IT ALT. 
115 
The technical communal school “Dante” at Florence gave a 
very comprehensive survey of its course of instruction, and of the 
method employed in drawing, by an exhibition of the work of its 
pupils. The school proposes to give a suitable general education 
to all young persons who desire to devote themselves to some defi 
nite calling, either in the Service of the state, in industry, or in 
agrieulture. The special education of its pupils is afterwards 
completed at the technical high schools. 
The school is divided into four classes; and in the first dass 
five hours, in eaeh of the others nine hours, are devoted to draw 
ing. The freehand-drawings, progressing systematically from 
simple outlines to Ornaments in plaster, were among the best 
exhibited by the intermediate schools of Italy. The simplest 
means of execution are made use of, frequently the lead-pencil 
only; but the handling is of a tenderness and a delicacy which 
must be called admirable, in view of the age of the pupils (thir- 
teen to seventeen years). Besides the plastic drawings, there 
were also flat Ornaments (early Renaissance) of exemplary treat- 
ment. Linear drawing is practiced much the same as in our Real- 
Schools, with immediate application to architecture and machinery. 
Very excellent specimens, especially as far as descriptive geometry 
and machine drawing are concerned, were also exhibited by the 
“ Scuola Tecnica Municipale Leon Battista Alberti; ” the free- 
hand drawings displayed throughout a delicate, artistic, but nev- 
ertheless precise treatment. 
The “Scuola Tecnica” at Perugia, besides good Ornaments, 
exhibited also remarkably beautiful drawings of Renaissance ves- 
sels, inlaid furniture, &c. The “Scuola Maschile” of the same 
city confines itself ahnost entirely to the construction of mosaic 
floors. The “Scuola Tecnica” at Orvieto was represented by 
splendid freehand drawings; its course of instruction was well 
displayed. The Ornaments from casts in India ink (which the 
Italians prefer to use for this purpose), were again of the utmost 
delicacy of execution; geometrical drawing was not as strong; 
the projections, on the contrary, were good. The “ Scuola Tec 
nica” of Lodi made a brilliant exhibition of drawings of every 
description; the drawings from casts were again mostly in India 
ink, while architectural pieces, decorations, &c., were charmingly