a lengthened holiday. A large house that closes in the south end of this little Piazza del Ar- setiale is called Palazzo Sampieri, and belonged to Titian's grandfather, who seems to have been a character, and was known by the nickname of 'the Count.' Its fagade was covered with frescoes and some of them are still visible, though much faded, under the eaves, but are of little value, as the one gem was removed, and placed inside the house for safety long years ago. It is a fresco of a Madonna and Child
and benches with the family stemma, or crest, upon them. At the southern end of the Piazza is the Palazzo Solero, the largest house in Pieve, which is also intimately associ ated with Titian. It belonged to a family, Jacobbi, the head of which married Titian's only niece. The present proprietor, Signor Giuseppe Solero, very courteously showed us over the house. The lobby at once arrested us, for it contained, besides many fine old carved chairs and benches, such as we had seen in the Palazzo
