Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-01-28

The upper portion OF the palace is
still kept in order for the use OF the
royal family and court. and the Sew
illanos insist that the king should
spend at least two months of the win
ter season here. although he seldom
gratiiies them. One cannot blame
the queen-mother for not wanting to
come, because her personal associa-
lions with the palace are not at all
agreeable, During the Columbian fes->
tivities in 1892 Alfonso VIII, then
years old, became very i'll here as the
result OF eating too many sweetmeats
At the various dinners given in his
honor, and lay for three weeks danger
ously Ill with gastric fever in one OF
the magnificent Moorish chambers.
All the balls and banquets, all the pro-
cessions and ceremonies for which
the citizens of Seville had contributed
large sums of money and had spent
weeks in preparation, had to be
abandoned. everything but a high
mass performed in the cathedral by
the archbishop. and even that was
changed to a TIE Deum of thanksgiv-
ing for the recovery OF the king in
stead OF in honor of the achievements
of Columbus.
Near by is the Palace St Elmo for
many years the residence of the Duke
and Duchess OF Montpensier. which
was originally erected as a school for
the navy with the proceeds of the
plunder brought home by Cortes and
Pizarro from America. 1t is an en-
ormous building and one of the most
expensive structures in all Spain. The
entrance is especially fine. In lS4g
Queen Isabella II. presented it to her
sister. the Duchess of Montpensler
who made it an ideal family home.
The late duke was a son OF King Louis
PHILIPPE of France, and, as | told you
in a previous letter, he married the
younger sister of Isabella when she
was only IA years of age. Mercedes.
their daughter. was the first wife OF
her cousin. King Alfonso VII; An
tonic, their son. is the husband of
the Infanta Eulalie. Another is the
wife OF the Duke of Portugal; another
is the wife of the Duke of Aosta. heir
presumptive to the throne OF Italy.
and still another is the Countess of
Paris. whose daughter Louise is sup
posed to be the selected wife of her
second cousin. the present king of
Spain.
Upon the death of the late Duke of
Montpensier his widow gave this pal
zee to the church, and the gardens to
the City of Seville for a park. St. Ell
mo is now a theological seminary.
where $50 young men are being pre-
llred Tor the priesthood. and people
lhink that its marble courts and ires-
coed apartments are little too ele-
giant for the purpose Most of the pic
lures and ornaments that were in ST.
Elmo have been sent to the public
museum, where there is fine collec-
tion of paintings and other works OF
art, including several of Murillo's best
works, 1t is not a large museum, but
1 very interesting one.
The town han OF Seville is a very
fine example of the platersque style OF
architecture. which was built in the
earlier part of the sixteenth century
and was also paid for out of the plumb
ar brought from the halls of the Mon
tezumas in Mexico and the temples
OF the AZtecs in Peru. One front OF
it has no ornamentation whatever,
which is truly Spanish. The oLLaS6
three are very elaborate. The moA.s
evidently did not hold out, and nu-$
body has since had enterprise enough
to raise more.
Seville ought to be prosperous
and wealthy town. because the coun-
try that surrounds it is rich, the soil
md climate are all that could be de-
sired, II is only few hours from the
ocean and is connected by railway
with all of the other principal cities
n Spain. Cadiz takes away much of
he shipping. for ocean steamers of
heavy draft cannot come up the riv-
er There is only water enough for
vessels drawing fourteen feet.