Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-04
SHIFTING OF QUARTERS
THE FAMOUS BoRGIA SUITE
TAKEN BY CARDINAL DEL VAL
Personality Of the New Secretary Of
State-Democratic In Manner-Ad-
mits Everybody Who Calls.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

was elected. Leo XIII had suite VI tiieo
rooms and a chapel on the seventh or top
floor of the lofty palace built by Pope six
tus v, and now the most conspicuous por-
ton of that vast conglomeratioh OF build
ings known a. the Vatican. He had a SIM
pie bed room. study or sitting room IN
which he spent most Of his time. and where
he received people In private audience ana
conferred with the oficials Of the church
This was his dining room, drawing room
and living room and he took his rest in .
reclining chair or upon couch IN the cor
rer 1t was entered through the third room
of the suite. which was used as "aitihs
room for his visitors, and there the faith
full Pho Contra, his valet. stood guard night
and day and there he slept upon a couch
with , blanket thrown over him. The door
was always open and his car was always
alert for a call from his master.
Pic Contra Is a remarkable character, a
type of the devoted servant that Is frequeht-
y found i'm the old Italian families. always
ready to make any sacrifice or perform any
service equally willing to Kill others Or "
die himself II the welfare Oh the ianily
makes such extremes necessary ne game
KIN for more than forty years while mo
latter was priest, bishop, cardinal ana pope.
His life was so interviewer with that OF ms
master that II was expected that ne "ouiu
Immediately follow MIN u ihS e'"'o'
Contra is alive end Well
No one knew 50 many of the papal secrets
as Pho Contra. He cooked his master
meals and served them: he undresseo mn,
and nut him TO bed at night, and patneu
and dressed him in the morning. he was
omnipresent. No one ever crossed ..o
threshold without his knowledge. me uuS
and the sacrifices Of his life ended Wneh .te
Franciscan monks were called into tne
death chamber, according to custom, 10
take charge Of the body OF Leo NH. put
Contra remained at his post until a1fer nc
funeral and until the personal enects OF nus
master were distributed. He then took
lodgings In a comfortable apartment mouse
on the banks OF the Tiber where ne hae
since lived quietly, but no iount or money
or persuasion can unlock his lips cohcerhi"s
events at the Vatican
Contra was well taken care of by his mas
ter although nobody but himself knows the
him comfortably for the rest of his days.
but i,e never has told how much.
TIE New Tenants.
Thu apartmsnts of Leo XIII have be FL.
thoroughly cleaned and renovated with ne"
papsr. paint. rugs and furniture, and Will
be USED hereafter as the private quarters OF
the new pope For official purposes the
suite os FIVE apartments on the foor below
~ INCH were formerly occupied by Cardinal
Rampolia will be used, and they remain
very much as he left them; while Carolnai
Merry del Val, mo HSW ScSicl'Ay "a
has taken the famous Borgta suite, which
are described by the guide books as the
most beautiful apartments in all itaiy' anu
artists aai the tourist agencies nave Pro-
tested because II closes them to the pubic.
There hss always been certain amount
Of prejudice attached to these apartments
because of strange mixture OF tnihss
sacred and profane, in their history anu &C.
sociations and the character Or the man
who built thun1. Pope Alexander VI dled IN
them from a dose of poison accidentally ad,
mintstered with his own hand, and supposed
to have been intended for somebody eiSe
and thew have since been haunted with an
evil reputation Although they were In
tended for the pontifical residence, ms sue
cessors have not been Wiling 70 I'VE IN
them. They were entirely closed ana neg
Iected for more than 200 years. and II was
not until q generation ago that d pope hao
the courage to opsn them
Plus VII recognized the high artistic
merit of the decorations. and converted
them into a picture gallery and museum;
Leo XIII caused them TO be renovated ana
restored. and. Notwithstanding their evii
associations opened them to the public
During the last six years they have been
visited by thousands q people. Merry Del
Val is the first man since the death OF ROD
rigo Borgia who has had the courage to
live In them.
The Borgias In Art.
One of the chief motives that tourists
have had In visiting the rooms Is to see
two superb portraits of Alexander vi. who
ap pears as the principal figure in picture
OF the Resurrection by Pinturicehio. and as
one OF the Magi In a representation OF the
manger. His brother Is the principal ng-
ure In a picture of the Assumption. TWO
youthful soldiers in a picture of the Resur-
rection are the pope's two sons the no
torious Caesar Borgia and the Duke OF
Gambia. The figure of the Virgin is por-
trait of Giulia Farnese. better Known as
'Vanozza" the mistress of the pope, whose
extraordinary career has been the theme OF
several writer's. She was the mother or
Lucretia Borgia, whose portrait also ap-
pears in the decorations.
The first of the rooms Is splendid hall
about eighty feet square, when until now
has been filled with arms and arraor from
well as a priest. Among them were the
arnor worn by Pope Julius ii and that of
Charles de Bourbon. This armor has been
removed to another gallery and long lines
OF chairs have been placed around the wall
for the accommodation OF visitors.
Cardinal Del Walls Callers.
have had a good deal Of experience in
that line but the time was not unproftably
spent. because OF the interesting procession
of people that was coming and going Inc IS
sanity seeking interviews with the new
secretary Of state They represent all sorts
and conditions OF men and women, and
could see many anxious and several angry
faces among them. Barefooted monks with
bowed heads. richly robed bishops, men OF
business diplomatists. students. priests OF
all ages and races. and g fair share of the
lsity make up the waiting crowd that may
he found there every morning between 10
and 1 and every evening between and 8.
when the new secretary OF state receives
the public.
Tie is more democratic than his prede-
oessor. He admits everybody who calls
and receives them with courtesy that Is
admirable. although one would think that
his patience would be exhausted daily
long before the ordeal Is over. Cardinal
Rampola compelled people TO do as much
business as possible with his subord!aates.
and no one was admitted TO his presence
unless h:s errand was known. His sue
cessor SCORER or later will be compelled to
make a similar rule. because Rome is full
of cranks, inpostors and people whose af-
fairs are or importance to no one but them-
selves. Ii Is well for him perhaps to admit
the public for tire. because of the pleas
ant impression he mo kes upon them and the
good reports they will carry away
Tie pope Is equa Is democratic. He re-
ceives as many people possible and
grants audiences willingly. But. like his
secretary of state. he win be compelled
very soon to draw the lines more closely
IL he intends to keep up with the business
that pope is compelled to perform