Wanderings in Corsica: Its History and Its Heroes. Vol. 1 of 2Gregorovius, Ferdinand
History
Wanderings in Corsica: Its History and Its Heroes. Vol. 1 of 2
Gregorovius, Ferdinand
Corsica (France) -- Description and travel; Corsica (France) -- History
I climbed through a shady wood and blooming wilderness of trailing
plants to the ridge of the Serra, close beneath the foot of the cone
on which the Tower of Seneca stands. From this point both seas are
visible, to the right and to the left. I now descended towards Pino,
where I was expected by some Carrarese statuaries. The view of the
western coast with its red reefs and little rocky zig-zag coves, and
of the richly wooded pieve of Pino, came upon me with a most agreeable
surprise. Pino has some large turreted mansions lying in beautiful
parks; they might well serve for the residence of any Roman Duca:--for
Corsica has its _millionnaires_. On the Cape live about two hundred
families of large means--some of these possessed of quite enormous
wealth, gained either by themselves or by relations, in the Antilles,
Mexico, and Brazil.
One fortunate Crœsus of Pino inherited from an uncle of his in St.
Thomas a fortune of ten millions of francs. Uncles are most excellent
individuals. To have an uncle is to have a constant stake in the
lottery. Uncles can make anything of their nephews--_millionnaires_,
immortal historical personages. The nephew of Pino has rewarded his
meritorious relative with a mausoleum of Corsican marble--a pretty
Moorish family tomb on a hill by the sea. It was on this building my
Carrarese friends were engaged.
In the evening we paid a visit to the Curato. We found him walking
before his beautifully-situated parsonage, in the common brown
Corsican jacket, and with the Phrygian cap of liberty on his head.
The hospitable gentleman led us into his parlour. He seated himself in
his arm-chair, ordered the Donna to bring wine, and, when the glasses
came in, reached his cithern from the wall. Then he began with all
the heartiness in the world to play and sing the Paoli march. The
Corsican clergy were always patriotic men, and in many battles fought
in the ranks with their parishioners. The parson of Pino now put his
Mithras-cap to rights, and began a serenade to the beautiful Marie. I
shook him heartily by the hand, thanked him for wine and song, and went
away to the paese where I was to lodge for the night. Next morning we
proposed wandering a while longer in Pino, and then to visit Seneca in
his tower.
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