Rafael in Italy / A Geographical Reader

aloud to his mother, and at the end

?" he ask

. "I know so little of Italy, outside of Venice," he urged

have such another opportunity to see the Eternal City. Y

s for me," he cried. He half thought she would go at once to pa

of ground in Florence. It is a pity you are not going to be there on Holy Saturday, the

out it," sa

of old Florence who went to Jerusalem brought from the Holy Sepulchre two pieces of the stone, and also

his light, he rode the whole distance back

ey cried out after him, 'Pazzi! Pazzi!' which means mad-man. Finally he was called by the name of Pazzi, and was the f

orence. They are taken out once every year, and the people are allowed to look at them, and a

near to see it. Two yoke of pure white Tuscan oxen are chosen to pull the car into the Piazz

when everything is very still, and are taken early the ne

lands of flowers. Fireworks of many kinds are hidden among the flowers and p

quare in front of the cathedral,-'the very great heart of Florence.' A wire is then stretched

nd walks with it to the cathedral, lighting the candles of the people as he goes.

re, collect in the square in front of the cathedral, and th

moment when the 'Gloria in Excelsis' is reached, the Archbishop places a lighted taper in the bill of an

o the high altar, and if the trip is successful and the fireworks go off with a great burning and banging,

ed with the arms of the Pazzi family, are again harnessed to the car; it is refilled with

buy new hats, and wear the

e burning was not so good as usual," she said with a smile

dith's letter, where his eyes fell upon

nd it hard to understand our

different ruler,-sometimes a family, and sometimes a Doge, as here in Venice. The Sc

tion of the many states into one kingdom under one king, and since then our people have

tired of listening to the stories of the

to go to Florence

lied his mother. "Write to your fri

was taken to the station in his little boat, poled by his friend Nicolo; a