1S41.] 



THE (^IVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



37 



most Pxquisite style of finish, and perfect in contour and taste, and it 

 may be said tliat the Roman artists have attained perfection in this 

 beautiful art. Good shell cameos may be had at from 1/. to 5/. for 

 heads, 3/. to 1/. for the finest large brooches, a comb costs 10/., and a 

 complete set of necklace, ear-rings, and brooch cost 21/. A portrait 

 can be executed for -1/. or 5/., according to workmanship. 



Having now touched upon those minor arts wliich have an intimate 

 connection with painting and sculpture, I shall make a few observations 

 on architecture, and the constructive and decorative arts which are 

 connected with that science, but this I must do very briefly indeed, as 

 otlierwise I should occupy too much of the time of the Society. • 



The architects of Italy have bat little scope for a display of ability, 

 as the population is not on the increase, but, on the contrary, except 

 in parts of the Austrian States, has shrunk away from the number re- 

 quired to occupy the palaces, villas, and houses which already exist 

 both in town and country : and this is jtainfully proved by the number 

 of empty and dilapidated edifices. The various buildings which be- 

 long to Government, the churches, colleges, and hospitals, have gene- 

 rally been built on a scale of magnificence which has never been ex- 

 celled, in some instances never equalled, in other countries, but all 

 betoken more or less the same melancholy decline. By this observa- 

 tion I do not mean to convey the idea that the buildings themselves 

 are ruined or neglected; I allude to their emptiness, and to the ab- 

 sence of that state which once filled them with its splendour. To her 

 honour, the hospitals of Italy have long been known for their number, 

 extent, and order, and these are still models in many respects. Al- 

 though not many works, yet some of great magnitude are going on in 

 Italy, and in these taste in design, magnificence in material, and soli- 

 dity of construction, are displayed. The restoration of the Basilica of 

 St. Paul's at Rome is an immense undertaking : to eft'ect it, contribu- 

 tions have been obtained from all countries, whether in money or ma- 

 terials. It is said that Geurge the Fourth subscribed ; and I may 

 mention that the facade of another church in the Eternal City has been 

 built at that sovereign's expense, in a way which he must little have 

 anticipated. When the celebrated Gonsalvi visited England, his Ma- 

 jesty presented him with a magnificent snuft'-box, which the cardinal 

 in his will directed to be sold, an 1 the )ii-oceeds applied to put a front 

 on a church which had for a long time been unfinished in that respect. 



The passion which all pontiti's have displayed for building still ani- 

 mates the less potent holders of St. Peter's chair of our day ; and 

 although inhabiting a palace which contains twenty-two court-yards, 

 twelve halls of entrance, twenty-two grand stair-cases, and thirteen 

 hundred of various descriptions ; two large chapels, and eleven thou- 

 sand rooms and galleries, in which miles may be walked without re- 

 turning on the steps, yet eacii succeeding pope adds or alters, or marks 

 repairs with his sculptured coat of arms. 



Although there is not much employment for architects in Italy, there 

 can be uo question of the skill displayed in erecting their designs. 

 The masonry is excellent, and the ancient Roman brick-svork is rivalled 

 by that of the present generation: houses are built of brick, in which 

 all the exterior decorations are moulded in that material as perfectly 

 as if executed in stone. The skill with which the Italian workmen 

 build in brick may be exemplified by a notice of the Florentine prac- 

 tice of arching over rooms without centering of any description. Two 

 thin moulds of board, the shape of the intended arch, alone are used; 

 these are placed at each end of the apartment which it is intended to 

 cover in, and pieces of string are stretched from the one to the other, 

 guiding the workman as he advances in the formation of his arch, 

 which he builds, uniting the bricks by their thin edges (greatly thinner 

 than in those we use), and trusting entirely to the tenacity and quick 

 setting of the cement. 



Plastering is carried to a perfection in Italy of which we have, I 

 believe, no idea in this country ; rooms are so exquisitely finished, 

 that no additional work in the shape of house-painting is required, 

 the polish of the plaster and its evenness of tint rivalling fine porce- 

 lain. At times the surface of the plaster is fluted, or various designs 

 are executed in intagUo upon it, in the most beautiful manner. Sca- 

 gliola, a very fine preparation from gypsum, is the material chiefly 

 used. 



As an instance of the cheap rate at which this work is done, I may 

 mention the new ball-room in the Palazzo Pitti, grand-ducal residence 

 at Florence, which, including mouldings, figures, bas-reliefs, and orna- 

 ments, was executed at a cost of two crowns for every four feet 

 square. 



Work in scagliola naturally follows in my notice of the arts of archi- 

 tectural decoration ; but this I need not decribe, as the art is now 

 practised in England with great success, and an artist has lately settled 

 in Edinburgh, whom I earnestly hope may meet with encouragement. 

 A most beautiful art may be mentioned here in connection with the 

 last, I mean that of making what are termed Venetian pavements 



which might advantageously be introduced into this country. The 

 floors of rooms are finished with this pavement, as it is somewhat in- 

 congruously termed, and I shall briefly descriqe the mode of operation 

 in making these, but must first observe that they are usually formed 

 over vaults. In the first place, a foundation is laid of lime mixed with 

 pozzolana and small pieces of broken stone ; this is in fact a sort of 

 concrete, which must be well beaten and levelled. When this is per- 

 fectly dry, a fine paste, as it is termed by the Italians, must be made 

 of lime, ^^u^^o/tHm, and sand : a yellow sand is used which tinges the 

 mixture ; this is carefully spread to a depth of one or two inches, ac- 

 cording to circumstances. Over this is laid a layer of irregularly 

 broken minute pieces of marlile of diU'erent colours, and if it is wished, 

 these can be arranged in patterns. After the paste is completely 

 covered with pieces of marble, men proceed to beat the floor with 

 large and heavy tools made for the purpose ; when the whole has been 

 beaten into a compact mass, the paste appearing above the pieces of 

 marble, it is left to harden. It is then rubbed smooth with fine grained 

 stones, and is finally brought to a high polish with emery powder, mar- 

 ble-tlust, and, lastly, boiled oil rubbed on with flannel. 



This makes a durable and very beautiful floor, which in this country 

 would be well adapted for halls, conservafories, and other buildings. 

 In connection with the arts which the architect summons to his aid, I 

 shall now notice that of ornamental sculpture ; and here again we must 

 acknowledge the superior skill of the Italians. The chief encourage- 

 ment to artistsof this description, is that given by foreigners, especiaUy 

 by English travellers in Italy. Copies of ancient sculptures, vases, 

 chimney-pieces, and other ornamental articles, are executed in the 

 most perfect manner, and at a very cheap rate. Such is the skill of 

 the Italian v/orkmen, that a native of Carrara actually cut a bird-cage 

 in marble, which he presented to his sovereign the Duke of Modena, 

 who, by the return he made, rather showed his sense of the folly of 

 the sculptor, than of his patient perseverance in the production of so 

 useless a specimen of his skill. 



But whilst the sculptor displays his skill in these comparatively 

 trifling departments, he is equally successful in the execution of archi- 

 tectural details on the most gigantic scale, whether in solid marble or 

 in veneer. By this latter art he produces magnificent colunms plain 

 and fluted, the core of which is of coarse stone, but the joining of the 

 marble-coating is so perfect that the finished pillar seems a mass of 

 solid marble. The marble is attached iu a rough state to the core by 

 means of a cement composed of resin and marble dust, wdiich is so 

 tenacious that it admits of the hammering, chiselling, and polishing 

 necessary in finishing the work. By means of this system of veneer- 

 ing, the interior walls of churches and other buildings are encrusted 

 with rich and varied marbles, and tables and other articles of furniture 

 are manufactured at a very cheap rate. The art which I have just 

 described is, in fact, that of pietra dura on a gigantic scale. 



With the sculpture uf the Italians in alabaster, you must be all ac- 

 quainted. This art is chiefly practised at Pisa, Florence, and Leghorn. 

 The material, besides being used in sculpture, is ingeniously applied 

 in Rome to the manufacture of i'alse pearls. The pieces of alabaster, 

 after being turned and filed into the proper shape, are enveloped iu a 

 brilliant paste, made with the scales of a very small fish found near 

 the shores of the Mediterranean. 



To return to the subsidiary arts of architecture, I may remark that 

 the carpentry of the Italians, as observable in ordinary houses, displays 

 little skill and indifterent workmanship; but in the roofs and floors of 

 important buildings, they satisfactorily prove their knowledge of 

 scientific principles, and several of their designs are well known to 

 British architects. 



With regard to the working of iron, in comparison with our system 

 the Italian is primitive indeed ; yet at times they can and do produce 

 very good specimens of workmanship, but at a heavy cost ; conse- 

 quently they are generally content with very ordinary productions. A 

 manufactory of wire, and of driving and screw nails, by means of ma- 

 chinery, now uccupks the villa of Mtcanas at Ttvolt ; the articles pro- 

 duced are very well made. Copper is extensively used in Italy, and 

 there are productive mines in the Maitmma Toscana, The work- 

 manship of articles made of this metal is respectable; various utensils 

 are made of brass in a very neat and satisfactory manner, but iu the 

 interior finishing of houses, if much nicety is required, articles of 

 foreign manufacture are used. 



House-painters may be mentioned in the last place, and these dis- 

 play much taste and skill ; and there is a class of them who greatly 

 excel those in this country, liaving more the feeling and taste of 

 artists. Surrounded by the finest models in this art, the Italian de- 

 corator enjoys every advantage in its study, and he inherits besides 

 from the best periods of art, or rather from all antiquity, taste and a 

 good system of workmanship. He is not a mere machine like the- 

 workman in this country, who has little use for an intellect beyond 



