Rome continued: St. Peter’s building: St. Peter’s Statue: St. Peter’s
resting place: The vast Columns, Pictures, Fonts, Confessionals, etc.:
The Vatican: The Professional Letter Writer: The Arch of Titus: Statue of
Nero, etc.
This decision, however, he never carried out, but in the year 1506,
Julian II. laid the foundation of this vast church we are now about to
enter. The first architect died while the work was in its early stages.
Then Raphael, with two other architects, were appointed, and these also
died during the building. Michael Angelo, who was then between seventy
and eighty years of age, was selected to superintend the work. He is
credited with the designing of that marvellous dome and cross, but did
not live to see it completed. Indeed, not less than fifteen architects
succeeded one another during the time of its building, and twenty-eight
Popes reigned before it was completed (a time of 176 years). Its actual
completion was not until 1784, a term of 278 years.
Carlo Fountana estimates the cost at £11,000,000. He states that it
required 400,000 lbs. of bronze to form the statue of St. Peter inside
the cathedral. The whole area is 240,000 square feet; when this is
stated one may form some faint idea of the magnitude of the building.
There are within and without the building columns in marble to the number
of 756; 245 are inside. There are 46 altars and 121 lamps, most of them
are kept burning night and day. One hundred and thirty-two Popes have
been buried here, if you count as they do from St. Peter on to the last
Pope who passed away. It is stated that the cost of keeping the place in
repair is over £6,000 per year. Our first view of the Nave as we
entered, created such a feeling of awe and reverence, that like the Queen
of Sheba, of whom it is said, “when she saw the glory of Solomon there
was no more spirit in her.” “And behold the half was not told me.” I.
Kings, chapter 10, verses 5 and 7. I gazed with awe and admiration at
one time on the marvellous Niagara Falls, and the sight seemed to bring
me into the very presence of the great Creator, God. And now, to gaze
upon works of such a colossal magnitude and of such a costly character,
made us feel subdued and reverent. I may safely assume, I think, that
every one will not see it just as we saw it; I mean they will interpret
its meaning differently. We were some time before we came to realize the
fact that it was of such extraordinary proportions. Looking at the
cherubs which support the fonts that contain holy water, at first you
think they are models of children, but when you come beside them you find
they are much larger than ordinary grown-up people. On the floor we
noticed there are stars or marks telling the length of the building as
compared with other large cathedrals. St. Paul’s in London, is here
given as 516-feet long, the Cathedral in Milan as 440-feet, the Cathedral
in Florence is given as 495-feet, St. Peter’s, at Bologna, 440-feet, and
St. Sophia, at Constantinople, 364-feet, while this St. Peter’s is
619-feet in length. On your right hand passing up the nave is the
gigantic statue of St. Peter in bronze, which, with the foot held out
slightly, I suppose millions of visitors from all nations and peoples and
tongues have stooped to kiss the large toe, which, in consequence, is
worn seriously out of shape. Some have gone so far as to say that this
is the statue of Jupiter, only it has been slightly altered to suit its
present purpose. I think it is Dean Swift who said (in a joke) “that the
difference between the ancient and modern Rome was, that the one was the
worshipper of Jupiter, and the other the worshipper of Jew Peter.” As we
stood beside this image in bronze and looked to the right—the
confessional to the left—the confessional. Visitors in kneeling posture
before an image of the Virgin, another before a picture. Another walks
up to the font and crosses his forehead with holy water, we felt that we
could not but pity these poor deluded souls in bondage to a priestly
intolerance, when they might have had the real liberty of the children of
God.
Above this great statue of St. Peter, sitting in a chair of marble, in
the act of blessing the people, is a portrait in mosaic of Pope Pius IX.,
and an inscription which states that he is the only Pope whose years of
pontificate are more than were those of St. Peter. In the niches around
the pillars which support the cupola are some very fine specimens of
statuary, and above these are several small galleries which contain the
Holy Relics, these are shown to the public on the great festive days.
There are sixteen windows round the cupola, and over these are sixteen
richly gilded pillars, between each of these are beautiful mosaics
representing Popes and Bishops buried in the church, also of the Virgin
Mary, Jesus Christ, and the Apostles. Over the High Altar under the
cupola, where the Pope alone has the right to say Mass, rises a very
costly canopy of bronze, supported by four spiral columns of richly
gilded bronze about 60-feet high, including the cross. The Altar is
placed in such a position that the Pope saying Mass, faces the people.
Under the Altar is St. Peter’s tomb; a double flight of steps of Greek
marble lead down to it, and at the bottom is a statue of one of the Popes
kneeling; at the sides are four large columns of alabaster, and above
these are two pillars of agate with the statues of St. Peter and St.
Paul. The place in which St. Peter’s ashes rest, and that forms part of
the oratory, is covered with the most costly marble. When Peter said
“silver and gold have I none,” Acts. chapter 3, verse 6, he could not
have had the least idea of the costliness of his resting place in Rome.
All things seem to be provided for the purpose of a worship meant to
captivate the senses by its external splendour and beauty, until the very
object of religion, the cultivation of the Christian virtues, which are
meekness and humility, are forgotten in the magnificence of a priesthood
of princes, combining their splendour and luxuries with their duties. On
all sides we see monuments to Popes and Bishops; such as one to Pope
Innocent XII., with fine bas-reliefs in marble. The Pope Gregory’s
monument which has some fine sculpture on it in marble. Another wing of
this huge building designed by Michael Angelo contains an altar enriched
with alabaster, amethyst, and other precious stones. Over the altar is
an image of the Madonna that is greatly venerated, as it is supposed to
have been brought here from one of the early churches. Altars, crosses,
and confessionals confront you wherever you go in this great cathedral;
also, pictures adorn the walls where there is no sculpture. St. Peter
raising Tabitha from the dead. See Acts, chapter 9, verse 40. “But
Peter put them all forth and kneeling down prayed; and turning to the
body, said, ‘Tabitha, arise,’ and she opened her eyes, and when she saw
Peter she sat up.”
Two porphry steps lead to the Tribune, about fifty yards long, where
there is another altar, and over it four colossal bronze statues; on the
right, the tomb of Urban VIII., on the left, that of Paul III. In one of
the wings of this building there are eleven confessionals for strangers,
and inscriptions indicating the nationality or language. On all sides we
saw these relics of popery until we were sick of it. We could not visit
the grottos, as time did not permit, we were very desirous of making a
visit to the Vatican, but we could not for the same reason. We gathered
from information gained in various ways, that the Vatican or Pope’s
Palace is the largest palace in the world. The Pope is allowed from
Italy about £130,000 per annum, and the Peter’s pence, from many lands,
amounts to as much as £20,000 per annum. The Vatican contains 11,000
rooms, there are also 22 court yards. The ground it covers is the size
of a town. The museums, the picture galleries, the statues in marble,
are worth many millions of pounds. It is enriched with bronzes, marble
columns, and the best things that can be had from all lands. Paintings
of the very richest and highest class from all the old masters. Massive
gold and silver goblets, the gifts of kings and of princes. Ancient
relics from Assyria and from Egypt. Some Egyptian mummies in sarcophagi
with hieroglyphics, indicating the locality from whence they came. In
the library are 26,000 manuscripts, about 19,000 are in Latin, 4,000 in
Greek, and about 2,000 in the Eastern and Oriental languages, besides
about 50,000 printed volumes. In one of the halls there is a bible of
the fifth century, which is a great rarity. The gifts from kings,
emperors, princes, presidents of almost all lands, which have been sent
to the Pope are too many to name or specify. We left St. Peter’s,
pleased with some things, grieved with others. The greatness of Rome’s
intellectual power; her art in sculpture and painting; proofs of this we
saw on all hands. She had, at one time, over 400 temples, most of them
with floors of marble, great domes with wonderful frescoes, gorgeous
beyond anything we could conceive if we had not seen it. Walls of
marble, porphyry, jasper, precious stones, stones polished till they
shine like a mirror. Pictures, priceless and innumerable. All this,
side by side with the degradation of the people, as seen in their daily
visit to the confessional; or to the holy water; or to seek a mass from
the priest for some friend in sickness; or a more important one for the
soul of some brother, sister, or friend in the agony of purgatory, and
who must remain there until certain masses are said. All this means the
lowering of the poor to the enriching of the rich. Rome, I say, is to be
pitied in this thing, under the heel of the Pope. Her wealth is lavished
on churches, priests, cardinals, etc., but her poor abound on all hands.
At the very church door you have the extremes of lavish wealth in church
decoration, and extreme poverty in many worshippers. We had a view of
the Vatican from without; it seems one vast area of palaces, churches,
temples, galleries, colonnades, etc. I suppose we have some fine palaces
in England; there are some, I believe, in France, Germany, in Egypt; but
nowhere in the world is there a palace so large and costly as the Pope’s
Palace in Rome. How unlike his divine Lord, “who had not where to lay
His Head,” or his predecessor (allowing the expression) who said, “silver
and gold have I none.” Mark Twain says of the place: “It is a perfect
wilderness of statues, paintings, and curiosities of every description
and every age. The old masters fairly swarm there. I shall remember the
Transfiguration, by Raphael, because it was in a room by itself, and
partly because it is acknowledged by all to be the first oil painting in
the world. It is fine in tone and feeling, it is a beauty, it is
fascinating. Acres and acres of walls and ceilings fairly papered with
them. There is one thing I am certain of, with all the Michael Angelo’s,
the Raphael’s, the Guido’s, and the old masters, the sublime history of
Rome remains unpainted! They painted Virgins enough, Popes enough, and
saintly scarecrows enough to people Paradise almost.”
Leaving the great St. Peter’s and the Vatican to return to our hotel for
dinner, we noticed the mixed crowds jostling one another in the streets.
The men seemed to be broad shouldered, and their rugged bronze faces and
dark piercing eyes give you an idea that they look upon you with
curiosity. Men dressed in home-spun blue cloth as a rule. The women
dress in colours, no unusual thing to see them apparently enjoying a feed
of raw onions and salad with a good square piece of black bread. Here we
passed a professional letter writer, sitting in the open-air in the
street with a table before him on which are pens, ink and paper. Here he
is ready to read or write letters for the unlearned, and they are by no
means few in the city of Rome. Many a declaration of passionate love
must have been whispered into the ear of this old Italian, to be
transmitted to some village maiden on the mountain heights, or in some
sequestered village. A rustic approaches the old scribe as we watch him,
he has received an epistle from some Italian beauty far away. As he
waits his turn he looks over the precious documents with wandering eyes.
Oh! if only he could himself spell out its sacred contents. His cheeks
are flushed, his heart throbs as he hands the paper to the scribe; and,
as the old man reads, the smile plays upon his face, his dark eyes
brighten with delight. Yes! she is true to the boy who is far away, what
a joy to know their hearts beat in unison and in passionate love. What a
strange task! that of the Italian scribe. Sometimes his task is to read
letters that tell of separations by death; the scalding tear, the heart
throbs, tell of grief and anguish, a life’s hope crushed out. A dear
mother, sister or lover passed away. All these experiences go through
the old scribe’s hands daily. Young Italy, however, is awaking to her
need as a nation, for education and for the training of the young.
Our hotel is our home of rest, and we certainly enjoyed it after hours of
travel and inspection. Sights seen that we had never dreamed of.
Pictures, sculpture, arch, column, colonnades, so profuse and so
attractive that we forgot we were tired until we turned away for a break
and a rest.
Again, we are on the tram, and down one of the principal boulevards, past
shops, bazaars, cafes, hotels and churches, to the Pont du Angelo, over
the Tiber. This is a lovely piece of workmanship, built of solid
masonry, and on the pont, or bridge, there are six statues on each side
on pedestals, representing the various architects, sculptors and painters
of ancient Rome, and as we crossed the bridge, right in front of us we
saw the castle of St. Angelo, erected by one of the Emperors for his own
tomb, and for the tombs of his successors. As most of the important
buildings in Rome, it is lavishly decorated with marble sculpture, more
fitted for a palace than for a mausoleum. [Picture: The Arch of Titus,
Rome] In the tenth century it was turned into a fortress and fell into
the hands of the barons, who, during a long time, made use of it against
the city itself. It is said that Clement VII. took refuge in it in the
year 1527. To-day it is a beautiful temple. The floor is very largely
composed of Italian marble; on the staircase, on our right on entering,
is a fine statue of Michael the arch-angel, in a niche. In another room
are some fine paintings by Pierin; another room still retains some of the
implements of torture of the Inquisition. On the top stands the bronze
statue of the arch-angel Michael, placed there in 1770; it is said it is
placed there in memory of a vision of St. Gregory the Great. According
to tradition, when Rome was severely visited by a pestilence, and while
the Pope was going in procession to St. Peter’s, to obtain the cessation
of the scourge, he saw, on arriving at this bridge, an angel on the top
of the mausoleum, in the act of replacing his sword in its sheath, as a
sign that the visitation of the scourge was at an end. On account of
this the castle was named “The Castle of the Holy Angel.” “The Arch of
Titus” is another fine specimen of the builders’ art. Erected to him by
the people in homage of his great victory in Palestine over the Hebrews,
and of the destruction of the Holy City of Jerusalem, in the year 79
A.D., and consecrated to his memory by his successor in the year 81 A.D.
It has somewhat suffered by the ages that have passed over it; still, it
is marvellous that it has so long withstood the ravages of the iron tooth
of time. There is a fine frieze in the inside and some fine bas-reliefs.
One, that of the Hebrew prisoners, and Titus’ triumphal march to Rome.
In Macaulay’s we find the following verses, evidently written on the
subject of Titus’ victory:
“Valerius struck at Titus and lopped off half his crest,
But Titus stabbed Valerius, a span deep in his breast.
Like a mast snapped by the tempest, Valerius reeled and fell.
Ah! woe is me for the good house that loves the people well!
Then shouted loud the Latins, and with one rush they bore
The struggling Romans backward, three lances length or more:
And up they took proud Tarquin, and laid him on the shield,
And four strong yeomen bore him, still senseless from the field.
But fiercer grew the fighting around Valerius dead,
For Titus dragged him by the foot, and Anlus by the head.
Twice tenfold round the body the roar of battle rose
Like the roar of a burning forest, when a strong north wind blows.
Now backward and now forward, rocked furiously the fray,
Till none could see Valerius, and none knew where he lay.
For shivered arms and ensigns were heaped there in a mound,
And corpses stiff, and dying men, that writhed upon the ground,
And wounded horses kicking, and snorting purple foam,
Right well did such a couch befit a Consular of Rome.”
There are also, in this palace, the seven-branched candlesticks, and many
other objects taken from the Temple of the Holy City.
Next we saw the triumphal arch of Constantine (the first Christian
Emperor of Rome), this seems to be the best preserved of all the arches
we saw, although now it has been standing since 311 A.D. We learned it
was erected by the people of Rome in honour of the great victory achieved
over Maxentius at Ponte Mollo. The central arcade is about thirty-feet
high, the side ones are about twenty-feet. There are four beautiful
columns of Corinthian marble which support the pillars upon which stand
some fine statuary representing some of the “Dacian prisoners,” “Trajan’s
entry into Rome after his victory in the east,” “The rest on the Appian
Way,” “Trajan bringing help and succour to the poor children,” “Trajan
speaking to his soldiers.” Under these are bas-reliefs which represent
hunts and sacrifices. On the opposite side of the street we noticed a
large pedestal which we were told held, in ancient times, a colossal
statue of Nero, executed in bronze. After his death it was thrown down
and replaced by another called “The god of the sun.” This, however, has
been allowed to fall into decay; the iron tooth of time has done its
work, and only the pedestal remains.
The Navona Square or Piazza calls for a remark or two, it is the next
largest to St. Peter’s. There are three fine fountains in the square,
These seem to be of a modern design and workmanship. One represents
Neptune coping with a sea monster, surrounded by sea horses. In the
basin rises a kind of rock; on the four sides of which are
representations of “The Danube,” for Europe; “The Ganges,” for Asia; “The
Nile,” for Africa; and the “Rio de la Plata,” for America. The rock is
surmounted by a very neatly-cut obelisk. The first and largest fountain
is about 100-feet high, and when in play has a very beautiful effect.
The Church of St. Mary is but a plain looking building from the outside.
We approached with little interest, but when we got inside we found it to
be a perfect museum of painting and sculpture; also, there are many tombs
of celebrated cardinals. The guide showed us a picture said to be the
work of St. Luke, and in all seriousness, told us it was supposed to have
the power to work miracles still. We did not stay to ask whether that
power was ever evoked. There is a chapel inside, the architecture of
which was planned by Raphael. The design of big mosaics on the vault of
the dome is simply marvellous. There is a representation of the heavenly
bodies in their fullest splendour; also a fine statue of Jonah by
Raphael. There is attached to this church a monastery, in which reside
the monks of the Order of St. Augustine. It is said to have been the
residence of the famous Martin Luther, during his visit to Rome. He
entered the city through the Porto del Popolo, and knelt down as soon as
he had passed the gate, crying most sincerely, “I salute thee, Oh! holy
Rome!—Rome, venerable through the blood and the tombs of the martyrs.”
And then he went straightway to the convent, and there he celebrated
mass. And after the experiences he went through during his stay in the
city, what he had seen, and what he had heard—he said, on passing again
through the same gate out, with bitterness and grief, “Adieu, Oh! City,
where everything is permitted, but to be a good man.” Every place we
visited brought some reminders of the sad fall of the papacy from real
Christianity.
To the Berbine picture gallery, was a visit which gave us much pleasure,
as we saw pictures from the ablest of artists. The paintings by Michael
Angelo and Raphael, Francesco and Tiziano. “Adam and Eve driven from
Paradise,” by Guido Reni; “Christ and the Doctors of the Church,” by
Dürer; “The Holy Family,” by Andrea; “The Annunciation,” by Bronzine; and
many others that we considered marvels of the artists’ brush. There is
also within this gallery a very large room as a library in which, we
learned, there are over 30,000 books in print, and over 8,000 in
manuscript, by Dante, Galileo, Lasso and others. The wonders of these
places filled us with such admiration, we could stay and look until quite
weary, so we take tram to hotel again for rest.
[Picture: Church of the Trinity, Rome]