Sojourn at Naples--Sickness--Laziness of the people--Royal palace--
Rotunda--Strada Chiaga and Toledo--St. Carlo Theatre--Largo del
Castello--Medina square--Marionettes--St. Jesu Nuovo--St. Jesu
Maggiore--St. Maria di Piedigrotta--Public gardens--Academy "degli
Studii"--Cathedral of St. Januarius--St. Jeronimo--St. Paula
Maggiore--St. Chiara--Baths of Nero--Solfatara--Grotto "del Cane"--
Resina--Ascent of Vesuvius--Caserta.
My imagination was so powerfully excited, I may say over-excited, by
the accounts I had heard and read concerning this fairy city, that
here once more my expectations were far from being realised. This
was, perhaps, partly owing to the circumstance that I had already
seen Constantinople and had just quitted Palermo, the situation of
which latter town had so enchanted me that my enthusiasm was here
confined within very narrow bounds, and I felt inclined to prefer
Palermo to Naples.
At two o'clock in the afternoon I landed, and the kind assistance of
Herr Brettschneider at once procured me an excellent room in Santa
Lucia, with a prospect of the harbour and the bay, besides a view of
Vesuvius and the region surrounding it. As usual, I wished to
commence my researches at once; but already in Palermo I had felt an
unceasing pain in my side, so that my last walks there had been
attended with considerable difficulty.
Here I became really ill, and was unable to quit my room. I had a
boil on my back, which required the care of the surgeon, and kept me
in my room for a fortnight, until the fever had abated.
If this misfortune had happened to me in the East, or even while I
was in quarantine at Malta, who knows whether I should not have been
looked upon as having a "plague-boil," and shut up for forty days?
During my imprisonment here, my only relaxation during the hours
when I was free from fever and it did not rain, was to sit on the
balcony, contemplating the beautiful prospect, and looking on the
bustling, lively populace. The Neapolitans appeared to me very ill-
behaved, boisterous, and quarrelsome, and seemed to entertain a
great horror of work. The latter circumstance seems natural enough,
for they require little for their daily support, and we hardly find
that the common people any where work more than is necessary to
shield them from immediate want; this is particularly the case in
Italy, where the heat is oppressive during the day, and the
temperature of the evening so agreeable, every one wishes to enjoy
himself rather than to work.
I sometimes saw men employ themselves for half a day together in
pushing bullets with a little stick through a ring fastened to the
ground: this is one of the most popular games. The women are
always sitting or standing in front of the houses, chattering or
quarrelling; and the children lie about in the streets all day long.
The veriest trifle suffices to breed a quarrel among old or young,
and then they kick one another with their feet--a very graceful
practice for women or girls! Even with their knives they are ready
on all occasions.
For making observations on the Neapolitans no better post can be
chosen than a lodging in the quarter St. Lucia. The fishermen,
lazzaroni, and sailors live in the little side lanes, and spend the
greater part of the day in the large street of St. Lucia, the chief
resort both for pedestrians and people on horse-back and in
carriages. In and about the harbour we find numerous vendors of
oysters and crabs, which they bring fresh from the sea. The
lazzaroni no longer go about half naked, and the common people are
dressed in a decent though not in a picturesque manner.
Here a number of handsome equipages rolled by; their lady occupants
were very fashionably attired.
Even among the better classes it is usual for the men to purchase
all the household necessaries, such as fish, bread, poultry, etc.
Poultry is very much eaten in Italy, particularly turkeys, which are
sometimes sold ready cut up, according to weight. On Sundays and
holydays the shops containing wares and provisions, and the meat and
poultry stalls, are opened in the same way as on a week-day.
Throughout all Italy we do not see them closed for the observance of
a Sunday or holyday.
On the fifteenth day I had so far recovered that I could begin my
tour of observation, using, however, certain precautions.
At first I confined my researches to churches, palaces, and the
museum, particularly as the weather was unprecedentedly bad. It
rained, or rather poured, almost every day, and in these cases the
water rushes in streams out of the by-lanes towards the sea. The
greater part of Naples is built on an acclivity, and there are no
gutters, so that the water must force its way along the streets:
this has its peculiar advantages; for the side-lanes, which are
filthy beyond description, thus get a partial cleansing by the
stream.
As I am not a connoisseur, it would be foolish in me to attempt a
criticism upon the splendid productions of art which I beheld here,
in Rome, and at Florence and other places. I can only recount what
I saw.
During my excursions I generally regulated my movements according to
the divisions and instructions contained in August Lewald's hand-
book, a work which every traveller will find very serviceable and
correct.
I began with the royal palace, which was situate near my lodging at
St. Lucia, with one front facing the sea, and the other turned
towards the fine large square. This building contains forty-two
windows in a row. I could see nothing of its interior excepting the
richly decorated chapel, as the royal family resided there during
the whole time of my stay, and thus the apartments were not
accessible to strangers.
Opposite the castle stands the magnificent Rotunda, called also the
church of San Francesco de Paula. Adjoining this church on either
side were arcades in the form of a half circle, supported by
handsome pillars, beneath which several shops are established. The
roof of the Rotunda is formed by a splendid cupola resting on
thirty-four marble pillars. The altars, with the niches between,
occupied by colossal statues, are ranged round the walls, and in
some instances decorated by splendid modern paintings. A great
quantity of lapis lazuli has been used in the construction of the
grand altar. In the higher regions of the cupola two galleries,
with tasteful iron railings, are to be seen. The entire church, and
even the confessionals, are covered with a species of grey marble.
The peculiar appearance of this place of worship is exceedingly
calculated to excite the visitor's wonder, for to judge from its
exterior he would scarcely take the splendid building before him for
a church. It was built on the model of the famous rotunda at Rome;
but the idea of the porticoes is taken from St. Peter's.
Two large equestrian statues of bronze form the ornaments of the
square before this church. Quitting this square, we emerge into the
two finest and most frequented streets in the town, namely, the
Chiaga and Toledo. Not far off is the imposing theatre of St.
Carlo, said to be not only the largest in Italy, but in all Europe.
Its exterior aspect is very splendid. A large and broad entrance
extends in front, with pillars, beneath the shelter of which the
carriages drive up, so that the spectators can arrive and depart
without the chance of getting wet. This evening there was to be a
"particularly grand performance." I entered the theatre, and was
much struck with its appearance. It contains six tiers, all
parcelled off into boxes, of which I counted four-and-twenty on the
grand circle. Each box is almost the size of a small room, and can
easily accommodate from twelve to fifteen people. A fairy-like
spectacle is said to be produced when, on occasions of peculiar
festivity, the whole exterior is lighted up. Here, as in nearly all
the Italian theatres, a clock, shewing not only the hours but the
minutes, is fixed over the front of the stage. A "particular
performance" commences at six o'clock, and usually terminates an
hour or two before midnight. This evening I saw a little ballet,
then two acts of an opera, and afterwards a comedy, the whole
concluding with a grand ballet. It is usual on benefit-nights to
give a great variety of entertainments in order to attract the
public; on these occasions the prices are also reduced one-fifth.
The greatest square, Largo del Castello, almost adjoins the theatre;
it is of an oblong form, and contains many palace-like buildings,
including the finance and police offices. A pretty spring, the
water of which falls down some rocks and forms a cascade, is also
worthy of mention.
A little to the left we come upon the Medina-square, boasting the
finest fountain in Naples. Between these two squares, beside the
sea-shore, lies Castel Nuovo, said to be built quite in the form of
the Bastille. It is strongly fortified, and serves as a defence for
the harbour. This is a very lively neighbourhood. Many an hour's
amusement have I had, watching the motley crowd, particularly on
Sundays and holydays, when it is frequented by improvisators,
singers, musicians, and mountebanks of every description.
Not far from the harbour is a long street in which numerous kitchens
and many provision-stalls are established. Here I walked in the
evenings to see the people assembled round the macaroni-pots: it is
advisable, however, to leave watch and purse at home, and even one's
pocket-handkerchief is not safe.
Of the shouting and crowding here no conception can be formed.
Large kettles are placed in front of the shops, and the proprietors
sit beside them, plunging a great wooden fork and spoon into the
cauldron to fill the plates of expectant customers. Some eat their
favourite dish with fat and cheese, others without, according to the
state of their exchequer for the time being; but one and all eat
with their fingers. The army of hungry mortals seems innumerable;
and during feeding-time the stranger finds no little difficulty in
forcing a passage, notwithstanding the breadth of the street. Not
far from this thoroughfare of the people two "Punchinellos" are
erected. In one of these the Marionettes are a foot and a half, and
in the other no less than three feet high.
There is, besides, a theatre for the people, where pieces of tragic
and comic character are performed, in all of which the clown plays a
prominent part. The remaining theatres, the Nuovo, the Carlini, and
others, are about the size of those in the Leopold- and Josephstadt
at Vienna, and can accommodate about 800 spectators. Their
exteriors and interiors are alike undistinguished; but in some of
them the singing and playing are very creditable. In one of these
theatres we are obliged to descend instead of to ascend to reach the
pit and the first tier of boxes.
Naples contains more than three hundred churches and chapels. I
visited a number of them, for I entered every church that came in my
way. St. Fernando, a church of no great size, but of very pleasing
appearance, struck me particularly. The ceiling of this edifice is
covered with frescoes, and the walls enriched with marble. At the
two side altars we find a pair of very fine half-length pictures of
saints.
St. Jesu Nuovo, another exceedingly handsome church, stands on the
borders of the Lago Maggiore, and is full of magnificent frescoes,
surrounded by arabesque borders. The latter appear as though they
were gilded, and the effect thus produced is remarkably fine. This
spacious building contains a number of small chapels, partitioned
off by massive gratings. The great cupola is exceedingly handsome,
and every chapel boasts a separate one.
St. Jesu Maggiore does not carry out its appellation, for it is a
small unpretending church, though some splendid gothic ornaments
beautify the exterior.
St. Maria di Piedigrotta, another little church, is much frequented,
from the fact that the common people place great confidence in the
picture of the Virgin there displayed. The church contains nothing
worthy of notice.
The grotto of Pausilipp, a cavern of immense length, now called
Puzzoli, is not far distant. This grotto, hewn out of a rock, is
about 1200 paces long, between 50 and 60 feet in height, and of such
breadth that two carriages can easily pass each other. A little
chapel cut out of the rock occupies the middle of the cavern, and
both grotto and chapel are illuminated night and day. As in the
whole of Naples, the pavement here is formed of lava from Mount
Vesuvius.
Immediately above the grotto, in the direction of the town, we come
upon a simple gravestone of white marble--the monument of the poet
Virgil. A long flight of steps leads to the garden containing this
monument: the poet's ashes do not, however, rest here; the spot
where he sleeps cannot be accurately determined, and this monument
is only raised to his memory. The prospect from these heights as
well repays a visit as the grotto of Pausilipp, where we wander for
a long time in deep darkness, until we suddenly emerge into the
broad light of day, to find ourselves surrounded by a most lovely
landscape.
The public garden of Naples is also situate in this quarter of the
town. It extends to the lower portion of the Strada Chiaga, is of
great length without being broad, and displays a vast number of
beautiful statues, prospects, and rare plants; a large and handsome
street, containing many fine houses, adjoins it on one side. I also
rode to the Vomero, on which are erected the king's pleasure-palace
and a small convent. A glorious prospect here unfolds itself:
Naples with its bay, Puzzoli, and a number of beautiful islands, the
lake Agnaro, the extinct craters of Solfatara, Baiae, Vesuvius with
its chain of mountains, and the stupendous ocean, lie grouped, in
varied forms and gorgeously blending colours, before the gaze of the
astonished spectator. This is the place of which the Neapolitans
say, with some justice, "Hither should men come, and gaze, and die!"
Still the prospects from St. Rosalia's Mount, and from the royal
palace Favorita at Palermo, had pleased me better; for there the
beauties of nature are more crowded together, are nearer to the
spectator: he can obtain a more complete view of them, while in
varied gorgeousness they do not yield the palm even to the fairy
pictures of Naples.
I more than once spent half a day in the Academy "degli Studii," for
in this place much was to be seen. The entrance to the building is
indescribably beautiful; both the portico and the handsome
staircases are ornamented with statues and busts executed in most
artistic style. A door on the right leads us to a hall in which the
paintings from Pompeii and Herculaneum are displayed; several of
these relics have no small pretensions to beauty, and the colours of
almost all are still wonderfully bright and fresh. In the great
hall at the end of the courtyard we find on one side the Farnese
Hercules, and on the other the Bull, both works of the Athenian
Glycon. These two antiques, particularly the latter, have been in a
great measure restored.
The gallery of great bronzes is considered the first in the world,
for here we find united the finest works of ancient times. So many
beautiful creations of art were here brought together, that if I
attempted a description of them I should not know where to begin.
Opposite the gallery of bronzes is that allotted to the marbles,
among which a beautiful Venus stands prominently forth.
In the gallery of Flora, a statue of the same goddess, called the
Farnese, is also the principal attraction.
A statue of Apollo playing on the lyre, of porphyry, is the greatest
masterpiece in the hall of coloured marbles; while in the gallery of
the Muses a basin of Athenian porphyry occupies the first place.
In the Adonis room the beautiful Venus Anadyomene engrossed my chief
attention; and in the cabinet of Venus the Venus Callipygos forms an
exquisite sidepiece to the Venus de Medicis.
The upper regions of this splendid building contain an extensive
library and a picture-gallery.
I also paid a visit to the catacombs of St. Januarius, which extend
three stories high on a mountain, and are full of little niches,
five or six of which are often found one above the other.
In the chapel Santa Maria della Pieta, in the palace St. Severino, I
admired three of the finest and most valuable marble statues that
can be found any where; I mean, "Veiled Innocence," "Malice in a
Net," and a veiled recumbent figure of Christ. All three are by the
sculptor Bernini.
The largest church in the town is the cathedral dedicated to St.
Januarius. This structure rests on a hundred and ten columns of
Egyptian and African granite, standing three by three, embedded in
the walls. The church has not a very imposing appearance. The
chief altar, beneath which the body of St. Januarius is deposited,
is ornamented with many kinds of valuable marble. Here I saw a
great number of pictures, most of them of considerable merit. The
chapel of St. Januarius, also called the "chapel of the treasure,"
is one of the most gorgeous shrines that can be conceived. The
Neapolitans built it as a thank-offering at the cessation of a
plague. The cost was above a million of ducats, and the wealth of
this chapel is greater than that of any church in Christendom. It
is built in a circular form, and all the resources of art have been
lavished on the decoration of the chief altar. Every spot is
covered with treasures and works of art, and the roof is supported
by forty-two Corinthian pillars of dark-red stone. All the
decorations of the high altar, the immense candelabra and massive
flower-vases, are of silver. At a grand festival, when every thing
is richly illuminated, the appearance of this chapel must be
gorgeous in the extreme. The head and two bottles of the blood of
St. Januarius are preserved here; the people assert that this blood
liquefies every year. The frescoes on the ceiling are splendidly
painted; and on the square before the church is to be seen an
obelisk surmounted by a statue of St. Januarius.
St. Jeronimo has an imposing appearance when one first enters. The
whole roof of this church as far downwards as the pillars is covered
with beautiful arabesques and figures. It also contains some fine
paintings, and is, besides, renowned for its architecture.
St. Paula Maggiore, another spacious church, is well worth seeing on
account of its magnificent arabesques and fresco-paintings; besides
these it also contains some handsome monuments and statues of
marble. Two very ancient pillars stand in front of this church.
St. Chiara, a fine large church, offers some fine monuments and oil-
paintings.
Among the excursions in the neighbourhood of Naples, that to Puzzoli
is certainly the most interesting. After passing through the great
grotto, we reach the ancient and rather important town of Puzzoli,
with 8000 inhabitants. Cicero called this place a little Rome. In
the centre of the town stands the church of St. Proculus, which was
converted from a heathen into a Christian temple, and is surrounded
by fine-looking Corinthian pillars.
Remarkable beyond all else is the ruined temple of Seropis. Almost
the entire magnitude and arrangement of this magnificent building
can yet be discerned. A few of the pillars that once supported the
cupola are still erect, and several of the cells, which surrounded
the temple and were once used as baths, can still be seen. Every
thing here is of fine white marble. The greater portion of the ruin
was dismantled, to be used in the construction of the royal villa of
Caserta.
The harbour of Puzzoli is related to have been the finest in Italy.
From this place Caligula had a bridge erected to Baiae, about 4000
paces in length. He undertook this gigantic work in consequence of
a prophecy that was made to him, that he would no more become
emperor than he could ride to Baiae on horseback. This prophecy he
confuted, and became emperor. Of the amphitheatre and the colosseum
not a trace remains. A little chapel now occupies the site on which
they stood; tradition asserts that it is built on the very spot
where St. Januarius was thrown to the bears.
Not far from this chapel we are shewn the labyrinth of Daedalus;
several of its winding walks still exist, through which it would be
difficult to find the way without a cicerone.
We ascended the hill immediately beyond the city, on which some
remains of Cicero's villa are yet to be seen: here we enjoyed a
splendid prospect.
In this region we continually wander among ruins, and see every
where around us the relics of the past. Thus a short walk brought
us from Cicero's villa to the ruins of three temples--those of
Diana, Venus, and Mercury. Of the first, one side and a few little
cells, called the "baths of Venus," alone remain. Part of Venus's
temple stands in the rotunda. It was built on acoustic principles,
so that any one who puts his ear to a certain part of the wall can
hear what is whispered at the opposite extremity. A few fragments
of the rotunda were the only trace left of the temple of Diana.
The vapour baths of Nero, hewn out of the rock, consist of several
passages, into which it is impossible to penetrate far on account of
the heat. A boy ran to the spring and brought us some boiling
water; he returned from his expedition fiery red in the face, and
covered with perspiration. These poor lads are accustomed to remain
at the spring until they have succeeded in boiling some eggs; but I
would not allow any such cruelty, and did not even wish them to
fetch me the water, but Herr Brettschneider would have it so in
spite of me.
From this place we crossed by sea to Baiae, where at one time many
of the rich people had their villas. Their proceedings here are
said, however, to have been of so immoral a character, that at
length it was considered wrong to have resided here any time. Every
visitor must be enchanted with the fertility of this region, and
with its lovely aspect. A castle, now used as a barrack for
veterans, crowns the summit of a rock which stands prominently
forth. A few unimportant traces can still be here discovered of an
ancient temple of Hercules. Some masonry, in the form of a
monument, marks the alleged spot where Agrippina was murdered and
buried by order of her son.
The immense reservoir built by order of the emperor Augustus for the
purpose of supplying the fleet with fresh water, is situate in the
neighbourhood of Baiae; it is called Piscina. This giant structure
contains several large chambers, their roofs supported by numerous
columns. To view this reservoir we are compelled to descend a
flight of steps.
Not far from the before-mentioned building we come upon the "Cento
Camarelle," a prison consisting of a multitude of small cells.
On our way back we visited Solfatara, the celebrated crater plain,
about 1000 feet in length by 800 in breadth, skirted by hills. Its
volcanic power is not yet wholly extinct; in several places
brimstone-fumes (whence the plain derives its name,) are still seen
rising into the air, which they impregnate with a most noxious
odour. On striking the ground with a stick a sound is produced,
from which we can judge that the whole space beneath us is hollow.
This excursion is a very disagreeable one; we are continually
marching across a mere crust of earth, which may give way any
moment. I found here a manufactory of brimstone and alum. A little
church belonging to the Capuchins, where we are shewn a stone on
which St. Januarius was decapitated after the bears had refused to
tear him to pieces, stands on a hill near the Solfatara.
Towards evening we reached the "Dog's Grotto." A huntsman from the
royal preserve Astroni accompanied us, and fetched the man who keeps
the keys of the grotto. This functionary soon appeared with a
couple of dogs, to furnish us with a practical illustration of the
convulsions caused by the foul air of the cavern. But I declined
the experiment, and contented myself with viewing the grotto. It is
of small extent, about eight or ten feet long, not more than five in
breadth, and six or eight high. I entered the cave, and so long as
I remained erect felt no inconvenience. So soon as I bent towards
the ground, however, and the lower stratum of air blew upon my face,
I experienced a most horrible choking sensation.
After we had satisfied our curiosity the huntsman led us to the
neighbouring hunting-lodge, and to a little lake where a number of
ducks are fattened. This man spoke of another and a much more
remarkable grotto, of which he possessed the keys, and which he
should have great pleasure in shewing us. Though twilight was
rapidly approaching we determined to go, as the place was not far
off. The man opened the door, and invited us to enter the cavern,
advising us at the same time to bend down open-mouthed, as we had
done in the Dog's Grotto, and at the same time to fan the air
upwards with our hands, that we might the better inhale it,--a
proceeding which he asserted to be peculiarly good for the digestive
organs. His eloquence was so powerful, that we could not help
suspecting the man; and it struck us as very strange that he was so
particularly anxious we should enter the cavern together. This,
therefore, we refused to do; and Herr Brettschneider remained
outside with our guide, while I entered alone and did as he had
directed. Though the lower stratum of air in the Dog's Grotto had
been highly mephitic, the atmosphere here was more stifling still.
I rushed forth with the speed of lightning; and now we clearly saw
through the fellow's intention. If Herr Brettschneider and myself
had entered together, he would undoubtedly have shut the door, and
we should have been stifled in a few moments. We did not allow him
to notice our suspicions, but merely said that we could not spend
any more time here to-day on account of the lateness of the hour.
Our worthy friend accompanied us through a wild and gloomy region,
with his gun on his shoulder; and I was not a little afraid of him,
for he kept talking about his honesty and the good intentions he had
towards us. We kept, however, close beside him, and watched him
narrowly, without betraying any symptom of apprehension; and at
length, to our great relief, we gained the open road.
The royal villa of Portici lies about four "miglia" from Naples, and
we made an excursion thither by railway. Both the palace and the
gardens are handsome, and of considerable size. Thence we proceeded
to Resina. Portici and Resina are so closely connected together by
villas and houses, that a stranger would take them for one place.
Beneath Resina lies Herculaneum, a city destroyed seventy-nine years
after the birth of our Saviour. In the year 1689 a marquis caused a
well to be dug in his garden, when, at a depth of sixty-five feet,
the labourers came upon fragments of marble with divers
inscriptions. It was not until 1720 that systematic excavations
were made. Even then great caution was necessary, as Resina is
unfortunately built upon Herculaneum, and the safety of the houses
became endangered.
At Resina we procured torches and a guide, and descended to view the
subterranean city. We saw the theatre, a number of houses, several
temples, and the forum. Some fine frescoes are still to be
distinguished on the walls of the apartments. The floors are
covered with mosaic; but still this place does not offer nearly so
many objects of interest as another which was overwhelmed at the
same time--Pompeii.
Pompeii is without doubt the most remarkable city of its kind that
exists. A great portion of the town is surrounded by walls, and
entire rows of houses, several temples, the theatre, the forum, in
short a vast number of buildings, streets, and squares lay open
before us. The more I wandered through the streets and open places,
the more I involuntarily wondered not to find the inhabitants and
labourers employed in repairing the houses; I could hardly realise
the idea that so many beautiful houses and well preserved apartments
should be untenanted. The deserted aspect of this town had a very
melancholy effect in my eyes.
Though a great portion of the town has already been dug out, only
three hundred skeletons have been found,--a proof that the greater
portion of the inhabitants effected their escape.
In many houses I found splendid tesselated pavements, representing
flowers, wreaths, animals, and arabesques; even the halls and
courtyards were decorated with a larger kind of mosaic work. The
walls of the rooms are plastered over with a description of firm
polished enamel, frequently looking like marble, and covered with
beautiful frescoes. In Sallust's house a whole row of wine jugs
still stands in the cellar. In the houses the division of the
rooms, and the purposes to which the different apartments were
devoted, can still be distinctly traced. In general they are very
small, and the windows seldom look out upon the street. Deep ruts
of carriages can be seen in the streets. All the treasures of art
which could be removed, such as statues, pictures, etc., were
carried off to Naples, and placed in the museum there.
VESUVIUS.
In the agreeable society of Herr M. and Madame Brettschneider, I
rode away from Resina at eleven in the forenoon. A pleasant road,
winding among vineyards, brought us in an hour's time to the
neighbourhood of the great lava-field, Torre del Greco. It is a
fearful sight to behold these grand mounds of lava towering in the
most various forms around us. All traces of vegetation have
vanished; far and wide we can descry nothing but hardened masses,
which once rushed in molten streams down the mountain. A capitally-
constructed road leads us, without the slightest fatigue, through
the midst of this scene of devastation to the usual resting-place of
travellers, the "Hermitage."
At this dwelling we made halt, ascended to the upper story, and
called for a bottle of Lacrimae Christi. The view here, and at
several other points of our ascent, is most charming.
The hermit seems, however, to lead any thing but a solitary life,
for a day seldom passes on which strangers do not call in to claim
his attention in proportion as they run up a score. The clerical
gentleman is, in fact, no more and no less than a very common
innkeeper, and partakes of the goodly obesity frequently noticed
among persons of his class. We stayed three quarters of an hour in
the domicile of this hermit-host, and afterwards rode on towards the
heights, along a beautiful road among fields of lava. In half an
hour's time, however, we were completely shut in by lava-fields, and
here the beaten track ended. We now dismounted, and continued our
ascent on foot. It is difficult for one who has not seen it to
picture to himself the scene that lay around us. Devastation every
where; lava covering the whole region in heaps upon heaps,
fantastically piled one on the other. Here a huge isolated mound
rises, seemingly cut off on all sides from the lava around; there we
see how a mighty stream once rushed down the mountain-side, and
cooled gradually into stone. Immense chasms are filled with lava
masses, which have lain here for many years cold and motionless, and
will probably remain for as many more, for their fury has spent
itself.
The lava is of different colours, according as it has been exposed
to the atmosphere for a longer or a shorter period. The oldest lava
has the hue of granite, and almost its hardness, for which reasons
it is largely used for building houses and paving streets.
From the place where we left our donkeys we had to climb upwards for
nearly an hour over the lava before reaching the crater. The ascent
is somewhat fatiguing, as we are obliged to be very careful at every
step to avoid entangling our feet among the blocks of lava; still
the difficulty is not nearly so great as people make out. It is
merely necessary to wear good thick boots, and then all goes
extremely well. The higher we mount, the more numerous do the
fissures become from which smoke bursts forth. In one of these
clefts we placed some eggs, which were completely boiled in four
minutes' time. Near these places the ground is so hot that we could
not have stood still for many minutes; still we did not get burnt
feet or any thing of the kind.
On reaching the crater we found ourselves enveloped in so thick a
fog that we could not see ten paces in advance. There was nothing
for it but to sit down and wait patiently until the sun could
penetrate the mist and spread light and cheerfulness among us. Then
we descended into the crater, and approached as closely as possible
to the place from which the smoky column whirls into the air. The
road was a gloomy one, for we were shut in as in a bowl, and could
discern around us nothing but mountains of lava, while before us
rose the huge smoky column, threatening each moment to shroud us in
darkness as the wind blew it in clouds in our direction. When the
ground was struck with a stick, it gave forth a hollow rumbling
sound like at Solfatara. In the neighbourhood of the column of
smoke we could see nothing more than at the edge from which we had
climbed downwards--a peculiar picture of unparalleled devastation.
The circumference of the crater seems not to have changed since the
visit of Herr Lewald, who a few years ago estimated its dimensions
at 5000 feet. After once more mounting to the brim, we walked round
a great part of the edge of the basin.
At the particular desire of Herr M., who was well acquainted with
all the remarkable points about the volcano, our guide now led the
way to the so-called "hell," a little crater which formed itself it
in the year 1834. To reach it we had to climb about over fields of
lava for half an hour. The aspect of this hell did not strike me as
particularly grand. An uneven wall of lava suddenly rose fifteen
paces in advance of us, with whole strata of pure sulphur and other
beautifully-coloured substances depending from its projecting
angles. One of these substances was of a snowy-white colour, light,
and very porous. I took a piece with me, but the next day on
proceeding to pack it carefully, I found that above half had melted
and become quite soft and damp, so that I was compelled to throw the
whole away. The same thing happened to a mass of a red colour that
I had brought away with me, and which had a beautiful effect, like
glowing lava, clinging to the fissures and sides of the rocks. We
held pieces of paper to the fissures in this wall, and they
immediately became ignited. Herr M. then threw in a cigar, which
also burst into a flame. The heat proceeding from these clefts was
so great, that we could not bear to hold our hands there for an
instant. At one place, near a fissure, we laid our ears to the
ground, and could hear a rushing bubbling sound as though water was
boiling beneath us. There was really much to see in this hell,
without the discomfort of being enveloped in the offensive
sulphurous smoke of the chief crater.
After staying for several hours in and about the crater we left it,
and returned by the steep way over the cone of cinders. The descent
here is almost perpendicular, and we could hardly escape with whole
skins if it were not for the fact that we sink ankle-deep into sand
and cinders at every step.
To avoid falling, it is requisite to bend the body backwards and
step upon the heel. By observing this precaution, the worst that
can happen to one is to sit down involuntarily once or twice,
without danger to life or limb. In twelve minutes we had reached
the spot where our donkeys stood. We reached Resina during the
darkness of night, having spent eight hours in our excursion.
My last trip was to the Castle of Caserta, distant sixteen miglia
from Naples, in the direction of Capua. It is considered one of the
finest pleasure-palaces in Europe, and I was exceedingly pleased
with its appearance. The building is of a square form, with a
portico 507 feet long, supported by ninety-eight columns of the
finest marble. The staircase and halls in the upper story alone
must have cost enormous sums, as well as the chapel on the first
floor, which is very rich and gorgeous. The saloons and apartments
are decorated in a peculiarly splendid manner with a multiplicity of
frescoes, oil-paintings, sculptures, gildings, costly silk-hangings,
marbles, etc. A pretty little theatre, with well-painted scenery,
is to be found in the palace. The garden is extensive, particularly
as regards length. A hill, from which a considerable stream rushes
foaming over artificial rockwork into the deeper recesses of the
garden, rises at its extremity. Scarcely has this river sunk to
rest, flowing slowly and majestically through a bed formed of large
square stones, before it is compelled to form another cascade, and
another, and one more, until it almost reaches the castle, near
which a large basin has been constructed, from whence the water is
led into the town. Seen from the portico, these waterfalls have a
lovely appearance. From Caserta we drove ten miles farther on to
the celebrated aqueduct which supplies the whole of Naples with
water. It is truly a marvellous work. Over three stupendous arched
ways, one above the other, the necessary quantity of water flows
into the city.
This was my last excursion; on the following day, the 7th of
November, at three in the morning, I left Naples. Apart from the
delightful reminiscences of lovely natural scenes, I shall always
think with pleasure on my sojourn in Naples in connexion with Herr
Brettschneider and his lady. I was a complete stranger to them when
I delivered my note of introduction, and yet they at once welcomed
me as kindly and heartily as though I had belonged to their family.
How many hours, and even days, did they not devote to me, to
accompany me sometimes to one place, sometimes to another; how
eagerly did they seek to shew me all the riches of nature and art
displayed in this favoured city! I was truly proud and delighted at
having found such friends; and once more do I offer them my sincere
thanks.