Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-02-01
LETTERS FROM ITALY.
Rome, Birdseyc View of the City Roman
Weather, Etc.

HUME, Jan, ., lCJf'
To the Free Press:
From my window on the brow of the
Pincian Hill-the northcrnmost of the
historic Seven Hills Of Rome look out
as write, upon scene comprising more
world-famous objects than my eyes ever be
fore rested on in one field of view. The
great dome of St Peters, browning the
largest Christian temple on the planet, rises
high against the western sky. In equally
plain view is the Vatican palace, the biggest
dwelling house in the world-there are over
10, 900 rooms in it--where the feeble. old
man who is Mt the head of that tremendous
machine. the Roman Catholic church, hides
himself aliic" from friendly and unfliendly
eyes and whore are stored many of the most
famous sculptures and paintings in existence
| see the old castle of ST. Angelo. built by
the Emperor Hadrian over 100 years ago,
fortress round which many battles have
ragged and in which Popes have taken refuge
and where one of them, Leo Y, was suifo-
Gated ! distinguish. not far away. the
dome roof of the Pantheon. erected before
the beginning of the Christian era---oncc a
heather temple, now. and for more than
thousand years past, church in which
Raphael and Victor Emanuel. and other
famous Italian artists and statesmen were
buried. The old church of :. Maria in
Aracoeli; the Hall of the Senators, and
other structures on the Capitoinc Hill, arc
in plain sight, and farther to the left rises
high on the Quirinal hill the Quirinal pal
nee, which is the residence ,of the king of
Italy. | see near by the tall column of the
lmaccolata, erected 10y Plus TX to COM
mcmorate the PRONUNCIATION of the dogma
of hn In1T tl,t,, ion. 4 at
arther distance half of the famous column
of Marcus Aurelius, erected \ u. IA in
honor of that emperor is visible above the
surrounding roofs and near it the facade of
the Parliament house, in which the Italian
legislators are discussing their great financial
problem. | can count the domes and towers
of about % of the larger churches of Rome
there are 20 churches here dedicated to
the Virgin Mary alone and hundreds to as
many saints. Close at hand are the Piucian
gardens, once the gardens of Luculu~. in
which later. Messalina of un>avUrY fame,
was assaosinated; and famous ob,lsks.
brought from Egypt by Roman empcrors,
and monuments and fountains too nunor-
GUS to mention. And beyond the sea Of
roofs and towers and beyond the 1ibpr rise
the encircing hills, from Monte Marie on
the north to the Alban mountains, now
strcaked with SHOW, to the south. 1t is "A
prospect which enchainS the eye and one
which will not soon fade from memory after
it passc, from sight.
Rome has not been propitiouS to us. in
respect of weather. Shegrccted lis nine days
ago. with fierce TruDoHtoau. blowing icy
cold from the northern mountain tops New
Iear's day was bright, though cold and we
made the most of it. visiting st. Peter :
and the magnificent st. Pauls without the
walls. and driving around among the forums
and ruins of the Rome of the Caesars. Then
came snow storm, which wrapped this
city in white for three days, ON the last of
which men were sweeping the wet snow into
heaps and cartinS it out of the streets. Cabs
disappeared and the o,nnibuses stopped run
ming. Such Il storm. the Roman, say. is a
very uncommon thing here; but it reminded
us of Mr.. HoWells remark. apropos of ita,-
ian weather, that ''the winter is apt
to be severe in mild climates =
and all travellers know that there
is nothing more common than "a very I'm
usual season. in all countries Since the
IL melted. we have had three or four
days of rain and till to-day only occasional
glimpoes of the sun. A. the galleries and
churches have in them no artificial heat
except that on the coolest days n few
braziers of hot charcoal are placed in the
former, too few and far between TO make
any impression on the temperature of the
rooms and all are very cold except St
Peters, which has its own climate summer
and winter, it has not bctn favorable
time for sight seeing and | will attempt no
descriptions of the few famous buildings
and sculptures we have seen here might
give my impressions of st. Peters: but they
would have little value for those of Your
readers who have seen that tremendous
structure. and would be altogether made
quate to represent it to those who have
not. But | will say that-parhaps
because so often warned that ii
would be disappointing at first sight i
found it fully equal to my expectations
Its interior especially, in the impression of
vastness, and in the richness and effective
ness of its decorations. was to my eyes
grand and superb beyond expression. The
contrast in these respects between it and the
bare and disappointing interior OF the cathc-
dral of Florence was very great. st Peter ;
is most enphatcally big thing. - We have
seen the Sistine chapel. and Eaphacl's fires
Goes in the Vatican; and the dying Gaul,
and the marble faunN and the Venus of
the capital; and the fountain of Trevi. and
1raian column; and the doll Christ child
covered with jewels, which is dis
played and paraded during the fes-
tival of the Epiphany in the church
of Saint Maria in Aracoei, and have heard
the snowy New Years music with male so
pranol in the Church of the Gesu: and so,
in spite of the bad weather, we have made
fair beginning at the sights of Rome; but
it is only beginning, OF the ruins of old
Rome, mistress of the world, Cradle and
grave of empires, on whose wall the sun
himself Subdued to reverence falls, - we have
had but passing glmpseS. y month hence,
if life and health'continue and we have any
sunshine, | shall know more and perhaps
have something to say about them.
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