"Old Colonial" on his Travels.

Southland Times, Issue 5003, 13 August 1884, Page 4

"Old Colonial" on his Travels.

My next ex'^urflion. was to the Church o£ %^§^ ni }^' UM^.ml^ exceptional \ interest attaching to this structure, because it stands on the site of the most ancient of .all Xthc Iwligious fedificest 6fißdme7)l(The -present building is comparatively modern, -.jhaving:bbatf*lt&ed-and:re^ periods. Gardinnl ' "Wisemaiiv of Engirsh t n<3itojr;etyf president of {this Church. It Btands-where the house of Pudewqneejßtood,' the: disciple mentioned by §t. JPaul in his epistles. It is reached by descending a flight of steps ; the^n.:"j: rtranc«.(d9orf isimaced' jby spiral ' * columns, and: reliefs -of 1 worfcmanrehip,; ahdtabove are frescoee repreeetrting *- .Peter, Pudens, JPudenUan,a Praxelee. The camjwniie is the mos^sbikihg external -feature xit ' th^'b T mld'ing'. / fouridlsd^ah^atorf in^hls 1 hSiiW; remains . still exist beneath the 'Chto%h. As late as ,the .year, !ir l^B6s(-Bome tnfragments' were brought, tp [: ligbt , -by excavation, 1 supposed .to have >bVn part of the&ouse'of Pudens. In (the otribunef is a beautiful piece of -mosaic- work ! : -•'the Saviour is represented seated on a throne with one arm extended, in' th^othej^a^H^h^ 'b'pir^page of -wKicß are inscribeel the words " Conservator: Ec.cleßia Pudentiana.' ' Behind are the sisters ! Saints Praxeles and Pudentia.oa crowned with laurel, 5 and on a lower level St. Peter and St. Paul, with other male figures, probably intended for apostles ,or disciples. They #11; ; wear the Koraan toga. In the left aisle is a well, at the bottom of which I was told the , ashes of lithe martyrs still repose. ( The .chapel of Sfc, Peter closes the aisle, in which is an inscription, "Behe Merentij Cornelia Pudenziana," in memory, of. amember of the family of Pudens. So|ne ! artist of the time has attempted to hand down to posterity a likeness of the lady Cornelia' referred to ; but' it is evident from th is specimen of his powers that he was not very eminent in his profession and I imagine Cornelia herself would not feel flattered by her portrait could ih-,' rise to inspect it. The sisters Pudentiana and Praxeles seem to have been zealous devotees, addicted to collecting the blood of martyrs. Under the altar the identical sponge is preserved with which they soaked up the precious gore. There is also a base relief, finely executed, representing the Saviour handing the keys to Peter. Opening out from the aisle is the chapel of the Caetani family, with many beautiful marble tombs. The altar piece is the adoration of the magi ; the roof is of mosaic work, representing the four Evangelists, and over the door the two sisters,' Pudentiana and Praxeles, are 'seen employed in their favorable work of collecting the blood of the faithful witnesses. A visit to the Polazzo Barberini closed the day's explorations. This structure stands on the left of the Via . delli Quattro Fontane, and is perhaps the finest specimen of its kind to be found in Borne ; it indicates the splendid, style on which the noble families of mediaeval times were accustomed to live. It was : erected , by , Urban VIII, who employed the architect Carlo Maderno. Its extent is not seen to advantage owing to the proximity of adjoining houses, If they could be removed, and the grand iron railing, between massive stone piers, which, screens the entrance to the palace from the street, were continued all round, it woflld add greatly to the effect of the imposing pile. On the grand staircase is a lion in? high relief, an exquisite piece of statuary. It is said that the celebrated sculptor, Canova, was so enraptured with this work of art, that he went frequently to the palace, and would lie f"r hours, prone upon the marble pavement studying the symmetry and beauty of his represen- * tation of the king of beasts. The family crest of: the Barberini was a bee,* and ; Urban has* handed down a curious intima- ■ tion of his high estimate of the power and importance of the family . In one of the rooms of the palace the sun is represented . as eclipsed, by a swarm of bees 1 The .Library contains many literary treasures and curiosities,: and is especially rich in MSS., comprising letters of Gallileo, Bembp, Be liar mine, and ortbo men of mark. Amongst the rarities is a Bibleof the 4th century, and a gorgeously illuminated missal. In the robe-room there are come relics of the grand costumes of the family, with other articles of display, particularly a sedan chair painted by the great master, Titiao. A spacious hall in the right wing is adorned with statues, and the ceiling is superbly ornamented with frescoes. - The subjects are mostly mythological—Vulcan's Forge, Minerva destroying the Titans, and other groups, the exact meaning of which I did not understand. There are also four large pictures of Fathers of the Church ; these were brought from the dome of St. Peters to make room for mosaiof. And some very curious tapestripp, one of them represents the Virgin, assisted by angels, bringing to Urba p " insignia of bis office as I""' .. me Church. ._ a u of the The picture. """ large, con*' 1 o ailery, though not very JP***' -ains works of foido of the great ..ters, besides a variety of pictures of varying worth. The portraits of Lucrezia, tli- wife of the infamous Francisco Conci, and of Beatrice, his daughter, are reckoned amongst the chief attractions of th« gallery. There are conflicting opinions about this last-mentioned picture. Some authorities assert thatGuido Reni painted it on the night before Beatrice's execution ; others that he painted it from memory after having seen her on her way to execution ; others again maintain that it is but the likeness of a model, Beatrice being dead before Guido came to Rome. It is not for me to decide between these contradictory statements. I can only say it is a most reI markable picture, and undoubtedly the , original of the numberless copies to be seen in almost every corner of Rome. The commohly.refeived historyof the painting is as follows: — "Five days had . been „ passed by Beatrice in the secret prisons of the Torre Sivella, when at an early hour in the morning her advocate, Fariuacci, entered her sad abode. With him appeared a joung man of about 25 years of age, dreS3ed in the fashion of a writer in the Courts o? Jubt'ce of that day. : Uh- ; heeded by Beatrice, ho sat regarding her, at a little' distance, with fixed attention. She had risen from her miserable pallet, but, unlike the wretched inmate of a dungeon, she seemed a being from a brighter sphere. 'Her eyes were of "liquid softness, ■ her forehead large and clear, her countenance^ of angelic purity, mysteriously • beaiitiful. Around her heart a fold of white muslin had » been carel"B?ly - wrapped, from whence, in rich luxuriance, fell 'her- fair and waving hair. Profound sorrow imparted an air of touching sensibility to I her lovely features. With all the eagerness of hope she begged Farinacci to tell her frankly if his visit foreboded good, and assured him of her gratitude for the anxiety he evinced to save her life. Farinacci conversed with her for some time, while at a distance sat his companion sketching the features of Beatrice. Turning round she observed this with .displeasure and surprise. Farinacci explains that this seeming writei was thn celebrated painter Grutdn R>ni, w,.0 earnestly desiring her picture, had 0.-.- --' treated to be introduced into the prison for the purpose of obtaining so ric'i cv ' acquisition, At first unwiLingy but afterwards consenting, she turned uul B,iid-~ " Signor Guido, your renown might make me desirous of knowing you, but how v.-iil you undervalue me in my pretmnt situutiou. From the fatsiity that bUrrouuds me you will judge me guilty. Perhaps my facs

i showvOyotf Htbtf^thai/ Jlsfiofj^faguidij : in this prison, which I may quit | 6n% W* asceM T ntheA s&fiEolai' AYdori { great name -an 3 '"nay sad story may > make my portrait interesting ; and," she i added, with touching simplicity, " the j picture 1 will awaken' syoipathy if you I s write onkbneof: its angleaßhiQlwotA innoi cente." The great ..artist '."set himself to ! i work,- and, produced the picture nowritfrthe i -Polazzo Barberini, a picture that 'rivets the I attention : of every beholder/ j which 'once i "Been j ever after" 1 hovers over the memory i with an interest the, mosjt.harrowing'and : 1 ~' c . ■»'^; ; .. ; - :V " '."'' '"^i!^ „. j : j- When? Fisay" 1 that Ithe Barberini fjfyl ace | Js T o| su,<3h vast dimensipria that, a single j compartment embraces forty rooms, its ; >ex.tent, i as ) ,.a whole, may be. imagined. I I spent a considerable time within its walls, I (and yet u.y : survey of the splendid but i comparatively useless edifice' was but | superficial. I returned to my quarters in i 'the totel tired) but hot dissatisfied with I the day's work.