Saturday, December 20, 2008

The Angelicum

Update: Oooops.

Forgot my "Demonized by the Left" gallery pic:



Today's offering is appropriate to the Dominican theme:

Tomás de Torquemada
(1420 – September 16, 1498)

was a fifteenth century Spanish Dominican, first Inquisitor General of Spain, and confessor to Isabella I of Castile. He was famously described by the Spanish chronicler Sebastián de Olmedo as "The hammer of heretics, the light of Spain, the saviour of his country, the honour of his order". He is known for his zealous campaign against the crypto-Jews and crypto-Muslims of Spain. He was one of the chief supporters of the Alhambra Decree, which expelled the Jews from Spain in 1492. The number of autos-de-fé during Torquemada's tenure as Inquisitor General have been hotly debated over the years, but the number is now generally put at about 2,200; with roughly half of these beings proxy burnings of straw figures.


Went up there this morning and got some pics.




I'm told the oranges are just coming ripe.


Morning constitutional.


The vile Victor Emmanuel Monument from over the garden wall.




Lemons not quite ready.


Lots of mums.


The oranges all over the ground beneath the trees give it the air of a place where a careless greengrocer has come and dropped his wares.




So, how's December where you are?


Having hailed from somewhat colder lattitudes, I was fascinated by the orange trees. To me, oranges don't come from trees. They come in boxes.


The hallowed halls.



7 comments:

Mark S. Abeln said...

Ah, the cloister with orange trees reminds me so much of the older student housing where I lived at Caltech! Los Angeles, California has a rather Mediterranean climate like Rome.

John said...

It's gotten very chilly lately. . . way down in to the lower 60's[f].

When I was a boy about a 20 minute walk from here we used to have mile upon mile of citrus orchards. Oranges mostly, but some lemon. All paved over now.


Cheers,

-John-
Archdiocese of Hollywood
California
In partibus infidelium

Anonymous said...

Your postings are very much appreciated from Life site news and also this new blog. The commentary on the Angelicum and the holy roman church
has been appreciated-I back your view. The cloister has not changed but many Dominicans seem to have gotten overly far to the left or either no longer espouse this or that, forgetting too often the greater defense of Christ's Church's holy treasures. It is not to say that there are not found some remnant of the Dominicans who are still faithful to their vocation. Sancte Dominice Ora pro nobis.

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

'This new blog' has been going since September 2005.

Hilary Jane Margaret White said...

I have to admit, John, that although the sun was shining mightily, it was quite cold. My hands were getting numb taking the pics and I was glad to sit in the garden in the sun out of the breeze for a few minutes.

Anonymous said...

I never knew much as I should about Torquemada until I learned that St. Philip Neri regarded him as a saint and painted a halo on a portrait of him.

M. Alexander said...

Mums pffft! They are daisies right as rain.

I may not ever make it to Rome due to distance, reality and economy but I will say I've been there just the same.