1 kept still in honour of the Blessed Virgin; wherefore, Pope Gregory the Thirteenth caused, on the place, a church to be built at his own charges. This church is built all of marble-stone, most cunningly; and, in especial, the great altar, where the picture, that was found, is most richly adorned. In the said church, do hang divers tables, wherein is noted the miracles which, in former times, have been done there, and yet daily are done; those, therefore, that go in pilgrimage thither, and do pray with a strong and certain hope, are heard, and their suits obtained, as you yourselves may thereby be truly assured. There are daily Indulgentia plenaria and remission of sins. Then go to St. Peter in Vinculo. ST. PETER IN VINCULO. In this church you shall see an excellent epitaph and tomb of Pope Leo the Second, which is an incomparable piece of work, and all of white marble-stone, and alabaster; there is a statue of Moses, the heighth of two men, of one intire piece, and also other fair statues; the monks can shew you many holy relicks, together with the chain with which St. Peter was fettered in prison. Without in the cloisters, it is very pleasant winter and summer, being planted with orange-trees, and in the midst a mighty date-tree, like to which there are none found, neither in Rome, nor in all Italy. The monastery is also situated wonderous pleasant, being a building so well fitted, that the Pope might conveniently keep his court therein. Over-against that, is the palace of the Lord George Casarini Ursini, which is so rare and excellent a building as is wonderful to behold. The Palace of Lord GEORGE URSINI together with the The overseer of the same was in my time a Low-Country man; he will shew you such exceeding fair rooms, and chambers, as the like are scarce to be seen any where else, adorned with stately arras all of cloth of gold, and tissue; tables of precious stone, and beds richly furnished beyond comparison; statues and pictures portrayed so naturally, as that the beholders are enticed to embrace them in their arms, falling in love with them, they seeming laughing and living creatures. Desire to see the hindmost room, where the noble-man hath the oldest pieces of work made three or four-hundred years since, and other rare things whereof I omit to write; there is also pictured the tower of Babylon on This noblea square piece, which cost above ten-thousand crowns. man is of the ancient Roman race; his lady is the daughter of Cardinal Farnesius, so beautiful that, in Rome, she may not be compared; you shall see two very excellent fair gardens, graced with admirable pictures, and statuies: bestow a little to drink. Go from thence as if you would In sum, go towards your lodging, and enquire for the Cardinal of Florence's house, where you shall see a most excellent fair palace, but little. It is wholly to be compared to a fair jewel; you must intreat the keeper thereof, not to with-hold any thing from your sight, promising him a reward, and then he will shew you orderly one thing after another, as rooms, chambers, and gardens, set forth and adorned with arras of gold and tissue, wonderous fair statues, and tables of precious stone. every particular as rich and costly as may be devised. Also, in the gar den, a cage wherein are all kinds of birds making sweet harmony, divers rare water-works, and plentifully planted with cypress-trees, yielding a savour so admirable sweet, as the body therewith may be ravished. There are also mighty great vaults under ground, wherein they used to dine and sup in summer-time, by reason of the extraordinary heat, which are adorned with rare pictures, statues, and histories; the place in former time being a waste and ruined ground, and decayed wall, fallen from the temple of Peace, which stands just behind the same; being of a great antiquity, built by the old Roman Emperors, after Jerusalem was destroyed, thereby to signify that they had no need to maintain wars, for they thought there was no nation in the world, that durst war against them. The building is so strong a work, that it was intended, it should remain as long as the world stood; but, as our Saviour Christ was born, the said temple fell, and yet, every Christmas night, there falls a great piece from the same. COLUMNA TRAJAN A. When you desire to go up to this mighty great pillar, you must call to the stone-cutter, that dwells over-against the same, who hath the key thereto But he will have something to drink, before he openeth the same. They say, that this pillar was built by the Emperor Trajan, after he had won Jerusalem, in memory of his victory, all of white marble-stone, wherein are engraved orderly all the battles and victories, which he hath had. A man may ascend up to the top of this pillar in the inside onehundred and eighty-six stairs high, the stone-work being so orderly laid upon the other, that one would verily think the whole pillar was but one intire stone. I will give you warning of one thing when you come up: Sit and rest, before you look up to the top of the pillar, or before you go round about it on the outside, for I myself, unawares, was almost dizzied and ready to fall. From this column you may see over the whole city; then you may go towards the other pillar, called, Columna Antoniniana. COLUMNA ANTONINIANA. This pillar is like unto the other, built by the emperor Antoninus, after his obtained victories, in perpetual memory. Part of this pillar t bu fell down, by reason whereof no man could go up these many years; the Pope, that was last, hath caused the same to be well repaired, and now they go up thereunto. Then go presently to the street, named, de Popolo, where the Cardinal Ferdinando de Medicis (he that is now great Duke of Florence) hath an exceeding fair and stately palace, and garden of pleasure. The palace lies on an hill, named Monte Trinitatis. First shall be shewn you the hall, wherein, you shall see mighty square pieces of stone, and, by the window, is a water-spout erected so high, that a man may wash his hands, standing in the gallery above; and from thence also you may look over the city of Rome. Then go from the hall into the sixteen chambers, or rooms, where you shall always look out of them into the others, if the doors stand open; which rooms are so richly adorned and furnished with arras of wrought gold and silver, as no Emperor, or Pope, hath the like; and, as the walls are hung, so are the beds dressed accordingly. The rooms are graced with rare tables of precious stone, and oriental pearl set therein, and also with brave statues and pictures. You shall see on a table a little temple, and, when a man puts his head into it, he shall think it were a church of a mile in compass, having certain hundred pillars, the prospective looking-glass therein causing the same. You shall see, in one of the rooms, a very fair sphere, fitted for astrology, which the great Duke Cosmus did use. Then go up the stairs, where are also exceeding stately rooms, adorned with mighty statues, costly arras and tables, and excellent rare pictures. There is a looking-glass, in which (standing a little space from it) you shall see plainly the city of High Siena, together with the manner of the besieging it; and, when you draw ncarer unto it, you shall see the Great Duke naturally as if living; but, when you come just to it, you behold yourself only and alone. Then, going out of the palace, on your left hand, you shall see two lions, an eagle, a leopard, and other strange beasts. When you go a little further, you shall see a tower standing at the end of the garden, on the old city wall, where a man may go out of, and into the city, when he pleases; such a privilege hath never any man had in Rome, but only this Cardinal; for, as he was resolved to build a palace there, he shewed his grievance to the senators of the city, namely, that, the place being altogether a hill, it would be an infinite charge to bring it into a plain; neither did he know whither all that earth should be conveyed, that would be taken from the hill; and, therefore, he obtained leave of the Pope to break a hole through the city wall to carry the earth conveniently away, and to make a door to open and shut, at pleasure. They thought he should have enjoyed the conveniency of that door, no longer than the time of his building, but he was too crafty for them, the door remaining there to this day. Go a little further, and there is a stone pit, where are very rare statues made and repaired; for, what antiquity soever the Cardinal can have for money, that he buyeth to adorn and furnish the said palace. Not far from thence, the Cardinal caused a hill to be made, and one-hundred and fifty stairs to go up; on the top, is built an excellent pleasant summer-house, with many rare green and fruitful trees, compassing the same, in which house he uses to dine and sup, when the weather is hot. There is, hard by the table, a fresh-water chest to cool his wine in; from that place you may overlook the whole city of Rome. The hill is overgrown from the bottom to the top with cypress trees, which is as pleasant a prospect as man can imagine, The garden is adorned with such and so many artificial and rare water-works, plants, and statues, as would drive a man to admire; and, in truth, the like is in all Rome not to be seen. The Cardinal, on a time, invited certain noblemen to a supper in that garden, the drink only to which supper did cost sixty-thousand crowns; judge then what the whole feast did cost. The compass of the garden is two Italian miles, and very broad. Then do not neglect to go to the garden of a certain knight, named Nero; where is built a little palace, but wonderous stately, and a room made all of chrystal glass, Then go out of the gate del Popolo, about half a mile from Rome, where is the rare and pleasant garden of Pope Julius the Second, wherein are excellent artificial water-works; and there is a palace gloriously adorned with rare antiquities and statues, of the oldest and best in all Rome. PALATIO FARNESIO. If this palace had been finished, it were the biggest, fairest, and strongest of all others in Rome, with wonderful high rooms, which the Pope, Paulus Farnesius, caused to be built, Go in on the right hand under the vault, and there dwells the overseer that hath the key; he will shew you every thing in order; bestow something upon him to drink. And, first, you shall see a mighty great hall, the sight of which will make you wonder, by reason of the great height, the ceiling being cunningly raised beyond comparison, all of cypress wood. In this hall is a long table of oriental marble-stone and alabaster, set with pearl, Lapis Lazuli, and other costly stoncs, which the Cardinal would not part with for eighty-thousand crowns. Then go into the other rooms, which are all royally furnished; and in the first room are the ancientest emperors naturally portrayed; therein is also an idol, which the Romans (heathenish opiniated) did adore. In this room are three great tables of oriental alabaster, set with divers other precious stones, glistering like a burning torch. Before this room on the right hand is a little chapel, and upon the altar a wonderful fair square, painted by that famous artisan Michael Angelo, a Florentine, and thereon the Last Day of Judgment, so exquisitely and cunningly, that no where the like may be found; bestow to drink. Go then down again into the court-yard, where you shall see six mighty statues, made by two perfect cunning masters, for a great wager, namely, two Commodi Imperatores, two Dea Flora's, and two Hercoli, worthy of each experienced heholder, which of them are made most cunningly. Not far from thence you shall come into another court, and there is a mighty ox, and three statues; a dog, a shepherd, and a concubine, nigh as if they were alive there present. These said pieces are made of one whole intire white marble-stone, which is an admirable piece of work, touching the particulars whereof there were much to be written. But the histories will largely declare the same, which are to be found in the Emperor Antoninus's Thermæ, having stood there also on a time, which Pope Paulus Farnesius caused to be brought into this place aforesaid. A little further, you shall see two mighty great kettles of stone, which did stand also in the said Thermæ. Go over-against that place, and take a view of a bishop's palace, wherein are wonderous fair statues. The Palace of the Bishops of Valencia in Spain. There, in the first room above, stands a mighty fair statue, named Apollo, exceeding old, and yet no whit at all decayed, of oriental alabaster; the said bishop was offered, by the Cardinal de Medicis, twentyfour thousand crowns for the same; but the bishop would not take it. Then go over Campo de Fiore, where Cardinal Farnesius dwells. PALATIUM FARNESII. This is an extraordinrry fair building, four-square below, and above, with mighty columns and pillars; the like are not in all Rome; and also wonderful fair galleries four-square about. And, when you go up the stairs, there stand two mighty Dea Flora's, of marble-stone, at which you will much wonder; whoso can carry them away, may keep them. In this palace is a fair church, which many people pass by unknown, and without seeing it, for it is built like to the palace; therein is an arm of the saint from whom the church is named. Take a sight of the Cardinal's stable, wherein are, most commonly, above an hundred and fifty brave horses. The Jesuits Church, which the Cardinal built at his own charge. This is a marvellous stately temple, covered all over with copper, exceeding high, great, and wide. In the choir stands an altar, which, together with the tabernacle, did cost about thirty-thousand crowns, with very fair and stately pillars of marble-stone. Also, the Cardinal caused, for forty-thousand crowns, gold coin or pence to be made, and also some of silver and brass, on which were stamped his picture. The same he laid, with his own hands, for a foundation; and afterwards such of his friends, as he had heretofore invited, did the like, for an everlasting memory. The building of this temple continued five years, all upon the cardinal's cost and charges. They affirm, that this temple cost a certain ton of gold the building. One ton of gold is reckoned at twenty-thousand pounds sterling. Then go right out through the straight strect, and you shall come to the Campodoglio. |