FAIR ITALY. THE RIVIERA AND MONTE CARLO
FAIR ITALY. THE RIVIERA AND MONTE CARLO
_COMPRISING A TOUR THROUGH NORTH AND SOUTH ITALY AND SICILY WITH A SHORT ACCOUNT OF MALTA_
BY
W. COPE DEVEREUX, R.N., F.R.G.S.
AUTHOR OF
"A CRUISE IN THE 'GORGON' IN THE SUPPRESSION OF THE SLAVE TRADE"
LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH & CO., 1, PATERNOSTER SQUARE
1884
(_The rights of translation and of reproduction are reserved._)
TO
MY DEAR WIFE
THIS VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED,
IN REMEMBRANCE OF OUR HAPPY TOUR
IN
FAIR ITALY.
PREFACE.
Fair Italy, the land of song and cradle of the Arts, has been so often written about, and so well described both in prose and in verse, that I feel there is a presumption in my attempting to say anything fresh of that classic land, its art treasures, and its glorious past. But within the last few years a new Italy has sprung into existence--the dream of Cavour has been realized; and, contrary to all predictions, she has evinced a union and cohesiveness so complete as to surprise all, and possibly disappoint some who were jealous of her.
What was once a conglomeration of petty rival states is now one constitutionally governed kingdom. Italy has ceased to be only a geographical name; she is now a nation whose voice is listened to at the council tables of the Great Powers.
The old terms of Piedmontese, Tuscan, Lombard, and Neapolitan, have no longer aught but a local significance; from the Alps to Tarentum every one glories in the name of free united Italy, and feels proud of being an Italian.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: Fair Italy, the Riviera and Monte Carlo
- 2: And the beautiful Riviera Where God's pure air
- 3: And has been the subject of diplomatic remonstrance
- 4: Paolo Fuori le Mura Santa Maria Maggiore S
- 5: Mark's Piazza The Sacred Pigeons St
- 6: Will always justify his so doing
- 7: I fear Spanish hotels posadas
- 8: If a tunnel or tunnels be made
- 9: At Paris the examination of luggage is a perfect nuisance
- 10: How grand and sublime that part of the Rhone must appear
- 11: We reached Marseilles at nearly midnight
- 12: Been a votive shrine for sailors for some centuries
- 13: It is a finely restored Byzantine church
- 14: The mistral blew us away from Marseilles
- 15: Yet still obtaining frequent peeps at the coast scenery
- 16: Harmonizing so well with our needs
- 17: The mosquito only visits Cannes in the summer
- 18: Cannes stretches along the sea shore from north to south
- 19: Antibes is almost surrounded by the sea
- 20: Have large flower farms near Cannes and Nice
- 21: But Nice being so close to Monaco and Monte Carlo
- 22: After having seen your luggage registered and labelled
- 23: Bouquets composed of the most exquisite flowers
- 24: The walk from Nice to Villafranca
- 25: We had selected the Hotel des Isles Britanniques
- 26: They opened the aperture still more
- 27: Mentone is more sheltered than either Cannes or Nice
- 28: And forms one side of the natural harbour of Villafranca
- 29: The town and principality of Monaco
- 30: This wonderful army of caterpillars suggested
- 31: Decoys simply in the pay of the gambling proprietaire
- 32: The Prince of Monaco lost part of his territory
- 33: The Prince of Monaco shares the profits
- 34: A little further eastward on the coast is Pegli
- 35: Render a visit to Genoa very attractive
- 36: In the Via Carlo Felice is the Via Carlo Felice Theatre
- 37: The Campo Santo in the distance
- 38: And left Genoa on the 9th of January for Pisa
- 39: Pisa is another very ancient city
- 40: We were very pleased with the old leaning tower of Pisa
- 41: To procure our letters from the post restante there
- 42: Pisa sits ill On those who sit still
- 43: Starting from the Piazza del Popolo
- 44: And towards the Quirinal and Esquiline hills
- 45: Between the Capitol and the Forum is the Mamertine prison
- 46: Which lie clustered above and about the Forum
- 47: And all the roaring populace of Rome
- 48: This is the celebrated Via Appia
- 49: And which Napoleon intended for the triumphal arch of Milan
- 50: Which is the distinguishing mark of a Basilica
- 51: The Fontana Paulina on the summit of the Janiculum
- 52: Papal Rome Narrow streets St
- 53: Peter's is approached from the piazza
- 54: There are about 134 popes buried here
- 55: And the cardinal seemed to realize almost painfully
- 56: We visited the Pauline and Sistine Chapels
- 57: The sculpture gallery came next
- 58: Should have lost faith in the efficacy of their priesthood
- 59: Before it was so grossly abused
- 60: This is Tivoli the ancient Tibur
- 61: The Anio has most extraordinary petrifying properties
- 62: Some of the hotels in Rome we thought very expensive
- 63: And hardly habitable in a sanitary point of view
- 64: The Via Appia here strikes across the Pontine marshes
- 65: And the great smoking Vesuvius on our left
- 66: I am proud of my own countrywomen
- 67: The Pompeiian collection was especially interesting to us
- 68: Vesuvius smoked continually during the day
- 69: And enfolded Herculaneum in a bed of rock
- 70: Pompeii was rediscovered in 1748
- 71: Many of the mosaic floors are in fine preservation
- 72: And on January 25th left for Messina
- 73: As we steamed away for the Straits of Messina
- 74: There is but little of antiquity left in Messina
- 75: But how different the Malta of to day
- 76: Ophthalmia is rather prevalent at Malta
- 77: Where the brave Valette was in command
- 78: Apart from the Maltese element
- 79: And with faulty and inadequate sewerage system
- 80: And also to that we were approaching Aci Reale and Catania
- 81: Altogether Palermo has seen a variety of governments
- 82: Was the ancient Cathedral of Monreale
- 83: There is a nice little English church at Palermo
- 84: Are the catacombs of the Capuchin monastery
- 85: I could not but notice in Palermo
- 86: And Nino Brixio took charge of the Lombardo
- 87: And driving the soldiers of Bombina before them
- 88: In which Garibaldi stood erect
- 89: Re christened for the occasion the Melazzo
- 90: High spirited young Englishmen
- 91: Having arranged to meet my wife at Leghorn
- 92: The rest of the emigrants seemed happy enough
- 93: Arriving at Leghorn the next morning at six
- 94: And up to the interesting church and cemetery of San Miniato
- 95: There is much of ancient interest around this old Baptistery
- 96: Grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent
- 97: The remains of a half circular Etruscan amphitheatre
- 98: Thus you ring the chambermaid appears
- 99: A wild defile and stream on the one side
- 100: The means of arrival in Venice
- 101: Is situated on the quay opposite the harbour
- 102: Clear as amber and delicate as ivory sculpture
- 103: The sword of the Doge Morocini
- 104: And look closely into the beautiful mosaic work
- 105: A series of gloomy rock hewn dungeons
- 106: And her terrible but valiant Doges
- 107: And a re invigorating dinner at the hotel
- 108: Swarms of gondolas awaiting your pleasure
- 109: Says Antenor founded Padua's happy seat
- 110: Francesco Novello da Carrara and his devoted wife
- 111: In the Hermitage Church are the tombs of the Carrara family
- 112: Formed the great Quadrilateral
- 113: The city of Verona is of very ancient date
- 114: Which is known by the name of the Osteria del Capello
- 115: The old castle of the Scaliger family
- 116: The outer wall of the amphitheatre
- 117: Reflected from the red soil in the foreground
- 118: Milan has always been prosperous
- 119: On the topmost spire towers a gilt figure of the Virgin Mary
- 120: Such as dwelt in Milan in the days of St
- 121: And he comes forth from the confessional box
- 122: Monte Rosa most conspicuous of all
- 123: One soon becomes attached to Milan
- 124: And to become respected and respectable citizens
- 125: Which took the great Leonardo twelve years to execute
- 126: The Ambrosian Liturgy in vellum
- 127: Monza is the first station stopped at
- 128: And the rail goes straight to Bellagio
- 129: And we were soon speeding away to Milan
- 130: Turin seems to have been badly treated
- 131: Towered the great Alpine range
- 132: Away to the south is the great hill called Superga
- 133: We enter the great Mont Cenis tunnel
- 134: We now leave the great Alpine range circling in our rear
- 135: The first station after leaving Modane
- 136: Commanding a fine view of the distant Alps
- 137: Nor the classical and ancient mementoes of Rome and Greece
- 138: You can leave the English Excursionists at any moment
- 139: Were presented to the French Chamber
- 140: From its proximity to Monte Carlo
- 141: Planchut calls the 'monde interlope
- 142: New and Cheaper Edition
- 143: Thirteenth and Cheaper Edition
- 144: Memoir and Letters of Sara Coleridge
- 145: The Mythology of the Aryan Nations
- 146: With Portraits of Sir Thomas and Lady Elyot
- 147: New and Cheaper Edition
- 148: Thirteenth and Cheaper Edition
- 149: Life and Letters of James Hinton
- 150: Thomas a Kempis and the Brothers of Common Life
- 151: New and Cheaper Edition
- 152: With 6 Full page Illustrations
- 153: A New Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew
- 154: With a Frontispiece etched by Leopold Lowenstam
- 155: With Homilies by the Rev
- 156: The Education of the Human Race
- 157: With Frontispiece by Walter Crane
- 158: Translated by Linda Villari
- 159: Collected and Edited by Lady Mary Vyner
- 160: New and Cheaper Edition
- 161: With six photographic Illustrations of Spectra
- 162: The Elements of Military Administration
- 163: Sixth and Cheaper Edition
- 164: Old World Idylls and other Poems
- 165: With Frontispiece by Walter Crane
- 166: The Suppliant Maidens of AEschylus
- 167: Parchment Library Edition
- 168: New and Cheaper Edition
- 169: New and Cheaper Edition