Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/321

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VATICAN


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VATICAN


line Wall (see Vatican Observatory). The pavilion, o the right of the Casino, is on a level with the roof of !t. Peter's. In this section of the garden vineries lave been laid out, and vegetables are cultivated, iefore the first Loonini' tower a terrace affords a wide -iew across the \'a\\o dcW Inferno, from whose ancient irick-works half of Rome lias been built. To the left if the tower is an oak jryove where wild flowers gi'ow. Incient fragments of marlile are strewn everywhere, he paths are kept in entirely rural fashion, so that his small grove forms an especially enchanting por- ion of the gardens. One of the rough walks leads to he Fontana di Paolo Quinto, which is fed with water rora the Lago di Bracciano. The arms of the Bor-

hese proclaims it the work of Paul V. In the inime-


Ancient and Modern, and its Environs", II, Rome, 1844.)

V. The Chapels of the Vatican. — In the papal palace there area large number of chapels which serve various purpo.ses. By far the largest and the most famous of these is the Sistine Chapel.

A. The Sistine ChiiiHi is the palatine and court chapel, where all pajial ceremonies ami f uiict ions and papal elections are held. It was built between 1473 and 1481 by Giovanni de' Dolci at the commission of Sixtus IV." In length 133 feet and in breadth 4t), it has at each si(l(> six stained-glass windows, given by the Prince Regent Leopold of Bavaria in 1911. The lower third of the chaiiel is separated from the rest li\- beautiful marble barriers, which divide the spi


iate vicinity are the barracks of the papal gendarmes reserved for invited visitors on the occasion of ti;ri


ntrusted with the

uarding of the gar-
ens. A few hundred

eet below is the Montana del Santis- imo Sacramento, a Duntain so called ecause in the centre tands a monstrance (^hose rays are Drmed by the water; n either side rise hree vertical (reams of water, 'hich represent the andles.

A path bordered ly boxwood leads to he court of the Casino of Pius IV, double building rected by Pirro jigorio in 1.560, with (■alls decorated with int mosaic work. Vomen were there cceived in audience until they were allowed admission the pap.alapartmentsby Pius IX. Thousands of artis- ic addresses received by Pius IX, Leo XIII, and Pius C lia\'e been t ransferred from the hbrary to t his Casino, .'here they are now preserved (cf. Bouchet, "La Villa 'ia des Jardins du Vatican, architecture de Pirro jigorio", Paris, 1837). The paintings in the Ca-sino re by Baroccio, Federigo Zuccaro, and .Santi di Titi. mmediately before the casino opens the subter- anean passage which Pius X had constructed so hat he might pass with as Utile inconvenience as pos- ible from the palace to the gardens. The appearance f the surrounding park has been altered by excava- ions, but the trees have been untouched. The dis- ribution of numerous species of trees and flowering hrubs makes this portion of the gardens very pictur- sque. The stretch of the gardens to the riglit of the


.solemnities from that reserved for the Jioiie, the cardinals, aiul the papal family. On the wall to the right is the box for the singers of the famous Sistine Choir. The marble barriers and t he balustrade of the box are by Mino da Fiesole and his assistants.

The rear wall of the chapel is now without a window, being broken only by a small door on the right, which leads to the sacristy of the chapel. Al- most the whole of this space is occu- pied by the painting of the Last Judg- ment (see BuoNAR- ROTTi, Michelangelo). The frescoes on the side walls were executed between 1481 and 1483 by Florentine and Umbrian masters. On the left side are given, as the prototypes, scenes from the life of Moses, and on the right scenes from the life of Christ — beginning in both cases from the high altar and meeting at the entrance door. Peru- gino, Pinturicchio, Botticelli, Pier di Cosimo, Rosselli, Signorelli, della Gatta, Ghirlandajo, and Salviati were the collaborators in the wonderful cycle of paintings. Fiammingo, Matteo da Lecce, and Dia- mante are also here immortalized. Some years ago the ceiling frescoes by Michelangelo were thoroughly cleansed by Ludwig Seitz, and all the plasterwork blisters which by falling away threatened to work irremediable damage to the paintings, were again skilfully fa.stened to the masonry. To lessen the


RTV.\RD OF S. DaMASO, VATICAN PaLACE


ntrance consists of a thick, magnificent alley of ilex effect on the paintings caused by any great change of


rees, in which some cages may still be seen; these jrnierly sheltered ibexes and other animals. The iew from here towards Monte Mario over the circular 3untains, and to the riglit towarils the Prati di Cast- llo with Soracte in the background, is admirable. cattered around the garden are four other cages for nimals, which contained until a few years ago he lions presented to the pope by King Menelik, nd also ostriches, gazelles, and a number of species f poultry. All these animals have died, have been iven away, or sold, since their maintenance and are demanded too much attention. The Vatican lardens are the only place in which the pope can ake exercise in the open air. (Cf. Friedlander, 'DiLS K.'vsino Pius de.sVierten. Kunstge-schichtliche •"orschungen", ed. Royal Prus,sian Historical nstitute. III, Leipzig, 1912; Donovan, "Rome,


temperature, Leo XIII installed in the chapel a .sys- tem of centr.al healing which prevents the walls from becoming icy cold in winter. (See Steinmann, "Die Sixtinisclie Kapelle",2 vols, and atlas, Munich, 1900- 0.i.)

B. The CappelUi Paolina, which serves as the pari.sh church of the Vatican, is .separated from the Sistine Chajiel only by the Sala Regia. It received its name from Paul III, who had it erected in l.')40 by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger. Before l.'i.^O Michel- angelo painted two frescoes here, the Conversion of Paul and the Crucifixion of Peter. Other p.aintings in tlie chaiiel are by Lorenzo Sabbatini and Federico Zuccaro, The statues in the background are by P. Bresciano. Before the opening of the conclave the Sacred Colleg<' assembles in this chapel to attend a sermon in which the members are reminded of their