Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Getty Research Institute https://archive.org/details/descriptionofvie00burf_16 tkf PAFOIAMAIfiil'E§TER SQTAJKE Explanation of a Tie w of F3LO 1BL1E M © IE 9 eAflbitm 7 U Carmine 8 Mbnto Olzvefto 1C OgmTsantl 20 PalazzoBicasoF 9 S. Freeh'an o in Ces Cello Cfffff SC Belvedere 51 BoboTF Gardens 52 Palazzo P hi 53 Poc/ejio Pnvpejzale 84 GdbimUr Fisico / x 4C Peddotmeke/ 46 Porta S FFccoli 91 Palazzo Ve-cclzc 4c Pontes VeccTiio 92 < ? tay \Cro 9k ?/ 4J Palazzo Capponi 98 Fdbricca. depli Pe/izzi 48 S IPmzato al Monte 99Ponte uIUl Grazi& 49 Ancient Tew ear f8 1 h- - 1 H ■Ur-l , 33 ®! LfeJ, i|A(im|iJ M MB fflgrfl DESCRIPTION OF A VIEW OF THE CITY FLORENCE, AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTRY, NOW EXHIBITING AT THE PANORAMA, LEICESTER SQUARE. PAINTED BY THE PROPRIETOR, ROBERT BURFORD, FROM DRAWINGS TAKEN BY HIMSELF IN 1830. LONDON: PRINTED BY T. BRETTELL, RUPERT STREET, HAYMARKET. 1831. NOW EXHIBITING, IN THE LOWER CIRCLE, A VIEW BOMB AY. FLORENCE. “ But Arno wins us to the fair white walls, “ Where the Etrurian Athens claims and keeps “ A softer feeling for her fairy halls. “ Girt by her theatre of hills, she reaps “ Her corn, and wine, and oil, and plenty leaps “ To laughing life, with her redundant horn. “ Along the banks where smiling Arno sweeps, “ Was modern luxury of commerce born, “ And buried learning rose, redeem’d to a new morn.”— Byron. The far-famed and beautiful City of Florence, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, is considered, and justly so, one of the finest cities in Europe, or perhaps in the world, and is generally and deservedly called “ La bella Firenza, fairest of earthly cities ; ” it stands in a luxuriant and extensive valley, surrounded on three sides by numerous graceful bills, cultivated to their summits, and picturesque mountains of varied forms, rising insensibly, until they combine with wild and majestic Apennines, which form a bold and precipitous barrier between the Val d’Arno and the plains of Lombardy; on the fourth side, is the fertile and flourishing valley, extending upwards of forty miles towards Pisa, so thickly studded with villages, palaces, and the peaceful dwellings of the peasants, that it seems one continued suburb as far as the eye can reach; through the centre of the valley the Arno glides towards the Mediter¬ ranean, adding, by its graceful windings, to the striking beauty of the scene, and diffusing fertility and verdure to its banks, which display a richness of cultivation, and a picture of busy and happy life, unrivalled in any country. The present Panorama, taken from an elevated spot, in the most favourable part of the city (the Convent of the Jesuits, near the foot of the Bridge of Santa Trinita), displays most of the principal religious edifices, churches, and palaces, fine antique buildings, rising in dark and imposing majesty in the fore-ground, and finely contrasting with the sur¬ rounding amphitheatre of hills, luxuriant with the olive and the vine, and so covered with white and shining palaces, convents, and dwellings, that, to use the words of Ariosto, the very soil appears to produce them; the fertile valley, the hills by which it is bordered, retiring in softened purple, until they melt away in the brighter tints of the horizon; and the broken line of the summits of the distant Apennines, rising bare and rugged in every variety of picturesque form, amongst the dark foliage of the oak, 4 the chesnut, and the Cyprus; the whole under a bright and clear atmo¬ sphere, totally free from smoke, present a rich combination of beauty, fascinating and pleasing to behold; and it may be truly said, that—■ “ Of all the fairest cities of the earth, “ None are so fair as Florence. ’Tis a gem “ Of purest ray—a treasure for a casket! ’’—Southey. Florence is supposed to have been founded by the soldiers of Sylla, about sixty years before Christ, or by the inhabitants of Fiesole ; it was enlarged and embellished by the Triumvirs, repeatedly assailed during the invasions of the Goths, destroyed by Totila, King of the Ostrogoths, in 553, and rebuilt upwards of two centuries after by Charlemagne ; in its early days, it was neither distinguished by remarkable events nor ennobled by great personages ; but, under the Greek Emperors, became one of the principal cities of Etruria. When their dominion ceased in Italy, it was one of the first places that adopted the republican form of government; at first aristocratic, but the dissensions of the nobles increasing the power of the people, at last democratic. In the year 1215, a murder, committed in the city, gave rise to the famous factions of the Guelphs and Ghibellines, or the Neri and Bianchi, as they were also called, from the families who headed them. The feuds and contentions of these rival powers present such a series of popular tumults and broils, that Florence may be said to have been in a state of continual civil war for a long series of years, yet, during the middle ages, it was frequently compared with Athens ; the arts and sciences were encouraged, and learned men fostered and protected with unbounded liberality ; its commerce, at the commencement of the fourteenth century, was so extensive, that it rivalled that of England, France, and Holland, and its districts, according to Machiavelli, could, in a few hours, at the sound of a bell, bring together 135,000 well-armed men. Under the ascendancy of the merchant princes, in the fifteenth century, particularly Cosmo, the father of his country, and Lorenzo, the magnificent, it attained the greatest height of its commercial importance, and its luxury and elegance w'ere proverbial; but when governed by their successors, under the title of Grand Duke, conferred by the Emperor of Germany, and supported by his troops, commerce declined, and it was soon lost amongst the crowd of Italian cities. The French invasion of 1799, compelled the Grand Duke to fly, and a provisional government of French Generals was formed, until the treaty of Luneville, when Florence was ceded to the Infante of Spain, the Prince of Parma, who took the title of King of Etruria. In 1807, by a second treaty with Spain, Florence was annexed to France, and Buonaparte’s sister, Eliza Baziocchi, assumed the reigns of government, as his vicegerent. The peace of 1814 restored the Grand Duke Ferdinand III., whose son, Leopold II., now reigns. The circumference of the city is about six miles, it is surrounded by a wall and ditch, defended by two citadels, and has seven principal gates ; the Arno divides it into unequal parts, connected by four handsome bridges, and contributes much to its beauty and salubrity ; the quays on each side are the most pleasant, and most frequented parts, but there is not a spot in the whole city that is not worthy notice. Specimens of architecture, sculpture, and painting, by the best masters, unmutilated by violence, and scarcely affected by time, form an inexhaustible fund for wonder and admiration, and exhibit lasting vestiges of its former power and magnificence; several of the squares are spacious, but the streets, with very few exceptions, are too narrow to exhibit to advantage the noble buildings by which they are filled ; they are all well paved with flat stones, two or three feet square, in the manner of ancient Rome and Pompeii, the work of Lapo de Colle and his son, in 1250. The churches are numerous and grand, and contain, with scarcely an exception, pro¬ ductions of the most celebrated masters, in painting and sculpture. The public buildings and palaces of the nobles are generally simple in their architecture, but regulai and extensive ; fine old buildings, resembling fortresses, the perpetual struggles of various families for pre-eminence, and their continual exposure to attacks from rival factions, rendering it necessary that the decorations of their houses should accord with their personal security; their massive strength and severe Tuscan style, eloquently tell the history of the times in which they were erected. The more modern, although they partake in a slight degree of this general character, present fine specimens of Italian taste, and leave a most pleasing impression; the lower chambers are usually vaulted, and often serve as wine stores, from which the produce of the estates of the noble owner is retailed in small quantities; a broad line of stone generally runs the whole length of the front, forming a seat, where, in former times, the dependants of the family sought repose and shelter under the massive cornice of the roof; huge iron rings still remain, where the banners of the house were dis¬ played by day, and torches placed at night; the upper apartments are large and lofty, seldom with fire-places; the walls are painted in fresco, or hung with silk, and are covered with the best productions of the fine arts : many of the roofs are flat, forming terraces, ornamented with vases of flowers, &c. ; the few chimneys display considerable taste, and are in every variety of fanciful and grotesque form. The houses of the middling classes and tradespeople are large old-fashioned buildings, and the shops not par¬ ticularly attractive. The population of the city is estimated at the present time to be about 80,000, being considerably less than it formerly con¬ tained; activity and bustle constantly prevails in the streets, not only during the day, but for a great part of the night; towards evening, crowds of well-dressed persons seat themselves on the Trinity Bridge, or at the doors of the coffee houses, enjoying the pleasures of conversation, or playing games of chance, whilst the terraced roofs of the houses afford pleasant retreats for more private parties, concerts, &c. The dresses of all classes are neat and becoming—that of the higher the latest French fashion, excepting during the carnival, when the usual absurd and varied scene is exhibited as in most other Italian cities ; the dress of the females from the country always forms an exception to this rule, their clothes being so covered with jewels, trinkets, and gold and silver lace, that they are frequently worth several hundred pounds. EXPLANATION OF THE ENGRAVING. 1 .—Porta Romana. Called also Porta San Pietro Gattolini, from a church demolished by Cosmo I., when he strengthened the defences of the city; it is the direct road to Rome. 3 .—Santo Spirita. The ancient church of Santo Spirito having been destroyed by fire, during the celebration of a fete in 1471, the present magnificent structure was then erected, after a design by Brunellescho, and its magnitude and the symmetry of its proportions, both externally and internally, render it, in point of architecture and beauty, one of the finest in Florence; it is in the form of a latin cross, 304 feet in length by 102 in breadth, divided into a nave and two aisles, by noble Corinthian columns, each of a single stone ; it contains thirty- eight chapels, decorated in the first style of art. The great altar, by Michaellozzi, is composed of fine marbles, lapis lazuli, and precious stones, exquisitely wrought, and is placed under a dome of white carrera marble, supported by four fine Corinthian columns. This church contains the finest organ in Florence, erected in 1824; the work of Colognoli, a monk of the adjoining convent, which is also a very fine building. 4 .—Casin Torr'igiani. Recently erected by the Marquis of the same name ; a well-finished, pleasant, and very ornamental building, in a large garden, laid out with considerable taste. 5 .—San Francisco. Erected in 1349, together with the adjoining convent, formerly occupied by Fran¬ ciscans, by Cajus di Macci. In 1560 the church was rebuilt by the Macci family, and again in 1704, after a design by J. B. Foggini, by order of the Grand Duke Ferdinand, who, having been presented by the monks with a fine picture, by Andre del Sarto, recompensed them by rebuilding their church. 7 .—II Carmine. This church, built in 1771, by J. Ruggeri and J. Mannajoni, stands on the site of one built in 1268, and destroyed by fire. It is a large building, without division, leading to a finely-painted dome and three recesses, forming together a latin cross. The simplicity of the design and the justness of the proportions produce a most pleasing effect; and, in the beauty of its internal decorations, it is not surpassed by any in the city, although part of the architectural ornament is only painted. It contains seventeen chapels, that called the Capella della SS. Vergine del Carmine, which miraculously escaped the fire, has painted on its walls, in fresco, the life of the Apostle Peter, commenced in 1415, by Masolina da Panicale, and continued after his death by Masaccio and Lippi, which is considered to have been the school of painting of the following age. 7 8 .—Monte Olivetto. A pleasant eminence, a short distance from the city, on the read to Pisa; on the summit is the Convent of St. Barthelemy, erected towards the close of the thirteenth century, by a society of bankers and merchants, who ceded it, in 1334, to the order of monks by whom it is at present occupied. 10 .—Porta San Frediano. This gate, surmounted by a high tower, was built after the design and under the inspection of Andre Pisano ; by it Charles VIII. of France made his triumphant entry, on which occasion the Florentines locked up their wives in the monasteries and convents. After the heroic trait of Pierre Capponi, he hastened to quit a city', which, though in the possession of his army, could still maintain its rights. 11.— Schneiderjf's Hotel. A capacious and magnificent establishment, well provided with every comfort and luxury, at every season of the year, and at very moderate charges. 12 .—Casin Guicciardini. The residence of the great statesman and celebrated historian, Francesco Guicciardini, now in the possession of one of his family bearing the same name. He finished his celebrated History of Italy at his Villa d’Aratri, where he is supposed to have died, from the effects of slow poison. 13 .—Hotel Quattri Nazioni. A large well-conducted establishment, replete with every accommodation ; much frequented by foreigners. 14.— Cascine. The royal farm and dairy, a vast and pleasant promenade of wood and parterre, on the banks of the Arno; in the centre of its delicious grounds is a small palace, belonging to the Grand Duke, the wings of which form dairy rooms, and the houses for the milch cows ; also a large and commodious building, kept by a restaurateur. The grounds are splendid and diversified, embracing every description of sylvan solitude or public promenade ; there is also a spacious drive amongst the trees, frequented daily by the fashionables of Florence, from the splendid equipage of the Grand Duke to the modest calash of the humble tradesman. 15.— Pistoia. A beautiful town, situated in a fertile plain, near the river Ombrone, and surrounded by the boldest and most romantic scenery; it has a large and venerable cathedral, containing a celebrated collection of sacred relics; there are also several churches, a college, and many good houses. The inhabitants, who are about 10,000, manufacture cloth, organs, and fire-arms. Pistoia, which is fourteen miles from Florence, was famous, in ancient times, for the defeat of Cataline, and more recently the factions of the Guelphs and Ghibellines have rendered it equally celebrated. The country around is the richest and best cultivated in Tuscany. 16.— Prato. A small town on the low and fertile banks of the Bizensio, about nine miles from Florence ; it has a fine marble cathedral, and several churches, and contains about 10,000 inhabitants, who manufacture copper utensils, woollen cloths, hats, &c. 8 17 .—Ponte alia Car raja. So called from its being more frequented by carriages than either of the other bridges. It was built in 1318, from the design of Arnolfo di Lapo, of wood; but having been several times nearly destroyed by the overflowings of the river, Cosmo I. caused it to be rebuilt in its present state, from the design of Ammanati, in 1557. 18.— The Arno. This highly picturesque river, the most considerable in Tuscany, has its source in the Apennines, and traverses the duchy from east to west, emptying itself into that part of the Mediterranean called the Gulf of Genoa. In the summer season, like most southern streams, it frequently loses its waters, being, even in the neighbourhood of the city, little more than a succession of pools united by a narrow stream ; in the winter, however, owing to the melted snow and rain from the mountains, it is increased to a broad, deep, and extremely rapid river, frequently rising nearly to the height of the quays, which, according to Sir G. Shuckburgh’s measurement, are one hundred and ninety feet above the level of the sea. Just below the city, the current has formed very considerable banks of gravel and sand, which, if not removed, will, in a short time, impede the navigation: there are also two wears, the water being turned for the purpose of giving motion to the machinery of several mills, &c. ; the boats from Pisa, &c. lie a little below the most distant, and, when the weather is fair and the water plentiful, make a pleasant and rapid passage. 19.— Ognissayiti. This monastery was originally founded by some unfortunate Milanese, who, having escaped from the ruin of their country, settled in Florence, and contributed much to the improvement of the various manufactories, particularly that of cloth, in Tuscany. In 1554, it came into the possession of the monks of the order of St. Francis, who still occupy it. The church was rebuilt in 1627, by Sebastian Pettiross ; the fapade is the work of Matthieu Nigetti and the roof is painted by Romei; several chapels, profusely decorated with fine paintings, &c. are contained within its walls ; in one, a flat stone records, by the following inscription, the resting-place of the celebrated navigator who has given his name to one quarter of the globe:— “ Amerigo Vespuccio Posteris et Sui9 1742.” 20 .—Palazzo Ricasoli. At the extremity of Ognisanti Street is a splendid building, with two fine fajades, after the design of Michellozo ; it communicates, by a subterranean passage, with a fine garden on the banks of the river. 22 .—Palazzo Corsini. This magnificent palace, one of the most conspicuous buildings on the quay, will, when finished, be the largest private residence in Florence; the original erection was from a design of P. F. Silvani, but it has been very considerably enlarged, by additions, in the same Tuscan style; the magnificent staircase and noble apartments (the grand saloon being the finest in the city) are painted by the first artists, and contain many rare marbles, pictures, &c. The family of Corsini are noble and ancient; Pope Nicholas III., who died in 1281, and Pope Clement XII., who died in 1732, were members of it. 25 .—Palazzo della Contessa which a Greek Emperor, surrounded by the patri¬ archs of his church, sat enthroned next to the Roman Pontiff and his prelates; here the Emperor Frederick III., environed by his vassal king's and dukes, sat in imperial state to dispense his honours; and here Giuliano de Medicis was basely murdered at the foot of the altar, his brother Lorenzo narrowly escaping the same fate. 37 .—If Or San Michele. On the site of a very ancient church, Arnolfo di Lapo erected, in 1284, a hall for grain, of rough uncut stone, which edifice, having been damaged by an incendiary, the Republic, in accordance with the wishes of the people, who had a great veneration for a miraculous picture of the Virgin attached to one of the columns painted by Ugolino di Sienna, and supposed to have been the means of staying the plague, caused the present beautiful building to be erected, after a design by Giotti, and under the direction of Tad- dei Gaddi; ten years after the miraculous Virgin was placed in a superb tabernacle, con¬ structed by Andrea Orcagna. This building is one of the most striking specimens of early architecture, it forms a parallelogram 80 feet by 64, and is 160 in height; the proportions are extremely good, and, from its majestic bulk and towering height, it forms one of the principal ornaments of the city. On the front are the arms of the Republic, and of the Guelphs, and round the building are fourteen statues, as large as life, each furnished by a different trade. The church on the ground floor is dark, but contains many pictures and statues, and two finely carved altars; the two floors above are appropriated to the reception of public records, wills, &c., and the whole is surmounted by a heavy pro¬ jecting cornice and terraced roof. 38 .—Gli Apostoli. Supposed to be the most ancient church in the city, its existence having been traced as far back as the tenth century; it is a building of much taste and elegance, and con¬ tains many fine works of art. Amongst the holy relics are preserved with great care three pieces of stone, supposed to have been part of the holy sepulchre at Jerusalem. On Holy Thursday the sacred fire is carried on these stones in grand procession to the Duomo, and after being blessed, is distributed for the purpose of igniting the fireworks displayed on the occasion. This church is at present under repair. 39 —La Baclia. This abbey, inhabited by Benedictine monks, was founded in the tenth century by Comte Hughes, Marquis of Tuscany; but it has been much enlarged and improved at various subsequent periods. The church is in the form of a Greek cross, with pillars finely carved. These Benedictines have, at different times, rendered many very im¬ portant services to the state, and have expended vast sums in the encouragement of agriculture, the cultivation of various parts of the Apennines, and in the instruction of youth. 40 —Delle Stinche. This building, formerly belonging to the family of Cavalcanti, is at present occupied only by debtors, and females condemned to perpetual imprisonment; the apartments of the debtors are below, opening into a court 43 feet square; those of the females, which are entirely distinct, are above. There is also an infirmary and small chapel within the walls. Howard, the philanthropist, speaks in high terms of the management of this prison, and the care with which its inmates were treated. 41 .—Palazzo Vecchio. A lofty and very ancient building, which, although it cannot boast of much archi¬ tectural beauty, is, from its imposing bulk and gloomy grandeur, one of the most striking - features in a view of the city; it was built in 1298 by Arnolfo di Lapo. The plan is 13 irregular, and it stands a lasting monument of the violent party-spirit of the time in which it was erected, the ruling faction sacrificing the uniformity of the building rather than any part of it should stand on ground belonging to a Ghibelline. The lofty tower, which is considered a chef-d' oeuvre of architecture, is much older than the palace, it being the ancient “ Tirabosche della Vacha,” which was incorporated with the building; and is singular from being more bulky in the centre than at either top or bottom. It contains a transparent clock, illuminated at night. The palace is now despoiled of its glory ; its apartments, which have witnessed so many extraordinary events, and been the scene of so much crime during the early days of the Republic, are now only occupied by secre¬ taries of state, directors of customs, &c. It contains the chamber where the Council of Two Hundred used to meet, also the saloon of the Council of Five Hundred. The ceilings and walls are finely painted in fresco, by Vasari, with the celebrated actions of the Republic and the Medici family, and is adorned with some fine colossal statues, and a few paintings. The chapel, in former times, was extraordinarily rich in works of art, gold, silver, and jewels; the most valuable were removed to the chapel at San Lorenzo, and the remainder, as national property, were sold by the French. In the Piazza are frescos of various towns in Germany, and close against it the celebrated David of Michael Angelo, and a fine group by Bandinelli. 42 .—Santa Croche. This most interesting church, the Pantheon of Florence, is a noble building of the Corinthian order ; but the exterior, as is the case with many others, is rude, dark, and unfinished. It was commenced in 1294, by Arnolfo di Lapo, and was subsequently embellished by Vasari; the interior contains monuments to many of the first poets, statesmen, &c. of Italy, amongst the number, to Michael Angelo, by Giovanni del Opera; Alfieri, by Canova, erected by order of the Countess of Albany; Galileo, Ma- chiavelli, Arettino, Filicaja, Viviani, &c. The adjoining handsome convent was formerly the head-quarters of the horrible officials of the inquisition. 43 .—Fabricca degli Ufizzi. A vast building, forming three sides of a square, erected by Cosmo I., from a design by Vasari; it is ornamented with Doric columns, a statue of Cosmo, and figures of Equity and Rigour, by V. Dante. The lower part is occupied by public offices, and an open arcade of small shops ; the famous gallery of Florence occupies the upper floor, and is contained in two galleries, each above five hundred feet in length, united at the end towards the river, by a third, ninety-seven feet long, and several small saloons branching from the sides, the whole presenting the finest and most interesting series of paintings, illustrative of the progress of the art from the earliest ages to the present time, that can well be imagined, and a splendid and numerous collection of ancient and modern sculpture, amongst which is the well known Medician Vase. The ceilings are finely painted in various subjects, particularly the history of the twelve ambassadors sent from different courts to congratulate Boniface VIII., who, astonished to find that they were all Florentines, exclaimed, “ Florence is the first city in the world, and the Flo¬ rentines the refined fifth element, the quintessence of mankind!” The more precious specimens of the arts are contained in the sixteen saloons, which are appropriated to the different schools of painting, ancient and modern bronzes, inscriptions, Etruscan and Egyptian antiquities, the Hall of the Hermaphrodite, the Hall of Niobe, containing the celebrated group of Niobe and her children, in sixteen parts, and the Tribune, in which stands “ the statue that enchants the world,” reinstated after her second visit to Paris, reigning triumphant and unrivalled— “ In her small temple of rich workmanship, “ Venus herself, who, when she left the skies, “ Came hither.” In the same apartment are several of the rarest and most valuable specimens of sculpture and painting. Under the same roof is the celebrated library founded by Antonio Magliabechi, and much enriched by the French, at the suppression of religious houses, containing 30,000 volumes and 11,000 manuscripts. 14 44. — Ponte alia Grazie. Sometimes called Ponte Rubaconte, erected from a design by Arnolfo di Lapo; in the first buttress is an ancient chapel, rebuilt in 1394 and repaired in 1712, dedicated to our Lady of the Graces. It contains a painted cupola by Gricci, several paintings and stuccoes, and an ancient fresco of the Virgin; there are also two other oratories on the bridge. It was on the Arno, near the last arch of this bridge, that the celebrated peace between the rival factions of the Guelphs and Ghibellines was concluded, on the 2nd of July, 1273, in the presence of Pope Gregory X., Badouin, Emperor of Constantinople, and Charles, King of Naples. In the small houses on the bridge were born Thomas de Bellacci, a celebrated monk of the order of St. Francis ; and Benoit Menzini, a poet and orator of the seventeenth century. 45. — Porta San Niccolo. Erected in 1325, the only gate which has preserved its primitive height and original elegance of form; it is ornamented with a fine fresco, by B. Gaddi. 46.— Ponte Vecchio. The date of the first bridge which was thrown across the river, at this place, is not known ; but it certainly existed in the earliest days of the city. The present structure, which replaced it, was erected in 1345, by Taddei Gaddi. The range of small shops upon it, which were, in ancient times, butchers’ shambles, are now exclusively confined by law to the occupation of goldsmiths and jewellers, which occasions it to he more generally called Ponte de’ Orifici. Above these shops is a curious covered passage, erected by Cosmo I., forming a communication between the old and new palaces; it is generally elevated about sixteen or eighteen feet, but over the street, where it enters the old palace, it is at least thirty; its length is 2390 feet. 48.— San Miniato al Monte. Built on a hill called, in the ninth and tenth centuries, Monte del Re, but at present San Miniato. The ancient church was reduced to its present state in 1013, by Hilde- brand, Bishop of Florence; it is encrusted with marble and magnesian serpentine, in the same style as the Duomo, and has some fine mosaic work, similar to that of St. Mark’s at Venice. The interior is divided into a nave and two aisles, hy rows of fine columns, which originally formed part of the ancient edifice. The whole has been much praised by Michael Angelo. Amongst other monuments in this church are those of the learned Adriani, and the Cardinal di Portugal. Behind the altar are five windows, closed with Pavonazzo marble, which admits a grey and sombre light, and which, until within the last two centuries, was generally used for that purpose in Florence. On the hill are still to be seen vestiges of the fortifications erected by Michael Angelo, in 1529, when the imperial army invaded the city. 49.— Ancient Tower. When the city was sacked by Totila, there were sixty-two of these towers, forming its principal defence. In 1445, when the walls were extended, Cosmo ordered the sixteen which had been rebuilt to be demolished or cut down. The possession of one of these towers was considered a mark of distinction to a Florentine noble: it served as a pro¬ tection to his palace, and a place of retreat to his faction, as within its ponderous portal one armed man could make a stand against a thousand. The present tower contains a collection of ancient arms and other antiquities. 50 .—Fortress of Belvedere. Romantically situated on an eminence above the Boboli gardens; it was built in the reign of Ferdinand I., by Bernard Buontalenti, and is a strong fort with pentagonal 15 bastions, commanded however by the neighbouring hills. It originally mounted 120 guns; the few of that number which now remain are used on festivals, and a small garrison is kept for their protection. Beneath the fort is a vast and strong cavern, in which the Grand Dukes, during troublesome periods, concealed their treasures. 51 .—Boboli Gardens. These fine gardens, forming one of the principal ornaments of the city, are open to the public three days in the week, and on all holidays ; they are large, handsome, and much varied, somewhat in the form of a harpsichord, the broadest part being parallel with the palace. A spacious avenue runs nearly through the centre to the top of the hill, and to the right a similar one takes the whole length of the gardens ; from these, other walks, covered alleys, &c. branch out in various directions. The whole is orna¬ mented by fountains, marble basins, statues, 5000 vases of flowers, and various trees of fine growth, disposed with very considerable taste. Being on a declivity, many inter¬ esting prospects are afforded, particularly from the top of the Cascine Cavaliere, which commands a fine and extensive view of the city, the surrounding country, and the Apennines. 52 .—Palazzo Pitti; or, Palazzo Reale. Is a massive, rustic, but handsome building, which, from its great extent and well chosen situation, forms a grand and imposing object in every view of the city. It was originally built by a rich merchant, named Luca Pitti, in 1440, with the ambition of out- vieing the Medici family; but the family falling into difficulties before it was finished, it was purchased, in 1549, by Cosmo de Medicis, for 9000 golden florins, and has since that period formed the residence of the Grand Dukes, by many of whom it has been much enlarged and improved. The original architect was Brunellescho; but the cortile, or colonnades, gracefully branching out from each side, were erected at a much later period, by Ammanati. The interior forms three sides of a square, a magnificent fountain, overshadowed by the verdant groves of Boboli, forming the fourth. In the court is a statue of a mule, erected in honourable testimony of its usefulness in having carried most of the building materials. In the sixteen state apartments of this palace are the most select collection of pictures in Florence, every one of which may be considered a chef-d’oeuvre of the artist; sixty-three of these pictures were taken by the French to ornament the Louvre, but have, since the peace, been returned. There are also many fine specimens of sculpture ; amongst the number, in a circular saloon bung with mirrors, stands the beautiful Venus of Canova. The walls of the apartments are gorgeously hung with green or crimson velvet, and the ceilings finely painted by Pietro da Cortoni and his pupils. The chapel is small and elegant, and finely painted in fresco ; the altar is of marble and pietra dura, curiously wrought. The library, built and furnished by the present Grand Duke, contains 42,0C0 volumes, mostly modern. Buonaparte resided in this palace during his stay in Florence ; and from the lower gallery Pope Pius VII. gave the assembled inhabitants his benediction, in 1804. 53.—Poggio Imperiale. One of the most elegant and splendid of the royal villas, situated on the side of a hill, about a mile from Porta Pcomana. The house, built by Ferdinand II., was originally small, but has been enlarged and improved at various periods by its royal owners; it contains, at the present time, about seventy rooms, filled with everything that grandeur, luxury, and elegance can devise. Amongst the works of art is a fine Venus by John of Bologna, and an ancient Apollo, valued by Canova at 300,000 crowns. In this palace Redi wrote his celebrated poem of “ Bacco in Tuscana.” Behind the villa rises the hill called d’Arcetri, on which is the monastery of San Matteo in Arcetri, and many pictur¬ esque villas, in one of which, called the Jewel, the immortal Galileo passed ten years of his life, when banished from the city. The hill is also celebrated for the vineyards which produced the wine called verdea, so often mentioned by the Tuscan poets— “ Thy sunny slope, Arcetri, sung of old “ For its green wine.” 54 .—Gabinetto Fisico, fyc. Founded by the Medici family, collected and arranged by the celebrated Targioni, and enlarged and perfected by the Grand Duke Leopold, who added the botanic garden, observatory (which stands conspicuous), and library. The collection is particularly rich in fossils, corals, shells, and insects, which are contained in twenty well-arranged apart¬ ments ; but the most extraordinary part is a series of anatomical preparations, in wax and wood, beautifully executed, amongst which are some of the works of Zumbo, a Sicilian, the inventor of the art, exhibiting the plague in all its stages, and the horrors of the charnel house. There is also a fine botanical collection, the thick and spongy leaved plants, and every description of fruit being formed in wax, to resemble nature. FINIS. Printed by T. BrcttcU, Rupert Street , Haymarket.