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Show ' POPE LEO'S BIRTHPLACE. j The past summer n Pu ne being un-i un-i usually cool, called forth the remark j from Pope Leo, "This reminds me of my native mountain air, which I have not breathed for forty-two years, and, what is more, never shall again. Sometimes." Some-times." he continued, "in the ga"den here, I get a whiff from the pines which carries me in a moment back to Carpineto." The Pontiff, indeed, is quite justified in his loving regret for his birthplace, which is situated live miles distant from the railway, on a peak, of i.the Lepini Mountains, and is surrounded .by high peaks, often snowcapped, snow-capped, making it a most picturesque spct, say a Rome correspondent of the London Telegraph. The village has about 5,000 inhabitants, chiefly, shepherds, shep-herds, who. although wretchedly poor, are strong and sturdy, and exceedingly proud of "our family." In fact, the Pecci Palace is the only building of any pretensions in the village, vil-lage, situated as it is en the highest j ground overlooking the valleys and hiljs. The interior is severe but comfortable, com-fortable, large halls opening one out f the other, hung with tapestry and 'family portraits, and furnished 'with antique furniture. One little room, looking out ever the valleys, is called "Camera di Monsignore" (Moneignor's room), which, the Pope occupied on his last visit, in. 1857, when plain Mgr. Pecci, and it reflects the simple tastes which he still retains so conspicuously. There is a .small iron bed, hung and covered with white, a writing desk In the window, a large wardrobe in oak, and some chairs and scriptural engravings. engrav-ings. The other parts of the palace are, perhaps, more rich, with many family portraits; one of mediocre merit, but a good likeness, of Leo as a young man, one of his brother, Cardinal Pecci, Pec-ci, who died at the age of 83, in 1S90, I painted from memory, as the late Cardinal Car-dinal always refused 'to sit for even a photograph The Pecci palace, outside, is sur-rouided sur-rouided with pleasant slopes, rich in olives and grapes, and magnificent chestnut groves, while many horn-beuns horn-beuns "(carpini) are seen, which give the village its name One fine chestnut is still preserved with care in the garden, gar-den, as it was here1 that the future head of the Church used to sit and con his Latin, or, more of ten, lie and dream of the future, the brilliance of which he could not then, of course, imagine. |