Val dArno

Val d'Arno [with accents]

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Val d'Arno, by John Ruskin #6 in our series by John Ruskin
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Title: Val d'Arno
Author: John Ruskin
Release Date: July, 2005 [EBook #8523] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on July 19, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
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VAL D'ARNO
BY
JOHN RUSKIN, M.A.

LECTURE I. NICHOLAS THE PISAN LECTURE II. JOHN THE PISAN LECTURE III. SHIELD AND APRON LECTURE IV. PARTED PER PALE LECTURE V. PAX VOBISCUM LECTURE VI. MARBLE COUCHANT LECTURE VII. MARBLE RAMPANT LECTURE VIII. FRANCHISE LECTURE IX. THE TYRRHENE SEA LECTURE X. FLEUR DE LYS APPENDIX

LIST OF PLATES.
THE ANCIENT SHORES OF ARNO
I. THE PISAN LATONA II. NICCOLA PISANO'S PULPIT III. THE FOUNTAIN OF PERUGIA IV. NORMAN IMAGERY V. DOOR OF THE BAPTISTERY. PISA VI. THE STORY OF ST. JOHN. ADVENT VII. " " " " " DEPARTURE VIII. "THE CHARGE TO ADAM" GIOVANNI PISANO IX. " " " " MODERN ITALIAN X. THE NATIVITY. GIOVANNI PISANO XI. " " MODERN ITALIAN XII. THE ANNUNCIATION AND VISITATION

VAL D'ARNO
TEN LECTURES
ON
THE TUSCAN ART DIRECTLY ANTECEDENT TO THE FLORENTINE YEAR OF VICTORIES
GIVEN BEFORE THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD IN MICHAELMAS TERM, 1873

LECTURE I.
NICHOLAS THE PISAN.
1. On this day, of this month, the 20th of October, six hundred and twenty-three years ago, the merchants and tradesmen of Florence met before the church of Santa Croce; marched through the city to the palace of their Podesta; deposed their Podesta; set over themselves, in his place, a knight belonging to an inferior city; called him "Captain of the People;" appointed under him a Signory of twelve Ancients chosen from among themselves; hung a bell for him on the tower of the Lion, that he might ring it at need, and gave him the flag of Florence to bear, half white, and half red.
The first blow struck upon the bell in that tower of the Lion began the tolling for the passing away of the feudal system, and began the joy- peal, or carillon, for whatever deserves joy, in that of our modern liberties, whether of action or of trade.
2. Within the space of our Oxford term from that day, namely, on the 13th of December in the same year, 1250, died, at Ferentino, in Apulia, the second Frederick, Emperor of Germany; the second also of the two great lights which in his lifetime, according to Dante's astronomy, ruled the world,--whose light being quenched, "the land which was once the residence of courtesy and valour, became the haunt of all men who are ashamed to be near the good, or to speak to them."
"In sul paese chadice e po riga solea valore e cortesia trovar si prima che federigo Bavessi briga, or puo sicuramente indi passarsi per qualuuche lasciassi per vergogna di ragionar co buoni, e appressarsi." PURO., Cant. 16.
3. The "Paese che Adice e Po riga" is of course Lombardy; and might have been enough distinguished by the name of its principal river. But Dante has an especial reason for naming the Adige. It is always by the valley of the Adige that the power of the German Caesars descends on Italy; and that battlemented bridge, which doubtless many of you remember, thrown over the Adige at Verona, was so built that the German riders might have secure and constant access to the city. In which city they had their first stronghold in Italy, aided therein by the great family of the Montecchi, Montacutes, Mont-aigu-s, or Montagues; lords, so called, of the mountain peaks; in feud with the family of the Cappelletti,--hatted, or, more properly, scarlet-hatted, persons. And this accident of nomenclature, assisted by your present familiar knowledge of the real contests of the sharp mountains with the flat caps, or petasoi, of cloud, (locally giving Mont Pilate its title, "Pileatus,") may in many points curiously illustrate for you that contest of Frederick the Second with Innocent