ITALY.

Situation, &c. ITALY, according to its former limits, lies between 6 10 and 18 35 degrees east longitude, and 37 and 47 north latitude. North and northeast, it was bounded by Switzerland and Germany; east by the gulf of Venice; south by the Mediterranean; west by that sea and France. Its figure bore some resemblance to that of a boot; its length from Aousta, in Savoy, to the utmost verge of Calabria, was 740 miles; its breadth was unequal, from 25 to nearly 400 miles. The kingdom of Italy embraced 30 departments, including St. Marino, with a population of 6,389,000 inhabitants.

General Description of the Political State. Italy is the most celebrated country in Europe, having been formerly the seat of the Roman empire, and afterwards of that astonishing universal usurpation, the spiritual dominion of the Pope. It has been divided into a great number of states, which differ in extent and importance. Between the confines of France and Switzerland, on the west and north, were the continental dominions of the king of Sardinia, viz. Piedmont, Savoy, Montserrat, part of the Milanese, and Oneglia. Northeast were the territories of Venice. South, were the dominions of the emperor of Germany, viz. part of the Milanese and the Mantuan; and south of these were Modena, Mirandola, and Reggio, belonging to the duke of Modena. West of these were the dutchies of Parma, Placentia, and Guastella. South of Parma, was the republic of Genoa; and southeast of this, that of Lucca. Hence extended along the coast of the Mediterranean, the grand dutchy of Tuscany. The Ecclesiastical State, or the territory of the pope, lay northeast and east of Tuscany, between the gulf of Venice and the Mediterranean; and south, the kingdom of Naples, with its dependent íslands, of which Sicily was the principal. Such were the divisions of Italy before the late war, which has wrought great changes in this part of the world. The whole of Piedmont, including Nice and Savoy, has been absolutely annexed to, and has become an integral part of; the French empire, as follows: Savoy is made a department under the title of Mont Blanc; Nice,

another department, with the name of Maritime Alps; and Piedmont has been divided into six departments, the Doice, the Po, Marengo, Sesia, Stura, and Tanaro. The Milanese has been erected into a kingdom, called the kingdom of Italy, of which Bonaparte has been crowned king, and to it have been added the city and territory of Bologna, the Venetian states, the republic of Genoa, Modena, and Ferrara. The republic of Lucca has been erect ed into a principality, and, joined with Piombino in Tuscany, has been given to Bonaparte's eldest sister. Tuscany has been erected into a kingdom, by the name of Etruria, and given to the duke of Parma in exchange for his dukedom, which now remains in full sovereignty to France, and is annexed to that empire. In 1807, Etruria was annexed to the kingdom of Italy. The papal states, with the exceptions above stated, remained nominally to the Pope, till erected by Bonaparte into a new kingdom, called Latium; which was of short duration. Naples and the two Calabrias were erected into a kingdom, and given to Joseph, the eldest brother of Napolean Bonaparte, who was afterward transferred to the throne of Spain. Sicily is, as yet, unconquered, and remains to the late king of Naples.

Climate. The air on the north side of the Appenines is temperate; on the south it is very warm. The air of Campagna di Roma, and of the Ferrarese, is said to be unwholesome; owing to the lands not being duly cultiva ted, nor the marshes drained. In the other parts, the air is generally pure, dry, and healthy.

Rivers and Lakes. The principal rivers are, the Po, Trebbia, Tesind, Gerigliano, Volturno, the latter in Naples, Tiber, Arno, Adige, and Var. There are several fine lakes, as the Maggiore, Lugano, Como, Garda, Perugia, Bracciano, and Celano.

Mountains. The chief mountains of Italy are the Alps and Appenines, which are extensive; Mount Vesuvius, a celebrated volcano near Naples ; and Mount Algidus, famous in the ancient history of Rome.

Soil and Productions. The soil in general is very fertile. It produces a great variety of wines, and the best oil in Europe; excellent silk in abundance; corn of all sorts, but not in such plenty as in other countries; oranges,

lemons, citrons, pomegranates, almonds, raisins, sugar, figs, peaches, apricots, pears, apples, filberts, &c. This country also yields good pasture, and abounds with cattle, sheep, goats, buffaloes, wild boars, mules, and horses. The forests are stored with game; and the mountains have not only mines of iron, lead, alum, marble of all sorts, alabaster, jasper, porphyry, &c. but also gold and silver; with a great variety of aromatic herbs, trees, shrubs, and evergreens.

Commerce. Wine, oil, perfumes, fruits, and silks, are the principal articles of exportation; and great sums of money are expended by travellers, in the purchase of picaures, curiosities, relics, antiquities, &c.

Literature and Science. No country has produced better politicians, historians, poets, musicians, painters, and sculptors; that is, since the revival of the arts and sciences, exclusive of those of ancient times.

Religion and Language. The established religion is the Roman Catholic. Their language, which is a corruption of the Latin, is said to be spoken in its greatest purity at Florence.

Cities and Antiquities. ROME, anciently the capital and mistress of the world, was founded, it is said, by Romulus, its first king, about 748 years before Christ. Its ancient history, splendor, and power, are much celebrated. In its present state it may still pass for the most beautiful in the world. Its streets, public squares, churches, palaces, and multitude of public edifices, built in a style of elegance and solidity; its obelisks and vast columns; its fountains decorated with noble taste, dispersing water in every part of the city; the neatness of the streets; its chef d'oeuvres in sculpture, painting and architecture, ancient and modern; its delightful climate; the taste of its gardens, and the splendor of its public festivals, (the fruits of a mistaken bigotry) form a pictue so varied and so delightful, that it may, without question, still be regarded as the first city in the world. It is situated on both sides of the Tiber, on seven hills. Its position is exactly the same with that of ancient Rome. It is about 15 miles in circumference, and contains 35,900 houses and 163,034 inhabitants, of which about 7,000 are ecclesiastics, and of religious orders of bath sexes, who live in celibacy. Many of the streets are

long, straight, and very regular in their architecture. The objects of curiosity and interest, of taste and grandeur, are so numerous, that it would exceed the limits of a work of this kind, even to insert a list of them.

NAPLES is a large and commercial city, the capital of the kingdom of Naples. It is seated at the bottom of the bay of Naples, and is built in the form of a vast amphithe atre, sloping from the hills to the sea. The houses in common, are five or six stories in height, and flat at the top, on which are placed numbers of flower vases or fruit trees, in boxes of earth. The inhabitants are computed at 412,489. There is not a city in the world, perhaps, with the same number of inhabitants, in which so few contribute to the wealth of the community, by useful and productive labor, as in Naples; for the number of priests, monks, fiddlers, lawyers, nobility and footmen, surpasses all reasonable proportion; the Lazzaroni alone are above 30,000; they are the only common laborers, and are a very industrious, laborious and useful class of men. Here is the famous grotto of Pansillippo, which perforates a mountain just out of Naples, on the side of Baia, near half a mile in length, cut through the solid rock, and through which the road to Baia runs. The tomb of Virgil is said to be plac ed just at the entrance of this grotto. The baths of Nero are placed at Baia, about six miles from Naples. Naples, from its vicinity to Vesuvius, and to several extinguished volcanoes, has been always subject to earthquakes; the last took place in the year 1806, and is said to have destroyed, or shaken so as to injure, 4000 houses in this city.

FLORENCE, for many ages the capital of Tuscany, is, at present, the metropolis of the new kingdom of Etruria. It is pleasantly situated on the river Arno, about 30 miles from the Appenines, which seem to overhang the city. The river divides the city into two equal parts; on each side of the river are most beautiful quays extending through the whole length of the city, and connected by magnificent stone bridges. The private edifices are in a fine style of architecture, and the public buildings are inferior to none in magnificence. They reckon 17 public squares; 7 fountains, constantly playing; 6 pillars, or columns; 2 pyramids; 160 beautiful statues, placed either in the public squares or in the streets, or in the front

of some palaces; 1 metropolitan church, 12 collegiate, and 44 parochial; 35 convents for men, 60 for women; 37 hospitals; and about 9000 houses. The number of inhabitants in the year 1761, was 72,000; now they a

mount to 80,100.

VENICE stands on 72 little islands in the Gulf of Venice. The number of inhabitants is computed to be about 160,000. The houses are built on piles. The streets, in general, are narrow; and so are the canals, except the Great Canal, which is very broad, and has a serpentine course through the middle of the city. There are nearly 500 bridges in Venice. The ducal palace is an immense building; besides the apartments of the doge, there are halls and chambers for the senate, and the different councils and tribunals. The arsenal of Venice is a fortification of between two and three miles in compass; it contains arms for 60,000 foot, and 20,000 horse, arranged in an ornamental manner. The Venetians have a flourishing trade in silk manufactures, bone lace, and all sorts of glasses and mirrors, which make their principal employments. The handsome structure, called Il Fontica di-, Tedeschi, containing 500 rooms, is that where the Ger man merchants deposite their commodities.

GENOA, the capital of the former republic of Genoa, is about ten miles in circumference. Besides the cathedral, it contains 32 parish churches, many of which are manificent, and adorned with sculptures and pictures by the best masters. The arsenal contains arms for 34,000 men, machines, models for bridges, the armour worn by a number of Genoese women in the crusades, a shield, containing 120 pistols, made by Julius Cesar Vacche, for the purpose of assassinating the doge and senate at one time, &c. Other public buildings, as the Albergo, which serves as a poor house and house of correction; a large hospital for the sick of all nations and religions; the Conservatory, for educating and portioning 300 poor girls; and a great number of palaces belonging to the nobility. They reckon at Genoa, 69 convents of men and women. ber of inhabitants is estimated at 150,000.

The num

MANTUA, the birth place of Virgil, which has 20,300 inhabitants; MILAN, the ancient capital of Lombardy ; LEGHORN, in Tuscany; and TURIN, in Piedmont, are all celebrated cities