Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-04-16
A GREAT ARTISTIC EVENT.
REoPENING OF THE FAMOUS BORGIA
APARTMENTS OF THE VATICAN.
lPaIl Mall Gazette,l

On the Stn vi Marcn at the vatican,
in the presence OF the pope, cardinals
and court, was iAaugurated what may
without exaggeratiun be called the
greatest artistic event OF the latter
MALI OF the century--that is, the open.
ing Of the famous Borgia apartments
oil the apostolic palace, inter extensive
RESERVATIONS which have taken four
years to complete. the cost has been
only 100000. great economy having
been observed. Until a comparatively
few years ago pre-Rsphaslite art was
held In little fegsrI Ia the vaticap, Us
elsew here, 30 that previous p0pss hsu
not though; II worth while 10 Restore
the gorgeous ftescoes OF PintutlcchiJ
that adorned the walls Of the various
rooms, and were, until the other day,
entirely obs cureu by whitewash, while
the precious msjolIca pavement hsd
bsen destroyed 10 part, ami in part
covered with bricks. Besides, walls
had to be- pulled down, windows until
then bricked up opene1, all with tne
utmost care, for fear vi damaging the
rest OF the structure.
For this work Leo XIII nominated q
com mittee compoesd u C0un! VespIgn.
ami, architect, Sig. Sets, picture inspec.
tor Of thei vslicsn,and Prof. TesorOne,
director Of the artistic industrial
museum OF Naples. With regard to
the latter, 1t Is worth noticing that he
Is the fret government official en-
ployed by the vatican, anu he gained
mis- Charge through competition In
which Cantagaili, OF the famous
mpjoilca works OF Florence, was his
opponent. However, to CanIaRaln
q IN ral in ~ NJ
rooms in the Borgia tower, which lie
part OF the apartments, W hicn consists,
besides the tower, OF three large hallr
OF 100 square melers each and an i'm
mese SALON called tns hail OF the
pontifis, 25O square meters in sz,.
The rooms oil tue tower, too, were
painted by Biagio di Betto OF Psrugis,
The mpanion OF Psrugino. Or tue
three large halls, one especially lie
from the nand OF Pinturicchio himself,
the prin cipsi picture OF WHOM repre-.
sents 81. Catherine with Emperor
MassaminO, tbs former being like
ness OF LucTeZa Borgia anu tho latter
her brother, the famous Caesar Is r.
gia.
La the same hall 10 a portrait OF the
master painted by himself and In
another Pope Alexander vi, kneelin.
before resurrectiou Uf Christ. Tue
largest hall was destroy, u IN the sat K
OF Rome by the oonstsDle OF BOURBON
in 1897, and wac rspaiuted in tne IN ID.
die OF the sixteenth century by the
well.known artistic, Giovanni da Udlu.
AMI Plerin del Vago. Tue restoration
OF the pavemenis has been a real
triumph, as 30 few traces remain 10
give an Idea OF the designs. Prot.
TssOrone discovered that the ancienI
majolica tiles had been msus III
Umbris, probably In Perugih, for
PinturicchiO from his designs. The
reproduction OF these IL 50 perfect tn,
the two cannot be told one irom The
other.
10 the hall OF the ponlifis there were
no traces OF pavement, hut It was
thought that, a. the hall was painted
by Giovanni da Uiiae, who also paint
ed the loggis anu the little palace
of Plus ~, Ia the vatican gar
deus, It would be beet to reproduce
their pavements, which are alike.
the fl set Is extraordinarily rich. Toe
base Is in terra.cotls mosaic OF dark
re- and grayish yellow, through which
run In desig ms small Spanish msjolcs
bricks III various coiors. THIS K nd o.
pavement Is speciality Of the vatican.
Ia this hall have been hung some
very precious tapestry AMI soma re.
Gently discovered armor. which IL mos
vaiusbie; one suit, 1t Is said, having
belo geu to the c"natable OF Bourbon,
aau the other to Jui,us III, the lam u
pDpe warrior, who was msue pope in
1903. Inc pope has lelt that lni. res.
toIati0n IL perhaps hIs most Iastlna
work. He sald seveIa times o Pro I.
TssoIone: "W.rk miracle, work a
miracle; finish before l uie," The
miracle = accomplished, and the 49,.