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4 October 1884 — Bologna | |
Saturday. 4th October [1884]. When we got up we found that Morelli had arrived last night. He had appointed to be here this eveng so we were agreeably surprised. We had intended going to Modena today but we found it would be a long tiring day & we heard there was a good deal of cholera there. We went off with Morelli to see several churches & pictures– Amongst them Gli Spagnoletti a beautiful sort of academy with chapel attached where Spanish students at the Bologna University live– We went to S. Stefano a curious conglomeration of 7 churches—one of which is simply a very ancient Baptistery beautifully restored & to one or two other churches. To the chapel of Sta Cecilia to see the frescoes by Francia & others wh are most beautifully preserved & restored. We returned to lunch abt 1. A thunderstorm began & it rained a good deal. Abt 2 thinking that the storm was over & the rain would not be much we drove outside the gate of the town to go & call on the Minghettis who live at a villa called Mezzaratta. There is an ascent of abt 15 minutes so steep that a carriage with one horse cannot ascend it. So we got out of our cab to walk up it. At that very moment a fearful storm burst upon us. Thunder, lightning & deluge of rain driven all ways by a hurricane. We struggled on a few steps till we came opposite a small house the owners of which opened hospitably their doors & beckoned us in; we at once took shelter & with difficulty the door was shut. The kind people begged us to remain & wait till the rain was over but as we saw that the fury of the storm was a little spent—& that there was little prospect of the rain stopping we determined to struggle on. This we did & it was not easy to perform the ascent, it was very slippery underfoot owing to the rain rushing down the hill. We were glad to arrive at the Villa & were received by M. & Mme Minghetti with shouts of surprise & commiseration– We sat with them a couple of hours—had a cup of warm tea & as the rain began to abate we started for the town. I went down to the gate of the town in Mme Minghetti’s donkey chaise & thence we were glad to walk back to the hotel to warm our feet. We met staying with the Minghettis Professor Blaserna a Profr of Physics at Rome– We dined at 7 at the Restaurant. Henry & Morelli made artistic notes in eveng while I worked. | |
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