The hand-book for travellers in Italy, from London to Naples

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THE

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BR A

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*

BRIGHAM YOUNG V IVERSIT* PROVO, UTAH

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ROAD-BOOK FROM

LONDON TO NAPLES.

LONDON: PRINTED BY JAMES MOVES, ('astle Street, Leicester

Square.

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LONDON TO

33

PARIS.

in discredit with travellers, for the extravagance of

their charges.

from Calais, 16 posts.

Airaines, 2\ posts,

From

Abbeville to Airaines the road

though part of

interesting,

The

Somme.

the

it

is

still

un-

near the banks of

lies

general character of the route

through Picardy, from Calais to Paris,

openness,

is its

and the scarcity of towns, villages, and inhabitants and there are few travellers who have not expressed their surprise at the excellent state

of agriculture,

without the appearance of a proportionate population

seen,

for

and

panorama its

its

is

name

:

single

cottages

are

rarely

on the high grounds, an extensive

often,

presented without a village spire to break

Near

horizon.

the

labours

this place

Camp

of the

is

a mound, which bears

of Caesar

;

Roman

coins

and

other antiquities have been found there, and intrench-

ments may be traced, which lead to the

was a military

belief that

station.

Camps,

\\ post,

Poix,

\\

do.

do.

18|

do

Grand villiers, If

do.

do.

20|

do.

Marseilles,

1

\

do.

do.

do

Beauvais,

2\

do.

do.

21| 24

from Calais, \1\ posts,

The scenery from Poix

to Marseilles

do

is

perhaps

the most dull and uninteresting on the route

from Marseilles to Beauvais the road tiful little

it

valley,

and the

rich pasturages, villages,

skirts

traveller looks

and chateaux D

:

;

but

a beau-

down on

one of these,

LONDON TO

34 at

Achy, belongs to

the

PARIS.

Beauvais presents

Tonnere.

of Clermont de

family

of that appear-

little

ance which would induce the belief that

it

could ever

have withstood a siege of 80,000 Burgundians, in

and that the siege could be raised by the exertions and example of a woman yet the tale "of 1472,

;

Jeanne Hachette

women

still

is

precede

now a part of history, and the the men in the procession on the

10th of July, commemorative of the defeat of the

Duke

of Burgundy.

Beauvais

is

celebrated for

manufactures of silk and cotton, and for

Among

from the

latter of these,

Ecu de

Aux

which owes

its

Trois Piliers

name

to three

Grande Place, a view of Beauvais with its abbey is seen.

ornamented columns terior

its tapestries.

the good inns at Beauvais are the

France, Hotel d'Angleterre, and

in the

fine in-

from Calais, 25f posts,

Noailles,

If post,

Puiseau,

li

do.

do.

27|

do.

Beaumont-sur-Oise, 1|

do.

do.

28|

do.

Beaumont

is

its

beautifully situated

on the

bank

left

of the Oise. Moisselles, 1| post, St. Denis,

Much is

hilly,

Paris

is

greater

many city;

l£

do.

from Calais, 30 do.

31^

posts,

do.

Beaumont to St. Denis bad condition. The approach to

of the road from

and

in

perceptible long before reaching St. Denis:

population, villas,

more numerous

villages,

mark the neighbourhood of a

and great

pasturage, vineyards, and gardens, instead of

;

4

3

LONDON TO cornfields, are every

35

PARIS.

where observed

;

and the

well-

wooded parks of the royal demesnes enrich the scenery. Paris,

1

from Calais, 32| posts.

post,

Denis, only five miles from Paris, has nearly

St.

The

the bustle of the capital.

all

cathedral here,

the resting-place of the kings of France, visit

from

From

Paris.

and

its

Denis the road continues

St.

through avenues of trees

and, leaving Montmartre

;

windmills on the right, enters by the barrier

of St. Denis, where carriages of

gay chariot searched for ing the

worth a

is

from the

all classes,

and the dray, are brandy, which pays a duty upon enterthe

to

An

city.

diligence

from the barrier always

officer

accompanies the diligences to the places of their destination in Paris,

where every

traveller

is

obliged to

unlock his trunks, &c. for the inspection of this exorciser of illegal spirits.

The

traveller

is

now

France

in the capital of

he has been recommended to Maurice's, or any other hotel, and he travel by post, he orders the

and

if

postilions to drive there

by

diligence,

he

will

from the barrier.

If

he travel

be met at the Bureau, where

puts up, by a legion like that which assailed his arrival in Calais.

The same

used on landing in France hotel,

and

its

commissioner

is

him on

precaution as that

name an

necessary, to

will

it

immediately relieve

him from further importunity. The Hotel de Lille, Rue St. Thomas du Louvre, has for a long time been a favourite with diligence

travellers

;

and

i^ts

36

LONDON TO

PARIS.

convenient situation near the Palais Royal makes desirable to those

who

it

intend to remain only a short

time in Paris.

Within twenty-four hours of

his arrival in Paris,

upon by the master of the hotel where he happens to stay, to furnish him with his passport, in order that his name, quality, &c. may be the traveller

called

is

registered, according to the regulations of the police.

However

disagreeable this

a ready compliance with

may

be to Englishmen,

the ordonnances of the

all

police (especially as they relate to passports) should

be shewn will

not

but often

:

these arrangements, carefully regarded,

only relieve the stranger from difficulty, facilitate his access to objects

worth his attention.

A

day or two

of an English traveller in Paris,

and places

after the arrival

it is

desirable that

he should go to the Prefecture of Police, Quai des Orfevres, and reclaim the passport with which he had arrived in Calais, or elsewhere on the frontier; for that

with which he travels to Paris in

is

not the one obtained

England, but a passport provisoire, the original

being kept to be forwarded by the malle-post to the Minister of the

This arrangement,

Interior.

however, often embarrasses the traveller who wishes not to stay in Paris, but to proceed immediately to Italy

;

for the original passport

upon the road, or detained

is

sometimes delayed

at the office of the

nister of the Interior for several days. is

necessary, this cause of delay

may

When

Mi-

haste

be avoided, upon

a proper representation of the fact to the authorities at Calais,

where a

fee will obtain the restoration of the

$M

ii

','v

1

*

-c-

X^ fc

"*

LONDON TO first

passport, which

who can then

may be

delays of

taken on by the traveller,

himself procure to

the Minister of the Interior

When

office.

:

he

it

the signature of

will thus avoid the

time allows, however,

better to let the affair take

any sudden necessity

37

PARIS.

its

usual course

;

it

is

and

if

for leaving Paris should arise

before the arrival of the original passport from Calais,

upon

stating

it

tures

may be

obtained to the passport provisoire which

at the prefecture, the necessary signa-

had been received

may

traveller

The

at the frontier

;

and with

this the

then proceed in safety.

stranger in Paris should never be without his

by means of it he obtains access to museums and institutions, on days when they are usually

passport

;

closed to the public.

Immediately

after the traveller arrives there,

should provide himself with a " Guide Paris," at Galignani's,

No. 18,

in the

Rue

Book

he to

Vivienne.

Messrs. Galignani have established reading and news

rooms, and

all

amusement

as

such means of local information and are

usually found

at the

favourite

bookseller's in a fashionable watering-place in

land

;

Eng-

books of address, reference to lodgings, &c,

can always be seen there, and the news of the day The " Guide Book" will be found to concollected. tain all the necessary information for those

make

who may

either a long or a short stay in Paris, with

an

account of those objects which are best worth their attention,

and the readiest or regular mode of getting

admission to them. establishments are

Most of the public buildings and constantly and easily accessible,

38 or

LONDON TO

made

so

by a

trifling fee

PARIS.

and every direction

;

and means of visiting the public establishments, manufactories, museums,

to the time

as

buildings, libraries,

monuments, and amusements in short, all the sightseeing of this gay city and its environs, will be found amply detailed in the "Guide Book" recommended. ;

It will

who

not be amiss to advise those

the

visit

institutions of our highly-gifted neighbours,

to dis-

possess themselves of such prejudices as might induce

them

to look with

contempt upon establishments and

productions which are excellent, though not English.

This national prejudice

is

found only with the igno-

and wears away with observation from minds

rant,

open to conviction.

necessary that those

It is equally

prejudices against England, which are entertained by

many who are ignorant own country, should be felt, or,

what

who

sons,

is

of the institutions of their

They

dismissed.

worse, affected to be

felt

by

are often silly

per-

think that the abuse of the establishments

of England will be received by foreigners in proof of a liberal It is

a

spirit.

common

error, that every thing public

is

accessible in France without pay, or the difficulties

which

exist in

facilities

England

;

but

it is

not true that such

of access are greater, or that

money

as necessary to sight-seeing in Paris as in

The

churches,

it

is

true, are, in

Catholic custom, always open

Westminster Abbey are open

During

this time,

however,

;

is

not

London.

obedience to the

whilst St. Paul's or

at certain hours only. visitors,

without being

taxed, are allowed to enter as freely as in either

LONDON TO

Dame

Notre

39

PARIS.

or Ste. Genevieve

but nothing can

;

be seen beyond the nave of either without paying for it.

The author

is

no apologist

for the beggarly sale

of such gratification to the people as the sight of public places

from

but he

;

imputation

the

where such

illiberal

anxious to relieve England

is

of being

only country

the

restrictions exist.

Dame

be termed the sights of Notre those of

fees, as inaccessible as

misery,

at

the

portals

are,

St. Paul's

;

without

and the

from the per-

visitors to the latter are, at least, free

made by

secuting appeals for charity,

What may

and

disease

and within the churches

abroad. It is equally unjust to believe that greater facilities

of admission

to

public

museums and

libraries

exist in France, or that greater benefits are conferred

by such establishments. The National Gallery in Pall Mall, though so inferior in the number of works of art to the gallery of the Louvre, freely,

three hours as

October,

it

is

1st of

closed to

Museum

in the

Museum

;

and

for

six

September to the 15th of

The

all.

vacation of the

months of August and Sep-

tember, does not extend to that time literary

The

not open so long daily by

is

the British

weeks, from the

Its

open more

because more frequently, to the public.

Bibliotheque du Roi

British

is

men have

its

libraries; for during

constant access to them.

arrangements are also superior to those of the

Bibliotheque du Roi, which

contains no catalogue

accessible to the visitor, though,

author of any work he

may

if

he can name the

wish to consult,

if it

be

40

LONDON TO

there, ants.

it

is

be immediately brought by the attend-

will

It is true that the public

library, as to

this

PARIS.

have admission to

this

an exhibition, two days in the week but ;

a useless and injurious privilege,

when crowds

of idlers walk through the reading-rooms, and distract

the attention of those that part

who go

Bibliotheque

of the

prints are preserved,

there to study.

In

du Roi where the

though the public have access

to certain folios, the finest

works of Rembrandt and

other eminent masters, are kept in a private room,

and are more

inaccessible than the collections in the

print-room of the British

be seen by those are

us

;

some points in

in

many they

well to follow

and

who

:

to ourselves

Museum, which can always

really

want to study.

These

which our neighbours are behind set

examples which we should do

but justice can only be done to them

by unprejudiced examination.

f*j

si

M

^5

p=l

i s>

o 1=1

m M g £

*

^ s s •J

PART SECOND. PARIS TO TURIN.

CHAPTER Routes.

Passports.

Savoy.

Two

III.

The Bourbonnais.

Mont

Cenis.

Lyons.

Piedmont.

Frontiers of

Turin.

or three days before his departure from Paris

for Italy, the traveller should attend to the arrange-

ment

of his passports, and

know

that

all

the neces-

sary signatures for the prosecution of his journey to Italy have

been obtained.

It is generally desirable

to procure that of the Austrian ambassador, even

though no part of the intended route should

lie

through the countries directly under the Austrian

government

;

for the influence of that

power upon

the politics of the petty states of Italy will give im-

portance to the passport which bears the signature of its

ambassador, and

facilitate

the progress

of the

and Piedmont, Parma, Tuscany, the states of the Church and of Naples. If, instead of pursuing the journey to Italy by Turin, the course which this portion of the work is intended

traveller

through

Savoy

E

42 to

PARIS TO TURIN.

the

illustrate,

Milan,

intend to proceed to

absolutely necessary to obtain the signa-

is

it

traveller

ture of the Austrian ambassador before leaving Paris, as

there

Geneva

;

consul from that government

no

is

and passports are so

at

examined

rigidly

at

Sesto Calende, on the Lago Maggiore, that the luck-

whose passport is deficient of this necessary authority must retrace his steps, or wait there while a messenger is sent to the nearest Austrian

less traveller

consulate, at Berne. If the traveller

he need not wait

be in haste to proceed to Turin,

for the signature of the Sardinian

ambassador in Paris, for that of the consul who Lyons, which

sides at for

re-

lies in his route, is as efficient

Turin and the states of Sardinia as the ambas-

sador's in Paris,

and

at

Turin the signatures

may be

procured of the Austrian and Papal ministers.

The

signature of the Ministre des Affaires etran-

geres in Paris

is

necessary to those

who

are about to

enter a country where passports are examined

the fee of this minister (ten francs)

who

those

passport

thank

may

God

demanded, and where the that he

but

be saved by

are about to return to England,

is

;

where no

traveller

may

not required to submit to such a system of annoyance. * *

It

may

not be inappropriate to suggest to those

collecting in Paris rillon,

is

some agremens

for their journey, that

the Suisse of the Messagerie Royale, can furnish many, of

which he keeps a

list,

that cannot be procured genuine elsewhere

Paris. Morillon sells numerous by means of the conductors of the

in

who are M. Mo-

articles,

which he obtains

diligences

arriving

at the

PARIS TO TURIN.

43

There are two principal roads from Paris to Lyons the first, which is the route of the malle-post, :

passes through Auxerre and Chalons-sur-Saone, 59^ posts * and the second through Nevers and Roanne, ;

59i posts

also

Bourbonnais.

—

A

this

by the

the route

called

is

sometimes chosen by way of Troyes, Dijon, the Cote d'Or, and Chalonsthird route

sur-Saone, 62^- posts

but

;

is

all

these routes are ge-

Messagerie from the provinces and the frontiers: for instance,

it

is

here only, in Paris, that genuine eau de Cologne can be obtained.

There are indeed a thousand and one stitutes for this refreshing is

made,

and agreeable

esprit

either as medicine or as perfume,

author learned,

who

varieties sold in Paris of sub-

when he was

lives opposite the

is

;

but no other that

of half

its

The

value.

at Cologne, from Jean-Marie Farina,

Place Juliers in that

his only correspondent in Paris,

city, that

Morillon was

and that the house of Gattie and

Bond Street, was his only connexion in London. may be well to advert to the fact, that differences

Pierce, in

*

It

exist in

the indications of posts in different government authorities, and

where one might reasonably expect consistency and accuracy thus, the Livre de Poste gives 59 \ posts from Paris to

:

—

Lyons by

Auxerre, and the way-bill of the conductor of the malle-poste makes it

This difference does not arise from the extra posts as

61 J.

on leaving Paris and entering Lyons,

but

from

Villeneuve-le-Roi to Villevallier, between Sens and Joigny.

The

postes-royales

route by Auxerre, in the Livre de Poste

the malle-poste way-bill

This

is

it

mentioned to shew

is

is

marked

post, whilst in

1

stated to be three-quarters of a post.

that, with every desire

on the part of

the editor to be accurate, the occasional changes in the other causes, will lead to apparent errors.

is

to request of the post-master

which he makes the charge

best way,

demand not agreeing with

ever any doubt arises from a

de Poste,

The

tariffs,

;

and

when-

the Livre

a sight of the

tariff

by

an authority which may be subse-

quent to the publication of the last Livre de Poste.

44

PARIS TO TURIN.

perhaps, that portion of the

except,

nerally dull,

by the Cote d'Or and bank of the Saone. As the route

route from Dijon which

on the right

lies

by the Bourbonnais, however, can be accomplished in the shortest time, and the scenery occasionally relieves the tedium of the journey, particularly in the forest of Fontainebleau, on the banks of the Loire, and on the Mount Tarare, the author adopts

this

line of route.

On

leaving Paris by the dirty faubourg of Saint

Marceau and the

barrier

which leads to Fontaine-

bleau, the traveller passes the hospital, or prison, of Bicetre,

and reaches the

first

Villejuif, 1 post

Villejuif is

relay at

from Paris.

an uninteresting

village,

a fine view of Paris.

In

its

slight

whence there

elevation above the valley of the Seine, is

on a

neighbourhood are

extensive nursery-grounds and gardens, which supply

the

Near

capital.

are

Villejuif

gypsum, where many

fossil

also

quarries

remains are found.

of

The

road continues straight forward through avenues of trees

Essonne. at

an

over

extensive

There

is

plain

which extends to

an intermediate relay, however,

Fromanteau,

11 post,

Essonne,

1| do.

do.

Ponthierry,

1£ do.

do.

3f do. 5 do.

Chailly,

1

do.

do.

6

H

do.

do.

1\ do.

Fontainebleau,

,

from Paris 2\ posts. ;

Until arriving near Chailly, there

the road to interest a traveller.

The

is

do.

nothing on

character of the

PARIS TO TURIN.

and the only objects are uncomfortable -looking chateaux, and

country from Paris dull villages,

45

flat,

is

dragging their courses along the

sluggish streams

plain to join the Seine

but near Chailly the traveller

;

enters the forest of Fontainebleau, where the change

of scene affords great

The

relief.

route plunges

gloom and shade of its magnificent trees. Through openings, which are of frequent occurrence,

into the

gigantic

rocks appear, and a savage and

broken

upon which immense blocks are primitive wildness. This relief must

surface of ground,

strewn about in

be pleasing and impressive to the traveller ennuied with the tedium of the previously dull route

:

but

the wildest parts of the forest are not those through

which the road passes

by what

is

;

and

curiosity be excited

if

traversed on this route,

it

may

be fully

by resting at Fontainebleau, and making an excursion to the Hermitage of Frauchard, about a

gratified

league north-east of Fontainebleau

:

there

is

a vast-

ness in the objects, and grandeur in their disposition

on

this spot,

where, in the tenth century, some fanatic

fancied that he served as

God by

neglecting his duties

man. Fontainebleau, situated near the centre of the

forest,

has been

celebrated as the hunting-seat of

those monarchs of France whose largest contributions to history have

been records of their own

famy, and there are few associations with

its

that are sources of pleasure

it

—a

visit to

however, to be neglected by the

room

in

which Napoleon signed

traveller.

in-

palace is

not,

The

his abdication has

46

PARIS TO TURIN.

been a spot of interest to after, it

remained in the

visiters

state in

for a long time

:

which he

left it

;

and

the pen with which this emancipation of France was aided, has

been replaced and many times sold as the

true pen to credulous travellers.

All the information

may be obtained there in The inns are tolerable,

required upon Fontainebleau a guide-book for a few sous.

but the charges extravagant. Nemours, 2 posts,

The

ride

from Paris, 9J posts.

from Fontainebleau to Nemours

lies

through scenery in the forest even wilder than that

on the approach to Fontainebleau from Paris. On emerging from the forest, Nemours is rather abruptly seen in a picturesque situation, at the commence-

ment of a boundless

plain.

from Paris, lOf posts.

Croisiere,

1| posts,

Fontenay,

1

do.

do.

llf do.

Montargis, 2

do.

do.

13| do.

At Montargis are the ruins of a very fine chateau The ruins it was destroyed during the revolution. are enormous, and convey an idea of the vastness of the building before

its

One

destruction.

great hall

was above 140 feet long and 50 feet wide. The chateau was built by Charles V., and the court of France was often held here, especially when the queens of France came to their accoucheme?is ; for so celebrated was the purity of the able

this

cle

or so fashion-

custom, that the numerous royal births

here gave to the city the

Evfans

air,

France.

It

name

was

at

of

Le Berceau

des

Montargis that the

PARIS TO TURIN.

English, in 1427, received the

first

47 check which raised

the hopes and roused the exertions of Charles VII.

them from his country. Whatever might have been the

to expel

salubrity of the

situation of Montargis formerly, the canal of Briare,

which extends to

this place, has,

with

its

commercial

advantages, brought also the curse of malaria.

La Commodite,

1J post,

Nogent-sur-Vernisson,

1

do.

do.

16

La Bussiere,

\\

do.

do.

17^ do.

Briare,

I5 do.

do.

19 do.

is

uninteresting,

The

from Paris, 15 posts.

route through these posts

do.

except that near Nogent, at a chateau called Ckenevier,

there are the remains of a

theatre

;

and near

it,

Roman amphi-

medals, a small bronze Mercury,

and other antiquities, have been found, indicating that it was a Roman station, but of which there is now no

From Commodite

Nogent the road is sandy and sterile and scarcely in any other part does it deserve a better character, until upon reaching the summit of a hill between La Bussiere and Briare, and close upon the descent to the latter historical record.

to

;

town, the magnificent valley of the Loire bursts suddenly upon the eye of the traveller, with an effect greatly heightened

by the

There are few scenes so so beautiful as this.

dull route

which led to

it.

striking, or, of its character,

The broad

surface of the river,

which the eye can almost trace from Nevers, flowing through an immense

plain, is

covered with boats,

carrying the productions of the Bourbonnais to the

48

PARIS TO TURIN.

and

Atlantic,

hundred towns and

communication of a on its banks, which are

the

facilitating

villages

enriched with vineyards, woods,

and

plains,

fertile

and animated by the activity of commercial, manufacturing, and agricultural pursuits.

The

canal of Briare connects the navigation of

the Loire with the Seine, and

it

is

by

this

means

that the former river furnishes a large quantity of

the supplies of the capital. great Sully, was the

first

This canal, begun by the

important work of

The appearance

undertaken in France.

its class

of the basins

of the canal at Briare, crowded by boats, excites a just idea of

its

great importance. from Paris, 21 posts.

Neuvi,

2

Cosne,

If do.

do.

Pouilly,

If do.

do.

Charite, lj do.

do.

La

posts,

22f do 24i do

Pougues,

1|

do.

do.

26 do 27i do.

Nevers,

1