[Boats may be hired at Ferrara for | tute of interest. From the walls of Venice, a voyage of 20 hours. There is Ferrara to the gates of Bologna it is a procaccio twice a week to Bologna, covered with hemp, corn, rice-grounds, by water. Travellers may also pro- and meadow lands. At Santa Cataceed by the canals to Ravenna. The rina, a short distance N. of the Reno, canals from Ferrara are the following the line of separation between the Le(these communicate with many others, gations of Ferrara and Bologna is by which a constant intercourse is passed; and about a mile before armaintained with the central towns of riving at Malalbergo the Reno, enNorthern Italy):-The canal called the closed between high embankments, is Pò di Volano leads from the Porta Ro- crossed by a bridge. mana to the Adriatic, by a course of 56 1 Malalbergo (Inn: La Posta) is a m., skirting the northern district of place of considerable activity; and as the Comacchio: it is navigable all the traveller approaches Bologna he cannot year, and has some valuable fisheries. fail to be struck with the improved The Cavo Tassone and Canale di Cento, aspect of the country-the corn-fields, 28 m. in length, keeps up a commu- the maize-plantations, and the hempnication between Cento and Ferrara. grounds denote the extreme fertility of From the Porta di S. Benedetto the the soil, and bespeak a careful and Cavo Panfilio proceeds to Ponte di better system of husbandry. The cotLagoscuro, a course of 3 miles. From tages are neat, and the general appearthe Porta di S. Giorgio the Pò di Pri-ance of the people indicates prosperity maro leads to S. Alberto and the Adriatic: it is navigable all the year by boats of considerable burden.] and industry. Travellers by vetturino from Ferrara to Bologna usually make the inn at Altedo the halting-place on the road. Cento. This interesting and pretty | Taddeo Barberini, nephew of the latter, town is situated in a fertile plain not general of the Pontifical troops, deterfar from the Reno. It is said to have mined on fortifying Cento. The camderived its name from an ancient settle-paign and operations of these two comment of fishermen, who were led to fix batants seem but mean at the present upon this spot by the great number of day beside the glory of the fugitive craw-fish for which the neighbouring Guercino. The house of Guercino, waters were celebrated. They are said in its present state, attests a simple, to have built a hundred cottages (cento modest, laborious life, which inspires a capannucce), which they surrounded kind of respect. This great artist, with a deep fosse; and the number of really born a painter, the magician of their cottages thus became the appella-painting as he has been surnamed, was tion of the town which subsequently also a pious, moderate, disinterested, arose upon their site. The population and charitable man; an excellent kinsof Cento is 4572. The town was formerly celebrated for the college of S. Biagio, which was suppressed on the establishment of the kingdom of Italy; but its great interest arises from its being the birth-place of Guercino. The ch. is full of the works of this great artist; and his house, which it was his delight to cover with his paintings, is still preserved without any alteration or change, save what has been produced by time. The Casa di Guercino has been correctly termed a real domestic museum. "In the little chapel is an admirable picture of two pilgrims praying to the Virgin. The extreme destitution, no less than the fervour of these pilgrims, is painted with great minuteness of detail (even to the patches of the least noble part of their habiliments), without in any way weakening the general effect of this pathetic composition. The ceiling of one room presents a series of horses of various breeds; there is one superb group of two horses; another horse at grass, nothing but skin and bone, is a living skeleton of this poor animal. A Venus suckling Cupid is less pleasing than the rest, despite its celebrity and the merit of the colouring. "Guercino had for Cento that love of locality, if we may so say, of which Italian painters and sculptors have in all ages offered numerous examples: he preferred residing in his native town to the titles and offices of first painter to the kings of France and England; he had his school there, and remained in the town till driven away by the war between Odoardo Farnese, Duke of Parma, and Pope Urban VIII., when man, whose comrade and first pupils were his brother and nephews: beloved by his master Gennari, praised and recommended by Lodovico Caracci, he seems to have escaped the enmity too frequent among such rivals. The house of Guercino is not, however, devoid of magnificence: it is easy to conceive that he might there receive and regale, ad uno squisito banchetto, those two cardinals who had come to the fair, when his most distinguished pupils served at table, and in the evening performed una bella commedia, an extemporised proverb, with which their eminences were enraptured. Christina of Sweden also visited Guercino at Cento; and after admiring his works, that queen wished to touch the hand that had produced such chefs d'œuvre. "The Chiesa del Rosario is called at Cento the Galerie, a profane title, partially justified by its appearance and the arrangement of the paintings. Guercino is not less resplendent there than at home. The ch. is full of his paintings: he is said to have given the design of the front and steeple, and to have worked at the wooden statue of the Virgin; he is consequently to be seen there as a painter, sculptor, and architect, but especially as a Christian. A chapel founded by him bears his name: he bequeathed a legacy for the celebration of mass there, and left a gold chain of great value to the image of the Virgin of the Rosary. This pious offering was stolen about the middle of the last century by a custode of the ch.; a double sacrilege in the town where his memory is still popular and venerated." - Valery. The fair of Cento, above alluded | a small fee to the officials will prevent to, formerly celebrated throughout the annoyance and delay. Castelfranco is province, still takes place on the 7th considered by Dr. Cramer to agree with of September; but it has much fallen the position of Forum Gallorum, the off of late years. scene of several important actions during the siege of Modena, and particularly of the defeat of Antony by Hirtius and Octavian, after the rout of Pansa. Near it is Forte Urbano, a fortress built by Urban VIII., in a commanding position: it is now of little importance, and is falling fast into ruin. On leaving Cento, the road crosses the Reno. A little distance beyond the river is Pieve di Cento, a town of 4000 souls, surrounded with walls, and formerly celebrated for its miraculous crucifix and the College of Sta. Maria Assunta, suppressed at the establishment of the Kingdom of Italy. It possesses a fine Assumption by Guido, forming the altar-piece in the ch. This noble picture was under sentence of removal at the French invasion in 1797; but the people rose against the intended robbery, and effectually prevented it. Close to Pieve the boundary of the Legation of Ferrara is passed, and we enter that of Bologna. The road now proceeds through S. Giorgio and Castagnol Maggiore to BOLOGNA, Rte. 6. 1 Samoggia (Inn, La Posta), a village situated on the river of the same name, about midway between Modena and Bologna; considered to occupy the site of Ad Medias, one of the stations of the Æmilian Way. Beyond Anzola the road crosses the Lavino; and 2 m. before reaching Bologna the Reno is passed by a long stone bridge. Between La Crocetta and Trebbo, 2 m. on the 1., is an island in the Reno, which Dr. Cramer, Calindri, and other antiquaries regard as the scene of the meeting of the second Triumvirate, A. U. C. 709. Monte Guardia, crowned by the wellknown ch. of the Madonna di San Luca, is a conspicuous object from the road on approaching Bologna; on the rt. is the Certosa, now the Campo Santo. The entrance to the city is highly picturesque; the road passes through an open and finely-wooded country, diversified by meadows and rich pasture-grounds, beyond which the hills which bound the prospect are clothed with vegetation, sprinkled with handsome villas, and cultivated to their summits. 1 BOLOGNA [Inns: the San Marco, the oldest and most comfortable; the staircase is covered with coats of arms recording the visits of emperors, kings, and princes, and the Traveller's book contains the names of most of our own nobility, who express satisfaction at the excellence and comfort of the establishment: Grande Albergo Svizzero, with a good table-d'hôte, now much frequented by Austrian officers, to the neglect of less favoured guests; the charges are generally high considering the accommodation. Il Pellegrino, very good, and not so dear as the Svizzero: C |