Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-01-04
From the Plattsburgh Sentinel.
Notes of Foreign Travel l--Rome--St.
Peters Church.
BY REV. SELAH W. BROWN.

st. Peters church in Rome is th
grandest temple of Divine worship o
the Face Of the earth. Gibbon tn
historian has pronounced it "the mos
glorious structure that has ever bee
applied to the use of religion" Thi
liking of churches" is built in the forr
of a Latin cross, the extreme lengt
of the nave being T20 feet, the widt
across the transepts 5l4 feet, and tn
whole covering an area Of five acres
Over fifty thousand persons could fin,
standing room in this immense build
ing, and thirty good sized churehe
could be put inside, all whole.
The foundations Of this church wer
laid by Pope Nicholas Y. in 1850
and it was dedicated by Urban VIII
in 1920, though more than 300 year
rolled away before it was entirel'
completed, Forty-three Popes lived
reigned and died while it was build
ing, and each one lavished all tn
treasure he could spare upon it,
When finished it cost over fifty mil
lion of dol ars. 1t is an awful fac
that great part of this money was
raised by Pope Leo's scheme of sell
ing indulgences.
st. Peters is in the northwest part
Of Rome. We went from our lodg
ings, through narrow crowded streets
crossed the Tiber, passed the castle
Of St. Al gelo (once the tomb of Had
rian,) and soon were in tie Piazza
or square in front of the great church
On each side Of this square is a grand
semicircular colonnade of 284 col
umns~ each one 60 feet high, arranged
in four rows. Along the battlemcnts
Of the cOlonnadc arc 1872 statues oil
saints each twelve feet high. On the
higher battlements Of the church it
self stand l3 colossal statues, repre-
senting Christ and his apostles. In
the center of the Piazza" is ar
Egyptian Obelisk 1872 feet high. Il
once stood in ancient Heliopol;s and
was brought to Rome by the Emperor
Caligula. Near the ohclisk are two
beautiful fountains which are continu
ally throwing up their bright waters.
Passing up three successive flights
OF marble steps we entered the vesti
bulc Of the church. At the foot o.
these steps are two large statues re
presenting Peter and Paul The YES
tibule is a noble hail. 80 feet wide. &C
feet high. and extends across the en-.
tire front Of the building and across
the enas Of the colOnnades. Here YOU
notice two equestrian statues. That
on the right hand Is Constantine. that
on the left Charlemagne.
From the vestibule three doors IeaC
into the temple it~elf, Besides these
there is a doorway which is walled
up, called the "Porta Santa" Thi,
is opened four times in each century
On Christmas eve. once in % years
the Pope approaches this door anC
begins to demolish it by striking i
with q silver hammer. When the pas
sage is opened the Pope enters, fol
lowed by the multitude. The door
way is then walled up to remain clos
ed another quarter Of a century.
Lifting the heavily quilted leather
curtain which forms the door, we en-
tered, and the magnificent nave Of The
church was before rs. The floor
/ formed of rich mosaic work, stretchc:
away like a great plain Of variegateC
marble, for more than 40 rods. Tht
lofty vault is profusely adorned witt
gliding. On each side are rich chap
els, and each as large as an ordinar,
church. On every hand arc gor
geously decorated affairs, marble vas
es of holy water, inches filled wit
costly statues, massive columns, anC
monuments Of departed Popes an,
Kings.
In the center of the church wher
the transept crosses the nave, and be
meath the dome, stands the High Al
tar covered by splendid canop
which is 95 feet high. This canop
is supported by four spiral column
of bronze, which are covered with OF
naments and foliage of the same ms
terial. The cost Of this altar an
canopy must have been immense.
In the Tribune" which forms tn
west end of the church, is the famou
Pope's chair, or, in Roman Language
: the "Chair Of St. Peter" 1t is {
bronze, and we were told it covcre
2 the identical one in which St. Pete
offieiated as the first Pope. Th
chair IS large enough to accommodate
three or four Popes at once.
In the south end of the transept al
twelve confessional boxes designe
for the accommodation Of stranger
in Rome. At one or another Of theS
boxes men of all nations may NAL
confession and hear the words Of a
solution in their language | notice
that the priests held long, slender roC
!, with which they touched the heads
! persons. | afterwards learned th
Il those thus touched received indr
r gence for forty days.
Beneath the high altar is the Ton
Of St. Peter; though we have no I
l. liable evidence that St. Peter ev
If saw the city of Rome. A double fig
&C of stairs leads down to the tom
d around which a hundred brazen lam
1t are continually burning. There a
II many other sepulchral monuments
h this sacred crypt. Our guide point
he out the tombs of various Popes. frc
t, st. Peterto Gregory XVI, and stran
to 10 say, James Ill, Charles III, a
n Henry TX are buried there.