Foreign Correspondence

Venice, Nov. 14, 1872. Friend Po?ro: The desoription of the cathedral of St Mark was not quite completed in our last letter. In the rear of the high altar and next the wall, is a smaller altar ot great beauty. lts canopy is supported in front by four spiral alabaster columns; those at the corners are variegated, and the two between them are white, and as a lighted taper ia placed behind them nothing can exceed the delicato richness of these semi-translucent columns. - Their diameter is about six inches, and their length about six feet. Tradition affirms that tho white ones once formed part of Solomon's Temple. The door into the Sacristy at the left of this altar is Oalled the masterpiece, in this style, of that great artist and architect Sansovino, in 1556, and upon which he worked twenty yeais before he allowed it to pass from his hands as finished. It ia in bronze, and in every part exhibita the highest degree of tasle and skill, and its reliëfs aro of wonderful delicacy and perfection, One panel representa tho resurreotion- the other the entombment, while at the corners are complete portrait busts of the eminent painters of the age, as well as one of himself, and along ttie borders are the heads of the Evangelists. Crossing the nave and right aisle, we are adrnitted into the Treasury. Some of the magnificent objects here exhibited are of fabulous richnoss and beauty. Amöng them are the tour outer covers of the Gospels brought from the church of St. Sophia, at pie (an unwilling separation, in all probability). They are set witli gold and prccious stones of great size- rubíes, lapis laznla, opals, etc. ; the jeweled sword of tho Doge Morosini ; cups of agate ; a golden rose, suck as tho Pope formerly gave every year to the most faithful frieud of the church among the ro}Tal hpads of Ëurope. It was presented to the wife of one of the Doges, and differs materially from our preconceived notions of this "roso." It is roally a rose bush potted in a golden vase, and besides having fully expanded blossoms at every stage, with lea ves and sterns as nuiuerous as ány real rose bush, and yet it is wholly of gold, without other colors of any kind, standing about eighteen inchos h'gli above tho vaso, being rioli and peculiar raiherthan beautiful. Of the so-called relies wo took little note, as they are to be found everywhere, differing raainly in the singularity of the claims put forth. The Episcopal chair, said to be that of St. Mark himself, is not párticularly meritorious as a work of art, but is noticeable as being made from a single block of marble, with a high, straight back, side supports for the arms, and the seat rather narrow and muchelevated, looking especially uncornfortable. It was presented by the Emperor Emelio, in the Tth oeutury, to the Patriaruh of Grado, so that it has an ünquestionably great antiquity, bridging over many of tho centuries from Our day to St. Mark's. Of all the beautiful things in the Treasury none éxcelled the twö candelabra in bronze, frtmi the matehloss hand of Benvenuto Cellini. They are only about four feet in height, but of such marvelous perfection and delicacy that we aro amazed at tho capabilities of human skill and invention. There are said to be over 500 columns in and about the cathedral, of all sizes and materials, and of the greatest variety of design and costliness. It is 26Ö feet in length on the exterior, and 215 feot in the transept width, embracing an area of 46,000 square feet. A flescription of St. Mark's without some reference to its pigeons would be quite imperfect, for they have long shared in its celobrity. They congrégate by thousands in the Piazza, and are visible at all times. It is singular, when the various clocks begin to strike tho hour of two to see these do ves begin to assemble from all directions into the northwest corner of the square, where they receivo their allotted food. In a space of two or three minutes not a pigeon is to be seen elsewhere, though there has been no other cali than the two o'clock bell. It was the custom in former timos to feed them at the public expense, but some benevolent testator made the pigeons his legatees, and ever since from the ampie provisions of this bequest thoy are every day fed at this hour, and many are the donations daily made on private account for the pleasure of seeing their eager and fearless friendliness. Three times each day these pigeons are said to fly around the city in honor of tho Trinity, and so long as they are protected there is no danger that Venice will bo swallowed up by the sea. No wonder, therefore, that they are as sacred as dogs in Constantinople. The origin of tlae treaty of peace between the city and the dovos is preserved in tho following traclition : When the brave Doge Dándolo was laying siege to Candia he was furnished witk important intelligence from tho Island by means of carrier pigeons, which insured his success, and then by their agency sent the good tidings back to Vonice ; in oonsequence of which theso birds have ever since been revered and honored here. - After nightfall long rows of these darkplumaged pigeons may always be scen at roost along tho decorated friezes of the palaces around the Piazza, and resting wherover any portion of the facade of St. Mark affords them a foot-hold. In honor and celobration of the same conquest of Candia a memorable tournaroent was held in St. Mark's square in 1Ü61, which was graced by the presonce of Petrarch, seated in tho vostibule of the cathedral at the Doge's right hand. Strango as it may peom, it is said that i about the 12th and 14th centurieg thor was no scarcity of horges in Venice, anc tournaments were more frequent than regattas. The sheets were not theh paved as now. At the present time thero are not, probably, half a dozen here. - Four, belonging to officers stationed here we havo seen, and thero are a few belonging to a riding school. jSione of them however, are allowed upon the streets. - From tho time St. Mark was installed as tho Patrón Saint of Venice, A. D. 828, the wingod Hon became her symbol, and appears in her public seal, her flag, and almost over3'thing Venetian, and the former patrón, St. Theodore, has no placo except upon one of the granito columns overlooking the Molo. Besides tho interesting special objects about the cathcdral alroady named, there are two dark colored porphj-ry reliëfs epresenting four armed figures, nearly ife-size, clasped in seeruingly frieudly brace, which are built into the corner noar the Porta della Carta, loading to the Ducal palace. These figures were brought from Ptolemais, and are supposed to represent four Byzantino emperors of the llth century. Like many other quaint figures, their use in the adornment of a church seema somewhat curious. Close to the corner of the cathedral is set the reversed portion of a porphyry column, about four f eet high, brought from Acre, from the top of which the laws were proclaimed in the ancient timos of the Republic, and also at Acre, it is said, before its removal - from which circumstance it is known as the Pietro del Bando. Very ijear the Southwest corner of the cathedral are two singulai -looking square columns, three feet in height, érected for ornament merely, about ten feet apart. The surfaces of both are oovered with Coptic characters, which we did not sucneed in reading satisfactorily. These pillara were originally part of the temple of St. Saba, at Ptolemais, and were brought to Venice when the Crusaders destroyed it in 11ÓG. Adjoining San Marco on the left is the Ducal palace, the entrance to which is be - tween the two. No place in Venice has more attractions to the stranger than this palace, completed in its present singular form, combining the regular and arci-acuto Gothic style, in the 14th century. The Porta della Carta, or entrance gateway, is regarded as a very fine architectural work, very elaborately ornainented with reliëfs, mouldings, and statues - that of Justioe, in the pediinent,' being of tho highost merit. The eni trauce passes under ono wing of the palace, and opens into the inner large oourt, entirely surrounded by the interior l'acades.that upon the east wing being partioularly fine. Two wells or cisterns in this court are enciroled by bronzo curbs wrought with most beautiful designs, and with rare skill by two rival artists in 1556 and 1559. A clock is seen here, with a faoade much admired. Wo proceed to the Giant's stairease, so celebrated by the notices in verse an,d prose which it has inspired. Built in 1483, the present stairease is indeed a very fine work of art, beautifully ornamented with soulpturod traeery and designs. It is called tho masler-piece of Eicci. On either side of the upper landing stand the colossal statues of Mars and Nep tuno, by Sansovino ; and looking back upon the corner of the palace are the fine statues of Adam and Eve, by Eizzo, in 1462. Of the dispute as to whether the Doge Marino Faliero was beheaded on these stairs or not we care little, since it is concluded by all that this is the identieal spot and scène of his execution, April 17, 1255. It is, however, true that upon this upper landing of the present as well as the former staircase, the consecration of the Doges anciently took place. The open corridor we enter extends along three sides of tho court, and along the wall side are placed busts of all tho most eminent men and of a few women whohave in various ways contributed to the glory of the Kepublic. This is called the Pantheon of Venice. Turning along this corridor to the right some fifty feet, we are before the celebrated Soala d'Oro, or golden stairs, embossed overhead with the richest bas reliëfs and arabesques, and constructed entirely of marble and gold. Time was when none but those whoae names were entered ia the golden book cculd ascend here. Before ascending, the eye is attracted with an intensely curious interest to the soiled slits in tho wall on either side, which once formed the famous lions' mouths into which seorot information was dropped in those terrible days when the lives of all were held at the disposal of the "fearful Three." To describe the various rooms and their conten ts, through which the visitor is nowconducted.would require volumes. Room follows room, each filled with statues, paintings, sculptures, bookR, chimney-pieces and reliëfs, so rich and beautiful that the mind fairly staggers at the attcmpt to recal them. - Persons go in, with or without guides, as they prefer, and if without guidos can wander about, entirely absorbed in the highe?t enjoyment, all day, if they wish. but if with guides they are generally hurried along, catching but a glimpso as it wero of the great beauties around them. One of the finest rooms of the palace, and, indeed, in Europe, as it is said, is the Sala del Maggior Consiglio, about 150 leet long, 15 feet wide, and 45 feet high. It was hero the nobles oonstituting the Upper Council aspembled in former times. It is now the depository of the great library of St. Mark, formerly in the building across the Piazzetta. lts walls and ceiling are covered with pictures, by various great artists, of many of the most important historical events of the Republic. Tho east wall of the room is covered by the paradise of ïintoretto, said to be the largest oil painting in the -world. In the lnnettog along the frieze ara the portraits of 76 Doges, boginning with the year 727. When the place is reached where in the order of timo the portrait of Marino Paliero should have appcared, a black tablet occupies the space, on which is inscribed, "Hic est locus Marini Falethri, decapitati pro criminilnis-Thia is the place of Marino Falieri, beheaded for his crimes."- Paul Veronese, Tintoretto, Basseno, and Falma Giovini painted the cuiling and principal pictures. The library is well prescrved in cases, protected by wires drawn across the front of each. The Sala Dpllo Scrutino is tho hall in which the forty-two noblomen were elected who wero to choose a Doge in caso of vacancy. The portraits of 39 remaining Doges are in this room. The archí)oologicai;museum occupiedthe rooms formerly used by the faniily of the Doge, and oontains some fine works of 3011ture. A copy, in Parían marble, of the Cupid bonding his bow by Praxiteles ; a chimney-piece of the lóth century, very beautiful; Gana Mede, &c. Algo, the celebrated map of the world, by the muil .era iiiauro, in 1457, in which the spaco allotted to America is not filled up acoording to the more recent discoveries. The room of the scarlet robes is that in which the Patricians of the Grand Couneil deposited their robes of office when not in session, and contains the ancient soulptnres. The other rooms embraced by the museum are called the Scala del Scudo.whero the living Doge had his family esoutcheon hung up ; the hall of the bas reliëfs ; room of the busts ; room of the bronzes; rcora of the stuccos ; which sufficiently indicates their conten ts. Another flight of stairs brings us to the Sala della Busola, a small ante-chamber to the Sala dei Capi, or hall of the Chief of the Eepublic. On the threshold of this ante-chamber was a lion's mouth, used for purposes of secret accusation. The Sala dei Capi is made the scène of terrible deeds of horror in Italian romance. On the other side of the antechamber is the Sala del Consiglio dei Dieci, or Hall of the Inquisition, as it is generally called. The same chairs on which they sat still stand in their old places, and vividly recall the fearful power lodged in their hands. Then follows the Hall of the Pour Doors ; the Hall of the Senate, where the 300 Venetian Senators assembled to delibérate on the commercial and other public affairs of the Itepublic. Thethroneof the Doge still oceupies one end of this hall, and the coiling, besides being beautifully frescoed in the larger panels, in the smaller taina short, sententious par.tgraphs in Latín, suggestingthesentiinents oí sound patriotism and probity. The Sala del Collegio, whore foreign embassadors from the most powerful States of Europa and the world were proud to do homage to the head of the lïepublic whoso ships wero on every sea, and whose merchandise found its way into every land. These representativos from foreign powers had but to look at the oeiling above and there 89e depicted in brilliant colors, by Tintoretto, "Veniee the Queen of the Ocean," which in that day was no vain boast; and another equally significant representaron of the symbolical "Venitia on the Globe, with Justice and Peaoe," by Paul Veronese.- Next is the Oratory or Chapel in which the Doge and hia Council heard Mass every morning, and the ante-Collegio, or Guard Eoom. It is only nocessary to say that every one of thsse rooms has its walls covered with paintings by artists of the highest nierit, including, besides those already mentioned, Titian, C. Cagliari, Vicentino, Vecellio, Aliense, and others, and that the embossed and gilded paneling of many of them is rich almost to gorgeousness, besidps having the panels themselves filled with the most beautiful creations of the pencil, and some idea can bo formed of the exquisite satisfaction which meets the visitor on every hand through this store-house of art and beauty. A visit to tho Piombi, or leads close to the roof, where Tery sniall rooms were strongly constructed, for the confinement of such persons as were aocused, suspected or oonvicted of so-called crimes, where in the summer time the heat must have been little less than roasting, only served to show how the cruelty of that age was intensified above our own. Then, to go from one extreme to another.we descended, and with a guide aud light groped our way down into the dungeons beneath the palace - tho Pozzi, as they were called. They woro numerous and dismal enough to satisfy tho strongest era ving for the horrible. These dungeons appear to be of two classes, being nearly aliko in size, about eight feet by ten, and and not over eight in height, constructed of solid bloeks of massivo stone, with heavy doublo doors, and having but one solitary hole for ventilation or light drilled through. the wall, about six inch es in diameter One set, howovor, had such a glimmer of light as might come from the narrow hall which surrounded the sell, and was itself never visited by the sun s direct rays, and the other class had 110 light whatever. In such places as these hundreds, perhaps thousands, of the viotims of a bigoted age - some, like the old Doge Faliero, used to the reflnements of high social position, and all human beings, have beca incarcorated here, and endurcd a living death. It mado the blood run cold to stand within for a moment only, while the guido removed the light. The walls of these dungeons were scribbled over with names and sentences seen only when tho torohes of the guides illuminated the blacknoss of darkness. We were shown the walled up opening where in those "gay old times" the bodios of the victims of this merciless cruel ty wore slipped through and dropped into boats to be conveyod to a certain part of tho bay where it was rendered highly penal to cast a net or do any fishing. Of course, being in Venice, we had a poetic longing to stand on the Bridge of Sighs. This famous bridge crosses the canal which separatas the palace from the prisons on the other side, at a neight of gome twenty feet above the water, and level with the second floor of the palaoe. It is constructed of stone, completely onclosed, and lighted by two iron-grafed windowB. A gtone partition divides it into two distinct passage-wayg. Tho prisonors condemncd to execntion ascended by stone steps from tho dungeons below, while officers and otherg crossed directly from the floor of the story over tha dungeons. Tho whole bridge is not more than ten feet wide, and tho space for tha passages is scarcely moro than three feet wide for each. To stand in place liko these compels reflection, and lends to the history and literalure conneoted with thoso times and cvents a vividness whica it is difficult to arou8e in the quiet of one'g study. It is needless to say we thought of Byron, Hogers, Diokeng, nd other worthies during out visit to the dungeons Bridge of Sighs. Tliia hurried sketch of thia most regal palace can give scarcely the faintest imprcssion of its great wealth of art and beauteous arcliitecture, and -when they are actually looked upon, and the glories of its past and of the great men who havo troddon its halla riso before us, then indeed does tho poverty of mero imiten description incline ono to abandon all attompts in that direction. Standing in the Piazzetta and looking up at the corridor along this facade of tho palaee m see two pillars of red marble, forming part of the long colonnade. It -was from between these oíd pillara that sentenoes of death were proclaimed in anoient times. The only charges or fees expected from the visitor is a gratuity of about half a franc to eaoh of the three portera, not a largo tax if the party consists of three or four. American tourists are fond of looking into palaces and seeing royalty and its trappings, because of their novelty as well aa splendor. To gratify this curiosity we made the tour of the royal palace here. The entrance is midway in the front of the old library, betweon the two colossal but beautiful caryatides of Vittoria. Ascending to the first floor - or second story, as we cali it - we were shown by an obsequious attendant through room after room, of beautiful finish and furniture, to the nutuber of forty or fifty- the blue room, the green room, the crimson room, and several other colord, in which the furniture, walls and hangings were all harinonious ; sitting rooms, dining rooms and bed rooms ; king Emmanuel's room, that of the queen, of Prince Humbert, and of the Princess; bath-rooms, studies, and dancing saloon ;- all radiant with gilding brooatello, mirrora and Venetian glass, sonie exquisitely beautiful Florentino mosaica, and fine caranga, but very few pictures. The floors were all of stucco of various colors, as is usual in Italy except the dancing hall, which was of the finest Italian polished marble, laid in pattema of three colors - black, gray and white. No fancy pirouettes could be performed on such a floor, nor any other movement except tho most delibérate and careful. But it is time to suspend the vain attempt to describo what can be fully realized only by actual sight - so, for the present, good-by. Tours, ever,