670 



AUSTRIAN ITALY. 



6. Canals and Railroads. The Lombardo-Venetian provinces contain a great number of 

 canals, partly designed for navigation, and partly for irrigation ; there are not less than 243 in 

 the government of Venice alone. The JVaviglio Grande and the Martesana Canal have been 

 mentioned in the general view of Italy. The Cavandla Canal joins the Bianco to the Po, 

 and the Loreo Canal unites the Adige with the former. The Brenta Canal occupies the an- 

 cient bed of the Brenta, the course of which was changed by the Venetians some centuries 

 since, to prevent its deposites from choking up their lagoons. An important project for a railroad 

 through these provinces has lately been formed by the imperial government. This railroad will 

 connect the 7 richest and most populous cities of Italy with each other, Venice, Padua, Vicen- 

 za, Verona, Mantua, Brescia, and Milan ; the most gigantic portion will be the bridge over the 

 lagoons, connecting Venice with the main land. The length of the railroad will be 190 miles, 

 passing through a population of three and a half millions, the 7 cities having alone a population 

 of half a million. 



7. Cities. Milan., the capital of the kingdom, and the residence of the viceroy, is a large 

 and splendid city, 11 miles in circumference. It stands in the middle of a vast plain, on a spot 



without any natural advantages, yet the 

 fine canals from the Ticino and Adda, 

 make it the centre of a considerable trade. 

 It is considered the most elegant city in 

 Italy, and was very much improved and 

 beautified by Napoleon. The finest build- 

 ing is the cathedral, which, after St. Pe- 

 ter's, is the largest and most sumptuous 

 church in Italy. It is built of pure white 

 marble, and while the exterior dazzles the 

 beholder by the brilliancy of its material, 

 the richness of its Gothic ornaments, and 

 its 4,000 statues, he is not less struck 

 with admiration by the splendid interior, 

 resting upon 52 marble columns. The 

 college of Brera, now called the Royal 

 Palace of the Sciences, with its fine li- 

 brary of 170,000 volumes ; the viceregal 

 palace ; the vast and magnificent barracks ; 

 the theatre della Scala, one of the largest 

 in the world ; the triumphal arch at the termination of the Simplon road, and the great hos- 

 pital, with the numerous elegant palaces and houses of private persons, constitute some of the 

 ornaments of this city. The literary institutions of Milan are in high repute. Its manufactures 

 are extensive and various, comprising silks, jewelry, &c. Population, 150,000. The hospi- 

 tals and charitable institutions are numerous. JNIilan was founded 584 years before Christ, by 

 the Insubrian Gauls. Ic has been 40 times besieged ; 40 times taken, and 4 times destroyed. 

 It has above 200 churches, and more than 100 monastic institutions. 



Brescia, situated in a fertile and highly cultivated plain, has extensive manufactures of silk, 

 cutlery, and firearms. Population, 31,000. Bergamo, a manufacturing place, with a flourish- 

 ing trade in silk and iron, is remarkable for its great annual fair ; the fair hall is a large building 

 containing 600 shops. Population 24,000. Cremona, on the Po, is a large city, famous for its 

 manufacture of violins. Its cathedral is a remarkable Gothic edifice of great dimensions, with 

 one of the loftiest towers in Europe. Population, 26,000. To the north is Lodi, with 18,000 

 inhabitants, and manufactures of silk and porcelain. The Parmesan cheese is made in the 

 neighborhood. 



Mantua, on a lake near the Mincio, is a large and handsome city, but its population, 27,000 

 inhabitants, is disproportionate to its extent. Its situation and military works render it one of 

 the strongest fortresses in Europe. In the neighborhood is shown the birthplace of Virgil. 

 Pavia, on the Po, contains many elegant edifices, and a celebrated university. The Carthu- 

 sian monastery, in its neighborhood, is one of the finest in Italy. Population, 21,000. 



Venice is certainly the most singular city in the world. It is built upon piles in the midst of 

 a large lagoon or lake, covered with a great number of little isles, which are separated from each 



Cathedral at Milan. 



