The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-05

and decorated by order of Pope Alexander
VI, just after Perugino had finished the
execution of his fresco in the Sistiue
chapel. The master TO whom the work
was given was Pintuhicchio, who had been
a pupil of Perugno, and had himself done
no inconsiderable portion of the decora-
tons in the Sistine chapel
Pinturicchio, whose full name was Ber-
nadine di Botu, was a son of a citizen Of
Perugia, and was one of a very important
group of painters who inherited the artis-
tic traditions and developed the style of
the older Perugian painters, such as Bou-
figli and Florence di Lorenzo.
Pinturicchio was summoned to Rome in
1852 by Pope Alexander VI, and employed
to decorate a suite Of six rooms in the
vatican, which Alexander had Just built.
These rooms were called after their found
er, "Appartamenti Borgia," and now form
part of the vatican library. Five of them
still retain the fine series of frescos with
which they were decorated by Pinturc-
chic, the upper part of the walls and vaults
not only covered with paintings, but fur
Their enriched with delicate stucco work in
relief, as masterpieces of decorative de-
sign. They are considered much better
models for imitation than the more cee-
brated Stanza or Raphael Immediately
over the Borgia rooms.
The main subjects of these rooms are:
1.-THE Annunciation," 1.-The Nativity"
'"The Magi," and "The Resurrection"
scenes from the lives of ST. Catharine, St.
Anthony st. Sebastian and other saints;
allegorical figures of Music. Arithmetic,
etc, four figures in half length. with rich
arabesques and figures of the planets, the
occupations of the various months and
other subjects.
Pinturlcchio, assisted by his pupils, work
ed in these rooms until 1893. The models
for his Madonnas, st, Catharine and 9TH
er female saints were Lucretian Borgia
and the famous Glulia Farnese. For his
male saints Caesar Borgia posed, and one
group containing a very fine portrait Of
Pope Alexander himself.
The models used by Pinturlcchio and
the name given to the rooms by their de-
signer are to blame for the ostraclsm they
have suffered. That any pious Catholic
should be asked to gaze upon and admire
a Madonna or saint whose features and
form perpetuated the features of form Of
Lucretia Borgia or Giula Farnese was
not to be tolerated for a moment. That
the misdeeds OF Caesar Borgia should be
constantly recalled by the eVer-present
spSaking likeness of his hated features
gazing down from a group of saints was
pronounced sacrilegious, and the clamor
became so great after the pope's death
that his successor was finally forced to
close the rooms and seal up the door lead
ing to them.
Pope Leo has now determined that the
masterpieces left so long TO the dostruc-
ton of dampness and mold shall be opened
to sunlight and air, and the freseoes shall
be free to the art student, the artist and
the tourist.
All know the history of the Borgias,
and yet no pope ever did more to enlarge
the dominion of Rome, TO enhance the
beauty of her cathedrals, to beautify the
architecture of her palaces to extend her
sway over the entire world than Rodrigo
Borgia, Pope Alexander VI He was the
patron Of Perugini, Raphael, Pinturicchio,
a man superior to his times. and yet his
death was so ignominious that his body
was barely cold before the satellites of
Caesar Borgia rushed into the pontincal
apartments and pillaged them of all that
was valuable.
A brawl at the funeral between priests
and soldiers left the corpse exposed in the
body of the church, and when placed be-
fore the altar its shocking appearance con-
firmed the story of poison. 1t was finally
stripped Of its cerements, wrapped In an
old carpet and forced with blows and jeers
into a narrow coffin and flung into an OBJ
scure vault. The remains were finally