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Show POPE LEO'S BIRTHPLACE. Childliood of the Late Pontiff Passed in Beautiful Carpincto Among Ideal Surroundings Villa of the Family a Treasure House of Art, (Special Correspondence.) The natlvo placo of the lato Pope Loo XIII, famous as he Is In the his. tory of the present generation, is not much visited by the tourist. Cap plneto, the (own of his birth, is still little known, at least to English-speaking English-speaking people The Journey from Rome to Carpincto Carpi-ncto though long and wcarleonjo, Is full of interest, especially In tho fair month of May". As tho train rounds tho verge of the Roman Campagna on tho sldo of tho TuHCiilan hills, tho 1H-tie 1H-tie town stands out brilliantly against the green vineyards at their base; and over tho broad plain where nt Intervals a soml-rulned watch tower, breaks tho monotony rlso tho cities with ancient names and long historical histor-ical records, such as Palcstrlna and Lablco and Scgnl. On the other side, on the hlghost point of all stands the two towers cutting tho eastern sky, and marking tho situation of Rocra Prlora, tho descendant of the ancient Rocca Pcrjura, or "swearing stone," whoro nt this boundary between two warring states treaties were sworn and obligations and contracts made with all solemnity. Hero, in tho midst of this fair country, coun-try, rises the villa of tho Peccl family fam-ily a two-storied building, with a high "loggia" or balcony on its roof, the throe arches of which look to ward Carplneto. Only one-halt tho house is built; tho other half, which was to faco toward Monclanclo, after about two ccnturlcs7 Is still unbuilt. Hero In tho grounds of this Casino, or villa of the Peccls, tho young student, stu-dent, who was afterward to reach the highest position In the church, passed bis vacations. An old and withered chestnut trco which stands hero is still pointed out as his treo; and under un-der Its shadow ho read over and over again, until his mind was penetrated with them, tho sonorous verses of his favorite authors, Virgil and. Horace Hor-ace Tho influences of tho studies ho mado hero may bo recognized in tho Latin poems he himself composed afterward. On tho way you pass the Church of St. Agostlno, which Leo XIII re-nowed re-nowed from Its former dilapidated state :lt dates from the twelfth century cen-tury and bulli a very beautiful convent con-vent beside It, which ho transferred to the Augustlnlaus. Over on the other side of tho valley Is tho Franciscan Fran-ciscan monastery, which when I know it first, at tho time Leo XIII was elected, elect-ed, was abandoned, being only inhabited inhab-ited by two or threo friars. Tho monastery Is now a hospital, supplied with the best and latest requirements re-quirements of tho healing art. This is tho work of Leo XIII. So is the new road from Montelanlco to Carplneto; Car-plneto; tho fountains in the town are supplied by water brought from the mountain at tho expense of the pontiff. pon-tiff. Tho chief attraction for strangers, and that which induces them to fore-g fore-g fatigue and danger, is tho house Typical Mountaineer. ot the Pocch tho TiHazzo Pecc'-ln which Leo XIII was born, on March 2, 1810. Thuro It elands in tho principal prin-cipal stroot in tho highest part of the fifty, with Its somi-ctrfular arched door loading up to a street behind, as wetl as to the palace, and having over It tho well-known shield of the pontiff. pon-tiff. It was this and Its contents we had como to sec. The house. Is fitted up with considerable consid-erable elegance and sotno comfort. Tho grand hall prcsonts a very flno appearance. The great picture painted paint-ed by Count do Courtcn, representing Leo XIII returning In state, wearing tho tiara and seated upon tbo sedla Woman of Carplneto. gestatorla, from tho Slstlno chapel, fills up a largo part of one of the longer walls. It Is a valuable picture, as It contains excellent portraits of cardinals and other distinguished personages per-sonages who aio since dead. Hero in tho cxtrcmo right corner of the plo turo is tho late Cardinal Howard, a tall, splendid figure, who was a master mas-ter of many languages; hero also Is Cardinal Sacconl, and a host of ecclesiastics eccle-siastics and diplomats. Tho walls aro hung with crimson damask; and above tho magnificent orlcntnl vaso In metal, all chased with strango designs, which stands to tho right of Do Courtcn's great work, is tho excellent portrait of Cardinal Joseph Peccl, brother of tho pontiff. Beyond tho door on tho left Is a splendid portrait of Leo XIII., painted in nearly white color, that A APPROACH TO CAEPINETO -? Is absolutely poetic, as well as beau-tlful. beau-tlful. Tho ceiling Is In tho old-fash-lonea style, tho great beams of wood crossed by smaller beams, all painted paint-ed and picked with bright colors, and rosettes in the coffers. In another large hall aro the family fam-ily portraits. Over tho doors aro portraits por-traits of tho father of tho Popo, Col. Count Ludovlco Peccl, and of the mother. Countess Anna Prosperl Duzl. The father, In his uniform of dark bluo velvet, with deep rich gold lace, and his fine epaulettes, lace cravat and cuffs and whlto wig, looks quite a gentleman of tho olden time. Tho mo'ther of Leo XIII came from tho little hill city of Corl, in tho Vol-sclan Vol-sclan hills, high abovo tho Pontine, marshes. Her portrait, In splto of tho antiquated stylo In which sho Is represented, rep-resented, with her powdered hair puffed out on each sldo, shows her to bo a gentlewoman. Vlnconjo Glvacchlno, afterwards Leo XIII, wns nor sixth child, and Bho was 38 years old when ho was horn; when ho was In his 15th year the future Pope lost his mothor. Sho died In Rome and was burled In tho Church of tho "Stlra-raato," "Stlra-raato," whoro n touching epitaph records re-cords her virtues. Another hall in tho Palazzo Pecco is now convertod Into a museum. Horo wo wero shown tho dresses of which tkoro aro sovcral worn by the grandmother of I.eo XIII, Tho uniform of Colonel Count Ludovlco Lu-dovlco Peccl, with its gold laca and buttons with tho papal tlarn, 'Is also horo. The letter In which tho now Popo infurmod his, brothers of his election to tho pontificate, tho first letter ho wroto s Popo. brown with tho sunlight, Is hru In a wooden framo; and you may noto tho caro-fnl, caro-fnl, dollcnto wrlthiR, a llttlo tromu-lous tromu-lous In parts, in which ho convoyed to them this great ovoia. Horo, too, behind those glass cases fti tho scarcely scarce-ly less intoreati'ijr article, tho first whlto paiml sovtune ho woro. |