The Mentor: The Mediterranean, Vol. 1, Num. 39, Serial No. 39, November 10, 1913

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Title: The Mentor: The Mediterranean, Vol. 1, Num. 39, Serial No. 39, November 10, 1913
Author: Elmendorf, Dwight L.
Language: English
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*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Mentor: The Mediterranean, Vol. 1, Num. 39, Serial No. 39, November 10, 1913" ***

The Mentor 1913.11.10, No. 39, The Mediterranean

LEARN ONE THING
EVERY DAY

NOVEMBER 10 1913 SERIAL NO. 39

THE
MENTOR

THE
MEDITERRANEAN

By DWIGHT L. ELMENDORF

Lecturer and Traveler

DEPARTMENT OF VOLUME 1
TRAVEL NUMBER 39

TWENTY CENTS A COPY

THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

ESTABLISHED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A POPULAR INTEREST IN ART,
LITERATURE, SCIENCE, HISTORY, NATURE, AND TRAVEL

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BUSHNELL HART, REAR ADMIRAL ROBERT E. PEARY, WILLIAM T. HORNADAY,
DWIGHT L. ELMENDORF, HENRY T. FINCK, WILLIAM WINTER, ESTHER SINGLETON,
PROF. G. W. BOTSFORD, IDA M. TARBELL, GUSTAV KOBBÉ, DEAN C. WORCESTER;
JOHN K. MUMFORD, W. J. HOLLAND, LORADO TAFT, KENYON COX, E. H. FORBUSH,
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THE MENTOR

SERIAL NUMBER 39

[Illustration]

THE MEDITERRANEAN

DWIGHT L. ELMENDORF

_Lecturer and Traveler_

ALGIERS · THE RIVIERA · MONTE CARLO · NICE · GENOA · NAPLES

Across the straits from Gibraltar is another and very different world.
Start with Tangier (tahn-jeer´) and wander along the Barbary coast,
and you will find yourself in such contrasting conditions, and in a
civilization so different from those north of you in Spain and in
France, that it will be hard for you to believe that you are separated
from those countries by distances varying from the narrow straits of
Gibraltar to a mere matter of two or three hundred miles.

You will seem to have been transported to the other side of the world.
No traveler can find greater variety in scene and life, in language
and habit, in climate and condition, than he gets in the course of
a full Mediterranean tour. Few travelers make the whole circuit of
the Mediterranean. This great inland sea is usually visited only in
parts, and while the traveler is in transit from one point to another.
There is no general description that can apply to the whole of this
interesting body of water. On every shore there is something that is
new and different, and somewhere on these shores there is something
to delight each one. If scenery is desired, the French and Italian
Riviera (ree-vee-ay´-rah) will draw one irresistibly. A life full of
gaiety will hold him there. If historic associations interest him, he
will turn naturally to the shores of Italy and Greece, and he will
spend months pleasantly in the Adriatic or Ægean Sea. There is in those
countries an endless amount to learn and a wealth of natural beauty.
When you have cruised through the Ægean (ee-jee´-an), visit the coast
of Greece, and of Asia Minor. There you will know the feelings that
stirred Lord Byron when he wrote:

“Fair clime! where every season smiles
Benignant o’er those blessed isles,
Which seen from far Colonna’s height,
Make glad the heart that hails the sight,
And lend to loneliness, delight.”

The Mediterranean has been the arena of the world’s history for several
thousand years.

[Illustration: ALGIERS

_A street scene in Algiers near the mosque._]

THE MEDITERRANEAN TRIP

As your eye traces the coast line on the map and you note the countries
whose shores are washed by the Mediterranean, you realize what a trip
throughout that sea must mean in instruction as well as in delights
of travel. Besides the countries I have named, there are Turkey, Asia
Minor, Palestine, and Egypt, to say nothing of the great stretch on the
African coast. The shore line is so extended, and the life and customs
at different points vary so, that we think of the Mediterranean as not
one thing, but many things. What is usually called a “Mediterranean
trip” rarely comprises more than ten or fifteen points. With limited
time, the traveler naturally selects the points of which he has heard
most.

ALGIERS

[Illustration: ALGIERS

_A scene near the busy market._]

A Mediterranean trip to many travelers means Algiers (al-jeerz´), as
far as the African coast is concerned, and the Riviera, with all the
points on that beautiful north shore line. Then they must see Naples,
of course, and after passing down the Italian coast they are likely to
go straight on to Egypt. After passing through the straits of Gibraltar
the attention of the traveler is soon centered on Algiers.

From the entrance to the harbor Algiers appears like a white diamond
set in a circle of emeralds. The town consists of two parts, the French
and the Arab quarters. To the visitor from the west Algiers is most
interesting; for there he meets characters of all kinds, European
peoples mixing with those of North Africa. The French quarters show
that the Frenchman, when compelled to live in another country, takes a
bit of Paris with him; for there is found the typical French café, with
its little tables on the sidewalk, contrasting with the Arab café where
natives, in their picturesque white costumes, sit and sip their coffee
and gossip with wild gesticulation. Even in its African population
Algiers is oddly mixed. Each tribe has its own peculiar costume, the
marketplace often looking like a stage of a comic opera, only much more
artistic and natural.

[Illustration: MOSQUÉE DE LA PÊCHERIE, ALGIERS

_The “Mosque of the Fishery” was erected by Turkish architects in 1660.
It is a cruciform building, with a large central dome painted inside,
and a square minaret, now a clock tower._]

[Illustration: TOMBEAU DE LA CHRÉTIENNE

_This large tomb near Algiers, 108 feet high, was built as a tomb
for Juba II and his family. It serves as a landmark for sailors.
Its present name is derived from the cruciform moldings of the door
panels._]

The government house, and in fact all the buildings except those in
the French quarters, are Moorish in design and generally whitewashed,
so that they masquerade as glittering white marble. The town is
beautifully situated, and is surrounded by a very interesting country
filled with relics of Punic War times, and ruins of structures of even
a more remote period. Near Algiers is the building called the “tomb of
the Christian woman.” This is really the tomb of Juba II, who married
Cleopatra Selene (se-lee´-nee), daughter of the celebrated Cleopatra
and of Marc Antony. Juba II had a son, Ptolemy, and a daughter,
Drusilla, who was the wife of Felix, procurator of Judea, who, it will
be remembered, said to Saint Paul, “Go thy way for this time; when I
have a convenient season, I will call for thee” (Acts xxiv, 25).

[Illustration: A STREET SCENE IN ALGIERS

_Showing three different styles of costume._]

All the coast about Algiers is filled with just such interesting relics
of Biblical times. Perfect French roads now make it possible to reach
the most interesting places by carriage or motorcar.

THE RIVIERA

Across the Mediterranean is a stretch of shore that no traveler in
Europe should miss. It is called “The Riviera,” and it extends from
Cannes (kahn) to Ventimiglia (ven-tee-meel´-yah), thence to Spezia
(spet´-see-ah), beyond Genoa (jen´-o-ah); the former section French,
the latter Italian. From one end to the other is a chain of health
resorts, some most fashionable, others the very opposite; the latter on
that account more desirable to those who wish peace and quiet. Even in
the most retired spots, however, there is no escape from the honk-honk
of the motorcars; for Riviera highways are the favorite touring roads
of southern Europe.

[Illustration: LOOKING TOWARD MENTONE

_Mentone belonged to Monaco until 1861. It is beautifully situated
on the Golfe de la Paix, consisting of two bays separated by a rocky
promontory._]

Beginning at Cannes, the necklace of the sea contains such
jewels as Antibes (ong-teeb´), Nice (nees), Villefranche-sur-Mer
(veel-frongsh-soor-mare´), Beaulieu (bo-lee-eh´), Monaco (mon´-ah-ko),
Monte Carlo, and Mentone (men-to´-ne). These are followed by the
Italian section,--Ventimiglia, Bordighera (bor-dee-gay´-rah),
Ospedaletti, San Remo (ray´-mo), Alassio (ah-lahs´-see-o), Savona
(sah-vo´-nah), Pegli (pel´-yee), and Genoa. This section is called
the Riviera di Ponente (po-nen´-teh), followed by Riviera di Levante
(le-vahn´-te) to the east of Genoa,--Nervi (ner´-vee), Recco (rek´-ko),
Santa Margherita Ligure (lih-goor´-eh), Rapallo (rah-pahl´-lo), Sestri
Levante, and Spezia.

The French section is more fully developed, and therefore more
comfortable and fashionable. The Italian section, while beautiful,
leaves much to be desired by the ordinary tourist.

There nestles in the southeast corner of France a tiny little
principality called Monaco, the most remarkable place of its kind in
the world.

MONTE CARLO

[Illustration: MONTE CARLO

_The front of the Casino._]

[Illustration: MONACO

_The palace of the Prince of Monaco, and in the background the “Tête de
Chien” or “Dog’s Head Mountain.”_]

It is only about eight square miles in area, and contains nineteen
thousand inhabitants. Strange as it may seem, there are no taxes there,
as the Société des Bains de Mer, which is simply a name for the society
or company that runs the Casino gambling tables at Monte Carlo, pays
the tribute. From the millions of francs paid by this society to the
Prince of Monaco and his government every year, the natural inference
is that most of the visitors to Monte Carlo get nothing except
experience.

The Casino building is very theatrical in style, built expressly for
its purpose, and superbly placed on a promontory overlooking the sea
and town. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens, carefully kept. In
fact, the whole place is a delight to the eye and the most beautiful
spot on the Riviera. It is attractive enough to detain one for days,
even if the great magnet, the Casino, were not there. On account of
the gaming, the whole district is filled with characters that one had
rather not meet except in the Casino, where perfect order is assured by
the presence of numerous detectives, ready to check disorder when it
threatens, or to notify politely anyone of suicidal tendency to leave
the Casino and the principality. There is no place in the world where
arrangements are so well planned to satisfy the desire of human beings
to get something for nothing. And it is not simply a gaming place. The
spectacle of Monte Carlo has a great fascination even for those who
never play at the tables, everything is so beautiful, so orderly, and
so well kept. Many who visit there prefer, however, to stop at Mentone,
which is but a few minutes distant by trolley or motorcar.

[Illustration: THE CASINO, MONTE CARLO

_One of the beautiful gaming rooms, the “Salle du Trente-Quarante.”_]

NICE

The Nicæa (ny-see´-a) of ancient times, founded by Massilians in the
fifth century B.C., Nice is the birthplace of Masséna (mah-say-nah´)
and Garibaldi, (gah-ree-bahl´-dee). Sheltered by the Maritime Alps,
and because of the great limestone cliffs along shore, which absorb
the heat rays of the sun, the temperature is so modified that flowers
bloom the year round. Nice and its near neighbors have become a famous
resort for invalids, especially of the English, who flee to this part
of the world to escape their own disagreeable winter. In summer the
temperature is fifteen to twenty degrees lower than Paris. The best
view of the town is obtained from Castle Hill, overlooking the shore of
the Promenade des Anglais, constructed by the English in 1822, in order
to give work to the unemployed. One of the secrets of the great success
of Nice as a resort is the great variety of entertainment offered by
the clever Frenchmen. Fine hotels, theaters, casinos, promenades, and
roads (the best in the world), especially the Petite and the Grand
Corniche (kor-neesh´), together with a superb climate, are quite enough
to attract people from all parts of the world. The business part of the
town is a miniature Paris. Fine avenues, lined with shops filled with
all kinds of attractive things, inveigle the tourist into extravagant
expenditure; while casinos and gambling places relieve the venturesome
of their spare cash most politely.

[Illustration: THE CASINO, MONTE CARLO

_The richly decorated “Salon de Conversation.”_]

GENOA

[Illustration: NICE

_The town and the promenade from Castle Hill._]

[Illustration: NICE

_Nice is a superb winter resort. In the summer it is less frequented._]

From being a republic and a great naval power in the Middle Ages, and
as such a rival of Venice, Genoa has come to be now a city of great
enterprise and activity. It stands next to Marseilles (mahr-saylz´) in
importance as a seaport. It is advantageously situated, the Gulf of
Genoa affording an attractive harbor, and the slopes of the Ligurian
hills at the back offering many spots of advantage for the display of
the city’s beautiful buildings.

The city is finely constructed. As you enter the harbor you find
just before you that part of the lower town that is on the level of
the water. Beyond that and up the hillslopes beautiful structures
have assembled themselves on the different levels of a great natural
theater, as if to watch your coming and to greet you on your arrival.

[Illustration: THE RAILWAY STATION, GENOA]

On landing at the pier the traveler quickly finds himself in the
attractive Palazzo Doria, named after Andrea Doria, (do´-ree-ah) the
famous admiral of Charles V. It is well for the visitor, especially
if an American, to take this course, following up the Via Doria to
the square in front of the railway station; for there, surrounded by
flowers and palms, stands a fine monument of Christopher Columbus;
who, it will be remembered, was a native of the city. Genoa is full of
stirring activity. If you have gone there from some of the quieter
towns along the Riviera, you will feel a change in spirit. You are
inclined to move a little faster. Things are happening all the time.
There is much to be seen, and all that you see tells a story of years
of vigorous, successful civic life. The most notable physical features
of Genoa are its fine medieval churches and its many splendid sixteenth
century palaces.

[Illustration: GENOA

_Houses in the old town near the port. The old town is a network
of narrow and steep streets; but the newer quarters have broad and
straight thoroughfares._]

[Illustration: CAMPO SANTO, GENOA

_This cemetery was laid out by Resasco in 1844-51. The central point is
a rotunda, with a dome borne by columns of black marble._]

Follow up the Via Garibaldi, a magnificent street with many beautiful
palaces on both sides. To vary the impressions of fine architectural
display take a ride in the tramway up to San Nicolo (nee-ko-lo´) and
Castellaccio (cahs-tel-ah´-cho), where you will find yourself over
a thousand feet high, and commanding a superb view of the Bisagno
(bih-sahn´-yo) Valley and the Campo Santo (kahm´-po sahn´-to) below
you. The cemetery called Campo Santo is one of the most interesting
features of Genoa. It is beautifully situated, and is filled with
remarkable monuments, some of them executed by the leading sculptors
of Italy. In the burial spots of the Genoese, as well as in the homes
where they live, there is much of luxury and elegance. In its business
activities, its social life, its climate, and its customs, Genoa is
attractive, and holds the visitor there for sometime content.

NAPLES

On the most beautiful site in Europe stands Naples, the Neapolis
of the Athenian colonists. After the Romans conquered it, it still
retained Greek culture and institutions. It became the favorite summer
resort of the Romans, and the delight of the poets Horace, Ovid, and
Virgil. It was when living in Naples that Virgil wrote his famous
verses on agriculture, the “Georgics.” After many vicissitudes Roger de
Hauteville formed the kingdom of Naples in 1130.

Medieval Naples is traceable in its walls and great gates. The Porta
Capuana is one of the best preserved.

[Illustration: NAPLES

_The market street in the old quarter._]

After the young Conradin (kon´-rah-deen), the last of the Norman
dynasty in Naples, was executed, the country was ruled by the house of
Anjou (English, an´-jo; French, ong-zho´), then by the French (Louis
XII), and then by Ferdinand of Spain. Don Carlos improved the city
and surrounding country. In 1806 the city was invaded by Napoleon,
who established his government there for a short time. The Bourbon
(boor-bong´) rule came to an end in 1860, when Frances II was dethroned
by Garibaldi. From the time it was founded till the present day poor
Naples has been so torn to pieces by the many nations contesting for
it that there is but little left of its ancient beauty or grandeur,
and it now depends upon its wonderful situation, which, with the
beautiful places about it, holds the visitor enchanted.

THE BEAUTY OF NAPLES

[Illustration: PORTA CAPUANA, NAPLES

_Capua Gate, one of the finest of Renaissance gateways, was built by
the Florentine Giuliano da Maiano, with sculptures by Giovanni da
Nola._]

There are travelers of years of experience who have declared that
the site and surroundings of Naples are not excelled in beauty
anywhere in the world. You enter the Bay of Naples with the island of
Ischia (es´-kee-ah) on one side and on the other the island of Capri
(kah´-pree). Immediately before you lies Naples, stretching out from
the water’s edge up the hills beyond; the second largest city in Italy,
with a population of over five hundred thousand. Back of it and to the
southeast is Vesuvius. History has taught us to look with feelings of
respect and awe upon that smoke-crowned cone. On the shore, to the
south, Herculaneum (her-kew-lay´-nee-um) and Pompeii (pom-pay´-yee)
are to be seen, and as the coast curves out to the peninsula you come
to Sorrento (sore-ren´-to) and the road along the mountainside that
takes you on a scenic tour of matchless beauty, including Amalfi
(ah-mahl´-fee), Vietri (vee-ay´-tree), and Salerno (sah-ler´-no).

The interest in Naples is not only scenic, but historic. It is not the
achievements of monarchs nor the monuments of artists that attract you.
In such matters Naples is poorer than other towns in Italy. But the
relics rescued from the explorations in Herculaneum and Pompeii afford
an interest that is unique and compelling--an interest, too, that is
continually growing, for new discoveries are being made from time to
time.

Many are the scenic trips to be taken from Naples. It is a point
of departure for pleasure tourists in almost every direction. The
ascent of Mount Vesuvius is interesting; but that is the interest of
curiosity. Where visitors find the greatest happiness is in the trips
to outlying points, especially to the peninsula of Sorrento, to the
island of Capri, and to Amalfi and Ravello. It is at these points that
we find the greatest beauty of the Mediterranean. It seems indeed as if
the great inland sea and mankind had joined there to make a pleasure
ground beyond compare.

It is in and about Naples that the traveler will care to linger
longest. There is so much to be seen there--and, when satisfied
with pleasure jaunts and scenic trips, there is a serenity of life
in Naples, and a soft, sunny climate that, to repeat Byron’s words,
“lend to loneliness delight.” One friend of mine prolonged a trip,
planned for a week, until it filled out twelve months. There is much to
interest and delight one in all the seaport towns of the Mediterranean.
After all has been said of its varied shores, however, one is apt to
conclude by giving the palm of distinction in beauty and interest to
Algiers, to Monte Carlo, and to Naples with its environs.

[Illustration: NAPLES FROM THE BAY]

SUPPLEMENTARY READING--“Mediterranean Winter Resorts,” E.
Reynolds-Ball; “Algeria and Tunis,” Frances E. Nesbitt; “The
Barbary Coast,” H. M. Field; “The Garden of Allah,” R. S.
Hichens; “Servitude,” Irene Osgood; Burckhardt’s “Cicerone,”
translated by Mrs. A. H. Clough; “Afloat and Ashore on the
Mediterranean,” Lee Meriwether; “Mediterranean Trip,” N.
Brooks; “Italian Cities,” E. H. and E. W. Blashfield.

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_Editorial_

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[Illustration: ALGIERS, ALGERIA]

ALGIERS, ALGERIA, formerly a nest of pirates, but now a fine,
modernized city in possession of the French, is the subject
of one of the intaglio-gravure pictures illustrating “The
Mediterranean.”

Monograph Number One in The Mentor Reading Course

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

ALGIERS, ALGERIA

Less than a century ago the Barbary Coast, and the city of Algiers in
particular, was a nest of pirates. All the principal nations of the
world paid them tribute. Their nation was known as the “scourge of
Christendom.” Up to the year 1800 the United States alone had poured
over $2,000,000 into the coffers of the dey, or ruler. But it was our
country, the youngest of all, that put a stop to this cowardly practice
of paying toll for immunity from attack on the high seas.

In 1800 Captain Bainbridge, in a United States warship, went to
Algiers, taking the usual “presents.”

The dey commanded him to become his messenger and carry his despatches
to Constantinople. “The English, French, and Spanish captains have
always done this for me. You also pay me tribute, and you also are my
slaves,” he said insultingly.

Not daring to disobey without orders from home, Bainbridge did as he
commanded; but this was too much for the American people. After the War
of 1812 Commodore Decatur served notice on the dey that never again
would the United States pay him tribute in money. The dey replied that
some powder for his fleet would be acceptable.

“The powder you shall have, if you insist,” answered Decatur; “but the
bullets go with it.”

The dey refused the present; but ordered his ships to destroy all
American shipping hereafter. These orders having been carried out,
Commodore Decatur sailed again for Algiers, and forced the terrified
dey to sign a treaty which gave to American ships immunity forever
after.

In 1816 the English attacked Algiers; but it was not until fourteen
years later that the pirates’ nest was destroyed for good. On June 13,
1830, the dey of Algiers slapped the French consul in the face, and
brought down upon himself the wrath of France in the shape of an army
of forty thousand men. On the fourth of July, Algiers surrendered, and
the “scourge of Christendom” was ended.

Algiers, the French capital of Algeria, has 154,000 inhabitants. It
is located on the west side of the Bay of Algiers, and is the most
important coaling station on the whole coast of northern Africa.

In Roman times the famous Biblical town of Cæsarea occupied almost the
same site. The present city was founded about 935; but Algiers was of
little importance until after the expulsion of the Moors from Spain,
many of whom settled in the city. From then on until its capture by
France, Algiers was the chief seat of the Barbary pirates. The French
have greatly improved the place.

[Illustration: RAPALLO, ITALY]

RAPALLO ON THE RIVIERA, an extremely beautiful stretch of shore
which extends along the Mediterranean Sea, is the subject
of one of the intaglio-gravure pictures illustrating “The
Mediterranean.”

Monograph Number Two in The Mentor Reading Course

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

THE RIVIERA

The Riviera is a narrow belt of coast that lies between the mountains
and the sea all round the Gulf of Genoa in the north of Italy,
extending from Nice on the west to Spezia on the east. Part of the
Riviera is in France and part in Italy. The Riviera di Ponente (“the
coast of the setting sun”) lies between Nice and Genoa. The part
between Genoa and Spezia is called the Riviera di Levante (“the coast
of the rising sun”).

The climate of the Riviera is very mild, and it is one of the most
beautiful regions on earth. All this district is open to the south and
sheltered by the mountains on the north and east. The landscape is
delightfully varied,--here a bold and lofty promontory, there a wooded
hill, and down near the coast richly cultivated plains. The traveler
passes steep and frowning cliffs, whose bases are washed by the surf of
the Mediterranean, whose summits are crowned by the venerable ruins of
towers erected in bygone ages for protection against pirates.

Many of the towns in the Riviera are situated in fertile valleys or
on picturesque hills; while others are perched like nests among the
rocks. Little churches and chapels peering from the somber foliage
of cypresses, and gigantic gray pinnacles of rock frowning upon the
smiling plains, frequently enhance the charms of the scenery; while the
vast expanse of the Mediterranean, with its ever changing hues, dazzles
the eye with its beauty.

Olives, with their grotesque and gnarled stems, are grown on great
plantations in the Riviera. The warm climate produces luxuriant growths
of figs, vines, citrons, oranges, oleanders, myrtles, and aloes. Bright
green pine forests meet the eye, and even palms are seen occasionally.

Thousands of visitors spend the winter in the chain of towns
and villages that stretches from one end of the Riviera to the
other,--Nice; Monte Carlo in Monaco, the little independent
principality; Mentone, the last town in the French Riviera; Bordighera;
Pegli; Nervi; Spezia; and many others. In summer the Italians visit
these resorts for sea bathing.

The only drawback to the Riviera is its liability to earthquakes, of
which there were four in the last century alone.

A railway runs close along the shore all through the Riviera. The
distance from Nice to Genoa is 116 miles, and from Genoa to Spezia 56
miles. In the latter stretch the railroad burrows through the many
projecting headlands by means of more than 80 tunnels.

The poets Lord Byron and Shelley both lived and wrote on the shores of
the Gulf of Spezia, and Charles Dickens, the great English novelist,
wrote his well known story, “The Chimes,” at Genoa.

[Illustration: CASINO, MONTE CARLO]

MONTE CARLO CASINO, a famous spot in the smallest independent
country in the entire continent of Europe, is the subject
of one of the intaglio-gravure pictures illustrating “The
Mediterranean.”

Monograph Number Three in The Mentor Reading Course.

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

MONTE CARLO, MONACO

It is a curious thing that the smallest country in Europe is also one
of the most visited. This is the little independent principality of
Monaco. Monaco is only about eight square miles in area; and it is two
and a quarter miles long. The population of the entire principality is
only 19,000.

Monaco--the city of Monte Carlo in particular--is so greatly visited
for two reasons,--its charming climate and situation, and its gaming
tables. It is an excellent health resort, but is world famous as a
gambling place. It was in 1861 that a man named François Blanc obtained
a gambling concession in Monaco for fifty years from Charles III. A
stock company later got hold of this concession, and in 1898 it was
extended to 1947, in return for a payment to the prince of $2,000,000
in 1899 and another payment of $3,000,000 in 1913. In addition to
this Monaco obtains from the company an annual tribute of $350,000,
increasing to $400,000 in 1917, $450,000 in 1927, and $500,000 in 1937.
These great tributes make it possible for the inhabitants of Monaco to
be entirely exempt from taxation.

In the principality of Monaco there are three cities,--Monaco the
capital, Condamine, and Monte Carlo. At one time the towns of Mentone
and Roquebrune belonged to Monaco; but they were ceded to France in
1861 for $800,000. The city of Monaco occupies the level summit of a
rocky headland, rising about 200 feet from the shore. Here the prince
has his palace.

Monte Carlo lies to the north of the Bay of Monaco, where are gathered
the various buildings of the Casino of Monte Carlo, with the beautiful
gardens, and many villas and hotels.

The history of this little principality is an interesting one. It seems
that long ago a temple of Heracles was built on the Monaco headland
by the Phoenicians. The same god was worshiped there by the Greeks at
a later date, and they gave the place its name. The Grimaldis, the
present ruling family of Monaco, became associated with the place in
the tenth century; but they did not come into permanent possession
until much later.

Monaco in the fourteenth century was notorious for its piracies, and
the right to exact toll from vessels passing the port continued to be
exercised until the end of the eighteenth century.

For many years Monaco was an ally of France; but in 1525 it came under
the protection of Spain. Then in 1641 Honoré II threw off the Spanish
yoke and made himself an ally of France. The National Convention
annexed the principality to France in 1793; but by the Treaty of Paris
in 1814 it was restored to the Grimaldis. Finally in 1860 Monaco passed
again under French protection.

The present ruler of Monaco, Prince Albert, was born in 1848 and
succeeded his father, Prince Charles III, in 1889. The prince is
absolute ruler, as there is no parliament in the principality. He
appoints a small council to advise him on matters of state. He also has
power to appoint the mayors and other municipal authorities.

[Illustration: NICE, FRANCE]

NICE, FRANCE, a very ancient and charmingly beautiful town,
is the subject of one of the intaglio-gravure pictures
illustrating “The Mediterranean.”

Monograph Number Four in The Mentor Reading Course

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

NICE, FRANCE

The Massilians founded Nice 2,500 years ago. Its situation soon made
it one of the busiest trading stations on the Ligurian coast. But in
those days the price of prosperity was continual warfare. The Saracens
descended on Nice in 729; and though at that time they were repulsed,
in the next century they captured the city and burned it.

All through the Middle Ages, Nice had its share in the wars and
disasters of Italy. It had to fight both Genoa and France, and on the
sea its merchantmen were attacked by Barbary pirates. Finally in 1388
it placed itself under the protection of the counts of Savoy. In this
way it was protected on land and could devote its strength to taking
care of the pirates.

But bad fortune seemed to hover over the city. Invading armies
devastated the land, and then pestilence and famine raged for several
years. In 1543 Nice was attacked by the united forces of Francis I
and Barbarossa. After a brave resistance the city was compelled to
surrender, and was pillaged by the conquerors.

Then followed many years of alternate war and peace; until finally Nice
was captured in 1792 by the armies of the French republic. It continued
to be a part of France till 1814; but at that time it reverted to
Sardinia. Then, in 1860, by a treaty between the Sardinian king and
Napoleon III, it was again transferred to France, in whose possession
it is today.

The city of Nice is a great winter resort for invalids and others from
all parts of Europe. It is situated on the Mediterranean 100 miles east
of Marseilles. A steep limestone hill, 308 feet in height, running
back for some distance from the shore, is the historical nucleus of
the town. It used to be crowned by a castle, which, previous to its
destruction by the Duke of Berwick in 1706, was one of the strongest
fortresses on the coast. Now it is a public pleasure ground.

Nice is a great commercial town. Grapes, olives, oranges, and
mulberries are grown profusely, and in the city there are perfumery
factories, oilworks, furniture factories, confectionery works, a
national tobacco factory, and many others.

For the comfort and entertainment of visitors every provision is made.
Autumn is the best season. Nice is at its liveliest during the carnival
festivities. In these carnivals battles are waged with sweetmeats and
flowers.

[Illustration: GENOA, ITALY]

GENOA, ITALY, a busy center of modern enterprise and activity,
is the subject of one of the intaglio-gravure pictures
illustrating “The Mediterranean.”

Monograph Number Five in The Mentor Reading Course

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

GENOA, ITALY

“Seas without fish, mountains without trees, men without honesty, women
without modesty,”--that was what her enemies said about the republic of
Genoa in olden times. And historians seem to agree that the character
of the Genoese in those days was not of the best. All their energy
was concentrated on commerce and the pursuit of money. They took no
interest in art nor in any of the intellectual development of Italy
during the Middle Ages. But these bad traits of the Genoese have all
disappeared.

The city of Genoa now has 275,000 inhabitants, and is the seat of a
university and an archbishop. It is the headquarters of the fourth
Italian army corps, and is a strong fortress, as well as being the
chief commercial town in Italy.

Genoa, with its many beautiful palaces, rising above the sea in a wide
half-circle, is called “La Superba” (the superb). The old town is a
network of narrow and steep streets, lined with many-storied buildings;
but the newer part of the city has broad and straight thoroughfares.

In the seventeenth century the Genoese built as a protection against
their enemies a rampart over nine miles long. They also erected on the
heights around the town ten detached forts.

From the earliest times Genoa has been famous as a seaport. Today it
still possesses its great mercantile supremacy, and in addition is
an important emigration harbor. Far back in 400 B. C. its trade with
the Greeks, Etruscans, and Celts was large, and as time went on it
increased greatly.

In the Middle Ages the little rival Italian states were constantly at
war with one another. Genoa had a war with Pisa, and in 1284 shattered
the power of that city forever in a terrible naval battle at Meloria.
Then came the struggle with Venice which ended in the defeat of Genoa
at the battle of Chioggia in 1380.

The city of Genoa was also filled with internal political strife. Two
or three different factions were continually fighting with one another,
and this finally led to Genoa’s being always under the rule of some
foreign prince. Finally in 1797 the aristocratic government of Genoa
was superseded by the democratic Ligurian Republic, established by
Napoleon, and in 1805 Liguria was formally annexed to the empire of
France. Ten years later it was annexed to the kingdom of Sardinia.

Giuseppe Mazzini, the patriotic writer, was born at Genoa in 1805, and
Garibaldi, the great Italian patriot and leader, with whom he worked,
though born at Nice in 1807, was the son of a Genoese of Chiavari.

[Illustration: NAPLES, ITALY]

NAPLES, ITALY, which is considered by many people to be the
most beautifully situated city in Europe, is the subject
of one of the intaglio-gravure pictures illustrating “The
Mediterranean.”

Monograph Number Six in The Mentor Reading Course

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION

NAPLES, ITALY

Naples, the most important seaport in Italy, is also its largest city.
In addition to this it is one of the most beautifully situated cities
in the world.

The ancient Greeks founded Naples away back in olden times. They came
from Cumæ and founded a city which they named Parthenope. Afterward
this was divided into Palacopolis, the “old town,” and Neapolis, the
“new town.” It was from the second that Naples got its name.

Later many other nations came into possession of the city,--Ostrogoths,
Byzantines, and Normans. At one time Charles of Anjou made Naples his
capital. Ferdinand I of Aragon, the Spanish viceroy, Don Pedro de
Toledo, and the Bourbon Charles III all extended the city. Finally in
1860 the kingdom of which Naples was the capital was united to the
kingdom of Italy.

Naples has not so many historic and artistic monuments as other Italian
cities; but in the museum are preserved valuable treasures from Pompeii
and Herculaneum, the old Roman cities that were destroyed by Vesuvius,
and only within recent years have been excavated.

The best view of Naples may be had from the Bay of Naples. The city
is built at the base and on the slopes of a range of volcanic hills,
and rises from the sea like an amphitheater. The Castle of St. Elmo
occupies a hill, from which a transverse ridge runs south to form
the promontory of Pizzofalcone and divides the city into two natural
crescents. The western part, the Chiara ward, is a long, narrow strip
between the sea and Vomero Hill. This is the fashionable quarter. To
the east lie the oldest and busiest quarters, of which the long Via
Roma is the main street.

One cannot speak about Naples without mentioning Vesuvius. As one
writer said, “Mount Vesuvius is to the Neapolitan bay what Fujiyama is
to many a landscape of Japan,--the lofty background of the picture, and
the grand presiding genius of the place. By day it proudly waves its
plume of smoke, by night its torch of fire, as if it claimed to be the
champion of destruction.”

A cable railway ascends Vesuvius now, and for many years the mountain
has been quiet. But it is only slumbering. Some day it will break
loose again and pour forth its streams of redhot lava, its agents of
destruction.

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*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Mentor: The Mediterranean, Vol. 1, Num. 39, Serial No. 39, November 10, 1913" ***

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