Italy, the Most Famous Source for Marble

1919

Italy is one of the world's most famous sources of supply for both art and building marbles, and marble, granite and building stones are the common materials used for buildings in that country. Venice is a fireproof city, built of stone of Istria and marble; and the foundations and first courses, at least, of all palaces, public and municipal buildings, government and business edifices are of these materials.

The most important quarries in the Veneto are at and near Verona, the Veronese red and yellow marbles having been favorite building stones since the time when the Coliseum at Verona was constructed. For building, they rank next to the stone of Istria in popularity, and are true marbles, while the stone of Istria is not a true marble, although a very hard limestone, that is much used in Venice, because it resists the action of salt water.

Besides their value for construction, the Veronese marbles are in great demand for decorative work. Among the names of the several varieties of Veronese marbles are white nembro, coral pink, white peach, partridge eye, yellow snail, yellow azure, and paradise.

Petrarch's Tomb Opened

1874

A singular ceremony lately took place at Arqua, in North Italy, where Petrarch lies buried. The tomb of the poet was opened in the presence of the municipal officers of the town and a few invited spectators that the remains had been inclosed in an imperfectly-made coffin, and that the bones, thus exposed to the effects to the atmosphere, were discolored and moist.

The skull, of medium size, was entire, the development of the forehead being yet perceptible. Several of the teeth were well preserved, and the bones of the body were but little decayed. From the size of the skeleton it was easy to infer that Petrarch must have been a large, robust man.

Permission to examine these honored remains had been given by the authorities to certain students of anthropology, and it was to aid in their researches that the coffin was opened. These gentlemen took accurate measurements of the remains, which were then carefully placed in a new coffin.

The brief exposure to the air, however, had its effect, and the skull partially fell in, while some of the bones were resolved into dust before the eyes of the spectators of this curious exhibition of mortality.