In the introductory portion, giving a general account of the building, "G.
P." says:
"Under the direction of honest, intelligent and active Administrators,
and by the pious munificence of our Gracious Sovereign, who bestowes an
annual generous donation for completing the building of the Cathedral
of Milan, one perceives tending with the greatest celerity to the
perfection of this magnificent Edifice, founded by a special vow in
1386 by the duke of Milan Giovanni Galeazzo Visconti. It is of fine
white statuary marble, extracted from the quarry of mount Gandolia,
which among many gifts was expressly regaled for the building by its
generous founder the duke Visconti above mentioned."
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In describing the "fore-front" he gives a catalogue of the "bass-riliefs,"
from which a few extracts are made:
"1st. the Tobiolo assisted by the Angel in his jounrey to Rages, ...
the second is the Angel that expells Adam and Eve from the Eden, by
Carlo Maria Giudici. The two in the second order are: Daniel in the
lake of the lions by the above Carabelli, and Job on the dunghill, by
the above Giudici. The two upper Statues that figure Saint Bartholomew
and Saint James Junior, are works by Buzzi Donelli and Buzzi Giuseppe.
The Bass-Riliefs that follow aside of the Pilaster is God appearing to
Moses in the ardent-brambles.... Over the great windout the Bass-Rilief
representing Samuel while he oints Saul king of Israel is by Carlo
Maria Giudici, and Angelo Pizzi a milanese, carved the vision of Jacob
on the side of the following Pilaster. In sight of the same Moses who
makes the water gush from the mountain is by Giuseppe Buzzi, and the
other Bass-Rilief that is placed above, represents the prophet Elia
presenting to the afflicted mother the resurrection of her Son, by
Grazioso Rusca. By Canaillo Pacetti is the Statue of Saint James
senior.... The Bass-Rilief over the great window represents the
prophetess Debora providing captain Barach with arms.... Ornamented is
the rest of the front with a great number of Statues managed with skill
by intelligent Authors, and aside of the door are the Apostles Peter
and Paul of ancient work and unknown Author ... as also of unknown
chisel is Saul who tempts to kill David.... The Angel who assures
Sampson's Father that his Wife, believed to be sterile, will generate
the strongest of Israel's sons.... On reaching the fourth door one
perceives in the frontispiece the Bass-Rilief that adorns it, which is
by Lasagni; representing Givele that with a nail kills captain
Sisara.... Esaù renouncing the primogeniture to his brother Jacob....
Over the great window is painted Agar dying with thirst, with the son
of Ismael in the desert, while an Angel appears indicating a fountain
to her.... The first of the other four Bass-Riliefs in view figure
Gedeone preparing to fight the Madianites, and the second Sampson
suffocating the lion.... The Saints Philip and Thomas placed upwards
are by the egregious Pompeo Marchesi ... the second is by Ribossi,
representing Absatom suspended by his hair to a tree and pierced
through by Jacob."
In describing the interior, "G. P." is rather more instructive, but not
quite so entertaining: however, a number of the peculiar expressions
already quoted are repeated with the same confiding simplicity. A few
extracts will suffice for this portion:
"The ornaments of the five doors are the designment of Fabio Mangone,
... the surprising vault a _chiaro-scuro_, drawn and painted in part by
our milanese Felice Alberti, who in the year 1827 was ravished from the
living by a fatal misfortune in the flower of his age ... in the inward
columns on both sides are two very fine Statues sitting in a very
melancholy action, which represent military Peace and Virtue ... under
the tomb-stone is another small and genteel Bass-Rilief representing
the Saviour afflicted, sustained by two little Angels.... The Altar of
Santa Tecla, which is part of the left arm of the cross, or form of the
Church, as is mentioned above, representing the Saint in a seraglio of
wild beasts, is by the Sculptor Carlo Beretta."
Lest I should have exhausted your patience, as well as that of your
readers, I will close with one more quotation, which displays what Mrs.
Malaprop calls "a nice derangement of epitaphs:"
"The last altar that was seen not long since on this side was dedicated
to the Blessed Virgin, whose image carved in wood dated a remote
antiquity, but as to the remnant nothing was found to be appreciable in
sort of art."