FLORENCE REBUILT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 90, 16 April 1892, Page 3 (Supplement)

FLORENCE REBUILT.

THE MEDIAEVAL CiTY OF ROMANTIC ITALY MODERNIZED. Tho "Efoui'3 of tlio Arts" Once Famous for Its Artistic Buildings, Its Historic PaLaces, Its Picturesque Towers and ' Koujyh Old Walls Is Destroyed. ; Looked at from an artistic point of view Florence is nothing if not medheval, and her recent attempts to modernize herself Sire not only pitiably commonplace, but Ibitterly disappointing to lovers of romance. During the last three years a great part of old Florence, including the Ghetto and the tall, dark, mysterious houses with labyrinthine cellars in that network of alleys which once formed the old market, has been torn down, .and mediasval Florence, or that part of it where the quarrelsome Florentines lived and loved and fought their neighbors, has been destroj'ed. As the physical and moral health of present and future Florentines is of far greater importance than anything artistic, and as fresh air and light should be shared by all men alike, we would not, even if we could, obstruct the work of: demolition. Jsufc one cannot help asking why Florence rebuilt should be so mediocre. The new square of Victor Emmanuel, scooped out of the very heart of the old market, is square as square can be. Broad streets are cub from it at right angles in the most improved Nineteenth century fashion. They drew red lines up and down and across the old quarter nnd cut plumb through the lines, barking off the face of cue house, the rear of another and the corner cupboard of a third. They cut through massive walls, which had withstood the storms of centuries, lopping off heraldic bearings and mural decorations, which we should be glad of an excuse to put up somewhere, and demolishing historic landmurks, picturesque arches, quaint balconies, winding stairs, dim recesses and hallowed associations with the ruthless hand of modern utility. "OISEAIiT SQUAKES. Flat faced, expressionless houses rise on all sides of the dusty Piazza and Justin the center stands tho equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel. Tli is statue may ho good; I am too ignorant on such matters to express an opinion. The horse is very, very big and carries his tail rampant; Victor's mustache is very, very fierce and evidently just waxed. If the short, clumsy man looks too small for tho big, clumsy horse you are reminded thab the soldier king always rode a big horse. Tho bronze of the entire structure is polished and shining —quite unlike the bronze of Cellini's Perseus; though perhaps that, too, shone defiantly when it was fresh from tho mold. But the squarel Surely wo inartistic, bl uudering, Bemibarbarous Americans might have perpetrated nothing worse in a mushroom city. People say thero is "nothing objectionable about it," and to say that of a public square is quite as bad us to say of an acquaintance that he is "well meaning." There is, indeed, nothing objectionable about it—except its unobjectionability. From the old walls of historic Florence rose frequent towers of stone, rough but picturesque, built for purposes of defense in times when it was a, part of each day's routine for men to kill each other. Even now, reaching high above tho surrounding roofs and commanding wide views over the outlying country, they lend a rugged air of protection to t he fair flower city. Weil, into our brand new square has been built a new tower, massive and rugged, --.rim laid warlike—at least it was meant to look so, being an exact copy of the ancient one.--,, ft was built to gratify the hearts of the antiquarians, who only laugh when thoy look at it. Ah, but they laugh sadly! MOnKHN* VANDALISM. With all their artistic-and architectural past, with imperishable monuments starring their city; with the grand gothic of the Duomo and the lily bloom of tho bell tower; with the stately magnificence of | scores of palaces; with the spring of arch, the point of spire, tho infinite delicacy of handiwork in wood and iron and stone; in short, with the profuseness of the beautiful which lies all about them, Florentines ought to know better. The vandalism of Florence is but a copy of the vandalism of Pome, which has gone on until now old Rome is dismantled and is rapidly becoming tho most modern city of Italy. Here are commonplace, dreary squares, rows and streets of blank, hideous, houses; windows and door* cut off by the yard, and puch interiorsi Here in Italy, home of the Arts! Verily, tho Arts are slumbering. Out of it all 1 have evolved for myself iv comforting reflection. From the shadows of her misty bygone years, having shaken oil' the shackles of oppression and superstition, young Italy is reaching out eagerly toward all thab is fresh and clean and modern. Ijft us have patience; wo are modern ourselves. But just as we discriminate between good gothic and bad gothic, tho generations-! to come will discriminate between good modern and bad modern. Hitherto J have asked myself why should America bo .sneered at and despised for crudities of art or manners? She has had mightier work to do than erect campaniles, round cupolas, chip out statues or polish her speech. These things are the flower of a healthy, deep rooted civilization, and our America is planted so deep that the flower must one day bloom.—Jeaiiie P. lludel in Kate Fields' Washington.