The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-05
THE DUOMO OF MESSlNA
DESCRIPTION or TINS HIsIoRiC
PILE md IT'S LEGENDS.
Messina's Treasure OF ireasures' the
Famous Iettrra Della Madonna Eich
in Tombs and Relies.

The following highly interesting paper
entitled 'Messinas Duomo and rs Lee
gerGs" was written for the Baltimore
Telegram by Mr.. Charles VI. caughy Of
Baltimore. the United States Consul al
/ Messina.
Alr. Carehy is a son-in law OF .ir. John
! NJ. Higgins of this city and IS well-kno"n
/ here:
what a strange, quaint curious old
structure ft rs, you say as you stann III
7 the great Riazll by the magninceut louH-
/ tain OF MOntOrs0li, IN fun view Oh the
Duomo, or Matrice, as the Sicilians Term
this marvellous pile. Erected In the NOT
man period. I0ss. it's CID ana scaffta vans
are silent witnesses OF the muluiudihOus
changes which have swept over this most
/ beautiful OF all the cities IN the MediteI-
! ranean city which traces IT'S orlsln Tar
/ back ia the ages before the Initial page
OF history had been penned, for was IL
/ not INTELLECTUALLY founded by saturn
who IN one Of his flights dropped his SICK
le. so that the people might DE taught
I agriculture. And her beautiful harDor
ae If 10 bear out The myth, IS OF that
+ shane within a few miles OF her port
the old whirlpoOls OF Scyha and Chaty-
bdls still whir and toss the ships as they
did those OF Ulysses "Micidis IN Scyllan
+ Cupriens Nitare Charybdis' Stampol,
the home Of Acolus. on the horizon, sun
1 vomits forth us bolts Of molten lave ana
/ SMOKE pillar Of cloud by day, piilht
Of fire by night and the supersuuous VINO
live az the foot of it's cone viii tell YOU
the same story to-day as was told 10 'he
crusaders on their return from the East
that within IT'S fiery heart are the portals
Of pureatory. and that I'm tho silent hours
Of the night can Doe distinctly heard the
lamentations of the suffering Souls
Fro,n Homeric fables. Messina passes
/ into historic faces across bouhuais Hl's
, fbat Is scarcely visible. ana her i'C'i"
/ therein as one of alternate smiles am" leat
| ORIGINALLY called Zaucle. from the SICKLE
shane of her harbOr. she passed success
+ eivelv under the domination OF Carthage,
/ Dionveius. Timoleon. Rome. the Saracen'
( tho Arab and the Moor, only 10 ma htr
/ fate the bitterer with each succeeding
conQuoror. until at last n her despair,
she called the Norman 20 her aid. ana
under Roear de- Hauteyille, during whose
reign the Duomo was begun, she az last
had a period, short though u was Oh
/ comparative tranquility
Pushing aside the heavy carpet curtain
that covers the doorway, let us enter
tho Duomo. selecting for our visit the
midnight mass at Christmas. The view
coming ~ we DO from darkness breaks
"a dream OF NIIf WI AN ivy N--.'f
Al the end Of the vista. through the tWen-
tv-siv dark granite columns which were
brought from the temple Of lrion az
Faro. blazcs before us that grand mtn
altar cf silver. which cost over four MILL
ions of francs. Illuminated by thousands
az candles. over 81 is the miraculous pic
ture of the mother Of God. said 10 nave
been painted by ST. Luke. Tho chahcei
g. filled with richly ROBBED canons. priests
10 r.aurffI alternately
with the hidden choir 90 the bishop VINO
J ,eioh~atos the mass on his throne rec
eniondent with richest of drapfries ana
hriuisnt Jewels. stands the venerable
cardinal and the assembled multitude
l-n1cl as ono man. when Doe eNlehhS iils
hands I'm the papal benedicuon AS i"e
mass is concluded. the clerical professor
moves slowly from The cnanctl as llDi
l,es voice maQuihcently renders ihat
spperb solo. "Bencdetto 81 Signor' from
the fourth act Of 81 prOmcssi SpofL
As the other early MASSES or the day
,rnl he celebrated I'm the chapel below
let ms Hncer with our guide ana as 'ie
altor &c being robbed Of IT'S lustre, let us
/ read the history Of Mesaina's past IN me
monuments that line the walls ihdI I'"'.i
uubrOken 20 the gorgeous Nauiteu io'''
rich in mosaic and Color ID ihia-i l, io''
40 we stand here I'm the slowly gathering
I e,foom Ncesina's monarchs ana Mrssina
noble quests. ike Richards phantoins'
Glide noiqolosslv low. Roger de Hautovilc'
conrad ~. Charles of Ani0u. Richard
Occur dc Leon. Alamo, Charles " Don
John Of Austria. Alfonso The Generous:
Frederick ILL., Antonia. ms queen, an
played more or less impol'anl p"I.s ~
The drama Of Messiua's life and many or
them find their resting place I'm the red
velvet collins OBJ the inches above the
.tof~ rho records that "defy the tooth
of time upon the tomhs OF some or her
corouorors like the sun dial which records
alone the hours that are hrifHt eh"iuei"'e
only fhe victories. Perhaps 30 is better
thus THE tablets Of the great 'o's4,ih
/ lrraatn the rilded dome of che DIES ln-
,.,iides vaunt in golden characters Wa
.-ran. Jena. Marenco. Austerlitz and
eolferino. but there is no space leit Tor
/ Waterloo.
Tbo braveet deeds Of the hravest mon
orfirncs need the chrOnicler TO transmit
them TO postcrity. but it requires no
cr.ver's tool to pcrpetuatc the memory
OF n defeat
20 fading h0nors OF the dead.
o high ambition lowly laid.'
Ths davs of their glory We're short.
and here in the sombrc confines or the
Duomo D.. the heart of the fair city
for whose supremacy Norman ana bouf-
lon fourst. their bones slowly crumne
info dust. while she. freed Of their tnidi-
dom. prospers beneath tine flag Of United
Italy
While We muse. the candles are nearly
au eytineuished. ana before the church
fe enveloned in total darkness the guide
leads us behind the high altar ana We
stand in front of "a large bronze frame
I'm which SIS contained Messina's treasure
az treasures the famous lettera della Ma
donna. a letter said 90 have been Writ
ten bv the mother Of Christ herself The
tradition Is that after most powerful
sermon by ST. Paul upon her perpetual
,irgirstv the Mcssuese determined 10
rlaca the city under her protection, and
an embassy. with 81. Paul at the head
went 10 Jerusalem. saw her, and brought
hack TO Nessina the letter 200 Hebrew.
and il was received with the greatest en-
thusiasm ana placed to- The OLD churcn.
and afterwards transferred 10 its present
poeition. where SO is regarded with the
greatest devotion I'm every household rs
a blessed copy Of &c.. an rs if 10 Keep
its existence ever before 70 m, 10 is woven
into the nomenclature. NO matter where
tho being IS. bearing The name OF Let
terio" or "Lettcria." rest assured thai the
person IS either Messinese by birth or
descent.
/ It's translation runs thus.
MARY. Virgin. daughter Of joachim,
most lowrv handnaid OF God. mother OF
fho crusifed Jesus Christ. Of the tribe n
linda fron, the race of David. 20 All the