Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-23

tribute to her good sense and loyal heart"
La Rosina was married to the king UNI
der unusual circumstances. 1t has often
been charged that the wedding was the re-
suit of a conspiracy, but there Is good
ground for such suspicion. One day dur
ing the war Victor Emmanuel was seized
with a malignant fever, and. believing that
death was near. sent for the nearest parish
priest and made confession. The priest,
who seems to have been a brave and honest
man, with more fear of God than of the
king, refused to give him absolution unless
he married the mother of his children, and
there and then. as he lay on what he
thought was his dying bed, the ceremony
was performed.
After the death of La Rosina her chill
dfen continued to OCCUPY Villa Mirafiore
until they became involved in the cyclone
of speculation that swept Rome and were
compelled to give mortgage upon the
property to the Bank of Italy, from which
1t has been purcha sed within the last few
weeks by Ambassador Meyer and Henry
Walters for 100000 as a permanent home
for the American Academy. Mr.. Walters
has advanced the funds and has accepted
mortgage from the directors of the acad-
envy at per cent interest. Four acres of
ground go with the villa. which allows
plenty of room to erect studios, and the
building is large enough to accommodate
tveEty-siX students.
The summer palace of King Victor EN-
manuel III, known as the Villa Ada, is
situated exactly across the street, and was
recently purchased by him from the heirs
of the late Count Telfner, whose wife, in
whose honor it was named was Ada Hun
gerford a sister of Mrs. John w. Mackay.
The king has improved the property con-
siderably and is spending his leisure time
there, raising cattle, sheep and chickens.
He goes out from Rome every afternoon
during the summer months at the close of
business hours. escorted by a squadron of
cavalry. and spends the rest of the day and
the evening like an ordinary country gentle
man.
Twelve Students.
There are now twelve students at the
school, four painters. four sculptors and
four architects; all of them were selected
for their superior merit from among the
graduates of Columbia University, New
York; University of Pennsylvania, Univer-
sity of Illinois, Harvard University, Mas
sachusetts Institute of Technology. Cornell
University, the Art Institute and the Ar
mour Institute of Chicago. the Peabody In
stitute of Baltimore and the Jacob Lazarus
fund in connection with the Metropolitan
Museum IN New York.
It is expected that other educational In
situations in the United States which have
art departments will endow scholarships
and offer them as rewards of merit to their
students. The American Institute of Archi-
tectS is contemplating a plan to offer
scholarships as prizes at large. open to the
United States, one for architecture, one for
painting and one for sculpture, to be
awarded annually to the candidates who
shall submit to a jury the most merito-
rious designs AS the course Is for three
years. the institute will have nine students
continuously at the academy.
Under the present plan the first two years
are spent in close study and studio work,
while the third Is spent in travel among
the provinces of Europe offering the great
est attractions and advantages for study
and sketching. AS a result Of this year OF
travel each student is required to submit
a graduating thesis on some appropriate
subject accompanied by original sketches.
work of art or copy of some master
piece.
The present director is G. W. Breck, at
one time an illustrator for Harper's Week
ly. He is a graduate of the academy, and
his most notable work is copy of Raph-
ael's School at Athens now in the IL
brary of the University of Virginia.
The president of the academy is Charles
F. McKim of New York Theodore N. Ely
superintendent of motive power of the
Pennsylvania railroad, is vice president;
Frank d. Millet, the artist. is secretary
and the directors include Daniel H. Burn
ham. Charles l.. Hutchinson, John La
FARCE. Augustus st. Gaudens. ]. Pierpont
Morgan. Henry Walters. Siddons Mobery.
George V. L. Meyer, United States ambas-
sador to Rome and others.