Wed. Feb 5. [5 February 1902] Out early, grey but the sun came out
for a little later. Walked up to the Duomo, beautiful faÁade in stripes of
inlay and carving on white marble. Fine inside with a great row of
classical columns. Saw the mosaic altar - rather fine of its sort but an
ugly sort, and a beautiful 13th cent. font. Then to San Niccolo, a mass
of hideous and most elaborate mosaic with a picture of the saint by
Antonello, hung too high and too much darkened by age to see.
Then to San Gregorio where in the museum is a lovely Antonello,
much ruined, an altar piece with the Virgin and child in the middle, the
child holding an apple in one hand and playing with some cherries
with the other, very lovely, 2 saints on either side (the panel has been
cut into 3 parts) and above an Annunciation, both the angel and the
Virgin very lovely. The church is a bewildering mass of hideous
mosaic. Tried in vain to get into the Chiesa della Pace where there is
another Antonello. Gerald fetched us at 12 and we went to lunch with
him, a bright and cheerful apartment in the quay into which they have
just got. One of Cis's brothers, a Raffo boy, staying with them. Very
pleasant lunch, after which we all went to see the Cathedral treasure.
Interesting - a mass of barocco silver, some very fine vestments and
a Byzantine madonna (Della Lettere, the patron Madonna of Messina)
covered with votive jewels. Some of the stones remarkably fine, an
emerald and a ruby in particular, some interesting old necklaces and
pendants of rough pearls and gold work. A diamond spray given by
the Regina Margherita. The original picture is above the altar, the
gold round this one is 16th cent. We saw also a fine collection of
relics, mostly Messinian martyrs and hair of the Virgin's: "era bionda"
said Cis and looked at it with rapt interest. Tradition says that the
Virgin sent a letter to the Messinians written in her own hand in Hebrew
in answer to a devout enquiry of the early Christian church there as to
whether she was alive. The original has unfortunately disappeared,
but they have the translation into Latin. We then all went up to a high
placed castle from whence we ought to have had a fine view of
Messina and the hills behind but it was a nasty grey day. We saw
however, the side[?] of Zancle well. Back to tea with the Geralds after
which to rest at our hotel. Dined with the Geralds who gave us a very
good dinner - a most pleasant evening.