divided into nave and aisles by piers supporting broad, semi-circular
arches, and over all a good, open-timbered roof. The tribune, or
choir, is raised above the nave by three steps, and separated from it
by a low marble screen or _parapetto_. An ancient-looking holy-water
stoup, carved with rude heads and designs, stands by a pillar on the
north side of the nave, but the great treasures of the church are
its choir-screen and pulpit. The screen consists of panels of pale
red marble delicately veined, set in frames, or borders, of white
Carrara, inlaid with black _smalto_, or enamel, in various designs and
symbolic geometrical figures. That part of the screen near the pulpit
is further enriched by a row of small, well-modelled heads, some of
which, evidently portraits, are encircled by crowns. The pulpit must
certainly be reckoned among the best ones in Tuscany; its author is
unknown, but it probably belongs to the thirteenth century, about the
time of the Pisani, possibly earlier. The richness of detail, dignity
and expression of the rather stiff figures, suggest the work of Guido
da Como.
[Illustration: _Alinari_
PULPIT (13th CENTURY)
IN THE CATHEDRAL OF BARGA]
The pulpit is rectangular, and supported on four marble columns, two of
which rest on the backs of lions, overcoming symbolic forms of evil.
Another rests on the shoulders of a man, perhaps the artist, and all
the capitals are elaborately sculptured in varying designs, one bearing
the forms of eagles and animals' heads.
On the panels of the pulpit are the sculptured scenes of the
Annunciation, the Nativity, and Adoration of the Magi, treated in
the usual manner. On the central plinth of the front appears a
crowned figure holding the Book of Good Tidings, and supported by the
appropriate symbolic animals; above this figure the eagle upholds a
lectern. The figures are carved in strong relief, and though the feet
and hands are stiff, the faces are serious and fairly modelled, and
the drapery well disposed. Heavy as the work is, we are conscious that
the artist, a man of the long ago past, was himself impressed by his
subject, and put into his realistic interpretation of it a profound
religious mysticism. The whole work is enriched by inlaying of black
marble, or _smalto_, with the white. Crowns, the lions' manes, and
coils of the writhing serpent are picked out with black, an early form
of decoration.
In the choir aisle is a beautiful tabernacle for the sacred oil, of
glazed terra-cotta, chiefly white on blue, the work of the Della Robbia
school or atelier. Though small, the work is composed of three perfect
parts. On the arched top is a charming group of infantile figures,
the Christ child standing upright on the Holy Chalice, one tiny hand
uplifted in blessing, the other holding the crown of thorns; on either
side is an adoring cherub, exquisitely modelled. Below this is the
cupboard, or ciborium, for the oil, guarded by two graceful angel
forms, and on each side an acolyte bearing a candelabrum. The whole
work rests on a table, or ledge, supported by two cornucopiæ of various
fruits in natural colors, and between them appears the head of a cherub
enfolded in double wings.
[Illustration: _Alinari_
ADORATION OF THE MAGI (13TH CENTURY)
PULPIT IN THE CATHEDRAL OF BARGA]
Well might this fortress-temple detain us longer, but there is scant
time to have a look at the other Della Robbias down in the heart of the
town, to which we are conducted by a courteous and handsome little man
of twelve, through the narrowest and steepest of byways, which threaten
at times to plunge us into doorways or ditches, until we reach the
Church of the Capuchins. This contains a Nativity, two good statues
of St. Andrew and St. Anthony, an Annunciation, St. Francis receiving
the Stigmata, and, finest of all, an Assumption of the Virgin, by
Giovanni Della Robbia. The reverent figures of four saints gaze upward
to Our Lady, seated within a mandorla of cherubs' heads and surrounded
by angels with musical instruments; the four trumpeters at the top are
most beautiful. In the predella are other flying angels with scrolls;
a wreath of exquisite heads surround the ciborium, and two kneeling
saints fill the corners. The whole work is framed with clusters of
various fruits in their natural colours.
Reluctantly we turn from rock-throned Barga, "Half church of God,
half castle 'gainst the Scot," and as we slip down into the valley
through purpling shadows shot with crimson and gold we marvel at
these people, who with one hand took their part fiercely in the cruel
wars of despotism and with the other adorned churches and shrines
with Della Robbia reliefs, representing a form of art so pure and
cool and tranquil and, above all, infused with the deepest religious
feeling. Then we suddenly remember that hereabouts is the region of
the Pistojese Apennines, the favoured home of the highest Tuscan
imagination, poetry and song, where the people--peasants, shepherds,
and mountaineers--are not only hardy, handsome, and industrious as a
class, but noted for gentleness and courtesy, love of home, and the
native elegance of their common speech. It is said that "the dialect
that most faithfully represents the pure Tuscan of Boccaccio's day is
that of peasants of the Pistojese Apennines. It is here, round about
San Marcello and Cutigliano, that the purest Tuscan is spoken--pure
in its language, pure in its accent; and it is here that Manzoni and
d'Azelio came--comparative foreigners both of them, the one a Lombard,
the other a Piedmontese--to acquire the pure language for those
romances which have delighted all Italy and all the world."[10]
It is in the Pistojese mountains that we hear those "charming folk
songs, in which traditions of true gentleness and elevated feeling are
so well exhibited, and account for the high romantic qualities of the
impassioned verse."[11]
Shepherds often improvise songs, called _rispetti_ and _stornelli_, as
they tend their flocks alone on the hills, and if their cadence chance
to catch the popular ear they are sown on a hundred hills and meadows
far and wide. Tigri records by name a little girl called Cherubina
who made _rispetti_ by the dozen as she watched her sheep, and
the poetry of Beatrice di Pian degli Ontani was famous through the
mountains of Pistoja.[12]
[Illustration: _Alinari_
_Della Robbia School_
TABERNACLE FOR SACRED OIL
CATHEDRAL, BARGA]
Miss Alexander, in her "Road Songs of Tuscany," has given an
appreciative and loving tribute to this pastoral singer, whom she
calls "one of the most wonderful women" she ever saw. The daughter of
a stone-mason who worked during the winter in the Maremma, Beatrice
became his companion and helper, carrying on her head stones for the
walls and bridges he was building. She had no education, never learning
the alphabet even, but possessed a remarkable memory, and could recite
long poems that she had heard.
_YOU ASK ME FOR A SONG_
"You ask me for a song, then be content,
With little grace, in all I sing or say;
And judge me kindly, for I never went
To school, and masters never came our way.
The only school where ever I did go
Was on the mountain, in the hail and snow.
And this, alas! was all they made me learn--
To go for wood, and dig when I return."
It was not till the day of her marriage that Beatrice discovered her
new power "to sing poetry born in her mind," and from that day she
never lost her remarkable power of improvisation, and the list of her
ballads is very long and varied in theme. She had a strong religious
nature, and addressed many of her songs to the Madonna. In her old age,
it is said, she knew in poetic form nearly all the New Testament and
much of the Old.
_GIVE ME LIGHT, LADY_
"Come to the window, lady, give me light!
A little light, that I may find my way
For darkness deep is on my path to-night,
Among the stones I fall or go astray.
I cross a troubled river, lady mine;
Deep is the water, and no light doth shine.
And darkness found me where the waves were high;
My feet have failed, so deep the waters lie!
So far was I from shore when darkness came!
And no one answers when I call thy name."
Her eldest son inherited her poetic gift, and often when working in
the fields mother and son would carry on a conversation in improvised
verse, Beatrice singing one _ottava_, Beppo answering with another.
Miss Alexander says that as a girl Beatrice was very handsome, with an
inspired face, charming smile, and sympathetic voice. She had great
physical strength and indomitable courage. She generally wore her
_contadina_ dress of scarlet bodice, blue kerchief, garnet necklace,
and gold earrings. On grand occasions she put on a white embroidered
veil, kerchief, and apron belonging to her wedding finery.
Beatrice lived over a hundred years, "much loved and honoured by her
neighbours and all who knew her," and many pleasant anecdotes are
told of her experiences and talent. A Boston lady told us that once,
when Madame Goldschmidt (better known as Jenny Lind, or the "Swedish
Nightingale,") was visiting friends in the Apennines, a meeting was
arranged between the two singers, both elderly women at the time. First
Beatrice, in her peasant dress, sang to the great prima-donna of the
North, improvising words and music suitable to the occasion. In return
Madame Goldschmidt, much gratified, sang one of the songs which has so
often moved her great audiences to rapturous applause.[13]
[Illustration: _Alinari_
_Giovanni della Robbia_
ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN
CHURCH OF THE CAPUCHINS, BARGA]
[Illustration: _M. M. Newell_
"VIOLET-EYED TUSCAN OXEN"]
_THE DOVE_
"O dove with wings of silver, when you fly,
The feathers shine and glisten in my view.
And oh, how sweet your song is! Would that I
Could learn it.... Teach me, dove, to sing like you.
Your pleasant notes, and your sweet rhymes of love;
The sun goes down and lights the stars above.
Your pleasant notes, and your sweet rhymes of love;
The sun goes down and lights the snows above."
[Illustration: DETAIL OF TRAPPINGS ON THE HORSE OF LORENZO DE' MEDICI]
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 10: M. Carmichael, _In Tuscany_, p. 102.]
[Footnote 11: J. A. Symonds, "Popular Songs in Tuscany," _Sketches and
Studies_, vol. ii.]
[Footnote 12: John Ruskin, ed., _Alexander's Road Songs of Tuscany_
(1884).]
[Footnote 13: Alessandro Chiappelli, _Una Pastora Poetessa, Beatrice di
Pian degli Ontani_ (Florence, 1902).]
INDEX
INDEX
PAGE
Abetone, 213
Afternoon tea, 4
Alexander, Miss, 225, 226
Altopascio, 106
Amadeo, sculptor, 114
Amphitheatre, Roman, Lucca, 167
Armstrong, E. (note), 59
Antonio da Pistoja, 144
Apuans, 167, 174, 199, 210
Arno, The, 5, 8, 40, 45, 167, 174
Arnolfo di Cambio, 17
Avèrard. _See_ Medici.
Azelio, d', 222
Badia a Settimo, 3
Baglioni, 110
Bagni di Lucca, 200, 203
Barga, 199-230
Bartolommeo, Fra, 171
Beatrice di Pian degli Ontani, 225, 226, 229, 230
Benedetto Buglione, 143
Benozzo, Gozzoli, 50, 52, 117
Berenson, B. (note), 59
Bergamo, 113, 114
Bessarion, 51
Bianca Cappello, 39
Bianchi e Neri, 56
Bivigliano, 36
Boccaccio, 222
Bonaparte, 128
Bona of Savoy, 36
Borgo San Lorenzo, 20
Borgo a Mozzano, 200
Brancoli, 163-194, 199
Brunelleschi, 55
Bruno di Ser Lapo, 64
Calash, 19, 25, 35
Cancellieri, 56
Careggi, 55
Carmagnuola, Francesco, 114
Carmichael, M. (note), 222
Carrara, 40, 210
Carroccio, 106
Carza, 9
Casentino, 8
Castelfranco Madonna, 117
Castracane, Castruccio, Lord of Lucca, 49,101-118, 203, 210
Castracane, Dianora, 117
Cellino di Nese, 151
Certosa, 79
Chapel of the Holy Cross, 92, 95
Chapel of the Madonna, 92, 95
Charlemagne, 17, 209
Cherubina, 222
Chianti, 73-95
Chiappelli, Alessandro, 230
Choir-Screen, Barga, 14
Churches:
of the Capuchins, 218, 221
of the Madonna Dell' Impruneta, 90, 95
Pieve S. Leolino, 80
S. S. Christopher and James, Barga, 210, 213, 214
San Francesco, Lucca, 113
San Francesco, Prato, 59, 67
San Frediano, Luca, 168
San Ilario, Brancoli, 181
San Lorenzo, Brancoli, 182
San Marco, Venice, 114
Santa Maria delle Carceri, Prato, 59, 67
Santa Maria e San Giorgio, Brancoli, 185, 194
St. Martin, Lucca, 171
Cimabue, 24
Cino. _See_ Sinibuldi.
Coats of Arms, 17, 21
Colleoni, Bartolommeo, 113
Colleoni, Medea, 114
Consular Reports (notes), 63, 84
Credi, Lorenzo di, 144
Cruttwell, Maud (note), 91, 193
Cutigliano, 222
Dante, 151, 155
Della Robbia 10, 17, 21, 36, 80, 127, 143, 185, 200, 213, 218, 221
Della Robbia, Andrea, 63, 185, 193
Della Robbia, Giovanni, 140-143,193, 194, 221
Della Robbia, Luca 92, 95
Della Robbia, Luca, The Visitation, 143
Della Robbia, Count Viviano, 81
Demidoff, Prince, 39
Diligence, Florentine, 5
Donatello, 49, 63, 114
Erasmo da Narni. _See_ Gattamelata.
Este, Isabella d', 144
Faenza Railway, 6, 9, 20
Fiesole, 3, 7, 8, 39
Fivizzano, 210
Folk songs, 222
Font, Brancoli, 193
Fornaci, 207
Forteguerra, Laodomia, 148, 151
Forteguerra, Niccolò, Cardinal, 147
Forteguerra, Niccolò, Poet, 147, 148
Fosdinovo, 210
Fra Bartolommeo, 171
Gaddi, Angelo, 64
Garfagnana, Valley of the, 199, 207, 210
Garibaldi, 82
Gattamelata, 114
Ghirlandaio, R., 64
Ghivizziano, 207
Gian Galeazzo, Duke of Milan, 35-36
Giorgione, 117
Giotto, 24, 25, 27
Giuliano Giamberti. _See_ San Gallo.
Goldschmidt, Madame, or Jenny Lind, 229, 230
Greve, 79, 80
Groppoli, 163
Guido da Como, 217
Herbert, George, 163, 194
Holy-water Stoup, Barga, 214
Holy-water Stoup, Brancoli, 190, 193, 214
Hotels:
Giardino, Prato, 46
Globo e Londra, Pistoja, 136
Posta, Barga, 208, 209
l'Universo, Lucca, 163
Hyett, F. A., 106 (note), 110, 118
Ilaria del Carretto (Tomb), 171
Impruneta, 90-95
Interminelli, The, 118
Jacopo della Quercia, 171
John of Bologna, 39
Joseph, Patriarch, 51
Leone Lioni, 113
Lima River, 177, 203
Lippi, Filipino, 67
Lippi, Fra Lippo, 49, 64-67
Lord of Lucca. _See_ Castruccio.
Lorenzo di Credi, 144
Loppia, 207
Lucca, 3, 101, 106, 113, 117, 163-172, 213
Machiavelli, 117, 118
Majano, 3, 4
Malatesta, Duke of Urbino, 110
Manzoni, 222
Marchese of Mantua. _See_ Este.
Marcus Aurelius, 114
Marie Louise, Duchess, 167
Martinella, 106
Matilda, the "Great Countess,", 128
Matteo Civitali, 172
Matteo Costanzo, 114
Medici Shield, 17, 18, 82, 124, 143, 210
Medici, Avérard, 17, 18
Medici, Bernardo de', 110
Medici, Cosimo, Pater Patræ, 18, 55
Medici, Duke Francesco de', 39
Medici, Lorenzo de', 51, 52, 55, 56, 59, 64, 105
Medeghino, Il, 110, 113
Mercato, Pistoja, 101, 135, 136
Metayerage System, or Mezzadria, 84-88
Michelozzo, 55, 63
Mino da Fiesole, 49, 64, 147
Montemurlo, 106
Monte Abetone, 213
Monte Giove, 8
Monte Ferrato, 63
Monte Morello, 8, 9
Monte Pisani, 167
Monte Prado, 213
Monte Rondinaio, 213
Monte Senario, 36
Morgan, E. S., 84
Mugello, 3-40
Mugnone, 5, 7, 8, 39
Nation, The (note), 84
Nievole, 102
Orcagna, "Triumph of Death,", 117
Ospedale del Ceppo, 127, 139, 141-142, 145
Padua, 114
Padua, Arena Chapel, 27
Palazzo Pubblico, Scarperia, 14, 17
Palazzo del Podestà, Borgo San Lorenzo, 21
Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, 14
Palæologos, Emperor John, 51
Panzano, 80
Perugino, 110
Petraia, Royal Villa, 55
Petrarch, 110, 151, 152, 155
Piero a Sieve, 9, 10, 35
Pisani, The, 49, 217
Pisano, Giovanni, 60, 63, 64
Pistojese Apennines, 221, 222
Pistoja, "City of Cino", 101, 102, 106, 123-155, 163
Podere (farm), 81
Poggio a Caiano, 55-56
Ponte d'Elsa, 24
Ponte della Maddalena, or Devil's Bridge, 200, 203
Ponte Moriano, 172, 174
Ponte a Serraglio, 203
Ponte Vinchiana, 177, 200
Prato, 45-67, 106
Pratolino, 36
Pratolino, Villa of, 39
Pulpit, Barga, 217
Pulpit, Brancoli, 189
Republic of S. Mark, 113
Riccardi Palace, 36, 51, 117
Ricciardetto, 148
Rispetti, 222
Ruskin, J., 8, 10, 39, 109, 225, (note)
Sacra Cintola, 60, 63, 64
Salvi, Virginia, 151
San Gallo, 59
San Giusto, 177, 200
San Jacopo, 128
San Marcello, 222
San Martino, 10
San Miniato, 3
San Zeno, 128
Sarzana, 105, 210
Sarzanella, 105
Savonarola, 55, 92
Scala family, 110
Scarperia, 10, 14, 17, 19, 20, 27, 35
Scissors, Manufacture of, 14
Serchio River, 174, 177, 182, 199, 200, 207
Serravalle, 101, 105, 106, 163
Sforzi, The, 110
Sforza, Francesco, 114
Sforza, Lodovico, Il Moro, 110, 144
Sieve River, 5, 8, 19, 20
Signa, 106
Sinibuldi, Guittoncino dei (Cino), 151-152, 155
Spezia, 210
Stemmi. _See_ Coats of Arms.
Stornelli, 222
Sumptuary Laws, 131
Symonds, J. A., 109, 113 (note), 222 (note)
Tabernacle, Barga, 218
Tebaldeo, Pistoja, 144
Tedici, Dialta, 101
Tedici, Filippo, 101, 136
Tigri, 222
"Time," Review, 84
Torraccia Romanelli, 22
Torre del Podestà, 128
Tuscan Cookery, 74, 75, 76, 77, 88, 135, 136, 209
Tuscan Harvests, 87
Tuscan Road Songs, 225
Tuscan Servants, 74, 75, 77
Tuscan Speech, 222
Tuscan Wine, 77, 78, 79, 82, 88, 135, 136, 209
Ubaldini, 14
Vaglia, 8, 36
Val d'Arno, 6, 8, 31, 36, 39, 77, 80, 106, 153
Vinci, Leonardo da, 110
Vergiolesi, Selvaggia dei, 151, 152, 155
Verrocchio, 147
Vespignano, 25
Villa Capriani-Cateni, 25
Villa Tolomei, 32
Vinchiana Bridge. _See_ Ponte.
Visconti, The, Dukes of Milan, 113
Visconti Galeazzo, 110
Visconti Gian Galeazzo, 35, 36
Visitation, 143
_See_ Della Robbia, Luca.
Wine Jar, 82
* * * * *
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| Transcriber notes: |
| |
| P. 56. Illustration is probably 'GARDEN BELONGING TO LORENZO'S |
| P. 115. Illustration--Madonna and Child, with two Saints, |
| "Alinar'" changed to "Alinari". |
| VILLA POGGIO A CAIANO', not changed. |
| P. 233. 'Cancelliere' changed to 'Cancellieri'. |
| P. 237. 'Galleazzo' changed to 'Galeazzo'. |
| Fixed various punctuation . |
| |
| Underscore sourrinding text implies italics, as in _See_ |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+