GRAND CANAL, Venice, Italy.—This canal, the main artery of the traffic of Venice, nearly two miles in length, and thirty-three to sixty-six yards in width, intersects the city from north-west to south-east, dividing it into two unequal parts. Steam-launches, hundreds of gondolas and other vessels are seen gliding in every direction. Handsome houses and magnificent palaces rise on the banks, for this is the street of the Nobili, the ancient aristocracy of Venice. A barge, with a military band, navigates the canal every Sunday evening. A trip on the canal is extremely interesting; the posts are painted with the heraldic colors of their proprietors.
CATHEDRAL OF ST. MARK, Venice, Italy.—Facing the piazza of St. Mark, which is in the heart of Venice and the grand focus of attraction, rises the magnificent Cathedral of St. Mark, decorated with almost oriental splendor. The building dates back to the tenth and eleventh centuries, and portions of the materials used in its construction have been brought from almost every country in Europe. The ceiling of the interior is richly adorned with mosaics in the form of various noted paintings. Behind the High Altar repose the remains of St. Mark, while further back stand four spiral columns said to have belonged to the Temple of Solomon. The building to the right is the Ducal Palace.
VENICE, Italy.—The capital of the Province of Venice, is situated on the lagoons, a long breast of lowlands in the Adriatic. For a time it was the first maritime and commercial power of the world, and one of the finest cities in Europe, but now it is nothing but a vast museum. The eighty islands on which Venice is built, are divided by wide and narrow canals, while small foot-paths wind throughout the city, occasionally crossing a canal, as is seen by the bridge in the above picture. Venice is popularly known as the "Queen of the Adriatic."
THE RIALTO, Venice, Italy.—This famous bridge, one hundred and fifty-eight feet long and forty-six feet wide, rests on twelve hundred posts. It was erected from 1588 to 1591. Its sides are lined with little shops, extending from a fish-market at one end, past jewelry-shops in the centre of the structure, down to a fruit-market at the other side. It always presents a busy appearance, and is considered a marvel of engineering skill, and one of the finest bridges in the world. The picture represents the annual parade on the Grand Canal, with the Rialto in the background, which is always the rallying centre on such occasions.
THE CATHEDRAL, Florence, Italy.—This stately edifice, erected from 1294 to 1462, on the site of the earlier church of St. Reparata, is a striking example of Italian architecture. The church was finally consecrated in 1436, but the lantern on the top of the dome was not completed until 1462. The building is one hundred and eighty-five and one-half yards long, and one hundred and fourteen yards wide; the dome is three hundred feet high. The bell-tower, a square structure adjoining the cathedral, two hundred and ninety-two feet in height, is regarded as one of the finest existing works of its kind. It consists of four stories of richly decorated and colored marbles.
VECCHIO BRIDGE, Florence, Italy.—Florence is situated on both banks of the Arno, but by far the greatest part of the city lies on the right bank. The bridge in the picture dates back to the fourteenth century, and is flanked on both sides with shops which have belonged to gold-smiths ever since their erection. It forms one of the principal bridgeways between the city proper and that portion of Florence which stands on the south bank of the Arno, and has always been considered one of the greatest sights of the town.
MONK, Italy.—Monasticism primarily meant the state of dwelling alone; and then, by an easy and natural transition, it came to denote a life of poverty, celibacy and divine obedience under fixed rules of discipline. The radical idea of the term, in all its varieties of age, creed and country, is the same, namely, retirement from society in search of some ideal life, which society cannot supply, but which is thought attainable by self-denial and withdrawal from the world. The picture represents an Italian monk in funeral attire.
LOGGIA DEI LANZI, Florence, Italy.—This magnificent open-vaulted hall is one of the kind with which it was usual to provide both public and private patrons of Florence, in order that the inmate might enjoy the open air or participate in public demonstrations, without being obliged to descend to the street. The style of architecture shows a falling off from the Gothic, while the works of sculpture, representing Faith, Hope and Charity, Temperance and Fortitude, exhibit an incipient leaning toward Renaissance forms. Every afternoon the Loggia is crowded with the poorer people of Florence, who seek a cool spot in the open air.
UFFIZI BUILDINGS, Florence, Italy.—This gallery originated with the Medici collections and was afterwards so improved with the numerous additions by the Lorraine Family, that it is now one of the best in the world, both for value and extent. The Portico of the Uffizi Gallery, seen on both sides of the open court, contains niches, which are adorned with marble statues of celebrated Tuscans. At the farthest end of the court, rises the Vecchio Palace, a castle-like building, with huge projecting battlements, being originally the seat of the Signora, and subsequently used as a casino.
RAPE OF POLYXENA (By Fedi), Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence, Italy.—Polyxena, according to Greek legend, was the daughter of Priam, King of Troy. Having by her grace and beauty captivated Achilles, the Grecian hero, she was betrothed to him. But Achilles was slain by Paris, son of Priam; and after his death and the destruction of Troy, his manes appeared to the returning Greeks, and demanded of them the sacrifice of Polyxena. The Greeks consented, and Neoptolemus, the son of Achilles, sacrificed her on his father's grave. This work of art is of modern execution. It was placed in the Loggia in 1866.