New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-03-19
THE CARNIVAL AT ROME-AHERICAN
LADIES.
Extract from q private letter.

Extract nom private lesltf
ROM, February 90 1860.
Saturday was the first day of the Carnival. Most
Of ne Americans had never been in Rome before and
were mpa,en; TO witness and take part in festival
about which we bad heard 10 much. The Pope, I'M
fortunately bad interdcted masking This precluded
much of the grotesque display of costume and funny
extravaganza which we hal expected 10 see, taking
from the festival half Of i,s plcuesqeness and much OF
itt spice.
For week or more the CoIso had been gradually
going through course of transformation. Temporary
balconies were erected in front of every egbly 81. i
ated window, and where balconies already existed,
land they are IN front of nearly all the windows com
msndipg The street, they were decorated with ganoy
rugs taIestJies ard scarlet cotbs, and from every
window Of the upper stories hung long draperies OF
GRIM son aud gold BY the morning Of Saturday the
ordinary sombeT aspect of the street WAS changed 70
one oi sparkling brightness.
At the corner of all the streets in the nelghborhood
of the Corso huge baskets OF confetti exposed for
sale Bouquets Of every grade OF beauty ana c)stiness,
from the full dress article, with It's danny canelh4s,
and pink and white buds at three or four scndl
each 10 the modest bunch OF viOlets and bachelor
brttoIs, at as many baoechi, were tempungy dis
paN in the faces OF the passefs by and out OF every
shop window hung great bundles OF wire-masks and
small tip SCOOPS which indicated clearly the kind OF
warfare which was about TO take place.
| AT O'Clock the gun IRON Castle ST. Angelo an
nounce the commencement, OF the Carnival and almost
immediate CROWDS OF people, foot and IN carriages,
BEGAN 10 ", nd their way toward the COrso, either 10
jon the procession in the street or ~ zee II from inc
| ba,conies " hich tbey he'd previously hired.
| Our position pecu idrly fortunate IL was IN
one OF the balconies of the apartments occupied by our
Young and yeptlemaDly Consul, Mr. Wentworth VINO,
| with Uniform courtesy, had early IN ths season
insisted that ve should occupy II on this occasion.
The house was directly opposite tina; OF the trehch
| General De Guyon the COMMANDER OF the forces IN
Italy and the open square at the foot OF ths VIA
Condotti, where OF French regmental ban is
was posted which played at intervals durug the alter
| moons Of each day OF the Carnival -,
| With considerable tact Mr.. Glentworth had placed
his windows a. the dispOsai OF several Northern ana
Son IL families who have been sOmew bat eOnspcn-
| ous in society the pTeaeDt season in Rome aud tue
entire front OF his apartments was thus hned win
parteire of living flowers comprising number OF the
| most giant OF our c.uItfy women, VINO loiHel
together mt ing Teprese ntaOD OF that beauty Ior
| which American ladies' are 40 remarkable. Fher
tasteful domnues and well-aranged toilette5 maze
these balconies the noticeable OF all upon tae
Corso proved by an almost ncessant shower Oh
costly bouquets and pretty bon bons winch was ralnea
upon them for three hOurs daily during the festival
1 will not attempt describe particularly he Pets-
| lafie or the carnival at Rome. You who have seen
il will recall TO mind the long narrow street crowded
for its entire length with a confused mass OF human
beings in every Imaginable costums-hOrses carriages
and wagons decorated IN every conceivable color ana
| every man, woman and child who make up the motley
Multitude with hands filed with confetti, ana each
raised against its neghbors, and peDg them with all
the earn sness Of desperate co1fct; the street mud
hide en- be meath tho debris of broken bouquets and an
atmosphere of chalk powder, and flying rose leaves
| hanging ike a canopy between the motley massss
below, and the merry laughing crowds of beautiful
girls and pretty children which t the balconies above
their heads II is the most amusing sit bl imaginable
Tie fun il contagious that the old as well as young
tale part in IT, and all are sorry when the gun sounds
for the Cerso 10 be cleared for the horse race which
concludes the day festivity.