Its
valley was heaped with great blocks of granite--a feature which
has interest for the geologist; it marks an abrupt change of system,
from the soft stone of Catanzaro (which ends the Apennine) to the
granitic mass of Aspromonte (the toe of Italy) which must have risen
above the waters long before the Apennines came into existence. The
wild weather emphasized a natural difference between this valley of
Squillace and that which rises towards Catanzaro; here is but scanty
vegetation, little more than thin orchards of olive, and the
landscape has a bare, harsh character. Is it changed so greatly
since the sixth century of our era? Or did its beauty lie in the
eyes of Cassiodorus, who throughout his long life of statesmanship
in the north never forgot this Bruttian home, and who sought peace
at last amid the scenes of his childhood?
At windings of the way I frequently caught sight of Squillace
itself, high and far, its white houses dull-gleaming against the
lurid sky. The crag on which it stands is higher than that of
Catanzaro, but of softer ascent.
Pages:
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178