The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-07-07
F81 CARLOS CR UUIFIX,
Its pSS'Rnsr, n Pious @oDE, Believed 20
have decsivsd Divine Inpptratlcn.
iFfonn Lhe PHILADELPHIA R.cordN

tFfom The Philadelphia R:cord)
An ivory crucifiX, upon which the fig
u1e OF Christ is portray ed as He is sup.
posed to have appeared at the cru ,itix-
ion, Is among the most valued works Of
art at the Roman Cathc:.c Cathedral In
this city. Ii Is also au obie,: OF ievo.
ton to many OF the worshippers a, the
Cathedral, few Of whom propsoly are
acquainted with Its remarkable history.
" hlle the authorities Of the Church do
not insist upon their followers believing
that the crucihN was produced ~ M
raculous Intervention, ye: 50 many re.
markahlc facts are presented III conrs,,.
non with It's production 40 10 LlSSeii essy
Tor Catholics TO believe ;bsi ics 1-sk+.
Of This figure received nlv;Ce aSs <asr ~
1he ivory nEure is ovt- !wc t:ei NE
and one 700. wide l+.veT- =: 1s-Ss
IL is mounted Oh wooSs- G:,:,s: So -
erc!Cted in gieSs c>ass 80. -+.:r.
a.ongsiGe the p1ere! cre1~ r-s. -:
1te make! of :h:S EE-:= Was C.s:::
antonio PesenN, " =: x - t,:,- :: -,:,.,:
Ia!en!s in lS.s3 81 .IeooA- -Ls.r. y-.ic
early liie he ev!rce,i s ftl5 -t,ss g., -
nHi%n. ana Shen = !%A:: - ~ sSsca:'a
on 1Coi Tor Rom+, huI. So! mkt Gsyk
travelling, sought sbe!iel il to+ 1-;,ass-
tery of 81. Nicholas, sune 6.siar =: !-o:-.
The Eternal City. He Was ga i:.si L
Pesiiltnce vas al It's heigh: II its; l..iy.
"he1eupon he remained Il; tie -l:,zlss..
- A--rN ~
nis stay was lengIheLe 90 inro wears. a-i
hnal!y be took the VOWS Of hro;he.h,,i
and was given the name Of Fra Gallo.
One day, after twenty years Of sei!-
anneRa'ion and poverty, the monk was
sitting on knoll outside the monastery
thinking Of the Crucif xion, when tle
earth trembled and all seemed to grow
dark. AS Fra Carlo afterwards stated,
ne could eee light appearing in the
distance which gradually drew near aud
II 10 r.
10 tho cross.
For days after tbo Disappearance OF
The vision he was absorbed in The con.
temptation Of what he had bohold, and
conmunicated his experience to his
brother monks, who all believed Fra
Carlo had been vonchsatod sight Of the
Cruclhxion of Christ. He longed to re-
produce tho sCoNe upon canvas or In
marble, but ho had no knowledge Of art;
had never been instructed even in Its
Iudiments, and WAS in despair at tho
thonght that there was no means by
which he conld transmit TO posteiity this
remarkable vision.
FILLED with pious thoughts he one dny
entered cell that he often fro1uontci.
Upon tho floor ho saw a huge dark OBJ
lect, which proved to be All ivory tusk,
four feet long by fourteen inches In d.
ametor, and weighing 125 pounds. It
was thought no animal Of the present
age could produce such a tusk, and no
ono III inc monastery could explain how
1t came within its walls. Fra Carlo do.
termined to take 1t to his coll aud attompt
the feat OF carving the figure Of Christ as
he heheld 1t In the vision. For four
years ho labored incessantly, at the end
OF which time he gave to the world tho
figure that is now in the Cathedral.
Crowds tlocked to the monastery to SOC
tho miraculous Cross" It's fame
reached the leading sculptors and artists
or Italy, who examined It critically and
pronounced 1t an lnimitablo work Of art,
or anatomical accuracy, which could not
be considered less than miraculous.
Era Carlo was finally induced to part
with his image to Mr.. T.. Lestor who
Was then United Statos consul ut Genoa.
for large sum of money, which was
devoted to charitable purposes In oon-
nection with the monastery. 1t was
brought to Florence at tho suggestion of
MIR. Powers, the famous American
sculptor, who fancied he could improve
the eyebrow, but after having 1T at. his
studio ten days he returned It, candidly
confessing that 1t could not be tnprOyed
ny any artist on earth. It was exhl bited
all over Europe, and the CoYmopolitau
Art Association became its possessors
by purchasing 1t from gentleman who
received 1t from Mr.. Lester for $40 600.
1t aftorward fell into the hands Of q ren-
tieman from Pennsylvania, from whom
5ishop Newman received 1t, and upon
his death 1t was transferred to his suo-
"0ssOr.