Breakfasted in my room - wrote letters to Uncle and Hohne & Co. of Venice. Went about among the tailors - find them as dear as Paris or London. Twenty percent above Trieste a paletot, colore Bigio and fashionably made is to cost me 150 francs.

Walked about in the corso della porta orientale and in the Bazar, dined at the Gran Brettagna. In the evening at the La Scala - Saffo again - nothing but Saffo wherever I go. The work of my friend Pacini is highly honoured, but cannot find the Belle regazze that he told me of in the calle del pesce -

Sallied out in search of a more comfortable hotel, which in Milan are all of one construction. With a court yard in the centre, visited the Croce di Malta - the Bella Venezia, etc. but found none to suit me better than the Gran Brettagna - where there is a table d'hote dined in good style at half past four.

The consul & several other gentlemen - Mr. Snowden who passes the winter at Milan, the consuls name is Mr. Campbell, an Italian count and some five or six other Italians. Vino di asti, a light but agreeable wine of Piedemont was handed round at the dessert.

Evening went to see the tragedy of Saul the chef d'oeuvre of Alfieri. Modena the actor performed admirably the ravines of Saul, the other performers indifferent, and the theatre called Lentasio, a dirty disagreeable house and excessively crowded by the working class of people. Stood the whole time and nothing but the desire of seeing Alfieri's Saul could have induced me to stay -

A bright sunshiny frosty, morning- found us at Bergamo, a second class city of Italy and divided in two parts – that on the hill having been strongly fortified by the Venetians and once sustained a siege of two years. Halfway between Bergamo and Milan crossed the Adda, another tributary of the Po.

At one o clock arrived at Milan. Entering the city by the magnificent and modern constructed entrance the port orientale. Passing down the corso of the same name & through the square of the Duomo & was never more struck with the beauty and external decoration of any edifice.

Put up at the Marino, but neither the house nor the table are to my taste. Notwithstanding the fatigue of traveling, could not resist gratifying my curiosity by attending the opera at the La Scala - the second theatre in size and decoration in Italy, six tiers of boxes, crowded with elegantly dressed ladies -

At 2 in the afternoon left Verona by the Diligenza - or rather an adjunct. The vehicle itself being full with passengers direct from Venice - the Junta is a miserable carriage open and exposed to the weather, but thank fortune it was not cold. In a few hours were at the Lago di Garda and crossed the bridge of the mincio which is the outlet of the lake and joins the Po at Mantua. As it was dark saw nothing of Sermion the residence of Catullus but changed horses at Desanzeno - which is the port at the foot of the lake, and to where the steamer comes that plies along the lake to Riva at the head.

By midnight arrived at Brescia a small but apparently well built town, found a cup of hot cafe con latte very acceptable & was fortunate in getting a seat in the intorno of the diligence - owin D unfavourable state of the roads and worse horses made very slow progress -

Change in the weather - snow this morning but not cold. It appears this part of the world is not remarkable for fine climate the average being about 90 clear days in the year (so says Da Persica's guide). The snow did not prevent me leaving the hotel and visiting the basilica San Zeno - very-ancient, dating from the 9th century. In a subterranean chapel is the tomb of the Saint and his marble statue in the church. His features plainly indicate that he was from Africa.

Close by is an ancient tomb of Pepin, son of Charlemagne. Also a large sculptured marble, supposed to have been a Roman alter. At the convent and church San Bernardino is a chapel designed by Sanmichele, and which Vasari speaks of in his time as one of the last specimens of architecture in Italy. The old castle and the bridge built by Can Grande, one of the arches of the bridge is 142 wide - being 7 feet more than the rialto at Venice - and 2 centuries older. This was in the possession of the french - the marks of their bullets are seen in the neighboring palazzo Canossa.

Went to see the veil known fresco in the Palazzo Ridolfi - representing a grand procession at the coronation of Charles the 5th by the pope at Bologna. Returned to the hotel passing by a piece of a Roman wall extending over the corso called the wall of Gallienus - the opera at the Filharmonica was Bellisanus -

Engaged a valet de place this morning & sallied out to see the lions of Verona. For ancient city the streets are wide and straight. The Adige divides it in two parts, joined by several stone bridges -the Adige at Verona is about the size of the Seine at Paris. Numbers of military are seen in the streets - the fortifications are the most extensive in Northern Italy and at this time are garrisoned by 7000 men. Passing through the piazza delle Erbe - the palace of one of Veronas greatest genius's Count Scipio Maffei stands conspicuous.

Close by is the piazza dei Signori, surrounded by antique palaces, and in one corner occupied by the tombs of the Scaligers - Lords of Padua in the 13th & 14th centuries. There are four that of Can Grande - (mentioned by Dante in the inferno) is the most magnificent. They are all in fine preservation after a lapse of four centuries and highly ornamental. The church Sant' Anastasia built in the time of Scaligers is the largest of the numerous churches of Verona. With the Guide of Da Persica in hand - went over its numerous monuments, interesting as connected with the history of Italy and Lombardy - but less grand & sumptuous then those of Venice the cathedral is antique and curious, dating in part from the 8th & 9th centuries. As the lithographs and other strange figures in sculptures would indicate - among the paintings, blackened and discoloured by time, is one of the council of Trent of enormous dimensions, and the assumption of the virgin by Titian - taken by the french to Paris and returned.

Crossing the Adige by the Bridge della Pietra two arches of which remain since the times of the Romans - entered the quarter of the city called the left of the Adige. The church St. Giorgio is near the gate and fortified wall called Bastione delle Boccare. The church has a fine pointing of Paul Veronese brilliant and fresh, which was also stolen by the french when they took Verona in 1797. Defended by the unfortunate arch duke Charles as Napoleon calls him, the fortifications are in part new, but some parts yet remain erected by the old lords of Verona - Scaliger or Can Grande - della Scala - and Viscounti (the friend of Petrarch) - but the stronger parts built by the Venetians.

The detached forts on the neighboring heights now constructing by the Austrians, command the walls, except these fortifications there is not much to be seen on this side the Adige. So passing the remains of a Roman theatre, recrossed the Adige by the Ponte Nuovo to the large square called Piazza Broe - where stands the pride of Verona, the venerable and colossal Roman amphitheater. As at Rome only a part of the outer wall of the Colosseum remains, but internally the seats are complete - and of the nine Roman amphitheaters that I have seen this of Verona & the one at Niaines are the most perfect.

The evening being a clear moonlight, took a walk around it, which gives a solemn & venerable effect to this remnant of roman greatness. The opera at the Teatro Filarmonica which is one of the oldest theatres in Europe was well attended. The piece was the Templario - drawn from the Ivanhoe of Walter Scott. Guasco, the tenor that performed the part of Ivanhoe and prima donna Gabussi as Rebecca the Jewess sang admirably and were highly applauded.

The ladies in the boxes as well as the gentlemen in the pit kept up such a loud conversation - as to make a good deal of the performance inaudible. It is the opera of the season and has been frequently performed - the ballet of Niobe - and her unfortunate children was performed by a numerous company, many of the corps de ballet were fine looking girls - well formed persons arid sprightly in their movements - I take them to be Milanese -

The last two hours of my stay at Venice was at the opera. At 1/2 past 11 went to my rooms took a last kiss of my fair padrona and her daughter and at the striking of 12 by the numerous church clocks of Venice. The diligence gondola pushed off - a bright clear moonlight - as we passed the lofty palaces on the canal. Some silent and unoccupied - could not but compare the solitude of the scene to the times when Venice sent her conquering troops through these same canals to the very centre of Italy.

In two hours were across the lagune at Mestre where taking a lumbering heavy vehicle. Crept along at the rate of three miles an hour, which at daybreak brought us to Padua - a second rate town, the principal features of which as observed at that early hour were a low fortified wall & fosse. The houses strong built prisonlike, on wide and mass arches next the street, under which runs the sidewalks. Had just time to take a coffee and roll, when off again, crossing the Brenta some three miles distant from the town.

A fine pleasant morning and the road running through a fine fertile well cultivated country - with the summits of the snow covered Alps in sight. Some of the country villas are built with magnificence in the Lombardo Venetian States - the entrances adorned with statuary. One o'clock and we entered the City of Vicenza - (30,000 inhts [inhabitants]) - a similar built but more cheerful looking town than Padua. Here was born the architect Palladio and many of the first buildings of the city are of his architecture.

Our stay at Vicenza was a short half hour and the road the remainder of the day ran through one of the most beautiful countries I ever saw. Passing Montebello which gave the title of Duke to the brave Lannes - being the place where he displayed his extraordinary valor. We soon came in sight of the riva Adige and by sunset entered the gates of Verona and am now writing this in a room & after supper at the Hotel Grande Parigi - Verona is 50 miles from Venice -