We Had Another Ugly Hill To Ascend Within The City, Which Was
More Difficult And Dangerous Than The Other:
But the postilions,
and the other beasts made such efforts, that we mounted without
the least stop, to the summit, where we found ourselves in a
large piazza, where the horses are always changed.
There being no
relays at the post, we were obliged to stay the whole day and
night at Perugia, which is a considerable city, built upon the
acclivity of a hill, adorned with some elegant fountains, and
several handsome churches, containing some valuable pictures by
Guido, Raphael, and his master Pietro Perugino, who was a native
of this place. The next stage is on the banks of the lake, which
was the Thrasimene of the antients, a beautiful piece of water,
above thirty miles in circumference, having three islands,
abounding with excellent fish: upon a peninsula of it, there is a
town and castle. It was in this neighbourhood where the consul
Flaminius was totally defeated with great slaughter by Hannibal.
From Perugia to Florence, the posts are all double, and the road
is so bad that we never could travel above eight and twenty miles
a day. We were often obliged to quit the carriage, and walk up
steep mountains; and the way in general was so unequal and stony,
that we were jolted even to the danger of our lives. I never felt
any sort of exercise or fatigue so intolerable; and I did not
fail to bestow an hundred benedictions per diem upon the banker
Barazzi, by whose advice we had taken this road; yet there was no
remedy but patience.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 462 of 535
Words from 123653 to 123929
of 143308
