The journal of Montaigne's travels in Italy by way of Switzerland and Germany in 1580 and 1581, Volume 1 (of 3)Montaigne, Michel de
Philosophy
The journal of Montaigne's travels in Italy by way of Switzerland and Germany in 1580 and 1581, Volume 1 (of 3)
Montaigne, Michel de
Germany -- Description and travel; Italy -- Description and travel; Switzerland -- Description and travel
having been sent in the year 1530 to the coronation of the Emperor
Charles V. by Pope Clement VII., on St. Matthias’s Day, as envoy on
the part of Ferdinand, King of Hungary and Bohemia, Count of Tirol,
and brother of the aforenamed Emperor, was made a cardinal, being
already Bishop of Trent.” Moreover, they have set round the chamber
the armorial bearings, and painted on the walls the arms and the names
of the gentlemen who accompanied him: some fifty in number, all counts
and barons owing service to the bishopric. In one of these chambers
there is a trap door through which a man can slip into the town without
passing the main entrance, and two richly ornamented chimney-pieces.
This was an excellent cardinal. The Foulcres have done great building
work, but they have built for their posterity, while the cardinal
aforesaid has built for the public weal, for he has left this castle,
together with the furniture still in it worth more than a hundred
thousand crowns, to his successors in office. Besides this he left to
the public fund of the bishopric a hundred and fifty silver thalers,
which is held without payment of interest on the same. In spite of
these benefactions they have left his church of Notre Dame unfinished,
and have erected a very mean tomb over his body. His successors provide
themselves with no other furniture than the aforenamed for the castle.
Some of this is fitted for the winter, some for the summer, and none of
it can be alienated.
Here they reckon distance by the Italian mile, of which five go to make
one mile of Germany, and they count the hours through to twenty-four
without dividing them in the midst. We found good lodging at the
“Rose,” and left Trante on the Saturday after dinner. We followed a
road like the last we traversed in the valley, which was here wider and
girt by higher, uninhabited mountains, having the river Adisse on our
right hand. There we passed a castle[113] belonging to the archduke,
which commands the road, like various other strongholds elsewhere,
built to control the passage, and arrived at Rovere[114] very late,
after travelling fifteen miles. Never until now did we journey in the
dewfall,[115] so carefully had we laid out our time on the road.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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