Anecdotes of Painters, Engravers, Sculptors and Architects and Curiosities of Art (Vol. 3 of 3) by S. Spooner (best ebook reader under 100 TXT) 📖

Michael Angelo, consisting of

three buildings. From the summit of the middle one, the spectator has a

splendid view of one of the most remarkable regions in the world--the

Campagna, up to the mountains. For a description of the Colosseum, see

vol ii, page 29, of this work.

 

 

 

 

MODERN ROME.

 

 

Modern Rome is about thirteen miles in circuit, and is divided by the

Tiber into two parts. In 1830, Rome contained 144,542 inhabitants,

35,900 houses, 346 churches, 30 monasteries, and upwards of 120 palaces.

The view of the majestic ruins; the solemn grandeur of the churches and

palaces; the recollections of the past; the religious customs; the magic

and almost melancholy tranquillity which pervades the city; the

enjoyment of the endless treasures of art--all conspire to raise the

mind of the traveler to a high state of excitement. The churches,

palaces, villas, squares, streets, fountains, aqueducts, antiquities,

ruins--in short, everything proclaims the ancient majesty and the

present greatness of Rome. Almost every church, palace, and villa is a

treasury of art. Among the churches, St. Peter's is the most

conspicuous, and is, perhaps, the most beautiful building in the world.

Bramante began it; Sangallo and Peruzzi succeeded him; but Michael

Angelo, who erected its immense dome, which is four hundred and fifty

feet high to the top of the cross, designed the greatest part. Many

other architects were often employed upon it; Maderno finished the front

and the two towers. The erection of this edifice, from 1506 to 1614,

cost 45,000,000 Roman crowns. Before we arrive at this grand temple, the

eye is attracted by the beautiful square in front of it, surrounded by a

magnificent colonnade by Bernini, and ornamented by an Egyptian obelisk,

together with two splendid fountains. Upon entering the vestibule,

Giotto's mosaic, la Navicella, is seen. Under the portico, opposite the

great door, is Bernini's great bas relief representing Christ commanding

Peter to feed his sheep; and at the ends of the portico are the

equestrian statues of Constantine by Bernini, and of Charlemagne by

Cornachini. The union of these masterpieces has an indescribable effect.

The harmony and proportion which prevail in the interior of this august

temple are such, that, immense as it is, the eye distinguishes all the

parts without confusion or difficulty. When each object is minutely

examined, we are astonished at its magnitude, so much more considerable

than appears at first sight. The immense canopy of the high altar,

supported by four bronze pillars of 120 feet in height, particularly

attracts the attention. The dome is the boldest work of modern

architecture. The cross thereon is 450 feet above the pavement. The

lantern affords the most beautiful prospect of the city and the

surrounding country. The splendid mosaics, tombs, paintings, frescos,

works in marble, gilded bronze and stucco, the new sacristy--a beautiful

piece of architecture, but not in unison with the rest--deserve separate

consideration. The two most beautiful churches in Rome next to St.

Peter's are the St. John's of the Lateran, and the Santa Maria Maggiore.

The former, built by Constantine the Great, is the parochial church of

the pope; it therefore takes precedence of all others, and is called

_Omnium urbis el orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput_ (the head and mother

of all churches of the city and the world). In it is celebrated the

coronation of the popes. It contains several pillars of granite, _verde

antico_, and gilt bronze; the twelve apostles by Rusconi and Legros; and

the beautiful chapel of Corsini, which is unequalled in its proportions,

built by Alexander Galilei. The altar-piece is a mosaic from a painting

by Guido, and the beautiful porphyry sarcophagus, which is under the

statue of Clement XII., was found in the Pantheon, and is supposed to

have contained the ashes of M. Agrippa. The nave of the church of Santa

Maria Maggiore is supported by forty Ionic pillars of Grecian marble,

which were taken from a temple of Juno Lucina: the ceiling was gilded

with the first gold brought from Peru. We are here struck with

admiration at the mosaics; the high altar, consisting of an antique

porphyry sarcophagus; the chapel of Sixtus V., built from the designs of

Fontana, and richly ornamented; the chapel of Paul V., adorned with

marble and precious stones; the chapel of Sforza, by Michael Angelo; and

the sepulchres of Guglielmo della Porta and Algardi. In the square

before the front is a Corinthian column, which is considered a

masterpiece of its kind. The largest church in Rome next to St. Peter's

was the Basilica di San Paolo fuori delle Mura, on the road to Ostia,

burnt a few years since. The church of S. Lorenzo, without the city,

possesses some rare monuments of antiquity. The church of San Pietro in

Vincola contains the celebrated statue of Moses, by Michael Angelo. The

church of St. Agnes, in the place Navona, begun by Rainaldi and

completed by Borromini, is one of the most highly ornamented,

particularly with modern sculpture. Here is the admirable relief of

Algardi, representing St. Agnes deprived of her clothes, and covered

only with her hair. The Basilica of St. Sebastian, before the Porta

Capena, contains the statue of the dying saint, by Giorgetti, a pupil of

Algardi, and the master of Bernini. Under these churches are the

catacombs, which formerly served as places of burial. In the church of

St. Agnes, before the Porta Pia, among many other beautiful columns are

four of porphyry, belonging to the high altar, and considered the most

beautiful in Rome. In a small chapel is a bust of the Savior by Michael

Angelo--a masterpiece. In the church of St. Augustine, there is a

picture by Raphael representing the prophet Isaiah, and an Ascension by

Lanfranco. The monastery has a rich library, called the Angelica, and

increased by the library of cardinal Passionei. The following churches

also deserve to be mentioned, on account of their architecture and works

of art; the churches of St. Ignatius, St. Cecilia, S. Andrea della

Valle, S. Andrea del Noviziato, the Pantheon (also called la Rotonda),

in which Raffaelle, Annibale Caracci, Mengs, etc., are interred. All the

364 churches of Rome contain monuments of art or antiquity. Among the

palaces, the principal is the Vatican, an immense pile, in which the

most valuable monuments of antiquity, and the works of the greatest

modern masters are preserved. Here are the museum Pio-Clementinum,

established by Clement XIV., and enlarged by Pius VI., and the

celebrated library of the Vatican. The treasures carried away by the

French have been restored. Among the paintings of this palace, the most

beautiful are Raffaelle's frescos in the _stanze_ and _loggie_. The

principal oil paintings are in the _appartamento_ Borgia, which also

contains the Transfiguration, by Raphael. In the Sistine chapel is the

Last Judgment by Michael Angelo. The popes have chosen the palace of

Monte Cavallo, or the Quirinal palace, with its extensive and beautiful

gardens, for their usual residence, on account of its healthy air and

fine prospect. The Lateran palace, which Sixtus V. had rebuilt by

Fontana, was changed, in 1693, into an alms-house. Besides these, the

following are celebrated: the palace della Cancellario, the palace de'

Conservatori, the palace of St. Mark, the buildings of the Academy, etc.

Among the private palaces, the Barberini is the largest; it was built by

Bernini, in a beautiful style. Here are the Magdalen of Guido, one of

the finest works of Caravaggio, the Paintings of the great hall, a

masterpiece of Pietro da Cortona, and other valuable paintings. Of works

of sculpture, the Sleeping Fawn, now in Munich, was formerly here; the

masterly group representing Atalanta and Meleager, a Juno, a sick Satyr

by Bernini, the bust of Cardinal Barberini by the same artist, and the

busts of Marius, Sylla, and Scipio Africanus, are in this palace. The

library is calculated to contain 60,000 printed books, and 9000

manuscripts; a cabinet of medals, bronzes, and precious stones, is also

connected with the library. The Borghese palace, erected by Bramante, is

extensive, and in a beautiful style; the colonnade of the court is

splendid. This palace contains a large collection of paintings, rare

works of sculpture, valuable tables, and utensils of rich workmanship,

of red porphyry, alabaster, and other materials. The upper hall is

unrivalled; the great landscapes of Vernet, with which it is adorned,

are so true to nature, that, upon entering, one imagines himself

transported into real scenes. The palace Albani, the situation of which

is remarkably fine, possesses a valuable library, a great number of

paintings, and a collection of designs by Caracci, Polidoro, Lanfranco,

Spagnoletto, Cignani, and others. The palace Altieri, one of the largest

in Rome, is in a simple style of architecture, and contains rare

manuscripts, medals, paintings, etc., and valuable furniture. In the

palace Colonna there is a rich collection of paintings by the first

masters; all the rooms are decorated with them, and particularly the

gallery, which is one of the finest in Europe. In the gardens are the

ruins of the baths of Constantine and those of the temple of Sol. The

Aldobrandini palace contains the proudest monument of ancient

painting--the Aldobrandine Wedding, a fresco purchased by Pius VII., in

1818, in which the design is admirable. The great Farnese palace, begun

from the designs of Sangallo, and completed under the direction of

Michael Angelo, is celebrated both for its beauty and its treasures of

art. The Caracci and Domenichino have immortalized themselves by their

frescos in its gallery. The Farnese Hercules, the masterly Flora, and

the urn of Cæcilia Metella, formerly adorned the court; and in the

palace itself was the beautiful group of the Farnese bull. But when the

king of Naples inherited the Farnese estate, these statues, with other

works of art, were carried to Naples, where they now adorn the palace

degli Studi. Not far off is the palace Corsini, where queen Christina

lived and died in 1689. It contains a valuable library and gallery. The

palace Giustiniani also had a gallery adorned with numerous valuable

statues and works of sculpture; its principal ornaments were the

celebrated statue of Minerva, the finest of that goddess now known, and

the bas-relief of Amalthæa suckling Jupiter. These treasures were

nominally bought by Napoleon, and are now in Paris. The paintings are

chiefly in the possession of the king of Prussia. In the palace Spada is

the statue of Pompey, at the foot of which Cæsar fell under the daggers

of his murderers. We have yet to mention the palace Costaguti, on

account of its fine frescos; Chigi, for its beautiful architecture, its

paintings and library; Mattei, for its numerous statues, reliefs, and

ancient inscriptions; the palace of Pamfili, built by Borromini, for its

splendid paintings and internal magnificence; that of Pamfili in the

square of Navona, with a library and gallery; Rospigliosi, upon the

Quirinal hill, etc. Among the palaces of Rome, which bear the name of

_villas_, is the Villa Medici, on the Pincian mount, on which were

formerly situated the splendid gardens of Lucullus: it once contained a

vast number of masterpieces of every kind; but the grand dukes Leopold

and Ferdinand have removed the finest works (among them, the group of

Niobe, by Scopas) to Florence. This palace, however, is yet worthy of

being visited. Under the portico of the Villa Negroni are the two fine

statues of Sylla and Marius, seated on the _sella curulis_. In the

extensive garden, which is three miles in circuit, some beautiful fresco

paintings have been found in the ruins of some of the houses. The Villa

Mattei, on the Coelian mount, contains a splendid collection of

statues. The Villa Ludovisi, on the Pincian mount, not far from the

ruins of the circus and the gardens of Sallust, is one and a half miles

in circuit, and contains valuable monuments of art, particularly the

Aurora of Guercino, an ancient group of the senator Papirius and his

mother (or rather of Phædra and Hippolytus), another of Arria and Pætus,

and Bernini's rape of Proserpine. The Villa Borghese, near Rome, has a

fine but an unhealthy situation. The greatest part of the city, and the

environs as far as Frascati and Tivoli, are visible from it. It has a

garden, with a park three miles in circuit. This palace was ornamented

in its interior, and furnished with so much richness and elegance, that

it might have been considered the first edifice in Rome, next to the

capitol, particularly for its fine collection of statues. The most

remarkable among them were the Fighting Gladiator; Silenus and a Faun;

Seneca, in black marble, or rather a slave at the baths; Camillus; the

Hermaphrodite; the Centaur and Cupid; two Fauns, playing on the flute;

Ceres; an Egyptian; a statue of the younger Nero; the busts of Lucius

Verus, Alexander, Faustina and Verus; various relievos, among which was

one representing Curtius; an urn, on which was represented the festival

of Bacchus; another supported by the Graces; two horns of plenty, etc.

The greatest part of these has not been restored from Paris. The

exterior is ornamented with ancient