his young wife to the care of a faithful servant. But in a few days the
old esquire came with tears in his eyes to announce to his master the
death of the courageous Jehanne. The poor knight was so overwhelmed with
grief that, with the consent of the Count of Boulogne, he resolved to
give up the world, and consecrate to God, in the most austere solitude,
a life which he had already almost sacrificed to Him in war with
the infidels. In 1528 he seems to have been succeeded by the anchoret
Bernard.
Castellon. Climate.
The Sospel road now begins to ascend the Col de Guardia, pierced near
the top by a tunnel 260 ft. long, and shortly after it reaches the
walled town of Castellon or Castiglione, on an eminence 2926 ft
above the sea, commanding an extensive view, 8¼ m. from Menton,
pop. 320. 5¾ m. farther is Sospel, pop.
3500 (p. 182).
_Climate._—Menton being protected by an
amphitheatre of high hills from the northerly blasts, the winters here
are generally milder.
“A cool but sunny atmosphere, so dry that a fog is never seen at any
period of the winter, whatever the weather, either on sea or on land,
must be bracing, invigorating, stimulating. Such, indeed, are the
leading characteristics of the climate of this region—the
Undercliff of western Europe. Such a climate is perfection for all who
want bracing, renovating—for the very young, the invalid
middle-aged, and the very old, in whom vitality, defective or flagging,
requires rousing and stimulating. The cool but pleasant temperature, the
stimulating influence of the sunshine, the general absence of rain or of
continued rain, the dryness of the air, render daily exercise out of
doors both possible and agreeable. I selected Menton as my winter
residence six years ago, because I was suffering from advanced pulmonary
consumption, and after six winters passed at Menton I am now
surrounded by a little tribe of cured or arrested consumption cases.
This curative result has only been attained, in every instance, by
rousing and improving the organic powers, and principally those of
nutrition. If a consumption patient can be improved in health, and thus
brought to eat and sleep well, thoroughly digesting and assimilating
food, the battle is half won; and helping the physician to attain this
end is the principal benefit of the winter climate of the Riviera.”
—Bennet’s _Winter Climates_.
“With all its vaunted security from biting winds, and its mountain
shelter from the northern blasts, Menton lies most invitingly open to
the south, south-east, and south-west, and winter winds from these
directions can be chilly enough at times. What tells so keenly upon the
weak and susceptible is the land breeze, which regularly at sundown
steals from the mountains towards the sea. The mean temperature of
November is 54°, December 40°, February 49°, March 53°. When the air is
still, a summer heat often prevails during the day, though in the
shade and within doors the mercury seldom rises above 60°.”
—_Wintering at Menton_, by A. M. Brown.
For the Excursions, see maps pp. 163 and 185.
opp. 199
ITALIAN RIVIERA, &c.
see caption
200
THE ITALIAN RIVIERA,
or
Menton to Genoa.
By Ventimiglia, Bordighera, San Remo,
and Savona.
Distance 100½ miles. See accompanying Map.
GENOA
100½
MENTON. The road from Menton to Genoa crosses the frontier at the
bridge of St. Louis, spanning a ravine 215 ft. deep.
6½ m. E. from Menton by the carriage-road, passing the village of
Mortola, and traversing the Piano di Latte, is
MENTON
GENOA
6¾
93¾
VENTIMIGLIA, pop.
8500, on a hill at the mouth of the Roja. _Inns:_ near station, the
Hôtel Suisse; in the low town, the Hôtel Tornaghi. All the trains halt
here ¾ of an hour, and luggage entering France or Italy is examined. The
new station is commodious. At one end of the luggage-room is a clock
with Paris time, and at the other one with the time of Rome, 47 minutes
in advance of Paris. The waiting-rooms, “Sale d’Aspetto,” cloak-rooms,
“Camerini di Toeletta,” and the refreshment rooms are all at the French
end, as well as the way out to the train. The town is well seen from the
station. The church occupies a prominent position; and close to it, in
the Via Lascaris, are the post office, theatre, and the best café. The
walk up this same Via to the town-gate shows the best part of the town,
while the avenues in continuation beyond it lead up to the best sites
for views. Not far from the station, on the right bank of the Nervia,
on a large sandbank, are the remains of a theatre and of a cemetery,
which probably mark the site of the ancient Albintemelium. What remains
of the theatre is composed of large blocks of greenstone from the
quarries of Mortola. The excavations have been carried on under the
direction of the inspector of historic monuments in the province.
Omnibus between Ventimiglia and Bordighera. Diligence once daily between
Ventimiglia and Tenda, p. 183.
Bordighera.
MENTON
GENOA
10
90½
BORDIGHERA, pop.
2800. The old town, the Bordighera di sopra, is compactly built on the
summit of the eminence rising from the cape S. Ampeglio, whose
sides are covered with olives and palms. Down below, on almost a level
with the sea, is the low or new town, where most of the invalids reside,
though it is doubtful if the site is well chosen. _Hotels:_ the
best is the ¹*H. Angleterre, a first-class house in a garden,
near the station.
Similarly situated is the
201
¹H. Bordighera. Both charge from 10 to 20 frs. Behind the Angleterre is
the Episcopal chapel. West from the Angleterre is ²*Beau Rivage, 6 to 10
frs. Immediately opposite station are ²H. and P. Continental, 9 to
11 frs.; the ²H. and P. Sapia, 8 to 9 frs., and the Bordighera
bank, where money can be changed. Eastward are the hotels ²Victoria and
²Windsor. Admirably situated on an eminence overlooking the Moreno
palm-garden is the ¹*H. and P. Belvédère, 8 to 12 frs. Near it
is the ²*Pension Anglaise, 6 to 9 frs. At the commencement of the
Vallecrosia valley is a Home with industrial school for orphans of poor
Italian Protestants, founded by an English lady. Omnibus between
Bordighera and San Remo, passing through Ospedaletti, a beautiful
drive. Also omnibus every half-hour between Bordighera and Ventimiglia.
It passes through the low town of Ventimiglia and stops at the
commencement of the ascent to the high town.
The great feature of Bordighera are its plantations of palms, whose
tufted tops wave above the more lowly lemon trees laden with pale yellow
fruit, while the whole of the background is crowded with vigorous olive
trees. Some of the palms are 800 years old. The lemon, after the olive,
is the most profitable tree.
To the _Tower of Mostaccini_, 1½ hr. there and back, by the Strada
Romana, till near Pozzoforte, where ascend by path right hand. This
tower, of Roman origin, and still in excellent preservation, served as
an “avisium” or watch-tower in the Middle Ages. From it is obtained a
delightful view of part of the coast.
Isola Buona.
2½ m. west from Bordighera is the commencement of the valley of the Nervia, 16 m. long from north to
south, with a varying breadth of 1½ to 2½ m. A good
carriage-road extends all the way up to Pigna, 11 m. from
Bordighera. On this road, 1½ m. up the Nervia, or nearly 4 m.
from Bordighera, is Campo-Rosso, on the Nervia, at its junction with the
Cantarena, pop. about 250. It possesses two churches, both 12th cent.
St. Pierre has frescoes, 15th cent., on principal entrance and on the
sacristy, also some pictures attributed to Brea of Nice. The
confessionals are in the gallery. From Campo-Rosso a bridle-path leads
up to the top of the hill, on which is the chapel of Santa Croce,
commanding an extensive view. About 2 m. farther up the valley is
Dolce-Acqua, on both sides of the Nervia, crossed here by a stone bridge
with a span of 108 ft. Over the village, consisting of houses crowded
together and piled above each other, rises the imposing feudal castle of
the Dorias, reduced to its present dilapidated condition by the Genoese
in 1672. 2¼ m. from Dolce-Acqua, or 8½ m. from Bordighera, is
Isola Buona, pop.
1200, with paper and olive mills, heath pipe manufactories, and cold
sulphurous springs. From Isola, a little way up the Merdanio or
Merdunzo, is Apricale, pop. 1000. South from Apricale is Perinaldo, the
birthplace, 8th June 1625, of Giovanni Domenico Cassini, the most famous
of a family distinguished as astronomers, who succeeded one another as
directors of the observatory at Paris for four generations.
Pigna.
A little more than 11 m. from Bordighera is Pigna, on the Nervia,
202
at the foot of Mont Torragio, 3610 ft. above the sea, a village
where the principal occupation is the cutting and sawing of the timber
from the surrounding forests. The church, built in 1450, has on the rose
window a representation of the descent of the Holy Ghost on the
apostles. The frescoes on the choir are nearly of the same date as the
church, and are attributed to Jean Ranavasio. In the wild and
picturesque ravine of the Nervia, above Pigna, is a copious sulphurous
spring, temp. 79° Fahr., utilised by a bathing establishment. Near
Pigna, on a hill covered with chestnut trees, is the village of
Castel-Vittorio or Franco. From Pigna a bridle-path leads, 4 m. N.,
to Les Beuze, the last village in the valley of the Nervia.
The most pleasant of the drives is to San Remo, 6¾ m. N.E., by
Ospedaletti. About a mile from the E. side of Cape S. Ampeglio is
the hamlet of Ruota, with a small chapel containing a group in alabaster
representing the Annunciation. A short way farther a path descends
from the road to a house on the beach in a luxuriant garden of palm and
lemon trees. At the inner end of this orchard, near the railway, is an
excellent sulphurous spring, temp. 70° F. After this the Corniche road
bends round to Ospedaletti (see below). On the hills behind Ospedaletti,
about 2 m. N., is La
Colla, 1000 ft. above the sea. In the Town Hall is a valuable
collection of 120 paintings, mostly by great Italian masters, such as
Frà Bartolomeo, I. Bassano, F. Barocci, A. Carracci,
Caravaggio, Cortona, C. Dolci, Domenichino, Sasso Ferrati, Reni,
Salvator Rosa, Andrea del Sarto, and Spagnoletti. In another room is the
library. The pictures and books were collected by the Abbé Paolo
Rambaldi during his long stay at Florence, who at his death (1864)
bequeathed them to this his native city. In the sacristy of the parish
church is a beautifully-carved ivory crucifix, bequeathed, along with
some other articles, by the Prelate Stefano Rossi, also a native of this
quarter. A coach with 2 horses from Bordighera to La Colla and back
costs 20 frs.
La Colla is the native town of the sea-captain Bresca, who, contrary to
the orders of Pope Sixtus V., broke the silence by calling aloud to
“wet the ropes” when the obelisk was being raised in front of St.
Peter’s. 2 m. E. from La Colla is San Remo, which is 3 m. from
Ospedaletti.
The climate of Bordighera is similar to that of San Remo; but as a
residence it is more rural and has fewer resources. The mistral at
Bordighera, instead of being a north-westerly wind, deviates by the
configuration of the coast into a west wind.
Bordighera supplies Rome with palm-leaves for the Easter ceremonies, as
also the Israelites in Germany and Holland for the feast of
Tabernacles.
Ospedaletti.
MENTON
GENOA
13½
87
OSPEDALETTI, pop.
1000, a small village with nearly a mile of frontage towards the sea,
from which it is separated by the railway. In the village is the ²H. and
P. Ospedaletti, room 40 frs. the month.
203
Upon an eminence with garden is the ¹H. de la Reine, 12 to 20 frs.
Adjoining is a handsome Casino, in which there is dancing even during
the day. The gambling is private, and on a small scale.
San Remo. Hotels.
MENTON
GENOA
16½
84
SAN REMO, 16¼ m. E. from
Menton by the coach-road, pop. in winter 18,000. As Italy is entered it
will be observed that the women, the maidens and their mothers, are the
hewers of wood and drawers of water, and that to their lot falls the
menial work of the most laborious trades.
_Hotels._—Those with the figure ¹ are
first-class houses, with ² second-class. The asterisk signifies that
they are especially good of their class. Commencing at the railway
station and going eastward by the principal street, the Via Vittorio
Emanuele, we have the ¹G. H. de la Paix, close to the station and
fronting the public garden.
Then follow the ²H. and P. Nationale, 7 to 8 frs.; the
¹*H. San Remo; the ²P. Suisse; the Rubino Bank; the
Squire-Pharmacy; the Asquasciate Bank; the Vicario Store; the ²P.
Molinari, and the ²H. Bretagne, frequented principally by commercial
travellers. Behind Squire’s is the Episcopal Chapel, and a little
farther west, left hand, the Post Office.
On the Corso Garibaldi, the eastern continuation of Via Vittorio
Emanuele, are the ¹H. Nice and the ¹*H. Angleterre. Near the
Angleterre are the Pensions ²*Allemagne; ²Rossi; and ²Lindenhof; and the
Home for invalid ladies of limited means. Twenty-five shillings the
week; which, as at the similar institution at Menton, includes doctors’
fees, comfortable living, wine or beer, and everything except washing
and fire in bedroom. For particulars apply to Messrs. Barnetts &
Co., bankers, 62 Lombard Street, London.
At the end of the corso are two large houses in gardens, with one front
to the sea and the other to the road—the ¹H. Méditerranée and the
¹*H. Victoria. Near the harbour, behind the Via V. Emanuele,
are the ²*Beau-Séjour with garden, and the H. Bains.
At the west end of San Remo are some good houses, mostly on eminences in
gardens. Taking them in the order from E. to W. we have the ²P.
Anglo-Americaine; the Presbyterian Chapel; the ²P. Tatlock (German);
¹*Hôtel Royal; ¹*Belle-Vue; ¹Paradis; ¹*Londres; ¹Pavillon (moderate);
¹Anglais; ¹Palmieri; and the ¹*West-End, the most important hotel on
this side of San Remo, and situated at the commencement of the pleasant
walk by the Strada Berigo. In the first-class hotels the pension is from
9 to 18 frs., in the “pensions” from 7 to 11 frs.
Omnibuses run between the two ends of the town; also between San Remo
and Bordighera; San Remo and Taggia by Bussana; San Remo and
Dolce-Acqua; and San Remo and Ceriana, 6½ m. N. (see map, p. 165).
_Cab
Fares._—The course, 1 horse, 1 fr. during the day, and
1½
204
fr. night. Per hour, 2 frs.; at night, 3 frs. The course, 2 horses, 1½
fr. during the day, and 2½ frs. at night. The hour, 3 frs.; at
night, 4 frs.
San Remo: Climate.
Old San Remo is built on two hills, and the modern town at the foot
of these hills, on the Nice and Genoa road, called at this part the Via
Vittorio Emanuele, where are now all the best hotels, restaurants,
booksellers, confectioners, and dealers in inlaid woods. “The mean
temperature is 49°.1 Fahr. (Sigmund), nearly as high as Dr. Bennet’s
estimate of that of Menton; while it would appear, from a comparison of
the thermometrical tables kept by Dr. Daubeny with those of Dr. Bennet
for the same winter, that the range of temperature at Menton is nearly
3° more than at San Remo. The climate is warm and dry, but from the
protecting ranges not rising precipitously as at Menton, the shelter
from the northerly winds is less complete. At the same time the vast
olive groves screen the locality from cold blasts and temper them into
healthful breezes, imparting a pleasing freshness to the atmosphere, and
removing sensations of lassitude often experienced in too well-protected
spots. The size of the sheltered area gives patients a considerable
choice of residences, which can be found either close to or at varying
distances from the sea, according to the requirements of the case; while
the numerous wooded valleys, abounding in exquisite wild flowers,
provide plenty of donkey and foot excursions.” —Williams’
_Winter Stations_.
San Remo has many pleasant walks, in valleys full of lemon trees, as
at Menton, or up mountains covered with olive trees, generally on
terraces built up with low stone walls without plaster.
San Remo: Drives. Poggio. Madonna Della
Guardia.
The best of the drives is to the Madonna della Guardia, on Cape San
Martino, by the village of Poggio, and back by the coast-road. From the
Hôtel Victoria the Corniche is continued till arriving at a part where
the road divides into two; one descends, the other ascends; take the
latter, which an inscription on a marble slab indicates to be the
“Strada Consortile de San Remo à Ceriana.” This road ascends through
olive trees to Poggio. Just before entering Poggio, the carriage-road to
the Madonna strikes off to the right by the east side of the promontory,
while a stony bridle-path goes right over the centre. The town seen on
the opposite side of the valley is Bussana. Poggio, one of the many wretchedly poor villages,
has two churches. The road, which has ascended all the way from San Remo
to Poggio, still continues to ascend by the Ceriana valley to Ceriana.
_Inn:_ H. Etoile d’Italie, 6½ m. from San Remo,
commanding ever-extending views, which, together with the profusion of
wild flowers, form the principal
205
attraction of the excursion. Cab with 1 horse to Ceriana and back, 14 frs.; 2 horses, 20 frs.,
with ½ hr. rest. The Madonna road from Poggio is nearly
level. The chapel, with a few tall cypresses, stands at the extremity of
Cape San Martino. The prospect is extensive. To the east are, on the
coast, Arma, Riva, San Stefano, and in the distance San Lorenzo. On the
hills behind them are Bussana, Pompeiana, and Lingueglietta. Behind is
Poggio. To the west are San Remo, La Colla, and Bordighera. Cab with 1
horse to the chapel and back, 7 frs.; 2 horses, 10 frs., with ½ hr.
rest (see maps, pp. 163 and 199).
A good carriage-road, commencing near Cape Nero, leads up to La
Colla, on one of the spurs of the Piano del Carparo, 1000 ft. above the
sea, and 2 m. from San Remo, by the bridle-path. Cab with 1 horse,
8 frs.; 2 horses, 12 frs., with ½ hr. repose. See page 199.
San Romolo.
St. Romolo to Monte Bignone.
One of the most frequented excursions is to San Romolo, 1700 ft. above the sea, and
4 m. northwards, either from the Place St. Etienne, or the Place
St. Sir. Donkey, there and back, 5 frs. San Romolo consists of some
villas, an old convent, and a chapel, built over the cell which was
inhabited by the hermit St. Romolo. It commands splendid views, and from
it the ascent is made of the Piano del Ré, a ridge 3500 ft. above
the sea, between Mounts Caggio or Cuggio and Bignone. To reach the
ridge, descend a short way the Romolo road, then take the path to the
left, and make for the corner next Monte Bignone, whence the bridle-path
ascends to the summit, 4235 ft. above the sea, 5 hrs. from San Remo, or
about half that time from San Romolo. “In making the ascent of Monte
Bignone, it is always safest to be accompanied by a guide. For those who
are strong the ascent on foot is the pleasantest, but the road is quite
practicable for sure-footed donkeys, although in places it is somewhat
trying for those whose nerves are not strong. The whole route is
exceedingly beautiful, glorious prospects meeting the eye at almost
every turn; the path sometimes traverses forests of fir trees, with
amongst them innumerable bushes of the bright-leaved holly, at others it
runs along the edges of steep ravines and precipices: many curious and
rare wild flowers attracting the eye on the way; till at length, after
an ascent of about two hours from San Romolo and four from San Remo, the
broad sloping and grassy summit of the mountain is reached. Continue the
ascent until its highest point, marked by a stone obelisk, is gained,
and from which one of the most magnificent prospects imaginable
206
lies stretched out on all sides, embracing an area in some directions of
more than a hundred and fifty miles, astonishing and enchanting the
beholder. To the south, the glorious expanse of the Mediterranean, and
in the far distance the island of Corsica, with the snowy peaks of Monte
Rotondo; on the right Monte Caggio, and the mountains forming the
western half of the San Remo amphitheatre, terminating at Capo Nero
surmounted by Colla, and the valleys of San Remo and Bordighera; farther
away, the mountains of the Mentonean amphitheatre, and along the coast
successively the various capes and promontories as far as Cap d’Antibes
and even the Esterels; on the left the Ceriana and Taggia Valleys, with
on the farther side of the latter Castellaro and the Madonna di
Lampeduza, and Pompeiana and Riva on the seashore; while far away to the
east are the mountains of the Eastern Riviera or of the Riviera di
Levante, with the Apennines in the distance; lastly, to the north is a
broad and deep valley, having on the other side a range of mountains
still loftier than the one on which we are standing, and above these
again, the snow-capped Alps stretching away in the one direction towards
the Esterels, and in the other to Turin. Looking now more closely into
the valley below, on a narrow ridge on the near side of the valley, is
seen the town of Perinaldo, and on a hill on the opposite side,
Apricale; both of a singularly deep red hue, from the fact that the
tiled roofs only of the houses are seen from this great altitude. There
is a pathway leading down to Bajardo, and thence to Pigna, where
accommodation at a small but clean inn may be had for the night; whence
the return home can then be made by the Nervia valley and Bordighera,
altogether a most beautiful and varied excursion. (For the valley of the
Nervia, see p. 201, and map, p. 165.)
View from Monte Bignone.
“It is impossible to convey in words anything like a correct idea of
the splendour of the prospect on a clear day from Monte Bignone; it must
be seen to be appreciated; it has been described as one of the finest in
Europe. The excursion is one which may be safely undertaken with
ordinary precautions, and is within the compass of any person of fair
health and strength. An additional charm consists in the number of rare
and beautiful wild flowers, which are different from those found at a
lower elevation. Amongst the most noticeable of these is the blue
Hepatica, Anemone, Hepatica L., a pink variety of which is
sometimes met with, the pink cyclamen-like flower, Erythronium Dens
Canis L. with its trefoil-like and spotted leaves; in shady places the
Primrose, Primula acaulis All.; everywhere over the summit
207
of the mountain the Cowslip, Primula veris; two species of Gentian,
Gentiana verna and G. acaulis L.; Ophrys fusca Link, also a
species of Asphodel, Asphodelus albus Willd.; Saxifraga cuneifolia;
Sempervivum arachnoideum L.; and lastly, in shady dells, Daphne
laureola L. With two or three exceptions, these flowers were found
in blossom at the end of April, but they had been so for some weeks
previously. On my way up the San Romolo valley I noticed many plants of
Helleborus fœtidus L., as also for the first time in flower the
large and handsome pink Cistus, C. albidus L.; this is the
species so commonly found above the region of the olive trees.”
—_San Remo and the Western Riviera_, by Dr. Hassall.
San Remo
to Taggia, there and back, cab, 1 horse, 8 frs.; 2 horses,
12 frs., with ½ hr. rest; by coach, 2 horses, for the day, 20 frs. Or
from San Remo by rail to Arma, whence omnibus to Taggia, 10 sous. Donkey
from Taggia to Lampedusa, 2 frs.
The best place for refreshments in Taggia is the Albergo d’Italia,
formerly the palace of the Marquis Spinola. The stream Taggia or
Argentina is crossed by a long curved bridge of unequal arches. From the
east end of this bridge a steep road leads up to the town of Castellar,
whence a well-kept path ascends to the chapel of the Madonna di
Lampedusa. From both places there are charming views. The Taggia road
ascends the valley the length of Triora, by the village of
Badalucco.
Taggia.
MENTON
GENOA
21½
79
TAGGIA, pop. 5000, on the
Giabonte, 3 m. from the station. An omnibus awaits passengers
(½ fr.) In Taggia it halts at the Locanda d’Italia, at the
termination of the Via Curlo; whence commences the road to Castellar,
situated upon a hill on the opposite side of the river, and about ½
hour’s walk from Taggia. Castellar is visited on account of the gaudy
sanctuary and the view from the hill. Taggia, though a poor dirty town,
with steep, narrow, and slippery streets, has two very fair churches. At
No. 1 Via Soleri—the principal street in the town—is the
habitation of Giovanni Ruffini (Dr. Antonio). To reach it, on entering
the town, after having passed through the archway, take the street to
the left, the Via Ruffini, then, first left, the Salita Eleonora. On the
beach, near the Taggia station, is the little port of Arma, with the
ruins of a fort built in the 15th cent. 2 m. farther east by rail
is San Stefano, pop. 600, at the foot of Mont Colma, with a climate like
that of San Remo.
Porto Maurizio. Oneglia.
MENTON
GENOA
31
69½
PORTO
MAURIZIO, pop. 8000. _Hotels:_ France; Commerce.
Porto Oneglia, pop.
8000, H. Victoria, on the opposite sides of a small bay. The most
important part of San Maurizio is the high town,
208
containing the principal church, of which the porch consists of a double
row of Corinthian columns flanked by two square towers. The interior
represents the Roman-Greek style met with in all the churches on this
coast, only here the details are more elaborate and more highly
finished. The roof, instead of being plain barrel-vaulted, is divided
into arches, domes, and semi-domes, resting on massive piers with
attached Corinthian pillars. The soffits of the arches and domes are
covered with diaper mouldings, with rich friezes and dentils along the
edges. The form of the pulpit is graceful, and the staircase nearly
hidden. Many of the old houses have handsome cornices over their windows
and doorways. A good and much-frequented road, or rather promenade,
connects Porto Maurizio with Oneglia, about a mile distant,
beautifully situated at the mouth of the Impero. This is the birthplace
of Admiral Andrea Doria, 1466. After passing through a long tunnel we
reach the Port of Diano Marina. The broad valley inland up the Piètro is
covered with fine olive trees. Farther east is Cervo, on an eminence
overlooking the station and the sea. Then Laigueglia, with gardens full
of orange trees. From Laigueglia a fine smooth beach extends all the way
to
Alassio.
Alassio, pop. 5000, a
new winter station, 44½ m. east from Menton, and 56 m. west
from Genoa, built along the beach, and nearly surrounded by a high wall,
with at both ends a suburb beyond the walls. _Hotels:_ H. et
P. Suisse, opposite station, 6 to 9 frs. On the beach at the
E. end, the *G. H. Alassio, 8 to 9 frs. On the beach at
the W. end, the H. Méditerranée, 6 to 8 frs. Near the station,
the Episcopal chapel.
Alassio and its neighbour Laigueglia are partially protected from
some of the cold winds by low but compact mountains belonging to the
chain of the Ligurian Alps. Pleasant walks and well-paved causeways
extend up the hills, while along the coast are pretty drives to Loano
and Ceriale, or up the valley westwards from Albenga. Around both towns
are many large carouba and orange trees. Palms are less abundant.
Between Alassio and the next station, Albenga, is the small island of
Gallinaria, with a castle on the summit of the hill.
Albenga.
Albenga is 4 m. N. from
Alassio, on the Caprianna, and at a little distance from the coast.
_Hotels:_ Hotel d’Albenga; Italia; Vittoria. Their omnibuses await
passengers. This, the ancient Albium Ingaunum, the birthplace of the
Emperor Proculus, is situated on low ground, in a broad valley watered
by the Caprianna. Around Albenga are many deciduous trees, and here and
there in the sheltered spots orange and lemon trees trained as
espaliers. A good carriage-road
209
extends up the valley of the Nerva and across the Col di
S. Bernardo, then by the town of Garessio and the valley of the
Tanaro to Ceva, 4 hours by rail from Turin.
After Albenga follow Loano, pop. 3800, pleasantly situated on the
beach at the foot of a gentle sloping hill, and Pietraligure, on the
Isola, pop. 1000, a sheltered town, with abundance of palms,
orange, and lemon trees, principally at the eastern end, round the
cape.
Finalmarina. Noli.
MENTON
GENOA
59½
41
FINALMARINA, pop.
3500. _Hotel:_ Garibaldi. The church of St. John the Baptist, after
the design of Bernini, is richly ornamented with marbles of various
hues, mingled with rich gilding and bright frescoes, presenting a grand
combination of gorgeous colour. In Final Borgo is the church
S. Biaggio, resplendent also with colour, but more subdued. The
pulpit and altar display most delicate workmanship. There is a great
deal of fine scenery in the neighbourhood, and pleasant walks in the
valleys, and up the heights to the numerous dismantled forts (15th
cent.), and to the Castello Gavone, a picturesque ruin. Five miles
N. from Finalmarina is Noli,
pop. 1000, _Inn:_ Albergo del Sole, at the commencement of the
arcade, fronting the beach. This curious town, formerly a republic under
the protection of Genoa, is still partially surrounded by walls
garnished with rectangular towers. It is pierced from E. to W. by narrow
parallel streets, the best being the Via Emanuele II., which
commences at the beach on E. side by the clock-tower, near the inn, and
traverses the town to the W. side by the new church. The continuation,
outside the town, the Via Monasterio, leads up to the mountains covered
with vines, olives, and maritime pines. On the top of the hill are the
ruins of Noli castle, with walls garnished with circular towers. The old
church, 11th cent., is near the station. Fishing is the chief industry.
A beautiful road, 2 m. N. by the coast, leads to Spotorno.
opp. 211
GENOA and SAVONA
to SESTRI-LEVANTE
see caption
Savona.
MENTON
GENOA
74
26½
SAVONA, pop. 17,000.
_Hotels:_ Suisse, a large house in the Piazza di Teatro;
*Roma, under the Arcades; and the Italia, opposite the Suisse. In the
ancient seaport of Savona, Mago the Carthaginian deposited his spoils
after the capture of Genoa. The greater part of the town is now modern,
consisting of handsome gardens, boulevards, and well-paved broad streets
lined with massive arcades, and substantial houses built in enormous
square blocks of from four to five stories high. The rock, the Rupe di
S. Giorgio, on which the acropolis formerly stood, is occupied by
the castle, and pierced by an elliptical tunnel. At both ends are small
harbours with shallow water. The
210
Cathedral, built in 1604, is, in the
interior, entirely covered with ornamental designs in different shades
of brown and orange, relieved here and there by stripes of gilding. The
two large frescoes in the choir, and the other at the western end, are
by V. Garrazino. In the last chapel, N. side nearest the altar, is
a triptych by Brea, 1495. Near the Cathedral, in the Sistina chapel, is
the tomb of the parents of Pope Sixtus IV., the uncle of Julius II.
In the church of San Domenico there is in the first chapel, left on
entering, a “Nativity” by A. Semini. The figure of the Virgin
appears rather large, but the contour and expression of the others are
admirable. In another chapel on the same side of the church is an
“Adoration of the Magi” by Albert Durer, in the form of a triptych. In a
small church, called the Capella di Christo, over the altar within a
niche, is a wooden figure of our Lord, said to be 800 years old. In the
sacristy are two reliefs in black marble from 400 to 500 years old. The
Emperor Pertinax, and the Popes Gregory VII., Sixtus IV., and
Julius II., were born in or in the neighbourhood of Savona.
4 m. from Savona by coach and rail is the sanctuary of Nostra
Signora di Misericordia. The church, built in the 16th cent., is covered
with precious marbles, and ornamented with paintings by Castello, the
intimate friend of Tasso. At Savona junction with line to Turin,
91 m. northwards (see p. 183).
Albissóla.
MENTON
GENOA
77
23½
ALBISSÓLA, pop. 2000,
on the Sansobbia. This town is about a mile from the Port or Marina.
4½ m. farther eastwards by rail is Varazze, pop. 10,000, a pleasant town at the
head of a large bay. A little shipbuilding is carried on here.
Beautiful palm, lemon, and orange groves. This is the birthplace of
Jacopo di Voragine, the author of the _Golden Legend_, the reading
of which was the principal means of transforming Ignacio Loyola from an
intrepid soldier into a zealous missionary. Between Varazze, 64 m.
N.E. from San Remo, and Arenzano, 6¼ m. N.E. from Varazze, is
another favoured part of the Riviera, sheltered by a ridge of most
picturesque hills, of which Monte Grosso (1319 ft.) is the culminating
point. The road here passes through firs, umbrella pines, carouba trees,
cypresses, evergreen oaks, arbutus trees, and some fine shrubs of
_Phillyrea angustifolia_, with here and there just enough olive
trees to afford evidence of the comparative mildness of the climate.
About half-way between Varazze and Cogoleto is the village of
Inoria.
Cogoleto. Columbus.
MENTON
GENOA
85
15½
COGOLETO, pop. 1000.
From the station walk down to the town; and on reaching the main street,
the Via Cristoforo Colombo,
211
turn to the left. In the second division, right hand, at No. 22, is the
house of Columbus, with the
following inscription:—
Hospes, siste gradum. Fuit hic lux prima Columbo;
Orbe viro majori heu nimis arcta domus!
Unus erat mundus. Duo sunt, ait iste. Fuere.
It consists of three stories, with one side fronting the sea, and the
other the main street. The rooms are small, and with arched roofs. That
in which Columbus was born (1435) is on the first story. Fronting the
adjoining room is a large balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, where
it is possible the boy Columbus learned to conceive the idea of a
continent beyond the Atlantic by having been accustomed to gaze on this
sea at his feet, with the knowledge that beyond it there lay the vast
continent of Africa. Although his parents were in humble circumstances,
they were descended from a family belonging to the most illustrious
nobility of Piacenza, who had lost their estates during the wars of
Lombardy. Boatbuilding and fishing are the principal industries of
Cogoleto. Map, p. 199.
Arenzano. Pegli.
MENTON
GENOA
87¼
13¼
ARENZANO, pop. 5000.
*H. Arenzano, 7 to 8 frs., near station. One of the cleanest
towns on the Riviera, pleasantly situated in a picturesque country and
commanding extensive views of the coast. The road between Arenzano and
Cogoleto passes by Monte Grosso.
MENTON
GENOA
91¾
8¾
VOLTRI, and the next town,
Pra, may be called one. Paper-making and shipbuilding are the principal
industries. Map, p. 199.
MENTON
GENOA
95
5½
PEGLI, pop. 1000. _A winter
station._ The largest hotel is the *H. Pegli et de la
Méditerranée, with one side to the sea and the other to the public
garden and English chapel. Pension in winter, 9½ to 15 frs. On the beach
the H. Gargini, second class. Pegli is a quiet little village,
prettily situated on the sea, and among hills. It has constant
communication by tram and rail with Genoa, and is visited on account of
the grounds around the Villa Pallavicini, ornamented with
statues of Roman divinities, temples, triumphal arches, huts, and an
obelisk. But the remarkable object is the artificial cave, covered with
large stalactites, in the midst of a lake 5 feet deep, surrounded
by evergreen shrubs and trees so arranged as to produce wonderfully
pretty vistas. At one part the edge of the lake seems to join the sea,
although many miles distant. All this has been created on the formerly
sterile side of a hill, where almost nothing would grow from the want of
water and of soil. Water was brought from a great distance, and caused
to tumble down the mountain in cascades
212
into the lake, which had to be lined with porcelain to retain it. The
cave was then built of brick, and covered with consummate art with
stalactites, as in nature. The visitor is rowed in a boat about this
most curious piece of land and water. In other parts there are a
multitude of surprises, in unexpected jets of water, and in beautiful
peeps of scenery no larger than a picture. Attendant, 1 fr.; for
party, 2 frs.
Sestri-Ponente. Cornigliano.
1¾ m. E. from Pegli and 3¾ W. from Genoa is Sestri-Ponente, pop.
10,800. _Hotel:_ *G. H. Sestri, 8 to 12 frs., with
commodious bathing establishment at the foot of the garden. The beach,
composed of small pebbles, has a rapid slope. Good sea water can be
brought to bedroom every morning. The station is near the hotel, and the
trams pass by the gate. The interior of the parish church is superbly
gilt and covered with frescoes. Just under the wide spanned roof are
painted statues of the patriarchs and prophets. Sestri makes a better
winter station than the next town, Cornigliano, *H. Rachel, 9 to 12 frs.,
with sheltered garden, 2½ m. W. from Genoa. Both of these towns are
considered from 4° to 5° colder than Menton. The tram passes the garden
gate of both hotels. After Cornigliano the tram and train traverse the
populous suburb of Sampierdarena and arrive at Genoa. The principal
railway station is at the W. end of Genoa. The Piazza Annunziata is the
terminus of the Pegli, Sestri, and Cornigliano trams.
Genoa.
opp. 214
plan of Genoa
MENTON
100½
GENOA, pop. 145,000. The
hotels most conveniently situated for visitors are the G. H. de
Gènes, 9 to 15 frs., in the Piazza de Ferrari, opposite the theatre and
the post office; the *G. H. Isotta, 10 to 15 frs., No. 7 Via
di Roma, parallel to the glass arcade, and also near the post; the
*Londres, 9 to 10 frs., near the station; the Victoria, in the Piazza
Annunziata, and the H. Étrangers, No. 1 Via Nuovissima. The above are in
a line with the palaces, and cost 8 to 10 frs. Down in the port in the
Via Carlo Alberto, and most conveniently situated for those who have to
embark, are—taking them in the order from W. to E.—the Croix
de Malte, the H. de la Ville, the H. Smith, the
*H. Trombetta, and the *France. They charge from 8 to 14 frs. By
the side of the last two hotels is the Bourse, and in the neighbourhood
of the Bourse are the best money-changers.
For Genoa to Turin, see p.
279.
Anglican church in the Via Goito, a small street leading northwards
from the Acqua Sola Promenade. In the same neighbourhood is the broad
street Via Assarotti, with at No. 37 the Valdensian and Presbyterian
churches. Shops for filigree work in gold and silver in the Via degli
Orefici by the side of the Bourse, and at the foot of the Sestiere
213
della Maddalena, which descends from the Piazza delle Fontane Morose. At
No. 17 of that Piazza is a good shop for coral ornaments.
Genoa: Cafés. Cabs. Steamers.
_Cafés._—
*Café Roma, by the Teatro Carlo Felice; *Stabilimento delle Nazioni, Via
Roma; *Concordia, Via Garibaldi. The principal sights are the
church of the Annunziata, p. 212;
the Cemetery approached by the Staglieno omnibus from the Piazza de
Ferrari; the Palaces between the railway station and the Piazza Nuova.
The church of Santa Maria in Carignano,
approached by the Carignano omnibus from the Piazza de Ferrari, passing
through the Acqua Sola Gardens, 138 ft. above the sea (p. 218).
North from the Acqua Sola is the Villa Negro, containing the Museum of
Natural History. The best of the drives is along the Via di
Circonvallazione.
Florio-Rubattino have steamers to Bastia (Corsica), Cagliari,
Civita-Vecchia, Leghorn, and Porto Torres, in the north of Sicily.
Peirano, Danovaro, and Co. have steamers to Ancona, Brindisi, Catania,
Gallipoli, Leghorn, Messina, Naples, and Triest. For the English
steamers between Liverpool, London, and the ports of the Mediterranean,
apply to Lertora Fratelli, No. 2 Via S. Lorenzo.
1-horse cabs—the
course, 1 fr.; the hour, 1½ fr.; every successive ½ hour, 80 c. 2-horse
cabs—the course, 1½ fr.; the hour, 2 frs.; every successive ½
hour, 1 fr. Boats to and from the steamers, 1 fr. each. Rail
from Genoa to Turin, 104 m. N.W.
(p. 279).
Post Office in the Galleria Mazzini. Telegraph Office in the Palazzo
Ducale. Best money-changers near and around the Bourse.
Genoa is singularly constructed around a small bay on shelving
ground, rising rapidly from the water’s edge to the height of from 500
to 600 feet. The old part of the town is a labyrinth of crooked streets
from 6 to 12 feet wide, and frequently so steep that steps have to be
cut in them. The most remarkable of the new streets is the Via di
Circonvallazione, composed of a series of lofty terraced “corsos”
skirting the face of the hills, commencing at the E. end from the Piazza
Manin, 330 ft. above the sea, and extending westward in a zigzag form to
the railway station by the Albergo dei Poveri. They are reached from the
upper ends of the Vias Palestro, Mameli, Caffaro, and Brignone di
Ferrari, by ramps and long stairs. The palaces, another feature of
Genoa, are large gaunt mansions, all similar in style—gates 40
feet high, with marble columns—courts paved with various coloured
marbles—broad staircases, all of marble—rooms 30 feet high
with arched ceilings, and adorned with gilded columns, large mirrors,
crystal lustres, and mosaic floors; the roofs panelled, and the panels
214
divided by sculptured figures, and filled with finely executed paintings
in oil. The best churches and palaces are in the streets extending in a
continuous and slightly curved line from the railway station, at the
west end, to the Piazza de Ferrari at the eastern end of Genoa.
Genoa: Palaces. Palazzo Doria.
The visiting of the palaces is rather fatiguing, as the best works of
art are preserved in the upper stories, reached by splendid but lofty
staircases. The best two are close to each other, the Palazzo Durazzo
Pallavicini, No. 1 Via Balbi, and the Palazzo Rosso, No. 18 Via
Garibaldi. They contain specimens of everything for which the palaces
are remarkable. A fee of 1 fr. is sufficient to leave with the
keeper of the gallery. Most of the palaces have each of the rooms
provided with a list of the pictures and frescoes it contains printed on
a card, which makes the visitor quite independent of the servants and
guides.
As there are so many places to visit between the railway station and
the cathedral, the best plan is to do that portion on foot, and after
having visited the cathedral, to take a cab from the stand at the foot
of the Via S. Lorenzo, and drive by the Via Vittorio Emanuele,
round by the ramparts, and up the Via Rivoli to the church of Sta. Maria
di Carignano.
The only palace west from the station is the Palazzo Doria,
reconstructed by Montorsoli, 1525, and decorated and embellished by
Perino del Vaga, a pupil of Raphael’s, and a contributor to the
paintings in the Vatican. Perino’s best works here are Jupiter defeating
the Giants, in the principal hall, and the Triumph of Scipio, at the
entrance. In the centre of the garden is a fountain representing Andrea
Doria as Neptune, with his Sea-horses, by P. Carlone. In the
garden, on the other side of the railway, are a colossal statue of
Hercules, erected by Doria, and a monument to the memory of his dog
Rolando, given him by the Emperor Charles, who conferred upon him the
title of “Il Principe.” The tomb of Andrea Doria is in the church of San
Matteo, and over the altar the sword presented to him by
Paul III.
Genoa: Via Milano.
Adjoining the Doria palace is the Via Milano, a terraced promenade
lining the western side of the harbour, as the less beautiful but more
costly terrace by the Via Carlo Alberto lines the eastern front. Walking
_eastward from the station_ the first large building is the Royal
Palace, No. 10 Via Balbi. This palace, formerly the property of the
Durazzo family, was erected after the plans of P. F. Cantone and
J. A. Falcone, while the staircases and terraces, which have been
so greatly admired, were by the Chevalier Charles Fontane. The
accommodation is extensive, but the rooms are small, excepting the
principal
215
reception hall, the theatre, and the library. The pictures are
indifferent.
The Balbi Palace, No. 4 Via Balbi, built after the plans of
B. Bianco, and improved by P. A. Corradi, contains a large
collection of paintings—among others a Lucrecia, Cleopatra, and a
St. Jerome, by Guido; St. Jerome, a Virgin, and Jesus scourged, by
Tizziano; a St. George and St. Catherine; and the Infant Jesus, by
Correggio.
Genoa: P. Durazzo Pallavicini.
No. 1 Via Balbi is the P. Durazzo Pallavicini, one of the most
important to visit. The architect was B. Bianco, but the vestibule
and staircases (considered the finest in Genoa) are by
A. Tagliafico. The paintings are almost entirely by Italian
masters, such as Molinaretti, Guercino, Franceschini, Leida, Carracci,
Lanfranco, Procaccini, Cappuccino, Langetti, Castelli, Ferrari,
Vercelli, Reni, Merone, Cogorano, Zanotti, and Merighi. In the first
room there is a valuable triptych by A. Durer, and the gem of the
collection, James I. of England and Family, by Van Dyck. In the
reception room are other three choice works by the same master. The
frescoes on the roofs are by Boni, Piola, Davolio, and Bazzani. In each
room there are cards with the names of the artists and subject.
From the Via Balbi we pass into the Piazza dell’ Annunziata, with, on the left
hand, the church of that name, the most sumptuous in Genoa, built in
1228 by the Monaci Umiliati, but altered and left in its present state
by the Conventurati in 1587. The façade, supported on six stately marble
columns, is unfinished. The interior is full of beauty, and resplendent
with glowing colours harmoniously blended. Over the entrance is
Procaccino’s masterpiece, the Last Supper. The frescoes on the cupola
are by A. Ansaldi, those on the choir by J. Benzo, and the
remainder principally by the Carloni. Among the other beautiful things
are the angels supporting an altar, the spiral pillars in the apse, and
the elegant columns of the nave. In front of this church trams start for
Cornigliano, Sestri Ponente, and Pegli every 10 minutes.
We now pass along the Via Nuovissima, and at No. 6 descend to San Siro, which was
the cathedral church of Genoa till 985. The high altar is by Puget. The
fresco on the roof by G. B. Carlone. The marble columns are all of
one piece. Near San Siro, in the confined little square No. 6 Piazza
Pellicceria, is the Palazzo Spinola, with many beautiful
paintings, such as the Martyrdom of St. Barthélemy and St. Laurent by
Ribera, the Four Seasons by Bassano, Virgin and Child by Guercino,
a Magdalene by Guido, St. Anne and the Virgin
216
by L. Giordano, the Last Supper by G. C. Procaccini,
S. Jerome by Spagnolletti, a Holy Family by Albani, the Four
Evangelists by Van Dyck. In the fourth room is the gem of the
collection, a Holy Family by Rubens. The frescoes are by Tavarone,
G. Sebastiano, Ferrari, and Gallery.
Genoa: Palazzo Rosso.
In the Via Garibaldi, No. 18, is the Palazzo Rosso (Galleria Brignoli), with a
small but valuable collection of pictures by Italian masters,
distributed among the rooms denominated Spring, Summer, Autumn, and
Winter. The frescoes on the roofs are by Toila, Ferrari, and Carloni. It
contains also a good library.
No. 9 Via Garibaldi is the _Municipicio_ or City Chambers,
a splendid building, entirely of marble, and covered with frescoes
representing incidents in the history of Genoa. All the rooms and
galleries are open to the public excepting the council-chamber, the Sala
Rossa, and the Sala Verde. In the first hall (the council-chamber) is a
portrait of Columbus in mosaic, and on the roof a fresco representing
him in the presence of Ferdinand and Isabella. In the second, among
other paintings, is a triptych ascribed to A. Durer, and in the
third (the Sala Verde) a beautiful bust of Columbus. The architect
was Rocco Lugaro, the ornaments and figures over the windows are by
G. T. Carlone, and the frescoes by Pavarone, Paganelli, Passano,
and M. Canzio.
Genoa: Palazzo Serra.
At No. 12 Via Nuova is the P. Serra, built, like most of the other
palaces in this street, about the year 1552, by the celebrated architect
Galeazzo Alessi. The size and distribution of the principal apartments
are excellent, and many are beautifully ornamented in fresco by the
brothers Semini, particularly the ceiling in the first antechamber,
representing the funeral games instituted by Æneas in honour of
Anchises. The dining-room was the work of the famous Genoese architect
Tagliafico, and is greatly admired for its simplicity and good taste.
But the greatest object of attraction in this palace is the grand salon,
shining with gold. Along each side are columns of marble gilt,
alternating with lofty mirrors reaching from the floor to the roof. The
architraves and panels are curiously carved and gilt. The fresco on the
roof is by Leon, and represents the triumph of Spinola over the Turks.
The roof of the next room was painted by A. Semini.
The Palazzo Adorno, No. 8 Via Garibaldi, contains a good though
smaller display of paintings and frescoes. The same may be said of
No. 5 in this same street, the P. Spinola.
At No. 6 Via Garibaldi is the P. Doria, with a handsome portico and
splendid halls containing a choice collection of paintings by
217
P. Veronese, Guercino, Murillo, Van Dyck, Domenichino, and
Tintoretto. We now enter the Piazza de Ferrari, with the post office,
the principal theatre, the H. Gènes, and the Accademia delle Belle
Arti, where young men assemble at night to study drawing, painting, and
sculpture. Important trams start from this Piazza. The Staglieno tram
stops at the cemetery; the Carignano tram at the church of
Carignano.
The second street left from the P. de Ferrari leads to S. Matteo, built
in 1278, but altered in 1530 by G. A. Montorsoli at the request of
Andrea Doria, relating to whose family are the numerous inscriptions on
the church. Over the altar is his sword. The “palaces” in front of the
church belonged to the Doria family.
Genoa: S. Ambrogio. Cathedral.
In the Piazza Nuova is S. Ambrogio, entirely covered with
beautiful marbles and adorned in much the same style as the church of
the Annunziata. Among other paintings it contains a large picture of the
Assumption by G. Reni, third chapel right; St. Ignatius healing one
possessed of devils, by Rubens; and over the high altar, by the same
master, the Circumcision. The frescoes in the cupolas are by Carloni and
Galeotto. The large building to the right is the former Ducal Palace, now
the government house. The grand reception room up stairs is ornamented
with 54 columns of Brocatello marble, with bases of Siena marble. From
the windows is seen the tower of the Embriarci, constructed by Guglielmo
Embriarco, the inventor of the movable wooden towers used by Godfrey de
Bouillon in his attacks upon Jerusalem.
On the other side of the Ducal Palace is the Cathedral, built in
the 11th cent., but repeatedly restored. The exterior and interior are
of black and white marble in alternate bands. The façade consists of
three large portals resting on spiral, plain, and twisted columns. The
arch of the centre porch has an immense span, bordered by bold fascicled
work, while over the doorway is the Martyrdom of St. Laurence in relief.
In the interior there is a strange mixture of styles. The nave is
separated from the aisles by sombre coloured pillars supporting pointed
arches, over which runs a series of round-headed arches. The roof of the
choir has frescoes by Teverone. The marquetry of the stalls was executed
in the 16th cent. The leading feature, however, in this church is _the
chapel of St. John the Baptist_, in the centre of the left aisle. It
was built in 1490, and ornamented with statues by G. Porta and
M. Civitali, of which the best are those representing Zacharias in
his official robes, Elizabeth, and Habakkuk. Under a canopy supported by
four porphyry columns is the shrine by D. Terrano (1437), said to
contain the ashes of John the Baptist, brought from Mirra in
218
1097. At the end of the right or south aisle is the chapel of Mary, with
a Crucifixion by Van Dyck. In the sacristy is preserved a vase once
famous under the name of the Sacro Catino (sacred vessel). It was found
at Cæsarea, in Palestine, and tradition asserted that it had been
presented by the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, and that out of it the
Saviour had eaten the paschal lamb with his disciples. It was believed
to be of emerald; and a law was passed in 1476, declaring that if any
one applied a hard substance to the vase he should suffer death, because
it was suspected that the material was only glass.
Below the cathedral at the foot of the Via S. Lorenzo is a
cab-stand, whence drive by the church of Carignano and the Acqua Sola
Gardens to the Via di Circonvallazione, commanding a series of beautiful
views of Genoa. From the P. de Ferrari an omnibus runs to Carignano,
passing through the Acqua Sola Gardens, 30 c.
Genoa: S. Maria. Campo Santo, or Cemetery.
S. Maria in
Carignano, built 1555-1603 after designs of Galeazzo Alessi, is
165 ft. square, and 174 ft. above the sea. The statues above the
entrance, of Mary, Peter, and Paul, are by David. Of the four colossal
statues below the dome, St. Sebastian and Bishop Sauli are by Puget; the
other two are by Parodi and David. The best of the paintings (covered)
are—St. Francis by Guercino, Mary with Sts. Francis and Charles by
Procaccini, St. Peter by Piola, and a Descent from the Cross by
Cambiaso. But better than all the pictures is the view from the highest
gallery on the dome, 368 ft. above the sea, ascended by an excellent
stair of 249 steps, fee 25 c. each. The omnibus in the square goes to
the Acqua Sola Gardens. From the top of the little wooded hill at the
N.W. extremity of the Splanata della Acqua Sola is another fine
view.
About 2 m. from Genoa by the western side of the Bisagno is the
Campo
Santo, the Staglieno cemetery, approached by omnibus every ½
hour from the Piazza de Ferrari. The greater part of the road runs
parallel to the Genoa aqueduct arches, which follow the sinuosities and
inequalities of the mountain sides for nearly 15 miles.
The front portion of the cemetery is rectangular, 656 ft. wide and
820 ft. long, surrounded by a double arcade of marble arches with a span
of 21 ft., and 18½ ft. high. Each arch can contain seven tiers of three
coffins each, the end space of each narrow cell allowing just room
enough to label the date of the death and the name of the occupant. The
poorest people are buried in the ordinary way, in the ground surrounded
by the arches. The richest have a whole arch to themselves, where all
that money can command in talented sculpture is made to
219
do service to the feelings of bereaved friends, by perpetuating the
memory of those they have lost, in the choicest and most costly marbles.
These lovely statues appeal more to the sympathy of the spectator than
the medley contents of even a famous sculpture-gallery. Above this rise
other two galleries, and behind the second on the hill side is another
large piece of ground. On a level with the first upper gallery, and
approached by 77 long white marble steps bounded by a massive parapet of
dark greenstone from the quarries of Pegli, is the mortuary chapel,
consisting of a great dome supported on 16 round columns, each of one
block of black marble 32½ ft. high. In eight niches round the interior
are colossal statues of Bible personages, beginning with Eve. The façade
rests on six white marble columns 21 ft. high. The whole vast structure
of galleries, stairs, walls, and floors is arched into cells and vaults
for the dead.
Genoa: Albergo dei Poveri.
At the N.W. end of Genoa, above the Annunziata, is the workhouse,
Albergo dei Poveri, 318 ft. above the sea, on the Via di
Circonvallazione, founded in the 17th cent., and containing
accommodation for 1300 poor. At the E. end of the city is a large
establishment for the insane, called the Regio Manicomio.
The Riviera di Levante; or, Genoa to Pisa.
Distance 102½ miles, time 4½ hours by “direct” train. See Maps, pages 199 and 211.
PISA
102½
GENOA.—The best winter stations on the Italian Riviera are,
with the exception of Bordighera and S. Remo, those situated
between Nervi and Rapallo. The coast is exceedingly picturesque and
sheltered from the N. winds by precipitous mountains, covered at the
base with vineyards, orange and lemon trees, and on the higher zones
with olive, peach, and fig trees. Lord Carnarvon has been the first to
take advantage of the superior beauties of this part of the Riviera in
the choice of a site for a villa on Cape Portofino. Map, p. 211.
Nervi.
GENOA
PISA
7½
95
NERVI, pop. 8000. *H. et
P. Anglais, E. from the station, with large garden, 8 to 15 frs.
H. et P. Victoria, on the W. side of station, 9 to 12 frs. On
the face of the mountain, about 100 ft. above the H. et
P. Anglais, the *H. et P. Belle-Vue, 8 to 9 frs.,
including wine; admirably situated. In the Piazza, near the station, and
at the terminus of the Genoa and Nervi trams, is the *P. Suisse, 6 to
8 frs. Opposite, the H. et P. Nervi, 9 to 12 frs. English
doctors. Episcopalian service.
Nervi, with the neighbouring town of Bogliasco, forms one continuous
narrow street 2 m. long, hemmed in between houses and
220
walls. On the S. side is the sea, on the N. high hills covered with
olive trees and studded with churches and cottages. Ten m. S.E.
from Nervi is Santa Margherita Ligure, pop. 5000.
*H. et P. Belle-Vue, 7 to 10 frs. A charmingly situated
town at the head of a sheltered tiny bay. In the neighbourhood is the
sumptuous villa Spinola, in the midst of beautiful gardens. The
prettiest walk is by the road skirting the beach to the village and
promontory of Portofino, 3 m. S. To the right or N. is the villa
Castello di Pagi, and on the fourth hill from the end of the promontory
the villa of Lord Carnarvon overlooking the little fishing village of
Portofino, and commanding a glorious view.
GENOA
PISA
18½
84
RAPALLO, pop. 6000.
H. et P. Europe, 8 to 10 frs. At the head of a small bay.
A good deal of lace and olive oil is made here. Among the many
pretty walks is the one to S. Margherita, 2 m. N., by the low
road skirting the beach. The high road is more beautiful, and a trifle
longer.
Chiávari.
GENOA
PISA
24¼
78¼
CHIÁVARI, pop. 12,000,
at the mouth of the Entella. _Inns:_ Albergo della Fenicé; Locanda
Nazionale; Caffé Ristorante Priario. One of the best towns on the coast,
with well-paved and arcaded streets, substantial houses, and handsome
churches containing a few valuable pictures. The most profusely
ornamented is, close to the station, the church of the Virgin of Orta,
whose “sacred” picture hangs over the high altar. Chiávari manufactures
lace and chairs of light wood with twisted straw seats, plain and
coloured, called Sedié di Chiávari. Many of the organ-grinders are said
to hail from this town. 4½ m. from Chiávari, across the Lavagnaro,
is Sestri Levante, pop. 8000. _Hotels:_ Grand Hotel, with
palm-garden; Italia. Trains halt a few minutes at this pleasant place,
the Segeste of the Romans. Sestri is situated on a bay terminating with
a promontory, on which is a garden commanding a grand view. Shortly
after passing Riomaggiore, 51½ miles from Genoa, the Gulf of Spezia
comes into view, with the promontory of Porto Venere and the island of
Palmaria on the right, and in front numerous capes, the chief of which
is Cape Corvo. From Sestri to Spezia by carriage and pair, 45 frs.
Spezia.
GENOA
PISA
56½
46
SPEZIA, pop. 11,500, 1 m.
from station. Spezia, although near good scenery, has nothing attractive
itself; neither does it make a suitable winter residence. It has some
excellent hotels bordering the spacious corso along the beach, the best
being the “Croce di Malta,” a large and handsome building, 10 to 15
frs. Then follow the H.
221
National; the Italia; and, below the arcade, the Brettagna, all
first-class, but the Brettagna is the most moderate. Boats with one man,
1½ fr. per hour; with two men, 2 frs. In 1861 Spezia was made a
station of the Italian navy. As a harbour it is one of the finest and
largest in the world. Napoleon I. intended to have made it the
Mediterranean harbour of France. The Royal Dockyard, at the southwest
side of the town, occupies 150 acres; while the artillery magazines, in
the bay of S. Vito, cover an area of 100 acres. On the W. side of
the bay is the picturesque Porto Venere, the ancient Portus Veneris,
8 m. distant by land, 10 frs. per carriage 1½ hr., or boat 2½ hrs.
The marble of Porto Venere is black, with gold-coloured veins.
“To the N.W. and W. of Spezia is a chain of mountains, of which Monte
Bergamo, 2109 ft., is the most distant. It may be ascended from the
Genoa road, which runs under its N.E. flank. Nearer to Spezia is Monte
Parodi with a carriage-road to the top, whence there is a grand
panoramic view of the surrounding country. Near this is the village of
Biassa, whose inhabitants are supposed to be of Moorish origin. While
the N.W. coast of the Gulf of Spezia is rugged and hilly, the northern
and eastern portion for about three miles is comparatively level, which
renders it a good walking place for invalids. The valleys of the
Migliarini, at the northern extremity of the eastern half of the Spezia
valley, are also excellently adapted for invalids, especially at that
time of the day when the sea-breeze is blowing freshly. A favourite
excursion from Spezia by water is to Lerici and San Terenzo, about
6 m. S.E. The steamer sails at noon, and returns at 4. Lerici is in
a most sheltered situation, and remains in sunshine an hour after the
sun has set at Spezia. The house, a square old-fashioned Italian
villa, which Shelley occupied in 1822, is on the shore close to the sea,
near the village.” —_The Riviera_, by Dr. Sparks. After
Spezia, the train crosses the Magra, the ancient boundary between Italy
and Liguria, and arrives at
Sarzana.
GENOA
PISA
67¾
34¾
SARZANA, pop. 11,200.
_Hotels:_ New York; Londres. This ancient town, with the
picturesque fortress of Sarzanella, formerly belonged to the Grand Duke
of Tuscany, who, in the 15th century, ceded it to the Genoese in
exchange for Leghorn, at that time a mere village. Sarzana was the
birthplace of Tommaso Parentucelli, who, from a simple monk, was in 1447
elected pope under the title of Nicholas V., and who constituted
his native place into a bishopric. He was a great patron of learning and
founder of the Vatican library.
The Bonaparte family lived in this town till 1612, when they removed
222
to Corsica. The cathedral (14th cent.) is a plain cruciform edifice,
partly of marble and partly of stone. Behind the cathedral, by the first
street right, is the citadel, two minutes’ distant; and about fifteen
minutes’ farther, the fortress built by Antelminelli, Lord of Lucca,
a beautiful though low machicolated structure on the top of a hill
overlooking the railway. Both citadel and castle are partly in ruins,
and well seen from the station.
Avenza. Carrara.
GENOA
PISA
74
31
AVENZA. Station for Carrara,
3¼ miles N.E. by branch line. Gigs also for Carrara await passengers at
the station. Fare, 5 fr.
Carrara (pop. 14,000),
situated on the Carrione, formed by the union of the Torano,
Fantiscritti and Colonnata streams, descending valleys with valuable
marble strata. _Hotels:_ The Nazionale, close to the theatre; The
Posta, adjoining the Post-office and close to the Accademia. Near the
Nazionale is the Italian Protestant chapel. At the station great blocks
of marble meet the eye. Passing them and crossing the bridge by Walton’s
marble works, walk up the Corso Vittorio Emanuele to the Piazza
Alberica, with a statue of Maria Beatrice and a short arcade. Near the
right side of this piazza are the two hotels. The road to the left leads
up the Carrione to the valley of the stream Torano, and the village of
the same name, ¾ of a mile from Carrara. The valley now becomes
narrower, the road worse, and the heavily laden bullock-carts more
numerous, carrying and dragging blocks of marble. To the left rises
Mount Crestola, and immediately opposite Poggio Silvestro, Polvaccio di
Betogli, and the Mossa del Zampone, from all of which the Romans
procured statuary marble, and which still continue to yield some of the
finest quality. All the quarries (cavé), of which there are 400,
employing 6000 men, are a good way up the face of the mountains. The
ascent to them is over steep slippery marble debris. The nearest and the
easiest “cavé” to visit are on Mt. Crestola. The other quarries are in
the valleys of the Colonnata and of its affluent the Fantiscritti. In
the Fantiscritti mines Roman relics have been found. Any boy will do to
show the way to the rivers Carrione and Torano, and when there it is
impossible to go wrong; but to visit any particular mines a guide is
necessary. Fee 4 fr. Besides the common road there is a railway for
the conveyance of marble blocks from the valley of the Torano to the
Marina or Port of Carrara. Many antique Roman statues are of marble from
Carrara, anciently called Luni. The marble of which the Greek statues
are made is from Paros, and from Mount Pentelicon, near Athens. Carrara
is a healthy and busy town, not troubled in the least with mosquitoes in
winter and spring. The great business of the town is the transporting
and dressing of marble; and the principal establishments the studios of
the artists, where statues, monuments, chimney-pieces, and ornaments are
sculptured and exposed for sale. Admission readily granted.
The churches present nothing remarkable; the marble of the exterior
walls of the cathedral has become brown, while that of the interior is
223
nearly black. In the Accademia delle Belle Arti are some good copies of
the works of great artists and a few Roman antiquities found chiefly in
the mines of Fantiscritti.
GENOA
PISA
78¼
26¾
MASSA is about a mile from the
railway, by a good road, at the foot of Mt. Castagnola, which, with the
still loftier peaks in the rear, Mts. Tambura and Rotondo, protect it
from the northerly and easterly winds, so that it may be considered one
of the winter stations on the Mediterranean. The climate is mild, as the
vigorous orange trees in the gardens testify. In the neighbourhood are
many pleasant walks, both on the plain and up the valleys. The Hotel
Giappone in the Piazza Aranci, although a plain house, is clean, and is
kept by kindly people. The town is quiet; there are a few workers and
dealers in marble, but the principal occupation is agricultural. The
ducal palace in the square was once the residence of Elisa Bacciocchi,
Napoleon’s sister. Valuable marble quarries. Pop. 5000.
GENOA
PISA
84¼
20¾
PIETRASANTA, pop.
1000. _Inn:_ Europa. A poor town, with marble works near the
station outside of the walls, where baths are chiefly made. On the first
large house, right hand of square, a tablet informs us that in it
Michael Angelo Buonarrotti, on the 27th April 1518, “strinse nuovi
contratti per la facciata di S. Lorenzo in Firenze.”
S. Martino (13th cent.) has a fine wheel window, of the kind found
in nearly all the churches in this neighbourhood. At the entrance
opposite the Campanile (1380) is a font about the same period. In the
interior of the church are handsome marble columns, confessionals,
pulpit, and font. The domes and semidomes are painted in fresco. Next is
the Uffizio Municipale, with, in front, a statue to
Leopold II., 1848. Then follows St. Agostino (14th cent.), all
within a few yards of each other. In the neighbourhood are quicksilver
and argentiferous mines and the Quarceta marble quarries.
Viareggio.
GENOA
PISA
90¾
14¼
VIAREGGIO, pop.
20,000. _Hotels:_ Russie; Pension Anglo-Americaine; Commercio.
A favourite sea-bathing station of the inhabitants of Pisa and
Florence. On the 22d of July 1882 the body of Shelley was found cast on
this beach. A few miles eastward, towards Lucca, is Lake
Massaciuccoli, and the Roman ruins called the Bagni di Nerone, about
6 m. W. from Lucca in a beautiful country.
Pisa.
opp. 224
plan of Pisa
Pisa: Piazza del Duomo. Cathedral.
GENOA
105
PISA, pop. 26,300.
_Hotels:_ On right bank of the Arno, in the Lung’ Arno Regio, the
*Grand Hotel; *Bretagna; *Nettuno; Londra. Close to station, right hand,
the *Minerva et de la Ville; Washington;
224
left hand, Commerce. Behind the H. Bretagna is the Anglican church.
On the left side of the Arno, opposite the Victoria, is the Post-office.
Cab-stand at the station. _Fares._—From the station to the
cathedral, with from one to two passengers, 1 fr.; from three to
four, 1 fr. 15 sous. The hour, 2 fr. From the station go
straight up the Via Vittorio Emanuele to the Arno, where cross the
bridge and walk down the river to the fifth street right, the Via Santa
Maria, crossed by an arch at the commencement. The Via Santa Maria leads
directly to the Piazza del Duomo, containing, in a row,
the Leaning Tower, the Cathedral, and the Baptistery, and immediately
behind, the Campo Santo, with frescoes considerably effaced, yet
valuable as specimens of the Tuscan school of the 14th and 15th
centuries. Fee for the Campo Santo 25 cents each.
The _Cathedral_, commenced in 1063 by the Greek
architect Buschetto, was completed in 1092. The exterior is adorned with
a range of blind arches decorated with party-coloured marble. Four open
arcades, similarly constructed, rise over the western entrance, with the
beautiful bronze doors of John of Bologna, as well as over those at the
southern entrance by Bonano. Both doors are covered with a profusion of
figures in delicately wrought iron, representing saints, prophets, and
various other objects, enclosed in an elegant border of birds, foliage,
fruits, and flowers. The internal length of the church is 311½ ft., and
of the transepts 252 ft. The roof of the nave is 109 ft. high.
A double row of columns runs up the nave, and a single row along
the transepts and choir. Sixty of them are of oriental granite, and the
rest (14) of fine marble, and each of one piece. The arches resting on
them are semicircular, and are mostly in alternate layers of white and
black marble. The roof is covered with richly gilt panelling. The altars
are by Michael Angelo, and are arranged in pairs, each couple opposite
each other being alike, excepting the two at the opposite ends of the
transepts, which, however, are similar in design. One represents the
fall by woman, and the other the reconciliation by woman in the
ascension of the Virgin. Over the high altar, on the semidome, is a
colossal Mosaic by G. Gaddi, in 1325. Among the best of the
paintings are four of saints by A. del Sarto, near the bishops’ chairs.
Here also are paintings of Moses and Aaron, St. Luke and St. John, by
Beccafumi, and the Sacrifice of Abraham and the Entombment by Sodoma.
Upon a pier of the right transept is a St. Agnes by A. del Sarto, and on
the corresponding pier of the left transept a Madonna by Perino del
Vaga. In the right
225
transept notice the altar of St. Blaise, the chapel and tomb of
S. Ranieri, the great picture of the Virgin with Saints by del Vaga
and Sogliani. In the left (north) transept is the chapel of the Holy
Sacrament, with a beautiful silver ciborium. The windows are small, but
have some fine stained glass of the 14th and 15th cents. Galileo, while
a student at Pisa, discovered, by observing the oscillations of the lamp
suspended in the nave, that the vibrations of a pendulum are
synchronous, or recur at equal intervals whether great or small.
Pisa: Leaning Tower. Baptistery.
The _Campanile_ or leaning tower is a
cylindrical edifice built of square blocks of compact marble, and
consisting of a well-designed solid basement, 159 ft. in circumference,
with walls 13 ft. thick, above which rise six open arcaded galleries,
supported by 200 granite and marble columns. Over the sixth arcade rises
a round tower 27 ft. high. The entire height is 183 ft., the mean
diameter of the main portion 52 ft., and the deflection from the
perpendicular 11 ft. 2 inches, exclusive of the cornice, which projects
32 inches more. It was commenced in 1174, and finished 1350. The ascent
is very easy, by a stair 3 ft. wide, formed in the wall; but not fewer
than three are allowed to visit the top at the same time. Fee for the
party, 1 fr. The keeper lives in one of the small houses (No. 14)
nearly opposite.
The Baptistery is a circular building, 361½
feet in circumference, surmounted by a dome 180 feet high, and
constructed after the designs of Diotisalvi. It was commenced in 1153
and finished towards the end of the 14th cent. Above the third storey
rises the dome, intersected by long lines of very prominent fretwork,
meeting in a cornice near the top, and terminating in a small dome
crowned with a statue of St. John the Baptist, the titular saint of all
such edifices. In the interior eight large Sardinian granite columns and
four marble piers support twelve arches, over which rises the tier of
piers and arches which support the cupola, within conical, but
externally hemispherical. In the centre stands an octagon marble font
for the baptism of adults, with four circular compartments at opposite
sides for the baptism of infants. The beautiful pulpit by Niccolo da
Pisa (1260) is ornamented with bas-reliefs, and supported on seven
columns.
Pisa: Cemetery.
Behind the Baptistery is the _Campo Santo_, founded about the year 1189
by the Archbishop Ubaldo. It is a rectangle 424 feet long by 145 broad,
and surrounded by a broad gallery with a plain wall to the exterior, and
62 mullioned arches with quatrefoil tracery towards the interior. The
inner side of the wall is covered with paintings in fresco, begun about
the year 1300, and continued till 1670. Immediately to the left on
entering is the
226
monument of the oculist Andrea Vacca by Thorwaldsen. To the right
commence frescoes illustrating incidents in the life of St. Ranieri, the
patron saint of Pisa, by Andrea da Firenzi, 1377. Those beyond the
second door illustrate the temptations and miracles of hermits in the
Theban wilderness, by the Lorenzetti. Between Nos. 39 and 40, Hell.
Above 38, the Day of Judgment. Then, by Orcagna, the Power of
Death,—filling those living in pleasure with horror, but those in
sorrow with joy. Now follow (in the eastern side) the oldest of the
three chapels, and frescoes illustrating the Crucifixion, Resurrection,
and Ascension. On the north wall the most interesting frescoes are by
Puccio Orvieto, 14th cent., illustrative of events in the Old Testament.
On the west wall is hung part of the chain the Pisanos caused to be
drawn across the mouth of the harbour, which, however, Conrad Doria
broke through in 1290, burnt the fleet of Pisa, and carried off the
chain to Genoa. A few years ago, according to the inscription, the
Genoese returned it to Pisa. On the wall, under the chain, is the
monument to Giov. Niccoli Pisano; and, a little to the right,
a Madonna by that famous sculptor. The empty space within the
cloisters was once the common burying-ground of the city. It is filled,
to the depth of ten feet with earth brought from the Holy Land by the
galleys of Pisa.
Pisa: S. Maria della Spina.
Among the other churches may be mentioned Santa Maria della Spina, on
the bank of the Arno (a low square church)—an excellent
specimen of the Moorish-Gothic introduced into Italy in the 11th cent.
The churches of St. Matteo, St. Pierino, St. Michele in Borgo, St.
Andrea, and St. Francisco, contain a few curious and some good
paintings, with other antiquities. The church of St. Stephano is reputed
to contain the bones of St. Stephen. The palaces of the Cavaliers,
Lanfreducci, Seta, and Casa Mecherini, are worthy of notice.
Near the Grand Hotel is the Sapienza or University, founded by the
Emperor Henry VII. The quays and bridges of Pisa are extensive, and
well-constructed. Four miles from Pisa are the baths of St. Julian,
considered beneficial for diseases of the liver and gout (see next
page).
Leghorn.
opp. 226
plan of Leghorn
Between Pisa and Leghorn there are trains nearly every hour, distance
11¼ miles. Leghorn (pop.
90,000). _Hotels:_ In the Piazza del Cantiere, the Nord, fronting
the harbour; and close by, in the Via Vittorio Emanuele, the Bretagne;
New York; France; and at No. 59 of the same street, Il Giappone.
Anglican church in the Scala degli Hollandesi. Presbyterian church, No.
3 Via degli Elisi. Cabs per hour, 1½ fr. Boat from the hotel to the
steamer, 2 fr. Leghorn has many handsome and well-paved streets;
among the best of them is the
227
Via Vittorio Emanuele, which, commencing at the head of the harbour from
the Piazza dei Cantieri, traverses the principal square, the Piazza
d’Armi, with the cathedral, and extends to the Piazza Carlo Alberto. Its
continuation, on the other side of the square, the Via Larderel, extends
to a large building on the right hand crowned with a semi-dome. This is
the grand reservoir, supplied with water from the mountains Colognone by
an aqueduct 12 m long. Smollett died at Leghorn just after completing
“Humphrey Clinker,” and was buried in the English cemetery.
Leghorn: Steamers for Corsica.
Steam-boats every week for Bastia in Corsica, for Porto Torres in
Sardinia, and for Marseilles and Genoa.
Pisa to Florence by Lucca and Pistoja.
Distance 62 miles east. See Map of Turin to Florence, page 199.
FLORENCE
62
PISA. The direct line to
Florence is by Pontedera Empoli. Distance, 49 miles. Time, 2 hours and
10 minutes. The first station by the Lucca route is _San Giuliano_, with its
thermal springs, temp. 109° and 84° Fahr., rising from a calcareous rock
at the foot of the wooded Monti Pisani. The waters “are used internally
in chronic hepatic complaints, in gravel, and some renal affections; in
dysentery, and dyspepsia attended with pain and vomiting.”
—Madden’s _Health Resorts_. After Giuliano, we reach the
Rigoli station, whence the line extends along the left side of the
Serchio, enclosed within its bed by expensive embankments.
PISA
FLORENCE
15
47
LUCCA (pop. 22,000). Each
portmanteau taken from the station to the cab, 6 sous; bag, 2 sous. Cabs
await passengers, 1 fr.; portmanteau, 4 sous.
_Sights._—A walk on the ramparts, 3 miles in
circumference, and a visit to the Duomo and to the Picture-Gallery. To
the south of Lucca, near the station, is an ancient aqueduct of 459
arches.
_Hotels:_
Universo, between the Duomo and the Piazza Napoleone, a first
class-hotel; Croce di Malta, near the Piazza Napoleone; and the Corona,
near the Piazza also, but towards the church of St. Michele. Diligence
to the Baths of Lucca start from a court opposite the H. Corona.
Distance, 17 miles. Fare, 3 fr. Carriage, 15 fr. Money-changer in
the Piazza dell’Erba, off the P. Napoleone. Lucca is one of the
most ancient cities in Italy. Originally it belonged to
228
the Etrurians, but was taken from them by the Ligurians, and colonised
by the Romans about 170 years before the birth of our Lord. The most
remarkable event that distinguished it in ancient times was the
interview which took place here between Cæsar, Pompey, and Crassus, and
which attracted to the town half the senate and nobility of Rome. After
the fall of the Roman empire, Lucca was governed by princes of its own,
from one of whose race, Azon II., of the house of Este, the royal
families of Brunswick and England are descended. The town is in the form
of the letter O, surrounded by ramparts which afford a most agreeable
drive. At the railway end is the Piazza Napoleone, and near it all the
principal sights.
Lucca: Palazzo Ducale.
Picture-Gallery. Cathedral.
One entire side of the Piazza is occupied by the Palazzo Ducale, now the
Palazzo Provinciale, a vast and substantial edifice, built in 1578,
enclosing two large courts, and containing the prefecture, the
post-office, the picture-gallery, and the government offices. The
Picture-Gallery,
open every day (except Mondays), between 10 and 2, although small,
contains some precious works, in handsome halls. In the first room is a
Madonna della Misericordia, and in the second, the Creator with Mary
Magdalene and St. Catherine, both by Fra. Bartolommeo, in 1515 and 1509.
Also pictures by Reni, Zucchero, and Tiziano. In the Sala da Ballo,
painted in fresco by Luigi Adamolli Milanese in 1819, are a Madonna by
Perugini; a full length portrait of Napoleon’s sister Elisa; and
two ancient pictures on wood—a Nativity, and a Christ with Saints.
The remainder of the pictures are in the rooms which were occupied by
Maria Aloysia Borbonia (Marie Louise), whose monument by Bartolini
(1843) stands in the centre of the square. Leaving the Piazza Napoleone,
by the street at the end of the small avenue, we come to another open
space containing San Giovanni and the Duomo, and between the two
churches a house called the “Administrazione del opera della chiesa;”
where, among other things, are preserved _La Croce dei Pisani_, an
elaborately wrought gilt silver cross, by B. Baroni in 1350, and
the gold lamp, weighing 24 lbs., which formerly hung in front of the
Tempietto in the Duomo. They are shown at any time, but a fr. is
expected. The Cathedral or Duomo of St. Martino was commenced by Anselmo
Badagio, who, three years afterwards, as Pope Alexander II.,
blessed the enterprise of the Norman invader of England. The façade,
with its three tiers of columned galleries, was built in 1204, the choir
in 1308, and the triforium in 1400. The sculptures of the portico are
subjects from the life of St. Martin. Over the door on the left is a
Descent from the Cross, by Nicolo di Pisa, 1233.
229
Loftiness and simplicity, verging on plainness, characterise the
interior of this church, as well as those of all the others in Lucca,
with the exception of San Romano, which is profusely decorated. The
windows are small and filled with modern glass, excepting the three at
the eastern end, which are by P. Ugolino. All the pictures are
covered, excepting on Sundays and feast-days, but the custodian can
always be found in the sacristy, who shows the church for a franc.
Commencing at the first altar, right hand from main entrance, Nativity,
by Passignano; second, Adoration of the Magi, P. Zucchero; third,
Last Supper, Tintoretto; fourth, Crucifixion, Passignano; fifth,
Resurrection. In south transept, west side, is the monument to Pietro da
Noceto, one of the many admirable works by Matteo Civitali, to whose
genius the church owes its best sculpture, which he contributed during a
period of nearly thirty years from 1472. The angels on the altar in the
Chapel del Sagramento, opposite the monument, as well as the whole of
the chaste white marble altar in the Chapel of St. Regulus, adjoining
the sacramental chapel, are by him. On the left side of the high altar
is the altar to “Christo Liberatori,” by G. Bologna, and adjoining,
La Cappella del Santuario, where again we find the beautiful handiwork
of Civitali displayed on the altar and reliquaries on both sides. The
Madonna which forms the reredos of the altar is by Fra
Bartolommeo. This picture and the Madonna by Ghirlandaio (1400), in the
sacristy, are the two gems in the church. Just outside the Cappella del
Santuario is a recumbent figure of _Ilaria del Carretto_ by Jacopo
della Quercia (1444), unfortunately slightly mutilated, yet a beautiful
imitation of the repose of nature transferred to statuary.
Lucca: The Tempietto.
S. Giovanni.
S. Frediano.
In the north aisle is the Tempietto, a small octagonal chapel
standing apart, in which is preserved the cedar wood crucifix, 8th or
9th cent., said to have been carved by Nicodemus with the assistance of
an angel. The fresco on the left side of the main entrance into the
Duomo represents him cutting it out. This cross is exhibited three times
a year. The embroidery on the red curtain is an exact copy. The figure
of S. Sebastian on the Tempietto, as well as the elegant pulpit
opposite, are by Civitali. Opposite the cathedral is San Giovanni,
founded in the 12th cent. The baldness of its great walls is partly
relieved by the coloured panelled ceiling. Leaving the Piazza Napoleone
by the western corner of the Palazzo Provinziale, we soon reach the
Piazza and Church of San Michele, founded in the 8th cent., with a lofty
façade composed of tiers of variously shaped columns. Continuing in the
same direction towards the ramparts, we reach S. Frediano, of
the
230
7th cent., with a large Mosaic (12th cent.) over the main entrance. Just
within it, on each side, are frescoes by Ghirlandaio. To the right is an
ancient circular font about 9 feet in diameter, beautifully carved
in relief by Magister Robertus in 1151. The font at present used is
against the wall, and is by N. Civitali, the nephew of Matteo. The
second chapel on the right contains the tomb of St. Zeta, the patroness
of Lucca, in a sarcophagus on the altar. Third chapel beyond this (east
side) is a coronation of the Virgin by Francia, and on the opposite wall
of the same chapel a curious old carving in relief, representing the
assumption of the Virgin. On the opposite side of the church is a chapel
covered with ancient frescoes by Aspertino, one of which represents the
transporting to the church of the cross made by Nicodemus after it had
been found in the sea. By the side of it is St. Augustine being baptised
by St. Ambrosius at Milan; and above them, in the semicircle, an
entombment. Opposite is S. Frediano (who was an Irishman) staying
by prayer an encroachment of the sea, and an Adoration of the Magi.
Above is St. Ambrosius instructing his disciples. On the ceiling, God
surrounded by Angels, Saints, and Prophets. 3½ m. from Lucca is the
Villa di Marlia, in the midst of beautiful grounds.
The Baths of Lucca.
The Baths of Lucca.
17 miles from Lucca. See Map, page 199.
The road ascends by the left bank of the river Serchio, through pleasing
scenery, passing the town of Muriano, situated on the right side of the
river. About 13 miles from Lucca is the curious bridge of the Maddalena,
consisting of four arches, the arch next the village of Borgo being
disproportionately large, and with a gradient from the bank to the
centre of 60°. It is only 4 feet wide, and, although built in 1322,
is the only bridge across the Serchio that withstood uninjured the great
flood of 1836, when the Serchio attained in three hours a height till
then unknown, and swept away with irresistible fury all the other
bridges, and broke up the mounds, dikes, and embankments. The two
villages (pop. 9500) which go under the name of the Baths of Lucca are
_Il Serraglio_ on the left bank, and _Corsena_ on the right
bank of the Lima, near its junction with the Serchio. On the hill behind
Corsena are the springs and bathing establishments. By the side of the
Lima is the Bagno Cardinali, close to the Casino; and about 100 feet
above the Cardinali is the Bagno Bernabó. A short way westward,
overlooking the valley of the Lima, is the Bagno Doccebasse, and
immediately below it the Bagno dello Spedale-Demidoff, for the exclusive
use of the poor. On the top of the hill, among some houses, is the Bagno
Caldo, and a little to the east, standing by itself, the Bagno San
Giovanni. _Hotels:_ the best are Pagnini’s Hotel and Pension, next
the Casino; and the America, nearer the bridge. On the opposite side of
the river, in Il Serraglio,
231
are the New York, and the Corona, plainer houses. A mile up the
river by the right bank, along a beautiful road, the Strada Elisa, is
another village, which is also included in the Baths of Lucca, the
Bagno alla Villa, the most beautifully situated of the three.
_Hotels:_ At the entrance of the village, the H. and
P. Queen Victoria. At the foot of the hill on which the bathing
establishment is situated, the H. and P. du Pavilion and the
Anglican chapel. Near them the H. and P. du Parc. The pension price
in all, both here and at Corsena, is from 7 to 11 frs. _Cabs:_
First hour, 2 fr.; afterwards 1½ fr. Numerous furnished houses to
let. From 400 to 1000 fr. for six months.
The bathing establishments are fitted up with every modern appliance.
The baths are rather small. Chemically the different springs are very
similar, but in temperature they vary; the coolest is the Doccebasse,
85° Fahr., and the hottest the Bagno Caldo, 133° Fahr. The principal
ingredients are sulphates and carbonates of lime, chlorides of soda and
magnesia, and carbonate of iron. The total amount of saline matter being
15 grs. to the pint. On a tablet at the entrance to the baths of La
Villa is inscribed a list of the diseases cured by the water; but their
principal action is on the digestive organs, and through them
sympathetically on the whole animal economy. Besides, a great deal
of the beneficial effect said to be produced by the water ought with
more reason to be ascribed to the delightful mountain air, and the
charming walks, drives, and rides, which entice visitors to spend the
greater part of the day in healthy rambles. The surrounding country is
beautiful—steep mountains covered with vines, chestnuts and oaks
rise on each side of the river; while well-made paths and roads wend
their way up through these vineyards and forests to multitudes of points
of various heights, commanding charming views. Season, May to
October.
Pistoja. Cathedral. Baptistery.
PISA
FLORENCE
40½
21½
PISTOJA (pop. 13,600).
_Hotels:_ Globe et Londres; Inghilterra, both in the Piazza Cino.
Cabs from the station to the hotels, 1 fr.; portmanteau, 20 c. Next
the H. Inghilterra is the church of S. Giovanni, erected at
the end of the 12th cent., in alternate layers of black and white
marble. The sculptured pulpit, resting on lions, is supposed to be by
Fra Guglielmo of Pisa, 1270. The centre of interest is in the Piazza
Duomo, easily found from different parts of the town by means of the
lofty Campanile, the “Torre del Podesta,” which rises above all the
other buildings. By the side of it is the Duomo, a plain edifice, built
in 1240. Over the central door is a Madonna, with angels, by
A. della Robbia, and over the side-door frescoes by Balducci and
Giovanni Christiani, 1369. To the right, on entering, is the monument to
the jurist Cino (1336). In the upper tier he is represented addressing
an assembly, accompanied by six other doctors, while below he is
represented in his class-room lecturing to nine students.
232
The altar of the chapel, to the right of the high altar, is of solid
silver. It is generally covered, but by applying at the sacristy a man
will uncover it for 2 fr. It remained unfinished for more than 150
years (1314-1466), and is said to be the finest piece of silversmith’s
work of that time in Italy, and that 416 lbs. of silver were employed in
its execution. Below the chancel is a crypt. Fronting the Duomo is the
_Baptistery_, begun 1339 (by C. di
Nese), an elegant octagonal structure, also in alternate layers of black
and white marble, each corner terminating in a pinnacle. The font is
quadrangular, of panelled marbles, and constructed in the 13th cent.
Outside, near the door, is a beautiful stone pulpit. Adjoining is the
Palazzo del Podestá (now the seat of the Tribunale Civile), constructed
in 1367, and restored in 1864. The vaults and soffits of the massive
arches are covered with the armorial bearings of the former mayors of
the town; while, to the left of the entrance, are still the stone-seats
and tables where they sat in judgment.
Pistoja: Pal. Municipale.
S. Andrea.
Opposite is the Palazzo Municipale (14th cent.), and a little way down
the street, the Ospedale del Ceppo (13th cent.), with a coloured
terra-cotta frieze. Near the two hotels is the church of
_S. Maria dell’ Umilta_, built in 1509 by Ventura Vitoni. In
the vestibule are large frescoes by Vasari. Near it is _S. Andrea_
(12th cent.), with quaint reliefs over the entrance door, and in the
interior a precious marble pulpit, sculptured by Giovanni da Pisa,
1298-1301. The beadle, for a trifle, illuminates this piece of elaborate
sculpture, when it is seen to still greater advantage. Between the two
last churches is _S. Filippo da Neri_, with such a quantity of
frescoes, representing angels and saints in glory, that even the visitor
on entering feels himself among clouds also. In the Piazza Prato is
S. Francesco, with some good frescoes and altar pieces. In the
centre of the nave is the tomb of an Englishman, Thomas de Weston,
Doctor Legum, 1408. The word pistol is said to be derived from the name
of this town, as they have been manufactured here from a very early
date. Catiline lost his life in a battle fought near Pistoia, b.c. 62, and the precise spot where he is
said to have fallen is marked by a tower.
Passengers from Pisa to Florence have generally to change carriages
at Pistoja.
11¼ m. from Florence and 50¼ m. from Pisa is Prato, pop. 13,100. _Hotels:_ Giardinetto,
Contrucci, surrounded by ancient walls, and defended by a castle built
by the Ghibelines. The interior and exterior of the Cathedral are faced
with white and green marble in bands. The nave has columns of
serpentine. The elevated choir has good frescoes by Filippo Lippi, and
in a chapel are others by Agnolo Gaddi (1365).
233
Florence.
opp. 234
plan of Florence
61½ m. from Pisa by Lucca, or 49 m. by Empoli, is Florence, 357 m.
from Turin, 82 m. from Bologna, 134 m. from Piacenza,
196 m. from Rome, and 60¼ m. from Leghorn.
Florence: Hotels and Pensions.
FLORENCE, on the Arno, pop. 169,000. _Hotels and
Apartments:_ On the right or north side of the Arno, the Grand
Hôtel Royal de la Paix; de la Ville; Grand Hôtel d’Italie; Washington;
Grand Hôtel Nueva York; Gran Bretagna; del Arno; and just behind the
Paix, the Russie. All these hotels have a south exposure, and are
greatly run after in winter. Charge from 10 to 16 frs. per day,
according to the room. The following charge from 9 to 13 frs., and are
situated in the new streets a little way back from the Arno, and near
the Cascine or Park of Florence (north-west side of plan):—Hôtel
and Pension Corona d’Italia, Via Montebello; Hôtel and Pension Iles
Britanniques in No. 42; and Hôtel and Pension Venise in No. 33 Via della
Scala. In the Iles Britanniques are also furnished apartments at from
250 frs. to 400 frs. per month. Hôtel and Pension Couronne d’Angleterre,
Via Solferino; Hôtel and Pension Anglo-Americain, Via Garibaldi; and the
Universo in the Corso Vitt. Emmanuele. In the busy parts of the town,
and charging rather less than the above, the Hôtel Milan No. 12 Via
Cerretani; Hôtel and Pension Angleterre, Via Panzani; and at No. 21 of
same street, Hôtel Bonciani, with front also to the Piazza S. Maria
Novella. Near the bridge La Santa Trinitá, and in the Via Tornabuoni are
the Europe and Nord. In the Via Porta Rossa the Hôtel Porta Rossa; in
the Via della Spada the Ville de Paris; in the Via Condotta, La Luna; in
the Piazza S. Maria Novella (near the station) Hôtel Roma; Minerva;
Bonciani, with furnished apartments; and by the side of the station, La
Posta and Rebecchino. In the Piazza Maria Novella there are omnibuses
for Sesto Fiorentino and a large cab-stand. Conveniently situated for
visiting the sights, and not expensive (from 7 to 9 frs. per day),
are the H. d’Espagne above the Restaurant Etruria and the Etoile
d’Italie in the V. Calzaioli. Pension Suisse, Via Tornabuoni; Le
Phœnix, Via dei Martelli; Lion Blanc (in which also single rooms are
let), Via Vigna Nuova; Cavour, Via del Proconsolo; Commerce, Piazza di
S. Maria Novella; Hôtel and Pension Rudolfo, Via della Scala.
Furnished apartments all over the town. Just outside the Porta Romana,
in the Viale Petrarcha, furnished apartments cost from 250 to 400 frs.
the month. The most expensive as well as the most fashionable are those
situated on the right bank of the Arno; but in the streets a little way
back from the Arno apartments can be had for less. It is of very great
importance in winter to have
234
bedrooms with a south exposure. Those with a north exposure feel cold
even on a sunny day. People who take furnished rooms can dine at very
moderate rates in restaurants, such as the Toscana or the Etruria, both
in the Via Calzaioli. Best money-changers and restaurants in the Via
Calzaioli, between the Piazza della Signoria and del Duomo. Fioravanti
and Co., 5 Via Cerretani, change circular notes as well.
_Protestant Churches._—American Church, 17 Via dei
Serragli; American Episcopal, 11 Piazza del Carmine; English Episcopal,
5 Via del Maglio; Scotch Church, 11 Lungarno Guicciardini.
_Cab
Tariff._—The course, 1 fr.; night (between 7 p.m. to 6 a.m.),
1 fr. 30 c. Time, first half-hour, 1 f. 30 c.; every
successive half-hour, 70 c. Large trunks, 50 c.; portmanteau, 25 c.
Omnibuses run between the Piazza della Signoria and the old city gates.
Fare, 10 c.; Sundays, 15 c.
Florence: Hints and Directions.
Best maps of Italy and of the environs of Florence at the office of
the Topografico Militare, No. 8 Via Sapienza, near the Annunziata. Best
plans of the town published by Pineider, in the Piazza della Signoria,
and Bettini, No. 12 Via Tornabuoni. They also publish excellent little
guides to Florence, with complete catalogues of all the pictures and
statues in the various museums and churches. Pineider’s is published in
English likewise, and costs only a franc. They have a similar one for
Rome. For the investigation and study of art in Florence, see the works,
_Walks in Florence_ by Susan and Joanna Horner, 2 vols., Isbister
and Co., London, and volume 3 of _Hare’s Cities of Italy_.
It is fatiguing, and unwise in those who are not students, to wander
into every part of Florence to gaze upon every picture and every figure
by a great master. The best are all in a few places, which, fortunately,
are near each other. For oil-paintings the combined galleries of the
Uffizi and Pitti are sufficient. In them the most important room is the
Tribuna (p. 238), containing the
concentrated excellence of both galleries in painting and antique
sculpture. Besides what are in the Tribuna, Raphael has eleven pictures
in the Pitti, of which the most famous is No. 266 in the Stanza dell’
Educazione di Giove (see p. 244).
Michael Angelo’s finest sculpture is in the new sacristy of San Lorenzo
(see p. 265), but the
best collection of his works is in the _National Museum_ (see
p. 261). His David is in the
_Accademia delle Belle Arti_ (see p. 272). In the National Museum is the
best collection of sculpture by great _Italian Artists_, such as
Michael Angelo, G. Bologna, Luca and Andrea della Robbia, Ghiberti;
Brunelleschi, Donatello, Pisano,
235
Benvenuto Cellini, Rossi, Mino da Fiesole, and Verrochino, chiefly in
the first and sixth rooms of the first floor, and in the sixth room of
the second floor. Of the churches, the most important are the Duomo or
Cathedral, the Baptistery and Campanile, Santa Croce, San Lorenzo (but
particularly the Sagrestia Nuova and the Cappella dei Principi, attached
to St. Lorenzo), S. Maria Novella, and the Annunziata. They are
open from early in the morning till mid-day, and again from three till
six. The best specimens of fresco painting are in the churches and their
cloisters. Remarkable ancient frescoes in the Brancacci chapel of Del Carmine (page 252).
Best painting by Cimabue, a Madonna, executed in 1240, in the
Rucellai chapel of S. Maria
Novella (page 268). Best frescoes by D. Ghirlandaio on the chancel
or recess occupied by the high altar in S. Maria Novella (page 268). Best
frescoes of A. del Sarto in the narthex
of the Annunziata (page 269). Best frescoes of Giotto in the first
and second chapels of S. Croce
(page 260). Of the palaces the best are the Palazzo Vecchio (page 274), Palazzo Strozzi (page 275), and the Palazzo Corsini (page 275). The best view
of Florence is from the top of the dome; the ascent is very easy. The
pleasantest drive, with views, is to the Piazza Michel Angiolo, by the
Porta Romana and the Boulevards Machiavelli, Galileo, and Michel Angiolo
(page 249), studded with
handsome villas.
Florence: Piazza della Signoria. Loggia dell’ Orcagna.
At Florence the Arno is crossed by six bridges. One of these, the
_Ponte Vecchio_, differs from all the rest in having shops on each
side. By referring to the plan it will be observed that the road to the
Pitti Palace with the Boboli gardens, commences at the south end of this
bridge; while, at the northern end, commences the Via Por S. Maria,
leading to the Piazza della Signoria. From the
north-west corner of the Piazza della Signoria a fine broad street, the
Via Calzaioli, leads to the _Piazza del Duomo_; from the eastern
corner the street called the Borgo de’ Greci leads into the Piazza
Santa Croce. It is of great importance to understand the
relative position of these three squares. The chief feature of the
Piazza della Signoria is the _Palazzo Vecchio_, a fine specimen
of the Florentine castles of the Middle Ages (page 274). On either side
of the main entrance are the terminal statues of Baucis and Philemon, by
Bandinelli, and in front the colossal group of Hercules and Cacus, also
by him. Opposite is the spacious Gothic arcade called the Loggia dell’
Orcagna, from the name of the architect, or dei Lanzi, from the
name of the watchman who formerly guarded the building. It was usual in
the early period of the Republic to provide a space near the
government-house where the people
236
could meet and take part in public affairs; and for this purpose this
open gallery was built opposite the Palazzo Vecchio about the year 1376.
Five steps, running along the front, lead up to the platform, covered by
a vaulted roof, supported on four arches, resting on three columns
terminating in beautiful capitals of the Corinthian order. Two shaggy
lions, in Cipollino marble, ornament the entrance. The lion on the left
is by F. Vacca, 17th cent.; the other, on the right, as well as the
six statues of Sabine priestesses, along the inner wall, beautiful in
attitude and drapery, are antiques, and were brought from the Villa
Medici in Rome in 1788. In front, under each arch, stand three separate
groups, by celebrated masters of the 16th cent. To the right is the Rape
of the Sabines, by G. Bologna, in 1583. Originally this group was
intended to represent Youth, Manhood, and Old Age. To the left the
statue in bronze of Perseus, with the head of the sorceress Medusa, by
B. Cellini. The posture is fine, and full of power and animation,
but the head and body of the Medusa are represented streaming with blood
with a revolting exaggeration. Also left, Judith and Holofernes in
bronze, by Donatello. Behind Perseus is the Rape of Polixena,
a marble group, by Pio Fedi, in 1864. In the centre is an antique
group supposed to represent Ajax dragging the body of
Patrocles—restored by S. Ricci. Next it is the marble group,
by G. Bologna, representing Hercules slaying the Centaur. In this
Piazza is also the Fountain of Neptune, by Ammanati (pupil of
Bandinelli), 1571. It is crowded with nymphs and satyrs, presided over
by a statue of Neptune (19½ feet high) in a car drawn by four horses.
Adjoining is a superb equestrian statue of Cosmo, by Bologna. The horse
is admirable. To the left of the statue is the Palazzo Uguccione
(considered to have been designed by Raphael), built in 1551. Adjoining
the Loggia dei Lanzi are the extensive buildings “degli Uffizi,” the
great storehouse of art treasures. On both sides of the Piazza, along
the basement floor, extends a wide and lofty colonnade, by Vasari
(1560-74), ornamented with 24 statues of the most eminent Italians. On
the same side as the Loggia is the Post-Office (Reale Poste).
Florence: National Library.
On the opposite side, at the second door from the end, is the entrance
to the Galleria degli Uffizi, and six doors farther down, the entrance
to the _Biblioteca Nazionale_, with about 250,000 vols. and 14,000
MSS. Open from 9 to 4. Any book may be had for consultation in the
reading-room by writing the name on a slip of paper. The National
Library was formed in 1864 by the union of the Palatine Library
collected by the Medici with the Magliabecchian Library collected by
Antonio Magliabechi in 1700. The arch at the S. end of the colonnade
leads to the river Arno and the Ponte Vecchio.
opp. 237
PLAN of the UFFIZI & PITTI
GALLERIES
see caption
237
Galleria degli Uffizi.
Open daily from 10 to 3. Fee, 1 fr. each. Sundays, free. W.C.’s near
the portrait rooms; key with the keepers in the corner of the southern
gallery. In the top storey of the Uffizi buildings is the famous
collection of paintings, statues, and antiquities, united with a similar
collection in the Pitti Palace, by long galleries which cross the Arno
by the Ponte Vecchio, and extend along the street Via Guicciardini, by
the tops of the houses. The payment of a franc admits to both
collections, and the visitor may commence at either end; either from the
second door left hand, under the Uffizi colonnade, or from the door at
the N.E. corner of the Pitti Palace, next to the iron gate opening into
the Boboli gardens. But the easiest plan is to commence with the Uffizi,
and to descend towards the Pitti gallery by the stair at the top of the
western gallery. The only part of the way in which it is possible to go
wrong, is where (after having passed through the gallery of birds,
fishes, and plants, admirably drawn in 1695 by Bart. Legozzi, and a
small room with a few beautiful miniature paintings representing scenes
in the life of our Lord,) we come to a common stone staircase, which, to
enter the Pitti galleries, _ascend_, but to go out, descend.
Downstairs, outside, are the Piazza Pitti and the entrance to the Boboli
gardens.
Florence: Uffizi
Gallery—Vestibules—Corridors.
Entering the Uffizi by the second doorway under the colonnade, those
who wish to save themselves the fatigue of the 126 steps up to the
galleries may, for a franc, be carried up in a lift. In the first
vestibule are Roman statues and bas-reliefs representing festivals and
sacrifices, and busts of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Cosmo I.,
Francis I., and of others of the Medici. Second vestibule, more
Roman statuary, and an inimitable Greek figure of a wild boar; the whole
expressing admirably the growling ire kindling in an irritated animal.
Two exquisite wolf-dogs, bold, spirited, and true to nature. The horse,
said to have belonged to the Niobes group, does not bear close
examination.
We now enter the
eastern corridor, 178 yards long, with the ceiling painted in
arabesques by Poccetti. Ranged on both sides are valuable specimens of
ancient statuary, and of Roman busts of emperors and members of the
imperial family, Augusti et Augustæ. On the walls is hung a valuable and
interesting series of pictures, beginning with the stiff gilded
Byzantine style of the infancy of the art, as No. 1, a Madonna by
Andrea Rico di Candia (1102), and advancing gradually by No. 2, St.
Cecilia, by Cimabue, 130 years later. A marked improvement in
colour and grouping is seen in No. 6, Christ in Gethsemane,
238
by Giotto, pupil of Cimabue. No. 17 is a beautiful triptych by Fra.
Angelico; No. 24 a Madonna by Credi; No. 29 a Battlepiece by
P. Uccello; and No. 61 a Crucifixion by Lippi.
Florence: Uffizi Gallery.—Tuscan School.
From the two long sides of the gallery large doors open into halls
where the pictures are arranged in schools; the first of these being, as
is shown on the plan, the Scuola Toscana, contained in three rooms, and
consisting of 165 paintings, by M. Albertinelli, A. and
C. Allori, B. Angelico, M. A. Anselmi. B. Bandinelli,
Fra. Bartolommeo, G. Biliverti, S. Botticelli, A. Bronzino. F.
Cambi, J. Casentino, Cigoli, P. di Cosimo, L. di Credi,
F. Curradi. C. Dolci. Empoli. P. Francesca, M. A.
Franciabigio. A. L. Gentil, D. and R. Ghirlandaio, F. Giorgio,
G. S. Giovanni, B. Gozzoli, F. Granacci. Ignoto (unknown). Fra
F. Lippi. O. Marinari, Masaccio, T. Manzuoli, G. da Milano,
F. Morandini. G. Pagani, M. Pasti, S. Pieri,
A. Pollaiolo, Pontormo. G. Ramacciotti, Razzi, Il Rosso,
G. F. Rustici. V. Salimbeni, C. Salviati, A. del Sarto,
L. Signorelli. Fr. Ubertini. R. Vanni, O. Vannini,
G. Vasari, Dom. Veneziano, A. Verrocchio, Leonardo da Vinci,
Volterrano. F. Zucchero. The earliest painters are in the inner
room. Among the most remarkable of them are, B. Angelico, 1294. A.
Botticelli, 1286, a large picture, and 1289 and 1299. Fra.
F. Lippi, 1307. D. Ghirlandaio, 1295 and 1297. G. da Milano, 1293,
in ten compartments. A. Pollaiolo, 1301 and 1306; D. Veneziano,
1305.
In the middle hall—Albertinelli, 1259. Fra. Bartolommeo, 1265;
Bronzini, 1271. Cigoli, 1276 his best work. F. Lippi, 1257 and
1268; Razzi, 1279, formerly a banner carried in processions. Leonardo da
Vinci, 1252, an unfinished picture.
First hall—Albertinelli, 1259; Allori, 1165; Biliverti, 1261,
one of his best works; Bronzino, 1271; Cigoli, 1276; Credi, 1168;
Leonardo da Vinci, 1157 and 1159 remarkably fine.
Florence: Uffizi Gallery.—Tribuna.
Next to the rooms occupied by the Scuola Toscana is the Tribuna, a plain
8-sided hall, 30 ft. in diameter, designed by B. Buondelmonti, and
painted and decorated by Poccetti. In this room are preserved five of
the most famous antique statues in the world, and forty-two of the
choicest pictures in the collection by Alfani, F. Barocci, Fra.
Bartolommeo, A. and L. Caracci, Correggio, Domenichino,
A. Durer, Guercino, L. Kranach, F. Francia, Lanfranco,
B. Luini, Mantegna, Michael Angelo, L. d’Olanda, P. Perugino,
Raphael, G. Reni, Giulio Romano, Rubens, A. del Sarto, Schidone,
Spagnoletti, Tiziano, Van Dyck, P. Veronese, and D. Volterra.
Facing the door is the Venus de Medici, 4 ft. 11 inches high,
supposed to be by Cleomenes, son of Apollodorus, which, along
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with the statue of the Apollino, were brought from the Villa Hadrian, in
Tivoli, during the reign of Cosmo III. The group of the Wrestlers,
exquisitely finished, wants animation. The Dancing Fawn, attributed to
Praxiteles, is one of the most exquisite works of art that remains of
the ancients. The head and arms were restored by Michael Angelo. In the
_Knife-Grinder_, the bony square form, the squalid countenance, and
the short neglected hair, express admirably the character of a slave,
still more plainly written on his coarse hard hands and wrinkled brow.
Among the paintings, six are by Raphael—all gems. 1120 Portrait of
a Lady, painted when he was 20; 1123 the Fornarina, every hue as perfect
as if transferred to the canvas by the sun—the expression is pert;
1125, the Madonna del Pozzo (Well), attributed also to Franciabigio,
beautifully finished; 1127 St. John in the Desert, colouring tawny, but
admirable light and shade; 1129 the Madonna del Cardellino
(nightingale), one of Raphael’s best works, painted when he was 22; 1131
Portrait of Julius II., considered one of the finest portraits in
the world. In the Hall of Saturn, in the Pitti Gallery, and in the
National Gallery of London, are likewise portraits by Raphael of this
impetuous and warlike pope. 1139 Holy Family by Michael Angelo. This
picture, one of the few by him in oil, exhibits powerful drawing with
dexterous execution. 1112 the Madonna between St. Francis and St. John,
called also the Madonna delle Arpie, by Andrea del Sarto—rich but
subdued colouring, very pleasing to the eye. 1117 the famous recumbent
Venus, by Tiziano. 1118 the Rest in Egypt, by Correggio—wonderful
colouring.
Florence: Uffizi Gallery.—The Italian School.
Six rooms follow in succession from the south side of the Tribuna,
and contain respectively the Italian, Dutch, Flemish-German, and French
schools, and the collection of gems. The Italian, or more properly the
Lombardo-Venetian Schools contains 115 paintings by Albano,
D. Ambrogi. Baroccio, J. Bassano, G. Bonatti. Cagnacci,
Canaletto, A. Caracci, G. da Carpi, G. Carpioni, B.
Castiglione, M. Cerquozzi, C. Cignani, Correggio. Domenichino, B.
and D. Dossi. C. Ferri, D. Feti, L. Fontana. Garofalo,
L. Giordano, Giorgione, F. Granacci, J. Guercino.
J. Ligozzi, B. Luini. A. Magnasco, A. Mantegna,
L. Massari, L. Mazzolini, Fr. Minzocchi, Moretto da Brescia. Palma
(both), G. P. Pannini, Parmigianino, P. Piola, C. Procaccino,
S. Pulzone. G. Reni, P. Reschi, S. Rosa. E. Savonazzi, J.
Scarsellino, B. Schidone, F. Solimena. A. Tiarini, Tinelli,
Tintoretto, Tiziano, A. Turchi. G. Vanvitelli, P. Veronese, A.
Vicentino. B. Zelotti. S. Zugo. Of those, the most noteworthy are
Guido Reni, 998 Madonna; Parmigianino,
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1006 Madonna, and 1010 Holy Family; Correggio, 1016 Child’s Head;
A. Mantegna, 1025 Virgin, with Child in her lap; Caravaggio, 1031
Medusa.
Florence: Uffizi Gallery.—The Dutch, Flemish, and French
Schools.
_The Dutch
School_ contains 135 paintings, of which the best are by
Berkeyden, Borch, G. Dow, Galle, Hemskerch, Metsu, Mieris,
Netscher, O. Paulyn, Poelemburg; Rembrandt, 922 an Interior, with
Holy Family. R. Ruysch, Ruysdael, Schalken, Stingelandt, Van Aelst,
Van der Heyden, Van der Werf, Van Kessel.
_The Flemish and German Schools_, in two rooms, consist of 157
paintings, of which the best are by Cranach 822, Catherine Bore, wife of
Luther; 838 Luther; 845 John and Frederick, Electors of Saxony; 847
Luther and Melancthon. C. Gellé or Claude Lorraine, 848 Landscape,
considered the gem of this department. G. Dow, 786 Schoolmaster.
A. Durer, 766 His father; 777 St. James; 851 Madonna. Holbein, 765
Richard Southwell. 784 Zwinglius, and 799 Sir Thomas More. Quintin
Matsys, 779 St. Jerome. Rubens, 812 Venus and Adonis, but his best
pictures are in the Sala della Niobe. Susterman, 699 and 709 Portraits.
Teniers, 742 a Chemist, and 826 a Landscape. Van Dyck, 783 a
Madonna.