Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-30

de3O-10d
to plumber the Coliseum and the ruined
temples of the Forum for building ma
terial The beautiful marble from which
the stairways and the balustrades are
made came from the Theater of Marcel
lus, and the columns Of Verde antico
marble were from the Baths of Zenobia
Almost everything of pretense to beauty
or artistic merit in the palace was stolen
from some ancient pagan temple or some
dead emperOrS palaces. and Michael An
gelo and Raphael also were accustomed
to such tricks. They ought to have been
ashamed of themselves. They must have
known better than to destroy architec-
tural monuments of the imperial era like
the Coliseum and the palaces on the Pal
atine Hill, even to erect palaces for popes
and cardinals. In the courtyard of the
Farnese palace Is sarcophagus stolen
from the beautiful tomb of Cecilia Me
tella, the most imposing of all the mauso-
leums upon the Appian way
This palace until few days ago belonged
to the Bourbon kings of Naples, who inner
tied it from Elizabeth Farnese, the last OF
her line, who married a Neapolitan prince.
After the overthrow of the Bourbon dy-
nasty the family used it as home but
lived with the greatest seclusion, and few
people ever saw them. They afterWard
rented the building to the French ambassa-
dor who has only recently bought 1t for his
government An attempt was made to sell
it to the United States several years ago.
although it cost millions, but General ORA
per, who was ambassador here then, would
not recommend the purchase because he
preferred a residence in the higher, health
Ter and newer part of the city.
This is the center of the aristocratic sec
ton of old Rome, and every house has its
history. Near by is the Palace Falconier,
occupied for many years by Cardinal Fesch,
uncle of Napoleon Bonaparte, who was a
shrewd but humble priest on the Island of
Corsica when the Emperor of France at
the point of the bayonet. as you might say
compelled the pope to elevate him to the
sacred college. 1t is supposed that Napo-
Icons object was to have loyal spy at the
papal court rather than show his affection
for his uncle, who, however, proved to be
very useful and respectable cardinal and
did great deal more good than harm. He
developed remarkable taste for art and
accumulated collection of pictures which
were considered by many critics finer than
any private gallery in Rome. 20
After the fail of his powerful nephew the
cardinal suffered in purse as well as pres
tige, and offered his pictures to the British
government in exchange for an annuity of
$4,000 year during the rest of his life
but the proposition was not accepted, and
when he died they were divided among his
impecunious relatives, who then formed
quite little colony in Rome. They have
since disposed of them as necessity or ex-
travagance required.
Curiously enough, the late pope Leo XIII,
also lived in this house when he was a
cardinal for several years. and his brother
Cardinal Pecci occupied it after him. 1t
was to this palace that Leo XIII came at
midnight in a closed carriage to administer
the extreme JUNCTION to his brother at the
hour of the latter's death. He remained
at the BEDSIDE praying until nearly day.
Hght, when he was driven back to the Vat
lean as he came, and it was the only time
ne crossed the threshold of that building
during his twenty-six years as. pope. Yhe
secular papers declared that he went out in
disguise, out 1t was not So To avoid atten-
tion ne simply exchanged his white robes
1or the black habit of the ordinary priest
This house was sold in 1892 to a Jewish
banker, who remodeed 1t to be rented to
families as flats. much to the distress of
Pope Leo, who would have purchased it if
ne mad known that it was for sale
The Rag Market.
Every Wednesday morning the Campo de
Flori, square in front of the Cancel
leria Palace is occupied by what is known
as the Rag Market" and curious collec-
lions of articles are displayed by every
body who has anything for sale All the
secondhand dealers and pawnbrokers in
town come here, and set I'D Temporary
booths, and often rare bargains can he
found by those who know enough to detect
the value of articles offered. Old books and
manuscripts are frequently purchased by
antiquarians from peddlers, who have OBJ
tanned them from servants in the families
OF the nobility and aristocracy The shelves
OF the libraries of the old palaces are
loaded with valuable books for which the
present generation has no use or interest
except as heirlooms and evidences of
learned ancestors, and 1T Is easy for dis
honest servants to steal them from the
shelves and to send them to the Rag Mar
dealing there
In the same way fine pieces of old silver
Drocade, embrofderies and bric-a-brac come
INTO the hands of collectors and there are
few dealers in curios and ANTIQUITIES in
Home who do not make a thorough examt-
nation of the Rag Market every Wednes-
Gay morning. 1t is a fascinating place for
strangers also, and IL they come early and
understand the Italian method of trading
they sometimes pick up things worth hay-
ing.
On busy days the market extends over
into the neighboring plaza del Paradise
where many Jews andsother heretics were
burned alive by the Dominican inuuisition
Those terrible autos da fe by which the
victim attained salvation fnvDluntarIly gave
the name to this squaEe,-and in the center
Is me bronze statue showing where Gior-
burned at the stake February H. 1900 in
the name of the god of love and the prince
CT peace because he insisted upon the truth
or the Copernican theory that the world
was sphere, and that the earth went
around the sun instead of the sun going
around thesearth When the monks lighted
the fire he looked at them calmly and said:
"You have more to fear from CARRYING ont
this sentence Than Have in receiving it"
Bruno was tried In the Dominican con-
vent of the Minerva, which was then presid-
ed over by Mgr. Torquemada, the greatest
of inquisitors who is buried in the chanel
There was never stranger shifting of
the scenery of the fate, than that which
made this same old convent the ministry
OF pubic EDUCATION, the home and head
quarters of the free school system of ItaIy
NOT WITHOUT PERMITS.