The Bossier banner., 1880-08-19
A Sicilian Palace.

The house we were in was one of
those baronial palaces built in the fif-
tenth century, when many of the
seudal nobility left the turreted castles
on their estates, and established them
selves in the cities, where they enjoyed
the first honors. 1t had descended by
Inheritance to our host, and to all ap-
pearance it had never been altered
from its original construction and fur
nisbing, except in a very few articles
of furniture which replaced those that
had decayed. 1t was a square building
Of about seventy feet front, built of sol
id blocks of porous yellow stone that
had become brown by age.
1t had small square in front, with a
number of low, crumbling, miserable
old houses, leaning one against the
other, and few poor shops in the
basement; an old apothecary displayed
IN his window variety of very Old
Sicilian majolica pots with salves of all
sorts, and there was small cafe, with
a blue and white awning over the door,
and two or three small tables and
chairs outside under it. These houses,
in days gone BY, had sheltered the re-
tainers of the feudal lord; but now
they were rented, and occupied by a
very common class of the population.
This contrast of superb palace sur
rounded by poor tenements is most pc
culiar and characteristic of italian
towns, especially the small ones, and
those out of the way of modern inf1u-
ence, reminding one of the times when
they were built--times of caste and
privileges; of immense wealth among
the few at the expense of the poverty
and degradation of the many; of
proud feudatory lord, exacting and
enjoying the fruits of the labor of
thousands of vassals over whom he
held sway as sovereign master.
The front entrance formed an arch
way which led to an interior court
yard, in the center of which stood a
very old granite fountain, with wide
basins for horses to drink out of. By
hereditary custom it was also used as
public dispenser of water to all the poor
OF the neighborhood, whose ragged chill
dren We're constantly coming in and out |
to fill their earthern jars. The whole
basement of the palace opening into
this interior court yard, which in feud-
al times received the armed retainers
and their horses, the granaries and
kitchens, was now turned into stables |
and carriage houses, the washing and |
cleaning OF which was done in the |
courtyard itself, near the fountain,
making it scene of hustle and dirt. |
rather unpleasant to one not used to it.
On the right of the archway of the
entrance was a marble staircase lead |
ing to the family apartments, or quarto
Mobile. In the hall were several doors
leading to them, the rooms being all /
ON the same floor, opening one into the
other. Our bed-chamber was of a very
peculiar constructions: it was divided
IN two by an alcOve in the middle, hay-
ing on each side q paneled door lead
ing into two dressing-roems, both the
alcove and dressing-rooms opening into
,he back of the chamber, which had a
space as large as the front, with two
looking out into the courtyard,
md containing wardrobes and chest of
The front part had two bal
,onies over the square, and was quantity
furnished with old rococo furniture yerv
much worn; the floor was paved with
glazed tiles and had no carpet, except
IN Oriental rug here and there. The
ooms were furnished in the style of
he sixteenth century; they were high
tudded, with fresco paintings of myth
Illogical subjects, now almost faded by
'ge and dampness; high paneled doors
Il white and gold, white turned to
dusty gray, and the gold to dark yel- !
oW; there were old portraits of knights !
no magistrates, ancestors of our host, .
md an air of antiquity about everything
hat was very charming to us.-Atla,attc ,
Monthly.
Exhibition CIoworo