Some observations made in travelling through France, Italy, &cin the years MDCCXX, MDCCXXI, and MDCCXXII . ,for that noble library, and the glorious paintings of Raphael,claims the firft place; but if you were to regard uniformity, re-gularity, and a graceful approach, or entrance, I do not knowwhether it ought not to (land in the laft. It is a vafl mafs ofbuilding put together at feveral times, by feveral popes;— thefirft having been done, as they fay, by pope Symmachus towardthe latter end of the fecond century. Some of the courtsare really fine and noble, with rows of porticoes one above an
Some observations made in travelling through France, Italy, &cin the years MDCCXX, MDCCXXI, and MDCCXXII . ,for that noble library, and the glorious paintings of Raphael,claims the firft place; but if you were to regard uniformity, re-gularity, and a graceful approach, or entrance, I do not knowwhether it ought not to (land in the laft. It is a vafl mafs ofbuilding put together at feveral times, by feveral popes;— thefirft having been done, as they fay, by pope Symmachus towardthe latter end of the fecond century. Some of the courtsare really fine and noble, with rows of porticoes one above an-other, very magnificent; but the whole looks very heavy,and is a great annoyance to the profpecT: of S. Peters church,juft by which it ftands, as I had often thought by the prints, be-fore I had feen the pile itfelf, and was much confirmed in thatthought when I did fee it. The guardarobbe, the officers whohave the care of the furniture, and fhew you the apartments,tell you that there are above 12000 rooms in that palace ; andfor your fatisfaction they refer you to a model of the whole in LI 2 wood,. 260 ROME. VATICAN. wood, which is kept in one of the upper chambers, and maybe taken afunder, lb as to come at the leffer rooms that lie inthe body of it. But whoever would take the pains to countthem all, would pay dear enough (I think) for his curiofity. Befides the noted paintings of Raphael in this palace, thereare a great many others, and by good mafters, in the other nu-merous apartments there. A few ot the principal I will name,in the order they were fhewd me. In the Camera della Spogliatura, the cieling is painted infrefco [the Defcent of the Holy Ghoft] by Girolamo Sala Regia [Royal Hall] has feveral large paintings infrefco ?, the Pope condemning Herefy, with S. Peter and in the Air, and feveral other figures, by Geo. Valari. Hehas written his name and country at a corner of the piece,in Greek, for what reafon, I know not. rEoprios otasapios* He came
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