C.W. Eckersberg
Firenze
O.O. Bagge
København
Dateringen fremgår ikke af brevet, men Eckersberg beskriver rejsen fra Rom til Firenze, hvortil han ankom 21.5.1816, se Villads Villadsen: C.W. Eckersbergs dagbøger 1810-1837, København 2009, vol. 1, p. 127. Som det fremgår, blev brevet skrevet lige efter Eckersbergs ankomst til Firenze.
Kommentarerne til dette dokument er under udarbejdelse.
Du imodtager her gode Ven, mit første Brev fra Reisen, efter given Aftale, og hvor jeg vil kun kort og godt anføre det mærkværdigste vi har seet og det er hændet os paa vor hastige igjenemfart igienem saa mange skjøne og interessante Stæder. Vi blev Dagen forend vor Afreise indbudet til et meget skjønt Afskeeds pranzo hos FrandsI af alle vore gode Venner, og endnu meere, den heele Katholske Secte, beærede os med Deres Nærværelse, saa at der vidst i lang Tid ikke nogen ved ders Afreise har nydt meere Ære. Men det var vor brave Landsmand Hr. LundII og Hr. HofgartenIII der især havde bragt det sammen, efter Bordet gik vi ud i Vignio uden for Porta Pia vor de sidste Skaaler i ret god gammel Viin bleve udtømte. Det var da den 13. May om Morgenen Kl. 6 at vi forlode den sjældne Stad Rom. Hr. Thorw.IV Lund og mange andre Venner leedsagede os ud til Neros minde henved en Miil fra Rom, hvor vi sagte os Farvel. Min Rejsekamerat ved Du er den brave Hr. Berger, Hr. Docter Friedlænder gaaer blot med os til Florenz. Vor første Dagsreise gik over Baccano, Monte Rosi, Neppi, som har nogle skjøne pitoreske Partier, og en Aquaduct til Civita Castellana, forend man kommer til sidste Sted passeerer man en skjøn Punct, til høyere, i Mellemgrunden en dyb Dal, indsluttet af høje skjøne og velbevoxene Klipper, og derover seer man i nogen Afstand, det skjøne Isolerte Bjerg Monte Oreste eller Soracte det skjøneste Landskab man kan tænke sig. Den 14. over Otricoli, Narni til Terni, om Morgenen havde vi meegen Taage, saa at vi kun saa lide af det skjøne i den Egn. Otricoli har nogle Pitoreske Partier men da vi kom i Nærheden af Narni aabnede sig de skjøneste Partier som ophøyedes end meere ved forbisvævende Tordenskyer. Narni er deiligt fra alle Sider og Egnen imellem dette og Terni er saa frugtbar og veldyrket som man nogensteds kan finde. Vi kom henved Klokken 4 til det skjøndt beliggende Terni, og strax gave vi os paa Vejen ud til det berømte Vandfald i Selskab af 12-13 Personer. Vi ankom efter en besværlig Marsch oppe paa det høye Bjerg henved Kl. 6 vor vi saa Canalen, et Værk af de gamle Romere, der fører Floden Velino, som passerer een deri Nærheden liggende Søe, og her daner dette sjældne Vandfald, som styrter fra en Høyde af 1063 Fod og danner tre Caskader efter hinanden. I et lidet smukt Huus, paa Spidsen af en Klippe, overseer man dette frygtelig skjøne Skuespil fra øverst lige ned i Afgrunden, og seer tillige den deiligste Regnbue nesten gandske rund i den store Masse af Vandstøv dette Fald foraarsager. Deri Nerheden seer man ogsaa hvor Vandet har havt sit Fald forend Canalen blev gravet, og har danet deilige Grotter og førsteeninger. Veyen op ad var vel besværlig men meeget Peen og God. Men nu gik det den modreiste Vey nedad over Hals og Hovet som skeede i et Quarteerstid, for at see dette Skuespil i Sin fulde Glands maatte vi neede i Dalen over Floden, som skeede paa en Naturlig Broe af en stor Klippemasse, lidet farligt, hvorunder i den dybe Afgrund Floden brusede frygteligt, nu kom vi da igjenem Træer og Krat, Klippestumper og Steene paa Stædet hvor Skuespillet viste sig i sin fulde Størelse. Aftenen var den skjøneste jeg nogen tid har oplevet de sidste Straaler af den dalende Sol oplyste endnu den øverste Deel af Faldet og omstaaende Klipper og Bierge, ubeskriveligt bliver altid dette skiøne Syn, denne store Vandmasses første Fald i fleere skjøne Straaler er det høyeste, det nederste det mindste hvor det ruller over en mægtig Klippe, de skjøne med grønt bevoxede Klipper, med deres skjøne Farver og Form daner de deiligste Partier rundt omkring. Det bratte Fald foraarsager ogsaa bestandige Skyer af Vandstøv som ophøyer meeget dette skjøne Syn, som er det mest Majestätiske man nogensinde kan. Vandfaldet i Terni er et af det største i Europa, og er med det i Tivoli vidst to af de skjøneste i Verden. Henved Kl. 11 om Aftenen kom vi trætte, sultne og udmattede igien tilbage til Terni hvor et herligt Aftensmaaltid og især et godt Glas Viin igien hjalp os til fornyede Kræfter. Den 15 fra Terni over det hoye Bjerg af Apeninerne kaldet La Somme til Spoleto, som ligge i en nydelig Egn, og har en meeget skjøn Aquaduct der forenner to Bjerge med hinanden, et herligt Værk, i Nærheden findes mange Eremitager, om Eftermiddagen ved det skjøneste Vejr igjenem de deiligste Egne til Foligno, 1 Miil fra denne Stad findes et lidet velconservert antik romersk Tempel ey langt derfra laa en Mand, myrdet den forige Nat udstilt paa Landevejen og Quinder der bade for Sielemesse.
Folignio er en ret vakker og Folkerig lille Stad, har forskellige gothiske Monumenter. Den 16 derfra, og om Eftermiddagen til Peruggia. Paa halvvejen, ved St. Maria delli Angeli, en meeget stor og i god nyere Stül Kirke, isoleert, beliggende ved Landevejen, lod vi Vognen holde og gik op til det en Fjærdingvey derfra, paa en blomstrende Høy beliggende Assisi. Her besaae vi den saa berømte og sjælden skjøne Gothisk mauriske Domkirke, og Klosteret helliget St. Francisco, virkelig en Bygning at tage i Øjesyn, her seer man tvende Kirker, den ene lige over den anden, udført med al muelig Pragt, i en sjælden skjøn Gothisk Stiil, hvor intet er sparet, Malerierne ere meeget beskadigede, især i den øverste og største Kirke, den underste er synes mig skjønere. Klosterbygningen er af en Uhyre Størrelse og Omfang og synes at være bygget for Evigheden. Inde i Byen staaer, endnu meeget velholden, frontespicen af et Romersk Tempel med 6 Corintiske Seuler, som er benyttet til en Kirke, i Asissi findes endnu to andre smukke Gothiske Kirker, som dog for det meeste ere Moderniserede indvendig. Aldrig ere vi bleven meere overfalden at Tiggere netop her. Det syntes at heele Staden havde lagt sig efter den Profession. I Peruggia havde vi foretaget os at blive een Dag for deels at see Merkværdighederne, deels at se Pietro Perugginos Mesterværker, hvorom vi havde hørt saa meeget tale i Rom. Hr. Berger havde ogsaa der antaget den Meening at salig Pietro skulde være det største Lys i Malerkunsten. Hr. Docter Friedlaender, som havde dannet sin Konstsmag, i den Katholske Konstnersecte, og selv syntes halv Katholsk, var aldeeles overbevist derom, at Pietro ret havde truffet det, altsaa kan du forestille Dig med hvad for Iver de jade omkring og jeg bag efter, for at opsnuse alt hvad der maatte findes af deres Mester, i Grunden fik vi kun lidet at see af stor Betydenhed, det saakalde CambioV eller Børsen var det interessanteste. Værelset var gandske udmalet af Pietro, tillige med et lidet Capel, som begge vare decoreerte i en meeget god Smag, og Malerierne af de bedste, vel Conserverte. Peruggia er en temelig stor Stadt beliggende paa et temeligt høyt Bjerg, har nogle smukke Kirker af Middelalderen, forresten var det for os et kjedeligt Sted, især da vi maatte ligge en Dag over, uden at være beskjæftigede, formedelst mangel af Lejlighed, endelig fik vi os en liden Vogn med een Hest, og til vores Kufferter fik vores Veturin tvende store Fragtkarer, som gik Retur til Florenz, dette Tog saa moersomt ud, to store Fragtvogne med vores Kuffertter forud, og vi i en gandske liden Vogn med een Hest bag efter, saaledes at holde Vort Tog lige ind til Florenz. Det var da Søndag den 19 at vi forlode Peruggia, passeerte forbi den store og skjøne Landsøe Lago de Transimene, bekjendt fra Romernes Tid, denne Søe er meeget Skjøndt indfattet af høye Bierge paa hver Side, paa Modsatte Siden seer man det høye Bjerg Ronciglione, og længere borte Monte Pulciana berømt for den Exelente Viin der voxer i dens Ege. I Midten af Søen seer man tre deilige Øer, Jordbunden meeget frugtbar. For nogle Aar siden er blevet paa Napoleons Befaling en liden Flod indleedet i denne Søe, som forvoldt at den er steeget meeget, da dens Afløb ikke er tilstrækkelig, heele Strækninger af Agere og Viinplantager saae man her aldeles under Vand, ogsaa en liden Stad stod halv under Vand der i Nærheden.
As we have agreed, good friend, you here receive my first letter from the journey in which I shall briefly mention the most remarkable sights we have seen and what has happened at our quick passing through so many beautiful and interesting places. The day before our departure we were invited to a very nice farewell pranzo at Frand’s by all our good friends and even more, we were graced by the presence of all the Catholic sect, so for a long time nobody has enjoyed greater favour at their departure. But particularly our good countrymen Mr Lund and Mr Hofgarten had brought it together, after the table we went to Vignio outside Porta Pia where the last healths were drunk in good old wine. So we left the rare city of Rome on May 13th at 6 o’clock in the morning. Mr Thorvaldsen, Lund and many other friends accompanied us to the monument of Nero about a mile from Rome, where we said good bye. My travelling companion you know to be the good Mr Berger, doctor Friedländer only comes along with us to Florence. Our first day’s journey went over Baccano, Monte Rosi, Neppi, where there are some beautiful, picturesque parts, and an aqueduct to Civita Castellana; before you get to the last place you pass a beautiful spot, to the right, in the offshore area a deep valley surrounded by tall, beautiful rocks covered with forest and above that you can see at some distance the beautiful, isolated mountain Monte Oreste or Soracte, the most beautiful scenery you can imagine. The 14th over Otricoli, Narni to Terni; in the morning it was rather foggy, so that we only saw little of the beauty in this area. Otricoli has some picturesque parts, but when we came near to Narni the most beautiful parts opened up, which were made still more fantastic by passing thunderclouds. Narni is lovely from all sides and the area between this and Terni is as fruitful and well cultivated as can be found anywhere. We arrived at about 4 at the beautifully situated Terni and we immediately set off to the famous waterfall in a group of 12-13 persons. We arrived after a difficult march up on the high mountain about 6 o’clock when we saw the canal, a work by the old Romans, which leads the river Velino which passes a nearby lake and here makes this rare waterfall which falls from a height of 1063 feet and forms three cascades one after another. In a small beautiful house at the end of a rock you survey this terribly beautiful scene from the top down into the abyss and besides see the most lovely rainbow almost quite round in the great mass of water particles caused by this fall. Nearby you can also see where the water has fallen before the canal was dug, and it has formed lovely caves and fossilization. The way upwards was indeed difficult, but very nice and good. But now it went in the reverse direction downwards headlong which took about a quarter of an hour. To watch this scene in full splendour we had to cross the river down in the valley which took place on a natural bridge from a great mass of rock, a little dangerous, under which the river in the deep abyss was roaring terribly, now we went through trees and scrub, pieces of rock and stones at the place where the scene appeared in its full size. The evening was the most beautiful I have experienced for some time; the last rays of the setting sun still shone on the upper part of the fall and the surrounding rocks and mountains, words can never describe this beatiful sight, the first fall in several beautiful shafts of this great body of water is the highest, the lowest, the smallest when it rolls over a huge rock; the beautiful rocks covered in green, with their beautiful colours and form make up the loveliest parts around. The steep fall also creates unceasing clouds of water particles which much elevate this beautiful sight, the most majestic ever to be seen. The waterfall in Terni is one of the biggest in Europe and with the one in Tivoli these two are of the most beautiful in the world. About 11 o’clock in the evening we returned tired, hungry and exhausted to Terni, where a splendid meal and especially a glass of good wine helped us to renewed strength. The 15th from Terni over the high mountain of the Apennines called La Somme to Spoleto, which is in a lovely country and has a very beautiful aqueduct uniting two mountains, a magnificent work, nearby there are many hermitages. In the afternoon in glorious weather through the most lovely country to Foligno; 1 mile from this town there is a small, well-preserved, antique Roman temple, not far from it a man lay, murdered the night before, exhibited on the road and women praying for requiem.
Folignio is a rather pretty and populous small town, it has various Gothic monuments. The 16th left from there and in the afternoon to Peruggia. Half-way we stopped the carriage at St. Maria delli Angeli, a large church in good, new style, isolated, situated at the road, and we went up to Assisi about a mile away situated on a flowering hill. Here we saw the famous an unusually beautiful Gothic, Moresque cathedral, and the monastery dedicated to St. Francisco, certainly a building to have a good look at, here one can see two churches, the one right opposite the other, executed with all possible splendour, in an unusually beautiful Gothic style, where nothing had been spared, the paintings are rather damaged particularly in the upper and larger church, the lower one I find more beautiful. The building of the monastery is of enormous size and proportions and seems to have been built for eternity. In the town there is, still very well-preserved, the pediment of a Roman temple with 6 Corinthian columns, which is used for a church; in Assisi there are two more beautiful Gothic churches, which, however, mostly have been modernized inside. We have never been more attacked by beggars than right here. The entire town seemed to have gone in for that trade. In Peruggia we had planned to stay for one day to see the remarable things and to see Pietro Perrugino’s masterpieces about which we had heard so much talk in Rome. Mr Berger had also there formed the opinion that the late Pietro was the greatest genius within painting. Doctor Friedländer, who had formed his artistic taste in the Catholic art sect, and who himself seems to be half Catholic, was completely convinced that Pietro had hit it, so you can imagine how eagerly they hurried around and I followed them to nose out all that could be found by their master, as a matter of fact we only saw little of great importance, the so-called Cambio or the Stock Exchange was the most interesting. The room was all painted by Pietro, as well as a small chapel, which both were decorated in a good style and the paintings of the best, well preserved. Peruggia is a rather big city on a rather high mountain, it has some beautiful churches from the Middle Ages. Incidentally it was a boring place for us, especially because we had to stay a whole day with nothing to do, for want of an opportunity to leave. Finally we got a small carriage with one horse, and for our suitcases our veturin found two large carriers which were going back to Florence. This train looked funny, two big carriers ahead with our suitcases and we behind in a rather small carriage with one horse, to continue our train in this way right to Florence. It was Sunday the 19th we left Peruggia and passed the large and beautiful lake Lago de Transimene, known from the time of the Romans. This lake is very beautifully bordered by high mountains on either side, on the opposite side the high mountain Ronciglione can be seen and further away Monte Pulciana famous for the excellent wine growing in its neighbourhood. In the middle of the lake you can see three lovely islands, the soil is very rich. By Napoleon’s orders a small river some years ago was led into this lake, which caused it to rise considerably as it did not have sufficient outlet, entire stretches of fields and vineyards could here be seen completely submerged, also a small town was half under water close by.
[Translated by Karen Husum]
Dette er et et udkast til et afsendt brev. Udkastet er skrevet af efter den trykte afskrift i Bramsen & Ragn Jensen, op. cit.
Sidst opdateret 29.09.2016
Antagelig Locanda (Franz) Rössler, et værtshus drevet af Vincenz Rössler i Via Condotti, Rom.
Den danske maler J.L. Lund.
Sandsynligvis den tyske bronzestøber Wilhelm Hopfgarten.
Dvs. Thorvaldsen.
Collegio del Cambio, Sala dell’Udienza del Cambio, med fresker af Pietro Perugino.