from the water's edge, their ascent covered by a triple plantation of olives, vines, and chestnut trees, and their summits terminating in peaks of varied form and elevation. The south-east branch, 12 miles in length, is called the Lago-diLecco, from the town of that name, near which it begins gradually to narrow into the Adda. Owing to the want of an outlet at Como, the waters of that branch are forced to return to the Point of Bellaggio, and are thus subjected to constant interruption, either in their downward or upward course, by the cross influence of the wind; so that one side is frequently excessively agitated, while the other is perfectly calm. From this circumstance, and from the vast height of the bordering mountains, the navigation is rendered uncertain and sometimes dangerous, by the violent swells and squalls to which it is particularly liable. Steamboats, however, navigate the lake from one extremity to the other in four or five hours. The depth, according to Eustace, varies from 40 to 600 ft. It deepens rapidly from the edge. In summer the water is higher than at other seasons, from the melting of the snows. Throughout its whole extent, the banks of the lake are formed of precipitous mountains from 2,000 to 3,000 ft. in height; in some places overhanging the water, in others partially clothed with wood, and studded with hamlets and villas. But a vast extent of the scenery is bare; for the woods, luxuriant and beautiful as they are on the immediate shores of the lake, bear but little proportion to the bordering mountains, where the crags and cliffs, partly from their excessive steepness, partly from the dryness of the soil, and the burning effects of the sun, nourish no vegetable production whatever,

but present an aspect of glaring arid whiteness. This defect prevails throughout the greater part of Alpine and Apennine scenery, and is particularly striking on the Lakes of Como and Lugano.

On the west bank of the lake, soon after leaving the suburb of Vico, between the villages of Cernobbio and Moltrasio, is the Villa d'Este, long the residence of Queen Caroline, the unfortunate wife of George IV. of England.

On the east bank, a little beyond the village of Blevio, is the villa Taglioni, with a Swiss cottage, formerly the property of that celebrated danseuse. A little way beyond Torno, on the east bank, is the villa Pliniana, at the end of a bay and at the entrance of a narrow gorge. It is a gloomy edifice, now the property of the Princess Belgiojoso. Behind it is the celebrated intermittant fountain described by the younger Pliny. At the angle formed by the branches of Como and Lecco, is BELLAGGIO. (Hotels: Grande Bretagne, Genazzini, de Florence.) The scenery here is exceedingly beautiful. In the neighbourhood are many charming villas. On the west bank opposite Bellaggio, is CADENABBIA (Hotel: Bellevue), one of the finest situations on the lake.

Beyond, and on the same bank, is La Majolica (Hotel: de Milan), a favourite summer residence.

Four miles beyond Bellaggio, on the west bank, is MENAGGIO (Hotel: la Corona), from which there

is

a good carriage road, six miles, to Porlezza on Lake Lugano. Beyond this point there are fewer villas, and the shores are less interesting. At Colico,which is the last point at which the steamers land, commences the route to Coire, by way of Chiavenna and the Splügen Pass. (See Route 77.)

LL

ROUTE 127.

MILAN TO VENICE.

178 miles; 1st class, 34:50 francs; 2nd, 25'15 francs; 3rd, 1790 francs.

E pass through fertile meadow-lands for a considerable distance; and reach Cassano (16 miles), situated on the Adda. A considerable business is done here in the manufacture of silk. At Treviglio (20 miles) a line goes to Caravaggio and Cremona. country beyondTreviglio abounds in plantations of mulberry trees. We make a gradual ascent to

The

BERGAMO (31 miles), (Hotels: d'Italia, Capello), population about 38,000. It consists of the old and the new town. In the former, in the great square called Piazza Garibaldi, is the Palazzo Nuovo, occupied by the municipal offices, and the Palazzo Vecchio, standing upon three Gothic arches, with sculptured pillars; in front stands a statue of Tasso.

The Public Library is on the first floor of the Palazzo Vecchio. Behind this building is the fine Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, of which the earliest portion is of the 12th century. The interior contains some fine paintings and elaborate woodcarvings. The Duomo is without interest. The Church of Santa Grata has a fine altar-piece, representing the Virgin and several saints. The Church of San Spirito and some others contain good paintings.

There is a picture gallery in the Academia Carrera, and a good library in the Broletto, or Townhall.

Pleasant excursions may be made in the neighbourhood. From Bergamo there is a railway to Lecco.

BRISCIA (63 miles), (Hotel: d'Italia), the Brixia of the Romans, is now a prosperous city of 40,000 inhabitants. From the great strength of its fortifications it was called "the strong." It contains the ruins of an ancient Roman building, with Corinthian columns, supposed to have been a temple. Within its precincts is the Museo Patrio, containing bronzes and other remains, discovered in making excavations. There are two Cathedrals. The Duomo Vecchio,called the Rotunda, a building of the 9th century, contains some fine paintings. Good paintings and frescoes are also to be found in many of the other churches. The Palazzo della

Municipalita is richly decorated with carvings and sculptures. There are several other palaces and galleries worth visiting.

Brescia possesses, moreover, a good Library, containing many rare volumes and manuscripts, a curious old Town-hall, and a fine Clock-tower. The Campo Santo is beautifully laid out. Some miles after leaving Brescia we

obtain a view of Monte Chiaro on the right, and soon afterwards reach Lonato (78 miles), beyond which we obtain the first view of the Lago di Garda, and crossing a viaduct arrive at

Desenzano (80§ miles), (Hotel: Albergo Reale), population 5,000, situated near the shore of the lake. The Peninsula, or island of Sermione, is covered with groves of olives. It contains an old castle, a church adorned with frescoes, and several Roman remains, including some called the Baths of Catullus, some subterranean passages, and the ruins,

apparently, of a magnificent building, the character of which cannot be traced. The scenery around the lake is varied and beautiful. The lake itself is the largest in Italy, being 35 miles long, and 7 miles broad in the widest part; its greatest depth is 1,900 ft.

[From Desenzano an excursion may be made to Solferino, the scene of the great battle fought between the Austrians and the allied forces of the French and Piedmontese, on the 24th of June, 1859, in which the latter were victorious. The whole excursion occupies about six hours.]

The next station is Peschiera (90 miles), a strongly fortified place near the lake.

Passing Castel Nuovo, a village burned by the Austrians in 1848, and Somma Campagna, we reach

VERONA (1044 miles), (Hotels: delle due Torri, La Torre di Londra), population 60,000. It is beautifully situated on the Adige, by which it is divided into two unequal parts, connected by four bridges. The aspect of the town, and of the rich country around, is remarkably fine. It is a fortress of the first rank, a member of the famous Quadrilateral, and has always been considered a place of strength since it was surrounded with walls by the Emperor Gallienus, A.D. 265. Its modern fortifications are amongst the most extraordinary works of military engineering in Europe. After passing into the hands of the Austrians in 1815, it was greatly strengthened. The interior of the town is worthy of its situation. The Adige sweeps through it in a bold curve, and forms a peninsula, within which the whole of the ancient, and the greater part of the modern city, is enclosed. The river is wide and rapid; the

streets, as in almost all continental towns, are narrow, but long, straight, with houses well-built, and frequently presenting, in the form of the doors and windows, and in the ornaments of their framework, fine proportions and beautiful workmanship.

This city possesses one of the noblest monuments of Roman magnificence now existing; its AMPHITHEATRE, inferior in size, but equal in materials and in solidity to the Coliseum. The external circumference, forming the ornamental part, was destroyed long ago, with the exception of one piece of wall containing three stories of four arches, rising to the height of more than eighty feet. The pilasters and decorations of the outside were Tuscan. Forty-five ranges of seats, rising from the arena to the top of the second story of outward arches, remain entire, with the numerous vomitoria and their respective staircases and galleries of communication. The whole is formed of blocks of marble, and presents such a mass of compact solidity as might have defied the influence of time, had not its powers been aided by the more active operations of barbarian destruction. The amphitheatre was built, it is supposed, between the years 81 and 117. Its lesser diameter is 404 feet, that of the arena 146 feet, and the edifice is calculated to have contained 22,000 people. This, as well as many of the other structures of the city, has a handsome appearance, owing to having been built of Verona marble. Amongst other Roman remains are the Porta dei Borsari and the Arco de' Leoni, both fine specimens of ancient Roman gateways. The walls of the town also preserve, in many parts, traces of their Roman origin. In the Piazza Bra are also

the old Town-hall, now a barrack, the Teatro Filarmonico and the Museo Lapidario, the latter containing a good collection of Roman statuary, bas-reliefs, &c. The Piazza dei Signori contains the Palazzo del Consiglio, or Hall of Council. It is a handsome building, adorned with bas-reliefs, and statues of distinguished Veronese, of whom the most renowned is Catullus, the poet. There are some other fine palaces in the square, and a campanile about 300 feet high. In the centre is a statue of Dante. Adjoining the Piazza dei Signori is the Piazza delle Erbe, or vegetable-market, formerly the Forum. A fountain stands in the centre, said to have been erected by King Berengarius in the 10th century. There is also a clock-tower of the 14th century, and a pillar consisting of a single block of marble, on which the lion of St. Mark once stood. In this square is the Casa dei Mercanti, or Exchange, built in 1301, and the Palazzo Maffei, a fine building in the Italian style of the 17th century. In a churchyard adjoining the church of Santa Maria l'Antica, near the Piazza dei Signori, are the tombs of the Scaligeri, seigniors of Verona. These curious monuments, the perfect preservation of which is so highly creditable, present one of the most attractive sights in Verona. The most striking are those of Mastino II., who died in 1351, and his son, Can Signorio; that at the corner of the Piazza dei Signori, Mastino ordered to be prepared during his lifetime for the reception of his remains; as, in imitation of his father, did Can Signorio, whose monument was finished in 1375, a year before the death of its princely occupant. The Palazzo Pompei, near the Ponte Navi, contains a fine Pic

ture Gallery, and a Museum of marbles and other antiquities.

The Cathedral is a Gothic building of the 14th century, but the façade and choir are of the 12th century. In the porch, which is supported by columns, of which those in front rest on griffins, stand the statues of the renowned paladins, Roland and Oliver. Over one of the altars is an Assumption, by Titian. Many of the other churches, of which there are forty, contain fine paintings, sculptures and monuments. Amongst those best deserving of a visit are Sant' Eufemia, Santa Elena, Sant' Anastasia, San Bernardino, San Fermo Maggiore, San Giovanni, San Zenone, Santa Maria in Organo, Santa Maria della Scala, San Stefano, SS. Nazaro e Celso, and San Tomaso Cantuariense. In a garden on the bank of the Adige, south of the Piazza Bra, is shown a sarcophagus of Verona marble, which is called the Tomb of Juliet. A chink is contrived for the admission of air, a kind of socket for the reception of a torch, and a reserved space in the part where lay the head. It is supposed that Juliet died in 1303, in the reign of Barthelemo della Scala, Shakespeare's Escalo. The rival families who owe their fame to the mighty master, were styled the Montecchi and the Cappelletti. The Cappelletti Palace is still pointed out in Verona, in the street S. Sabestiano.

The early history of Verona is involved in obscurity, and there is some difficulty in determining whether it originally belonged to the Euganei, or the Cenomani. It afterwards fell into the hands of the Romans, and, under the empire, became one of the most flourishing cities in the north of Italy. Constantine took it by assault in 312; Stilicho defeated

Italian authority, has derived materials for his tragedy of "Romeo and Juliet." In 1259 the town received Mastino della Scala as its ruler. In 1405 the city gave itself over to Venice, in order to free itself from its tyrants, who were alternately of the Scala, the Visconti, or the Carrara families, and has since shared the vicissitudes of the rest of Venetia.

Leaving Verona, we pass Caldiero (112 miles), the ancient Calidarium, where are some

It

VICENZA (134) miles), (Hotels: de la Ville, le Due Ruote, La Stella d'Oro), population, 36,000. is situated at the confluence of two small rivers, the Bacchiglione and Retrone, which are crossed by eight bridges, one of them, consisting of a single arch, being ascribed to Palladio, who constructed many of the buildings in the town. The Piazza dei Signori is a fine square. Here are two columns erected by the Venetians, resembling those in the