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Miscellany: The Greatest Robbery On Record

Miscellany: The Greatest Robbery On Record image
Parent Issue
Day
7
Month
October
Year
1844
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The astounding pew's has boen rcceivcd of tite robbery óf the house of 'Our Lady of Loretto.' Paris papers statu t'int these tronsures, theuccumulation of cpnturie?, and almost past the calculation of arithmetic in vahie.lmve been taken offby thé keepey.o whom ihey were ntrusted, and who suddenly embarkéa for Trieste in a sleamer. We copy the foliowinff ironía work not yet published - "TheArnerican in haly."- Tribune Loretto, celebruted above all pther i laces in Itaiy for pilgrimage?, is a small town and seaporl on the Adriutic, on the bordcis of the mirch of Ancoua, and ábput four leagues froni that city. ft is the object of exiruordinarv vcn?rntion, by sea as wel! ik by land - for the sailora beüeve that the mere sound ef the bells has power to subdtie the stormt for which the LevanV is so much dreaded. Loretto was founded by ]Jope Sixtu3 5th, and ïs built on a lull which overiooks the water. Round the great gquare are seen the Apostólica', palace, the pulace -of the Bishop, and iliat of the Govornor, witli the grand centre of attraction, the principal clmrch, whicli cojit'ains tlie famous Santiísima Casa, or Most Holy House of our Lady, the Virgin Mary. Strange as it inny seetn, it is believed by millions in Itaiy, the the idéntica! house in which was ihe ret-idence of tho family of Jesus Christ in Nazareth, was removed by a miracle in the night, in the year 1294, to save it fromthe hands of tlje Turks. It was iirst carried to nnotber country, it is snid, through a mistake made by the angela who had it in charge: but, the mlstoke being discovered when daylighc came, it was taken to Loretlo with but Mulo loss of time. The great church was buiit round it, ál great expense, and with many ornamants in sculpture, &c. with the surplus inoney bestowed on the Casa, by the innumerable pilgrims from all parts of Itaiy nnt1 other countries. . The Santísima Casa is a single square room, L0 1-2 French feet in lengt h within, 13 wide, and lá in heiyht, It was originally,it is said, built of brides, wliich are entiielv concealed in n ensing of marble, filled witl) bas -reliëfs. Others nre represented on the fóurdoors, wliich are of bronze. The top is a 'grand cupola, designed (üke the public fountain, tho church, and alnjost 'evèy other edifice in the city,) by Bratnerite. The painting is by Pomeranziö. Inscriptions oh the church wal! record the pretended mimóle, and i!s daie W Spnnish. English, Polish, Germán, Breton, Il:::n, Greek and Arabic. The Ittárble flooi of thé Casa was deeply worn, seventy years ago, by tlieknees of pilgritEs, whose custom it is to hïake the circuit óf it on their knees, repeating eomo of the numéfous proyefs that have been composed to the Virgin Mary, and puWishcd byIn the centre is au altar, where rn;iss is said, and near ittho sanctuary, in which is depösit(O a ötatueöf the Virgin, thirty-thrce inches high, made of cedar, and visible, by the glare of many burning ]amp;f through asilver grating. Tnrning frpm the dnzzling eigbt of the walls of the roo:n, they are scen líaed with a grand display of silver lamps, lefc a offeriocr.s by the wealthy devotees of diíTe:cnt couñtriee. The crovvns of the Virgin and of the Infant Saviour in her 'arm, werc prcsented by Louis 13:h, King of France, whon he piayedfor an iieir tb bis ihrone, and contained no loss than three .ihousnnd und threo hundred 'predom stones of different sizee and valuc. Emperors, kinn-s, princes nnd cardinal, and none of nferior dirrniiy, have been allowed the honor cf fnrnishing the belt, collar, diamond crossen globe, nnd choin of gold, peat]s and diamonds, vhich adorn the.twolmages. Persons of Jess üslinction have covered the base with diftnonds, while the niche in which ihey are placed is hned with plates of gold, of eightecu pounds.weight. The exterior of the niclie 8 covered with lopis lozuli and goid, nnd a arger uiche endoses the whole,made of silvei', veighing 61 pounds and 10 ounces.Allang the 62 lampa ,kept burnmg before Uiis object of worehip are several glittering with prccious ïtonc.--, and onc of gold, wdghng thirty-seven pounds, presentcd by the Reptiblic of Venico Bi a 'time of pcstileuce. One of' the silver lnmps weighs fifi y poumls. Beside theae aro a muhitiide of silver lampa, placed in thechurch for wnnt of room. For other particulars, see books printed in Loretto, containing details, of which we have not time to speuk, with long lisls of the names of donors. One name, hovvever, mgkj, bc mentioned- ;!iat of.Mary, Q,nocn of Scots, who made the Virrm a present of a golden angel, covered with diamonds holding up a flnniing lieart, surmounted with a lamp adorned with rubíes. llore aré'also beads, hearts, statues, Sic. ofold and . piales of silvcf, inscribed with the lilanies of tlie Virgin xMary. Butwh.it cou!d be said of the great silver anrl, weighintr tliree hnndrcd &. t'üly pounds; or of ihe staliito of Louis Xw'I. presenting a, golden one of his son, of the weight of twenty-iour poond.-: or of tiif? silver jjULue, ubout tliree feei high, and a silver tower, sent by the bro'.her of the Prince cf Conde after hs release from prison? No less r reditable is the story of the Casa !han üiut of the furrnture said to have been transponed with it from mnong which are her. trtink, rube, eaither) drinking up, chapleti', bel.'s, fco. fee. framents of wliich.are constantiy eold al high prices, to eep on' ihnnderbolts and other evils; but the, slory goes that tliey are m-t diminished, . niraculo.,s restoration being eonstantly made. crucTix is one of the oLjccts most talked ibo ut, beeaufc it is said to have been three imes rrüraculousiy restored ío its place after bree remováis.- Büt the tender must not imagine that he has beard the whole amount of the treasures of the Sanlissima Capa. So fnr from it, they have nol been reached by our deecripiion, Al thnt. hits beeu hitherlo noticed, and inuch more that we cannot name, belongs to Uie ('ecorations merely. As lor the treasures, no one thnt I know Óf has for ages pretended to estímate their valueor to approximate it. A mero list of the principal objects contained ifi seven large cases and twenty-four smalior ones is sufficient to'fiil' a volume. Tliey are chipfly such tiiing-s as silver images and chandeliers, plans of cities and provinces in silver, cluilicesofgold- mid-sil ver, vasos ofrich crystal, liaujond, crosses, crou-ns, Lcc. and large single diamond of inmenso vaJue.

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Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News