The Grit-advocate., 1903-12-04


Rome in the last year Of his life. and
had gone to st. Peters that he might
see the tomb of the last Of the
Stuarts, his greatest desire. it is said,
was to visit the castle of Bracciano.
Much as Sir Walter Scott beheld it
seventy years ago did the castle OF
Bracciano appear to the members of
the British and American Archaeology
cal Society of Rome, who had gone to
explore its courts and halls, ard, if
possible, to surprise its secrets. There
is such mystery and romance about
these medieval castles that one ap-
proaches them with certain timidity.
The smell of blood seems to hover
around, and the memory of crime to
haunt them.
The fortified stronghold looked, at
first sight. half as large as the town
around its base, which seemed to be
overawed as well as protected by it.
Its towers rise only slightly above its
walls, but they are huge and mas
sive, and suggest the strength of the
place in early days. Built rather
stone work is a dark blue, almost
black, fact accounted for by the use
in the building of the outer walls OF
the dark blue lava blocks that the
Romans used in paving the ancient
Via Cassia.
The present castle of Bracciano,
built upon the site of an older fortress,
M in, Of
owes its construction to Napoleon Or
sini, fact attested by an inscription
over the principal entrance. The name
Napoleon, which many people be-
lfeved came into use with the great
emperor OF the French, was favorite
name in Italy four OF five centuries
before he had made it renowned in
the world.
When. having passed the gate, the
courtyard appeared before us, with
its graceful porticoes of two floors,
supported on arches borne by col
umns, well proportioned and harmoni.
GUS, the beauty of fifteenth century
architecture as applied to baronial
uses was brought home to our minds.
J
upon which many drama of ancient
life. whether tragedy or comedy, ac-
cording to occasion, was enacted.
1t was easy to picture this spacious
stage, with the pretty and picturesque
background filled with the actors who
went to and fro over it's pavements in
the long gone time. One hears again
phn IF II
der, blow thy sounding horn, and thy
banner wave on high" and High
deeds achieved of knightly fame" in
contemplating such a courtyard and
thinking of what may have happened
here.
At dawn, says an Italian, describing
private life in the castles of the bar
ons, the courtyard was filed with a
varied crowd Of servitors and Wallets.
Some brought provisions to the kitch-
en-, which in this castle of Bracciano
is on the right of the entrance, and is
now furnished with a modern range
instead of the old "posti," or rude
gratings that supported charcoal, of
the older time, and common in Roman
households to-day. The huge chimney,
which was wide as good-sized room.
is empty now, and visitors are taken
into it to look up and see the blue
sky at the top of it, ever so far away,
Other attendants in the olden time
furnished up the arms aud weapons of
the war1 Tors and the harness of the
war horses, having much steel and
brass in them Here in the cOprtyor1
the major domo, or steward of the
castle, stood under the portico meas.
uring out and weighing and register
ing the distribution of supplies, after
he had already purchased provisions
from the peasants of the surrounding
country, who flocked in here as soon
as the gate was opened. Horses