The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-02 00:00:00

MARIA PICCOLOMINL

A writer in a contemporary says :—" I was
during a fortnight at a charming villa, three miles
from Siena, the residence of the parents of our be-
loved and most celebrated artist, Maria Piccolomini
now Marchioness della Fargua, of the Dukes
Caetani, and it was by a miracle that this dear
creature did not find herself in tumult and great
peril on the return of the Swiss, headed by that
assassin the too infamous Schmidt, in the city of
Pieve, of which I will speak by and by. When I
arrived at the Villa Piccolomini I found all the
family reunited. Her sister Laura had on the Bth
of October married a young Sienese, 23 years old,
very rich, who possesses divers villas and a beau-
tiful palace in Siena. An heir to the family of La
Fargua is expected in April. Returning to my
interrupted narrative, I tell you that on the Bth of
last September the Marchese and Marchesa della
Fargua took leave of her parents, sister, and
brother, in order to repair to the city of Pieve,
where the marquis's feudal territory is situated,
his magnificent palace and numerous estates. Ar-
rived at the railway station they were told no tra-
veller for three days could pass, the trains being
expressly reserved for the Sardinian troops, who
were coming into Umbria and the Marches to
oppose and disband the formidable Papal troops
who threatened ruin by fire and sword. Be-
hold the Providence that has always watched
over the days of our beloved artist did not for-
sake her this time ; and in the delicate state she
was she ran a great risk. After the Sardinian
troops had dispersed the Papal hordes, the La
Farguas entered the city of Pieve, and in accordance
with their kind invitation I became their guest, and
remained with them three weeks. As all that con-
cerns the fair Piccolomini has an interest for the
English, I will give you a sketch of the Mar-
quis della Fargua's noble residence, and of his
city. The city della Pieve, distant from Perugia
about 25 miles, stands on a high and beautiful hill
among the Apennines, encircled by a vast horizon,
from whence you see at a small distance the Lake
of Thrasymenus, celebrated in history, on the
shores of which the great battle was fought
bptwecn and the Consul Flaminius,
who commanded the Roman legions. Besides this
you see the cities of Cortona, Orvieto, and Viterbo.
The population is 4,500 souls, and since A,D. 1605
has been the residence of a bishop. In the
cathedral you admire the picture of the Virgin
and Infant Jesus, the work of the immortal
Pietro Vannucci (called Perugino) in 1513 ; also two
others by the same ; and in the church of S. An-
tonio, where exists the celebrated fresco that occu-
pies the whole façade representing the Birth of
our Saviour and the Adoration of the Magi, painted
by Perugino in 1504. This picture is supposed to
be the best of this immortal genius's works; and
his scholar, Raffaelle d'Urbino, is supposed to have
assisted him in it. Pietro Vannucci was born at
Pieve in 1446, but, having always studied and
painted at Perugia, was called Perugino. Among
the palaces the most remarkable are Cardinal della
Corgua's, built in 1551, a fine structure ; that of
the Dukes Bonelli, of ancient architecture, built
in the fifteenth century, and now belonging to
Signor Rinaldo, a citizen of Pieve ; finally,
the palace of the Marchese Laval della Fargua,
of beautiful modern architecture, situated in the
highest part of the city, and enjoying one of the
most delightful prospects the imagination can
paint, for its terraces command the finest horizon,
and within short distances of Lakes Trasimeno,
Chiusi, and Montepubliano. Its spacious apart-
ments are adorned with beautiful frescoes and
stuccoes, and the reception saloon is splendidly and
delicately gilded by master hands. The present pro-
prietor is his Excellency Don Francesco Marchese
di Laval della Fargua, of the Dukes of Caetano of
home, who in July last espoused the noble Lady
Maria Countess Piccolomini of Siena, whose name
is so illustrious for the glory of her ancestors and
for the lustre which she has thrown upon her own
artistic career, not only in Europe but also in
America, where she obarmed all hearers."

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.—On Sunday night last a
fire broke out in the large flax warehouse cf Messrs. Briggs
and Co., flax spinners, very near the Hunslet station of the
Midland Railway, Leeds. The premises were three stories
high, 100 ft. long and 30ft, broad ; and such was tile inflam-
mable nature of the flax and tow in the building that the
fire made rapid progress till the whole building and contents
were destroyed. Happily, the efforts of the fire brigades
prevented the fire extending to some adjoining buildings, or
the loss would have been much more serious. The damage
has been estimated at from £ll,OOO to £12,000, which is
covered to the extent of about two-thirds by insurance in
the Lancashire and Imperial offices. The fire is believed to
have originated in the spontaneous combustion of some of
the tow or flax in the building.
SUDDEN DEATH OF A CLOWN.—The pantomime
at the Great Yarmouth Theatre had a melancholy finale on
Friday night last. After the harlequinade was over the
clown, named Algar, went to the dressing-room, but before
he had changed his clothes he was seized with sickness, and
lay down and died almost immediately. A medical gentle-
man was summoned from the boxes, but death had super-
vened before any aid could be rendered. It seemed that the
poor fellow was suffering from disease of the lungs for some
time past, and that he was absolutely dying during the
whole of the evening he was endeavouring to set his audience
in a roar with his jokes and drolleries. Deceased was only
35 years of age. Four years ago another actor, named
Russell, dropped dead on this stage while performing in the
" Hunchback."
The last private letters from Vienna express
hopes that some real amendment in the political and finan-
cial system of Austria may be shortly brought about by the
almost total change lately effected in the Ministry. Every
State department, with the exception of that of Foreign
Affairs, which is still retained by Count Rechberg, has
passed into new hands, and the liberation of Count Teleki
seems to harmonize with the improved expectations.
The revenue accounts from India are stated to be
so satisfactory that there is no probability of any aid being
required beyond the £3,000,000 which the President of the
India Council is at present empowered to raise. It is also
said that the necessity for that addition to the debt will be
attributable almost solely to the inability of the railway
companies to obtain at present any further funds on their
6 per cent. debentures.
THE FRENcH IN CHINA.—The Patric says :
" The despatches from China inform us of the fact that the
city of Pekin has been entirely evacuated. The French
troops have been, it is said, divided into two corps. We are
assured that the first corps embarked on Nov. 15 for Shang-
hae, and that the second corps has remained at Tien-tsin,
where it will winter. The troops (marines) forming the
garrison of Shanghae were to be replaced by others from
the north, and the marines sent to the French establish-
ment at Saigon,"