The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-14

NONeIlO GA POentd, appears TO have been only
provisional, as II was intended to replace il by
another IN all respects more worthy to contain
the remains OF the divine poet; but Guido
having been expelled from Ravenna, and dying
young, was unable to carry out his noble inten-
uons. Under these circumstances, In 1883,
Bernardo Bembo, at that period pretor IN
Ravenna for the republic OF Venice, ordered
P1etro Lombard to maze marble monument
in homer of the poet, the front of which bore a
basso-relievo OF Dante, with a new epitaph
The ravages of time having greatly injured this
monument, 1t was restored and redecorated in
1902, at the expense of the city OF Ravenna, by
the investigation of the Florentines Domenico
Maria Corsi, Cardinal Legate of Emilia and
Giovanni Salviatl, PTo-Legate. Lastly, in $780,
the Cardinal Legate, Luigi Valenti Gonzaga,
ordered the small temple which still stands to
be erected, in which the sculpture by PIetro
Lombard is preserved. .'....
This simple history OF the first tomb of Dante
gave rise to a long discussion, with the view of
testing its accuracy, and eliciting, if possible,
further details. None, however, of any great
moment were brought to light
How long the poets remains, which we're
assuredly deposited with great care IN the hrst
tomb prepared for them by Guido NoveHo,
remained in their restng-place is uncertain.
1t Is probable, however, tnat a few years subse-
quent to 1921 they we're privately removed
prior TO the arrival in Ravenna OF Cardinal
Bertraudo del POggetto, Legate of Pope John
XXI, at Bologna, who had come Tor the avowed
purpose of barbarously disinterring, eXcommu-
nicating, and burning the remains OF Dante.
by the Florenhnes Pine della Tosa and
Ostagio da Poenta, who boldly came tor
ward as champions of Dante's fame. When
the apprehensiuns arising from Pope Johns
designs had subsidized, the remains of Dante
were probably replaced in the monument
erected Tor them by Bembo, in which they
remained until new apprehensions induced the
riars OF San Francisco to remove the precious
treasures again, whlchjshed lustre on their con-
vent This removal took place in 15l9 at which
period the FloreItlnes petitoned Pope Leo to
exercise his papal authority to cause Dante's
rem aims to be transferred to their city; and az
this Pope was Florentine, and a member of
the powerful house of the Medici, and Michael
Angelo had, moreover, offered to erect suit
able monument, IN an honorable locality, to the
poet, in Florence, the frlars OF San Francisco
had the more reason 10 apprehend that the
remains OF Dante would be distracted.
Whether the lattcr were replaced in the
sepulchre restored by Cardinal Corsi seems to
be questionable Tor it appears that fierce quar-
rels prevailed between the Frati Minori and the
Commune OF Ravenna respecting jurisdiction
over the tomb. The enmlty between these
bodies was so great. that when the commune
wished to restore the sepulchre, they were
under the necessity OF sending thirty-two
| policemen to protect the wOrkmen engaged in
| the task. Thus protected, the sepulchre was
| finally completed in 1892. 1t then appears to
| have been securely closed, encncled by an iron
| railing and the key of the door committed to
| the keeping OF the heads of the communes.
A nd in order to assert their jurisdiction over
| caused the following inscription to be placed
over the door:-"S. I. O. Il. jure ct acre suo tam
| guam thesaurum suum munvit, instauravit,
| ornavit."
| But, although the friars were in this instance
beaten, they refused to acknowledge the supre-
| macy OF the commune OF Ravenna, and stoutly
maintained that the tomb OF Dante was their
| exclusive property, their establishment having,
| as they stated, been granted the ground on
| which it stood in 1861, by the Archbishop
| Filippo Fontana, with the adjoining houses and
| gardens. They further appealed to Rome
| against the commune of Ravenna, alleging
| that Hthe latter, by restoring the mausoleum,
had violated their rights and ecclesiastical
| privileges. The question became still more
involved in 1892, when a prisoner with two
accomplices having escaped from prison, fled
to the mausoleum, and, grasping the iron railing
encircling it, claimed light OF sanctuary. But
having been seized by the police, and recon-
mitted to prison, a question OF privilege was
raised and referred to the Council OF Eccles
astical Immunity in Rome. The latter consulted
Archbishop Raimondo Ferretti, who replied Oh
the 9th August, 1894, that Dante having beer
declared hereto aztec his death, the place O
his seputure, though originally sacred, wa
now undoubtedly polluted, and consequently NJ
longer possessed the privilege OF sanctuary. The
triars endeavored 10 upset this decision BY
affirming that the chapel no longer contained
Dante's bones. But the Archbishop would no
allow this to be any reason why the plact
should be entitled TO ecclesiastical immunity
Be this it may, it is evident that the frlar
were greatly interested in keeping the remain
of Dante rigidly concealed, apprehendng tha
they might fall into unsafe and unworthy hands
1t also further appears that in 1880, when Cardna
Valenti GOnZaga erected the superstructure o
the small temple of PIetro lombard, the tom
was solemnly opened in order to re-establlsl
the fact whether it contained Dantes remains
The result of the examination is not clear, tor
according to the obscure language of contem
| porary historian, there was found that whic
made doubt no longer necessary (ut St rinUer'1
Cto che era necesSdTto per non dubudr'ne) word
which admit ottwo interpretations. However, it
to be obserted that constant traditions maintane
that Dante's bones were no longer in his sepul
chre; and this Is confirmed by amanuscrpt not
lately found in book, which there is evidence t
prove was written at the close of the last Ger
, fury. This note states that at that period th
tomb OF Dante was opened and nothing foun
within. This, observe the Commissioners,
unwelcome Information, and if no steps hav
since been taken to verify the statement, it wa
} probably because there was an unwilllngness t
accept as certain so painful truth.
Happily, however, we now pass from thi
region OF doubts, and are able to cast clear lgh
on the remainder OF our interesting history.
The city of Ravenna, having resolved o.
celebrating the sixth centenary OF Dante's birth
good fortune brought a circumstance to igh
] which created a sensation, and the more go, q
, | 1t occurred only few days before the inaugurt
| tlon of the monument erected to the poet
honor in Florence. With the view of increasin
| the interest in Dante's tomb, the municipalit
| of Ravenna determined on removing the wa
| adjoining the chapel of BraccioforGe. By il
! removal the tomb would become isolated, an
{ | thus better seen. Accordingly the work
| demolition was commenced on the 9th of Ma
from recess within closed door in the wa
, | tumbled rude wooden chest, which hying ope
: | as it came to the ground, disclosed huma
l | bones and Inscriptions on the inner as well G