New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-01-26
Refuge for
The Romans

Since the beginning Of the few
Romans have cared to go far away from
home, but when the parching sirocco be
gins to blow straight across the Mediter
ranean, carrying with it clouds of red
sand from the Libyan Desert, some change
OF air becomes necessary Frascat nat
urally suggests itself 1t is only seventeen
miles from Rome and, situated 1000 fee,
above sea level, the air is fresh and cool
after the heat of Roman midsummer days.
Indeed, this past summer Frascati has
solved the problem of 'villeggatura' for
many and various kinds Of people The
hotels are filled with dplomatsts holding
themselves in readiness to be called at any
moment to the Quirnal the Vatican
American and English ladies who live in
Rome continue their knitting for the sol
diers under the cool lick trees and old
patrician families, such as the Aldobran-
DIM. the Lancelotti, the Torlonia, have
opened their beautiful villas the safest
and most comfortable solution of where to
pass the summer Indeed, quiet little
Frascati, asleep on the western slope of
She Alban Hills. has suddenly become quite
cosmopolitan. For the women the days
pass IN luleneSS IN lNe fragrant ana MS
torical gardens open to the public; but the
men-even in the land of dolce far niente
must attend to their various occupations
in Rome. This means that all through the
long summer months they commute back
and forth from the Eternal City to the
Alban Hills There are two ways Of going
into town-one by train and the other by
tram. The tram is more popular with the
commuter. as it is both cheaper and cooler
1t is not just an ordinary streetcar, but g
great two storied affair which has managed
to invest itself with something of Roman
dignity.
"The first morning that I joined the
throng of commuters | rushed, full of
American energy, down to the little
piazza from which the tram starts. 1t
was due to leave at o'clock, and, thourh
it was only fifteen minutes before that
hour. no tram yet in sight. group
of fellow commuters seated at little
tables outside a cafe esurely slipping their
black coffee; a number of women and chill
dren with large black eyes, carrying odd
looking bundles tied up in newspaper were
sitting benches under the trees near
the tram station They looked as if they
had sat there peacefully for hours and
would continue to do so all day, even if
the tram failed to appear. In the middle
of the piazza a hundred or more harvesters,
broad sashed. golden and muscular leaned
their scythcs waiting for the padrone
to arrive and hire them that day In the
fields; a procession of wine-carts bound
for Rome ratified slowly across the square,
their brilliant colors-red blue, yellow
making the sun seem pale in comparison;
the bells OR the horses rang merrly, the
plumes and gay tassels of their harnesses
swayed jauntily and lupetto-a tiny
wolf dog-perched upon the wine kegs,
barked fereey at every passerby, protect
ing the interests of his master, who was
already asleep under the gaudy sun hood
which Michael Angelo designed five hun
dred years ago. There were no signs any
where OF tense nerves-not commuter
even so much looked at his watch