New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-02
ITALY.
Roman Festvals-A Painters Vacations in
Rome.

In Rome the Festas come nearly as Of.
ten as the working days. and serve to employ priests
and guards to fatigue travellers and sight seers, to
injure laboring and tTadesmen, TO amuse loungers
and love. makers and to bore scuptors and painters
To-day il the seventh Fssta that We have had within
two weeks. II is called Epefanis and is q kind Of
Santa Claus day, and last night that oily old fellow
was piYouetting about, loaded down with wax.dolls
and young regmentas, pastry fxins and sugar doins
descending chimneys, filing stockings, amusing him
self and pleasing the children in Just the same way
that he Is went to DO Christmas ewes, In our own
Younger land. A section Of the town, called st.
Eustaccio has exhibited for the last fortnight signs
of the approaching gala day, displaying from booths
erected for the occasion, and from WINDOWS and
doorways all sorts OF toys and srnkets, sweets and
confectiOneres, creating general commonon
among the Roman juveniles. IL you like, We will
take a very early walk into this same part and see
Romans acting precisely the same parts and talking
precisely the same words that they have acted and
talked once year for at least q century, and which
they will continue TO act and talk foe century TO
cone IT'S mornlDg-thatisto say, It's past midnight,
but the shops open and filled with customers the
streets are well lighted, with olive oil and IN the
vicinity of ST. Eusraccio, are throDged as at mid
The more quiet and the younger portions OF the
population, having spent their money aud tae lore.
part OF the night IN preparing for this great day OF
gifts are going home to get little sleep before CON-
mencing church ceremonies and vistings. As we
pass along, the theaers are closing and their com.
panes are moving in crowds toward the place of
this fair. AS near this great center Of attraction,
our ears are sauted with such a complication Of
discordant sounds as we have never heard before,
and compared 10 which the confused noises OF
camp meeting IN full blast, are the softest tones OF
an Eolian harp We keep down the narrow street
IN the direction of the hubbub, turn into the piazza,
and at once emerge among the most motley crowd
that ever met together since year ago too day We
see old men and malcens, young men and children,
and even those that stoop with age, OF all nations
and conditions, OF all politics and religions Tas
beggar lottles the prince, the man the MASTER the
mad Tie mistress. All are equally great, equally
gay, and equally childish. Here are Europeans,
Asia,ics Africans and Americans, OF all colors and
nzes, Of all professions and of no professions at
all artists ana mechanics, merchants and lawyers,
priests and soldiers with al sorts OF musical instru-
ments and instruments not musical numpes,
drums ard fddles, tin horns, brass horns. and horn
horps; tambourines with heads and tambourines
withou, heads whistles, pipes and buges and
each one that blows, exerts himself to blow louder
and discordant tn all the rest and every one
that ngles, strives 10 ouiJiUge all nnglers, and he
or she no neilber blows nor Jlnges wants 10 give
the crowd and Rome IN general TO understand that
his or her pair of lungs are stronger and can send
forth more hideous no Wis shreks, groans and yels,
than any other mans, woman's or chd's in 81.
EustaccIo The effect Is to be imagined but not de-
scribed. As one set of Babees tire, they retire to
the wine shops and coffee houses In the vicinity, TO
refresh, and their places are supplied by com.
eIs and thus the interesting scene is kept up with
on. inlermission throughout the night, each one
X,
the performance, but each declaring just as he has
declared every year since he big enough to go,
that the fun was nothing to what it used II was
Gorgeous, stately. solemn but tedious church Ger.
emolies continue throughout the forenoon. In the
same places the came language and the same FASH
toned robes priests are dong just what priests did
five hundred, yes, perhaps thousand years ago to-
day. Think Of that We improving, moving, fashion
following Yankees Five hundred years, and not
word added nor word subtracted five hundred
years and not a button more Lor tassel less five
hundred years have passed, and now, as then, ten
thousand Of these same broad-brimmed, straight
Iobed apostolic comforters serve to administer food
spiritual to this Eternal City Blu. these modes An
tidue do not extend to all classes of Romans on
he Contrary the belle, and beaux are ar ardent wor
shippers at the shrine OF Fashion as the most fas-
tdious New.York deyotees, any change Of modes
Partisan being known as quickly In the Corso or the
Via Babnino as In Broadway. From IL TILL o'clock
OF FIESTA days, these two streets are crowded with
rus,ling silks and sparkling jewels, With fancy
topped canes and gummy mustaches, OF the latest
wearing, and wondering where the devil they got
the money to buy IL. That Festas impede the
course Of business makes no difference with these
dead alive Italians and even by those most injured,
it is considered all right TO spend half their time in
celebrating the birth days OF departed gaints and
should Popes 90 On canoniZlDg until every day in
the year was SAINTS day Is would not seriously
of Romans, and their city would continue 10 adj
vance as at present, Irish fashion OF backward.
Isaw at 81. Peierslass summer the ceremonies OF
subject for canoniza.ioD was man who had among
the negroes OF Africa wrought many most wondrous
miracles, the veTacity OF which were not permit.
ted to doubt even If We had the inclination which OF
course we had not That Fesas serve 10 bore art.
ists, we have before said. While all around are
idling jollifyng, the sculptor dabs away as his
clay with about the same interest and feelings that
the Yankee hey hoes corn on Independence and gen.
era muster days. The painter, who is usually more
sensitive and nervous than most men, is particularly
annoyed by these frequent interoping fets days lie
rike in n eata
bre ad and coffee quietly goes to his studio regularly,
makes up his palette composedly, brushes the dust
of his picture, wonders why the model do AZ come,
(who usually comes at eight and 1t is now nile,)
whistles Yankee Doodle or jam along Josey till half
past LINE, concludes the model Is sick aHd ca MT
come, but that he viii work on his landscapes He
commences work, finds that he lacks a color, aud
starts for the shop, slightly excited, TO get it, The
shop ID closed. He wonders why. He looks up and |
down the street. az the passeRgers and al the other
shops, and discovers TO his horror that Ills Fests.
Stsncng mo,nel. in doubt he bolts TO his friends
to bonow discovers On the way that he Is heated |
and that the sirocco is blowing is met at the dosS
BY gone to the country for the day" Feeling des-
perate and savage, he flies home again, saatcnss up
his stool and sketch book, trips up his easel, smash
es the head OF his mannikin kicks his dog end over
end, bargs the door after him, and is of for the
country, cursng Fet.as models, color-shops, siroc-
ccs, and everything else within forty miles Of Rome,
and wishing every priest IN CaTistsRcom tato the |
middle of r . Fourth o. July OCCxf.