Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/868

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

838 ZURICH ZUEITA illustrating the life of the apostle ; and abont 1625 he executed his picture of u St. Thomas Aquinas received into Heaven," which is es- teemed his masterpiece, and one of the most admirable pictures ever executed in Spain. His pictures from the life of St. Jerome for the Hieronymite friars at Guadalupe are also char- acteristic specimens of his style. He executed many works for churches and monasteries in Seville, Guadalupe, and Madrid, and subsequent to 1633 was nominally painter to the king, al- though it was not until about 1650 that he was employed at court. His works are most numerous in Seville, and are rarely met with out/>f Spain. ZURICH. I. A N. canton of Switzerland, bounded N. by Schaffhausen and the grand duchy of Baden, E. by Thurgau and St. Gall, S. by Schwytz and Zug, and W. by Aargau ; area, 665 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 284,786, chiefly of German origin, and all Protestants except- ing about 18,000 Catholics and 500 Jews. It is in the basin of the Rhine, which forms part of the northern boundary line, while the Reuss bounds the S. W. corner. The Thur, Toss, Glatt, and Limmat (the last issuing from the lake of Zurich, and joined by the Sihl) form fine valleys. The highest elevations do not exceed 2,800 ft., and consist of a chain of hills extending from S. E. to N. W. Pasturage, ag- ricultural products, and fruit abound ; wine and timber are produced, and the canton has many manufactories of cotton, silk, and ma- chinery. The schools of the canton are among the best in Switzerland. German is the pre- vailing language, and a patois known as Swiss German is much used in conversation. Zurich joined the Swiss confederacy in 1351, as the fifth canton ; it seceded about 1440 on account of disputes as to the Toggenburg inheritance, allied itself to Austria, suffered a bloody de- feat at Pfaffikon in 1443, and finally returned to the confederacy in 1450. Early in the 16th century it became the centre of the reforma- tion under Zwingli, and in it was fought the battle of Kappel, which decided the peace of 1531. (See SWITZERLAND.) In modern times the canton took a leading part against the Sonderbund, the dissolution of which was for- mally decreed by a majority of 12 J votes (July 20, 1846) upon its original motion in the diet of 1845. The latest modification of the con- stitution dates from 1869, when it became still more democratic. The legislature consists of a great council, and the executive of a govern- mental council of nine members, elected by the former body for four years. The canton is divided into 12 districts. Next to the capi- tal, the most important town is Winterthur. IL A city (anc. Turicum), capital of the can- ton, on both sides of the Limmat and at the ST. W. end of the lake of Zurich, 58 m. N. E. of Bern; pop. in 1870, 21,199 (with the ad- joining suburban communes, 56,700). It is di- vided into the Kleine Stadt on the left bank of the Limmat and the Grosse Stadt on the right bank. The Grossmiinster or cathedral, dating from the llth century, is chiefly re- markable for its associations with Zwingli. In the Peterskirche Lavater was minister. Among other notable churches are the Frauenmunster and Barfusserkirche. The new arsenal, the music hall, and especially the new polytechnic institute, are the finest public buildings. The university in 1875 had 72 professors and 375 students, including in medicine women from Russia and the United States, to whom degrees are given. The city has a public library of up- ward of 60,000 volumes, an archaeological mu- seum, and a cremation society established early in 1874. Zurich has been greatly improved and embellished by new buildings, bridges, and railway stations. It is associated with the mem- ories of many distinguished reformers, poets, and scholars, and is still a great- intellectual and artistic centre. It has a large book trade, and is noted also for its manufactures of silk, cot- tons, machinery, and paper. The fine environs, promenades, and hotels make it a favorite re- sort of tourists. Zurich is one of the oldest towns in central Europe. In 1219 it was de- clared a free imperial city. From 1519 to 1531 Zwingli preached the doctrines of the reforma- tion in the cathedral. It had previously fur- nished a secure shelter to Arnold of Brescia. During the reign of Queen Mary it was a place of refuge for many English Protestants, and Miles Coverdale here translated and carried through the press in 1535 the first English ver- sion of the Scriptures ever printed. On Sept. 25, 1799, Massena defeated the Russians under Korsakoff in the immediate vicinity of the city. The appointment of David Friedrich Strauss in 1839 to a professorship resulted in a bloody riot and the flight of the authorities. A treaty of peace between France, Italy, and Austria was signed here, Nov. 10, 1859, mainly in ac- cordance with the stipulations of Villafranca. Zl RICH, Lake of, a lake of Switzerland, in the cantons of Zurich, St. Gall, and Schwytz, about 25 m. long from S. E. to N. W., from 1 to 2 m. wide, and about 600 ft. deep. Its banks are lined witR thriving villages, and the hills around it slope gradually to the lake from a height of 2,500 to 3,000 ft., and are covered with farms, gardens, vineyards, and orchards. The Limmat issues from its northern extrem- ity, and transmits its waters to the Aar. It is divided by the bridge of Rapperschwyl into two parts, called the upper and lower lakes. 71 RITA, Geronimo, a Spanish historian, born in Saragossa in 1512, died there about 1580. He was the son of the favorite physician of Ferdinand the Catholic, was educated at Al- cala, was chief magistrate of several towns, in 1543 became a member of the supreme council of Castile, in 1547 historiographer of Aragon, and subsequently private secretary to the king and chief of the correspondence of the inquisition. He obtained from the gov- ernment an order authorizing him to examine all public archives and libraries, and armed