Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-01-02
Settlers Sron europe
By Pres. s. x. 1oarren
THE CHURCHES OF ROME

~S~~S
transient visitor to Rome. We
were taken to see st. Peters during
our first morning. The first i'm .
preston of the exterior would rank
lit below Cologne Cathedral. Its
proportions are so adjusted that its
vastness is not at first realized; but
the first impression Of its interior is
that it is the first cathedral in the
world and that there is. no second.
The great length OF the aisles, the
lofty heights of its arches, nave and
dome, the brightness Of its walls Of
stone and marble, all combine in an
impression that the visitor can never
forget. 1t was nearly two centuries
in building, and its cost nearly sixty
millions. Though completed about
three centuries ago, its interior
seems as fresh as if completed yes
terday. Its aisles and chapels are
lined with paintings, statues and
tombs. In the escenter is the High
Alter beneath which it is said that
the body OF St. Peter lies, and not
tar away is metal statue of the
Apostle with toes worn off by the
kisses OF the devout. Our Italian
guide said to US that probably there
were enough bones of st. Peter here
and there in Catholic Christendom
| to make two regiments of men,
which statement reminded us Of
another comment that the bones
of St. Mark lie under the High
Alter at St. Marks Cathedral in
Venice or else the guides do. That
same afternoon we were taken to
aSt. Pau without the Walls" a
magnificent outside the walls on the
very edge q the city. The legend
IS that ST Rss,l and ST. Peter took
leave OF each other here on their
last journey, and that here ST. Paul
was buried Here has been church
from the earliest Christian centuries,
though the present building dates
back less than century, being
built on the site of an earlier church
which was burned. One wonders
Iwhy millions were spent on this
magnificent pile on the edge of the
city out OF reach Of fthe people, till
he remembers that it has been hal
lowed as fhe site of the church for.
over 1900 wears. Most impressive
Iot all in its magnificent interior were
1.-THE eighty enormous columns Of
lSimplon granite that mark the
boundaries Of its alsles, and the
lpictures of the popes that line its
walls, 200 to 900 in number, and
dating away back to Roman times.
Our next morning was devoted to
eight churches, mostly OF less note.
each with its especial interests. After
a drive along Pincian Hill, passing
above the Spanish Stairs. where
artists models gather in seasonable
weather, we were taken to San Lor
enc in Lucena, especially to see
Guido Reni's famous painting, The
Crucifxion Of Christ. Our way was
thence to the world famed Pantheon
built by Agrippa, B. c. N, and
restored by Hadrian, as heather
temple, which has been for many
centuries a Christian Church. Its
walls are 20 feet thick and all light
comes from a 80 foot aperture in the
dome, which is open to the sky. At
intervals are slight, saucer-shaped
depressions in its marble floor with
minute apertures for carrying off the
rain that tails through the open
dome. Here are the bones OF Italy's
recent kings, and here lies the dust
LOT Raphel and his betrothed.
Passing thes Forum and Column
OF Trajan just behind. we next en-
tered Santa Maria Sepras Minerva,
especially to see the tomb Of Fra
Angelica and Michael Angelo $ cele-
1brated statue OF Christ with the
cross. Kisses Of the faithful have so
worn away the toes Of the right foot
lof the statue that it is now protected
/ by a brazen shoe. Our next opjec-
tive was "Gesu, the principal
church Of the Jesuits in Rome. Be-
meath its high altar repose the re-
mains Of Ignatius Loyala. Its walls
| Are of costly marble, its columns are