The sun., 1908-10-11
PALACE FOR AN GMEHICANI
BOSTON ROMAN TO 1--WE IN
MANSION or THE FARNESE, |

a'i ne -Fevtfier GioFies Of the Fanill
= :-ItS vanishesi Treasures OF Ar
ROME. Sept. ze.--Mrs. Florence Bald
win. an American from Boston who 70
sldes In Rome. has just rented for Bevoi
years the most magnificent and yet tn
leaG known building Of ita kind In Italy
ths cciebrated PalazEo Farnese at Cap
rarola. built> for Cardinal Alessandrc
Fernese by the architect Jacopo Barozzi
commonly knoWn as yignola. The palace
with It's gardens, lawns. casino or villa
orchard and chestnut woods, 10 nov
owned by the dispossesssd Bourbon king
Of Naples, who Inherited It by descent
from Elizabeth Farnese. the last OF hel
line. ,E ...... ..... ~.
The palace has the form Of pentagor
enclosing Q circular court. Eaoh Of the
five sides measures $50 feet and the couri
10 0S feet in diameter. II has three st cries
each about thirty feet in height. ;
The building has fortified or oastel-
lated appearance, resembling the six
teenth century citadels, and it is furnished
with small sham basti0ns at each angle,
Above the terrace formed by these bas-
tlons and their curtains the palace rises
In two grand stories. the lower arcaded
in thg centre the upper including the
etories Of windows. Despite the difficulty
of tho pentagonal form the external
architectural effect Of the building is
imposing. while the arrangements inside
are oomntodkus. -a ~
A magnificent spiral staircase ascends
alfa Ar1.txaft AN, ALsrsl as.a S,,x~
ported by double columns and adorned
BY rich and varied cornioes. Around the
first door runs an open loggia overlooking
the circular courtyard below. aud it's walls.
Abwell hs those Of almost ell the chambers,
are covered with fresooes by the brothers
zuccafo and by Tsmpesta. z rr
The frescoes represent the history Of
tho Farnese family. There ID the mar
fiage OF 0razio Fafness with the daughter
OF Henry II, Of France. and that OF OF
tavio with daughter OF Charles V. Then
Alessandro and Ottavio Faruese are seen
accompanying Charles v. on a campaign
against the Lutherans: Paul III. Is shown
appointing Pietro Farnese commander
Of the papal army and Ora2io Governor
Of Rome.
There are many scenes from the life
Of Paul ILL.,, how he presided at the Cou6-
ell OF Trent. how he made peace between
Francis I. and Charles w., how Charles
kissed his feet and how he gave the lucky
hat to four Cardinals who afterward all
became Popes.
The chapel has windows Of ancient
stained glass. fresooes representing the
Apostles and an elaborate ceiling whose
Geslgn is repeated in the PAVEMENT. One
OF the rooms is covered with maps like
the gallery in the Vatican and has four
female figures representing the four parts
Ct the world, one Of which, that represent
Ing Africa and commonly known as the
Mora, IL 30 wonderful that an American
offered to pay 200 for Il alone.
The frescoes are In a very good state Of
and their colors are as fresh
and bright as when they were painted
almost three hundred years ago. Still
.he lower portions Of the walls bear traces
Of the native and foreign tourists who
,ave been admitted to visit the palace |
ind who. out Of gratitude perhaps. either
scratched their names or defaoed some
~ the figures on the painted walls.
But with the exception Of the frescoed
-ooms the palace is in a state OF dilapi-
iation. and the beautiful garden is almost |
n utter ruin. Many Of the stone figures |
md ancient marble statues that adorned |
{ have been either ruthlessly broken or
stolen.
There is an artificial grotto which is
Known as the Temple OF Venus owing to
he fact that above fountain there Is
! broken statue Of the goddess The
statue is believed to be the work Of Greek
,hisel and was discovered In excavations
by the Farnese family in the
sixteenth century. AS Until recently
he grounds Of the palace were used as e
playground for the ragged children of
caprarola. a pious priest OF the village
attempted to smash the statue lest the
,hildren should be scandalized by its
nudity, He succeeded only in breaking
he head OF the statue
Some time ago an English dealer offered
% buy the .mutilated Venus for o,o00,
out the Government prevented the sale.
In inspector Of the Ministry Of Public
has lately pronounced it the
vest specimen c! Greek sculpture in ex-
stenoe. Still no precaution has been
AIKEN to prevent some other pious priest
rom trying TO break ID. |,
The palace once contained many works
4 art. but few remain. A dishonest
toward sold $4,000 pounds Of lead which
70 stole from the fountains In the palace
nd gardens. Others have done away
nth the old furniture and tapestries.
he German and Italian tenants explored
very corner and appropriated every
hing that the dishonest stewards OF many
generations overlooked. ..t
Az lately as two years ago a Roman
ealer bought for only 500 all the rub
'ish remaining in the ground floor Of
he palace and he had ten carloads Of !
sent to Rome. It was all 'roba Etrusca, =
;truscan stuff. THE SUN oorrespon-
snt's informant said Evidently tie
farnese had excavated some Etruscan
ite In times gone by and their finds had
forgotten until the dealer dis
overed them. The same day the first
artload Of stuff arrived In Rome the
ealer Ia said to have sold bronze bead
or 1000.