August, 1827.
There is a navigable canal from Milan to Pavia, which was begun in 1807, but is only just finished. From the Gate of Milan to the Ticino at Pavia, it descends 182 feet, 8 inches; there are thirteen locks, the whole descent of which is 167 feet, 8 inches; leaving for the descent of the canal, fifteen English feet. The length is 107,350 feet, the breadth 42½ feet. At first it forms a considerable stream; but is continually giving off part of its waters for the purposes of irrigation, and becomes very sluggish on its arrival at Pavia.
My first object was the Duomo. There is a fragment of ancient Lombard architecture on the outside, not now belonging to the church. The present edifice was begun in 1488, on a magnificent scale. A spacious octagon occupies the centre, and a nave and side aisles, extending in each direction, were to have formed the cross; the side aisles opening into the oblique sides of the octagon, which are smaller than the others. I sought in vain for the sarcophagus of Boetius, and for that of St. Augustin.
The church of the Carmine is much more interesting than the cathedral. It dates in 1373, is of the pointed Lombard style, with intersecting ornamental arches in the cornice, and the front is the most elaborate example I have seen of the sort. It is also a very fine specimen of brick-work; on which account also the pillars of the inside deserve notice. Three squares form the nave, each of which is covered by a simple groin, but opens by two small arches into the side aisles, and has a very small circular window above. The beautiful brick-work has been hacked, to retain a coat of stucco or whitewash. The walls and vaults are also of brick-work, but of very different quality. These were evidently intended to be covered. The upper capitals are of stone, ornamented with detached leaves; the lower are of brick, cut into escutcheon faces. I suppose you will laugh at me unmercifully, if I were to propose to ornament such an edifice with gilding; but in fact it would harmonize beautifully with the rich brown of the brick, whose dark colour wants something to relieve it.
The front of S. Francesco is in the same style, and of the same material: there is a series of round-headed arches below, which displeases me; but the upper part, with one large central arch, surrounded by a number of plain and enriched bands, is finely composed. There are seven pinnacles in front of the Carmine, five on that of S. Francesco, but though well contrived in themselves, they do not, in either case, unite well with the building. The inside has been modernized; and done badly, as is usually the case, because those who wish to modernize, are precisely such as despise the old style, and would scorn to enter into the feeling it produces: perhaps indeed I might say, they are such as stop short at the rules, and totally neglect the poetry of the art.
The church of San Salvadore, a little out of the town, is another edifice of the same style, but on the outside, much plainer. The inside has Corinthian pilasters supporting pointed arches, and it does not appear that the solids have been altered, although various stucco ornaments, which are not in good taste, have been added. The divisions are square, each opening into two side arches. The whole is splendidly gilt and painted, and in spite of some apparent discordance, the effect is really fine. The church of San Michele is of an earlier date and style of architecture. Malaspina di Sannazaro (Guida di Pavia, 1819,) asserts that it existed in the time of Grimoaldo, king of the Lombards in the middle of the seventh century. The plan is a Latin cross, with an octagonal lantern at the intersection; but it is difficult in these ancient edifices, to distinguish accurately the alterations from the original work. The front is a very curious one; all the arches are semicircular; there are three small doors, ornamented with grotesque carving, and several small windows. There is also a central, circular window; but this, though not large, appears to be an alteration. On the slope of the gable is a series of small arches on columns, each column being placed on a step. S. Pietro, in Cielo d’oro, is another example of the same early taste: the inside has been modernized, but it is now a barn.
There is said to be a church here by Bramante; but I inquired for it in vain. Just out of the walls is one by Pellegrino Pellegrini. The outside has never been finished, but if it were it would hardly be handsome. The inside has two orders, and the upper entablature is nearly half as high as the pilaster to which it belongs.
The university is a modern building, magnificent rather by its extent, than by any merit in its architecture. The library is said to contain 60,000 volumes. There is a valuable collection of natural history, but the animals are not well stuffed. For example, the sole is so well filled, as to appear nearly round.
The bridge over the Ticino is one of the lions at Pavia. It was built in 1351. The body of the work is brick, with stone quoins to the arches. The road-way is covered with a roof, supported on posts of rough granite, which in this state is by no means a beautiful material. It is employed in the same manner in the hot-houses at the botanic garden. The divisions in this garden are formed by Thuja orientalis, which is very tractable to the shears, and makes very compact green walls, three or four feet high, and not above six inches thick.
And now, having gone through the architectural antiquities of Pavia, I must conduct you to the Certosa, about five miles distant, and not much out of the road to Milan. It is here considered as one of the most beautiful buildings in the world; and may be cited to shew how much more effect the appearance of riches and splendour have on the judgment of the multitude than fine taste and elegant proportion. It was begun in 1396, a period at which several splendid ecclesiastical structures were raised in Italy. The cathedral of Milan; the church of S. Petronio at Bologna; and the church of S. Francesco at Assisi; are all nearly of this date. The architect is said to be the same Henry of Zamodia or Gamodia who designed the Duomo at Milan. Malaspina (Guida di Pavia) supposes it rather to have been built under the direction of a certain Marco di Campilione; who disputes also the honour of the cathedral at Milan, but this appears to be a mere guess. There is a bust of the architect within the building, but without name or date. The style of the two edifices is so different, as almost to preclude the possibility of their being the productions of one man; and the present offers no indication of the taste of our northern artists, while the cathedral above-mentioned abounds with them. The nave has four square divisions, each subdivided on the vault, and with oblique groins. The groining of the side aisles is singular, each space being in fact covered with five unequal pointed vaults, meeting in a common centre. Beyond the side aisles on each side, two chapels open towards each square division of the nave. The choir and arms of the cross have each two square divisions, so that there are seven on the whole length of the church, and five on that of the transept. The whole is in the highest degree rich with painting and gilding, and the orders[[31]] of the altars of the chapels of the side aisles are of the richest marbles, while the altars themselves are of inlaid work in precious stones. Nothing is neglected. Even the washing place of the monks is a magnificent marble monument. The tomb of the founder, John Galeazzo Visconti, is said to have been designed in 1490, and completed in 1562, which is the date mentioned in the inscription. Circumstances might induce us to expect here one of the finest productions of the cinque cento, but this is not the case. The ivy represented on a door jaumb just by is far more beautiful than any thing in the tomb. The outside of the flanks and transept of the building is full of pinnacles and ornaments, which do not rise naturally out of the construction of the building; but I examined the inside first, and to confess the truth, I was fairly tired out with the interminable splendour of the edifice: every little part seems to say, come and admire me. There are two large cloisters, one of which is of immense size, with marble columns, and a profusion of ornamental brick-work; and there is a spacious palace of later date, for the reception of visitors.