m
1 4 TR A V E L S THROUGH
Emperor Otlio the Firft, and was tKcn governed for fome time by its own magiftrates,
w h o afterwards bore the title of Doge or Potefta, till the reign of Ezzeliniis the
tyrant, who lived in tlie thirteenth century. He was a native of the Trcvefian March,
and of German origin ; but of a charaÛer fo crue! and ferocious, tliat he was no fooner
appointed Potefta than he became a tyrant, and thouiiinds of the inhabitants fell
•wretclied viftims to his fanguinary temper, whigh lie carried to fuch a pitch, that
Pope Alexander the Fourth was under the neceffity of declaring a crufade againft iiim;
and, foon after, he was taken prifoner before the city o f Mi lan, whi c h he was on the point
o f befieging, and carried to Socino, where he died frantic in the year 1259. (See the
L i f e of Ezzclinus by Le Pére Gérard.)
AFTER the death of the tyrant, the Republ i c of Padua was ftill confiderable, having
under its jurifdidion the cities of Vicenza, Verona, Trent, Trevifo, Feltre, Belluno,
Baffano, and the greateft part of the country of Friuli, 8cc. : but, not many years after,
i t fell a facrifice to the intrigues of the Cairarefi family, which came from Baffano ; who,
g a i n i n g fufficient afcendency over the minds of the people, caufed one of the Princes of
their houfe to be appointed Captain in Chief, which was at that time the firft dignity of
t h e State, and which foon became hereditary.
THEY were then governed monarchi cai i y , till the time of F'rancis the Second, who was
t a k e n by the Venetians (as mentioned in Sed. L)} fo that in 1405 the Republ i c fell under
t h e Venetian jurifdiâion} and the mother country became the property of one of her
colonies, who, by way of fecuring it, behaved with the greateft injuftice, in exterminating
i g n o m i i i i o u i l y the remains of that family.
PADU.4 is at prefent fo much declined ftom its former ftate, that it has fcarcely prefcrved
any remains of its paft grandeur, affording a fcene o f poverty, pride, and fuperftition.
THERE are ftill exifting fome beautiful buildings, fine churches, 6cc. But the
enlightened traveller will not furely permit himfeîf to judg e of the richnefs of a State, or
t h e happinefs of a people, by fuch ftately monuments.
THIS great city, which formerly contained two hundred thoufand inhabitants, can
l i a r d l y boaft at prefent forty thoufand, although its foil is reckoned one of the moft
Iiealthy and fertile in all Italy ; and its fituation is fo wel l calculated for commerce, being
watered by the rivers Brenta and Bacchiglione, which axe both navigable.
PADUA, in its former ftate, was well fortified. It is ftill furrounded by two wal ls; the
firft is called, to this day, Antenor's Wal l ; and the outward (comprehending its fortifica-
• tions, ditches, &c.) was built by the Venetians at the time of the league of Cambray.
WHAT renders this city moft famous, as alfo worthy the attention of a traveller, is its
U n i v e r f i t y ; which, for many centuries, was held in the higheft repute.
THIS Univerfity has been confidered as one of the moft ancient in Europe, fince it
was founded in the twelfth century ; but it is indebted to Frederick the Second for the
greateft-
? 'v
T H E . R H ^ T I A N ALPS. 1 5
greateft part of its improvements. It was alfo efteemed one of the beft; for in their
records are mentioned at one time upwards of ten thoufand ftudents, although at prefent
there are fcarcely nine hundred.
THE fame number of profeffors are kept as at its firft inftitution, which are fixty,
and moft of them men of the greateft eruditiofi; therefore its decline muft not be
a t t r i b u t e d to them, but rather to the weaknefs of thofe that are at the head of the
p o l i c e , as they indulge the ftudents in the mof t unbridled licentioufnefs, which is carried
t o fuch a pitch of infolence that no perfon, whether inhabitant or ftranger, can with
fafety venture out after duflc.
THE Botanical Garden belonging to the univerfity has few equals: its arrangement is
v e r y elegant, containing a moft valuable colleftion of eXotic and indigenous plants. It
was planted by F r^ci fco Bonaefidei, who died in 1658, and was the firft profeiTor of
botany at Padua.
THERE is alfo a Cabinet of Natural Hiftory well worth feeing, being uncommonly
r i c h in iliells, foffils, minerals, &c.
ITS Library is alfo confiderable. The books are well chofen, and moft of them •
curious. Its Anatomical Theatre contains every thing that is neceflaiy for the demonftrative
part of that ftudy. There is alfo an Experimental Hall fupplied with every
k i n d of apparatus or neceffary inftruments for ftudents.
ALTHOUGH this wor k is not intended to give an exaft and minute defcription of the
various buildings and public edifices, yet I cannot pafs unnoticed the Palazzo della
Raggeone, or Town Hall of Padua, where the courts of juftice are kept: it is built
o n the fpot where formerly the ancient Senate ftood. Its architedure is fimple, but
n o b l e and majeftic. The great Hall is nearly 332 feet long, n 6 broad, and rog in
h e i g h t . It is ornamented by ninety columns, which are placed between the windows,
and fupport the roof. It alfo contains fome excellent paintings and curious monuments;
among others is a monument eredcd to the memory of L ivy the hiftorian, w i t h an infcript
i on whi ch was found in the ruins where the Templ e of Concord formerly ftood:
V. F. C«)
TITUS LIVIUS
L I V I ^ T. F.
Q U A R T I ^ L.
HALYS
CONCORDIALIS
P A T A V I
SIBI & SUIS
OMNIBUS.
(•) Vinns Fccih
ABOVE