VAL D'ARNO
By John Ruskin, M.A.
CONTENTS
LECTURE I. NICHOLAS THE PISAN.
LECTURE III. SHIELD AND APRON.
APPENDIX. (NOTES ON THE PLATES ILLUSTRATING THIS VOLUME.)
LIST OF PLATES.
(There are no illustrations in this edition)
THE ANCIENT SHORES OF ARNO
I. THE PISAN LATONA II. NICCOLA PISANO'S PULPIT III. THE FOUNTAIN OF PERUGIA IV. NORMAN IMAGERY V. DOOR OF THE BAPTISTERY. PISA VI. THE STORY OF ST. JOHN. ADVENT VII. " " " " " DEPARTURE VIII. "THE CHARGE TO ADAM" GIOVANNI PISANO IX. " " " " MODERN ITALIAN X. THE NATIVITY. GIOVANNI PISANO XI. " " MODERN ITALIAN XII. THE ANNUNCIATION AND VISITATION
VAL D'ARNO
TEN LECTURES
ON
THE TUSCAN ART DIRECTLY ANTECEDENT TO THE FLORENTINE YEAR OF VICTORIES
GIVEN BEFORE THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD IN MICHAELMAS TERM, 1873
LECTURE I. NICHOLAS THE PISAN.
1. On this day, of this month, the 20th of October, six hundred and twenty-three years ago, the merchants and tradesmen of Florence met before the church of Santa Croce; marched through the city to the palace of their Podesta; deposed their Podesta; set over themselves, in his place, a knight belonging to an inferior city; called him "Captain of the People;" appointed under him a Signory of twelve Ancients chosen from among themselves; hung a bell for him on the tower of the Lion, that he might ring it at need, and gave him the flag of Florence to bear, half white, and half red.
The first blow struck upon the bell in that tower of the Lion began the tolling for the passing away of the feudal system, and began the joy-peal, or carillon, for whatever deserves joy, in that of our modern liberties, whether of action or of trade.
2. Within the space of our Oxford term from that day, namely, on the 13th of December in the same year, 1250, died, at Ferentino, in Apulia, the second Frederick, Emperor of Germany; the second also of the two great lights which i