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11 October 1871 — Valencia | |
Wednesday. 11th October [1871]. Went out directly after breakfast with Giovanni & Mr Dart. We went to the Cathedral wh is very interesting. The Architecture is abominable, the once fine old church having been spoilt & modernized at the worst time. There are several very good pictures some very fine Juanes & some Ribaltas. There are also beautiful folding doors over the high altar with 12 panels painted in the Florentine style & a Juanes at the back of the altar. From the Cathedral we went to the silk exchange a most beautiful building with an open loggia at the top & battlements in the shape of crowns. We went thro the market to Mr Dart’s house where he kindly gave us some luncheon & we there met his cousin Mr [illegible word]. From here we went in a Tartana or cab on 2 wheels to the Museum where was a great collection of rubbish amongst wh are a few good pictures by Juanes, Ribalta & Espinosa. We were accompanied by one of the artists of the town belonging to the Museum but he had not the faintest idea by whom were any of the pictures & had to bungle away over the Catalogue when referred to by us. From the Museum we went back to the Hotel to rest for an hour. On passing the church of St Juan we looked in & found a grand funeral going on; the bier was built up to an immense height & was profusely covered with black cloth & gold. The church was full & a full choral service with a band to help was going on. We asked what great funeral was going on & were told that it was the funeral of an old woman who used to sell tripe in the market. At 4½ Mr Dart called for us again & we went out again in the tartana & took a turn in the Alameda a very pretty drive on the other side of the river, we then drove round the outside of the town to see the 2 fine old gates wh are magnificent & well worth going to see; we went also to the Bull ring & went into it & saw the stables & the places where the bulls are put. The ring is the finest in Spain & is beautifully proportioned & must have been a very fine sight last week when on the occasion of the King’s visit the ring was perfectly full. In the evening there were some fireworks in the square of the hotel in honor of some church feast wh took place yesterday & we sat on the balcony to watch them. | |
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