THE GARDENS OF PAPAL ROME 
Pavia reached the Vatican. She witnessed the Pope’s 
procession to the Lateran and was received by him in 
private audience. Every day she might be seen, ac¬ 
companied by her fair maids-of-honour, and escorted 
by troops of courtiers, driving in her chariot through 
the streets—a sight, remarked Bembo, as novel as it 
was charming. She rode out to Roma vecchia , and, in 
spite of her advancing years, showed herself as inde¬ 
fatigable a sightseer as she had ever been. And, 
one lovely evening in May, the Pope’s kinsman, 
Franceschino Cibo, invited her to supper at the Vigna 
of his Holiness on Monte Mario. “ Yesterday,” 
wrote Francesco Gonzaga, the Mantuan envoy, who 
had lately succeeded Castiglione, “ Her Excellency was 
invited by Cavaliere Franceschino to supper at the 
Pope’s Vigna , where he has a most beautiful palace, still 
unfinished, that was built when he was Cardinal, with 
some rooms completed and decorated in the most 
sumptuous and magnificent manner. The place is 
delicious and most enjoyable, and the site is the 
finest in the world.” The ambassador proceeds to 
describe the elegant and abundant supper that was 
served by the Pope’s servants on his own gold plate, 
the musical performances of various kinds, and other 
delightful entertainments, with which the ladies were 
amused during the three hours which they spent at 
the villa. 
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