This and the Palazzo
Pubblico are the most conspicuous edifices. Tho' the Republic is
annihilated, the word Libertas still remains on an escutcheon on the
gates of the city. Lucca, tho' no longer a Republic and enclavee in
Tuscany, is for the present an independent state and belongs to an Infanta
of Spain (formerly Princess of Parma) who takes the title of Duchess of
Lucca. It is generally supposed however that on the demise of Maria Louisa,
ex-Empress of the French and now Duchess of Parma, this family, viz., the
Duchess of Lucca and her son will resume their ancient possessions in the
Parmesan, and that Lucca will then be incorporated with Tuscany.
Before the fall of Napoleon the Princess Elisa Baciocchi his sister was
sovereign of Lucca, and she it was who has embellished the outside of the
city with some beautiful promenades. She devoted her whole time, talents
and resources to the good of her subjects and is highly esteemed and much
regretted by them. The present Duchess of Lucca has no other character but
that which seems common to the Royal families of France, Spain and Naples;
viz., of being very weak and priest-ridden. Lucca furnishes excellent
female servants who are remarkable for their industry and probity. Their
only solace is their lover or amoroso, as they term him; and when they
enter into the service of any family, they always stipulate for one day in
the week on which they must have liberty to visit their amoroso, or the
amoroso must be allowed to come to the house to visit them. This is an
ancient custom among them and has no pernicious consequences, nor does it
interfere with their other good qualities. At the back of Lucca is an
immense mountain which stands between it and Pisa, and intercepts the
reciprocal view of the two cities which are only ten miles distant from
each other. This mountain and its peculiarity is the very one mentioned by
Dante in his Inferno in the episode of Ugolino:
Cacciando il lupo e i lupicini AL MONTE,
PER CHE i Pisan veder Lucca NON ponno.[101]
I started from Lucca in a cabriolet and in two hours arrived at Pisa,
putting up at the Tre Donzelle on the Quai of the Arno. Between Lucca and
Pisa are the Bagni di Lucca, a favorite resort for the purpose of bathing
and drinking the mineral waters.
Pisa is one of the most beautiful cities I have seen in Italy. The extreme
elegance and comfort of the houses, the spacious Quai on the Arno which
furnishes a most agreeable promenade, the splendid style of architecture of
the Palazzi and public buildings, the cleanliness of the streets, the
salubrity of the climate, the mildness of the winter, the profusion and
cheapness of all the necessaries of life, and above all the amenity and
simplicity of the inhabitants, combine to make Pisa an agreeable and
favorite residence. Yet the population having much decreased there appears
an air of melancholy stillness about the city and grass may be seen in some
of the streets. This decay in population causes lodgings to be very cheap.
The most striking object in Pisa is the leaning tower (Torre cadente) and
after that the Cathedral, Baptistery, and Campo Santo which are all close
to the tower and to each other. Imagine two fine Gothic Churches in a
square or place like Lincoln's Inn Fields; a large oblong building nearly
at right angles with the churches and inclosing a green grass plot in its
quadrangle and a leaning tower of cylindrical form facing the churches: and
then you will have a complete idea of this part of Pisa.
I must not omit to mention that there is a breed of camels here belonging
to the Grand Duke; I believe it is the only part of Europe except Turkey
where the breed of camels is attempted to be propagated.
LEGHORN, 17 Novr.
I left Pisa for Leghorn on the morning of the 15th November, and after a
drive of two hours in a cabriolet I arrived at the latter place and put up
at the Aquila Nera. The distance between Pisa and Leghorn is only 10 or
11 miles and a plain with few trees, either planted in corn or in
pasturage, forms the landscape between the two cities.
Leghorn (Livorno), being a modern city, does not offer anything remarkably
interesting to the classical traveller either from its locality or its
history. Founded under the auspices of the Medici it has risen rapidly to
grandeur and opulence, and has eclipsed Genoa in commerce. It is a
remarkably handsome city, the streets being all broad and at right angles;
the Piazze are large and the Piazza Grande in particular is
magnificent. There is a fine broad street leading from the Piazza Grande
to the Port. The Port and Mole are striking objects and considerable
commercial bustle prevails there.
Among the few things worthy of particular notice is the Jewish Synagogue,
decorated with costly lamps and inscriptions in gold in the Hebrew and
Spanish languages, many of which allude to the hospitality and protection
afforded to the Hebrew nation by the Sovereigns of Tuscany. There are a
great number of Hebrew families here: they all speak Spanish, being the
descendants of those unfortunate Jews who were expelled from Spain at the
time of the expulsion of the Moors in the reign of Don Felipe III surnamed
el Discreto, who was determined not to suffer either a Jew, Mahometan or
heretic in all his dominions. This barbarous decree was the ruin and
destruction of a number of industrious families, thousands of whom died of
despair at being exiled from their native land. In return for this what has
Spain gained?
