had been the brother of his father Simon (hence arises the great difficulty of dates). And the Jews warned Judas lest he should confess aught of these things. So when Helena came they denied with one accord that they knew aught of that cross. Thereupon Helena threatened that they should all be buried alive. Then they gave Judas up into her hands; and when he persisted in denying, she caused him to be buried up to his neck in the ground. On the sixth day he confessed, and being drawn out of the ground, led them to the hill of Calvary. Here they dug, and three crosses were presently found. The miracle of raising one dead presently declared which was the True Cross. So Helena caused the temple of Venus to be destroyed, and a church to be built wherein one portion of the True Cross should be preserved : the other part she carried away to Constantinople, and Judas being converted presently became Bishop of Jerusalem under the title of Saint Quiricus. Here ends the story of the discovery (Inventio) of the True Cross. The story of its recovery and carriage in procession (Exaltatio) belongs to a point three hundred years later in the history of the Empire. In the years 620-626, the Emperor Heraclius was hard pressed by the Avars before Constantinople, and by Chosroes of the great Sassanian house of Persia, who was master of all Syria and Asia Minor, and had carried off to his own capital the portion of the Holy Cross enshrined since the time of Constantine in Jerusalem. Heraclius arose, and the campaigns which for a time retrieved the Empire, and ended in the overthrow and death of Chosroes, shine out amongst the most memorable flashes of antiquity's expiring heroism. But what legend cares most about is to follow Heraclius as he rescues the True Cross after its fourteen years of durance beyond the Tigris, and carries it back in triumph to Jerusalem. As Heraclius, we are told, came riding in military pomp to the gate of Jerusalem, with the Cross upborne by his soldiers, suddenly the walls closed before him; a voice was heard saying, "Not thus, but with humility did thy Master bear His cross," whereupon Heraclius descended to trail the Cross upon his own shoulders, bare-headed and unshod; the walls unclosed again, and the procession passed safely in.'-S. C.

Left of High Altar. The fine terra-cotta tomb of a member of the Roselli family.

In front of the church is the statue of the patriotic Count Vittorio Fossombrone-‘Idraulico, Politico Economista'-by Romanelli of Florence.

A little further down the Via Cavour is La Badia, built 1550, with a curious false cupola by Pozzi. At the high altar are pictures by Vasari. The convent is now occupied by the Accademia Aretina di Scienze.

Below the end of the Via Cavour, in the Via Sacra, which runs behind the Badia, is the handsome Church of the S. Annunziata. The smaller door has a curious frieze in which the Evangelists are introduced, and close by are some remains of a fresco by Spinello. Within is

Under the Organ.

Niccolò Soggi, 1520. The Nativity.

The Borgo S. Vito contains several houses of remarkable men. No. 27 is that of Vasari, which he built himself, 1540-1547; No. 10 is that of Pietro Aretino ; No. 29 that of the warrior-bishop Guglielmo Ubertini.

Near the Porta S. Spirito are some insignificant remains of an ancient Amphitheatre. Two or three miles south-east of the town, on the height called Castel Secco, are the remains of fortifications which Dennis thinks may be those of the Etruscan Arretium. ·

The vineyards of Arezzo have long been celebrated. Pliny speaks of their three kinds of grapes-' talpana, et etesiaca, et conseminia.'

It is about half an hour by rail (3 frs. 85 c. ; 2 frs. 70 c.) from Arezzo to Cortona, which may be visited in the day from thence, or, by starting early, may be taken on the way to Perugia.

The line traverses the marshes of the Chiana, now drained by the energy of Count Fossombroni, and no longer subject to the fevers which are spoken of by Dante.

'Qual dolor fora, se degli spedali

Di Val di Chiana, tra 'l Luglio e 'l Settembre,

Castiglione Fiorentino (Stat.) is an interesting old walled town. The Church of S. Giuliano contains an altar-piece of 1486 by Bart. della Gatta. In the Collegiata is a fine picture by Segna (b. 1305).

After passing (left) the castle of Montecchio, we reach

Cortona station, which is in the village of Camuccia, about 1 m. from the town, at the bottom of the steep hill by which it is crowned.

(Omnibus to town, 50 c. A tolerable caffè at the station. Inn, Albergo Nazionale, very primitive, and one of the few places where it is desirable to arrange prices beforehand, but no one will sleep here by choice.)

Cortona was one of the most powerful inland cities of Etruria, and was one of the twelve towns of the Etruscan confederation. Tradition, followed by Virgil, makes it the burial place of Corythus, the father of Dardanus, founder of Troy.

'Hinc illum Corythi Tyrrhenâ ab sede profectum
Aurea nunc solio stellantis regia coeli
Accipit, et numerum divorum altaribus addit.'

'Aen.' vii. 209.

But little is subsequently heard of it in history, and its impregnable position probably preserved it from the hosts of invaders who from time to time devastated Italy. The modern city, still the see of a bishop, has been the home of many eminent men of the martyrs Marcellinus, Verianus, Secundianus, &c. ; of the poets Cecco d' Angelliere Alticozzi the friend of Dante, Madaglio the friend of Leo X. and Francesco Moneti the satirist; of the painter Pietro da Cortona, and of Luca Signorelli, called by Giovanni Santi

'Il Cortonese

Luca, d' ingegno spirto pellegrino.'

This great master was born at Cortona in 1441, being the son of Egidio di Ventura Signorelli and his wife Elisabetta Vasari. He was the pupil of Piero della Francesca. He may be regarded as 'the forerunner of Michelangelo, and in some respects his model, and no one can look upon his works without seeing how the Sistine Chapel grew from their study.' Many of his noblest pictures will be noticed in the different churches of this town.

'Luca Signorelli was a man of most upright life, sincere in everything, affectionate to his friends, mild and amiable in all his dealings, especially courteous to those who desired his works, and very efficient as well as kind in the instruction of his pupils. He lived splendidly, loved to dress in handsome clothing, and was ever most highly esteemed for his many high qualities, both at home and abroad.'-Vasari.

The carriage road winds up the hill by easy zigzags, but foot-passengers may take a shorter way, which is fringed with large wild yellow and orange roses in the late spring.

The town of Cortona hangs upon the mountain-side with steep clambering streets. It retains its ancient site, and is about two miles in circumference, the modern being based upon the ancient walls, the finest portions of which. are at the spot called Terra Mozza, outside the fortress.

Close to the gate by which the carriage road enters the

On the Walls of Cortona,

town is the old Church of S. Domenico, of the 12th century. The lunette over the door is a fresco of 1438, of the Madonna between SS. Dominic and Peter.

Right of High Altar. Fra Angelico da Fiesole. Madonna and Child between the Baptist with S. John and the Magdalen with S. Mark. Beneath is the Annunciation, above the Crucifixion.

Left of High Altar. Lorenzo di Niccolò Gerini. A Tabernacle, with the Coronation of the Virgin, and beneath, the Adoration of the Magi, with four scenes from the life of S. Dominic. An inscription tells how Cosimo and Lorenzo de' Medici gave this picture in 1440 to the monks of S. Domenico, for the benefit of their souls and those of their ancestors.

Hence a steep paved way leads to the upper town, passing (right) some way up, a little square garden, containing the chapel of the Compagnia di S. Niccolò. Luca Signorelli was a member of the brotherhood to whom the chapel belongs, and has left in it one of his last works, viz. :

*High Altar. A picture painted on both sides. On one side is the Deposition, in which a number of saints are introduced, those most in the foreground being SS. Francis and Onofrio. On the other side are the Madonna and Child between SS. Peter and Paul.

Left of the Entrance is a fresco, also by Luca Signorelli, representing the Madonna and Child between (left) SS. Paul, Christopher, Sebastian, and James, and (right) SS. Nicholas, Onofrio, Barbara, and another.

On the highest point of the mountain, with a glorious view, which includes a portion of the Lake of Thrasymene, is the Church of S. Margherita. Its tower was built, 1297, by Niccolò Pisano and his son. The church is almost entirely modern. It contains the silver 13th-century shrine of S. Margaret, with a crown presented by Pietro da Cortona, as a token of gratitude when he was ennobled by his native city.

S. Margaret was born at Alviano, near Chiusi. Turned out of doors by a cruel stepmother, she took to evil courses. One of her lovers was a gentleman of Montepulciano, who was assassinated on leaving her house. His little dog returning to her, pulled whining at her dress till she followed to where he lay dead, covered with wounds. Overwhelmed by remorse. she entered a Franciscan convent at Cortona in 1272. Here, as she knelt before the Crucifix, she seemed to see her Redeemer bow his head in token of forgiveness, and her after life of charity and penitence caused her to be regarded as a second Magdalen. She died at Cortona, Feb. 22, 1297. Her attribute in art is the little dog of her story.

Over the door of the Sacristy is the beautiful tomb of the saint by Giovanni Pisano, which contained her remains before she was canonised.

'The general arrangement of this monument resembles that of Pope Benedict at Perugia. Upon the sarcophagus lies the effigy of the saint with her hands clasped beneath her robe; at her feet crouches the faithful dog who guided her to the bleeding body of her murdered lover, the sight of which (though tempted by demons to resume her former evil courses) so changed her, that she determined to spend the remainder of her days in penitence and prayer. On the front of the sarcophagus are bas-reliefs, representing the Magdalen washing our Saviour's feet, and the Raising of Lazarus; while below, between the consoles, S. Margaret is represented taking the penitential habit, and giving up her soul to angels, who bear it to heaven.'-Perkins's Tuscan Sculptors.'