Vol. VI No. 1 - Modernist Magazines Project

THE BERMONDSEY BOOK
of it, some of Veronese's best frescoes decorate the walls of that dignified
villa built by Palladio. All who make a study of house decoration must see
the new rooms at the Museo Correr where beautiful i8th century Venetian
furniture and pictures have been lately placed. The municipality of Venice
taking into consideration the number of festivals and ceremonies that attract
people to the town, has decided to open an office for the direction of all these
events. Salvini, grandson of the famous actor, and a well-known regisseur, is
to be the head of it.
Genoa is, at the moment, doing more for art than any other city in Italy.
All the magnificent palaces and churches are being restored and lovely old
villas at Nervi and Pegli have been bought by the town to provide the public
with gardens. Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini is still kept as it was when it was
built in 1830 and is a rare example of the romantic taste in gardening. It has
a wood of high camellia trees, incredibly lovely when in bloom. This, and the
other villas are under the direction of Prof. Orlando Grosso who has a
great knowledge of Genoa, ancient and modern, and who recently told me
most interesting details about the old town. One of these was that the artisans'
quarter, built in the I5th century, was arranged so that during the day the sun
shines in turn on every part of each building, showing that in the past
builders knew of the disinfectant qualities of sunlight.
At Milan, the great war monument is to be unveiled in November. It
has been designed by a group of Milanese architects, Ponti, Lancia, Buzzi,
Cabiati, and Alpago Novello, under the direction of Prof. Muzio. The sculptors
decorating the temple are Wildt, Andreotti, Saponaro, Griselli and Maraini.
The monument is of an octagonal form with niches and a cupola.
Vasari's house at Arezzo has been restored. In it have been placed all
the Vasari papers originally in the Rasponi archives in Florence but which
had at a later time belonged to a German professor. This is an important
acquisition for Italy and these documents are now appearing as a magazine
called // Vasariy edited by Alessandro Del Vita. Prof. Del Vita who is
superintendent of the Museum at Arezzo, is also a specialist in pottery and
has started a factory where the famous ancient Roman cups of Arezzo, are
reproduced. They are as thin as blown glass and are decorated with delicate
reliefs.
Of books there is not much to tell you, but you must read Elio Zorzi's
delightful, Osterie Veneziane (Venetian Inns) published by Zanichelli of
Bologna. It is a learned book on Venice, wine and food; it is very amusing
and full of illustrations. Emilio Cecchi and Roberto Longhi have started a
new magazine on art called Pinacotheca. The first number came out in
August and has, amongst other interesting articles, one on Rubens in his
Italian period. Ugo Ojetti's book on Tintoretto, Canova, and Fattori, is ready
and will, I hope, be translated into English. I have at times written to you of
Italo Svevo whose books much liked by Valery, Joyce, Lesbaud, and other
foreigners, were but little noticed by Italians. Svevo died suddenly a few
weeks ago since when many articles have appeared on his work.
One cannot be everywhere, but I wish I could have got to Perugia to hear
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