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17 September 1871 — Venice | |
Sunday. 17th September [1871]. At 11 o’cl: Henry & I started to row to Torcello to see the old churches there & the remains of the town. It is now almost a desert island but was once covered with houses having been the 1st island built on & inhabited long before Venice, as it now is, existed. We went by the island of Burano & rowed thro’ the principal canal. Being Sunday all the boats of the fishermen were at home & it was not easy to get thro’ them as they were moored all along the canal. Abt 1¼ took us to Torcello. We went straight to the old churches wh are very curious; in one is a most curious ancient mosaic wh at one time had been begun to be restored but it has been left many years unfinished with the scaffolding up. The rest of the church is also in a very dilapidated state. Behind the altar is the apse with the bishops seat raised in the middle & place for the rest of the clergy in 3 steps on each side—but it is all falling into decay & it is a great pity– We then walked outside the church wh is very picturesque—we walked over the foundations of what must have been fine palaces & we could clearly trace the different canals. Now they stop them up & use them to preserve fish. There are one or two fishermen living on the island who take these fish to sell at Venice. We had brought some luncheon with us in the gondola & we sat in the shade in the ruined Piazza surrounded by the 2 churches, the ruins of the episcopal palace, the old town hall &c & the old stone seat of the in front of us & there eat our luncheon. We then rowed quickly back to Venice & got there abt 4. We sat on the terrace & then dined at 6½ & afterwards went on the Piazza where the band was playing; we there met Mr Maledin who sat with us while we took our coffee. At 9½ we went to Pss Clary’s & took tea with her. We there met besides one of her sons & an Italian lady Mrs Cavendish Bentinck & her daughter who has just come out. She did not seem either a very good looking or clever young lady. We did not stay late. | |
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