Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 15.djvu/320

 VATICAN

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VATICAN

Borgia, the Stanze of Raphael, and the Museum of Modern Paintings.

Between these long stretches of the palaces with the three courts and the Basilica of St. Peter lie a large number of courts, surrounded in a somewhat irregular fashion by a group of buildings of which we shall men- tion the most important. The Sistine Chapel to the extreme left adjoins theCortile della Sentinella and the Cortile del Portoncino; opposite to this ends the left wing of the library. To the right from the chapel is the Sala Regia, beyond which, extending towards St. Peter's, is the Cappella Paolina. Running somewhat obliquely from the Sala Regia is the Sala Ducale, which, with the Stanze di Raffaello and the Apparta- mento Borgia, encloses theCortile del Papagallo on the north and south sides. The eastern side of this court is bordered by llir sjruu]) of buildings containing the Camere dei Paraiin m i umiIj ihc Loggie di tJiovanni

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Sedan Chair

XIII PRESERVE

THE Vatican

da Udine extending in front) and the Cappella di Niccolo V (one story higher), situated before which is the Loggie di Raffaello. The above-mentioned loggie form the western side of the Cortile di San Damaso; the northern side is also composed of loggie, behind which, on the second floor, is the Sala Matilde and on the third a portion of the old picture-gallery. The eastern side of the loggie stands in front of that portion of the palace occupied by the pope and the secretary of state. There are some lesser courts on the east side. The exterior of the palace presents an imposing ensemble. Architectonic decorativeness is found no- where. Ex-treme simphcity characterizes the exterior walls. According as necessity dictated, aesthetic effect being little considered," new buildings and annexes were erected, roofs raised, external passages laid out, lofty halls divided horizontally and pierced for the upperhalf of windows which disfigure the lines of the buildings. Those who seek for uniformity find much to censure in the palace, but the general effect, viewed from an historical standpoint, is most pleasing. The Cortile di San Damaso, the view towards St. Peter's of graceful arcades opening out before the staircase leading to the Sala Regia by the Portal of Paul II, the loftv entrance door to the library of Sixtus IV, in the Cortile del Papagallo, the Cortili del Portoncino and della .S<.ntinclla are all magnificent. The Portone della Scnliiiella l<'ads to the Cortile di Belvedere, decorated with a beautiful fountain. The view to the right from the windows and galleries of the Appartamento Borgia and the Stanze di Raffaello is admirable. .\ii added story rei)laced the turret of the palace of Nicholas V; the adjacent Torre Borgia has lost its ancient windows, its roof thereby losing the character of a tower. Above the 1rans\'(>rs(> wing is the Torre dei (Juattro Venti, where was the Specola Gregoriana, (he observatory dating from the days of Gregory XIII, with its liainlings by the Ziiccari.

The Giardino della Pigna, lying to the north, is beautifully laid out. In the centre of the court has stood since 1S86, mounted on a marble column, a bronze statue of St. Peter, in commemoration of the Vatican Council of 1870; numerous fragments of statues and reliefs are artisticall.v placed standing or flat along the walls. The quarters of the Swiss Guards on the east side consist of two narrow parallel buildings, which, with the Sistine Palace and the Torrione di Niccolo V, form two courts. The inner court is adjacent to the palace; in the other is a gate leading directly to the city by the colonnades. Be- yond this gate is the covered passage from the palace to Sant' Angelo, now walled up at the point where it leaves the Vatican territory. A tablet and inscrip- tion and a large coat of arms give evidence that Alex- ander VI initiated here extensive works of improve- ment and decoration. In the immediate vicinity of the Torrione di Niccolo V earlier lay the Cavallerizza, the riding ground for the Noble Guard. Between this building and the quarters of the Swiss Guards is an- (ither gate leading to the town. The Cavallerizza was entirely reconstructed three years ago to accommo- date the Stamperia Segreta (the private press of the \atican) and the Tipografia Vaticana. On this occa- sion Pius X introduced extensive reforms in the print- ing, bringing it to the highest level attained by mod- ern technic. North of the printing offices and parallel to the eastern longitudinal wing of the palace is the huge house which Pius X reconstructed for the mar- ried officials and the servants of the palace. It is solidly built, conveniently divided, and fitted with the best sanitary requirements.

The palace forms a special parish, the administration of which is entrusted to the Monsignor Sagrista, sac- ristan of the pope, assisted by the sottosagrista, who has charge of all the vestments and vessels used in the five chapels of the palace. The chaplain of the Swiss Guards attends to the vestments of their chapel. The Cappella Paolina is regarded as the parish church, and is thus one of the churches of Rome where the Forty Hours' Adoration is inaugurated at the begin- ning of each ecclesiastical year. By the Bull, "Ad sacram ordinis",of 15 October, 1497, the ancient cus- tom of selecting the Prefect of the Apostolic Chapel (the sagrista) from the Augustinian Order was given a legal foundation. The sagrista is Titular Bishop of Porphyreon, assistant at the throne, and domestic prelate, and before 1870 was pastor of the Vatican Palace, of the Quirinal, and of the Lateran. The Quirinal was provisionally attached in 1870 to the parish of SS. Vincenzo ed Anastasio, and in the Lat- eran the sagi'ista was represented in pai'ochial affairs by the pastor of the basihca. In addition to other privileges the sagrista has the right of administering Extreme Unction to the dying pope. Since the reign of Pius IV he is an ex-officio member of the Conclave. Although, as a bishop, the sagrista enjoys the use of the rocliet, he wears it only in very exceptional cases, always wearing the mozzetta over the manteletta. His appointment is for life, so that he is not affected by a change of pontificate.

IV. The Vatican Gardens. — Enclosed betv.een the city walls, the zecca (the mint) with the adjacent houses, and the Viale del Museo, lie the Vatican Gar- dens, or Bo.seareccio, into which visitors are admitted only with the special jiermission of the sub-Prefect of the Vatican Palace. They are reached through the museum entrance on the western side of the iialace. To the left of the entrance below is the EngHsh Garden, in which the palma yrande (the tallest palm in Rome) and fine citron and orange trees grow under a protecting roof, .^t the end of the broad path to the right is a walk, bordered b>' boxwood trees fifteen to twenty feet high, which leads between oaks and ilex trees up the hill on which stands the Casino of Leo XI II, resting on one of the huge towers of the Leo-