The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-07-15
GARDENS OF THE VATICAN.
Everything Within the Walls, In
GLIDING the Men, Is Old.

More interesting to ME than visits 10 the
| Vatican are visits TO the Vatican gardens
For a number OF years the gardens nave
been closed 10 the public The guide DOCKS
| say nothing of them, the photographers
have no views of them on sale. Therefore,
when We learned thar the Vatican gardens
were to be temporarily thrown open 20 the
pilgrims We FASTENED thither, Tor We are
pilgrims. too. We found 10 our delight that
the other pilgrims apparently had not Yet
heard OF IL. for the gardens were practical
ly deserted.
For an hour We wandered through hem
and met no manor woman either. as HAM
let says-save two or three aged gardeners
For ali things il the Vatican gardens, even
the gardeners, seem to be old. the gardens
are not many acres in extent. but they seem
much larger than they really are The
walks and drives laid out with much
skill and are shut of by lofty lockwood
hedges. 1t is possible. therefore. TO wander
Tor long distance without retracing one :
steps. The gardens are a quaint ana pi:as-
ing mixture OF primnesS and wildness I'M
ms dia;ely at the entrance you find some
acres IF flower beds. laid out in the siifiest
style of Italian landscape gardening. But.
leaving this in winding walk which climbs
hill. you are speedily lost in IA forest or
trees which shuts off the view completely.
Here YOU might believe yourself far from a
city. Were ii not that you distinctly hear
the muffied roar of Rome. Under the dense
shade OF these ancient trees are ola foGn-
tains. old statues, old arches, old columns
everything is moss grown and old. Ferns
grow luXuriantly in this dense and humi'l
shade-delicate maiden's hair. well as the
more hardy brakes.
The hillside climbed. we come out of the
shade ami into the sun. on the sunny side
of the hill there Is small vineyard,
small orchard. a small poultry yard. a
Here there several pavilions, or sum-
ner houses. which the Pope at times oc-
cupies. and from which magnificent views
may be had OF Rome and the Campagna.
AT this point one of the venerable gar
deners approached us. and with much i'm
pressiveness led up TO a summer house and
.l,..1.. hsgh
could see the very chair in watch Ihe Holy
Father had sat. Price. % cents. But the
gardener was an amusing old soul, and see
ing chance OF another tip. he escorted Us
around the "ranch"-for the mixture of
orchard vineyard and poultry yard newt
ably suggested that term. Here
coun;ered two tourist priests, who. seeing
that the gardener was acting as cicerone.
Immediately followed and listened to his
prattle. Fc- half an hour they stuck TO Us.
disippeari! only when the time came 10
settle. when they swiftly var lshed. They
were dark-browed, dark-complexioned fell
lows, and uttered no sound they stalked
around their sturdy legs. wondered
whether they could be Italians The dia-
Iogue between the gardener and myself was
OF nature TO make Ariosto weep and
Ta-so gr.eve. l am not strong in Italian; /
can make myself understood in IT, but /
speak English much better. IL those priests
were Italian shuaier when think OF that
dial6 que. But II they were Italian and
could listen 10 1t with gravity. l greatly
admire their Seif-COntrOi.
The old yPrdener parted with us with re-
greet after II wing sold us some cuttings
from plants. His regret was over moi asking
Tor more. He was a nice old man. but a tri-
lie mercenary. Most of the Vatican servants
are. :
When We left the old gardener We started
10 return by what We thought to ~, the
same route. but II led US into an entirely
diherent part Of the grounds. Here we
climbed a hill which was the highest in the
gardens. / think that We must have bean
on top of Mons Vaticanus At our feet Law
the vast pile of buildings which together are
called the Vatican. Apparently on a level
with US was the great dome of st. Peters
Around the railing at the top We could see
the minute figures OF tourists looking from
the dome at the Vatican hill. From there
We descended the hill and made our way
building called Casino del Papa" where
the fopes used to dwell during the heats of
summer. 1t is handsome building COW
cred with the self-laudatory inscriptions
OF the various Popes who have adorned it,
Not only in the Vatican gardens. but ali
over Rome you see ma Sufficient Inscriptions
setting forth the astounding virtues of the
various Popes who repaired bridges. or re-
stored facades-"Most Munfcent Prince.
Virtuois Prince Clement
Most Learned Prince. Sixtus." If the
Pcpes have had besetting sin II is not
AS we were making our way toward the
exit We met another tourist priest-an old |
Italian who had apparently lost his way
He asked us about IL. and we set him right |
He was Enthusiastically tourist. for ne had |
a gufde-boOk. and pointing to a tower told |
ne II was the Boreia Tower. He meant |
well. but the gardener had already told us |
It was the Leonine Tower. He was COM |
pletely lost.
Fancy two pilgrims from Western Amer
lea telling an Italian priest how TO find HIS
way about the gardens OF the Vatican
Rome correspondence in the Arsonaut.