The Language However Which Is Spoken Is The Most Classical And
Pure Italian And Except The Above Mentioned Aspiration It
Is delightful to
the ear; peculiarly so to those who come from the north of Italy, and have
only hitherto
Heard the unpleasing nasal twang of the Milanese and the
exceeding uncouth barbarous dialect of Bologna. Another striking
peculiarity is the smart appearance of the Tuscan peasantry. They are a
remarkably handsome race of men; the females unite with their natural
beauty a grace and elegance that one is quite astonished to find among
peasants. They express themselves in the most correct and classical
language and they have a great deal of repartee. As the peasantry of
Tuscany enjoy a greater share of aisance than falls to the lot of those
of any other country, and as the females dress with taste and take great
pains to appear smart on all occasions, they resemble rather the
shepherdesses on the Opera stage or those of the fabled Arcadia than
anything in real life. The females too are remarkably industrious and will
work like horses all the week to gain wherewithal to appear smart on
holidays. Their dress is very becoming, and they wear sometimes jewellery
to a large amount on their persons; a very common ornament among them is a
collar of gold around their necks. Their usual head-dress is either a white
straw hat, or a black round beaver hat, with black ostrich feathers. I
prefer the straw hat; it is more tasteful than the round hat which always
seems to me too masculine for a woman. At the inn at Le Maschere we were
waited on by three smart females. The whole road from Le Maschere to
Florence is very beautiful and diversified. Vineyards, gardens, farm houses
and villas thicken as one approaches and when arrived within three miles of
Florence, which lies in a basin surrounded by mountains, one is quite
bewildered at the sight of the quantity of beautiful villas and maisons de
plaisance in every direction.
Every thing indicates life, industry and comfort in this charming country.
We stopped at a villa belonging to the Grand Duke called II Pratolino,
seven miles distant from Florence. Here is to be seen the famous statue
representing the genius of the Appennines. The Villa is unfurnished and out
of repair and the garden and grounds are neglected: it is a great pity, for
it is a fine building and in a beautiful position. The celebrated Bianca
Capello, a Venetian by birth, and mistress of Francesco II de' Medici,
Grand Duke of Tuscany, used to reside here.
FLORENCE, 27th August.
I am extremely well pleased with my accommodations at the hotel where I am
lodged. Mme Hembert, the proprietor, was once femme de chambre to the
Empress Josephine; she is an excellent woman and a very attentive hostess,
and I recommend her hotel to all those travellers who visit Florence and do
not care to incur the expence of Schneider's. There is an excellent and
well served table d'hote at two o'clock, wine at discretion, for which,
and for my bedroom, I pay seven paoli per day. This hotel has the
advantage of being in a very central situation. It is close to the Piazza
del Gran Duca, the post-office, the Palazzo Vecchio, the Bureaux of
Government, the celebrated Gallery of Sculpture and Painting and to the
Arno. It is only 300 yards from the Piazza del Duomo, where the Cathedral
stands, and 600 yards from the principal theatre Della Pergola on the one
side; while on the other side, after crossing the Ponte Vecchio, stands
the Palazzo Pitti, the residence of the Grand Duke, at a distance of
seven or 800 yards.
The Piazza del Gran Duca is very striking to the eye of the northern
traveller; the statues of the Gods in white marble in the open air would
make him fancy himself in Athens in the olden time. The following statues
in bronze and white marble are to be seen on this Piazza. In bronze are:
a statue of Perseus by Cellini; Judith with the head of Holofernes by
Donatello; David and Goliath; Samson. In white marble are the following
beautiful statues: a group representing Hercules and Cacus; another
representing a Roman carrying off a Sabine woman. The Hercules, who is in
the act of strangling Cacus, rests on one leg. Nearly in the centre of the
Piazza, opposite to the post office and in front of the Palazzo
Vecchio, is the principal ornament of the Piazza, which consists of a
group representing Neptune in his car or conch (or shell) drawn by
sea-horses and accompanied by Tritons. The statue of Neptune is of colossal
size, the whole group is in marble and the conch of Egyptian granite. This
group forms a fountain. There is likewise on this Piazza an immense
equestrian statue in bronze of Cosmo the First by John of Bologna. The
Palazzo Vecchio is a large Gothic building by Arnulpho and has a very
lofty square tower or campanile.
The Gallery of Florence being so close to my abode demanded next my
attention. The building in which this invaluable Museum is preserved forms
three sides of a parallelogram, two long ones and one short one, of which
the side towards the south of the quai of the Arno is the short one.
On the north is an open space communicating with the Piazza del Gran
Duca. The Gallery occupies the whole first floor of this vast building.
The rez de chaussee is occupied, on the west side, by the bureaux of
Government, and on the south and east sides by shopkeepers, in whose shops
is always to be seen a brilliant display of merchandize. As there are
arcades on the three sides of this parallelogram, they form the favorite
meridian promenade of the belles and beaux of Florence, particularly on
Sundays and holidays, after coming out of Church. I ascended the steps from
a door on the east side of the building, to visit the Gallery.
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