Frascati St. Peter Square
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter Apostle is the cathedral and main church of Frascati, Italy. It was founded in 1598, under design of Ottaviano Nonni, best known as Mascherino. After twelve years, on June 29, 1610 the first Mass was celebrated. In 1696 Giovanni Fontana began work on a new façade, which was finished in 1700.
The two bell towers on either side of the facade were constructed later. It has a Greek cross plan, and houses a wooden crufix of 11th century from Tusculum, a Madonna - "Mysteries of the Rosary" attributed to Domenichino, a relief by Pompeo Ferrucci (1612) represents Jesus handing over the keys to St. Peter, and a 14th century Madonna with the baby in the Chapel of the Gonfalone, that was retouched by Domenichino. On the interior side of the facade wall there is a bronze "Holy Year Cross" of 1750.
The interior of the cathedral was destroyed by a bombing on September 8, 1943, and so today it appears bare, except for a little chapel off to the right.
In the nave, on the inner side of the façade, there is a funerary white marble monument of Charles Edward Stuart with a memorial tablet. When he died in 1788, his brother, the duke of York and bishop of Frascati, Henry Benedict Stuart, celebrated his solemn funeral here. The cathedral received many tokens of Henry's episcopal concern, most of which are still visible today.
When the body of Charles Stuart was transferred to the Saint Peter's Basilica, his "praecordia", were left here in a small urn enclosing his heart, placed beneath the floor below the funerary monument.
The name "Italy" is shrouded in mystery; some etymologists trace it to a Greek word meaning "the land of young cattle."
Italy was fond of Jupiter and Mars from the very start, Jupiter for fatherly good luck and Mars for war!
But it all began with Rome. Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus who were sons of Rhea and Mars.
The twins were abandoned at birth out of a fear that they would grow up and later overthrow Amelius, usurper of their grandfather's rightful throne.
Wrongful mis-doings most foul! Treachery and sabotage!! HOW would these two blessed infants make their way in such a world?
As it turns out, the twins didn't have to make their way very far, because one of them killed the other one and then they weren't twins anymore. But that happens later.
First they got rescued by a she-wolf who suckled them with her milk and raised them as her own until they were discovered by the shepherd Faustulus.
Faustulus fed them meat and bread and also raised them as his own until they were old enough to return to Amelius and hack him up as planned. They reinstated the grandfather Numitor to his rightful throne and went off to celebrate by starting a town of their own.
They chose a hilly area where the mama wolf had saved them from certain death in the barren wilderness and began scouting locations.
Romulus liked one hill. Remus liked another. The circle of crows like Romulus' hill, so Romulus killed Remus and named the town after himself. Thus Rome was born and Italy with it.
Text by Steve Smith.