These give great gracefulness to the buildings in groups: they
will be spoken of more at large when we are treating of arrangement and
situation.
[Illustration: Italian Cottage Gallery, 1846. Chimney at Neuchatel;
Dent du Midi and Mont Blanc in the distance.]
[Illustration: Cottage near la Cite, Val d'Aosta, 1838.]
31. The square tower, rising over the roof of the farther cottage, will
not escape observation. It has been allowed to remain, not because such
elevated buildings ever belong to mere cottages, but, first, that the
truth of the scene might not be destroyed;[3] and, secondly, because it
is impossible, or nearly so, to obtain a group of buildings of any sort,
in Italy, without one or more such objects rising behind them,
beautifully contributing to destroy the monotony, and contrast with the
horizontal lines of the flat roofs and square walls. We think it right,
therefore, to give the cottage the relief and contrast which, in
reality, it possessed, even though we are at present speaking of it in
the abstract.
[Footnote 3: The annexed illustration will, perhaps, make the remarks
advanced more intelligible. The building, which is close to the city of
Aosta, unites in itself all the peculiarities for which the Italian
cottage is remarkable: the dark arcade, the sculptured capital, the
vine-covered gallery, the flat and confused roof; and clearly exhibits
the points to which we wish particularly to direct attention; namely,
brightness of effect, simplicity of form, and elevation of character.
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