Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-07-26
FROM EUROPE.
ROME, March 1, 1860.

Of st. Peters at Rome you pave
heard much. My expectations were
very great, and | can say | nas not
Disappointed. / shall not attempt
| a general description: its grandeur
and magui6cence can scarcely be
conceived. 1t is among the nsblsst
structures on earth. and incompara-
! bly, the grandest temple ever erected
and dedicated 10 christian worship.
1t was three and half centuries in
building, and extended over the reign
of forty-three Popes. 1t cost fifty
million oil dollars exclusive Of the
towers, mosaics and other ornaments
o f the interior. This enormous ex-
pense led to :be sale Of indulgeuees
by Pope Leo the x. The excess to
which this was carried produced a
reaction which led to the reforma-
ton; thus the erection Of St. Peters $
Church WAS indirectly the vauss Of
religious reform, and the establishment
of the Protestant Church.
The extent Of ground covered by
this Church, is two. hundred and
forty Thousand square feet, or from
five to six acres. 1t is in the fern OF
Latir Cross. The annual expense
Of attendance and keeping it in re-
pair. amounts 10 more than thirty
thousand dellars. The interior is
extrem ely rich in marble, precious
stones, costly gems, besides monu-
meuts to all the Popes, church relics,
and probably, the finest mesaics in
the world; the latter are copies OF
! the most celebrated paintings OF
the old masters-soms Of them
eighteen Or twenty feet high, and
are SO perfectly copied that they are
often mistaken for the richest oil
paintings; and nothing bat close ex-
animation by practiced eye can
discover the difference. Among the
most remarkable of these pictures,
are the DouBTlNG Of ST. THOMAS and
the MARrYRpoM Of ST. SEBASTIAN
The latter is the most lifs-iike fresco
I ever saw and the mosaic copy
proves consummete skill and the per
lection Of srt. Among the sacred rel
les, are a piece of the true Cross, and
the handkerchief containing the i'm.
preston of the Saviour's features,
which is exhibited With much cere-
mony during Holy Week, In q
small side Chapel is a column OF
white marble said to have been
brought from the Temple at Jerusa-
lem, and. to be the Identical one
against which our Saviour leaned when
he disputed with the Doctors
Beneath the richly decorated Trlb-
| uue, is the noted Chair Of st. Peter
| in bronz e, said to enclose the identical
one in which, according to Church
tradition, ST. Peter and, many of his
successors ofhciated 1t is support
ed by four CollOsal statues represent
iuy four fathers Of the Chureh.-
Near the centre Of the nave, is the
lebrated bopze statue Of st. Peter
seated ia a marble chair with the
right foot extended. On entering
all the dsvout approach this Stat
ue aud kiss the toes, pressing the
head agains: it in each salutat'on
liz has thus been an object Of adora
ton fer centuries. Antiquarians arc
not.agreed as to the origin .ot this
Statue. Some think it Statue O.
a pagan deity others think it thai
of Jupiter himself transformed into
that or the Apostle. 1t is interes'
!, ting to see what veneration the de-
yotees of the Catholic Church havt
for this lfsIess image; itis ineompre
; bensibls, though, no doubt, they
! revere it as a symSol--ss emblem
air. Of the Saint whose memory
should be cherished; apd whose hol]
j life should prompt to Csris;inn duty
March 4ih-Yesteraay we vislte'
one. Of the most beautiful Churche
in Europe, lined with every variety
) Of richest marble, paintings and mon
; ,,meuts 10 the great men Of th
Church-it is enphatically sopei.o
/. Portraits. OF. medallions. IN mosaic ..
I Of the Pontiffs Of the Catholl
: Church from s.. Peter doyn s to pIu y
1.-The TX, are set ID The walls Of th
, nave and aisles. and the affairs ar
. faced With profdsion Of costly ma
- L.;. loxuli and highly polishe