BCSB LIBRARY A PICTURESQUE TOUR IN SPAIN. A PICTURESQUE TOUR IN SPAIN, PORTUGAL, AND AL(3NG THE COAST OF AITUCA, FROM TANGIERS TO TETUAN. BY J. TAYLOR, KNIGHT OF THE KOVAL ORDER OF THE LEGION OF HONOUR, AM) ONt OF THE At TIIORS OF THE VOYAGE PITTORESQUE DANS L'ANCIENNE FRANCE. PARIS : PRINTED BY J. SMITH. PUBLISHED BY ROBERT JENNINGS, 2, POULTRY, LONDON. M.DCCC.XXVII. ^0 d teA-kmonuil or mi/y au7mradw-7i fo-r n^ dale^tttii , c^ trie e^-Uem. r/i iif/iicA J /wul J. TAYLOR. :*i PREFACE. After having traversed the Peninsula from the Pyrenees to the mouth of the Tagus, and from Grenada to Corunna, my intention was to offer a graduated picture {un tableau rnesure) of Spain and Portugal upon a colossal scale, laid down ac- cording to the most exact admeasurements. But willing as I was to bring to the task the experience of a life ardently devoted to the Fine Arts, yet I soon became convinced that its prosecution was beyond the means of a single individual. Great archeological works require immense funds, which can only be procured by the formaUon of one of those associations which have generally in view profit rather than glory ; or ])y means of die assistance of Government, — to obtain which requires more leisure than can be spared by the Artist from his professional studies. I iiave consequently been compelled to present my Drawings to the Public under a minor and less important form than I had at first intended. The present M^ork is therefore offered merelv as die allium of a travellei-, f ♦. *• 11 PREFACE. upon one page of which he has sketched a monument, a site or a picturesque scene, and upon the opposite page taken down a few notes. It puts forward no pretensions to science, the size of the l)ook and plates rendering that impossible : its only object is to exhibit some Views of one of the finest countries upon the earth, — a country often described, but . still furnishing a never-failing source of interest in the origi- nality of the manners of its inhabitants, and in its associa- tion with every species of glory. If Spain have attracted the attention of men of the world and Scwans, yet it has been visited but by few Artists. We must not, however, forget the work of Count Alexander de la Borde, which in point of erudition leaves nothing to be wished for : the engravings, excellent at the period of their execution, have however lost somewhat of their interest since the art has made such remarkable progress in England, where publications of this nature have acquired a celebrity entirely owing to the talents of the Engravers. Count de la Borde's work will nevertheless remain one of the finest Picturesque Voyages that have been published in France ; and no parallel can ever be established between the modest octavo and the magnificent folio. All I aim at in the present Work is to exhibit some specimens of llie daring and intellectual bun'n of the Cooks, the Lequeux, the Pjes^ etc. ; and for- PREFACE. . iii tunale in being translated, if I may so express myself, by such celebrated masters, all my wishes will be satisfied should my Sketchings inspire the young Artists of our brilliant Frencli School with a desire to visit a land equally classical as lovely Italy, and at times as rofiiantic as the misty Caledonia. Spain has of late years been visited by so many foreigners, that 1 must expect to find a not inconsiderable number o( judges ready to pronounce upon the fidelity or inaccuracy of my Designs ; and tliough upon these points my conscience is at rest, some explanatory observations are due to those who are not Artists by profession. VVliilst in Edinburgh, I was expressing to the Frencli Con- sul my admiration of the English engravings in the " Pic- turesque Voyage in Scotland ; " when he observed, that certainly they were admirable • but that still they were not faithful representations of the real objects. I was struck, not witli the justness of his remark, but rather Avith tlie effect generally produced by the works of the English Scliool upon persons little versed in the mysteries of tlie arts ol imitation. Morning and evening, or a moment when the light is inter- ce[)ted by the clouds, are the periods most favourable for «. 1» • IV PREFACE. drawing or painting ruins or luxnriant landscapes. It was thus onr great masters did : it was by surprising Nature in her poetical moments, either Avhen the sun lengthens out the shadows, or w^hen his rays light up with a thousand colours the ruins of a monument, the outlines of which would offer no interest without this brilliant and magic halo, that Claude . Lorrain, Ruisdael, and Salvator Rosa,* were enabled to com- municate such a seductive charm to their admiraJ)le pictures. How ridiculous would it then be to attempt following another * route, or to contest the precepts that have led to such valuable results ! After learning how to paint, there is still another art to be acquired, — that of choosing effects; which is the grand principle of Landscape-painting, — a principle followed iji the Italian as well as in the German School. But tlie unprofessional traveller, who often sees Nature under a monotonous sky, when every object a])pears bare and dry, and the uniform light of which excludes all species of charm, will contest the fidelity of a View taken inider a different accident of light. He acknowledges the beauty of the picture or engraving, but wishes tliat il more 'closely resembled the image impressed upon his memory. * Poiissin, ihc first of Landscape-painters, though bclonghig to the Historical Scliool, has often followed those principles. PREFACE. V Sometimes chance favours the Artist, and he is judged ])y a traveller who has seen the object under the same point of view and at the sjme moment as those cliosen by the Painter. In such case the Artist's accuracy and skill are duly a])preciated ; but these fortunate coincidences are very rare. Similar objections are never made to Oil-paintings, whicli generally represent imaginary scenes ) but they are continually made to tlie authors of Picturesque Voyages. Those who indulge in criticisms of this nature, will find ample matter in the present Work whereon to exercise their acumen : for although the Author lias copied with the greatest fidehty the outlines of the objects represented, yet he has sought to ex- hibit them under the most varied accidents of light and shade, and has chosen the points of perspective which appeared to be the least generally known. For tliese reasons the View of the Rock of St. Sebastian will appear too lofty to him who has seen it only from the city; and that of the Tomb of Pombal will be considered as too sombre and austere, by the traveller who visited the original in the glare of sun- shine. But if the spectator have seen much — if he can con- ceive the impressions made by the aspect of Nature upon the mind more or less susceptilile of an Artist — if lie will identify himself with the Author, and transport his imagi- nation to the same moment and point of view in wliich the • 4 VI J * PREFACE. Sketch was taken, — he will then be struck by the truth of" the copy. It is true that a too frequent recurrence must not be had to these prestiges,- but still it is perfectly allowable to surprise Nature under similai- aspects — for such has been the practice of those who have created Landscape-painting and fixed its limits. Happy will the Author esteem himself, if, by con- tinued and painful efforts, he should merit the name of their disciple ! V THE KING'S PALACE AT MADIUD. SPAIN. *' A TRADITION prevails, Uial ihu first foundations of tiiis palace of llie Kings of Spain wore laid by Alphonso VI of Leon, towards tlie close of the eleventh century. After being ravaged by tlic Moors, and ■ * . , <<^ thrown down by an earthquake under Peter the Cruel, it was rchiiill b) Henry II, beautilled by Henry IV, enlarged and improved, in .4. - 1537, by Charles I. Since when, successive additions liavc l)eeji made to it by Philip II, Philip HI, and Philip IV. After falling a prey to the llauies in '173/|, it was rebuilt by Philip V. On this last occa- T^ sion, though constructed in the Italian style, many of its parts are far from being in the purest taste; but, taken as a whole, it presents an imposing aspect, particularly when seen from the road of Casa del Campo. The present view is taken from a garden close to the gale of Segovia. A chance circumstance offered me a foreground less gene- rallv known than that from the banks of the Mancanarez. * I'HTB 11. TOMB OF THE SCIPIOS. SI'AIN. Porrr.\n Iradilion lias jiivrn In lliis nioimmcril lln- iiMinc of \\\f Tomb of llic Stipios. Some wiilcrs, hul lilllc vcrsi-d in autiquaiian Iviiowledge, have contended llial llio Iwo slatucs in hasso-rrUcvo were those of Cnens and Pnhlius Cornelius Scipio, who died in Spain (hiring the wars against Asdrubal. The ancients had a pailicnhir cos- tume for llieir heroes, and neither of these statues exJiihils the loga or the paludninenlum, which were the distinguishing dress of the patricians. The inscription is now so obhterated as to defy all att('m])l> at reading it, and it is to be found entire in none of the Spanish antiquarians. This monument stands on the side of the high road, and fronts the .sea ; ia llie distance is seen Tarragona, which was a rich and celebrated city of antiquity. Hercules is said to have been its founder; Scipio Africanus resided there, and Ctesar. gave il tlie names of Julia and Victrijc, and wished to raise it to the rank of a Roman colony ; Augustus gave audience within its walls to the Ambassadors of India, and Adrian came to preside at the restoration of its monu- ments. When the barbarians invaded Spain, Euric made himself master of it. In the eighth century it was besieged and almost destroyed by the Moors. Some centuries after, it was retaken by tlie Counts of liarcelona; and, in fine, rebuilt by St. Oldegaire. During the war of the succession its ruin was completed. The town is now confined to the site of its former citadel ; all beyond this is a hcaj) of ruins. PtiiE 105. !^ i!P' [{|[hij[iiiii'iiiii!iiil'1:i! > THE ALCASAU OF SEVILLE. SPAIN. The Alcasar ol the Moorish monarchs of" Seville, when viewed in connexion witli ihe ails and historical Iradilions, is the niosl interesting nionnnient of llic qii(;en-cily of Andalousia. Under the sway of the descendants of Mahomet, the Caliphs lavished in profusion, gold, precious stones, and niarhle, lo render this edifice a wonder whicii should equal in splendour and elegance the palaces ol llie Easl. Bui the children of the desert, who may be said to have only encamped in Spain, returned to Ihe desert, and were succeeded by Peter the Cruel. The Alcasar was his favourite residence. ll was lliere that Queen Isabel received the first despatclies from Christopher Columbus, announcing the discovery of a new world. At a later period, Philip V. was desirous of fixing his court there. In our own limes this palace has been inhabited by King Ferdinand, whose queen was partial to the city of Seville. Plate 41, MANNER OF TRAVELLING IN PORTUGAL, IJRTWEEN VALENCIA AND OPORTO, TiiETn; arc few regularly laid clown roads in Portugal, and those thai exist are in such a ruinous state that travellers in general seek to avoid them. Owing to this, ihe manner of travelling is the same as that practised in the middle ages: travellers form a caravan; the military, the monks, and the other male travellers, ride on horseback; the women are sealed on mules, and the wealthy nobles in litters. The march of these caravans forms a picturesque object, particularly when seen winding through the defiles of the mountains. The extra- ordinary sensation felt by meeting in the nineteenth century with the manners and customs of the thirteenth in all their purity, is some- times heightened by the bizarre costumes of the motley crowd. Valencia, as a fortified place, ranks as third in the kingdojn ol Portugal. It is situated on the banks of the Minho, opposite Tuy, a Spanish city in the province of Galicia. These two towns are such near neighbours as to be within cannon-shot of each other; they are built upon the platforms of the heights which command the mouth of the Minho. PuTE 51. J!i ■tJ 1 A Paris ciiez ^xd« J"i!s Lonai u .'rirst v r. ninr^T MUTRS DE LALia&MBRA A GBJENAJJE. "WAltS OF THE AJJBAMBRA AT CRENAUA- WALLS OF THE ALIIAMBUA AT GHENADA. SPAIN. It is iii)|)()ssiljle lo describe or paiiil llir Ijcaulv i>l ihc cxli rn.il aspect dl" I lie .lllinmhra. Seated on a hill which comniaiids tin- city In the I'lasl. this rnrtilicd palace was (the .//Ac/yr/// lieiii^ the other) one (>r llie two points wliich oveilooked Grenada, and defended this last bulwark of the Moorish power in Europe against iIk' (ilirJslians. The cluiracler of lliese ruins is most imposing. Their forms call to mind llie architecture of the Lower Empire; the materials have assumed a son)brc and austere colouring, which contrasts finely with the vivid green of the parasite plants that profusely cling lo those crumbling ruins, as if to keep them together and preserve ihein from the action of the atmosphere. In the distance is seen the extremity of the chain of the S/'rrrn Nevada. The view is taken from the Belvedere, called the Queen's dressiiisi' ton/?/ : it is a square pavilion, open on all sides, and surrounded by a terrace, the roof of which is supported by white marble columns. PlAIE 91. i-caaan iiurrt i; r-iibmson T-- «-■%' ■r'TTTT.iT' AlKOKAN. EiNTRANCE OF THE SANCTUARY OF THE ALKUUAN. SPAIN. The entrance of the hall where the Alkoran was kept, is that part of the mosque of Cordova which has sufl'ered least from the injuries of time. It may serve to give a very accurate idea of the magnificence of the ancient masters of Spain. The interior of this hall is an octagon, the diameter of which is about fifteen or sixteen feet ; it is lighted by a cupola, which is formed of a single block of marble, and covered over with ornaments of the most elaborate and exquisitely finished workmanship. There is a profusion of gilding, and several columns of precious marble. The Arabian historians assert that this part of the edifice was imitated from the palaces of Bagdad and Damascus. If this assertion be true, it must give great importance to these antiquities in the eyes of the lovers of the fine arts. Since the conquest of Cordova by the Christians, this sanctuary, in which was deposited the sacred book of the Mahometans, has been tran.sformed into a chapel, which belonged to the Dukes of Alba, one of whose tombs is still to be seen there. FUTE 31. S/VIN T SEBASTIAN. SPAIN. This town, seated upon a rock between two arms of the sea, is celebrated for the sieges it has sustained. J I was entirely destroyed during the war of independence. The port is very circumscribed, and is incapable of containing more than thirty vessels. The peninsula of Saint Sebastian, as seen from the surrounding heights, offers some admirable views. The environs are covered with the ruins of military works, and at every step are found human bones and fragments of warlike weapons mingled together. In the midst of these ruins, the Biscayan shepherds may often be heard improvising their pastoral songs. PLiTt 2. r. lilllBl*,, ^ • * MANNER OF JimESHING CORN IN ANDALOUSIA. Sl'AlN. This maniioi ot llarsliing corn was in uso auiuu^sl llic aiicicnls, and is slill practised in Italy and all over the Kasl. In Andalousia it ofl'ers a very picturesque spectacle. Three or lour uictllesoTnc horses, slightly reined, but guided with great address, are made lo wheel rapidly over a small space ol' ground covered with corn in the ear, from which their hoofs press out the grain. This method appears certainly a little barbarous, but has the advantage over the more modern one, of being much more expeditious. • . The pitcher suspended from the pole, is thus placed for the purpose of allowing the water it contains to become refrigerated by evapora- tion; the labourers under the burning sky of Andalousia being obliged to drink abundantly of cold water. Pl.JIK 71, ■A « fe •< A FARM IN ANDALOUSIA. SPAIN. This farm is in the neighbourhood of tlic Puerto Santa Maria. To llio eye of iho painler it offers a very picturesque object, though in the estimation of the agriculturist it must appear a very poor one. This view may be looked upon as the type of all tlie farming esta- blishments in llie south of Spain. It is only in llic kingdonjs of Murcia and Valencia that the people seem to attach any great im- portance to the cultivation of the earth. The farmers in the neigh- bourhood of Valencia have made of the surrounding country one vast garden, which may stand a comparison with the best cultivated grounds in France or in England. The house, which has some points of resemblance with the habi- tations of^ the peasantry in the kingdom of Naples, is surrounded by a wide ditch planted Avith aloes, the thickly-woven branches of which form an almost impenetrable barrier. The palm trees which grow in the open air near Xeres and Cadix are merely ornamental ; but at Orihuela, nearElche, there is a forest of palm trees, the dates of which are gathered for exportation. Pi ATE 67. > :.., . i^- . t. ». A 1 • »• THEATRE OF MLRVIEDRO, THE ANCIENT SACINTI M. SPAIN. AccoBDiNG to the most accredited tradition, Sagunlum was l()iuidy whicli llie tower situated to the iNorlh of the peninsula is known. At tjie extremity of this peninsula there is an ancient building, called the Tower of Hercules, now made use of as a light-house, and which may be seen from sea at the distance of fifteen leagues. The boat seen in the foreground is one that plies for passengers between Corunna and Ferrol. Corunna was taken by the French in 1809. Tl was before its walls that the brave General Moore was killed. In 18"2;}, General Bourk took it after a month's siege. Plate 48, a IS HOUSE OF AN IITDALGO, IN THE GREAT STREET OF TOLOSA. SPAIN. T,\ the north and south of Spain, the houses are huill in two difl'erent styles, both of which bring to mind the construction of the houses in Italy. Under this point of view, Biscay resembles Lombardy. and Andalousia the kingdom of Naples. But all the architects from the foot of the Pyrenees to Cadix, have adopted a species of orna- ment which hiis acquired great celebrity in Spain; viz. the balcony — a part of the house without which the existence of the Spanish fair would lose half its charms, for it is here that all the fictions of romance writers are realized. In some rare instances, ancient prejudice induces the owner of the house still to preserve the light trellis-work which formerly enclosed the balconies. But this preju- dice, like many others, is fading away ; and, generally speaking, a fan "now suffices to shield a beautiful Spanish woman from the prying eyes of admiration, when, issuing from the church, she returns home to spend the remainder of the day in the balcony. The Hi(lali>o, or Spanish gentleman, never fails to have his coat of arms sculptured with great pomp and ostentation upon the outside of his house ; and as it sometimes happens that the habitation of an hidalgo is not of vast dimensions, in such case the sign is as large as the front of the house. The streets of Tolosa are neither very wide nor very clean ; it is nevertheless one of the handsomest towns in the province of Gui- puzcoa. The inhabitants are industrious. The excellent sword-blades manufactured there are in high repute amongst the brave Biscayans. Plate 3. ft I 53 s MILL IN TIIF. VICIMTY OF VIILANOVA DE MU.FOMES. PORTUGAL. The Portuguese mills have a very extraordinary appearance, owing chiefly to llie shape of tlicir arms or sails, the construction of which diflers from that of all other mills in Europe. Villanova de Milfontes is a little town, situated at the mouth of a river which flows from the Sierra (IcMonchiquc. Formerly there was a port here, formed by a little bay and defended by a castle, which might have been of some importance at a period when the Moors made such frequent incursions upon the coasts of the Kingdom of the Algarves ; at present a dangerous bar and banks of quicksands hinder any vessels larger than small fishing boats from entering the port. Fig trees from twenty to thirty feet high overshadow the moat of the castle, and aloes plants as luxuriant as those of Andalousia, shoot up their stems crowned with flowers along the shores of the bay, and by the sides of the roads, whose windings are lost amongst the gardens that surround Milfontes. Plate 65. KTs-r^.TB'i Tr.E UE gEVIUIJ . rtF SEV1I.X.E. ENTRANCE OF THE CATHEDRAL OF SEVH.LE. SPAIN. The Cathedral of Seville is one of the most considerable monu- ments in Spain; it was built in the fifteenth century, upon the ruins of a mosque. The only remains of the Moorish Iniilding which still subsist are the court, whicli we have designed, and the Giralda. Under the orange trees with which this court is planted, (here is a white marble pulpit, affixed to the wall of a Moorish pavilion. It is from this pulpit that the monks most frequently preach lo the people. The Cathedral of Seville possesses a very fine collection of pictures, amongst which are several by Murillo, and also the celebrated picture called La Gamha, by Louis de Vargas. Opposite the choir is a marble slab indicating the spot where lie the ashes of Christopher Columbus. The library contains 20,000 volumes. ' _ |[j^.. The hall of the chapter is encrusted with the most precious mar- bles, and equals in this respect the splendid palaces of Genoa. In this edifice there are various private chapels ; the whole number of altars is eighty-two, at which three hundred masses are celebrated every day. The lofty and spacious aisles, the gorgeous vestments of the priests, the children bearing censers filled with burning frankin- cense, and the voices of the musicians and the people, combine to give a solemn and ideal character to this magnificent structure. Pl.vie 38. \^- J Ti"l ir lei * COmjK BIIH'E If: TETOTTAlf. cor'' COURT OF A JEWS HOUSE, AT TETUAN. AFRICA. Tins Court is particularly curious from its being an exact representa- tion of Moorish architecture in tlie ninfli and tenth centuries. The ruins of those palaces whicli I vislled in Africa, ofl'er. upon a more extensive scale, the same dislrihulion of apartments and IJie same orna- mental details in the construction. The principal figure seen in the engraving is the old Jew Alboudarem, Vice-Consul of France ; he was walking up and down his court when we made the drawing. The costume of the men is much more simple than that of the women, and the beautiful Jewesses of Tetuan alone arrogate to themselves the right of wearing gold and jewels. The Jews, in tliis particular, imitate the JMoors, who are very sparing of ornament upon their clothes, their religion (as sectarians) not permitting them any other luxury in dress than the addition of silk to their woollen garments. The silk made use of is not to exceed the weight of two ounces. This prohibition does not extend to arms, which are richly ornamented. The town of Tetuan dates its origin from the expulsion of the Africans from Grenada. The traditions of this event, important in the history of the Moors, are widely spread amongst the people. The inhabitants of Tetuan are still fond of showing the keys of their ancestors' houses in Grenada, and indulging in the hope of one day returning to that kingdom, which, in their imagination, surpasses all other known re- gions: they say it is Syria for the mildness of the climate; India for flowers and perfumes ; Ilegiaz and Cathay for the productions of the earth and rich mines ; and Aden for its beautiful shores. PtAIE 84. A CASTLE OF THE MIDDLi: AGES, AT POVIBAE. I'ORTL'CAL. Ali the feudal castles of Europe oiler nearly the same character in their general construction: there is a principal lower buiil upon a rising ground which forms the keep, surrounded with walls and other works, more or less extensive, according to the rank which the lordly possessor held in the province or kingdom. The peculiarities of the surrounding country modify but very slightly the general aspect of these buildings, and the old feudal ruins that I have seen in Lombardy, Tuscany, Switzerland and England, present considerable similitude of plan and elevation: the only exceptions I have seen are the Castles of Heidelberg in Germany, of Coca in Spain, and the feudal residence of the Duke of Northumberland on the borders of Scotland. But in every country, the narrow path cut in the rock which leads to the postern, mysterious entrance of the old edifice, the long corridors, the secret staircases, the draw-bridge and portcullis, call up romantic recollections. The ruins, the view of which we here present, were those of the residence of the lord of Pombal, which afterwards came into posses- sion of a Moor by the chance of war, and was finally occupied by the Knights-Templars: alternately belonging to Mussulmans and Christians, its keep has sferved as a harem and a cell ; its walls have contained within them the voluptuous Arab surrounded by his female slaves, and the Portuguese Knight of the Court of Don Pedro, whose life was devoted to the love of a single mistress. All that is wanting to tlic ruins of Pombal is a romance-writer like Sir Waller Scott, or to be visited by the author of Jean-Sbogar. Pl.AIK 53. •■s> INN OF GOn. SPAIN. The Inns, which the Spaniards call veyitn and posada, the only places of shelter for travellers on the high roads, are the most wretched of their kind in Europe. Those in the south of Spain are a little superior to the others, and deserve particular mention from the amus- ing company they often contain, and the interesting and picturesque scenes they exhibit. The muleteers are never so fatigued hut tliat they can 'j,v\ up a fandango or a srguilias after supper; and the master of the house, who goes about giving his orders with a guitar under his arm, is always ready to set his guests a-dancing. We have never, even at the most brilliant concerts, heard a guitar- player superior to Don Juan Fernandez, host of the Fontana del Oi-o, in the village of Gor, in the kingdom of Grenada; and he is unrivalled in his performance on the guitar of the national air called the Spanish Retreat. PUTE 99. VIEW OF GIBRALTAn, TAKEN FROM THE UOADS. TiiE Rock of Gibraltar is one of the Pillars of Hercules. The opposite mountain on the coast of Africa formed with Mount Calpe those limits, which the ancients but rarely ventured to pass. The Egyptians, Phenicians, Greeks, and Romans successively formed establishments there. Gibraltar is joined to the Continent by a sandy isthmus. The rock rises between the waters of the two seas, to a height of fifteen hundred and fifty feet. Some engineers stale il to be in breadlh four thousand five hundred feet, and in lenglli, from the Old Mole to the southern extremity, where terminates the strait, fifteen thousand six hundred feet. The storms in these straits are very dangerous. The peals of thunder are repeated a hundred-fold from the cavities in this rock ; these echoes are quite as terrific as those of the Alps. Upon this mountain of granite, whose aspect is so rugged, nature has been prodigal of her botanical treasures ; the plants of the two Indies take root and flourish there. As a drawback upon these advantages, however, venomous reptiles are found in abundance there, and on the heights are troops of monkeys. Plate 88. J. Taylor iti} A Paris chez Gide fils. — I.. r: ir -ir- lU' nr V .i]w. n .'A. Iljf'A/,- ■fAKAH; A f!F,vii.r-E. I A.-inNnowc- :'AZAR AT SE" A WINDOW IN THE ALCAZAR OF SEVILLE. SPAIN. From this window is seen La Torre del Oro, a Roman monument whose base is washed by the Guadalquiver. A small space near this tower is now used as a landing-place, though a chain formerly barred all access from the river. The tower lies close to the splendid gardens of the Alcazar, with which it is connected by a gallery. The people relate that Padilla, mistress of Peter the Cruel, frequently went thither to meditate on the means of softening the natural ferocity of her lover, but we never heard that her meditations produced any beneGcial efl'ects. The gardens are said to have undergone few alterations since the time of the Moors ; there are nevertheless some modern constructions exhibiting rather an indifl'erent taste. Yet the Alcazar is in such admirable preservation, and the numerous poetical inscriptions on its walls so striking, that the mind has no leisure to indulge in cold criticism. The window from which we discover so many admirable objects is itself a masterpiece of architecture. Plate ^13. VIEW OF iOLOSA. SPAIN. ToLosA, seated in a pleasant valley almost in llu' ceutio of llio pro- vince, is watered by the Araxes and the Opu. the latter of wliicli riv(;rs runs into the Ocean. The large building in the background ol llic |)icture is a (ioiivcnt belonging to the order of Saint Francis, whose inhabitants have shown themselves altogether worthy the reputation acquired by the Spanisli monks in the late wars. It is on the riglit of the road leading from lli<- town, and is of a gloomy aspect on a near approach. We must not confound Tolosa with the scene of a memorable battle between the Christians and the Moors in ]2V2. The latter place is called by the Spaniards Las Navas de Tolosa, and is situated at the foot of the Sierra Morena mountains, between La Venta de Miranda and the village of Albiso. PlATK 4. FISHERMEN FROM THE COAST OF GIBRALTAR TO MALAGA. SPAIN. Till; slioirs of llic Medilcrranean, from Gibraltar to llic Straits of Messina, arc covered with groups of fishermen offering the most varied and picturesque appearances. The inhabitants of llic kingdoms of Valencia, Catalonia, and of the states of Genoa and Maples, present a thousand subjects for pictures of wliicli our marine painters have no idea, and which might serve to vary the numerous collections of Dutch sea views, in which the canvas is exactly divided in llic middle by a horizont.al line, in order to exhibit a calm ocean of a leaden colour rolling in upon a greyish strand. I beg leave to point out to those landscape painters of talent, Messrs. Turner, Calcott. Eugene Lsabey and Gudin, the marine scenery of the Mediterranean; but particularly the groups of wandering fishermen between Malaga and Gibraltar. These guests of the sea have no home on land, where thev sojourn only during the rage of the tempest or the time necessary to dry a few fish. On these occasions they draw their boats ashore, and pitch a verv clumsily constructed tent, which is struck as soon as the storm has passed away. These fishermen are born and die in their Tjarks. Their funeral ceremonies are very simple. The family, after a short prayer, wrap the deceased in a piece of sail-cloth, which serves for shroud and coffin, and commit him to the deep. Plate 92. lillBJH^^^^^^^^^^ VIEW OF BARCELONA. SPAIN. Catalonia is ono nl (ho finest provinces of Spain, and ilic most remarkable for llio courage and industry of its inhabitants. Skilful sailors and excellent soldiers, they have carried their arms and coui- nierce into every part of Europe, and at one period made the Greek Emperors tremble in Byzantium. During our recent campaigns, the valour of the Cataionians extorted more than once tlic admiration of their enemies. ^ This province formerly belonged to France; Charlemagne gave it a code of laws; and at a later period, Raymond Beranger, Count of Barcelona, a celebrated troubadour, held under his dominion Catalonia, Cerdagnc, the county of Foix, and a great part of Languedoc. Barcelona, the capital of the province, was the cradle of troubadour poetry, called La gni/e Science. During the war of the Succession it was not till after a long and sanguinary struggle that it opened its gates to Philip V. Some writers pretend that it was founded by Hamilcar, the father of Hannibal. Barcelona was the chief seat of the Gothic and Arabian dominion ; it remained, however, but a short time under the power of tlie infidels. Its princes gave Kings to Sicily, Counts to Provence, and Dukes to Athens. On becoming Kings of Aragon they united it to the crown, and afterwards incorporated it with the Spanish monarchy. In 1821 and 1822 it was visited with all the horrors of a dreadful plague, and lost one half of its population. The entrance of the port is rendered difficult by a bar which stretches across it. The present view is taken from the neighbour- hood of Mont-Joui. Plate 106. TffE LTTANTES AT COIMIUU. I'OUTLGAL. It is impossible to paint the admirable effect produced on tlie ima"i- nation by the customs and ceremonies of the Catholic worship amidst the scenery ol' ihc south of Europe. The Rosaries or Litanies had then- origin in a solemn and pious duly, now only observed in some remote towns, which have little communication with the capital. To- wards evening, when iJie Angolus bell announces sun-set, the inmates of every house, sing, either at their windows or on iJio llircsliold ot their door, in chorus or singly, the Rosary and Litanies of the Holy Virgin. It was six o'clock when I arrived at Barcelo.s; the whole population were engaged in prayer; from ten thousand hearts was breathed a hymn in praise of the divinity, in which the voices of chil- dren were mingled with those of young girls and old men. To con- ceive the emotion produced by such a scene, one must be acquainted with the taste this people have for music, and the fervour with which they take part in ceremonies of this kind. On most occasions, an image of the Virgin is carried alioul the streets. The procession is preceded by torch-bearers; and a member of the con- fraternity collects the offerings, which are destined for the support of a chapel or llie construction of a ^Lidonna. I have seen similar ceremonies in the Rojnan States, and whether it be that the beautiful nights of Italy lent an equal charm to the scene, they always produced the same delightful ellect upon mv imagination. Plate 52. '•>''^' •'■^'- .'.Pans Chez Side fils. London. RJenmnffs IHTIEMEUK rftfWE SIAISOH A TETOUAW, j IlfTSHIOM OF A HOrSE AT TF.T"// INTERIOR OF A HOUSE AT TETUAN. AFRICA. The houses of Tangiers and Tetuan are construcled nearly after I lie same plan as those of the East: there is a principal square court, with a covered gallery on a level willi the first story. The doors of all the apartments open on this court. At Tetuan we were invited to the house of the Jew Alboudarein. The accompanying view is that of the room in which we were received. There was in the decoration of this apartment a mixture of Moorish and Hebrew taste that produced a very picturesque effect. While designing it, the daughter of the master of the mansion, Signora Chimol, came in with fruits and refreshments for my fellow-traveller. The Jewesses of Tetuan are celebrated for their beauty throughout the empire of Morocco; their features, which have an antique cast, and their fine black eyes, full of voluptuous melancholy, have procured them this reputation for beauty. Their costume is calculated to set ofl' their charms ; it is generally very rich, being covered with gold and pearls ; even their linen is embroidered with gold. Their arms are encircled by bracelets of Grecian form ; and light sandals defend, without concealing, their white and elegantly proportioned feet. Shakspeare has accurately described the natives of Italy, without ever having been in the country, in his Romeo and Juliet ; and Sir Walter Scott has painted with a master-hand the Jews of the middle ages, in his admirable romance of Ivanhoe. The models of these delicious portraits are still to be found at Tetuan. Plate 85. a h ^ ^ K ENTRANCE OF THE BAY OF TANGIERS. AFRICA. The cnliance ol llie bay, whicli the Moors call Tinja, is dangerous, particularly lo those vessels which have doubled Cape Sparlcl. This view is taken from the heights which overlook the town, and from the road leading from Fez to Morocco. The large square building to the left is the Alcazar, the residence of the Pacha, who commands Tangiers. The little vigie to the right is a place of refuge for tli<- independent Moors, and should be avoided, for there is no sort of stratagems to which the Arabs do not resort to draw vessels to this part of the coast, where they arc plundered, burned, and the crews massacred or sent as slaves into the interior of Africa. These horrible scenes pass within view of the European consuls, who have not always the power of rescuing their countrymen. The peak of the mountain to the extreme right is the Monkey-mounl. which commands the Straits of Gibraltar ; nearer is the town, and still nearer to the right is the minaret of the Mosque. In the country. to the left, is seen a little edifice surmounted by a dome — it is the retreat of a Santon. Some camels, forming part of a caravan from Mogadore, occupy the foreground. Plate 7C. S ■r. TlfE UUINS OF A MOORISH CASTLE AT ALCOBACA. SPAIN. The ruins ol" the Castle of Pomhal arc Gothic; tlioso lliat we visitcfl at Alcobaca are Moorish. The square towers denote a remote antiquity : I lie Arabs borrowed this form and manner of construction from the Greeks. The circular towers belong to the Latins ; they were generally iidopled in their fortifications in the middle ages by the people of the nortli. TJic Gastle of Alcobaca, like the fortress of Grenada, was l)iiili li\ iIk; Arabs of the tenth century ; it is situated upon the platform of a little nionnlain that commands the town, and from its walls may be traced the entire plan of the vast monastery of Alcobaca. It presents the same picturesque appearance as the castle of Robert- le-Diable. in Normandy. PuTE 59. J- Taylor del' i-Faris chez Gide fiis — London, RJen-mng; TOUJIR BIE GOMAJRES. tcwih;ir of goma: TOWI-R OF GOMARES. SPAIN. Tup. Tower ol' Gouiares, within iho Alhainhra, is near lo the prison of the Queen Sultann. In lliis pail ol llie edifice is situated the Hall of I he Two Sisteis, remarkable for its admirable proportions and splrn- ilour of ornament ; I lie roof, from its extraordinary elegance, is y.w- ticularly worthy of observation. In the hackf^'roimd is seen a part of the city of Grenada, and the plain of Vega, celebrated as the .scene of the last conflicts between the Mooi'S and Christians, and as the site of the camp of Ferdinand and Isabella. The hill, on which rest the ruins of llie Alhambra, is covered with trees. Plate 93. tWBT RUINS OF THE AMPIllTllE ATIIE OF ITALICA. SPAIN. The only ruins at Italica, now called Santa Ponce, are lhos(; ol ;m .iniphitheatre, which, viewed in their present dilapidated stale, hear a resemblance to those existing near Saintes. A piece of very fine mosaic pavement has been discovered at Italica ; it represents a chariot-race, with all the details of the interior of a circus, and is extremely valuable, from the liglil it tluows upon the manners and customs of antiquity. We learn iVom its accompanying inscri|)liES BAINS DANS J-.vi-ii Alijn r.A. ! FRONT OF THE Cu< l\ 1 u- iJA l M'J IN THK AlJiAMHR.'. FUOINT OF THE COUKT OF 15 AT IIS IN THIi ALIliVMBRA. SPAIN. Tins Courl was formerly remarkable for its magnificence. We have here given only a geometrical design of it, in order to convey a more accurate idea of Arabic architecture. But to form some concep- tion of what the Alhambra was, it is necessary to figure to one's self a vast edifice, in this style of bnilding, containing several fountains and basins of the most limpid water, surrounded with orange trees, myrtles and rose-bays, growing in the open air, with all the columns of the edifice in white marble, and the minutest ornaments covered with gold and azure. In a word, this palace, when inhabited by the Caliphs, was a realization of one of the splendid fictions of the Arabian INights. ■ Plate 9&. VIEW OF Tin: GENEUALIFE. SPAIN. The precise period of the foundation ofllic Gencralife is unknown, l)ul it is believed to have been about I lie l^illi ccnlury. B<'aulifuliy situated on the side of the mountain opposite the Alhambra, the ground between these two palaces forms an almost circular inclosure, within which lies the city of Grenada, said to derive its name from the iiich)- sure's resembling a half-open grenade or pomegranate. The poets of tiic oast have exhausted ail llic treasures of their art in describing these country residences of the Moorish kings ; and history, while it commemorates scenes of festivity and voluptuousness, marks with regret the grove of cypress so fatal to the sullana-queen and the heroic Abencerage. In our times, other scenes have contributed to the celebrity of the Generahfc. On the mountain by which it is over- looked, the batteries erected by the French army while in possession of Grenada still exist. At a still later period this palace was the favourite residence of Riego, whilst he held the government of the province. Here he exercised his poetical talents, and it was in the gallery which overlooks the city that he wrote the ode called by the soldiers Riego's Hymn. Plate 98. -;lbS.A. MOKKNA. SIERRA MORENA. SPAIN. TiiK aiiciciils called till' rulire chain ol'moinil:iiiis which traverses the road from Madrid into Andalousia, Mantes Mariani. 'rhouf.'h no glaciers have been formed upon any of these summits, yet their austere aspect oflers some very striking scenes, perfectly in imison with the modern name of Sierra JMorenn, Black Mounlains. given to llieni on account of the black heath and dark coloured sJnulis which cover their sides. The character of the scenery of these mountains is very peculiar, and belongs exclusively to this part of the Peninsula. I have seen nothing resembling it in any other country in Europe. At one nionienl you have all the richness of vegetation tliat distinguishes the Sahine in the environs of Rome, and in the next are seen defdes more rugged and terrible than the passages of the Tete Noire in the heart of the Alps. The peasantry relate numberless talcs of the banditti that for a long time infested these mountains, and some of whom still find a refugr there. They pointed out to us the cavern of more than one Rohnula. The spot exhibited in the accompanying view, is particularly celebratcMl for robberies. Fifty men might there clieck the progress of an arniv. Olivades, one of those men of whom nature is too sparing, changed the aspect of these wildernesses. \\ hilst the Spaniards were abandoning their country to colonize a new world, he formed colonics in Spain with the inhabitants of the norlli of France, made roads, and transformed these deserts into villages and cultivated fields. At a later period, a minister, actuated by generous ideas, a circumstance sufficiently rare to merit that his name, Florida Blanca, should be preserved, continued the plan of Olivades, then proscriljed by the Inquisition ; and a French engineer, Charles le Maur, terminated these admirable works, whicJi may be compared to that most marvelous effort of French genius, the Passage of the Simplon. Plate 22. |#**'g*3 THE GATE OE TOLEDO. SPAIN. LiVY is the liisl liislorian wJio makes uienlion of J'okdo. M. Fulvius fortified the town, and by a decree of the senate it was made the capital of Carpentania. Here, as in alJ ot^icr places where the Romans sojourned, tliey have left the impression of their genius. Toledo con- tained temples and theatres. The ruins of the Circus are still \ isi})lc in the Fega. Medals with the effigy of Augustus Cajsar are sliJI (ouud there. It was occupied by the Mains and the Goths, and its Orsl king was named Leovigile. After the battle of Xeres, Taric-ben-Zayad took possession of il for Walid Abulabas, caliph of the East; it afterwards came under the dominion of the caliphs of Cordova. Abderama I. was its benefactor. The history of Toledo under the Moors is full of charming details, and might furnish poetry and painting with the most interesting subjects. Ismael, one of its monarchs, was celebrated for his lastr in the fine arts. His son Almenon, who conquered the kingdom of Valencia, was a great and magnanimous prince ; he gave an asylum to the Christian king Alphonso VI. of Leon. Almenon also became master of Cordova and all Andalousia ; at his death Alphonso besieged the town in which he had received hospitality, and dethroned the son of the prince to whose generosity he was indebted. The Arabs, after having held it nearly four hundred years, were finally driven from Toledo about the year 108;"). Since that period It has been united to the crown of Castille. Alphonso named it The Imperial. The ruins and position of this city are admirable : it is seated upon a rock, and a part of its walls are washed by the Tagus. PlATB 21. CHURCH OF CORUNNA. SPAIN. It is of some imporlance to remark, iIimI I Ik- fino nils in Spain, as wc have elsewhere observed, are divided inlo iwo distinct classes: those of the north, where the Arabs met with hul pnrlial sticress in their attempt to establish their power; and those id llic soulli. where a long stay enabled them to display all the richness of their brilliant imagina- tion. It is in the northern provinces alone, therefore, that we observe that beautiful Gothic style commonly called Lombard or Roman. The city of Corunna contains two specimens of this style of construction, and tlie present view exhibits a subject worthy the attention of the anti- quary. Similar monuments of the 8th and 9th centuries are rare in Spain ; but they are sometimes met with on the sea coast, or in recesses of the mountains, where the Christian churches were never assailed by the desolating fire and sword of the Mussulmans. Plaib.49. < COURT OF THE AJ.CAZAU OF SEMLLE. SPAIN. This pari ol' the monument is of the greatest magnificence. On iln wall over llie columns wliicli support the cornice, and where begins the upper gallery, all llie orn.iincMls an; in open work ; lliioiighout, tin- columns, the capitals of which are in the Corinthian style of the Lower Empire, are joined together. This style is the same as that which is frequently observable in the Christian monuments of the middle ages. This court is paved with marble ; as in the Alliambra, the wall which forms the extremity of the great gallery is cased with porcelain. The doors which lead to the apartments are of the highest importance to antiquarians, for they exhibit precisely the same species of workmanship now observable in the east. The admirable stale of preservation of these ruins is owing to the custom the kings of Spain had of passing a certain portion of the year in Seville, and during that period the additions and i-eparations were executed in accordance with the primi- tive style of the edifice : of this, Seville and Segovia offer examples. The Hall of the Ambassadors looks into this court; it is covered with painted stucco, marble, and gilded, coloured and varnished porcelain. Nothing can equal the richness and elegance of these ornaments. I'mti-. 42. ^riV OCSB LIBRARY X- University of California SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 405 Hllgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024-1388 Return this material to tlie library from which It was borrowed. Series 9482 ::M^i5;t^sj;^^