A Winter in Italy, in a series of letters to a friend

Front matter

A WINTER IN ITALY. IN A SERIES OF LETTERS TO A FRIEND. BY MRS. ASHTON YATES. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON : HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. L844. LONDON. O. r. PALMKH, SAVOY STHET, 6TBAM. CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME PAGE Letter I. Perugia . . . . 1 II. Perugia .... 10 III. Rome 20 IV. Rome 25 V. Rome ..... 33 VI. Rome 44 VII. Rome 53 VIII. Rome 61 IX. Rome .... 77 X. Rome ..... 94 XI. Rome 109 XII. Cisterna . . .127 XIII. Naples . . . .142 XIV. Naples . . . .156 XV. Naples . . . .175 contents. XVI. Naples . . . .190 XVII. Naples .... 208 XVIII. Naples . . . .221 XIX. Naples . . . .239 XX. Naples . . . .253 XXI. Naples . . . .2/2 XXII. Naples . . . .286 XXIII. Naples . . . .301

Letter I

Peruyia ■ On the second day after leaving Florence, we saw the celebrated lake of Thrasymene, and alighted to get a better view of it than was to be had from the carriage windows. We walked a couple of miles whilst looking upon " the defiles fatal to Roman rashness," and also upon the stream called " Sanguinetto," from the slaughter that rendered it a river of blood, when Carthaginians and Romans contended on its banks ; and we are told, " Such the storm of battle on that day, And such the frenzy, whose convulsion blinds VOL. I. TEKUGIA. To all save carnage, that, beneath the fray An earthquake reeled unheededly away ! None felt stern Nature rocking at his feet, And yawning forth a grave for those who lay Upon their bucklers for their winding-sheet ; Such isth' absorbing hate when warring nations meet."

That awful scene at once of Nature's con vulsions, and men's raging passions, now looks calm as if the clear waters of the neighbouring lake had never reflected aught but the Heaven's own brightness, and as though its banks had only heard the shepherd's reed, and never had resounded to the clanging armour of the fierce warriors whose bones are still found beneath the green turf that became their sepulchre. The sketchers of our party were so charmed with the tranquil beauty of the landscape, that their drawing-books and camp-stools were called for, and they sat down to pourtray in mimic colours the Lake of Thrasymene and its environs; whilst I gathered chestnuts, and with them "chewed the cud of sweet and bitter fancy," and of memory, as it might happen. PERUGIA. 3 This delay, together with a tedious examina tion of our trunks on entering the Papal do minions, made us later en route than usual, and it was getting dark as we approached Pe rugia.

At the last post-house we had been obliged to take a renfort of two additional horses, (making six altogether,) rendered necessary by the situation of Perugia, upon a high hill, although the road leading to it is uniformly level. Before we reached the commencement of the formidable ascent, we heard a peculiar kind of shrill lengthened whistle, which being several times repeated, made my blood curdle, and covered me with what is commonly (and in this case appropriately) called a goose's skin. We women, filled with alarm, quaked and trembled, having often heard of sounds we believed ex actly similar being preliminary to the appearance of Brigands. My terrified imagination at once converted these sounds into signals of banditti, and ourselves into prisoners in their hands, with ours at the same moment streaming b PERUGIA. blood from the tight ligatures that restrained us whilst shut up in one of their dark caverns, whence, alas !

I saw no prospect of knights errant advancing to our relief. When the last ominous sound was sent forth, I covered my face, horror-struck, persuaded it was all over with us, and my heart all but literally died within me ; (there are various ways of hearts dying and breaking, especially amongst our sex). I made ready some mental exclamation, not unlike that Mrs. Beverley addressed to the villain who pursued her, " O that my eyes had Heaven's own lightnings to destroy thee !" Judge of my astonishment, on opening them, instead of armed bandits, looking hideous in the twilight, they rested on two large white oxen, (here called " Bove,") to summon whom, together with their owner, were those sounds uttered of direful import in our ears. The " Bove " were tackled to the carriage, and thus with our " train," not " attendant," but ascend ant, of six horses, three postilions, two oxen and their driver, we made our entry into Pe- PERUGIA. 5 rugia, where we got good beds and slept well ; though I will not answer for it but that some of us encountered in dreams dangers that, on first awaking, made us doubt " were our senses false or true."

We ordered breakfast at an early hour, that we might lose no time in sallying forth during the fineness of the morning. On some of our party remarking the excellence of the butter we were eating, our attendant informed us that the hotel is regularly supplied from the Prince Doria's farm near Rome, one hundred miles distant ; adding that his highness has got Swiss and English dairy-maids, who manufacture an article such as was formerly unknown here. The cattle are all kept too busy working in the fields to allow of their supplying the inhabitants with butter ; even milk is very scarce. There is something very striking in the appearance of Perugia; "it stands at this day on the very foundations laid by the Etruscans, and occupies the exact surface of the ancient city ; surrounded with solid walls covering the crest PERUGIA. of the hill, on which they rise with close-packed houses and tortuous declivitous streets ; it pre sents the same appearance which it doubtless exhibited in ages long anterior to the Roman conquest."

I believe it is considered one of the most ancient cities in Italy, and boasts of hav ing been at least middle-aged when Rome was young. Though situated on the top of a mountain, no idea of barrenness is connected with it, nor is anything of the kind to be seen in this neigh bourhood. The varied undulating forms of the Apennines, combine, with the predominating height on which the towers and cupolas of the city stand so conspicuous, to give the place an air of lofty magnificence, and the extreme fer tility of the land in all directions, adds much to the beauty of the whole scenery. We first saw the Tiber here winding its way amongst the hills, and duly honouring the im portance attached to its name, hailed it with some enthusiasm, though doubtless not so rap turously as " The Sea, the Sea !" was descried by wayfarers of a more ancient period.

PERUGIA. 7 We are to devote a couple of days to seeing what is best worth attention in the town and neighbourhood. In the latter are some very remarkable Etruscan tombs, between two or three miles distant. On our way thither, on the slope of a hill, we observed a number of men busy with their spades delving. Two or three large square slabs of old tufa stones were lying half concealed amongst the surrounding olive trees. The workmen confidently asserted them to be doors for closing the entrance to tombs, and that farther excavations will lead to the finding of other ancient Etruscan sepul chres. We afterwards visited one not far off, (discovered only last year,) and descended twenty or thirty feet to the outer door ; then went along a passage cut in the tufa rock, which led to the sepulchre, consisting of five small chambers, two on either side of the same size, and one at the farther end, larger and more ornamented, and which alone contains several sarcophagi ofthe purest white travertine.

I should have taken them for marble, had I PERUGIA. not been informed otherwise; they are about two feet and a half long, by fourteen inches broad, and eighteen in depth. In these were de posited the ashes of different members of a family named Volumnia. The cover or lid of each is ornamented with a figure sculptured much more beautifully than any I have seen on other Etruscan tombs, in which Egyptian clumsiness seemed to have struggled in the sculptor's mind against the gracefulness of Grecian art. We found the entrance to the sepulchre rather damp, but the interior was quite dry, and evinced no tendency to moulder or decay ; the walls of the different apartments are smooth and even as if but recently plastered ; in the central one hangs an antique lamp, the others are all unfurnished and untenanted by any re mains of mortality.

The family for whose last home they were destined, perhaps became ex tinct; but it is vain for me to hazard any con jecture on the subject ; had there even been a mummy I suppose I might have said, PERUGIA. 9 " I need not ask thee if that hand when armed, Has any Roman soldier mauled and knuckled ? For thou wert dead, and buried, and embalmed, Ere Romulus and Remus had been Buckled ; Antiquity appears to have begun Long aster thy primeval race was run." We rambled for some time in the adjacent olive grounds, and went to the house of the present proprietor of the interesting se pulchre we had been examining, and there saw many pieces, of ancient disinterred terra cotta. To-morrow, I shall resume my account of Perugia ; for the present, adieu ! b PERUGIA.

Letter II

Perugia. We went this morning to see the cathedral and some public buildings, all of which are rendered highly interesting by the finished paint ings of Pietro Perugino, and the early labours of his distinguished pupil, Raffaelle. One of the most curious rooms I believe in Italy is the Borsa, or room of the money changers ; it was opened for our inspection, being no longer used for its original purpose ; but it is duly honoured and taken the best care of. The door at the outside is surrounded by the richest architectural ornaments ; and within, the vaulted roof, as well as the sides, are co vered with the fresco paintings of Raffaelle and Perugino, representing various subjects from PERUGIA. scripture history; and not a niche or corner but is ornamented with the figures of saints or angels, &c. The whole is well preserved, ad mirably coloured, and beautifully designed.

Raffaelle's pencil was employed upon the least exposed portions, whilst his master reserved those most conspicuous for his own execution. The eye however passes rapidly over them to dwell on the remoter parts, where evidences are seen of that genius which was so shortly after wards destined to render the youthful artist im mortal, and to associate his name for ever with our ideas of consummate grace and beauty. Adjoining this room, so enriched by the master and his matchless pupil, and also, strange to sa)', especially appropriated to the moneychangers, (intended perhaps to soften their hearts, and render them more compassionate usurers,) was a small chapel, equally richly adorned with paintings by the same illustrious artists, and still in the best condition. Both apartments appear, from their structure and situation, to have been built at the same time, PERUGIA. but our cicerone could give us no information on the subject.

At present a door leads from one to the other. On our return to the hotel, through the market place, we saw large quantities of the finest vegetables, although for the last few nights there has been rather a severe frost, and snow is already covering some of the more dis tant mountains. The women we met were for the most part pleasing in their appearance ; many of them wore the picturesque costume of this part of the country, red bodices, and long white veils hanging behind the head. The weather being cold, we observed some of them, sitting at their stalls, having earthern pots filled with burning charcoal, standing close to their feet, which were more than half covered by their petticoats (and in this respect resembling what Sir Walter Scott asserted of the blue stockings of some ladies whom he vindicated from the charge of pedantry).

The chafing dishes were occasionally handed from one to another, for the purpose of affording a partici- PERUGIA. 13 pation of the agreeable warmth to the parties assembled together. Situated high up in the town there is a remarkably fine, indeed quite a magnificent build ing, which was a monastery for Jesuits. Under Bonaparte's government, its destination was changed to a University, and such it has con tinued, and wears throughout a most flourishing aspect. # # # # # * # * # # We left Perugia with regret ; there is so much that is antique in and about it, with but little of those disheartening evidences of decay, that so frequently accompany things and places of remote origin;' and its having been, as it were, the cradle of the genius of Raffaelle, and displaying those early labours which acquainted him with his own powers, and what manner of spirit he was of, give to it altogether a peculiar interest.

The country around is richly diversified, and most charming, the same that Raffaelle looked upon when more than terrestrial beauty filled his PERUGIA. youthful mind, the fruits of which enriched the world, and have conferred upon him the high title of painter of the gospel. Having with regret bade adieu to Perugia, after travelling a few hours, we turned out of the high road, to look at some celebrated churches in a town called Assisi, and surnamed the Seraphic. It is situated upon the very highest pinnacle of a hill, upon which I could scarcely have imagined it possible for so many buildings to be congregated. I suppose the difficulty of finding a level spot caused the in habitants to put three churches on the space that one usually occupies ; for, like a child's card houses, they are piled, in one remarkable instance, church over church.

The undermost contains the bones of St. Francis, and can only be viewed by lamp or torch-light. When he sees company in this way, you might fancy yourself in the salons of a monarch ; such gild ing, painting, sculpture, and inlaid coloured marbles, are displayed in the apartments, in the centre of which the proprietor is placed. And PERUGIA. never was the person of an emperor enveloped more magnificently than are the remains of the saint, which I conclude were embalmed, from the spice-like incense (unless it may be the odour of his good deeds) that fills the air. Above this church, and resting on the same foundation, is one of considerable extent, and in describably beautiful, full of gothic arches ornamented with the most tasteful and elaborate sculpture ; they are of great breadth, but not of great height, and taken singly would be consi dered out of proportion ; notwithstanding the effect is admirable.

The windows are composed of the finest old painted glass, which does not admit the light to enter without tinging it with rainbow hues, whicli, falling in much brilliancy on some magnificent monuments and particular arches, (while for the most part the building has a sombre air,) add much to the striking aspect and beauty of the whole. A pure white marble monument of a Queen of Cyprus, whose effigy lay under a canopy, surrounded by well expressed drapery, had quite the appearance of PERUGIA. a lovely female lying tranquil on her snow white couch, just as her spirit had passed away. She was the fair girl of Venice, Catarina Cornaro, whom the pencil of Paul Veronese has celebrated, putting her crown into the hands of the Doge. It was signified to her after the king her husband's death, that a present of the kingdom he left her would be very acceptable to her native republic, and in fear rather than in love she resigned it, retaining only the empty title of sovereignty, and a revenue allowed her.

A flight of stairs, consisting of full many a weary step, conducted us to the uppermost edifice, which offers a great contrast to those it surmounts, height being its most striking characteristic. It consists of one great space undivided by arches or pillars, excepting a few of the latter, of colossal dimensions ; immense windows let in a flood of light on its brilliantly painted walls and ceiling; in short, three churches more differing, all beautiful, and all embodied under the same roof, I suppose are not to be found outside the walls of the ancient city of Assisi the Seraphic. PERUGIA. * * * * * # # # # ♦ Terni. The day following our departure from Peru gia, we reached this old town of Terni, in sufficiently good time to allow of our going about three miles to the justly celebrated waterfall.

Though a work of art, it surpasses in grandeur all the operations of nature in the same line that I have beheld in Switzerland ; were the finest component parts of all the cascades in that country put together, they would not, I think, equal the sublimity of the fall of the river Velino, for which Dentatus, a consul of Rome, cut a channel to divert its course from the town of Rhetia, twelve miles distant. That town was often inundated by the swelling of the river, and to avert the repetition of such a calamity, a deep bed was made for it through mountains of marble, frora the summit of which, its everlasting waters are precipi tated into a vast chasm beneath, whence, amidst PERUGIA. roaring, boiling, and conflicting sounds, issues a perpetual spray-like rain, that preserves the surrounding thick woods in continual verdure.

It is supposed that in this foaming abyss Virgil makes Alecto shoot herself into the infernal re gions ; and for the angry goddess who had filled a nation with distractions and alarms, no fitter exit could be imagined than here sinking, as it were, in a tempest, and plunging into Hell, amidst the din and uproar of raging waters. The following is Dryden's translation of the lines of Virgil, applied by some to the Falls of Terni: " In midst of Italy, well known to Fame, There lies a vale, Amsanctus is the name. Below the lofty mounts, on either side, Thick forests the forbidden entrance hide : Full in the centre of the sacred wood, An arm ariseth of the Stygian flood ; Which falling from on high, with bellowing sound, Whirls the black waves and rattling stones around. Here Pluto pants for breath from out his cell, And opens wide the grinning jaws of Hell.

To this infernal gate tho Fury flies, Here hides her hated head, and frees the lab 'ring skies ! " Tt PERUGIA. 19 After having visited the waterfall, we re turned to our hotel at Terni, where we shall pass this evening, and to-morrow we hope to reach Civita Castellana, en route to Rome. ROME

Letter III

Rome. A short day's journey from Civita Castel lana brought us to Rome; and nearly the whole of the way we were reminded of Ireland. The country in that direction is neither flat nor treeless ; the absence of all appearance of rural cheerfulness however is observable, as well as an indescribable air of tristesse and abandonment, from which the Emerald Isle, "the gem of the ocean," is unhappily not ex empted. We felt considerably excited as we approached the gate of the Piazza del Popolo. This would be altogether a noble entrance to a modern city, but the decorations on the side of the Pincian Hill, (with the never at any time, I think, pleasing representations of Grecian ROME. art from the hands of Frenchmen,) render it dreadfully discordant with one's previous ideas of Rome, the " Mother of dead Empires."

It is true, fronting the entrance, three streets finely diverge from churches designed by Michael Angelo; the streets are however narrow, and the churches not sufficiently grand and impos ing for the situation. But, notwithstanding some little feeling of disappointment, our hearts beat high on entering. Thoughts of the consuls, Cæsars, conscript fathers, &c. &c, rushed upon our minds as we were about to tread the ground they trod, to look upon the memorials of their actions, a knowledge of the history of which forms a leading portion of the education of the enlightened everywhere, and the impress of whose laws and institutions has been given to the whole civilized world. We could scarcely believe that we were on the point of entering within the once invulnera ble walls ofimperial Rome. But no sooner had we done so, than our enthusiasm evaporated at once ; for on one side rushed out the Douaniers, lo ROME whose aspect was somewhat formidable, and there was a rapid transition in my thoughts from republics, patriots, orators, and all the oreatness of other days, to the recollection of some uncut Genoa velvet lying in one of my trunks, the possible seizure of which (though I openly avowed its possession) put me into such a trepidation, that kings, consuls, senators, all vanished from my mind.

This disturbance, however, after a few moments, was somewhat calmed by the sight of a funeral procession issuing from a church exactly opposite the Douane. The worldly spirit that had arisen in my breast was calmed by the solemn aspect of a train of priests, the foremost bearing a cross, the insignia of our holy religion, along with tapers, surrounding the body of one whose course was run — whose feverish dream of life was ended ! But I was not left long to the wholesome musings that suggest feelings connected with an "eternal city not made with hands," towards which all are hastenino- ; for our postilions were told to proceed slowly, and two ROME, 23 of the men of office, like the Volanti so much in fashion formerly amongst the Italians, walked by the side of our carriage to the hotel, in the courtyard of which, just as we arrived, a still more embarrassing scene occurred.

Whilst our carriage was unloading, and I was suffering from a relapse of the palpitations occasioned by the Genoa velvet, the owner of another albergo made his appearance ; he had expected us to take up our quarters with him, "and, owing to a mistake, (arising from the miscarriage of a let ter,) we had not gone in the first instance to his hotel. The chiefs of the rival houses each claimed us, and such vociferations commenced as gave one the fullest conceivable impression of Italian vehemence and impetuosity. Each combatant looked fierce and warlike, intent on gaining or keeping possession of the prey. In the midst of their shrill clamour and angry speeches, accompanied by fearfully threatening gestures, my keys weie called for. But no keys could I find ; they had been left at Civita Castellana.

I ROME appealed to one of the fighting chiefs to know what was to be done, and although in the heat of battle, yet, seeing a lady in distress, he turned his back on his opponent, that he might be enabled to assist me. He guaranteed to the men of the Douane my trunks remaining un opened until the keys arrived. Unluckily, those of colossal dimensions exhibited on all sides denoting the patrimony of St. Peter, served, whenever I stepped out of doors, to remind me of my carelessness. Some days elapsed before I got my tiny bunch of keys, and then all was satisfactorily arranged with the Douaniers ; for those gentle men are not inexorable. Had I been a " classical " tourist, such a bouleversement of all ap propriate ideas and all suitable associations on entering Rome, could not have been thought of, to use an Italian word, but as a " disgrazia" of the first order. ROME 25

Letter IV

Rome. Your letter of the 11th ulto. was most wel come. I am sorry I cannot send to you an equally voluminous folio sheet; but there is no such sheet to be had. Large thin paper is not made here ; a good-sized, but thick inferior kind, which comes from France, is heavily taxed, because, in post-paying our letters, the smallest enclosure (as used to be the case with us before the golden age of the penny post) causes double payment, and so helps the revenue. If I ever come here again, I shall bring a fine stock of thin paper of ample dimensions, be sides many other little matters of convenience. I walked yesterday above a mile to no pur pose in search of some common muslin and VOL. I. c ROME, ribbon ; such things are to be bad, but not within a walking distance from my present place of abode in the Piazza di Spagna.

As I passed along streets of shops of prints, paintings, mosaics, miniature temples, gladiators, Venuses, &c, and all that belongs to les beuuv arts, I felt myself to be somewhat in the predicament of the cock who turned up a diamond instead of the grain of barley he wanted, and which would have better suited his purpose. I thought with a sigh of the store of comforts attainable in less than five minutes in the hitherto not sufficiently valued street in our immediate neigh bourhood at home. We have been going about at a great rate seeing ruined and habitable palaces, decayed temples, and splendid churches; driving from close, dirty, narrow, over-populous streets to their environs, which latter present a waste of not very verdant soil, uncultivated and uninha bited. On some high hills in the immediate vicinity, where the breezes come fresh and wooingly, persons cannot live on account of ROME the malaria that prevails ; whilst beneath, where the odours are ofttimes most offensive, they are told the air is very good and wholesome, and that their tent may there be pitched with safety.

Invalids, who at home have their couches rolled from one chamber to another, not suffering the breath of Heaven to visit them however softly, here go up flights of stone stairs, often sur rounded with open arches and balconies instead of windows, to rooms which from choice are preferred, because situated higher than our attics. Each story is called " a piano," and the third or fourth of these is usually selected by the most delicate of our countrywomen as affording the best air. The rooms are so lofty, that each flight of stairs is at least double the length of those to which we are accustomed ; and our wearied limbs make us sensibly feel that it is like any thing but a " flight" to ascend them. Such are the incongruities abounding here, and many more also which I will leave for the present untold, that I may give you some account of Christmas-day.

That day so important every c2 ROME where to the christian world, was bere ushered in by the firing of cannon from the tower of St. Angelo. We got an early breakfast, and set off for St. Peter's at eight o'clock. On arriving there tbe scene was most impressive, solemn, and magnificent. It was a sombre morning, yet some light from Heaven shone through the up permost range of windows, while beneath candles and flambeaux displayed the matchless beauty of the building, which was lined with troops in shining armour, such as was worn in former days. Their suits of mail had no appearance of being disused, for they were burnished bright as if in daily requisition ; strong light partially falling on the steel-clad men, rendered them distinguished amongst the numerous Swiss guards who were decked in their holiday suit of many colours, and stiff close white ruffs.

At ten o'clock, trumpets sounded; then entered the church a double row of prelates clothed in white and gold, wearing on their heads large mitres ; an equal number of cardinals followed, their long scarlet and ermine robes lifted from ROM E the ground by train-bearers in some species of clerical costume ; then came four richly, I might say gorgeously, attired Armenian bishops, and after them, and alone, the Roman senator ; for Rome has but one now, and so situated, I thought he resembled a captive monarch gracing a con queror's triumph ; a sight that Rome had often witnessed in the days of her greatness. A guard of the nobles succeeded ; about two hundred fine looking men dressed in scarlet, and in all respects much like our officers, but having more of waving plumes of white feathers in their military hats ; these immediately preceded the Pope, who, magnificently attired in white and gold, was borne high above our heads in a chair of state under a canopy, around and over which waved the thousand hues of peacocks' feathers lending their rainbow brightness to the spectacle.

The whole procession passed from the entrance to the farther and opposite end of the church, where his holiness was allowed to put pied-a terre, and ascend the steps leadiug to his elevated throne. The cardinals, bishops, and nobles ROME ranged themselves beneath on either side ; then various ceremonies were performed, the minute particulars of which I was (in common with the rest of the ladies, excepting the ambassadors' wives and some other great dames, who were more felicitously placed) too far removed to see to advantage, but we heard fine chanting and singing. At length, the Pope walked, — ay, actually walked, — about fifty yards, from his throne to the altar, where, having first laid aside his triple crown for his mitre, he officiated in some parts of a mass, which he does only three times a year.