Embassy to Tamerlane, 1403-1406 / translated from the Spanish by Guy Le Strange with an introduction.
- Ruy González de Clavijo
- Date:
- [1928]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Embassy to Tamerlane, 1403-1406 / translated from the Spanish by Guy Le Strange with an introduction. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![fortifications there runs a áfreet, built on either hand with houses and shops. On the one hand beside this áfreet áfands a church much venerated of the people which bears the name of Saint Mary of the Annuncia¬ tion, while opposite on the other side of the áfreet is another church which is that of Saint Anthony. Here attached to Saint Mary’s Church is the fine Monastery of Saint Francis. At the further end of this áfreet, of which we now speak, the guarding wall runs up the slope of the hill going over and down to the sea-shore on the other side, whereby at the back it entirely encloses that hill. This long wall of fortification has been built in order that in time of war no enemy ship may come to land here, and that the city may be thus safe from surprise. At the point where this outer wall, enclosing the hill slopes, joins up with the Gaeta town wall there áfands the church of the Holy Trinity near by which are various towers, each like a fort, that guard the houses near by. Not far from this church there is a grotto on the hill top, and it looks as though it had been hewn out artificially. It is, however, natural and the opening into the hill side has a height of some ten fathoms and next penetrates down for fifty paces, the passage being so narrow that only one man at a time can pass in. At the further end is a hermit’s cell, which bears the name of the Holy Cross being called Santa Cruz. We were told that there are docu¬ ments preserved in Gaeta city which álate that this grotto opened of itself [the firáf Good Friday], namely on the very day on which our Lord Jesus Chriáf suffered death. The outer city wall of which we have been speaking encloses a great number of beautiful orchard lands occupied by orange and lemon and citron plantations with vineyards and olive-yards. Here there are many country houses having terraced roofs: the whole](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31354932_0052.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
