Chapter I: Front Matter

THE ENGLISHWOMAN IN ITALY.

THE
ENGLISHWOMAN IN ITALY.

IMPRESSIONS OF LIFE
IN THE
ROMAN STATES AND SARDINIA,
DURING A TEN YEARS' RESIDENCE.

BY
MRS. G. GRETTON.

LONDON:
HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,
SUCCESSORS TO HENRY COLBURN,
13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.

JOHN CHILDS AND SON, PRINTERS.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. PAGE

Departure from Florence—The Vettura—Inn among the
Apennines—General aspect of towns in Romagna—Causes
of their decay—Austrian officers at Forli—Dangers
of the road—First impressions of Ancona 1

CHAPTER II.

Description of the Palazzo—An English family, though
Italian born—Complimentary visits of the Anconitan
nobility—How they pass their time—Dislike to country
walks—Modern _Cavaliere Servente_ 10

CHAPTER III.

A marriage in high life—Wedding outfit—The first
interview—Condition of single women—The laws of
courtship—Dependence of young married people—Anecdotes
of mothers-in-law 19

CHAPTER IV.

System pursued towards children—Results of Jesuit
training—Anecdotes of the Sacré Cœur—A
_Contessina_ just out of the convent—Difficulty
of giving a liberal education to young nobles—No
profession open to them but the Church—Their
ignorance and idleness 26

CHAPTER V.

The middle classes—Superior education of the men—Low
standard of female intellect and manners—Total
separation from the nobility—Cultivated physician—A
peep into his household—Family economy—_Conversazione_
at the chemist's—Passion for gambling—The _caffè_ 37

CHAPTER VI.

Prejudice against fires—General dilapidation of
dwelling-houses—A lady's _valet de chambre_—Kindness
towards servants—Freedom of intercourse with their
masters—Devotedness of Italians to the sick—Horror of
death—Funerals—Mourning 46

CHAPTER VII.

Decline of Carnival diversions—Dislike to being brought
into contact with Austrians—The theatre—Public
_Tombole_—Short-sighted policy of the Government 59

CHAPTER VIII.

The Lottery—Its miserable results—Evening parties—Absence
of all ostentation—Poverty no crime—Grand supper on
Shrove Tuesday—Reception of a Cardinal 67

CHAPTER IX.

Picturesque environs of Ancona—Dwellings of the
peasantry—Their simplicity and trust—Manner of life
and amusements—A wedding feast 76

CHAPTER X.

A rural christening—The young count 86

CHAPTER XI.

Lent observances—Compulsory confession—The sepulchres on
Holy Thursday—Procession on Good Friday—Blessing the
houses—Joyful celebration of Easter 95

CHAPTER XII.

Festivals of the Madonna—The Duomo—Legend of San
Ciriaco—Miraculous Picture—Course of sermons by Padre
G———General irreligion of the Anconitans—Ecclesiastical
tribunal of 1856—The Sacconi 103

CHAPTER XIII.

Political condition of Ancona—Arrogance of the Austrian
General—Strictness of the martial law—A man shot on the
denunciation of his wife—Application of the
stick—Republican excesses—Proneness to
assassination—_Infernal Association_ in 1849 110

CHAPTER XIV.

Execution of a criminal—Sympathy for his fate—The
Ghetto—Hardships of the Jews—The case of the Mortara
child not without precedent—Story of the Merchant and
his niece 121

CHAPTER XV.

A wedding in the Ghetto—Contrast between the state of the
Christian and Hebrew population—Arrival of the
post—Highway robberies—Exploits of Passatore 128

CHAPTER XVI.

A visit to Macerata—The journey—The Marziani
family—Volunnia the old maid—The Marchesa Gentilina's
midnight communications 137

CHAPTER XVII.

Comfortless bed-room—National fear of water—Waste of
time—Occupations of the different members of the
family—Volunnia's sitting-room—Her acquirements 145

CHAPTER XVIII.

Volunnia's inquisitiveness—Her strictures on English
propriety—The Marchesa Silvia's dread of heretics—The
dinner—The Marchesa Gentilina knits stockings and
talks politics 151

CHAPTER XIX.

A conversazione verbatim—Admiration for Piedmont—An
attack of banditti—The Marchesa describes the actual
wretchedness of the country—Cardinal Antonelli's addition
to the calendar year—Monopoly of the corn trade—Entrance
of the Knight of Malta 160

CHAPTER XX.

Conversazione continued—Match-making—The Codini opposed
to travelling—Hopes of the liberals centred in
Piedmont—Volunnia's pleasantries—Story of the young
noble and his pasteboard soldiers 169

CHAPTER XXI.

Unwillingness of the Italians to speak on serious
topics—Indifference of the majority to literature—Reasons
for discouraging the cultivation of female
intellect—The Marchesa Gentilina relates her convent
experiences—Admiration of English domestic life 176

CHAPTER XXII.

On the study of music in the Marche—Neglect of
painting—The young artist—His hopeless love—His
jealousy—His subsequent struggles and constancy 187

CHAPTER XXIII.

From Ancona to Umana—Moonlight view—The
country-house—Indifference of the Anconitans to flowers
and gardening—Ascent of the mount—Magnificent prospect
at sunrise—Trappist convent 196

CHAPTER XXIV.

The bishop's palace at Umana—Inroad of beggars—The
grotto of the slaves—The physician's political
remarks—Approach to Loretto—Bad reputation of its
inhabitants—Invitation from the Canonico 204

CHAPTER XXV.

The Santa Casa—Pilgrims—The treasury—Exquisite statues
and bassi-rilievi—Chocolate at the Canonico's—La Signora
Placida—A survey of the house—The rich vestments 214

CHAPTER XXVI.

Visit to the Carmelites at Jesi—Our joyous reception—The
casino and theatre—Infractions of convent discipline—The
dinner near the sacristy—In company with the friars we
visit the nuns 224

CHAPTER XXVII.

The writer's motive for not having dwelt minutely on
political or historical subjects—Antiquity of Ancona—Its
reputation under the Roman Empire—Its celebrated
resistance to the Emperor Frederic Barbarossa—Stratagem
employed by its deliverers—Continues to be a free city
till 1532, when it is surprised by Gonzaga, General of
Pope Clement VII., and subjected to the Holy
See—Flourishes under Napoleon—Restoration of the
Papacy—Pontifical possessions—Explanation of the terms,
Legations and Romagna—Bologna conquered in 1506, by
Julius II., but retains a separate form of
government—Ferrara, Urbino, &c.—Dates of their
annexation 234

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Injudicious policy of the Government at the
Restoration—Non-fulfilment of the _Motu proprio_
of Pius VII.—Disappointment of the pontifical
subjects—Inability of Cardinals Consalvi and Guerrieri
to contend against the narrow views of their
colleagues—Reasons of Austria's animosity against the
former—Guerrieri's projected reforms bring about his
fall—The constitutional movement of 1820-21—Its effect
in the Papal States—Abuse of Consalvi's
instructions—Extreme political rigour under Leo
XII.—Distracted condition of the country—The
_Sanfedisti_ rising of 1831—First Austrian army
intervention in Romagna—Conferences at Rome—Mr
Seymour's protest—Fresh disturbances in the
Legations—The Austrians again occupy Bologna—The French
land at Ancona—The reign of Gregory XVI. 241

CHAPTER XXIX.

Accession of Pius IX.—The amnesty—His unbounded
popularity—His reforms and concessions—Disasters
entailed by the French Revolution—The encyclical of the
29th April—Revulsion of feeling—The Mazzinians gain
ground—Austrian intrigues—Assassination of Count
Rossi—The Pope's flight to Gaeta—Efforts of the
Constitutionalists to bring about an accommodation—The
republic is proclaimed in Rome—Excesses in Ancona and
Senigallia—Moderation of the Bolognese—Their courageous
resistance to General Wimpffen—Siege of Ancona—Extreme
severities of the victors 252