Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-03-27

1
lu tho old days of Rome, when tho Pope
was absolute ruler, and before the present King
ot Italy lived therc with his sweet, yourg wife,
Holy Week, the last week in Lent, which ends
With Faster Sunday, used to be celebrated so
prettly that strangers went from far and near
to see tho spectacle. There wero all sorts Of
PROFESSIONS 10 tho streets, fine music 10 the
churches. ceremonies 10 the great bssics Of
st. Peter, and everybody looked happy; for the
Italians seem great deal more like grown.up
children than like men ard women. They are
fond Of all bright, pleasant things. and though
II is their religion to observe the rites of Holy
Week, the dtiug so gladdens them, for other
| reasons.
But all these ceremonies c,aso at the clcss
OF Esster Sunday, which is made sort of
| beautiful climax to tho week of celebrations.
| Everybody who can get There hurrics to st.
| Peter's, the largest church in tho world, you
| know.
There all tho important RELIGIOUS ceremonies
| OF Holy Week take plsC,, and everybody wants
to SEQ them. St. Peters ia on the right bank
| of the muddy Tibor, 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; s. when
| they 60 to ST. Peter Sand that is very often
they have to cross the bridge of st. Angelo.
The Ces le ct St. Angelo is big, round for-
tress on the other side Of the Tiber; and from
| there street leads drtcly to the groat plsc,,
or piazza, as the Italians call the curious square
before st. Peters,
AT each corner Of the front of the church be.
glos grand covered walk called coonnade.
For some distance this covered walk, which has
iOur rows OF handsome pillars to support the
rooi c9mes straight from tho front of the church.
Ihen II curves out lLto an oval form, and nearly
surrounds the open paca, which would other
wise be tq1arc. Looking down from the roof
CT the church. the coonnades seem like great
stonc sIckes, tho handles joining the building,
and the blades, the points towards each other,
iCccsiog the nizz,. The colounades, fsvoritc
places for the Romans to walk in when the piz-
n is sunry and hot, arc always crowded when
the people arc waiting to SEQ or attend any of
The tamou9 ccremODials Of the church.
s.. Peters itself is SO big, so much bigger
thau any church you and have ever seen in
this country. that | am afraid you would get
very lit lc idea ct it if should say it was COG
'ac at It's longest part, and 450 feet at it Wdess.
l. Is built, like mcst Roman chui chcs, in the
term CT cross aud Just over the part where
Tue arms OF tic cross. or trapsept, seperste
from the body OF the cross, or nave, liees the
great dome, which is 403 feet from the h)or to
he top. Beside this great domo. are two less
er cut lot little ones, and six, | think, really
sma!! ones; and it is The lighting OF all of them
Hhlch makes ST. Peters so rna2rii.cut On
Easter Sunday evening.
"a Easter Sunday morni1g, there used to be
seeEvlca in ST. Peters, 10 wbich the Pope
took part. Tho great interior was crowded
with ladies' anG gentlemen, The ladies ell wear.
Ing hlsck dresses and wells, and The gentlemen,
evening dress or handsome Uniforms. There
was beautiful music and chanting by tho priests;
and after It was over. the Pope was lifted 10
MS great chair OF State, aud bono on The
shoulders OF men IN long procession from the
church. About noon ho appeared on the paI.
ery 10 from. of the big dome and over the great
door of the church, and looking down on the
CROWDS IN the pls7zi below, gave them his
blessing.
This was very pretty sight. The place was
lull OF people; fathers, mothers. girls and bows,
babies held up 10 their mothers arms, aud lit.
tie bits CT toddling children. all dressed 10 their
best, With bright colored garments and shining
chains and rIugs-the Italians low ieWelry. and
wear all they can gct-aIl looking bright aud
happy, waiting patiently fer the Pope to come.
Even tho strangers who did not think as he did
were glad to see hin, for be was gentle, kindly
old man, and looked very handso me, standing
above the people in his Whito rtbo and rich,
red cloak
But the most Hpioudid part OF tho festival
vas when, Get at dusk, the whole church of st.
Peter was illuminated, as you see in the picture,
by forty four hundred lamps. These wo1o hung
on al! the pillars OF tho portico, the corners of
| the walls, the angles of the domes-whorever,
10 tact, tho line Of light could bring out tho
shape OF the building. Even tho great cross on
the big bronze ball at tho top of hhe large dome
| looked Ike cross OF fire. If the evening we're
dark, the stone walls of tho building seemed 10
disappear. and monster cage of flame to stand
| 10 its plec,.
About an hour aud quarter after sunset.
when the people had begun to grow tired Of
this spectacle, $50 workmen would. in almost
as little limc as it takes to tell it, change tho
lamps. Tor blazing torches. This was the most
imposing sight ct the day, and the people wait.
cd Tor 1t patiently for hours. 1t was we'll worth
seeing, too. Travellers stood 10 the streets, side
ty side With the Romans, that they might Wit.
| ness What they could never witness their own
countries, Perhaps tho sight Will never be
observed in Rome again, because for some wears
before the gentle old Pope, Pho Nor O. died and
ever sine the new Pope, Leo x, was chosen
the custom efilluminsting st. Pete rs has baer
discontinued.
Those who have seen it know how: beautiful il
| wss, and how delighted the Remsn peonIs werf
after spending the day in idly wan dering abou
the city; whole families together vi sting. chat.
te!lng, and enjoying the sunshine, With the illu.
mnations, and the fireworks that sometime.
rose high over the gloomy castle Of st, Angelo
The castle of St. Angelo was built BY the En-,
percr Hadrian, for tomb for hir lself and hi
descendants. and for long time heir reman
we're placed there. But when th Goths cam,
} dcwn from Germany, they turn sd it into
fortress, without asking enybody's leave, and
fortress 1t hss remained ever since ce-Lilliar Gi,
l IcryP -