Italian Hours

Italian Hours

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Italian Hours, by Henry James (#45 in
our series by Henry James)
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Title: Italian Hours
Author: Henry James
Release Date: August, 2004 [EBook #6354] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on November 29,

2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
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ITALIAN HOURS
BY
HENRY JAMES
PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 1909

PREFACE
The chapters of which this volume is composed have with few
exceptions already been collected, and were then associated with others
commemorative of other impressions of (no very extensive) excursions
and wanderings. The notes on various visits to Italy are here for the
first time exclusively placed together, and as they largely refer to quite
other days than these--the date affixed to each paper sufficiently
indicating this--I have introduced a few passages that speak for a later
and in some cases a frequently repeated vision of the places and scenes
in question. I have not hesitated to amend my text, expressively,
wherever it seemed urgently to ask for this, though I have not pretended

to add the element of information or the weight of curious and critical
insistence to a brief record of light inquiries and conclusions. The fond
appeal of the observer concerned is all to aspects and
appearances--above all to the interesting face of things as it mainly
used to be.
H. J.

CONTENTS
VENICE THE GRAND CANAL VENICE: AN EARLY
IMPRESSION TWO OLD HOUSES AND THREE YOUNG
WOMEN CASA AL VISI FROM CHAMBÉRY TO MILAN THE
OLD SAINT-GOTHARD ITALY REVISITED A ROMAN
HOLIDAY ROMAN RIDES ROMAN NEIGHBOURHOODS THE
AFTER-SEASON IN ROME FROM A ROMAN NOTE-BOOK A
FEW OTHER ROMAN NEIGHBOURHOODS A CHAIN OF CITIES
SIENA EARLY AND LATE THE AUTUMN IN FLORENCE
FLORENTINE NOTES TUSCAN CITIES OTHER TUSCAN CITIES
RAVENNA THE SAINT'S AFTERNOON AND OTHERS

ILLUSTRATIONS
THE HARBOUR, GENOA (Frontispiece) FLAGS AT ST. MARK'S,
VENICE A NARROW CANAL, VENICE PALAZZO MOCENIGO,
VENICE THE AMPHITHEATRE, VERONA CASA ALVISI,
VENICE THE SIMPLON GATE, MILAN THE CLOCK TOWER,
BERNE UNDER THE ARCADES, TURIN ROMAN GATEWAY,
RIMINI SANTA MARIA NOVELLA, FLORENCE THE FAÇADE
OF ST. JOHN LATERAN, ROME THE COLONNADE OF ST.
PETER'S, ROME CASTEL GANDOLFO ENTRANCE TO THE
VATICAN, ROME VILLA D' ESTE, TIVOLI SUBIACO ASSISI
PERUGIA ETRUSCAN GATEWAY, PERUGIA A STREET,
CORTONA THE RED PALACE, SIENA SAN DOMENICO, SIENA
ON THE ARNO, FLORENCE THE GREAT EAVES, FLORENCE

BOBOLI GARDENS, FLORENCE THE HOSPITAL, PISTOIA THE
LOGGIA, LUCCA TOWERS OF SAN GIMIGNANO SAN
APOLLINARE NUOVO, RAVENNA RAVENNA PINETA
TERRACINA

VENICE
It is a great pleasure to write the word; but I am not sure there is not a
certain impudence in pretending to add anything to it. Venice has been
painted and described many thousands of times, and of all the cities of
the world is the easiest to visit without going there. Open the first book
and you will find a rhapsody about it; step into the first picture-dealer's
and you will find three or four high-coloured "views" of it. There is
notoriously nothing more to be said on the subject. Every one has been
there, and every one has brought back a collection of photographs.
There is as little mystery about the Grand Canal as about our local
thoroughfare, and the name of St. Mark is as familiar as the postman's
ring. It is not forbidden, however, to speak of familiar things, and I
hold that for the true Venice- lover Venice is always in order. There is
nothing new to be said about her certainly, but the old is better than any
novelty. It would be a sad day indeed when there should be something
new to say. I write these lines with the full consciousness of having no
information whatever to offer. I do not pretend