File:Italian cities (1903) (14774292404).jpg

Identifier: italiancities01blas (find matches)
Title: Italian cities
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Blashfield, Edwin Howland, 1848-1936 Blashfield, Evangeline Wilbour, d. 1918
Subjects: Art -- Italy Cities and towns -- Italy Italy -- Description and travel
Publisher: New York : Scribner's
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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these son-nets, named after the months of the year, highlyfinished as the miniatures of a missal-border, is a bril-liant and animated picture of contemporary life. In them the joyous company, the godereccia,spendereccia, hrigata of Dante rides past us, a gayprocession so vividly depicted that we seem to seethe patternings of the embroidered surcoats, andtouch the garlands of spring flowers, and hear thejingling of harness and a sound of psalteries asthe cavalcade canters by in the easy swing of thesonnet. All travellers have learned, sometimes to theircost, how often it is festa in Italy, and the holidayswere twice as numerous in the old times whenwhole weeks were devoted to merry-making. Afterthe privations and suffering of a campaign or asiege, the good things of life were enjoyed with akeener zest; the very uncertainty of human exist-ence caused men to live in the present and eagerlysnatch at each passing joy, and never were eartldy 104 PISA CAMPO SANTOFRANCESCO TRAINI ? I GAUDENTI
Text Appearing After Image:
SIENA delights more appreciated than by those who atany moment might be obliged to renounce themforever. The great Italian nobles kept open house, cortihandite, at Christmas, Pentecost, Easter, mid-sum-mer, harvest-time, and all through the month ofMay. To these festivals came not only beltedknights with their squires and varlets, their horses,hawks, and hounds, but noble ladies with theirpages and bower-maidens; and every one who couldsing a song or tell a story, poet and musician,buffoon and juggler, found a warm welcome, freequarters, and generous largesse. It was the busy idleness of these house-parties which Folgore described in his year of sonnets.For these past-masters in the art of delicate living,every season had its special diversion, every day itspleasure-party, every evening its revel. In Januarythe joyous companions were installed in com-fortable chambers, warmed by roaring fires, andlighted by many torches, where they shook the diceor leaned over the chess-board; while f

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