FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99  
100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   >>   >|  
line over the great niche between the two columns, as has been described in the other facade; and on the other side another great statue like it, but very active, with the arms bare and with the head crowned with flowers, representing the Active Life; in which statues were comprised very fittingly all the qualities that appertain to the Christian Religion. In the frieze between the one cornice and the other, which corresponded to that of the other part, and which was likewise divided into three compartments, there were seen in the largest, which was in the centre, three men in Roman dress presenting twelve little children to some old and venerable Tuscans, to the end that these, being instructed by them in their religion, might demonstrate in what repute the Tuscan religion was held in ancient times among the Romans and all other nations: with a motto to explain this, taken from that perfect law of Cicero, which said: ETRURIA PRINCIPES DISCIPLINAM DOCETO. Beneath which was the inscription, similar and corresponding to that already given from the other facade, which said: FRUGIBUS INVENTIS DOCTAE CELEBRANTUR ATHENAE, ROMA FEROX ARMIS IMPERIOQUE POTENS. AT NOSTRA HAEC MITIS PROVINCIA ETRURIA RITU DIVINO ET CULTU NOBILIORE DEI, UNAM QUAM PERHIBENT ARTES TENUISSE PIANDI NUMINIS, ET RITUS EDOCUISSE SACROS; NUNC EADEM SEDES VERAE EST PIETATIS, ET ILLI HOS NUMQUAM TITULOS AUFERET ULLA DIES. In one of the two smaller pictures, that which came on the right hand, since it is thought that the ancient religion of the Gentiles (which not without reason was placed on the west) is divided into two parts, and consists, above all, of augury and sacrifice, there was seen painted according to that use an ancient priest who with marvellous solicitude was standing all intent on considering the entrails of the animals sacrificed, which were placed before him in a great basin by the ministers of the sacrifice; and in the other picture an augur like him with the crooked lituus in the hand, drawing in the sky the regions proper for taking auguries from certain birds that were shown flying above. Now, descending lower, and coming to the niches; in that, I say, which was on the right hand, was seen S. Romualdo, who in this our country, a land set apart, as it were, by Nature for religion and sanctity, founded on the wild Apennine mountains the holy Hermitage of Camaldoli, whence that Order had its origin
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99  
100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

religion

 

ancient

 

sacrifice

 
ETRURIA
 
divided
 

facade

 
consists
 

PIANDI

 

TENUISSE

 

priest


augury
 

painted

 

SACROS

 

EDOCUISSE

 

NUMINIS

 
thought
 

Gentiles

 

smaller

 

pictures

 
AUFERET

PIETATIS

 
NUMQUAM
 

TITULOS

 

reason

 

marvellous

 

drawing

 

country

 
Nature
 

Romualdo

 

niches


coming

 

sanctity

 

founded

 

origin

 

Camaldoli

 

Hermitage

 

Apennine

 

mountains

 

descending

 

ministers


picture

 

sacrificed

 

animals

 

standing

 

intent

 

entrails

 
crooked
 

lituus

 

flying

 

auguries