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i 8 TR A V E L S THROUGH
THE memory of that poet is prcfcrved ia feveral of the apartments by allegorical
paintings j and fomc pieccs of his furniture ftill remain in the lioufe.
I SHOULD have much more to add, were I to mention the variety of objeilS which
would naturally engage the attention of the Botanift and Lithologift; but, owing to the
very ihort ftay I made in that part of the country, I was prevented from noticing what
might be moft worthy their remarks. I am, therefore, under the neceffity of confining
within bounds the defire I have of being ufeful, by merely recommending to them not
to pafs unnoticed a fpot which will furniih them with a variety of curiofities deferring
their infpeftion. >
FROM Padua we continued our journey to Vicenza, which is alfo the road to Tyrol;
but not till after we had viewed what was moft curious in that city.
VICENZA is diftant from Padua nearly eighteen Italian miles: the road being flat, the
journey would be uninterefting, were it not that the adjacent country is remarkably
rich, and covered with all kinds of trees; but more particularly the mulberry-tree.
Many of the inhabitants live chicfly by the culture of filk worms; as alfo by winding,
twifting, and dying filks.
VICENZA is feated on the river Bacchiglione, which is navigable; and, immediately
on croflmg it, one enters a large plain (though rather lefs than the one that leads to
Padua), in the middle of which is fituated Vicenza.
THIS plain is terminated by a continuation of the Euganian hills, which are bounded
towards the north-eaft by the commencement of the Trentins Alps.
THIS fpot is one of the moft fertile and intcrefting imaginable, being watered by
feveral rivers, which Hc.frending from the mmintains that furronnd it, aiTift in fertilizing
the country, by the decompofitions which they continually carry with them,
and wliich ferve as moft excellent manure; fo that with great tn.ith it may be
ftyled the garden of Europe. It is alfo embelliihed by a variety of villas belonging
t o people of diftinftion, ornamented by the incomparable Palladio. Superb columns
of white marble, crowned with pediments, and enriched with baflb-relievos, ihcw
themfelves as it were by fteakh through the tufts of trees; and, from the contraft
of colour, appear ftill whiter than they natura-lly are: this, added to their refle£tion
in the limpid ftreara, not only increafes the pleafure, but excitcs the admiration of
the traveller.
THE city of Vicenza is the capital of the province of Vicentino, and, for a length
of time, formed a feparate government. They had alfo their fovcreigns and their tyrants,
till they were forced to feek the protedion of the Republic of Padua; and, at the time
of the decline of that city, they gave themfelves voluntarily to the Venetians, wliich
T F I E RH.STIAN ALPS. ig
is the reafon they enjoy greater privileges than any of the neighbouririg cities, and are
of courfe the richcft in the State next to the Republic.
THEY appoint their own magiftrates for the maintcnartce of order and a well regulated
police. This city is not fo large as Padua; it is badly fortified, but more populous,
containing nearly forty-five thoufand inhabitants.
THE public buildings are fuperb, the architedure of which retains all the fimplicity
and elegancc of the times of Auguftus. In fad, they were built after the dcfigns of
tlie great Palladio, who was a native of Vicenza.
THEY have alfo an Acadcmy called the Olympic, or Olympic!, where the academicians
affemble in the theatre built by the famous architea abovementioned, which is fo
univerfally admired by all travellers. The principal objed of this Academy is to fix the
ftandard of the Italian language, by promoting the knowledge of its beauty and elegance.
THE Euganian hills are here only five or fix Italian miles from Vicenza, and
they now become much more interefting to the Naturalift than in the vicinity of Abano;
for, in many places, they contain a mixture of various forfs of maririme bodies, befides
petrifadions, 6cc.
MONTE SOMMANO alfo merits the attention of the traveller, there being many curious
plants and medals found on it, befides feveral other relics of antiquity. It is the
received opinion, that formerly on that mount tliere was a temple dedicated to Pluto. .
IT appeared to me that the mountain owed its formation to fome fubterraneous revolution,
as I found a vaft quantity of volcanic produdions.
THE famous cave of Cuftoza muft not be palled over; it is nearly four thoufand feet
long, three thoufand broad, and almoft three miles in circumfcrcnce, according to my
own obfervations, and the information I gained on the fpot.
THE roof of this immenfe cave is fupported by one thoufand huge pillars, cut out of
the quarry, of three perches fquare. Many wonderful and aftonifting ftories are told
of this cavern; but it is only the remains of a quarry left from the digging of ftone,
fince the ancient buildings of Padua and Vicenza are apparently built of the fame
ftone, which feemed to be a fort of cos lying in parallel ftrata, refembling what
Monficur de Bomar calls cos (edificialh t neverthelefs, I would not abfolutely affirm
it, not having ftayed as long as I could wiih in this fubterraneous abode; being under
the neceffity of continuing my journey. It is, however, a fpot worth the attention
of a Lithologift.
FROM Vicenza we went to Verona, which is thirty miles diftant from that city. The
road is beautiful, nearly refembling that from Padua to Vicenza; but, as one approaches
Verona, the face of nature fcems to wear a different afpeft; the adjacent country is
much
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