Raymond  crossing  the  sea 
upon  his  mantle. 

Last  Chapel.  A  bust  of  S.  Filippo  Neri,  from  a  cast  taken  after 
his  death. 

(A  little  behind  the  Piazza  S.  Domenico  is  the  hand- 
some Palazzo  Grabinskt,  formerly  Bacciochi,  designed  by 
Palladio.) 

The  street  opposite  the  west  front  of  S.  Domenico,  leads 
into  the  Strada  di  S.  Mammolo.  Turning  left,  we  imme- 
diately reach  the  Church  of  S.  Procolo.  Over  the  entrance 


5.  PROCOLO,   CORPUS  DOMINI.  299 

is  a  lunette  of  the  Madonna  between  SS.  Sixtus  and  Bene- 
dict, by  the  early  Bolognese  master,  Lippo  Dalmasio. 

'  Lippo  Dalmasio  would  only  paint  images  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  and 
professed  a  peculiar  devotion  for  her  ;  and  such  was  the  importance  he 
attached  to  this  work  that  he  never  commenced  painting  without  the 
previous  preparation  of  a  severe  fast  on  the  evening  before,  and  the  re- 
ception of  the  communion  on  the  day  itself,  in  order  that  his  imagina- 
tion might  be  purified  and  his  pencil  sanctified.  The  best  proof  that 
the  influence  of  a  preparation  of  this  nature  was  not  chimerical  is  the 
fact  of  the  extraordinary  popularity  that  the  Madonnas  of  this  artist 
enjoyed,  so  that  it  was  considered  almost  a  disgrace  to  be  without  one  ; 
and  also  the  remarkable  testimony  of  Guido,  who,  discovering  in  the 
Virgins  of  Lippo  Dalmasio  something  of  a  superhuman  character  which 
could  only  be  attributed  to  a  secret  influence  directing  his  pencil,  did 
not  hesitate  to  declare  that  it  was  impossible  for  any  modern  artist, 
however  he  might  be  assisted  by  the  resources  of  talent  and  study,  to 
succeed  in  uniting  so  much  holiness,  modesty,  and  purity,  in  one  figure. 
It  was  also  no  unusual  thing  to  find  Guido  standing  entranced  before 
one  of  these  revered  images,  when  they  were  uncovered  for  public  devo- 
tion on  the  days  set  apart  for  the  worship  of  the  Madonna. ' — A'zo. 

'  On  the  return  of  Clement  VIII.  from  his  conquest  of  Ferrara,  he 
is  s.iid  to  have  halted  before  the  Madonna  of  S.  Procolo,  and,  reverently 
saluting  it,  to  have  declared  that  he  had  never  seen  images  more  de- 
vout or  that  touched  his  heart  nearer  ("e  che  piii  lo  intenerissero  ") 
than  those  painted  by  Lippo  Dalmasio. ' — Lord  Lindsay. 

Left,  1st  Chapel.     Ercole  Graziani.     S.  Maurus. 

2nd  Chapel.  Grave  of  the  early  martyr  S.  Proculus,  and  of  a  bishop 
of  the  same  name. 

Afth  Chapel.     Ere.  Graziani.     The  Virgin  appearing  to  S.  Benedict. 

Near  the  door,  on  the  outside  wall,  is  an  inscription  in  memory  of  a 
man  named  Procolo,  who  was  killed,  1393,  by  one  of  the  bells  falling 
on  him,  as  he  was  passing  under  the  tower  : — 

1  Si  procul  a  Proculo  Proculi  campana  fuisset, 
Nunc  procul  a  Proculo  Proculus  ipse  foret.' 

Just  outside  the  Porta  S.  Mammolo  is  (left)  the  Church 
of  the  S.  Annunziata,  of  the  i5th  century  ;  its  pictures  are 
removed  to  the  Academy. 

Returning  down  the  Strada  S.  Mammolo,  on  the  left  is 
a  wall  with  a  rich  fringe  of  terra-cotta.  It  is  that  of  the 
Convent  of  S.  Caterina  Vigri,  the  artist-nun,  1456.  The 
adjoining  Church  of  Corpus  Domini,  generally  called  La 
Santa,  has  a  fine  terra-cotta  doorway,  and  contains  : — 


300  BOLOGNA. 

Right,  1st  Chapel.     Calvaert.     S.  Francis. 

2nd  Chapel.     Tomb  erected  by  Bologna  to  Luigi  Galvani. 

4//4  Chapel.  Lod.  Caracci.  The  Assumption  and  Burial  of  the 
Virgin. 

Choir.     Marc  Antonio  Franceschini,  16-; 8- 1 729.     Last  Supper. 

Left,  \st  Chapel,     fd.     Death  of  Joseph. 

znd  Chapel.     Id.     Annunciation. 

On  the  organ-loft  is  a  curious  relief  by  Cesf,  from  a  design  by 
Baldassare  Peruzzi. 

Further  down  the  street  is  the  PalaxsoBtvilacqva($tiFcaK&y 

Campeggi)  designed  by  Bramantino,  with  a  magnificent  court. 
An  inscription  in  one  of  the  rooms  tells  us  that  the  Council 
of  Trent  assembled  there  in  1547,  having  removed  thither 
from  causes  of  health. 

Turning  left,  below  this  palace  is  the  Church  of  S.  Paolo, 
of  1611,  containing  : — 

Right,  2nd  Chapel.  Lod.  Caracci.  Paradise.  The  Madonna  be- 
neath is  by  Lippo  Dalmasio. 

'  The  Paradise  is  remarkable  as  a  complete  specimen  of  those  con- 
certs of  angels,  by  which  the  school  are  involuntarily  distinguished  from 
their  author  Correggio. ' — -Burckhardt. 

•$rd  Chapel.  Giac.  Cavedone.  Nativity,  Adoration  of  the  Magi, 
and  decorations  of  the  ceiling. 

\th  Chapel.     Guercino.     S.  Gregory  and  the  souls  in  Purgatory. 
High  Altar.     A  less.  Algardi.     The  Beheading  of  S.  Paul. 

Behind  this  church  is  the  Palazzo  Zambeccari,  with  a 
facade  by  Carlo  Bianconi,  1771.  It  had  a  fine  gallery,  for 
the  most  dispersed.  A  few  pictures  by  Bolognese  masters 
still  remain. 

Close  to  S.  Paolo  (left)  is  the  Coliegio  di  Spagna,  founded 
by  Cardinal  Albornoz,  in  1364.  The  picturesque  entrance 
is  adorned  with  the  arms  of  Spain.  The  courtyard  with  its 
double  cloister  is  full  of  colour.  In  the  upper  gallery  is  a 
beautiful  but  injured  fresco  by  Bagnacavallo,  in  which  Car- 
dinal Albornoz  is  represented  kneeling  in  the  presence  of 
the  Holy  Family.  In  the  side  chapel  is  an  interesting  altar- 
piece  by  the  rare  master  Marco  Zoppo.  The  important 
fresco  of  the  Coronation  of  Charles  V.,  once  in  the  portico, 


S.   FRANCESCO,   S.   SALVATORE.  301 

was  totally  destroyed  40  years  ago.  Dom  Emanuele  Aponte 
was  amongst  the  most  celebrated  of  the  Jesuit  Fathers  who 
taught  in  this  college. 

Further  down  the  Via  Saragozza  (left)  is  the  handsome 
Palazzo  Albergati,  built  1540,  from  designs  of  Baldassare 
Peruzzi. 

The  street  opposite  this  contains  the  house  (No.  1347)  in 
which  the  physician  Galvani,  of  electric  celebrity,  was  born. 
It  bears  the  inscription: — 

1  Galvanum  excepi  natum  luxique  peremptum, 
Cujus  ab  invento  junctus  uterque  polus.' 

On  the  left  is  the  great  brick  Church  of  S.  Francesco, 
of  the  thirteenth  century,  but  greatly  desecrated.  The  High 
Altar  has  a  beautiful  screen  of  1388,  by  Giacobello  and  Pier 
Paolo  delle  Masegne,  sculptors  well-known  in  Venetian  art. 
Pope  Alexander  V.  (Peter  Phylargyrius  of  Candia),  1410, 
was  buried  in  this  church.  The  lunettes  in  the  portico, 
representing  the  story  of  S.  Antony  of  Padua,  are  by  Tiarini, 
Gessi,  &c. 

The  street  opposite  S.  Francesco  (Porta  Nuova)  leads 
to  the  Church  of  S.  Salvatore,  built  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury by  Ambrogio  Magenta.  It  contains  the  unmarked 
grave  of  Guercino. 

Right,  1st  Chapel.  Ere.  Graziani.  Beato  A.  Canetoli  refusing  the 
Archbishopric  of  Florence. 

4/A  Chapel.     Jacopo  Coppi,  1579.     The  Miracle  of  the  Crucifix. 
High  Altar.     Francesco  Gessi.     Christ  bearing  his  cross. 
6t/i  Chapel.     Aless.  Tiarini.     The  Nativity. 

'  How  entirely  Tiarini  misunderstood  the  calm,  idyllic  feeling  of  the 
scene  in  this  picture,  which  is  otherwise  excellent !  He  paints  it  on  a 
colossal  scale,  and  makes  Joseph  point  rhetorically  to  Mary,  as  if  to  call 
the  attention  of  the  spectators.' — Burckhardt. 

*]th  Chapel.     Innocenzo  da  Imola.     Crucifixion,  with  four  saints. 

SfA  Chapel.     Carlo  Bonone.     Ascension. 

gth  Chapel.     Garofalo.     S.  John  and  Zacharias. 

Sacristy.     Frescoes  by  Cavedone. 

Opposite  this  church  is  the  Palazzo  Marescahhi  by  'Dom. 


3o2  BOLOGNA. 

Tibaldi.     It  has  chimney-pieces  painted  by  Guido  and  the 
Caracci. 

Immediately  below  S.  Francesco  (right)  are  the  Hotels, 
&c. 


Several  other  churches  may  be  visited  from  hence.  The 
Via  del  Pratello  leads  (left)  to  the  Church  of  S.  Rocco,  an 
oratory  adorned  with  paintings  of  the  life  of  S.  Roch,  almost 
all  voluntary  offerings  from  the  young  artists  of  the  seven- 
teenth century,  Camulto,  Cavedoni,  Gessi,  £c. 

From  the  same  point  (near  S.  Francesco),  the  Strada 
Felice  leads  to  (right)  the  Church  of  S.  Niccold,  where 
S.  Dominic  was  buried  at  first,  and  adjoining  the  convent 
where  he  died.  It  contains,  in  the  gth  chapel,  a  Crucifixion 
of  Ann.  Caracci. 

Behind  this  church  (No.  449)  is  the  Casa  Guercino,  which 
was  the  abode  of  the  painter. 

The  street  behind  S.  Niccola  leads  to  the  Church  of  S. 
Bartolommeo  di  Reno  e  Madonna  di  Pioggia  (generally 
closed) ;  it  contains  : — 

Left,  \st  Chapel.  Agostino  Caracci  (painted  in  his  27th  year).  The 
Nativity.  Also  two  prophets,  on  the  ceiling. 

Lod.  Caracci.     The  Circumcision  and  the  Adoration  of  the  Magi. 
Oratory.     Alfonso  Lombardi.     S.  Bartholomew. 

Hence,  following  the  Riviera  di  Reno  and  the  Strada  di 
Galliera  (which  contains  the  handsome  Palazzo  Montanari, 
once  Aldrovandi)  of  1748,  we  may  reach  the  Church  of  S. 
Benedetto \  built  1606,  by  Giovanni Ballarini.  It  contains: — 

Right,  1st  Chapel.     Lucio  Mazzari.     Marriage  of  S.  Catherine. 

2nd  Chapel.  Ercole  Procaccini.  Annunciation.  The  other  pictures 
by  Cavedoni. 

$th  Chapel.     Cavedoni.     S.  Antony  beaten  by  demons. 

Lejt,  1st  Chapel.  Tiarini.  The  Virgin  conversing  with  the  Mag- 
dalen. 

Behind  this  church  are  the  dull  walks  of  the  Giardini 
Pubblici  and  the  rising  ground  called  La  Montagnola. 


LA   MADONNA  DI  MEZZARATTA.  303 

In  returning  we  may  turn  (left)  from  the  Riviera  di  Reno 
to  (right)  the  Church  of  S.  Giorgio.     It  contains: — 

Left,  ist  Chapel.      Tiarini.     Flight  into  Egypt. 
2nd  Chapel.     Ann.  Caracci.     Annunciation. 
yd  Chapel.     Id.     The  Pool  of  Bethesda. 

i,th  Chapel.     Cantarini.     S.  Filippo  Benizzi  before  the  Virgin  and 
Child.     The  lower  part  is  by  Albani. 
High  Altar.     Procaccini.     S.  George. 

A  little  further  down  the  same  street  (left)  is  the  Church 
cf  S.  Gregorio,  which  contains: — 

Left,  2nd  Chapel.     Lodovico  Caracci.     S.  George  and  the  Dragon, 
with  S.  Michael  and  the  Devil  above. 

4//4  Chapel.     Ann.  Caracci.     Baptism  of  Christ. 
High  Altar.     Calvaert.     Miracle  of  S.  Gregory. 

We  are  now  again  close  to  the  hotels. 


Outside  the  Porta  S.  Mammolo,  the  second  turn  on  the 
right  is  a  steep  paved  walk,  lined  with  acacias,  leading  to 
the  Convent  of  La  Madonna  del  Monte.  Half-way  up  the 
ascent,  on  the  right  is  the  Villa  of  Minghetti,  once  Minister  of 
Finance,  marked  by  a  bow-window,  and,  built  into  this  villa, 
but,  though  used  as  a  receptacle  for  plants  in  winter,  care- 
fully preserved,  is  the  little  Chapel  of  La  Madonna  di  Mez- 
zaratta,  of  great  importance  in  the  history  of  art.  It  was 
built  in  1 1 06,  and  a  great  part  of  it  has  fallen  down  through 
age  and  neglect,  but  what  remains  has  been  restored. 

'  This  humble  sanctuary  has  been  correctly  styled  by  Lanzi  the 
Campo-Santo  of  Bologna.  It  was  built  in  the  twelfth  century,  but  the 
actual  paintings  are  not  more  ancient  than  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth. 
Vitale  was  employed  first,  to  paint  a  large  "  Presepio,"  or  Nativity, 
immediately  above  the  door — it  is  his  sole  work  there.  The  early  his- 
tory of  Genesis,  and  that  of  Joseph,  Moses,  and  Daniel  were  afterwards 
represented  in  four  rows  of  compartments  on  the  southern  wall  ;  the  life 
of  Our  Saviour  in  the  same  manner  on  the  northern,  and  the  history  of 
the  Passion  on  the  eastern,  or  altar- wall.  The  compartments  are  small, 
and  the  compositions  of  a  very  infantine  and  primitive  character,  far  in- 
ferior to  contemporary  works  at  Florence  and  Siena,  yet  full  of  fire 
and  originality ;  while  impatience  is  rebuked  by  the  recollection  that 
Michelangelo  is  said  to  have  commended  them,  and  by  the  certainty 


304  BOLOGNA. 

that  Bagnacavallo  and  the  Caracci  took  the  most  active  interest  in  their 
preservation.  Now,  indeed,  few  of  the  series  survive  ;  many  have  been 
whitewashed,  the  church  has  been  re-roofed,  cutting  off  the  whole  upper 
row,  and,  having  become  private  property,  there  is  little  security  against 
the  remainder  being  ultimately  obliterated.  Meanwhile  it  is  a  sweet 
and  tranquil  spot,  un  profaned  by  tourists,  musical  with  nightingales, 
and  commanding  a  view  which,  if  not  equal  to  that  from  S.  Michele 
in  Bosco,  will  well  reward  you  for  the  ascent  ;  while  the  remembrance 
of  S.  Bernardino  of  Siena,  who  loved  the  place  and  used  to  preach 
there,1  lends  it  an  association  of  historical  and  religious  interest.  Bat 
to  revert  to  the  Presepio.  The  composition  is  the  old  traditional  one, 
happily  varied  ;  Joseph,  for  instance,  instead  of  sitting  moodily  in  his 
corner,  pours  water  into  a  vase  for  the  Virgin  to  wash  the  Child  with, 
and  a  number  of  angels  are  kneeling  in  front  in  adoration.  The  execu- 
tion is  very  defective  ;  but  there  is  an  air  of  grace  and  feeling  of  the 
ideal  in  the  composition,  and  in  the  figure  of  the  Madonna.  The  paint- 
ings immediately  to  the  right  and  left  are  by  another,  and  an  unknown 
hand,  apparently  a  Giottesco. 

'  According  to  Vasari,  the  whole  southern  wall  was  painted  by  Cris- 
toforo,  an  artist — some  say  of  Ferrara,  others  of  Modena,  while  the 
Bolognese  claim  him  as  their  own  countryman.  Malvasia  tells  us  he 
was  the  first  who  painted  on  the  southern  wall — if  so  the  uppermost 
row  can  only  belong  to  him,  the  second,  and  possibly  part  of  the  third, 
having  been  executed  by  a  painter  named  Jacobus,  and  the  fourth  by 
one  Lorenzo.  Of  this  uppermost  row,  two  or  three  fragments  may  be 
seen  in  the  granary  above  the  modern  ceiling  of  the  church  ;  the  pret- 
tiest of  them  is  a  representation  of  Eve  spinning,  with  her  children  on 
her  knee,  after  the  Fall.  They  are  pale  in  colour,  like  the  paintings  of 
acknowledged  Ferrarese  origin,  and  the  primitive  Roman  school  of 
Lombardy,  and  decidedly  different  in  style  from  the  frescoes  in  the 
church  beneath.  Cristoforo  also  painted  the  altar-piece,  now  removed, 
but  engraved  by  Agincourt,  and  which  bore  his  name,  and  the  date  1380. 

'  Of  the  frescoes  by  Lorenzo,  representing  the  history  of  Daniel,  not 
a  trace  remains.  The  Marriage,  which  seems  to  have  been  painted  over 
one  of  the  original  compartments,  is  evidently  by  a  more  modern  and 
practised  hand,  of  the  fifteenth  century  ;  it  is  singularly  graceful,  but 
has  been  sadly  injured. 

'  Simon  and  Jacobus  rank  next  in  order  among  the  artists  of  Bologna 
and  of  the  Madonna  di  Mezzaratta.  Both  are  said  to  have  been  of  the 
Avanzi  family.  The  compositions  of  Jacobus  have  been  more  fortunate 
as  to  their  preservation  than  those  of  Simon.  They  may  easily  be  recog- 
nised by  comparison  with  the  fourth  compartment  of  the  lowest  row 
on  the  left-hand  wall,  representing  the  Pool  of  Bethesda,  and  which  is 

1  The  '  picciol  pergamo  (incastrato  nel  muro)  ove  tante  volte  fe"  udirsi  S.  Bernar- 
dino Senese,  divotissimo  di  questo  luogo,  e  padre  spirituale  di  que'  confratelli,'  is  still 
to  be  seen  there. 


S.   M1CHELE  IN  BOSCO.  305 

signed  with  his  name,  "Jacobus  p.,"  or  fecit.  The  earliest  in  point  of 
date  are  the  series  representing  the  history  of  Joseph,  forming  the  second 
row,  on  the  light-hand  wall.  Some  of  these  are  characterised  by  singular 
naivete  ;  the  seventh,  eighth,  and  ninth  are  perhaps  the  most  worth 
notice.  The  row  immediately  below  these,  dedicated  to  the  life  of 
Moses,  is  of  comparatively  inferior  interest,  though  the  four  last  com- 
partments (representing  the  Reception  of  the  Tables  of  the  Law,  and 
the  Worship  of  the  Golden  Calf ;  the  Judicial  Massacre  of  the  Israelites ; 
and  the  Delivery  of  the  Tables  to  the  Princes  of  Israel  after  their  re- 
delivery  from  the  Mount,  and  the  Destruction  of  Korah,  Dathan,  and 
Abiram)  bear  a  resemblance  to  the  manner  of  Jacobus,  and  may  possibly 
be  by  his  hand.  But  the  remaining  frescoes  on  the  left-hand  wall  are 
certainly  his.  The  third  and  fourth  of  the  lowest  row  are  the  most  in- 
teresting. In  the  former,  Our  Saviour  sits  among  his  disciples,  dis- 
coursing, while  those  without  uncover  the  roof  of  the  house,  and  let 
down  the  man  sick  of  the  palsy,  who  turns  to  Christ  with  clasped  hands ; 
while,  to  the  right,  he  is  seen  walking  away  healed,  with  his  mattress 
bundled  upon  his  shoulders.  The  foreshortenings  are  daring  to  an 
absurd  degree,  and  the  whole  composition  is  very  rude,  but  it  is  full  of 
life  and  character,  and  it  is  impossible  not  to  sympathise  with  such  fear- 
less boldness.  And  the  like  may  be  said  of  the  adjacent  Pool  of  Beth- 
esda  ;  the  angel  descends  to  trouble  the  water,  a  sick  person  stands  in 
it  praying,  the  cripple  who  had  been  suffering  for  thirty-eight  years  sits 
up  in  bed  in  the  centre  of  the  composition,  looking  with  earnest  suppli- 
catory gaze  and  clasped  hands  towards  Christ,  whose  attention,  however, 
like  that  of  Joseph  in  the  fresco  described  above,  is  drawn  away  from 
him  by  another  work  of  love,  the  resuscitation  of  a  little  child  ;  he  is 
seen  again  to  the  left,  enthroned  under  a  portico,  surrounded  by  Phari- 
sees, and  addressing  a  poor  woman,  who  kneels  at  his  feet.  The  groups 
and  figures  are  well  arranged,  and  there  is  more  expression  than  in  the 
frescoes  on  the  opposite  wall.  The  face  of  our  Saviour  is  throughout 
peculiarly  sweet  and  holy.  Of  the  composition  of  Simon,  carrying  the 
history  down  to  the  Last  Supper,  and  those  on  the  altar-wall  represent- 
ing the  Passion,  executed  above  half  a  century  afterwards  by  Galasso  of 
Ferrara,  no  traces  whatever  are  now  visible.' — Lord  Lindsay's  '  Chris- 
tian Art. ' 

We  may  now  return  to  the  high-road  and  ascend  the  hill, 
directly  above  the  Porta  S.  Mammolo,  by  a  delightful  ter- 
raced road  lined  with  plane-trees,  to  the  great  Olivetan 
Convent  and  Church  of  S.  Michele  in  Bosco.  Here  the 
Popes  had  a  summer  residence,  which  was  seized  by  Victor 
Emmanuel.  The  many  cloisters  are  bright  with  flowers  in 
summer.  The  last,  which  is  octangular,  was  adorned  with 

VOL.  II.  X 


306  BOLOGNA. 

frescoes  by  Lodovico  Caracci,  but  little  of  his  work  remains 
entire,  except  some  striking  figures  in  a  picture  of  the  Miracle 
of  S.  Benedict. 

'  The  masterly  dignity  of  the  character  of  Lodovico  Caracci  appears 
to  most  advantage  in  the  cloister,  where,  assisted  by  his  pupils,  he  re- 
presented the  actions  of  S.  Benedict  and  S.  Cecilia  in  thirty-seven 
separate  histories.  By  his  hand  is  the  conflagration  of  Monte  Cassino, 
and  some  other  portions  ;  the  remaining  parts  are  by  Guido,  by  Tiarini, 
by  Massari,  by  Cavedoni,  by  Spada,  by  Garbiere,  by  Buzio,  and  other 
young  artists.  These  paintings  have  been  engraved  and  are  worthy  of 
the  reformers  of  that  age.  On  beholding  what  we  may  term  this  gallery 
by  different  hands,  we  should  be  almost  inclined  to  bestow  upon  the 
schools  of  Lodovico  this  trite  eulogy  ;  that  from  it,  as  from  the  Trojan 
house,  there  issued  only  princes.' — Lanzi. 

In  the  Church,  over  the  doors  at  the  sides  of  the  choir, 
are  some  admirable  heads  of  monks  of  Dom.  Canuti.  The 
Sacristy,  which  ends  in  a  curiously  illusive  perspective- 
picture,  has  frescoes  by  JBagnacavallo,  and  a  Magdalen  by 
Canuti.  The  halls  of  the  palace  are  handsome,  but  little 
worth  seeing.  The  convent  Dormitory  is  used  as  a  kind  of 
extra  museum  by  the  Belle- Arti. 

But  the  great  attraction  is  the  glorious  view  from  the  ter- 
race of  the  Papal  Garden,  which  no  one  should  omit  to  visit. 
Like  a  map,  Bologna  lies  stretched  beneath  with  its  innumer- 
able churches,  amid  which  S.  Petronio  is  a  centre,  and  the 
Leaning  Towers  rise  fantastically  conspicuous. 

'  The  prospect,  from  an  elevation,  of  a  great  city  in  its  silence,  is 
one  of  the  most  impressive,  as  well  as  beautiful,  we  ever  behold.' — 
Hallam. 


A  separate  excursion  may  be  made  from  the  Porta 
Saragossa  by  the  extraordinary  portico  of  635  arches,  three 
miles  in  length  (built  1676-1739  by  voluntary  contributions 
in  honour  of  the  Virgin),  to  the  shrine  of  La  Madonna  di 
S.  Luca,  which  is  such  a  striking  feature  in  all  distant  views 
of  the  town,  occupying  the  same  position  in  regard  to 
Bologna  as  the  Superga  does  to  Turin.  The  view  from  the 
summit  is  quite  magnificent. 


CAMPO   SANTO   OF  BOLOGNA.  307 

The  Church,  intended  to  receive  one  of  the  black  images 
of  the  Virgin  attributed  to  S.  Luke  and  said  to  have  been 
brought  here  from  Constantinople  in  1160,  was  built  in 
1731  by  Carlo  F,  Dotti.  The  only  pictures  of  interest  are 
some  early  works  of  Guido  relating  to  the  Mysteries  of  the 
Rosary  in  the  3rd  Chapel  on  the  right. 

Near  the  foot  of  the  hill  of  S.  Luca  is  the  Certosa,  a  Car- 
thusian monastery  founded  in  1335;  its  gardens  are  now 
used  as  the  magnificent  Campo  Santo  of  Bologna  (conse- 
crated 1801).  The  Church  contains  many  pictures  by  late 
Bolognese  artists;  the  most  interesting  are: — 

Andrea  Sirani.     The  Supper  in  the  Pharisee's  house. 
Elisabetta  Sirani  (painted  in  her  2Oth  year).     The  Baptism  of  Christ. 
The  artist  has  introduced  her  own  figure  sitting. 

The  Cemetery  is  entered  by  a  cloister  devoted  to  monu- 
ments removed  from  suppressed  convents  and  other  build- 
ings. The  most  striking  is  that  of  Francesco  Albergati, 
ob.  1517,  with  his  beautiful  sleeping  figure. 

Among  the  monuments  in  the  cloisters  which  surround 
the  Campo  Santo,  we  may  notice  that  by  Tadolini  to  the 
famous  Clotilda  Tambroni,  who  died  in  1817,  and  by  Vela 
(1865)  to  Letizia  Murat  Pepoli,  ob.  1859, .with  a  statue  of 
her  father,  King  Murat. 


A  spot  about  three  miles  west  of  Bologna,  at  a  place  now 
called  Crocetta  del  Trebbo,  is  pointed  out  by  local  authorities 
as  the  famous  meeting-place  of  the  second  Roman  triumvi- 
rate— Antony,  Octavian,  and  Lepidus — B.C.  43.  It  is  an 
island  formed  by  the  Reno — the  Rhenus  of  ancient  times — 
but  its  size  (half  a  mile  long,  and  a  third  of  a  mile  wide) 
does  not  seem  to  correspond  with  the  description  of  the  spot 
in  question. 


X2 


INDEX. 


A. 

Abano,  i.  342 
Agordo,  i.  356 
Alagna,  i.  217 
Alassio,  i.  45 
Albenga,  i.  45 
Albizzola  Superiore,  i.  50 
Alessandria,  ii.  210 
Alzano  Maggiore,  i.  228 
Andora,  i.  45 
Andraz,  i.  356 
Angrogna,  i.  116 
Antelao,  the,  i.  357,  359 
Aosta,  i.  119 
Aprica  Pass,  i.  230 
Aquileja,  ii.  188 
Arcisate,  i.  204 
Arco,  i.  254 
Arnaz,  i.  118 
Arona,  i.  208 
Arqua,  i.  345 
Asolo.  i.  354 
Asti,  i.  87 
Avigliana,  i.  87 


B. 

Balbianello,  Villa,  i.  198 

Bassano,  i.  351 

Battaglia,  i.  344 

Battle  of— 

Lodi,  ii.  225 
Marengo,  ii.  210 
S.  Martino,  i.  152 
Montebello,  ii.  211 

Baveno,  i.  211 

Belgirate,  i.  209 

Bellaggio,  i.  199 

Belluno,  i.  355 


Bergamo,  i.  218-228 
Accademia,  226, 
Cappella  Colleoni,  223 
Cathedral,  225 
Churches — 

S.  Agostino,  225 

S.  Andrea,  225 

S.  Bartolommeo,  227 

S.  Bernardino,  227 

S.  Chiara,  219 

S.  Grata,  225 

S.  Maria  Maggiore,  221 

S.  Spirito,  227 

S.  Tommaso    in     Limine, 

228 

Bergeggi,  i.  47 
Bisuschio,  i.  204 
Blevio,  i.  197 
Bobbi,  i.  115 
Bobbio,  ii.  217 
Bologna,  ii.  263-307 

Accademia  delle  Belle  Arti,  282 
Antico  Archiginnasio,  273 
Campo  Santo,  397 
Casa  Guercino,  302 
Lambertini,  280 
Rossini,  290 
Cathedral,  274 
Certosa,  the,  397 
Churches — 

S.  Annunziata,  299 

S.  Bartolommeo      di      P. 

Ravegnana,  276 
S.  Bartolommeo  di   Reno, 

302 

S.  Benedetto,  302 
S.  Caterina  Vigri,  299 
S.  Cecilia,  279 
S.  Cristina,  291 
S.  Domenico,  295 
S.  Francesco,  301 


310 


INDEX. 


Churches — 

S.  Giacomo  Maggiore,  278 

S.  Giorgio,  303 

S.  Giovanni  in  Monte,  291 

S.  Gregorio,  303 

S.  Lucia,  294 

La    Madonna    del    Barra- 

cano,  293 

La  Madonna  di  S.  Luca,  306 
di  Galliera,  274 
di  Mezzaratta,  303 
di  Misericordia,  294 
in  Monte,  303 
S.  Maria  dei  Servi,  290 
S.  Martino,  280 
S.  Michele  in  Bosco,  305 
S.  Niccolo,  302 
S.  Paolo,  300 
S.  Petronio,  270 
S.  Pietro,  274 
S.  Procolo,  298 
S.  Rocco,  302 
S.  Salvatore,  301 
La  Santa  (Corpus  Domini), 

299 

S.  Stefano,  292 
S.  Trinita,  291 
S.  Vitale  ed  Agricola,  289 
Collegio  di  Spagna,  300 
Crocetta  al  Trebbio,  307 
Giardini  Pubblici,  302 
Liceo  Rossini,  280 
Loggia  dei  Mercanti,  277 
Montagnola,  302 
Orto  Botanico,  289 
Palazzo  Albergati,  301 

Arcivescovile,  274 
Eargellini,  291 
Bentivoglio,  289 
Bevilacqua,  300 
Bianchi,  291 
Bclognini,  293 
Fantuzzi,  290 
Fava,  275 
Grabinski,  298 
Hercolani,  291 
Malvezzi    Campeggio, 

280 

Marescalchi,  301 
Montanari,  302 
Pedrazzi,  290 
Pepoli,  293 
Piella,  275 
Del  Podesta,  269 
Pubblico,  268 
Zambeccari,  300 
Zampieri,  290 


Piazza  S.  Domenico,  294. 
Maggiore,  270 
Nettuno,  268 
Portico  dei  Banchi,  270 
Torre  degli  Asinelli,  275 

della  Garisenda,  275, 
University,  281 
Bordighera,  i.  35 
Borgo  S.  Donino,  ii.  226 
Breno,  i.  230 
Brescia,  i.  241-251 

BibliotecaQuiriniana,  244 
Broletto,  243 
Castle,  251 
Cathedrals,  243 
Churches — 

S.  Afra,  247 

S.  Alessandro,  248 

S.  Clemente,  245 

S.  Domenico,  250 

S.  Faustino  Maggiore,  250* 

S.  Francesco,  249 

S.    Giovanni    Evangelista, 

250 

S.  Giulia,  246 
Madonna  delle  Grazie,  248 
dei  Miracoli,  249. 
S.  Nazzaro  e  Celso,  248 
S.  Pietro  in  Oliveto,  250 
Museo  Civico,  246 

Patrio,  244 

Palazzo  del  Municipio,  242- 
Torre  dell'  Orologio,  243 

della  Palata,  250 
Brianza,  the,  i.  194 
Brienno,  i.  197 
Broni,  ii.  211 
Busseto,  ii.  226 


C. 

Cadenabbia,  i.  198 

Cadroipo,  ii.  186 

Caldiero,  i.  309 

Camerlata,  i.  189 

Campi,  School  of  the,  i.  232= 

Campidello,  i.  356 

Campiglio,  i.  256 

Campione,  i.  255 

Campo,  i.  198 

Campo  Rosso,  i.  33 

Canossa,  ii,  247 

Canzo,  i.  194 

Capo  di  Ponte,  i.  230 

Capolago,  i.  204 

Caprile,  i.  356 


INDEX. 


Carignano,  i.  105 

Carlotta,  Villa,  i.  198 

Carmagnola,  i.  105 

Carrara  di  S.  Stefano,  i.  343 

Casale,  i.  126 

Casteggio,  ii.  211 

Castel  Arquato,  ii.  226 

Castel  Catajo,  i.  343 

Castelfranco,  i,  350 

Castel  Guelfo,  ii.  228 

Castellaro,  i.  42 

Castellazzo,  Villa  of,  i.  173 

Castello  della  Pietra,  i.  354 

Castelruth,  i.  356 

Castelluzzo,  i.  114,  117 

Castiglione,  i.  212 

Castiglione  d'Olona,  i.  206 

Cavallermaggiore,  i.  106 

Cecima,  i.  185 

Centa,  the,  i.  46 

Cento,  ii.  208 

Cernobbio,  i.  197 

Cencsa,  the,  i.  174 

Certosa  di  Pesia,  i.  107 

Cervi,  i.  45 

Chiaravalle,  i.  170 

Chatillon,  i.  119 

Chiavenna,  i.  200 

Chioggia,  ii.  166 

Chiusa,  Le,  i.  103 

Chivasso,  i.  123 

Cittadella,  i.  350 

Cividale,  ii.  192 

Cogoletto,  i.  51 

Col  di  Tenda,  i.  105-107 

Colico,  i.  200 

Colle,  i.  38 

Columbus,  Birthplace  of,  i.  51 

Comabbio,  Lake  of,  i.  204 

Comaccina,  Island  ot,  i.  197 

Comano,  Baths  of,  i.  254 

Como,  i.  189 

Como,  Lake  of,  i.  196 

Conegliano,  ii.  185 

Coni,  i.  106 

Conobbio,  i.  212 

Cornice,  the,  i.  29 

Cortina  d'Ampezzo,  i.  359 

Courmayeur,  i.  122 

Cremona,  i.  231-240 

Baptistery,  237 

Campo  Santo,  238 

Castle,  237 

Cathedral,  234 

Churches — 

S.  Abbondio,  233 
S.  Agata,  233 


Churches — 

S.  Agostino,  233 
S.  Giacomo  in  Breda,  233 
S.  Luca,  232 
S.  Margherita,  233 
S.  Nazzaro,  233 
S.  Pelagia,  234 
S.  Pietro  di  Po,  233 
S.  Sigismondo,  238 
Palazzo  Maggi,  232 

Pubblico,  238 
Torrazzo,  237 

Cristallo,  the,  i.  359 

Crocetta  del  Trebbo,  ii.  397 

Cuneo,  i.  106 

Custozza,  i.  294 


D. 

Desenzano,  i.  252 
D'Este,  Villa,  i.  197 
Diana  Marina,  i.  45 
Doire,  the,  i.  118 
Dolceacqua,  i.  33 
Domo  d'  Ossola,  i.  2 
Dongo,  i.  200 
Donnaz,  i.  118 


E. 

Enza,  the,  ii.  245 
Erba,  i.  194 
Este,  i.  344 
Euganean  Hills,  i.  341 


Feltre,  i.  354 
Ferrara,  ii.  193-208 

Ateneo  Civico,  200 

Campo  Santo,  199 

Castle,  195 

Cathedral,  197 

Churches — 

S.  Andrea,  208 

S.  Benedetto,  199 

Corpus  Domini,  207 

S.  Domenico,  198 

S.  Francesco,  206 

S.  Gaetano,  206 

II  Gesu,  204 

S.  Giorgio,  208 

S.  Maria  in  Vado,  207 

S.  Paolo,  198 


312 


INDEX. 


Hospital  of  S.  Anna,  204 
Houses  of  Ariosto,  199,  203 
Palazzo  Bevilacqua,  200 

de'  Diamanti,  200 
della  Ragione,  197 
Roverella,  206 
Schifanoia,  208 
Zatti,  200 
Piazza  Ariostea,  200 

del  Duomo,  197 
Pinacoteca,  200 
Prison  of  Tasso,  204 
University,  207 
Finale  Marina,  i.  47 
Fiorenzuola,  ii.  226 
Fobello,  i.  217 
Fort  Bard,  i.  118 
Roc,  i.  121 


G. 

Gallinara,  Island  of,  i.  45 
Garda,  i.  257 
Gargagnano,  i.  291 
Gargnano,  i.  255 
Garlanda,  i.  47 
Genoa,  i.  53-86 

Acqua  Sola,  promenade  of,  70 
Albergo  dei  Poveri,  74 
Banco  di  S.  Giorgio,  60 
Campo  Santo,  86 
Cathedral,  63 
Churches — 

S.  Agostino,  83 

S.  Ambrogio,  69 

S._  Annunziata,  74 

S.   Bartolommeo  degl'  Ar- 

meni,  86 
S.  Donate,  83 
S.  Giacomo,  81 
S.  Giovanni  di  Pre,  79 
S.  Maria  di  Carignano,  84 

di  Castello,  82 
S.  Matteo,  66 
S.  Siro,  73 
S.  Stefano,  85 
House  of  Andrea  Doria,  67 
Loggia  dei  Banchi,  59 
Palazzo — 

Arcivescovile,  66 

Balbi,  75 

Brignole  Sale,  72 

Doria  Tursi,  71 

Doria,  67 

Ducale,  69 

Durazzo  della  Scala,  76 


Palazzo — 

Giustiniani,  66 
Pallavicini,  70 
del  Principe,  78 
Reale,  77 
Rosso,  72 
Serra,  73 
Spinola,  70 
del  Universita,  76 
Piazza — 

Acqua  Verde,  77 
Banchi,  59 
Carlo  Felice,  69 
Embriaci,  82 
Pontoria,  83 
Ponte  di  Carignano,  83 
Porta  di  S.  Andrea,  85 

S.  Tommaso,  79 
Porto  Franco,  62 
Scoglietto  Gardens,  79 
Strada  degli  Orefici,  60 
Via  Nuova,  71 
Gordola,  i.  214 
Grado,  ii.  191 
Gravedona,  i.  200 
Gravellona,  i.  212 
Gressoney  S.  Jean,  i.  217 
Grivola,  the,  i.  121 
Guastalla,  ii.  251 
Gusella,  the,  i.  359 


I. 

Idro,  Lake  of,  i.  254 

II  Deserto,  i.  50 

Incino,  i.  194 

Intra,  i.  212 

Iseo,  i.  229 

Isola  Comaccina,  i.  197 
Bella,  i.  209 
Gallinara,  i.  45 
di  Grado,  ii.  191 
di  Lecchio,  i.  254 
Madre,  i.  210 
di  Murano,  ii.  170 
dei  Pescatori,  i.  211 
di  S.  Giulio,  i.  214 
di  Torcello,  ii.  174 

Ivrea,  i.  118 


L. 

La  Fiera,  i.  354 
Tour,  i.  114 
Lago  di  Alleghe,  i.  356 


INDEX. 


313 


Lago  di — 

Comabbio,  i.  204 
Como,  i.  196 
Garda,  i.  253 
Idro,  i.  254 
Iseo,  i.  228 
Lecco,  i.  200 
Ledro,  i.  254 
Loppio,  i.  257 
Lugano,  i.  204 
Maggiore,  i.  208 
Misurina,  i.  359 
Monate,  i.  204 
Muzzano,  i.  204 
Orta,  i.  214 
Piano,  i.  202 
Pusiano,  i.  194 

Lampedusa,  i.  42 

Latte,  i.  31 

Laveno,  i.  212 

Lecco,  i.  200 

Legnago,  i.  349 

Lerone,  the,  i.  47 

Litnone,  i.  255 

Locarno,  i.  213 

Lodi,  ii.  225 

Lonigo,  i.  309 

Lovere,  i.  229 

Lugano,  i.  205 

Luino,  i.  204 

Lusignano,  i.  46 


M. 

Macagno  Inferiore,  i.  212 
Macugnaga,  i.  212 
Maderno,  i.  255 
Magenta,  battlefield  of,  i.  173 
Maggiore,  lake  of,  i.  208 
Malcesine,  i.  257 
Mantua,  i.  292-306 

Argine  del  Mulino,  295 
Casa  di  Mantegna,  302 
Castello  di  Corte,  299 
Cathedral,  297 
Churches — 

S.  Andrea,  301 
•    S.  Maria  delle  Grazie,  306 

S.  Sebastiano,  302 
Museo,  300 
Palazzo  Bianchi,  300 

Castiglione,  300 
Ducale,  298 
Guerrieri,  300 
delta  Ragione,  301 
del  Te,  302 


Piazza  Dante,  301 

delle  Erbe,  301 
S.  Pietro,  297 
Virgiliana,  300 

Ponte  S.  Giorgio,  300 

Torre  della  Gabbia,  297 
del  Zuccaro,  297 
Marengo,  battlefield  of,  ii.  210 
Marostica,  i.  320 
Melzi,  Villa,  i.  199 
Menaggio,  i.  204 
Mendrisio,  i.  194 
Mercate,  i.  204 
Merula,  the,  i.  45 
Milan,  i.  129-169 

Arco  della  Pace,  157 

Archaeological  Museum,  158 

Bibhoteca  Ambrosiana,  154 

Brera,  the,  158 

Castello,  157 

Cathedral,  132 

Cenacolo  of  Leonardo  da  Vinci, 

IS* 

Churches — 

Chiaravalle,  170 

S.  Ambrogio,  138 

S.  Babila,  156 

S.  Carlo  Borromeo,  156 

S.  Celso,  144 

S.  Eustorgio,  142 

S.  Fedele,  156 

S.  Giorgio  in  Palazzo,  138 

S.  Giovanni  in  Conca,  148 

S.  Lorenzo,  142 

S.  Marco,  156 

S.  Maria  del  Carmine,  158 
delle  Grazie,  151 
presso  S.  Celso, 

144 

S.  Maurizio,  150 

S.  Nazzaro  Maggiore,  145 

S.  Pietro  Martire,  143 

S.  Satire,  148 

S.  Sempliciano,  157 

S.  Sepolcro,  153 

S.  Stefano  in  Broglio,  148 
Colonne  di  S.  Lorenzo,  142 
Galleria    Vittorio      Emanuele, 

137 

La  Scala,  Theatre  or,  155 
Loggia  degli  Oisi,  149 
Ospedale  Maggiore,  146 
Palazzo  della  Citta,  149 

della  Ragione,  149 

Litta,  151 

Trivulsi,  146 
Piazza  d'Armi,  157  _ 


314 


INDEX. 


Piazza — 

del  Duomo,  137 
della  Scala,  155 
del  Tribunale,  149 
Porta  Romana,  146 
Seminario  Arcivescovile,  156 
Scuola  Palatina,  149 
Mirabouc,  i.  116 
Modena,  ii.  251-262 
Cathedral,  253 
Churches — 

S.  Francesco,  261 
S.  Giovanni  Decollate,  262 
S.  Maria  Pomposa,  261 
S.  Pietro,  260 
S.  Vincenzo,  260 
La  Ghirlandina,  255 
Palazzo  Ducale,  257 
Piazza.  Grande,  254 

Reale,  257 
Pinacoteca,  257 
University,  260 
Monate,  lake  of,  i.  204 
Monselice,  i.  344 
Moncalieri,  i.  101 
Montalto,  i.  117 
Monte  Avio,  i.  230 
Montebello,  i.  309 
Montebello,  battlefield  of,  ii.  211 
Monte  Vanderlin,  i.  114 
Monte  Berico,  i.  317 
Monte  di  Bolca,  i.  291 
Monte  di  Roccia  Melone,  i.  104 
Monte  Generoso,  i.  194 
Monte  S.  Salvadore,  i.  203 
Monte  Zago,  ii.  226 
Montecchio,  i.  319 
Montecchino,  ii.  245 
Montegrotto,  i.  343 
Monza,  i.  186 
Murano,  ii.  172 
Muzzano,  lake  cf,  i.  204 


Nervia,  the,  i.  33 
Nesso,  i.  197 
Noli,  i.  47 
Novalesa,  i.  104 
Novara,  i,  126 


O. 


Olera,  i,  228 
Oneglia,  i.  45 


Orta,  lake  of,  i.  214 


P. 


Padua,  i.  321-341 

Archivio  Pubblico,  326 
Baptistery,  327 
Cathedral,  327 
Churches — 

S.  Antonio,  331 

S.  Antonino,  341 

S.  Bovo,  329 

Carmine,  324 

Eremitani,  337 

S.  Francesco,  337 

S.  Giorgio,  336 

S.  Giustina,  329 

S.  Maria  dell  'Arena,  338 

S.  Maria  Nuova,  336 

S.  Maria  in  Vanzo,  329 

S.  Sofia,  337 

Convent  of  S.  Antonio,  336 
II  Bo,  327 
Loggie  del  Consiglio,  325 

Municipale,  329 
Orto  Botanico,  331 
Palazzo — 

del  Capitan,  325 

del  Municipio,  326 

Papafava,  329 

della  Ragione,  325 
Piazza. — 

S.  Antonio,  332 

delle  Erbe,  325 

delle  Frutte,  325 

dei  Signori,  324 
Prato  della  Valle,  329 
Scuola  del  Santo,  336 
Tomb  of  Antenor,  337 
Torre  d'Eccelino,  329 

S.  Tommaso,  329 
University,  325,  327 
Pallanza,  i.  212 
Palma  Nuova,  ii.  187 
Parma,  ii.  228-245 

Archaeological  Museum,  239 
Baptistery,  237 
Camera  di  S.  Paolo,  243 
Cathedral,  233,  235 
Churches  — 

S.  Alessandro,  239 

Annunziata,  244 

S.    Giovanni    Evangelista,. 
232 

S.  Maria  della  Steccata,  238 

S.  Sepolcro,  232 


INDEX. 


315 


Collegio  Lalatta,  232 
Palazzo  Farnese,  239 

del  Giardino,  244 
Pilotta,  239 
Piazza,  di  Corte,  238 
Grande,  232 
Pinacoteca.  240 
Ponte  di  Caprazucca,  245 
del  Mezzo,  245 
Verde,  244 
Teatro  Farnese,  239 
Paratico,  i.  228 
Parola,  ii.  228 
Pasta,  Villa,  i.  197 
Pavia,  i.  179-184 
Bridge,  184 
Castello,  182 
Cathedral,  180 
Churches — 

S.  Croce,  182 

S.  Francesco,  183 

S.  Maria  del  Carmine,  181 

S.  Michele,  183 

S.  Pietro  in  Cielo  d'  Oro, 

182 

Colleg'.o  Ghislieri,  183 
Palazzo  Malaspina,  181 
Tomb  of  S.  Augustine,  180 
University,  182 
Pegli,  i.  51 
Pella,  i.  215 
Pelmo,  the,  i.  359 
Penarolo,  i.  357 
Peschiera,  i.  257 
Peschiera  d'  Iseo,  i.  229 
Piacenza,  ii.  211-216 
Cathedral.  213 
Churches — 

S/  Agostino,  216 

S.  Antonio,  213 

S.  Giovanni  in  Canale,  216 

S.  Francesco,  214 

S.  Maria  della  Campagna, 

215 

S.  Sepolcro,  215 
S.  Sisto,  216 
S.  Vincenzo,  214 
Hospital  of  S.  Lazaro,  217 
Palazzo  Comunale,  214 

Farnese,  216 
Piazza  dei  Cavalli,  214 
Piano,  lake  of,  i.  204 
Piave,  the,  ii.  185 
Pietra,  i.  47 
Pieve,  ii.  209 
Pieve  di  Cadore,  i.  357 
Pinerolo,  i.  114 


Pinzolo,  i.  254 
Pisogne,  i.  229 
Pizzo,  Villa,  i.  197 
Pliniana,  Villa,  i.  197 
Po,  River,  i.  97  ;  ii.  194 
Pollenzo,  i.  106 
Ponte  della  Veja,  i.  291 
Ponte  Grande,  i.  212 
Ponte  S.  Martino,  i.  118 
Possagno,  i.  354 
Pordenone,  ii.  185 
Porlezza,  i.  20;? 
Porto,  i.  204 
Porto  Mauiizio,  i.  44 
Pozzolengo,  i.  257 
Pradel  Tor,  i.  116 
Pusiano,  Lake  of,  i.  194 


Q. 


Quinto,  i.  290 


Racconigi,  i.  105 

Recoaro,  i.  320 

Reggio,  ii.  250 

Rho,  i.  208 

Riva,  i.  255 

Rocca  di  Fontanellato,  ii.  228 

Roccialla,  i.  117 

Rora,  i.  117 

Rossena,  ii.  246 

Rotonda  Capra,  the,  i.  318 

Rovigo,  i.  349 


Sacro  Monte  di  Varallo  '.  •?!<; 
di  Varese,  i.  205 
Sala,  i.  197 
Salo,  i.  254 
Salute,  La,  i.  212 
Saluzzo,  i.  106 
Sambonifacio,  i.  309 
S.  Ambrogio,  i.  101 
S.  Antonino,  i.  341 
S.  Caterina,  i.  211 
S.  Cristina,  ii.  183 
S.  Didier,  i.  121 
S.  Giovanni  llarione,  i.  319 
S.  Ilario,  ii.  245 
S.  Lorenzo  al  Mare,  i.  44 
S.  Maria  delle  Grazie,  i.  306 


316 

S.  Martino,  battlefield  of,  i.  259 
S.  Martino  di  Castrozza,  i.  354 
S.  Mauro,  i.  31 
S.  Michele,  i.  290 
S.  Michele,  II  Sagro  di,  i.  101 
S.  Niccolo,  ii.  211 
.S.  Remo,  i.  38 
S.  Romolo,  i.  41 
S.  Salvatore,  Monte  di,  i.  203 
S.  Stefano  al  Mare,  i.  44 
S.  Tommaso  in  Limine,  i,  228 
Sandria,  i.  204 
Sarnico,  i.  228 
Saronno,  i.  171 
.Sasso  di  Ronch,  i,  356 
Savigliano,  i.  106 
Savona,  i.  47 
Scrivia,  the,  i.  87 
Serbelloni,  Villa,  i.  199 
Sennione,  i.  252 
Serravalle,  ii.  185 
.Siviano,  i.  229 
Slovino  di  S.  Marco,  i.  291 
Solferino,  Battlefield  of,  i.  253 
Spotorno,  i.  47 
Stenico,  i.  254 
Stresa,  i.  209 
Stupinigi,  i.  101 
Superga,  La,  i.  99 
Susa,  i.  103 


T. 

Taggia,  i.  41 
Taglioni,  Villa,  i.  197 
Tai  Cadore,  i.  357 
Taro,  the,  ii.  228 
Tavernola,  i.  229 
Tenda,  Col  di,  i.  107 
Termini,  i.  357 
Ticino,  River,  i.  18 ;. 
Tione,  i.  254 
Tirano,  i.  230 
Torcello,  ii.  175 
Tortona,  ii.  210 
Toscolano,  i.  255 
Trascorre,  i.  228 
Tre  Croci,  i.  356 
Trebbia,  the,  ii.  211 
Tremezza,  Villa,  i.  198 
Treviso,  ii.  182 
Turin,  i.  88-99 

Accademia,  93 

Armoury,  91 

Capuchin  Convent, 

Cathedral,  92 


INDEX. 


Churches — 

Consolata,  La,  92 
Corpus  Domini,  92 
S.  Lorenzo,  93 
Madre  di  Dio,  98 
Superga,  99 

Palazzo — 

Carignano,  93 
Madama,  90 
Municipio,  92 
Reale,  90 
Valentino,  98 

Piazza — 

Carignano,  93 
Carlo  Alberto,  97 
Carlo  Felice,  90 
Castello,  90 
di  Citta,  92 
Savoia,  92 

Public  Gardens,  98 

University,  97 


Udine,  ii.  186 


V. 


Vado,  i.  47 

Val  Anzasca,  i.  212 

Bavona,  i.  214 

Camon:ca,  i.  230 

di  Brenta,  i.  254 

di  Camporciero,  i.  118 

di  Prato,  i.  214 

Lavizzana,  i.  214 

Lunella,  i.  291 

Maggia,  i.  214 

Mastellone,  i.  217 

Pantena,  i.  290 

Pesio,  i.  107 

Sesia,  {.217 

Verzasca,  i.  214 
Valdagno,  i.  320 
Valdieri,  Baths  of,  i.  107 
Valeggio,  i.  294 
Valenza,  i.  126 
Varenna,  i.  200 
Varese,  i.  204 
Varigotti,  i.  47 
Varallo,  i.  215 
Velleia,  ii.  225 
Venas,  i.  359 
Venice,  ii.  1-181 

Abbazia  di  S.  Gregcrio,  53 
della  Misericordia,  117 


INDEX. 


317 


Accademia,  55 
Archaeological  Museum,  46 
Archivio  Pubblico,  150 
Armenian  Convent,  159 
Arsenale,  108 
Ateneo  Veneto,  115 
Attila's  throne,  177 
Biblioteca,  16 

Campanile  di  S.  Marco,  18 
Campiello  Angaran,  137 

della  Strope,  151 
Campo  di  S.  Agostino,  154 

S.  Angelo,  119 

S.  Benedetto,  119 

della  Carita,  55 

S.    Giovanni  in    Bragora, 
in 

Manin,  120 

S.  Margherita,  135 

S.  Maria  Formosa,  91,  92 

S.  Marina,  93 

S.  Paternian,  120 

S.  Polo.  153 

S.  Provolo,  88 

S.  Stefano,  118 

di  Tiziano,  123 

S.  Zaccaria,  88 
Canalazzo,  18 
Canonica,  La,  88 
Cappella  Zen,  125 
Casa  d'  Oro,  10 

Ferro,  84 

Businello,  70 

Madonnetta,  70 

di  Petrarca,  112 

di  Tiziano,  123 
Castello  di  S.  Andrea,  163 

di  S.  Pietro,  165 
Cathedral  of  Murano,  172 

of  Torcello,  177 
Cemetery,  169 
Chioggia,  166 
Collegio  Greco  Flangini,  89 

Marco  Foscarini,  125 
Calle  del  Bazatin,  121 
Churches — 

S.  Agostino,  154 

S.  Alvise,  132 

S.  Andrea,  137 

S.  Andrea  di  Chioggia,  167 

Gli  Angeli,  173 

S.  Antonino,  89 

S.  Aponal,  152 

SS.  Apostoli,  81,  124 

S.  Bartolommeo,  74 

S.  Basso,  32 

S.  Benedetto,  119 


Churches — 

S.  Biagio,  108 

S.  Canciano,  123 

S.  Cassiano,  152 

S.  Caterina,  125 

della  Fava,  93 

degli  Orfani,  134 

della  Pieta,  112 

S.  Donate  di  Murano,  172 

S.  Fantino,  115 

S.  Felice,  125 

ir.  Fosia,  126 

S.  Fosca  di  Torcello,  179 

S.  Francesco  delle  Vigne, 

102 

S.  Geremia,  78 

S.  Giacomo  dell'  Orio,  151 

S.  Giacomo  di  Rialto,  72 

S.  Gian  Crisostomo,  121 

S.  Giobbe,  131 

S.  Giorgio  dei  Greci,  89 

S.  Giorgio  Maggiore,  157 

S.  Giorgio  degli  Schiavonir 

90 
S.    Giovanni    in   Bragora, 

in 
S.  Giovanni  Elemosinario, 

73 

SS.  Giovanni  e  Paolo,  95 
S.  Gregorio,  53 
S,  Giuliano,  121 
S.    Giuseppe  di    Castello, . 

106 

S.  Giustina,  103 
II  Redentore,  156 
S.  Luca,  119 
S.  Lazaro  dei  Mendicant!, 

IO2 

S.  Lorenzo,  89 

S.  Lio,  93,  121 

La  Maddalena,  126 

Madonna  dei  Miracoli,  121 

Madonna  del  Orto,  127 

S.  Marco,  21 

S.  Marcuola,  78 

S.  Maria  dei  Carmini,  135 

S.  Maria  Formosa,  91 

S.  Maria  de'  Gesuiti,  124 

S.  Maria  del  Giglio,  116 

S.  Maria  Gloriosa  dei  Frarir 

144 
S.    Maria  Mater  Domini  r 

IS* 

S.  Maria  Nuova,  123 
S.  Maria  del  Rosario,  134 
S.  Maria  della  Salute,  51 
S.  Maria  di  Scalzi,  77 


3i8 


INDEX. 


Churches — 

S.  Maria  Zobenigo,  116 

S.  Marina,  93 

S.  Martino,  in 

S.  Marziale,  127 

S.  Maurizio,  116 

S.  Michele,  169 

S.  Mo'ise,  115 

S.  Niccolo,  163 

S.  Niccolo  da  Tolentino, 

138 

S.  Pantaleone,  137 
S.  Pietro  al  Castello,  104 
S.  Pietro  di  Murano,  173 
S.  Polo,  153 
S.  Rocco,  143 
S.  Salvatore,  120 
S.  Sebastiano,  136 
S.  Silvestro,  70 
I  Servi,  126 

S.  Simeone  Grande,  77 
S.  Simeone  Piccolo,  77 
S.  Stae,  75 
S.  Stefano,  117 
S.  Toma,  150 
S.  Trovaso,  133 
S.  Vitale,  84 
S.  Zaccaria,  86 
Corte  del  Maltese,  119 
del  Milione,  121 
del  Remer,  80 
Dogana,  49 
Doges  of,  6 
Fondaco  dei  Tedeschi,  81 

dei  Turchi,  76 

Fondamenta  di  S.  Biagio,  157 
,   dei  Mori,  127 

Pesaro,  152 
Forte  di  Caroman,  165 
Frari,  the,  144 
Giardini  Papadopoli,  77 

Pubblici,  106 
Giudecca,  the,  156 
•Gobbo  di  Rialto,  73 
Goldoni,  birthplace  of,  150 
Gondolas,  10 

Hospital,  Gl'  Incurabili,  136 
Jsola  di  Burano,  174 
di  Castello,  114 
di  S.  Elena,  161 
di  S.  Giorgio,  158 
della  Giudecca,  156 
di  S.  Lazaro,  150 
di  Mazzorbo,  174 
di  S.  Michele,  169 
di  Murano,  172 
di  S.  Nicolo,  114 


Isola — 

di  Pelestina,  165 
di  S.  Pietro,  104 
di  Poveglia,  165 
di  S.  Servolo,  164 
di  Torcello,  177 
di  S.  Marco,  43 
Libreria  Vecchia,  17 
Lido,  the,  161 

Littorale  di  Malamocco,  165 
di  Sotto  Marina,  165 
di  Pelestina,  165 
Loggia,  19 
Lunatic  Asylum,  164 
Manufactory    of    Merletti    di 
Burano,  174 

of  Salviati  glass,  173 
Monastery  of  S.    Maria  Glori- 

osa  dei  Frari,  150 
Murazzi,  I,  165 
Museo  Civico,  76 
Correr.  76 
Oratorio  del  Crocifisso,  154 

di  SS.  Filippoe  Luigi, 

125 
Palazzo  Badoer,  112 

Baffo,  1 1 6,  119 

Balbi,  69 

Barbarigo    della    Ter- 

razza,  69 
Barbaro,  84 
Bembo,  8r,  122 
Bembo    alia    Celestia, 

104 

Benzon,  82 
Bernardo,  154 
dei  Camerlenghi,  75 
Capovilla,  76 
Cappello,  70,  153 
Cavalli,  82,  84 
Centani,  150 
Cicogna     all'     Angelo 

Raffaele,  134 
Contarini  Fasan,  84 
Contarini      Porta      di 

Ferro,  104 
Contarini  delle  Figure, 

83 
Contarini      Mocenigo, 

119 

Contarini  degli  Scrigni, 
.        67 

Corner       della        Ca 

Grande,  84 
Corner  Mocenigo,  154 
della  Regina,75 
Spinelli,  82 


INDEX. 


319 


Palazzo— 

Dandolo,  76 
Dario,  54 
Dona,  70 
Ducale,  32 
Duodo,  76 
Emo,  85 
Erizzo,  79 
Falier,  123 
Farsetti,  82 
Fini,  84 
Foscari,  67 
Foscarini,  135 
S.  Giacomo,  75 
Giovanelli,  126 
Giustiniani,  67,  85,  93 
Giustiniani  Lonin,  83 
Grassi,  83 
Grimani,  70,  79,  83 
Grimani  a  S.  Polo,  69 
Giustiniani,  85 
Labia,  78 
Loredan,  82 
Loredan  di  S.  Stefano, 

118 

Malipiero,  91 
Manfrin,  78 
Manin,  81 
Manzoni,  54 
Marcello,  79 
Martinengo,  82 
Micheli  delle  Colonne, 

80 

Mocenigo,  83 
dei  Molin,  112 
Moro  Lin,  80 
Morosini,  80,  118 
del  Nunzio  Apostolico, 

103 

Persico,  69 
Pesaro,  75 
Pisani,  69,  119 
dei  Polo,  121 
da  Ponte,  117 
Priuli,  88 
Querini,  91 
Rezzonico,  67 
Sagredo,  80 
Sanudo,  75,  122 
Sina,  83 
Tiepolo,  69 
Treves,  85 
Trevisan,  88 
Tron,  76 
Vendramin,  126 
Vendramin  Calergh  1,78 
dei  Vescovi,  67 


Palazzo — 

Zen,  125 
Zenobio,  135 
Zorsi,  89 

Piazza  dei  Leoni,  32 
S.  Marco,  13 
Piazzetta,  17 
Pietra  del  Bando,  18 
Piombi,  41 

Ponte  del  Corner,  152 
Diedo,  126 
del  Paradise,  92 
dei  Pugni,  137 
di  Rialto,  71 
dei  Sospiri,  41 
S.  Toma,  150 
Porto  di  Lido,  163 
Pozzi,  42 
Procuratie  Nuove,  16 

Vecchie,  16 
Rio  SS.  Apostoli,  123 
del  Arsenale,  108 
di  Ca  Foscari,  69 
Railway  station,  7 
Scala  dei  Giganti,  35 
Scuola  degli  Albanesi,  116 

dell'Angelo  Custode,  124 
dei  Carmini,  135 
dei  Crociferi,  125 
di  S.  Geronimo,  115 
di  S.  Giovanni  Evange- 

lista,  154 
di  S.  Marco,  101 
di  S.  Rocco,  138 
di  S.  Teodoro,  120 
del  Volto  Santo,  127 
Seminario  Patriarchale,  49 
Statue  of  Bartolommeo  Colle- 

oni,  93 

Statue  of  Daniele  Manin,  120 
Torre  dell'  Orologio,  16 
Via  del  Paradise,  92 
Zecca,  17 
Ventimiglia,  i.  32 
Vercelli,  i.  123 
Vernex,  i.  118 
Verona,  i.  258-290 

Accademia  Filarmonics,  272 
Amphitheatre,  272 
Arco  dei  Borsari,  277 

del  Leone,  289 
•Baptistery,  279 
Biblioteca  Capitolare,  279 
Castel  S.  Felice,  281 
S.  Pietro,  280 
Vecchio,  272 
Cathedral,  278 


320 


INDEX. 


Churches — 

S.  Anastasia,  261 
S.  Bernardino,  273 
S.  Elena,  279 
S.  Eufemia,  277 
S.  Fermo  Maggiore,  287 
S.  Giorgio  in  Braida,  281 
S.  Giovanni  in  Fonte,  279 
in  Valle,  282 
S.  Maria  Antica,  265 

della  Campagna, 

290 

Matricolare,  278 
in  Organo,  282 
SS.  Nazzaro  e  Celso,  284 
S.  Pietro  Martire,  263 
S.  Siro,  282 
S.  Stefano,  281 
S.  Tommaso  Cantuariense, 

283 

S.  Zeno,  274 
Gardens — 

Giusti,  283 

of  the  Orfanotrofio,  289 
House  of  Giolfmo,  277 
Mercato  Vecchio,  265 
Museo  Civico,  285 

Lapidario,  272 
Oratorio  di  S.  Zenone,  276 
Palaces — 

Bevilacqua,  277 
Canossa,  277 
Cappelletti,  289 
del  Consiglio,  264 
Giusti,  283 
della  Guardia,  272 
Pompei,  285 
Portalupi,  277 
della  Ragione,  265 
Piazza  Bra,  272 

delle  Erbe,  271 
Navona,  264 
dei  Signori,  264 
Pinacoteca,  285 
Ponte  Acqua  Morta,  283 
Castello,  272 
delle  Navi,  287 
Nuovo,  283 
Pietra,  280 
Porta  Stuppa,  273 

dei  Borsari,  277 
Roman  theatre,  282 
Tomb  of  Count  of  Castelbarco, 
262 


Tombs  of  the  Scaligers,  265 
Vescovado,  279 
Walls,  290 
Vicenza,  i.  309-318 
Basilica,  312 
Casa  di  Palladio,  314 
Pigafetta,  313 
di  Ricovero,  317 
Salvi,  313 
Cathedral,  311 
Churches — 

S.  Corona,  313 

S.  Lorenzo,  317 

S.  Maria  al  Monte,  317 

S.  Pietro,  317 

S.  Stefano,  313 
Museo  Civico,  314 
Palazzo — 

Barbarano,  317 

Chiericati,  314 

Conte  Porto  al    Castello, 

3" 

Loschi,  312 
Porto,  317 
della  Ragione,  312 
Annibale  Tiene,  312 
Marc  Antonio  Tiene,  317 
Valmarana,  317 
Piazza  dei  Signori,  312 
Rotonda  Capra,  318 
Teatro  Olimpico,  316 
Torre  dell'  Orologio,  312 
Villa  Valmarana,  318 
Villa  Barbaro,  ii.  183 
Carlotta,  i.  198 
d'Este,  i.  197 
Giulia,  i.  199 
Masena,  ii.  183 
Melzi,  i,  199 
Pizzo,  i.  197 
Pliniana,  i.  197 
Villafranca,  i.  294 
Villanuova,  i.  46 
Villar,  i.  115 
Villastellone,  i.  105 
Voghera,  ii.  210 
Vogogna,  i.  212 
Voltri,  i,  51 
Vorazze,  i.  50 


W. 
Waldenses,  the,  i.  108 


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(       2       ) 

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good  things,  and  in  a  single  article  we  can  but  skim  the  surface 
of  the  riches  they  contain.  A  word  must  also  be  said  of  the 
beauty  and  delicacy  of  the  illustrations.  Few  living  men  dare 
brave  criticism  by  giving  us  the  story  of  their  lives  and  promis- 
ing more.  But  Mr.  Hare  is  quite  justified.  He  has  produced 
a  fascinating  work,  in  some  parts  strange  as  any  romance,  and 
his  reminiscences  of  great  men  are  agreeable  and  interesting."— 
Birmingham  Gazette. 

GEORGE  ALLEN,  156,  CHARING  CROSS  ROAD,  LONDON 


"An  inexhaustible  storehouse  of  anecdote." — South-lVcstcrii 
News. 

"  These  volumes  possess  an  almost  unique  interest  because 
of  the  striking  series  of  portraits  we  get  in  them,  not  so  much  of 
celebrities,  of  whom  we  often  hear  enough,  but  of 'originals'  in 
private  life.  .  .  .  They  give  us  a  truly  remarkable  picture  of 
certain  sections  of  European  society,  and,  above  all,  introduce 
us  to  some  singularly  quaint  types  of  human  character."— 
Glasgow  Herald. 

"  Brimful  of  anecdotes,  this  autobiography  will  yield  plenty  of 
entertainment.  We  should  like  to  quote  many  a  characteristic 
little  tale,  but  must  content  ourselves  by  heartily  recommending 
all  who  care  for  the  pleasantest  of  pleasant  gossip  concerning 
famous  people  and  places  to  procure  these  three  volumes." 
— Publisher's  Circular. 

"  Mr.  Hare  has  an  easy,  agreeable  style,  and  tells  a  story  with 
humour  and  skill." — The  Saturday  Review. 

"  It  would  be  well  for  all  who  think  the  children  of  to-day  are 
over-pampered  and  too  much  considered,  to  read  Mr.  Hare's 
life."— Lady's  Pictorial. 

"  Very  delicate,  idyllic,  and  fascinating  are  the  pictures  the 
author  has  drawn  of  daily  life  in  old  rectories  and  country 
houses." — The  World. 

"  Mr.  Hare  has  the  gift,  the  rare  gift,  of  writing  about  himself 
truthfully.  Nor  can  a  quick  eye  for  shades  of  character  be 
denied  to  Mr.  Hare,  who  does  not  seem  ready  to  take  people  at 
their  own  estimate  or  even  at  what  may  be  called  their  market 
price.  But  we  do  not  detect  a  touch  of  malice,  but  only  that 
knack  of  telling  the  truth  which  is  so  hateful  to  the  ordinary 
biographer,  and  so  distasteful  to  that  sentimental  public  which 
is  never  so  happy  as  when  devouring  sugared  falsehoods." — The 
Speaker. 


GEORGE  ALLEN,  156,  CHARING  CXOSS  ROAD,  LONDON 


(     4     ) 

"The  book  has  throughout  a  strong  human  interest.  It 
contains  a  great  many  anecdotes,  and  in  our  opinion,  at  all 
events,  deserves  to  take  rank  among  notable  biographical 
works." —  Westminster  Gazette. 

"A  deeply  interesting  book.  It  is  the  story  of  a  man  who 
has  seen  much  and  suffered  much,  and  who  out  of  the  fulness  of 
his  experience  can  bring  forth  much  to  interest  and  entertain. 
.  .  .  The  book  has  a  wealth  of  apt  quotations  and  graceful 
reference,  and  though  written  in  a  scholarly  and  cultured  way, 
it  is  always  simple  and  interesting.  .  .  .  Nothing  in  the  work 
has  been  set  down  in  malice  ;  there  are  excuses  for  everybody. 
...  Of  course  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  the  book 
teems  with  entertainment  from  beginning  to  end." — St.  Jameses 
Budget. 

"There  is  much  besides  human  character  and  incident  in 
these  well-packed  and  well-illustrated  volumes.  .  .  .  No  one 
will  close  the  work  without  a  feeling  not  only  of  gratitude  for  a 
long  gallery  of  interesting  and  brilliantly-speaking  portraits,  but 
of  sympathy  with  the  biographer." — The  Athenceum. 

"  It  is  doubtful  whether  any  Englishman  living  has  had  a 
wider  acquaintance  among  people  worth  knowing  in  England 
and  on  the  Continent,  than  the  author  of  these  memoirs.  It  is 
also  doubtful  whether  any  man,  with  equal  opportunities,  could 
have  turned  them  to  so  good  an  account.  .  .  .  We  have  here 
an  incomparable  storehouse  of  anecdotes  concerning  conspicuous 
persons  of  the  first  half  of  this  Victorian  age." — New  York  Sun. 

"  This  is  assuredly  a  book  to  read." — Freeman. 

"  Singularly  interesting  is  this  autobiography.  .  .  .  Alto- 
gether it  is  a  notable  book,  and  may  well  be  recommended  to 
those  who  are  interested  in  the  intellectual  life  of  our  time." — 
New  York  Herald. 

GEORGE  ALLEN,  156,  CHARING  CROSS  ROAD,  LONDON 


(     5     ) 

"  Mr.  Hare's  excellence,  apart  from  felicity  of  style  and 
directness  of  method,  has  ever  been  conspicuous  by  the  ex- 
cellence that  comes  of  wide  knowledge  of  his  subject,  and  a 
keenly  sympathetic  nature.  Alive  as  he  has  ever  been  to 
responsive  emotion,  he  possesses  also  a  bright  humour  that 
seizes  upon  the  discrepancies,  the  nuances  and  quaintnesses  of 
whatever  comes  within  the  range  of  his  eye  and  pen.  These 
qualities  have  made  for  Mr.  Hare  a  circle  of  admirers  who, 
while  they  have  sought  in  his  pages  no  very  thrilling  passages, 
have  felt  steadily  the  growth  of  a  liking  given  to  an  old  friend 
who  is  always  kindly  and  oftentimes  amusing.  .  .  .  Mr.  Hare 
dwells  with  a  rare  and  touching  love  upon  his  mother,  and 
these  passages  are  amongst  the  most  appealing  in  the  book." 
— Philadelphia  Courier. 

"  Mr.  Hare  has  given  us  a  picture  of  English  social  life  that 
for  vividness,  picturesqueness,  and  completeness,  is  not  excelled 
in  literature.  There  is  a  charming  lack  of  attempt  to  be  literary 
in  the  telling  of  the  story — a  refreshing  frankness  and  quaint- 
ness  of  expression.  He  takes  his  readers  with  him  so  that  they 
may  breathe  the  same  social  atmosphere  in  which  he  has  spent 
his  life.  With  their  own  eyes  they  see  the  things  he  saw,  and 
best  of  all  they  have  freedom  to  judge  them,  for  Mr.  Hare  does 
not  force  himself  or  his  opinions  upon  them." — New  York  Press. 

"  Mr.  Hare's  memoirs  are  their  own  excuse  for  being,  and 
are  a  distinct  addition  to  the  wide  and  delightful  realm  of 
biographical  literature." — Chicago  Journal. 

"  It  is  rarely  that  an  autobiography  is  planned  on  so  ample  a 
scale,  and  yet,  to  tell  the  truth,  there  are  singularly  few  of  these 
pages  which  one  really  cares  to  skip." — Good  Words. 

"  A  sad  history  of  Mr.  Hare's  childhood  and  boyhood  this  is 
for  the  most  part,  but  there  were  bursts  of  sunshine  in  Augustus 
Hare's  life — sunshine  shed  around  him  by  the  kindly,  noble- 

GEORGE  ALLEN,  156,  CHARING  CROSS  ROAD,  LONDON 


(     6     ) 

minded  lady  who  is  called  mother  all  through  these  volumes, 
and  for  whom  his  reverence  and  gratitude  deepened  with  years." 
— Clifton  Society. 

"  The  '  Story  of  My  Life '  is  no  commonplace  autobiography, 
and  plunge  in  where  you  may,  there  is  something  to  interest  and 
attract."—  The  Sketch. 

"  No  one  can  read  these  very  fascinating  pages  without  feeling 
that  what  their  author  has  written  is  absolutely  that  which  no 
other  would  have  ventured  to  say  of  him,  and  what  not  one  in  a 
million  would  have  told  concerning  himself.  There  is  a  wonder- 
ful charm  of  sincerity  in  what  he  discloses  as  to  his  own  feel- 
ings, his  likes  and  dislikes,  his  actions  and  trials.  He  lays 
open,  with  photographic  fidelity,  the  story  of  his  life." — New 
York  Churchman. 

"  These  fair  volumes  might  be  labelled  the  Literature  of  Peace. 
They  offer  an  outlook  on  life  observant,  and  yet  detached,  from 
the  turmoil  of  disillusion." — New  York  Times. 

"  Mr.  Hare  has  written  an  autobiography  that  will  not  soon 
be  forgotten." — Chicago  Tribune. 

"The  story  of  Mr.  Hare's  literary  life  is  most  entertaining, 
and  the  charm  of  the  work  lies  pre-eminently  in  the  pictures  of 
the  many  interesting  and  often  famous  men  and  women  whom 
he  has  known." — Boston  Congregationalist. 

"  Mr.  Hare's  story  is  an  intensely  interesting  one,  and  his 
style,  which  at  first  appears  to  be  diffuse,  is  soon  seen  to  be 
perfectly  well  adapted  to  the  writer's  purpose.  .  .  .  These 
volumes  are  full  of  the  most  valuable  and  attractive  material 
for  the  student  of  human  nature."—  The  Book  Buyer. 

"  Mr.  Hare's  story  contains  no  touches  of  egotism,  but  is 
always  plain,  honest,  and  straightforward.  It  is  distinctly 
worth  reading." — London  Literary  World. 

GEORGE  ALLEN,  156,  CHARING   CROSS  ROAD,  LONDON 


HARE,  AUGUSTUS,  J.C. 

Cities  of  Northern  Italy 
Volume  II  Part  2 


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