_cicerone_, nearly all, except to remark that no one church in Florence,
the Cathedral and Baptistery on the _Piazza del Duomo_ excepted, has its
façade finished, and they will remain probably for ever unfinished, as the
completion of them would cost very large sums of money, and the restored
Government, however anxious to resuscitate the _ancient faith_, are not
inclined to make large disbursements from their own resources for that
purpose. I wish however they would finish the façade of two of these
churches, viz., that of _Santa Maria Novella_ and that of _Santa Croce_.
_Santa Maria Novella_ stands in the Piazza of that name which is very
large. It is a beautiful edifice, and can boast in the interior of it
several columns and pilasters of _jaune antique_ and of white marble. But
they have a most barbarous custom in Florence of covering these columns
with red cloth on _jours de Fête_, which spoils the elegant simplicity of
the columns and makes the church itself resemble a _théâtre des
Marionnettes_. But the Italians are dreadfully fond of gaudy colours. In
the church of _Santa Croce_ what most engaged my attention was the monument
erected to Vittorio Alfieri, sculptured by Canova. It is a most beautiful
piece of sculpture. A figure of Italy crowned with turrets seems fully
sensible of the great loss she has sustained in one who was so ardent a
patriot, as well as an excellent tragic poet. This monument was erected at
the expence of the Countess of Albany (Queen of England, had _legitimacy_
always prevailed, or been as much in fashion as it now is) as a mark of
esteem and affection towards one who was so tenderly attached to her, and
of whom in his writings Alfieri speaks with the endearing and affectionate
appellation of _mia Donna_. The beautiful sonnet to her, which accompanies
the dedication of his tragedy of _Mirra_, well deserves the monument; there
is so much feeling in it that I cannot retrain from transcribing it:

Vergognando talor, che ancor si taccia,
Donna, per me l'almo tuo nome in fronte