The daily gazette., 1880-03-31
e.eter m Rome.

last week in lent, which ends with
Easter Sunday, used to be celebrated 90
prettily that strangers went from far
and near to see the spectacle. There
were all sorts OF professions In the
streets, fine music in churches, cere-
monies In the great basilica of st.
Peter, and everybody looked happy !;
for the Italians seemed great deal
more like grown up children than like
men and women. They are fond Of all
bright, pleasant things, and though 1t Is
their religion 20 observe the rites of
holy week, the doing so gladdens them,
for other reasons.
Brt all these ceremonies cease at the
close of Easter Sunday, which is made
a sort of beautiful climax to the week
Of celebrations. Everybody who can get
there hurries to st. Peters, the largest
church in world, you know.
There are all the important religious
ceremonies Of Holy Week take place,
and every body wants to see them. \ St,
Peters Is on the right bank OF the mudi
dy Tiber, which flows swiftly through
Rome, dividing the city somewhat as the
river Seine divides the city of Paris.
The largest portion of the town, where
most Of the people live, is on the left
side Of the river SO when they 10 to st.
Peter's-and that Is very often-they
have to cross the bridge of St. Angelo
The Castle of st. Angelo Is big, round
fortress on the other side of the Tiber
and from there street leads directly to
the great place, or piazza, as the ital.
ians call the curious square before ST.
Peie y ! i-ft' tIIl
At each corner of the front of the
church begins grand covered walk,
called colonnade. For some distance
this covered walk, which has four rows
of handsome pillars to support the
roof, comes straight from the front of
the church. Then it curves out into
an oval form, and nearly surrounds
the open place, which would other
wise be a square, Looking down from
the roof of the church, the colonnades
seem like great stone sickles, the
handles joining the building, and the
blades-the points toward each other
inclosing the piazza. The colonnades
favorite places for the Romans to walk
in when the piazza is sunny and hot,
are always crowded when the people
are waiting to see or attend any of the
famous ceremonials of the church.
st. Peters itself is so big, so much
bigger than any church you and
have ever seen in this country that l
am afraid you would get very little
idea of it if l should say it was 698
feet at its longest part, and 450 feet at
its widest. 1t is built, like most
Roman churches, in the form of a
cross, transept, and separate from the
body of the cross, or nave, rises the
great dome, which is 403 feet from the
floor to the top. Beside this great
dome, are two lesser but not little ones,
and six, / think, really small ones |;
and it is the lighting of all of them
which made st. Peters SO magnificent
on Easter Sunday evening.
On Easter Sunday morning, there
used to be service in st. Peters, in
which the Pope took part. The great
interior was crowded with ladies and
gentlemen, the ladies all wearing
black dresses and wells, and the gem
tlemen, evening dress or handsome
uniforms. There was beautiful music,
and chanting by the priests; and after
it was over, the Pope was lifted in his
great chair of state, and borne on the
shoulders of men in long procession
from the church. About noon he ap-
peared on the gallery in front of the
big dome and over the great door of
the church, and looking down on the
crowds In the piazza below gave them
his blessing. q " sef
:, This was very pretty sight. THE
place was full Of people / fathers,
mothers, girls and boys, babies Held
up by their mothers arms, and little
bits of toddling children, all dressed in
their best, with bright colored gar
ments and shining chains and rings
the Italians love jewehy and wear all
they can get--all looking bright and
happy waiting patiently for the pope
to come. Even the strangers who did
not think as he did were glad to see |
him, for he was a gentle, kindly old
man, and looked very handsome, stand
ing above the people in his white robe
and rich, red cloak. |
Bot the most splendid part of the |
festival was when, just at dusk, the |
whole church of st. Peter was illumi- |
mated, as you see in the picture, by
forty-four hundred lamps. These
were hung on all the pillars of the por-
tico, the corners of the walls, the an
giles of the domes-wherever in fact,
the line Of light could bring out the
shape of the building. Even the great |
cross on the big bronze ball at the top
Of the large dome looked like a cross
Of fire. If the evening were dark, the
stone walls of the building seemed to
disappear, and monster cage of fame
10 stand in its place. |
About an hour and quarter after
sunset, when the people had begun to
grow tired of this spectacle, $50 work.
men, In almost as little time as it takes
20 tell it, change the lamps for blazing
,orches. This was the most imposing
light of the day, and the people waited 4
or it patiently for hours. 1t was well
worth seeing, too. Travellers stood in
he streets, side by side with the Ro-
mans, that they might witness what
hey could never witness In their own
Countries. Perhaps the sight will never
,e observed in Rome again, because for
ONE years before the gentle Pope Pic
Vino, died, and ever since the new Pope,
Ieo Kill, was chosen, the custom of
st. Peters has been discon-
inued.
Those who have seen 1t know how
beautiful it was, and how delighted the
Roman people were after spending the
lay In idly wandering about the city;