The church of the Madonna was unilluminated and all in
darkness, when on a sudden it sprang out into a blaze, and a great
transparency of the Virgin and child was lit up from behind. Then
the people said, "Oh bel!"
I was myself a little disappointed. It was not a good apparition,
and I think the effect would have been better if it had been
carried up by a small balloon into the sky. It might easily have
been arranged so that the light behind the transparency should die
out before the apparition must fall again, and also that the light
inside the transparency should not be reflected upon the balloon
that lifted it; the whole, therefore, would appear to rise from its
own inherent buoyancy. I am confident it would have been arranged
in this way if the thing had been in the hands of the Crystal
Palace people.
There is a fine old basilicate church dedicated to S. Vittore at
the north end of Locarno. It is the mother church of these parts
and dates from the eighth or ninth century. The frescoes inside
the apse were once fine, but have been repainted and spoiled. The
tower is much later, but is impressive. It was begun in 1524 and
left incomplete in 1527, probably owing to the high price of
provisions which is commemorated in the following words written on
a stone at the top of the tower inside
1527
Furm. [fromento--corn] cost lib. 6.
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