The Pope's Elephant
In early 16th century Rome, at the height of the Italian Renaissance,  when artists such as Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo thrived in the Holy  City, the decadent court of Pope Leo X was a place where visitors could find  pleasures and entertainment more exotic than anything they had previously  imagined. Among the Pope's great joys was his menagerie of exotic animals, and  the prize of his collection was an Indian elephant named Hanno, presented to him  by the King of Portugal.The Pope's Elephantby Silvio A. Bedini,  historian emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution, describes Hanno's powerful  effect on the Papal Court and on the Roman citizenry. This elephant--trained to  kneel, dance, weep, and trumpet on command--led parades and entertained at  public festivals and was commemorated in paintings, poetry, and sculpture. For  Romans, Hanno became the preeminent symbol of the alluring Orient; for Pope  Leo's detractors, the elephant became a symbol of Roman corruption. Bedini's  rigorous research and eager enthusiasm for his subject and his judicious  selection of whimsical illustrations make readingThe Pope's Elephanta  quirky and delightful pastime.--Michael Joseph Gross