Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-07-19
THE LAST CARAFFA.
Pontiffs of the Sixteenth
Century.
ROME OF THE RENAISSANCE.
The Brilliant Luxury and SplendOr
of the Old Mistress of
the World.
ROME OF THE RENAISSANCE.

In the middle of the sixteenth century
the Pope was not only the most power
ful, but also the most splendid ol
European sovereigns. Rome was again
the capital of the world, and, compared
with her, the Paris of the day was but a
city of barbarians. That great Pope,
Alexander the Sixth, who knew
everything and dared everything,
and his bold and ambitious son, Caesar
Borgia, had brought back to the
old mistress of the world all the brilliant
luxury and all the audacious licentious.
ness OF the Pagan Imperial Court. Suc-
ceeding the unscrupulous Borgia, julius
the Second, exchanging the tiara of the
Pontitf for the helmet Of the trooper, en-
tered Perugia sword in hand. His sue
cessor, Leo the Tenth, avoiding the alb.
normal vices of his predecessors, aspired
to be second Augustus, worshipping
the MUSES. and averse to nothing which
the Graces did not blame.
Under such rulers the morals and
manners of the Rome of the Renais-
sance were those of the antique world.
Society in it's height of mental training, in
its refinement of tone and style, in ex-
haustless wit and in the union of all arts
and sciences, with all vices and lusts,
was thoroughly pagan. Around the
central sun of the Pope moved dazzling
satellites, the Cardinals and Princes of
Rome, vying with each other and their
sovereign in the splendor of their courts.
Thus the highest flow of reckless mag
niicence inaugurated the reign OF Paul
the Fourth.
To the gay and polished Pontiffs who
preceded him, Pope Paul the Fourth
stood in striking contrast. Although a
scion of one of the noblest families of
Naples, chamberlain to Augustus, and
archbishop under julius and Leo,
Giovanni Caraffa assembled the papal
throne with all the manners of shep-
herd of the Abrazzi. Rough, rugged
and violent, of a harsh and infexible
temper, and Of inexorable piety, he at
tempted to enforce a reform of the
existing abuses of the Church.
In his bigoted fervor he left the care of
his temporal duties to others, and, rely
ing upon family loyalty, chose for his
ministers his nephews, Don Carlos, Don
Juan and Don Antonio. With these
brothers in league, one controlling the
treasury, another welding the military
power, and the other holding the keys of
the Vatican and debating access to the
Pentiff, the family of the Caraffas was all
powerful.
Rome ushered in the year 1859 in regal
splendor. The first of January is q
great feast day Of the Church, and while
the Pope was engaged in the holy office
of the Celebration OF the Circumcision,
the servants of Don Juan Caraffa were
privately preparing a magnificent enter
tainment for Don Carlos, the Cardinal.
That Venus might not deem herself
neglected, there was invited to meet the
Cardinal one Martinaccia, the most fa-
nous and beautiful women of Rome.
In the circle of courtiers which sur
rounded Don Juan, now Duke de Palli-
! ano, none were gayer nor more admired
than the Dukes favorite, Marcello Ca
peccio, young Neopolitan of noble birth.
This fair and ingenious youth was the
favored admirer of the fascinating Mar
tinaccia and was also deeply in love with
Donna Violante, the wife of the Duke
de Palliano. Marcello on New Years
evening visited the house Of Mar
tinaccia and finding that she was
at the Dukes banquet was beside himself
with rage. Gathering band of his brovis
with reckless bravado he invaded the
Dukes apartments and forced the un-
willing Martinaccia to return to her
house.
On the following morning all Rome
was ringing with exaggerated accounts
ovnI of hA D,tx~ II Il
though the powerful means of enforcing
silence possessed by the brothers were
all employed to hush the scandal and to
keep it from the ears of the stern Pope.
But the watchful enemy of the Caraffas,
King Philip of Spain induced the private
chaplain of the Pope to reveal to the
uncle the outrageous conduct of his
nephews ever since their accession to
power and the eliminating indecency.
The Pope's fiat, upon investigating the
course of his nephews, was: ''I dismiss
them forever" The three nephews
were despoiled OF all their dignities and
banished from Rome.
Marcello, followed by the hatred of the
Caraffas, fled to the little hamlet of Gal
lese. The Duke de Palliano, on his ban
ishment from the capital retired to the
miserable village Of Soriano, and follow
ing his own pleasures, consigned his wife
Donna Violante to an establishment
apart from his own. The isolation was
irksome to Donna Violante and she re-
ceived with delight visit from Marcello.
Gallese was but two miles distant from
Soriano, and afterwards during the long
summer months Marcello's visits were
frequent.
Diana Brancaccio, maid of honor to
Donna Violante, with her tawny red
hair and dark eyes was creature of
fiery passions and furiously in love with
Domitiaro Formari, gentleman of the
Duchess household. But, being related
to the Caraffas, marriage without
the consent of the Duke was
impossible, and this he had refused.
In the visits of Marcello, Diana saw q
golden opportunity, and she became his
ally and urged on his mad passion for
the Duchess. If Donna Violante could
be betrayed into an indiscretion, Diana
would naturally be Sade her confidante.
To her confidante, Diana argued, the
Duchess could deny nothing, and the
Duke, prevailed upon by the
Duchess, would grant his col ssnt to the
marriage with Domitiaro. The scheme
mislaid through Domitiaro who sudden
ly disappeared without word or warning.
Diana conceived a suspicion that Donna
Violante was accountable for the flight
of Domitiaro, and in her fury at the loss
of her lover auspicion Urew IN a