Two Journeys through Italy and Switzerland

Preface

. Another volume os Travels may appear an un necessary addition to the mass, already accu mulated, of this description of literature — more especially as the path along which the reader of the following pages will be conducted is by no means an unbeaten one. I have visited no unknown regions, met with no surprising ad ventures, and discovered no remarkable objects which have not already been described by abler pens. Yet I publish this volume, believing, notwithstanding these disadvantages, that its contents may be found not altogether destitute of interest. It contains an account of two journeys through Switzerland and Italy; the first, in 1824, when on my way to join the British troops stationed at Malta ; and the second, in 1826, when I returned to England. During A

PREFACE.

. these journeys I enjoyed the opportunity I had long ardently desired of gratifying my love for the great and the beautiful in nature and art, by visiting the magnificent scenery of Switzer land, and surveying the monuments of ancient and modern art, which are the richest treasures of Italy. The impressions which I received from every thing I saw were daily recorded in my journal, and communicated from time to time to my friends in the form of letters. When these were written, nothing could be further from my thoughts than the idea of their publication ; but this step has been so often suggested and pressed upon me by persons who have read them, that I am at length induced to adopt it. It may be allowable for me to mention, in particular, that my friend the late Mr. Stothaed, thought it worth his while to make extracts, for his own use, from the accounts of the galleries and collections of painting and sculpture given in these letters, and was one of those who most warmly re commended their publication, as containing matter that would be interesting and valuable to the lovers and students of those arts. The approbation of so distinguished an artist and

PREFACE.

. V so accomplished a critic, has given me some confidence in the soundness of my opinions — opinions which I formed for myself while looking upon the masterpieces of antiquity and of the Augustan age of modern Italy : and, I be lieve I may venture to add, that an equal quantity of information on the subject of the fine arts in that country is nowhere to be found in so small a compass. This volume is calculated to be a useful pocket-companion to travellers who may visit the countries to which it relates. It will give them information as to the most convenient. modes of travelling, and serve as a guide to direct their attention to the most interesting objects. And the general reader will derive from it some addition to his stock of knowledge regarding the present political and social con dition of the Italian States, which is in every respect what it was ten years ago. London, July, 1835. PAGE 35 CONTEN T S. FIRST JOURNEY.

Letter XIV

Journey to Rome.— Siena. — Radicofani.—Aquapen dente. — Basaltic columns. — Bolsena. — Peasantry.— Malaria. — Bad imis. — Montefiascone. — Viterbo. — Baccano. — The Campagna. — Porta del Popolo. — Arrival at Rome. — Walk to St. Peter's 104

Letter XV

Way for a Stranger to see Rome. — Bridge and Castle of St. Angelo. — The Interior of St. Peter's. — General Observations 120

Letter XVI

Roman Forum. — Remarks on the remains of Trium phal Arches, Coliseum, Baths, &c. of Titus, Temple of Peace, Circus Maximus, Temple of Romulus, Cloaca Maxima, Temple of Vesta, &c. — Capitol ; its Buildings. — Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius. .

Letter XVII

Vatican. — Loggie of Raphael. — Sistine Chapel. — Michael Angelo's Frescos of the Last Judgment, &c. — Camere of Raphael and his Frescos. — Picture Gal lery. — Transfiguration by Raphael, &c. — Statues — Apollo Belvidere. — Laocoon. — Library X CONTENTS. PAGE 184

Letter XVIII

The Pantheon. — Columns. — Obelisks. — Fountains. * — Palaces Roman Indolence. — Proclamation of the Holy Year at St. Peter's. — Churches. — Statue of Moses, by Michael Angelo. — Remains of Ancient Rome. — Reflections. — Magnificent Views from the Tower ofthe Capitol 149

Letter VII

Venice. — First Impressions. — Grand Canal. — :Rialto. — Mixed Architecture. — Piazzetta. — Granite Columns. — Square of St. Mark. — St. Mark's Church. — Campanile. — Ducal Palace. — Its Paintings. — Dungeonof the Inquisition. — Arsenal. — Gardens 302

Letter XIII

Journey across St. Gothard. — Hospitale. — Snow Storm. — Bad Roads. — Grand Scenery. — Canton of Uri. — Altdorf. — Lake of Lucerne. — Lucerne. — View. — New Acquaintance. — Basle. — Library. — Hans Holbein's Works, &c 366

Letter XIV

Leave Basle. — Strasbourg. — Gothic Cathedral. — Tomb of Marshal Saxe. — Theatre. — Departure. — Nancy. — Paris SWITZERLAND AND ITALY.

Letter I

Calais. — Road to Paris. — Observations in Paris. — Pere la Chaise. Paris, 6th April, 1824. Since I left London I have seen nothing that is not now familiar to thousands of my countrymen, who can come here with such perfect facility. On the 27th ultimo, I sailed from the Tower Stairs in the Lord Melville steamer for Calais, where we landed at half-past eight p.m., after a pas sage of eleven hours. I was lodged for the night at Quillaq's Hotel, which combines comfort and elegance with great attention and reason able charges. After breakfast I went on in the diligence to Paris. Just before sunset we passed the river B PARIS. Canche, and through the venerable town of Mon treuil, surrounded by its mouldering fortifications and deep ditches, which were thrown into bold light and shade by the slanting rays of the sun amidst bright, roimd, yellow clouds.

Passing through Nampont and Nouvion, we alighted, at eleven o'clock, at Abbeville. On the morning of the 29th, while breakfast was preparing at Beauvais, I stepped as far as the ancient Gothic cathedral, to see the richly coloured glass windows ; but I was not many minutes in the church, when a crowd of importunate filthy beggars beset and fairly bearded me out. At a quarter past six in the evening we reached Paris. Since my arrival, the weather has been un settled ; and nothing can be more miserable than the streets in Paris when it rains. They are narrow, without side pavements ; and while a pedestrian is refreshed with a shower-bath, gratis, from the impending tin spouts of the houses, he is bespattered without mercy by all sorts of vehicles in crowded streets, and stands in constant danger of being run over, if not very vigilant.

There is much amusement in strolling on the Boulevards, to observe the variety of PARIS. 3 character and absurdities that one meets with ; as also along the quays, bridges, and suburbs, where the appearance of many of the lower orders cannot fail to arrest an Englishman's at tention. A system of finesse pervades every thing here ; it extends to the very decrotteur, who stands shivering in the street, endeavouring, as a John Bull passes, to insure his custom in recommending his " noir Anglais". The title of professeur is held wonderfully cheap ; and as a proof, one need only walk over the Pont Neus to see the outre beings who crowd the sides of it in their various callings, as each person's sign-board denotes. The man that clips the hair from a dog's back is a pro fessor, with his name painted on a board be hind a stall, whereon is also written his readi ness to trim dogs, buy and sell them, or take as boarders sick dogs or cats.

As my stay will be short, I endeavour to make the best use of my time, by seeing the different public buildings, exhibitions, gardens, &c, during the day, and attending some place of public amusement at night. Since the assassination of the Due de Berri, at the Royal Academy of Music, in the Rue B PARIS, Richelieu, the building has been pulled down, and the ground, it seems, is to be consecrated by the erection of a church on the site of the theatre. A theatre in the Rue Pelletier was conse quently erected for the above extensive national establishment. It is slightly put together, al though very tastefully decorated throughout on a light blue ground. The house is lighted with gas ; the orchestra is composed of first rate talent, and the principal singers are very good ; but although ample justice is done to the music of the French school, it appears to me, with few exceptions, to be noisy and mediocre.

But there is no occasion for my entering into any particulars respecting French singing, dancing, or acting, for we are now nearly as familiar with them as with our own. I lately happened to meet with an English man, whose wife died in Paris, and was buried at Pere la Chaise. As he wished to visit her grave, he begged I would accompany him, which I did, as I was desirous of seeing that interesting cemetery. Outside of the barrier leading to it, a number of women were em ployed in making garlands of dried flowers, PERE la chaise. 5 which are sold to relatives of the deceased to hang over the grave, whenever a visit is made to the i:>lace. The day was fine, and a great number of persons were viewing the monu ments of the dead. In various spots men, women, and children were kneeling over the graves of departed relatives, while others might be seen hanging a garland of flowers on the railing that surrounded their mortal remains.

The monuments are very varied in shape and execution, according to the rank and character of the deceased. Over many of the graves are planted the weeping willow, ever-greens, or flowers. At the entrance, the tomb of Abelard and Eloisa was pointed out to me, although I am somewhat sceptical as to stone memorials of the dead that have been moved from one place to another, as has been the case with many monuments now placed in Pere la Chaise. Among; the monuments of the illustrious dead, I was particularly struck with those erected to the memory of Moliere, Fontaine, and other celebrated writers, as in them I thought one could trace the genius of the people. Those that have been raised for Lefebvre and Mas sena are of a costly description, while a com- PARIS, mon iron railing is all that encompasses the grave of the ill-fated Ney.

The youthful La Bedoyere, who at an earlier period shared Ney's fate, lies here under a handsome stone raised by his fond mother, who has inscribed on it in simple lan guage, " Ici repose Charles Angelique Francois Huchet, Comte de La Bedoyere, ne le 1 7 Avril, 1786, enleve a tout ce qui lui etait cher le 19 Aout, 1815." We returned home by the ruins of the Bas tile, and passed through the quarter of Saint Antoine, where many bloody scenes were per petrated during the revolution. I shall take my departure to-morrow for Geneva, where you will probably hear from me. DIJON. 7

Letter II

Journey from Paris to Dijon. — Jura Mountains. — Geneva. — Environs. — Voltaire. — Bijouterie. — Pictures. — Roads impassable. Geneva, 15th April, 1824. This is a very inconvenient season for either entering or leaving Switzerland, as I have al ready experienced. The sun's power is now felt over the ice-bound mountain roads, but the masses of snow and ice which are melted under the influence of meridian heat, again partially freeze, and the passing clouds in those regions still frequently emit vast quantities of snow, which serve to make the traveller's route in many places difficult and tedious. On my way hither, I stopped for one night at Dijon, in the department of the Cote d'Or. Dijon is well built of stone. It is a com fortable looking place, surrounded by a rampart commanding views of a country filled with ex- DIJON, tensive vineyards, well cultivated fields, and numerous villages.

It contains many churches. The cathedral has some remains of good Gothic architecture, but was much defaced during the revolution. After quitting Dijon, the villages through which we passed were wretched and comfort less. In respect to domestic economy, the French are far behind us and their industrious neighbours in Holland, or even their poorer ones of Switzerland. The small town of Poligny, beautifully situ ated at the foot of the Jura Mountains, is a sweet residence. It rained without ceasing after we left Dijon, which prevented my enjoying the prospect of the extensive wine district between Dijon and Beaune. At Poligny we found the rain converted into thickly falling snow. Our mountain labours now commenced, by making the ascent with seven horses. After going at a very slow pace for six leagues, the conductor allowed the poor horses to rest a little while at Champagnole, a place in a wild, picturesque situation, overhanging a wooded ravine JURA MOUNTAINS. on a rapid stream, which was swelled by an accumulation of melted ice and snow.

Both the driver and conductor shewed great skill and caution while descending some abrupt turnings along the brink of lofty precipices. On the second morning after leaving Dijon, we stopped at a poor mountain inn at Saint Lau rent to breakfast. The snow continued to fall without any intermission, so as at length to cover all traces of the road. Traineaux were now prepared for our recejotion, far more primitive in appearance than the rudest sledge I have ever seen in Canada. They were be sides full of dust, and covered with rotten canvass, so as to let us have the full violence of the storm. Two persons were placed in each traineau, and the baggage in separate sledges. We were preceded by two men carrying poles, at the extremity of which were fixed broad flat pieces of iron, to clear away accumulated snow.

They trampled down the soft snow and used their long spades with much dexterity, whilst at other times where the roads were better, they ran so fast that our horses were kept at a smart trot in order to keep up with them. The French frontier is at Les Rousses, where B GENEVA. the baggage was examined and passports de manded for registry. While those operations were going on, the passengers were ushered into a miserable habit ation, in which we saw a group of men, women, and children dining on soup made of grits, milk, and coarse bread. All we could muster for dinner was potatoes, an omelette, sour bread, and some poor wine. In descending the Jura chain, the fine view of Geneva was hidden from us by the bad state of the weather, which retarded our progress so much that we did not reach our destination till eleven o'clock at night, — nine hours past the regular time.

There are some large hotels in Geneva, besides numerous furnished lodgings. The former are not remarkable for comfort, and the keepers seem to understand the art of making out a bill. I am lodged at L'Ecu de Geneve, where there is nothing comfortable with the exception of dinner at the table d'hote, which is however served up at too early an hour for the English to relish. It is so managed that the Swiss may again have an appetite and opportunity for enjoying a substantial hot sup per. GENEVA. Geneva itself is rather dull and uninviting, although to the lovers of rural life and the ad mirers of all that constitutes noble landscape, the surrounding country will make some amends. The chief attraction of Geneva is in its intelligent and cultivated society, with which I have had little opportunity of becoming acquainted.

The town is fortified, and seems to have been built on a very irregular plan. The best houses are erected on a high terrace which commands ex tensive prospects of the clear blue lake, many well cultivated farms, numerous seats, chalets, cooling streams, and stupendous mountains whose tips pierce the clouds, and which are locked up in eternal snow. Nothing can exceed the blue, pellucid ap pearance of the Rhone, which holds its course distinguishable through the lake of Geneva, whence it issues, and joins the river Arve at a short distance from the town. The weather is now more settled, and I am occasionally accompanied in my walks by Mr. L., to whom I was introduced by our worthy friend Mr. A. W. The effects of the rising and setting sun on this "land of the mountain and the flood " are often as extraordinary as FERNEY. they are strikingly beautiful.

Its departing rays on the snow-clad mountain sometimes con vert its pure whiteness into a dazzling pink colour, which continues till the sun's fainter light gradually changes it to a greyish hue. Three days ago I visited Voltaire's retreat at Ferney, a few miles from this city. Our party consisted of four persons in a char au bane. Opposite the small village of Ferney stands the house once occupied by Voltaire. The rising ground on which it is built commands views of Geneva, the lake, and an amazing range of pas toral and mountain scenery. The garden where the author spent many of his hours is quite ne glected. On entering the house we found it partly occupied by a poor farmer's family, who conduct visitors over Voltaire's apartments, which we were told are in the same state as when he was alive.

If this is true, his ostenta tion could not have been great, as the furniture consists of a common table, a few chairs, and a clumsy French bois de lit fitted up with the ordinary, identical bedding on which this ex traordinary man died. A small portrait of Le Kain hangs under a tattered green silk canopy near the bed, and on another wall are prints in GENEVA. frames, of Newton, Franklin, and Washington, as likewise a portrait of Voltaire in crayons. There is a marble urn in one of the rooms, and from the inscription on it we learnt that it con tains the heart of Voltaire. — " Son esprit est par tout, et son cœur est ici." Geneva is divided into two unequal parts by the Rhone, being partly on the margin of the narrowest portion of the lake, which is the least interesting, and partly on more elevated ground.

It has a population of 25,000 persons, is a place of considerable resort for foreigners whose ob jects are retirement and tranquillity, and vast numbers of travellers pass through the town from all parts of Europe. Inn-keeping is an excellent trade in Switzerland, but it is rather surprising that Geneva cannot boast of a single hotel worthy of notice. This part of Switzerland is inhabited by nu merous manufacturers of clocks, watches, &c, and Geneva is filled with extensive workshops for making a variety of jewellery, musical ma chinery for snuff-boxes, &.c. It is pretended that every article of the above kind is made cheaper than in other places ; but the watches and jewels have a flimsy, toy-like appearance, GENEVA. far inferior to those of English manufacture. Few strangers can resist the temptation of pur chasing something — particularly when their ears are tickled by the liquid sounds of a tiny box or seal, which can be had at a trifling ex pense and carried away in one's waistcoat pocket.

With Mr. L 's son I went over Mr. Peaute's manufactory, where we saw men and women occupied in different branches of the making of clocks, watches, and jewellery. We afterwards called on Mr. F e, the clever miniature painter, who was a resident at Mos cow during the French invasion, when he lost the whole of his property in the conflagration. All that this excellent man had amassed during a great many years of painful industry perished on that awful occasion, when, with consider able difficulty and after many afflicting priva tions, he saved his own life by flight. After all his misfortunes, poor F e is nearly as cheerful and agreeable as when you knew him in England. He is highly esteemed here, and I am happy to find he is fully employed. Mr. F e took me to the house of his friend Mr. Duval, who was also a resident at Moscow GENEVA. 15 when it was destroyed.

This gentleman is an admirer and patron of the arts. With incre dible difficulty and expense he contrived to save a charming collection of paintings from the flames of Moscow, which were in the first in stance transported to England and thence to Geneva. I felt an unusual interest to see a collection that had been saved with such noble resolution from destruction at so momentous a crisis ; and I was further gratified in finding so many gems of art thus preserved for the enjoyment of so worthy an owner. Among others which attracted me were, a picture of a saint said to be by Guido, — three beautifully finished cabinet paintings of Du Jardin, — cattle drinking at a well, by Vandevelde, — a sweet specimen of Ostade, — and a richly finished portrait of a lady reading, by Mieris. An antique statue, too, of a young faun in a graceful attitude, is not to be forgotten.

The rooms are rather too low and not sufficiently lighted for pictures, but they are kept in excellent order. Every morning I derive much amusement in walking through the markets to see the peasants in their becoming costumes; and I spend an hour of GENEVA. the day at the Musee, where the French and English newspapers are regularly received. The roads bordering the lake and through the Valais are in a flooded state and impass able, in consequence of the thaws which now prevail. I am very anxious to be on the other side of the Alps, and have engaged a place in the courier's carriage as far as Milan; but he says the roads are not expected to be in travel ling condition before the 1 8th, or thereabouts. ROUTE FROM GENEVA. 17

Letter III

The Canton of Valais. — The Simplon. — Roads. — Modes of Travelling. — Italy. Milan, 21st April, 1824. On Sunday, the 1 8th, I quitted Geneva. After we left it about five miles behind, a noble pro spect presented itself of the city, with the Jura mountains mantled in snow in the distance, and the unruffled bosom of the lake, with the windings of the road as the foreground. Towards sunset, Chillon's snow-white battlements, which have been immortalized by Lord Byron, made their appearance. The most beautiful scenes of Rousseau's Heloise are laid at Clarens and Vil leneuve, in the neighbourhood of Chillon, and among the rocks of Meillerie, over which the road passes. The embouchure of the turbid Rhone opens into the Lake of Geneva between Villeneuve and St. Gingulph. During its course through the lake, the Rhone casts off its impu- THE VALAIS. rities, and appears, as before noticed, at Geneva, whence it flows in a varied course to Lyons, Valence, Tarascon, and lastly falls into the Me diterranean.

We did not reach St. Maurice till past nine at night, where we were detained two hours at a miserable inn. In the morning, when I awoke from an indifferent nap, we were rolling through the canton of Valais, surrounded by mountains from two to twelve thousand feet in height. The Valais is enclosed on the north by the Bernese Alps, in which rise the Jungfrau and Gemmi ; and on the south by the chain of the Alps from Mont Blanc to St. Gothard, in cluding Mont Rosa. An hour after the sun rose, the mists of the morning being partially dispersed, opened a succession of hills, villages, and forest-scenery to our view ; but no description can do justice to the transient effects of the early dawn over the Swiss landscape. The style of their building is peculiar and striking, combining many con veniencies in a changeable climate, with dura bility, simplicity, and picturesque appearance.

The costumes of the Swiss peasantry are beautiful and becoming. In each canton they are different : and their effect is very striking when THE VALAIS. 19 the inhabitants of different districts are some times brought together at great annual fairs. At a small village below Brigge we rested the horses. A number of young men and wo men were enjoying a waltz in one of the rooms at the inn, while four damsels sung and marked time with the clapping of their hands. Their dresses were different from those of the peasants round Geneva, though not so becoming. In stead of the straw hat, with the hair in long plaits, they wear a black beaver hat close over the head, ornamented with gilt bands or arti ficial flowers, and the hair tied up. The greater part of the women beyond the age of thirty were disfigured by goitres or large excrescences from the throat.

The disease, which is not dangerous, is ascribed to drinking snow-water, although medical men deny it to be the cause, which has never been properly ascertained. Idiocy also abounds among them. On the same night we slept at Brigge ; and at two o'clock the next morning we commenced the ascent of the Simplon by moonlight. There was now a rise of six thousand feet before us to its summit. About sunrise we quitted the carriage for wretched sledges, as we then found THE SIMPLON. the road covered to a considerable depth with snow and ice. After we had accomplished a certain part of the ascent, I could scarcely be lieve we were in such elevated ground, in con sequence of the very gradual inclination of the road which brings a traveller so imperceptibly through the wild Alpine mountains of Switzer land to the glowing regions of Italy, without the consciousness of fatigue or difficulty, — with the exception of the present season of the year, or during the violence of the winter's storms, which throw their natural impediments in the traveller's path, and cause a temporary inconve nience.

It is by turning round and casting a downward look on the base of the Simplon, and the diminished houses under it, with their surroundingfields, that the traveller is at first made sensible of the easy progress over the mountain ; and I enjoyed the last glimpse of the village of Brigge by moonlight amidst its meadows under the impending glaciers, while the driver rested our horses. When the morning's first rays developed the scenery more distinctly, there was an extensive glacier in front of the road, which had the un dulated appearance of the sea ; but there was a THE SIMPLON. total absence of verdure and of those wild flowers which lay scattered over the ground and among the precipices in yesterday's journey. Summer and winter seemed to hold di vided sway during the day-time. In some places, where the sun's power acted upon the softer snow, it was converted into a moving mass of water, which rushed over precipices, and found its way into the hollows of the mountains or the numerous artificial beds which convey the roaring element under the traveller, as he is crossing the stone bridges built over gullies or narrow ravines ; while in other situ ations Nature was bound up in the compacted snows of many months, which covered the road to the depth of seven or eight feet.

Besides the stone galleries scooped out of the solid rock, through which we passed, I was somewhat as tonished when the sledge was drawn under a long gallery cut through snow which had been hurled from the side of the mountain over the road. In different parts of the pass we saw la bourers levelling the drifted snow. They were masked with black crape, as a protection to the eyes against the glare of the snow, which very soon induces inflammation. In consequence of GALLERY NEAR G0ND0. the dangerous condition of some places of our route, several of those men were called in to assist us in keeping the sledges upright, and oc casionally to level the blocks of snow which impeded our progress. As many delays and difficulties were encountered, we did not reach the summit until two o'clock, P.M.; but we de scended at a rapid pace to the village of the Simplon*, where we stopped to dine and fared sumptuously.

As we advanced towards the wild gorges of the Dovedro, the snow was ra pidly disappearing under the influence of a warmer temperature ; and immediately after passing the village, we had the satisfaction of treading the bare road in quitting the sledge for a comfortable carriage. The gallery near Gondo is one of the artificial wonders of the Simplon. It is hewn through granite, and forms a passage of 596 feet long. At its opening on the Italian side, the waterfall of the Frasinone lashes against the rock, seeming to forbid man's approach; but his skill and perseverance have over come this formidable natural obstruction by * This village is 4,800 feet above the level of the sea. D0M0 D'OSSOLA. 23 means of a bridge built across the foaming waters. Here the ravine is hemmed in by dark rocks and mountains, from whose summits torrents of melted snow are seen rushing with irresistible impetuosity to the hollows below.

A little past three o' clock, the courier told me we were entering " la bella Italia ! " As we descended into the plain, through a road among precipices, pines, and banks enamelled with shrubs and wild flowers, the low-roofed houses, terraces, and trees in blossom gave the assurance of our having arrived in the fairer regions of Italy. The Veriola, which is the offspring of a glacier, was seen holding on its foaming course through a ravine covered with immense rocks, but we soon lost sight of it, and alighted at Domo d' Ossola before sunset. The short space which elapses in being transferred from the Swiss to the Italian side of the Alps, has the appearance of a dream ; and at this season, the sudden change of climate, scenery, and cultivation are indescribably exhilarating and grateful to all the senses.