AUSTRIAN ITALY. 



669 



tion of about 20,000 Waldenses, a sect somewhat resembling the Calvinists, the inhabitants are 

 Roman Cathohcs. The clergy is neither very numerous nor very rich. 



17. Government. The king of Sardinia is an absolute, hereditary monarch. The govern- 

 ment is directed by a Supreme Council of State, a Council of Finances, a Council of Govern- 

 ment, the Council of Savoy, the Senate of Turin, the Council of Nice, and the Council of 

 Genoa. Justice is administered by the nobles. 



18. Revenue., Debt., &c. The yearly revenue is about 12,000,000 dollars; the debt, 

 24,000,000 dollars. The army consists of 46,000 men ; and the navy of 2 ships of 54 guns, 

 and 6 or S smaller vessels. 



19. History. The Sardinian monarchy grew from the little district of Savoy. The duke 

 of Savoy obtained many accessions of territory, in the early part of the ISth century. In 1720, 

 he obtained the island of Sardinia, with the title of king. 



CHAPTER LXXXI. AUSTRIAN ITALY, OR THE LOMBARDO- VENE- 

 TIAN KINGDOM. 



1. Boundaries, Extent, and Divisions. The Austrian dominions in Italy occupy the east- 

 ern part of northern Italy. They consist of two divisions ; the Republic of Venice, in the 

 east, and Lombardy, in the west.* They are bounded N. by the Tyrol and Carinthia ; E. by 

 Istria, Carniola, and the Adriatic ; S. by the States of the Church, Modena, and Parma ; and 

 W. by the Sardinian dominions. They extend from 45° to 47° north latitude ; and from 9° 

 to 14° east longitude. Their greatest length from east to west, is 220 miles, and their breadth 

 140 miles. They contain 20,000 square miles. 



2. Rivers. The Po washes the southern limit of this territory. This river is denominated 

 the prince of the Italian streams. It rises in the western Alps, on the confines of France and 

 Italy, and passes easterly through the Sardinian States, receiving innumerable streams on either 

 hand, from the Alps and Apennines. Continuing east, it divides Parma, Modena, and the 

 ecclesiastical territory from the Austrian dominions, and falls into the Adriatic, after a course 

 of 375 miles. It is everywhere deep, with a rapid current. Its branches are the Doria, Le- 

 sia, Ticino, Jidda, Oglio, and Minero, from the north ; and the Tanaro, Trebbia, and Pa- 

 naro, from the south. It is navigable from Turin to the sea. The sand and gravel washed 

 down from the mountains, have raised the bed of the river, in modern times, to such an eleva- 

 tion, that in some places banks 30 feet high are necessary to preserve the country from inunda- 

 tion. The Adige rises in the Alps of Tyrol, and flowing south, enters this territory, after 

 which, it turns to the east, and falls into the Adriatic ; it is 200 miles in length. The Piave, 

 and several other small streams from the north, flow into the Adriatic. 



3. Lakes. Lago JMaggiore extends from Locarno, in the Swiss canton of Tesino, to Se- 

 sto, in the Milanese, 37 miles; it is 3 miles in width, and 1,800 feet deep. Its shores abound 

 with Alpine beauties. In it lie the Borromean Isles, laid out in gardens and pleasure-grounds, 

 and containing handsome villas. East of this is the Lake of Como, 32 miles in length ; and, 

 still further east, the Lake of Garda, celebrated by Virgil under the name of Benacus ; it is 30 

 miles long, and 8 miles wide. There are several other smaller lakes in the neighborhood. All 

 of them flow into the Po, and are highly beautiful. 



4. Climate and Face of the Country. The country is for the most part level, but towards 

 the north is broken by spurs of the Alps. To the w'est of Padua are the Euganean hills, from 

 1,500 to 1,800 feet high, of volcanic origin. The climate is mild and healthy ; near the Alps 

 it is cold, and even in the other parts, the rivers are sometimes frozen in winter, and the 

 southern plants are injured by frosts. The heats of summer are tempered by refreshing breezes 

 from the Alps. 



5. Soil. Lombardy is a level country, and consists entirely of an alluvial plain, with one 

 of the richest soils in the world. Near the mountains, gravel is mixed with the earth, but al- 

 most the whole tract is composed of a deep black mould. 



' The present political divisions are : 2. Tha Government of T'enicr, comprisingf eight Pro 



1 The Gove rnine lit. of MiJ an, compus'ing nine homhard vinces ; Venice, Vernna, Padiia, Vicenza, Kovigo, Tre- 



Provinces; Milan, Pavia, Lodi, Como, Cremona, Sondrio visa, Eelluno, and (Jdine or Friuli. 



ar Tlie Valteline, Bergamo, Brescia, and Mantua. 



