In and out of Florence; a new introduction to a well-known city . s abundant sugges-tions of Byzantine-Roman origin, an origin reachingback to the dark days of semi-barbarous civilization,must be suggestive to that constantly passing trainof sightseeing representatives of our inodern day. Out by the Porta Romana, and along the ViaRomana for two or three miles, and one comes toone of the show-places of Florence, the visit to it produces either one of two quite dis-tinct impressions and memories. Either it is leftin ones mind as a place once of great interest butnow a half-real, half
In and out of Florence; a new introduction to a well-known city . s abundant sugges-tions of Byzantine-Roman origin, an origin reachingback to the dark days of semi-barbarous civilization,must be suggestive to that constantly passing trainof sightseeing representatives of our inodern day. Out by the Porta Romana, and along the ViaRomana for two or three miles, and one comes toone of the show-places of Florence, the visit to it produces either one of two quite dis-tinct impressions and memories. Either it is leftin ones mind as a place once of great interest butnow a half-real, half-artificial, museum revelation ofthe mysteries and mummeries of a monastery. Orit is a memory undisturbed by any knowledge of San Minlato, Certosa, Signa 223 the national ownership and supervision of the con-vent, and wholly satisfying as that of a wonderfulmedieval fortress convent, Isolated and inviolate,seated nobly on a beautiful hill overlooking a laugh-ing valley and plain, to the peoples of which the softechoes of the monastery bells come as frequent re-. The Certosa, seated nobly on a beautiful hill overlooking alaughing valley. minders of the devoted, self-mortifying, contem-plative, ecstatic life of the spirit. The first sight of the great building, or rathergroup of buildings, gray, walled in, tower-crowned,on the hill summit, goes far to aid in realizing theCertosa as a genuine relic of medieval , indeed, it is, only It happens to be a showrelic, made self-conscious by over-attention. Theshort, winding walk up the hill from the Via Romanatram (which leaves the Mercato Nuovo In Florenceevery twenty minutes or so) gives one a momentto recall the story of the foundation and rapid up- 224 Outside the Walls L?t^^ ,: i building of the great fortified monastery. Itschurch and cloisters, school-rooms and living quar-ters were built by Niccolo Acciajuoli, in the middleof the fourteenth century. The hill is called Monta- iguto, and the monastery was first kno
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidinoutofflore, bookyear1910
