Val dArno

Val d'Arno [with accents]

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Title: Val d'Arno
Author: John Ruskin
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VAL D'ARNO
BY
JOHN RUSKIN, M.A.

LECTURE I. NICHOLAS THE PISAN LECTURE II. JOHN THE
PISAN LECTURE III. SHIELD AND APRON LECTURE IV.
PARTED PER PALE LECTURE V. PAX VOBISCUM LECTURE VI.
MARBLE COUCHANT LECTURE VII. MARBLE RAMPANT
LECTURE VIII. FRANCHISE LECTURE IX. THE TYRRHENE SEA
LECTURE X. FLEUR DE LYS APPENDIX

LIST OF PLATES.
THE ANCIENT SHORES OF ARNO
I. THE PISAN LATONA II. NICCOLA PISANO'S PULPIT III. THE
FOUNTAIN OF PERUGIA IV. NORMAN IMAGERY V. DOOR OF
THE BAPTISTERY. PISA VI. THE STORY OF ST. JOHN.
ADVENT VII. " " " " " DEPARTURE VIII. "THE CHARGE TO
ADAM" GIOVANNI PISANO IX. " " " " MODERN ITALIAN X.
THE NATIVITY. GIOVANNI PISANO XI. " " MODERN ITALIAN
XII. THE ANNUNCIATION AND VISITATION

VAL D'ARNO
TEN LECTURES

ON
THE TUSCAN ART DIRECTLY ANTECEDENT TO THE
FLORENTINE YEAR OF VICTORIES
GIVEN BEFORE THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD IN
MICHAELMAS TERM, 1873

LECTURE I.
NICHOLAS THE PISAN.
1. On this day, of this month, the 20th of October, six hundred and
twenty-three years ago, the merchants and tradesmen of Florence met
before the church of Santa Croce; marched through the city to the
palace of their Podesta; deposed their Podesta; set over themselves, in
his place, a knight belonging to an inferior city; called him "Captain of
the People;" appointed under him a Signory of twelve Ancients chosen
from among themselves; hung a bell for him on the tower of the Lion,
that he might ring it at need, and gave him the flag of Florence to bear,
half white, and half red.
The first blow struck upon the bell in that tower of the Lion began the
tolling for the passing away of the feudal system, and began the joy-
peal, or carillon, for whatever deserves joy, in that of our modern
liberties, whether of action or of trade.
2. Within the space of our Oxford term from that day, namely, on the
13th of December in the same year, 1250, died, at Ferentino, in Apulia,
the second Frederick, Emperor of Germany; the second also of the two
great lights which in his lifetime, according to Dante's astronomy, ruled
the world,--whose light being quenched, "the land which was once the
residence of courtesy and valour, became the haunt of all men who are
ashamed to be near the good, or to speak to them."
"In sul paese chadice e po riga solea valore e cortesia trovar si prima
che federigo Bavessi briga, or puo sicuramente indi passarsi per
qualuuche lasciassi per vergogna di ragionar co buoni, e appressarsi."
PURO., Cant. 16.
3. The "Paese che Adice e Po riga" is of course Lombardy; and might
have been enough distinguished by the name of its principal river. But
Dante has an especial reason for naming the Adige. It is always by the
valley of the Adige that the power of the German Caesars descends on
Italy; and that battlemented bridge, which doubtless many of you

remember, thrown over the Adige at Verona, was so built that the
German riders might have secure and constant access to the city. In
which city they had their first stronghold in Italy, aided therein by the
great family of the Montecchi, Montacutes, Mont-aigu-s, or Montagues;
lords, so called, of the mountain peaks; in feud with the family of the
Cappelletti,--hatted, or, more properly, scarlet-hatted, persons. And this
accident of nomenclature, assisted by your present familiar knowledge
of