Page:Great Neapolitan Earthquake of 1857.djvu/365

Rh between the two valley systems, and that the valley I have left, and that I am about to enter, have their respective axes almost at right angles to each other, the pivot round which they wheel being the mountain mass behind the town of Polla, and to the S. W. and W. of it. The descent now becomes rapid, and after another mile or so, Polla becomes completely visible, the dominant town of the north end, of the wealthy plain, along whose east and west sides I begin to discern many others.

Polla was an important place; originally, as its name imports, one of the ancient foundations of Magna Græcia. Nothing older than middle-age architecture remained, however, before the earthquake, and of this the Castello, near the summit of the town, was the most prominent. Its position in the rich country around, had produced its rapid modern growth to nearly seven thousand inhabitants, and most of its buildings were comparatively modern and pretty well built. Its streets and houses, churches and belfries, with olive yards and gardens between, spread themselves over the crown and slopes, to the north, south, and east of the large, low, short and well-buttressed spur of solid limestone rock, which juts out from the mountain range at the east side of the Vallone di Diano. The lengthway of this spur, is rather transverse to the general line of the valley, and its steepest side is towards the south. The city looked down upon the Calore, slowly and deeply sweeping past its eminence, and upon its own suburb of St. Pietro, at the opposite or right bank of the river, connected with the city by a fine old bridge of Roman style, and to the southward it gazed for miles over the glorious and unbroken hill-girt plain.