The South of France-East Half Part 38

miles from MENTON miles to GENOA

{85}{15} +COGOLETO+, pop. 1000. From the station walk down to the town; and on reaching the main street, the Via Cristoforo Colombo, turn to the left.

In the second division, right hand, at No. 22, is the house of Columbus, with the following inscription:--

_Hospes, siste gradum. Fuit hic lux prima Columbo;_ _Orbe viro majori heu nimis arcta domus!_ _Unus erat mundus. Duo sunt, ait iste. Fuere._

It consists of three stories, with one side fronting the sea, and the other the main street. The rooms are small, and with arched roofs. That in which Columbus was born (1435) is on the first story. Fronting the adjoining room is a large balcony overlooking the Mediterranean, where it is possible the boy Columbus learned to conceive the idea of a continent beyond the Atlantic by having been accustomed to gaze on this sea at his feet, with the knowledge that beyond it there lay the vast continent of Africa. Although his parents were in humble circ.u.mstances, they were descended from a family belonging to the most ill.u.s.trious n.o.bility of Piacenza, who had lost their estates during the wars of Lombardy. Boatbuilding and fishing are the princ.i.p.al industries of Cogoleto. Map, p. 220.

[Headnote: ARENZANO.]

{87}{13} +ARENZANO+, pop. 5000. *H. Arenzano, 7 to 8 frs., near station. One of the cleanest towns on the Riviera, pleasantly situated in a picturesque country and commanding extensive views of the coast. The road between Arenzano and Cogoleto pa.s.ses by Monte Grosso.

{91}{8} +VOLTRI+, and the next town, Pra, may be called one. Paper-making and shipbuilding are the princ.i.p.al industries. Map, p. 220.

[Headnote: PEGLI.]

{95}{5} +PEGLI+, pop. 1000. _A winter station._ The largest hotel is the *H. Pegli et de la Mediterranee, with one side to the sea and the other to the public garden and English chapel. Pension in winter, 9 to 15 frs. On the beach the H. Gargini, second cla.s.s. Pegli is a quiet little village, prettily situated on the sea, and among hills. It has constant communication by tram and rail with Genoa, and is visited on account of the grounds around the +Villa Pallavicini+, ornamented with statues of Roman divinities, temples, triumphal arches, huts, and an obelisk. But the remarkable object is the artificial cave, covered with large stalact.i.tes, in the midst of a lake 5 feet deep, surrounded by evergreen shrubs and trees so arranged as to produce wonderfully pretty vistas. At one part the edge of the lake seems to join the sea, although many miles distant. All this has been created on the formerly sterile side of a hill, where almost nothing would grow from the want of water and of soil. Water was brought from a great distance, and caused to tumble down the mountain in cascades into the lake, which had to be lined with porcelain to retain it. The cave was then built of brick, and covered with consummate art with stalact.i.tes, as in nature. The visitor is rowed in a boat about this most curious piece of land and water. In other parts there are a mult.i.tude of surprises, in unexpected jets of water, and in beautiful peeps of scenery no larger than a picture. Attendant, 1 fr.; for party, 2 frs.

[Headnote: SESTRI-PONENTE. CORNIGLIANO.]

1 m. E. from Pegli and 3 W. from Genoa is +Sestri-Ponente+, pop.

10,800. _Hotel:_ *G. H. Sestri, 8 to 12 frs., with commodious bathing establishment at the foot of the garden. The beach, composed of small pebbles, has a rapid slope. Good sea water can be brought to bedroom every morning. The station is near the hotel, and the trams pa.s.s by the gate. The interior of the parish church is superbly gilt and covered with frescoes. Just under the wide spanned roof are painted statues of the patriarchs and prophets. Sestri makes a better winter station than the next town, +Cornigliano+, *H. Rachel, 9 to 12 frs., with sheltered garden, 2 m. W. from Genoa. Both of these towns are considered from 4 to 5 colder than Menton. The tram pa.s.ses the garden gate of both hotels. After Cornigliano the tram and train traverse the populous suburb of Sampierdarena and arrive at Genoa. The princ.i.p.al railway station is at the W. end of Genoa. The Piazza Annunziata is the terminus of the Pegli, Sestri, and Cornigliano trams.

[Headnote: GENOA.]

{100}{ } +GENOA+, pop. 145,000. The hotels most conveniently situated for visitors are the G. H. de Genes, 9 to 15 frs., in the Piazza de Ferrari, opposite the theatre and the post office; the *G. H. Isotta, 10 to 15 frs., No. 7 Via di Roma, parallel to the gla.s.s arcade, and also near the post; the *Londres, 9 to 10 frs., near the station; the Victoria, in the Piazza Annunziata, and the H. etrangers, No. 1 Via Nuovissima. The above are in a line with the palaces, and cost 8 to 10 frs. Down in the port in the Via Carlo Alberto, and most conveniently situated for those who have to embark, are--taking them in the order from W. to E.--the Croix de Malte, the H. de la Ville, the H. Smith, the *H. Trombetta, and the *France. They charge from 8 to 14 frs. By the side of the last two hotels is the Bourse, and in the neighbourhood of the Bourse are the best money-changers.

For +Genoa to Turin+, see p. 279.

Anglican church in the Via Goito, a small street leading northwards from the Acqua Sola Promenade. In the same neighbourhood is the broad street Via a.s.sarotti, with at No. 37 the Valdensian and Presbyterian churches.

Shops for filigree work in gold and silver in the Via degli Orefici by the side of the Bourse, and at the foot of the Sestiere della Maddalena, which descends from the Piazza delle Fontane Morose. At No. 17 of that Piazza is a good shop for coral ornaments.

[Headnote: CAFeS. CABS. STEAMERS.]

_Cafes._-- *Cafe Roma, by the Teatro Carlo Felice; *Stabilimento delle n.a.z.ioni, Via Roma; *Concordia, Via Garibaldi. +The princ.i.p.al sights+ are the church of the Annunziata, p. 212; the Cemetery approached by the Staglieno omnibus from the Piazza de Ferrari; the Palaces between the railway station and the Piazza Nuova. The church of Santa Maria in Carignano, approached by the Carignano omnibus from the Piazza de Ferrari, pa.s.sing through the Acqua Sola Gardens, 138 ft. above the sea (p. 218). North from the Acqua Sola is the Villa Negro, containing the Museum of Natural History. The best of the drives is along the Via di Circonvallazione.

Florio-Rubattino have steamers to Bastia (Corsica), Cagliari, Civita-Vecchia, Leghorn, and Porto Torres, in the north of Sicily.

Peirano, Danovaro, and Co. have steamers to Ancona, Brindisi, Catania, Gallipoli, Leghorn, Messina, Naples, and Triest. For the English steamers between Liverpool, London, and the ports of the Mediterranean, apply to Lertora Fratelli, No. 2 Via S. Lorenzo.

1-horse cabs--the course, 1 fr.; the hour, 1 fr.; every successive hour, 80 c. 2-horse cabs--the course, 1 fr.; the hour, 2 frs.; every successive hour, 1 fr. Boats to and from the steamers, 1 fr. each.

Rail from Genoa to Turin, 104 m. N.W. (p. 279).

Post Office in the Galleria Mazzini. Telegraph Office in the Palazzo Ducale. Best money-changers near and around the Bourse.

Genoa is singularly constructed around a small bay on shelving ground, rising rapidly from the water's edge to the height of from 500 to 600 feet. The old part of the town is a labyrinth of crooked streets from 6 to 12 feet wide, and frequently so steep that steps have to be cut in them. The most remarkable of the new streets is the Via di Circonvallazione, composed of a series of lofty terraced "corsos"

skirting the face of the hills, commencing at the E. end from the Piazza Manin, 330 ft. above the sea, and extending westward in a zigzag form to the railway station by the Albergo dei Poveri. They are reached from the upper ends of the Vias Palestro, Mameli, Caffaro, and Brignone di Ferrari, by ramps and long stairs. The palaces, another feature of Genoa, are large gaunt mansions, all similar in style--gates 40 feet high, with marble columns--courts paved with various coloured marbles--broad staircases, all of marble--rooms 30 feet high with arched ceilings, and adorned with gilded columns, large mirrors, crystal l.u.s.tres, and mosaic floors; the roofs panelled, and the panels divided by sculptured figures, and filled with finely executed paintings in oil.

The best churches and palaces are in the streets extending in a continuous and slightly curved line from the railway station, at the west end, to the Piazza de Ferrari at the eastern end of Genoa.

[Headnote: PALACES. PALAZZO DORIA.]

The visiting of the palaces is rather fatiguing, as the best works of art are preserved in the upper stories, reached by splendid but lofty staircases. The best two are close to each other, the Palazzo Durazzo Pallavicini, No. 1 Via Balbi, and the Palazzo Rosso, No. 18 Via Garibaldi. They contain specimens of everything for which the palaces are remarkable. A fee of 1 fr. is sufficient to leave with the keeper of the gallery. Most of the palaces have each of the rooms provided with a list of the pictures and frescoes it contains printed on a card, which makes the visitor quite independent of the servants and guides.

As there are so many places to visit between the railway station and the cathedral, the best plan is to do that portion on foot, and after having visited the cathedral, to take a cab from the stand at the foot of the Via S. Lorenzo, and drive by the Via Vittorio Emanuele, round by the ramparts, and up the Via Rivoli to the church of Sta. Maria di Carignano.

The only palace west from the station is the Palazzo Doria, reconstructed by Montorsoli, 1525, and decorated and embellished by Perino del Vaga, a pupil of Raphael's, and a contributor to the paintings in the Vatican. Perino's best works here are Jupiter defeating the Giants, in the princ.i.p.al hall, and the Triumph of Scipio, at the entrance. In the centre of the garden is a fountain representing Andrea Doria as Neptune, with his Sea-horses, by P. Carlone. In the garden, on the other side of the railway, are a colossal statue of Hercules, erected by Doria, and a monument to the memory of his dog Rolando, given him by the Emperor Charles, who conferred upon him the t.i.tle of "Il Principe." The tomb of Andrea Doria is in the church of San Matteo, and over the altar the sword presented to him by Paul III.

[Map: Genoa]

[Headnote: VIA MILANO.]

Adjoining the Doria palace is the +Via Milano+, a terraced promenade lining the western side of the harbour, as the less beautiful but more costly terrace by the Via Carlo Alberto lines the eastern front. Walking _eastward from the station_ the first large building is the Royal Palace, No. 10 Via Balbi. This palace, formerly the property of the Durazzo family, was erected after the plans of P. F. Cantone and J. A.

Falcone, while the staircases and terraces, which have been so greatly admired, were by the Chevalier Charles Fontane. The accommodation is extensive, but the rooms are small, excepting the princ.i.p.al reception hall, the theatre, and the library. The pictures are indifferent.

The Balbi Palace, No. 4 Via Balbi, built after the plans of B. Bianco, and improved by P. A. Corradi, contains a large collection of paintings--among others a Lucrecia, Cleopatra, and a St. Jerome, by Guido; St. Jerome, a Virgin, and Jesus scourged, by Tizziano; a St.

George and St. Catherine; and the Infant Jesus, by Correggio.

[Headnote: P. DURAZZO PALLAVICINI.]

No. 1 Via Balbi is the +P. Durazzo Pallavicini+, one of the most important to visit. The architect was B. Bianco, but the vestibule and staircases (considered the finest in Genoa) are by A. Tagliafico. The paintings are almost entirely by Italian masters, such as Molinaretti, Guercino, Franceschini, Leida, Carracci, Lanfranco, Procaccini, Cappuccino, Langetti, Castelli, Ferrari, Vercelli, Reni, Merone, Cogorano, Zanotti, and Merighi. In the first room there is a valuable triptych by A. Durer, and the gem of the collection, James I. of England and Family, by Van Dyck. In the reception room are other three choice works by the same master. The frescoes on the roofs are by Boni, Piola, Davolio, and Bazzani. In each room there are cards with the names of the artists and subject.

From the Via Balbi we pa.s.s into the +Piazza dell' Annunziata+, with, on the left hand, the church of that name, the most sumptuous in Genoa, built in 1228 by the Monaci Umiliati, but altered and left in its present state by the Conventurati in 1587. The facade, supported on six stately marble columns, is unfinished. The interior is full of beauty, and resplendent with glowing colours harmoniously blended. Over the entrance is Procaccino's masterpiece, the Last Supper. The frescoes on the cupola are by A. Ansaldi, those on the choir by J. Benzo, and the remainder princ.i.p.ally by the Carloni. Among the other beautiful things are the angels supporting an altar, the spiral pillars in the apse, and the elegant columns of the nave. In front of this church trams start for Cornigliano, Sestri Ponente, and Pegli every 10 minutes.

We now pa.s.s along the Via Nuovissima, and at No. 6 descend to +San Siro+, which was the cathedral church of Genoa till 985. The high altar is by Puget. The fresco on the roof by G. B. Carlone. The marble columns are all of one piece. Near San Siro, in the confined little square No. 6 Piazza Pellicceria, is the +Palazzo Spinola+, with many beautiful paintings, such as the Martyrdom of St. Barthelemy and St. Laurent by Ribera, the Four Seasons by Ba.s.sano, Virgin and Child by Guercino, a Magdalene by Guido, St. Anne and the Virgin by L. Giordano, the Last Supper by G. C. Procaccini, S. Jerome by Spagnolletti, a Holy Family by Albani, the Four Evangelists by Van Dyck. In the fourth room is the gem of the collection, a Holy Family by Rubens. The frescoes are by Tavarone, G. Sebastiano, Ferrari, and Gallery.

[Headnote: PALAZZO ROSSO.]

In the Via Garibaldi, No. 18, is the +Palazzo Rosso+ (Galleria Brignoli), with a small but valuable collection of pictures by Italian masters, distributed among the rooms denominated Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. The frescoes on the roofs are by Toila, Ferrari, and Carloni. It contains also a good library.

No. 9 Via Garibaldi is the _Municipicio_ or City Chambers, a splendid building, entirely of marble, and covered with frescoes representing incidents in the history of Genoa. All the rooms and galleries are open to the public excepting the council-chamber, the Sala Rossa, and the Sala Verde. In the first hall (the council-chamber) is a portrait of Columbus in mosaic, and on the roof a fresco representing him in the presence of Ferdinand and Isabella. In the second, among other paintings, is a triptych ascribed to A. Durer, and in the third (the Sala Verde) a beautiful bust of Columbus. The architect was Rocco Lugaro, the ornaments and figures over the windows are by G. T. Carlone, and the frescoes by Pavarone, Paganelli, Pa.s.sano, and M. Canzio.

[Headnote: PALAZZO SERRA.]

At No. 12 Via Nuova is the +P. Serra+, built, like most of the other palaces in this street, about the year 1552, by the celebrated architect Galeazzo Alessi. The size and distribution of the princ.i.p.al apartments are excellent, and many are beautifully ornamented in fres...o...b.. the brothers Semini, particularly the ceiling in the first antechamber, representing the funeral games inst.i.tuted by aeneas in honour of Anchises. The dining-room was the work of the famous Genoese architect Tagliafico, and is greatly admired for its simplicity and good taste.

But the greatest object of attraction in this palace is the grand salon, shining with gold. Along each side are columns of marble gilt, alternating with lofty mirrors reaching from the floor to the roof. The architraves and panels are curiously carved and gilt. The fresco on the roof is by Leon, and represents the triumph of Spinola over the Turks.

The roof of the next room was painted by A. Semini.

The Palazzo Adorno, No. 8 Via Garibaldi, contains a good though smaller display of paintings and frescoes. The same may be said of No. 5 in this same street, the P. Spinola.

At No. 6 Via Garibaldi is the P. Doria, with a handsome portico and splendid halls containing a choice collection of paintings by P.

Veronese, Guercino, Murillo, Van Dyck, Domenichino, and Tintoretto. We now enter the Piazza de Ferrari, with the post office, the princ.i.p.al theatre, the H. Genes, and the Accademia delle Belle Arti, where young men a.s.semble at night to study drawing, painting, and sculpture.

Important trams start from this Piazza. The Staglieno tram stops at the cemetery; the Carignano tram at the church of Carignano.

The second street left from the P. de Ferrari leads to +S. Matteo+, built in 1278, but altered in 1530 by G. A. Montorsoli at the request of Andrea Doria, relating to whose family are the numerous inscriptions on the church. Over the altar is his sword. The "palaces" in front of the church belonged to the Doria family.

[Headnote: S. AMBROGIO.]