Columbus (CA 74) - Naval Cruise Book

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fglfhough if would be impossible fo lisf all fhe affracfions Venice has fo offer fhe sighf-seer, fhere are a few of fhe beffer known fhaf should be menfioned. From fhe liberfy landing if was buf a few shorf blocks fo fhe cenfer of Venefian life af fhe Piazza Di San Marco lSf. lviark's Squarel, filled wifh people, and E I E pigeons. On fhree sides if is enclosed wifh symmefrical colonnades, from which 1 exfend numerous cafe fables. On fhe fourfh side is fhe fabulous Basilica of Sf. Mark, fhe pafron sainf of Venice. The roof is a greaf clusfer of golden domes of various sizes, and is adorned wifh 500 columns of rare orienfal marbles, inside and ouf. The building is covered wifh mosaics of gilded glass and semi- precious sfones. On your leff as you leave fhe church is fhe l4fh cenfury Campanile. Above fhe brick shaff, I62 feef high, is a limesfone bell chamber which affords a wonderful view of fhe cify. Direcfly across fhe Piazza from fhe Campanile, over an archway leading info fhe maze of fhe cify ifself, is fhe Torre Del Orlo-Gio, The principal feafure of which is a frick clock. The bronze gianfs called fhe Mori or Moors, each armed wifh a sledgehammer, have been sfriking fhe hours on a large bell for fhe pasf 450 years. There are a number of palaces fo visif, perhaps fhe mosf famous being fhe Palazzo Ducale lDucal Palacel. This sfriking building has seen as much magnificence, cruelfy, lavish generosify, low infrigue, cafasfrophe, and prosperify as any building fhis side of Hades. The Grand Canal, fhe main drag of Venice is a rubber-neck's paradise, wifh anofher dozen famous and beaufi- ful spofs +o see. The Grand Canal In fronf of Sf. Mark's

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TARA T0 ane of fhe four maior naval bases in lfaly, Taranfo, in fhe insfep of fhe lfalian Boof forms fhe soufhern anchorage for her fleef. The disasfer inflicfed on fhe lfalian Navy by fhe Brifish in I94l, is well known. Brifish planes from fhe lllusfrious flew over fhe lfalian fleef, apparenfly quife secure in fhe harbor, and broke fhe back of lfalian sea power in a few hours. Taranfo is one of fhe cleanesf cifies visifed in fhe Med. If is rafher small, and fhe sfreefs are very narrow. Wifh a populafion of abouf lO0,000, she does nof have fhe air of a big cify as some of fhe ofher-porfs have. Amusemenfs are few, and luxurious bars and hofels are non-exisfenf. There are a few side- walk cafes fhaf offer a pleasanf place from which fo view fhe Taranfios. Shop- ping is limifed, wifh mosf of fhe producfs coming from fhe norfhern cifies. The cify is nof indusfrial, nor does if have any nafive handicraff fhaf is worfhy fo menfion. Three Naval schools are mainfained here, and lfalian courfesies are many buf noi' lavish. Noi' far from fhe fleei- landing one can find modern club-hofels, which serve cognac, gin, and beer af reasonable prices. Fafher's Day was celebrafed by in- vifing a group of lfalian orphans fo a parfy aboard ship. If was hard fo fell who had fhe mosf fun, fhe children or fhe fosfer fafhers. The Navy meefs fhe Navy

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7his was The TirsT visiT oT The COLUMBUS To This porT oT call since The midshipmen cruise in I948. Nobody knows iusT when The ciTy was. Tounded. IT was a very long Time beTore The birTh oT ChrisT aT any raTe. The name Genoa is probably derived Trom The Greek word Zenos or sTranger. and The early civilizaTion oT The ciTy is due To The conTacT oT The primiTive Ligurian inhabiTanTs wiTh Greek and Phoenician Traders. TT is boTh a medieval and modern ciTy. crowded and busTling. The old parT oT The ciTy is Tull of narrow winding sTreeTs, wiTh sTairs and bridges and hemmed in by old buildings, daTing Trom The middle ages. Carved doorways, oTTen wiTh wroughT iron grills or gaTes open inTo inner courTyards. GreaT Renaissance palaces loom over one as he passes Through Those crooked alleys. and rear Their loTTy walls Tar above his head as They elbow neighboring palaces. One soon noTices ThaT homes or dwelling places have black sTreeT numbers, and places oT business and oTTices have red' ones. The new parTs oT The ciTy have broad roads and well spaced dwellings and give The appearance oT a modern ciTy as we know iT. YeT, iT can be said. Genoa is pre-eminenTly a ciTy OT palaces. These range Trom The medieval homes oT Genoese Tamilies in The old quarTer oT The Town To The magniTicenT sixTeenTh and sevenTeenTh cenTury mansions which line The Via Garibaldi. IT is oT special inTeresT To noTe ThaT The year OCT. TZ. T950 To OCT. l2. l95l is The Fif+h CenTenary CelebraTion oT ChrisTopher Columbus. The exhibiTion in progress aT ST. George's palace showed much oT The hisTory oT Columbus' Times. Genoa has very imporTanT meTallurgical and engineering indusTries which are mainly connecTed wiTh ship- building. The reTining and processing oT vegeTable and seed oils, which are inainly imporTed, is a considerable indusTry. The soap and Tood indusTry. coTTon manuTacTures, especially hosiery, Tanning and leaTher indusTries lglovesj, painT TacTories, cemenT works and quarries give a TurTher picTure of The Genoese aT Their work. Neaby poinTs oT inTeresT include The STaglieno CerneTery Tor iTs world-famous TombsTones, also Tomb of Giuseppi Mazzini, Nervi Promenade, Gallery oT Modern ArT, Pegli Park and l'TeadquarTers oT Civil Naval Museum. The hearT oT The ciTy lies in a Triangle bounded by The harbor, The Via Garibaldi and The Via Carlo Felice. IT is Tilled wiTh crooked sTreeTs, Towering buildings, and many churches. IT is in These old churches ThaT you will really Tind someThing'worThwhile. While in Genoa a Tour was made To Pisa and Florence. Pisa is world Tamous Tor iTs Leaning Tower . lncessani' land-slides seem To be The explanaTion oT This oddiTy. Florence like Genoa is boTh mod- ern and medieval wiTh The picTuresque characTerisTics ThaT such a combinaTion has To oTier. Many museums and arT galleries are available To The visiTor. Some oT The world Tamous masTerpieces can be seen in This old lTalian ciTy. Florence also boasTs oT having The only bridge in Europe ThaT has buildings and sTores on iT. The greaT culTural awak- ing ThaT Tinally shook Europe Trom iTs sTagnanT sleep oT The Middle Ages sTarTed here. MonumenT To The discoverer of America and The house in which he was born.