The National tribune., 1883-04-26
RAMBLES ABOUT ROME
The Farnesini Ila---Prince Corsini's
Library---The Trade Quarter.
,ecial correspondence Na,ional Trii,pne

Special correspondence National Tribune.
ROME, March 2S.-This is the day celebrated
as the four hundredth anniversary of Raphael'S
birth, and in honor of the event the Farnesini
villa is thrown open to the public. The fitness
of this act of hospitality lies in the fact that
Raphael and his pupils frescoed the walls of
the entrance hall and one great drawing
of the villa. A villa at Rome is simply palace
a little out of town surrounded by a garden,
and the Farnesini villa is an especially delight
full one. Here Raphael has told in series of
frescoes the story of Cupid and Psyche. and to
form an idea of the beauty of these pictures it
is only necessary to read William Morris
Earthly Paradise and imagine the most en-
chanting illustrations possible. In one direc-
ton there is an advantage in relying upon the
readers imagination; for, in the pictures,
Raphael has made Psyche rather a common
place maiden, neither human enough for the
beginning of the story nor divine enough for
its end. 1t is as if the painter had not felt the
slightest interest in her. But Psyche is only
one figure, though an important one, and the
remaining figures are more than enough to
form superb freseo. Cupid, especially, Raphael
seems to have delighted TO paint in every
charming pose conceivable. The Farnesini villa
is not freely opened, as many Roman galleries
are, every day to all the world, and it was
pleasant to see what varied sorts of people took
From the moment of opening until sunset, all
day long the palace rooms were thronged with
tourists, of course, but also with young Italian
artists, peasant women, and Roman citizens.
The pride of Rome in Raphael is very general
and very pretty to see. There are flags flying
in all directions and the painters name is heard
at every turn.
The opening Of the Farnesini villa to-day is
the beginning of its being open on the LIST and
| 18th of the month"; and of its coming, therefore.
into the beautiful liberal Roman custom of
| sharing private property with the public when
! the property consists either in works of art or
| IN beautiful gardens. The Colonna Corsini,
| Barberini, Borghese, and Doyia palaces are
| open, as a matter of course to whomsoever may
! wish TO enjoy their treasures, and every day
| there is group of tourists in each one. The
! owners derive no possible advantages from this
| generosity, and the English and American
traveller, whose stay in Rome derives much OF
its pleasure from this princely hospitality have
no means of expressing their gratitude to their
unseen hosts. In several OF these palace gale
ries it is made easy for young artists to copy the
works of the old masters, and the photographs
which make these pictures familiar objects in
! America are, of course, obtained by permission
! of the owners. The old belief of the aristOcracy
that n0blesSe 0btige is not lost among the
| pTincely families of Rome, and most of that
which is precious within the city is as aceessi-
bic to the public as the contents of the national
galleries of France and England. A private
gallery is, of course, shut of from the remain
! ing apartments of the palace, and the family
possessing it probably suffers no Inconvenience
! from the daily presence of body of strangers
under its roof, but the generous spirit is no less
| admirable and the custom no less worthy Of
imitation on the part of those happy men il
America who are absorbing much of the work
/ OF the modern painters
DELIGHTFUL PLEASURE GROUNDS.
1t is easy to understand how certain pride
of inheritance should induce the Roman noble
to exhibit their wealth of pictures; but Their,
is no explanation other than their generosity
| to be found for the custom of throwing opeI
villa grounds and sometimes villas themselve
in the absence of the family. For instance OF
Sunday afternoon, the Pincian or public drive
| of Rome is not more thronged than the grounds
| of the villa Borghese. This delightful pleasur,
| ground looks, to-day, precisely as Hawthorne
described it in his Marble Faun; and, although
no fight of fancy could now enliyen thy the fan
tastic dance which he imagined the people wht
spend Sunday afternoon under the lex tree
are as varied as Hawthorne's dancers. Nothin!
could be more enchanting than the shade o
these stately trees last Sunday, when the SUI
shone caressingly on the city full of pleasure
seekers released that Easter morning from the
restraint and depression of Lent. In an OLE
sunken oval bed of turf, just comfortable siz
for their purpose, a dozen theological student
lazily played ball, their black gowns and scarle
sashes in pretty contrast with the vivid greer
of their ball ground. In another direction
group of women gaily dressed made brigh
picture as they bent gathering the dainty AMEN
ones which bloom profusely on damp banks
shaded by dark lex trees. Farther yet from
the entrance, an artist with camp-stool ant
paraphernalia, prowled about gathering ma
faY eli uI
the afternoon the public poured down from tn
Pincian, and there was room for all who cam
to stroll about without crowding or destroying
the sense of ample room and seclusion. In on
part of this villa garden is circular carriag
drive which was filed to repletion. There wer
curious liveries, light-colored and oddly shaped
belonging to carriages ornamented with cor
onets; and here were common hacks from tn
city filed with tourists, well wrapped and nor
or less ashamed Of their guide books, that are
by-word and source of amusement to the resi-
dents of Rome. There was, also, one incon
spieuous drag drawn by two good horses, driver
by a melancholy looking gentleman. At tn
sight of that unobtrusive equipage, the faces o
the strollers near by frightened and hats wer
dotted for this was King Humbert who was SO
luting the bystanders. By his side was Queer
Margherita who is very pretty and is said
be much beloved by the subjects of the ney
dynasty. As the king drove by the road lead
ing from the entrance gate, cabman, who ha
not yet fallen into line quite lost his head am
checked his horse facing the kings horses AM
stopping for the moment all further progress
In an instant eabby regaiped his wits, pulled t
the left according to the Roman custom. and lie
the stream of carriages flow on. But for tina
instant while the check lasted there was
curious epitome of the hospitality of the will
Borghcse, where the king and cabInan met O.
equal terms.
THE coRsINI LIBRARY.
A fine proof of the esteem in which the gov
eminent is held has just been given by Prime
Corsini, whom l mentioned as throwing ope
his gallery to the public. This gentlema
lives in Florence, and his Roman villa, thong
very peautilul, had for long Time peen un
used and merely a source of expense to ii
owner. 1t has, therefore, been sold to the gov
ernment-the villa, the garden and the pie
lures being included in the sale--for the sur
of two and half million francs or half a mill
Il III al