| Lorenzo de' Medici. Photogravure From "Procession of the Magi," Riccardi Palace, Florence. By Benozzo Gozzoli. | Frontispiece |
| PAGE | |
| Della Robbia Frieze | [3] |
| Badia a Settimo | [4] |
| Straw Plaiters, Mugnone Valley | [7] |
| A Loggia, Piero a Sieve | [9] |
| Palazzo Pubblico, Scarperia | [11] |
| The Main Street, Scarperia | [13] |
| Madonna and Child, Chapel of the Sacred Girdle, Duomo, Prato. By Giovanni Pisano | [15] |
| Ancient Campanile della Pieve, Borgo San Lorenzo | [20] |
| Torraccia Romanelli, Borgo San Lorenzo | [21] |
| A Farm-house, Mugello | [22] |
| Ponte d'Elsa, Mugello | [23] |
| Hill of Vespignano, Mugello | [24] |
| Round Tower of Vespignano, Mugello | [26] |
| Joachim Returning to the Sheepfold, Arena Chapel, Padua. By Giotto | [29] |
| From the Walls of Scarperia | [31] |
| A Country Road, Scarperia | [32] |
| Detail of Bronze Grille. Chapel of the Sacred Girdle, Prato | [33] |
| Portrait of Bianca Cappello, Uffizi, Florence. By Alessandro Allori | [37] |
| Coats of Arms of the Ubaldini and Vichio | [40] |
| The Procession of the Magi, Riccardi Palace, Florence. By Benozzo Gozzoli | [43] |
| Ornamental Band, Della Robbia | [45] |
| The Campanile, Prato. By Giovanni Pisano | [46] |
| Detail, Procession of the Magi, Riccardi Palace, Florence. By Benozzo Gozzoli | [47] |
| Arcades "Where Hang the Copper and Woolen Goods," Prato | [50] |
| The Fortress, Prato | [51] |
| The Cathedral of Prato | [53] |
| Garden Belonging to Lorenzo's Favorite Villa, Poggio a Caiano | [56] |
| Erroneously entitled in the book as "Villa of Petraia." External Pulpit, Cathedral, Prato. By Donatello | [57] |
| Madonna and Child, with Saints, Lunette Over Central Door, Duomo, Prato. By Andrea Della Robbia | [61] |
| Lucrezia Tornabuoni, Wife of Lorenzo Il Magnifico. Wearing the Marsyas Jewel of the Medici. By Botticelli | [65] |
| Coat of Arms of Prato | [68] |
| Detail of Frieze. S. Maria Delle Carceri, Prato. By Andrea Della Robbia | [69] |
| The Piazza, Greve, Chianti | [73] |
| Ponte Falciano, Chianti | [74] |
| Ponte Capello, River Greve | [75] |
| Vitigliano, Chianti | [76] |
| Old Watch-Tower, Chianti | [77] |
| Panzano from a Distance, Chianti | [78] |
| S. Leolino a Flacciano, Pieve di Panzano, Chianti | [79] |
| A Villa in Panzano, Chianti | [81] |
| Old Wine Jar, Chianti | [83] |
| A Peasant of Chianti | [85] |
| The Stately Cypress | [87] |
| A Country Road, Chianti | [89] |
| Piazza, Impruneta | [90] |
| A Street, Impruneta | [91] |
| Predella to Tabernacle, Chapel of the Holy Cross, Impruneta. By Luca della Robbia | [93] |
| Adoring Angels, Impruneta. By Luca della Robbia | [95] |
| Coat of Arms, Courtyard, Palazzo Cenami, Lucca | [99] |
| Della Robbia Ornament | [101] |
| Apse End and Campanile, San Andrea, Serravalle | [103] |
| The Rocca of Castruccio, Serravalle | [104] |
| Olive Trees | [105] |
| Iron Lantern, Palazzo Baroni, Lucca | [107] |
| Monument of General Bartolommeo Colleoni, Venice. By A. Verrocchio | [108] |
| Moat of Castle Sarzanella, Sarzana | [109] |
| Monument of General Gattamelata, Padua. By Donatello | [111] |
| Statue of John Hawkwood, Cathedral, Florence. By Paolo Uccello | [112] |
| Madonna and Child, with Two Saints, Castelfranco. By Giorgione | [115] |
| Portrait of a Young Florentine, Royal Gallery, Berlin. By Botticelli | [116] |
| Stemma of Serravalle | [118] |
| Medici Shield, Ospedale del Ceppo, Pistoja. Della Robbia | [121] |
| Viale dell'Arcadia, Pistoja | [123] |
| Shield of Pistoja, Supported by Bears | [124] |
| Piazza del Duomo, Pistoja | [125] |
| Coat of Arms, Pistoja. By Verrocchio | [129] |
| Bronze Candelabra, Duomo, Pistoja | [132] |
| Head of Filippo Tedici, Pistoja | [133] |
| Campanile, from Via Ripa del Sale, Pistoja | [137] |
| Loggia, Ospedale del Ceppo, Pistoja | [141] |
| Coat of Arms of Hospital, Pistoja. Della Robbia | [145] |
| Healing the Sick, Detail of Frieze, Ospedale del Ceppo, Pistoja. By Giovanni della Robbia | [149] |
| Via Abbi Pazienza | [152] |
| Coronation of the Virgin, Ospedale del Ceppo, Pistoja. By Benedetto Buglione | [153] |
| Adoration of the Magi, S. Andrea, Pistoja | [155] |
| Monument of Cardinal Forteguerra, S. Cecilia, Rome. By Mino da Fiesole | [157] |
| Virgin and Child, with Saints, Cathedral, Lucca. By Fra Bartolommeo | [161] |
| Bastions of San Colombo, Lucca | [163] |
| Old City Wall and Moat, Lucca | [164] |
| Tomb of Ilaria del Carretto, Cathedral, Lucca. By Jacopo della Quercia | [165] |
| On the Ramparts, Lucca | [168] |
| San Frediano, Lucca | [169] |
| S. Frediano, from the Guinigi Tower, Lucca | [171] |
| A "Grey Tower" | [173] |
| Ponte a Moriano, Serchio River | [175] |
| An Old Stone Bridge | [177] |
| Bridge Over the Serchio | [178] |
| Church of Santa Maria e San Giorgio, Brancoli | [179] |
| San Lorenzo, Brancoli | [181] |
| Interior of Santa Maria e San Giorgio, Brancoli | [183] |
| Holy-water Stoup, Santa Maria e San Giorgio, Brancoli | [186] |
| Baptismal Font, Santa Maria e San Giorgio, Brancoli | [187] |
| Detail of Pulpit, Santa Maria e San Giorgio, Brancoli | [189] |
| Detail of Pulpit, Santa Maria e San Giorgio, Brancoli | [190] |
| Pulpit, Santa Maria e San Giorgio, Brancoli | [191] |
| Three Coats of Arms, Lucca | [194] |
| St. George and the Dragon, Brancoli. By Andrea and Giovanni della Robbia | [195] |
| Sarzanella | [199] |
| Bridge at Vinchiana | [200] |
| "The Devil's Bridge," Borgo a Mozzano | [201] |
| Bagni di Lucca | [203] |
| Parish Church, Loppia | [204] |
| The Cathedral, Barga | [205] |
| Door of the Cathedral, Barga | [208] |
| Interior of the Cathedral, Barga | [211] |
| Pulpit in Cathedral, Barga | [215] |
| Adoration of the Magi, Pulpit, Cathedral, Barga | [219] |
| Tabernacle in Cathedral, Barga, Della Robbia School | [223] |
| Assumption of the Virgin, Church of the Capuchins, Barga. By Giovanni della Robbia | [227] |
| "Violet-eyed Tuscan Oxen" | [229] |
| Trappings on Horse of Lorenzo de' Medici | [230] |
THE MUGELLO
THE MUGELLO
VERY year Italy is thronged with thousands of travellers who are thoroughly familiar with the larger cities of Tuscany: Florence, Lucca, Siena, and Leghorn are crowded with visitors, while Florence has practically become the Italian home of English and American wanderers; they not only fill hotels, pensions, and apartments, but occupy many of the villas on neighbouring hillsides. Fiesole's terraces are converted into tea-gardens, and resound with Anglo-Saxon chaffer for straw fans and baskets. San Miniato, with its incomparable view of the city, also caters to the universal cry for "the cup that cheers," which outrivals in popularity the noble old Tuscan-Romanesque church hard by. Trim Americans are met at every turn; Settignano, Bello-Sguardo, Marignano, Badia a Settimo, and the rest, are frequent haunts; and the padrona of the vine-covered terrace at Majano, where stone-cutters are wont to sit about rude stone tables and drink their wine, has learned the "afternoon tea" secret for the gentili forestieri, who walk out from Florence to enjoy the charming view. Convenient tram lines run to the more distant and choicest places, and whoever demands more retired ways may board one of those nondescript vehicles, by courtesy called "diligence," which are seen on every country road leading from Florence, making their way through pretty valleys and hill towns. The Tuscan diligence is an institution in its way, though not always inviting in appearance; usually covered with dust, its brown canvas curtains strapped down, excluding all air and views, and "full up" to bursting with all sorts and conditions of humanity and luggage. However, one is always sure of the most respectful and obliging driver, smiling and kindly travelling companions, and no end of interesting chat and story at the cost of a few centesimi. Thus the country distant from the usual railway lines is every year becoming more and more familiar and appreciated, although there are still many delightful "untrodden ways" known but to the few, who are good pedestrians or devoted lovers of nature and "dear country places." Follow up any of the Tuscan rivers—through the Val d'Ema, Val di Pesa, Val d'Elsa, or the valleys of the Mugnone, Sieve, Bisenzio, and Ombrone, every one an affluent of the Arno—and you will find a pathway of delight, a real progress through a world of exquisite colour, form, and fragrance. Yet it is not easy to turn away from Florence and wander off in pastures new; like a siren, she holds us in willing thraldom by the infinite variety of charms so potent that all the world beyond her warm, grey walls becomes vague and unreal.