New-York tribune., 1912-02-08
NEW PRINCE COLONNA
Succeeds to Highest Lay Office
at the Court of the Vatican.

Prince d'Avella, man of sixty-four. sue
ceeds through the death Of his elder
brother. Don Marco Antonio Colonna, 20
the chieftainship Of the historic House of
Colonna and 10 the principal temporal dig
nifty OF the court OF the Vatican. namely,
that Of hereditary prince assistant Of the
pontifcal throne.
This office dates back to the reign Of
Pope Sixtus Y, and was conferred by that
Pontiff on the chiefs of the ColOnnas and
Of the Orsinis Of the day with the object
of putting An end to the wars which had
until that time been carried on for hun
dreds Of years by these two rival families
against each other. From the eleventh TO
the sixteenth century the fights between
the Colonnas and the Orsinis constantly
caused blood TO flow in the streets OF
Rome. At length, when an Orsini and
Colonna had so far forgotten the respect
due 10 the imperious and masterful Pope
Sxtus as TO draw their swords on one
another when IN his presence. he, with the
object OF partil p tG"m. ordered one ol
them to take up his position on the right
Of the papal throne. and the other on the
lett and subsequently. on the express I'M
Outstanding that peace between rhc tW"
families should from thenceforth be main
tanned. converted into hereditary diSm-
taries these positions 10 the right ana To
the left OF the throne, the Orsnis and the
CoIounas in turns having the place on the
right
Owing 10 the ruin and disaster which
have overtaken the Orsnis. whose chief
has been deprived by the Italian courts
e I,g. aG a SDgUG-
thrift, at the instanc" Of ms family IT IL
the head of the COlOnnas who l. now alone
10 fuifl the duties of Prince "Stator proXi-
mus a solo Ponuhcis MaNmi.' As sHch
he has TO attend every ceremony al which
the Pontiff appears. standing Immediately
TO the right Of the Holy Father on the dalS
beside the throne On such occasions ne
is arrayed in sixteenth century costume
of black silk. with slashed doublct ana
hose. black silk stockings. silver buckled
shoes lace collar and lace sleeves. rdpicT'
with a steel hilt, etc. II is 70 him tnaJ
are given the palms and the candles 10
present to the Holy Father 10 bless. and
prior TO 1870. when the popeS were Sun
accustomed TO drive about Rome, IT was
the prince assistant who preceded on
horseback the pontifcal equpage. II the
Pope himself went on horseback, it was
the prince assistant who held the stirrup
for his holiness to mount and who led the
horse
The House OF Coionna through Junior
branch of which--the Susliano line-the
daughter Of Mrs. John W. Mackay belongs
by marriage-haS furnished az least half
a dozen popes TO the Catholic Church, in
Cluding Marcel who reiEnod In %0i. and
Martin V. who occupied the chair OF st
Peter in iil1. According to tradition, the
family owes its name to the posses sion
of what is alleged TO be portion OF the
column TO which Christ was tied when
sCourCed oil the eve OF His CrucihXiOn.
and which - still preserved as sacred
heirloom, having been brought from Jeru-
salem in the first century OF the Chris
tian era. 1t IS the principal treasure.
of course. of the grand old Colonna
palace, which was built away back in the
fourteenth century, on the Square Of the
Apostles at Rome. and which has had
among it's occupants Pope Martin and
julius II. as well rs that celebrated Car
dinal Borromeo, subsequently, canonlzed
as Saint Charles.
The late Don Marc Antonio Colonna was
principal chamberlain OF the now widowed
Queen Marguerite when tho death Of his
father caused him to resign that post and
entirely 10 sever his connection with the
court Of the Quirinal. in order TO take Up
the hereditary office OF prince assistant to
the pontifcaI throne. This latter dignity
now passes. in default OF male issue, 70 h,s
next brother. Don Fabrizio, who will BE-
likewise obliged TO eschew the court Of the
Quirinal. whore ne has until now been a
popular figure TO sacrifice his long standing
friendship with Victor Emmanuel III and
the two queens. and to resign both his Sen
atorship Of tho kingdom and his colonclcy OF
cavalry in the Italian army. lie married
the youngest sister Of Prince Doria-Pam-
phlli who has as wife Lady Emily Pelham
Clinton. sister Of the Duke Of Newcastle
now living in New York, and has two sons
and two daughters, one Of whom is mar
ried to that Don Frederico Negrotto who
accompanied the Duke Of the Abruzz 10
this country on the occasion Of his last visit
in the capacity Of naval aide-dc-camp.
Don Fabrizio will now drop his title OF
Prince d'Avella, and will become the
Prince Colonna: also twelfth Prince and
Duke Of PalianO, the PalanO titles dating
from l520 His only son and heir married
lOll years ago II l<'' ollllli'. li'i''SSt la
bel Sursock, Of Beyrcuth in Syria. The
Alexander Sursocks, her parents, are well
known in Rome, and their other daughter
is married TO Don Alberto Theodoli. tn"
late Prince Colonna leaves two daughters
one Of them married 70 Don Angelo Chigi.
the other, Vittora, wife OF Prince Teano
and celebrated all over Europe. especially
in England. as daring and skiful aero
naut. Her husband is the eldest son and
heir Of the Duke OF Sermonetta, head Of
the house of Caetsni and she has an Amer
lean sistcr-in-law, in the person OF Miss
Chaplin Of New York. who last fall married
in London Don Roffrcdo Caetani. Prince
Of BassianO
The widow Of Prince CoIonna ia now
hopelessly insane. Her reason was hrst
affected by a tragedy many years ago The
young Marquis Napoleon Rocca Gioyinc
great grandsOn Of Lucien Bonapartc had
caused some gossip by his undisguised in
fatuation for Princess Colonna. The prince
was perfectly aware that his beautiful wife
was entirely blameless But he wished
the talk TO cease. and so asked very cour-
toously, the young marquis 10 refrain for a
time from calling at the Colonna palace ana
from bcstowing his attentions on the prin-
cess. Rocca Giovine, mortified at the Idea
that ne could have compromised in any
way the fair name of the object Of his
alteration. blew out his brains, leaving A
note asking that his favorite scarfpin. a
jcweled butterfly pierced through the heart
by a ruby-headed pin. should be presented
In his name TO the, princess.
The affair created tremendous sensa-
tion in Rome. 1t partly wrecked the mind
OF the princess, who conscious Of her en-
tire innocence, developed so pronounced an
q n,,orcinn her hnshan nd fhat she rnfnsnl