the palaces here is very peculiar. Constructed
chiefly of huge blocks of stone, they almost resemble fortresses,
and look massive and venerable.

The cathedral is said to be the finest church in Christendom; I
thought it too simple, particularly the interior. The walls are
only whitewashed, and the painted windows render the church
extremely dark. I was best pleased with the doors of the sacristy,
with the celebrated works of Luca del Robbin, and the richly
decorated high altar.

The Battisterio, once a temple of Mars, with eight very fine doors
of bronze, which Michael Angelo pronounced worthy to be the gates of
Paradise, stands beside the cathedral.

The other principal churches are:--St. Lorenzo, also with a white
interior and grey pillars, containing some fine oil paintings, and
the chapel of the Medici, a splendid structure, decorated with
costly stones, and monuments of several members of the royal family.

St. Croce, a handsome church, full of monuments of eminent men, is
also called the Italian Pantheon; the sculptures are beautiful, and
the paintings good. The remains of Michael Angelo rest here, and
the Buonaparte family possess a vault beneath a side chapel.
Another chapel of considerable size contains some exquisite statues
of white marble.

St. Annunciate is rich in splendid frescoes; those placed round the
walls in the courtyard of the church, and surrounded by a glass
gallery, are particularly handsome. On the left as we enter we find
the costly chapel of our Lady "dell' Annunciata," in which the
altar, the immense candelabra, the angels and draperies, in short
every thing is of silver. This wealthy church contains in addition
some good pictures and a quantity of marble.

St. Michele is outwardly beautified by some excellent statues. The
interior displays several valuable paintings and an altar of great
beauty, beneath a white marble canopy in the Gothic style.

St. Spirito contains many sculptures, among which a statue of the
Saviour in white marble claims particular attention.

All these churches are rather dark from having stained windows.

Foremost among the palaces we may reckon the Palais Pitti, built on
a little hill. This structure has a noble appearance; constructed
entirely of pieces of granite, it seems calculated to last an
eternity. Of all the palaces I had seen, this one pleased me most;
it would be difficult to find a building in the same style which
should surpass it.