"Two serpents ... their destined way they take,And to Laocoön and his children make:And first around the tender boys they wind,Then with their sharpened fangs their limbs and bodies grind.The wretched father, running to their aidWith pious haste, but vain, they next invade;Twice round his waist their winding volumes rolled,And twice about his gasping throat they fold.The priest thus doubly choked, their crests divide,And towering o'er his head in triumph ride."Virgil, "Æn.," ii. 209:Dryden.
"Two serpents ... their destined way they take,And to Laocoön and his children make:And first around the tender boys they wind,Then with their sharpened fangs their limbs and bodies grind.The wretched father, running to their aidWith pious haste, but vain, they next invade;Twice round his waist their winding volumes rolled,And twice about his gasping throat they fold.The priest thus doubly choked, their crests divide,And towering o'er his head in triumph ride."Virgil, "Æn.," ii. 209:Dryden.
"Two serpents ... their destined way they take,
And to Laocoön and his children make:
And first around the tender boys they wind,
Then with their sharpened fangs their limbs and bodies grind.
The wretched father, running to their aid
With pious haste, but vain, they next invade;
Twice round his waist their winding volumes rolled,
And twice about his gasping throat they fold.
The priest thus doubly choked, their crests divide,
And towering o'er his head in triumph ride."
Virgil, "Æn.," ii. 209:Dryden.
We now enter the
the hero sung of by Greek and Latin poets. Found in the year 1500 outside the Porta Portese. 20, The Loves of Æneas and Dido; 17, Inscription relating to the foundation of the temple of Hercules Victor by the consul Mummius.
In the centre is a basin of pavonazzetto; on the balcony a very rare ancient sun-dial, found in 1770 near the Colosseum. The view from here has given to this balcony the name
It commands a beautiful panoramic scene of Rome and the Campagna, bounded by the distant Alban and Sabine Hills.
The gray peperino sarcophagus was discovered in the tomb of the Scipios on the Via Appia in 1780. It contained the remains of Scipio Barbatus. When it was opened, two thousand years after his death, the skeleton was found entire, with a ring upon one of the fingers. The ring passed into the hands of the Earl of Beverley, and the bones were removed to Padua by the Venetian senator, Angelo Quirini. On the wall are inscriptions found in the tomb. A bust of the poet Ennius surmounts the sarcophagus.
of Hercules. The work of Apollonius, son of Nestor of Athens. Found near the Theatre of Pompey. It is considered to be the mostperfect resemblance to human flesh, and was greatly admired by Raphael and Michael Angelo, the latter declaring that he was its pupil.Descending the stairs we reach
containing numerous monuments of Greek and Roman art.On the left going down.733, Recumbent Statue of Hercules; 683, Hygeia; 682, Antoninus Pius; 681, Minerva; 635, Hercules with Ajax, found near Pompey's Theatre; 589, Mercury; 588, Group of Bacchus and Ampelus; 544, Silenus; 495, A Cupid, by Praxiteles; 494, Tiberius; 493, Diadumenianus; 450, Mercury; 422, Bust of Demosthenes; 419–417, Busts of Caius and Lucius, nephews of Augustus; 418, Julia, his daughter; 416, Augustus as a Youth; 401, Colossal Head of Augustus; 400, Tiberius; 399, Head of Tiberius; 353, Nymph on a Rock; 294, Hercules Resting; 262, A Smiling Child; 242, Apollo Citharœdus; 241, Juno suckling Mars; 240, Britannicus; 197, Minerva, with modern helmet and enamelled eyes; 177, Polyhymnia; 175, Niobe in Flight from Diana; 122, Diana; 121, Clio, the historical muse and guardian of truth; 120, Priestess of Vesta; 85, The God of Sleep; 62, Hygeia, the goddess of health; 61, Urania; 15, A consular statue; 6, Autumn.—Gates to Corridor of Inscriptions.—Returning.13, Winter; 19, Paris; 18, Apollo; 17, A Faun.Entrance to the Nuovo Braccio.112, Venus of Cnidos; 124, Drusus; 181, Hecate; 179, Myth of Alcestis; 245, Polyhymnia; 244, Ocean; 287, Sleeping Fisher Boy; 298, Bacchus; 297, Athlete; 343a, Brutus who stabbed Cæsar; 355–357, Figures found at Tusculum; 358, Captive; 453, Meleager; 498, Clotho; 497, Sarcophagus, with Corn-mills; 484, Diana; 547, Isis; 548, a Vestal; 580, Præfica; 591, Claudius; 627, Venus and Mars; 639, Julia Lœmia; 686, Tuccia, the vestal virgin, carrying water in a sieve from the Tiber to the Forum. (See Dionysius, ii. 69.) On the border is S. K. Pello, "By this proof a sepulchre and a calumny are removed from me." 685, Sarcophagus, representing the manufacture of oil; 684, Æsculapius.
Built by Pius VII., in 1817, from the designs of Stern. The floor is composed of ancient mosaics, and is worthy of notice. The chief objects of interest are—5, Caryatide, supposed to be one of those which supported the portico of the Pandrosium at Athens, by Phidias; 8, Commodus; 9, Captive Dacian King; 11, Silenus; 14, Augustus, found in 1863 in the ruins of the Villa of Livia at PrimaPorta; 17, Æsculapius; 20, Nerva; 23, Pudicitia, the goddess of modesty; 26, Titus; 92, Ganymedes, the cup-bearer of Jupiter; 44, Wounded Amazon; 47, Caryatide; 50, Diana; 53, Euripides; 56, Julia, daughter of Titus; 59, Plenty; 62, Demosthenes; 67, Athlete in the act of cleaning his arm with a strigil—the die, which he holds in his other hand, is an erroneous modern addition; 71, Amazon; 74, Clemency; 77, Antonia, the wife of Drusus the elder; 80, Plotina, wife of Trajan; 83, Ceres; 86, Fortune; 96, A. Marcus Antonius; 109, The Nile—the sixteen children are allegorical of the sixteen cubits at which the rise of the river begins to irrigate the land—one of the finest works of art in the Vatican, found near the Church of Minerva; 111, Julia, daughter of Titus; 114, Minerva; 117, Claudius; 120, Faun; 123, Lucius Verus; 126, Athlete; 129, Domitian; 132, Mercury.Passing through the iron gates, we enter
the walls of which are adorned with three thousand pagan and eleven hundred Christian inscriptions brought from various catacombs and cemeteries.Retracing our way through the Museum, a glass door on the right at the entrance of the Museum conducts us to
Ask the Custodian; fee, 50 cents each.
It was founded by Sixtus V., and contains 120,000 volumes, of which 25,000 are manuscripts. The magnificent great hall is 220 feet long, and contains many objects of interest, notably two fine candelabra of Sèvres china presented to Pius VII. by Napoleon I.; a vase of malachite and another of immense size, presented by Prince Demidoff; two vases of Meissen porcelain, presented by the Emperor of Germany; a large vase of porcelain china, presented by Napoleon III. to Pius IX. after it had been used as the font in the baptism of the Prince Imperial; a beautiful basin of Aberdeen granite, presented by the Duke of Northumberland.
The contents comprise a collection of lamps, glass vessels, gems, &c., found in the Catacombs. In the room beyond is a very interesting collection of Byzantine and medieval Italian paintings, a Russian calendar, and other interesting objects. At the end of this vista of rooms is a full-length seated portrait of Pius IX., painted on glass at Aix-la-Chapelle.
N.B.—The following collections at the Vatican are open only on Thursdays from nine till three; special permission is required.
Formed by Gregory XVI. from Egypt, and from Egyptian remains dispersed in the several museums of Rome. It comprises a hall of monuments, hall of the imitations executed by Roman and Greek artists, and several cabinets containing many interesting objects.
Ascending the stairs we reach, on the right,
adorned with several beautiful works of ancient art, the principal of which is the Biga or chariot, only the body of which is ancient. The Biga for a long time served as an episcopal throne in the Church of S. Mark in Rome. The torso of the right horse was a gift of Prince Borghese; the additions and restorations are by Franzoni. No. 611, Alcibiades, after Nycerates; 615, Discobolus, after Naukides; 616, Phocion; 618, Discobolus, after Myron.The long corridor is called
and is divided into six compartments, containing cups, vases, sarcophagi, statues, candelabra, &c. It has recently been restored by Leo XIII., the floors and ceilings being masterpieces of modern art. The most important objects of interest are: 19, a Child Playing atCapita et Navim(heads or tails); 74, Faun Extracting a Thorn from a Satyr's Foot; 81, Diana of Ephesus—her sixteen breasts signify the sixteen cubits at which the Nile overflows; the various half figures of sphinxes, lions, bulls, stags, bees, and flowers are her attributes as the nurse of all things living; the disk ornament refers to the sun; the four seasons, the signs of the zodiac, and a necklace of acorns adorn her neck: the statue was found at Hadrian's Villa. 88, Mercury seated amidst his Symbols; 134a, a Well Head; 134c, statue of the Sabine God Semoni Sanco, found in 1879 on the slopes of the Quirinal Hill, presented by Leo XIII.; 134b, Well Head; 135, seated statuette of Sophocles; 177, an Old Fisherman; 183, Saturn (rare); 184, Personification of Antioch on the Orontes, by Eutychides; 222, a Spartan Virgin Racer, earlier art than that of Phidias; 231, Actor, with mask; 257, Ganymede and the Eagle.Returning—269, a Warrior; 194, Child and Swan; 204, sarcophagus representing Diana and Apollo Shooting at the Niobides; 149a, Somnus (Sleep); 148, a Faun Carrying the Infant Bacchus; 118a,the Eagle carrying off Ganymede, a replica of the bronze original, by Leochares; 112, sarcophagus illustrating the Story of Protesilaus and Laodamia. This should be compared with the relief, No. 269, in the Gallery of Statues. On the sides are the myths of Ixion, Sisiphus, and Tantalus. 52, a Drunken Faun, in green basalt.
contains copies of Raphael's cartoons which are at the South Kensington Museum: they were woven in Flanders by order of Leo X. to adorn the Sixtine Chapel.Right side going down.Our Saviour giving the Keys to Peter—the borderrepresents the Medici fleeing from Florence; Peter healing the Man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple—border, Cardinal Medici at the Battle of Ravenna; Conversion of Saul—border, the Taking of Prato in 1512; in three pieces, Slaughter of the Innocents; The Resurrection; Stoning of Stephen—border, Cardinal Medici entering Florence, allegorical of the Papal power; the Earthquake during Paul's imprisonment at Philippi.Right in returning.Descent of the Holy Ghost; Adoration of the Wise Men; Our Lord's Ascension; Adoration of the Shepherds; The Presentation in the Temple; Christ as the Gardener; Scenes from our Lord's Passion;small, Paul on Mars' Hill—border, Scenes from the Acts; Paul and Barnabas at Lystra—border, Scenes from the Life of Paul; Miraculous Draught of Fishes; Death of Ananias—border, Faith, Hope, and Charity.
Retracing our way through the Gallery of the Candelabra, a small flight of steps at the end leads to a balcony where there is a good view of the lower halls. On the right is the entrance to
which contains various works of art brought from the ancient towns of Etruria and Magna Græcia. These works are generally mixed up in the Roman museums.
First Room.—Three terra-cotta sarcophagi, with reclining figures on the covers; two horses' heads in tufa from Vulci.
Second Room.—Cinerary urns from Volterra, in Volterra alabaster.
Third Room.—A large peperino sarcophagus, found at Corneto, the ancient Tarquinii: an Etruscan king-priest,Lucumo, reclines upon it, and on its sides are Greek myths. A travertine slab, with a Latin and Umbrian inscription, from Todi; frieze of terra-cotta from Cervetri. In the corners of the room cinerary urns, found beneath avolcanic stratum between Albano and Marino: they are in the form of huts, and still contain ashes.
Fourth Room.—A Roman Mercury in terra-cotta, found at Tivoli; a wounded youth reclining on a couch, generally called Adonis.
Fifth,Sixth,Seventh, andEighth Roomscontain terra-cotta vases, glass beads, and ornaments.
Ninth Room(entered from Sixth Room).—Hall of bronzes and jewellery; a bronze statue of a warrior, found at Todi in 1835; shields, arrows, helmets, spurs, mirrors, &c.; a funeral bier from Cære; a bronze child with a bulla, supposed to represent Tages, the boy-god who sprang from a clod of earth at Tarquinii; a Roman war-chariot, found at the Villa of the Quintilii on the Appian Way; bronze toilet-cases (cista mistica); brazier with tongs on wheels; a rake with a hand for its handle; shovel—two swans bearing a boy and a girl form the handle.In the centre of the hall, Jewel-case of objects found in the tomb ofMi Larthial("I, the great lady") and of an Etruscan priest at Cervetri (Cære), from which town and its customs we get the word "ceremony."
Tenth Room.—Bronze figure of a boy; and Roman lead pipes.
Eleventh Room.—Copies of the frescoes found in the tombs at Vulci and Tarquinii; Etruscan vases.
Twelfth Room.—Imitation Tomb, with genuine peperino lions.
Returning from the Museum, on reaching the colonnade of S. Peter's,turn off to the right, through the middle of the colonnade. Opposite is the Palazzo del S. Uffizio,—the Inquisition, which was established here in 1536, and abolished by the Roman Republic in 1849. It is now used as a barrack, and the Inquisition holds its meetings in the Vatican.
Passing at the back of the columns into the Borgo S. Michaele, andturning to the right, we enter the Borgo S. Spirito.On the leftis the fine tower of the Church of S. Michaele in Sassia, in which Raphael Mengs is buried. This name, Sassia, commemorates the Saxon settlement founded in 727, and the word "borgo" comes from the Saxon "burgh."Beyond is
a massive gateway built by San Gallo in the walls erected by Leo IV. round S. Peter's and the Vatican, whence the district inside is called the Leonine City.Outside the gate a steep ascent leads up to
This convent is for ever memorable in the history of Italian literature as the place where Tasso died. The adjoining church, called Girolmini, or Brothers of S. Jerome, built for the use of the monks, was erected in 1429A.D., during the reign of Eugene IV. Tasso, summoned to the Capitol to be crowned there as king of bards, died in 1595, a short time after his arrival in Rome. He was buried in the church without much ceremony, and his remains lay undisturbed in a simple tomb on the left of the entrance until the year 1857, when they were transferred to a chapel in the church expressly built for their reception at the public expense. A fine statue of the poet by Fabris is shown. In the convent garden is a tree called Tasso's Oak, under which the author of "Jerusalem Delivered" used to sit in pious meditation. The view of Rome and of the Sabine and Alban Hills, with Soracte in the distance, is magnificent. The fresco of the Virgin and Child over the door of the church, and three paintings under the portico illustrating the life of S. Jerome, are the work of Domenichino. In the convent is a Virgin and Child by Leonardo da Vinci; and in the same building are preserved several relics of Tasso, in the room where he died—his crucifix, his inkstand, and the leaden coffin in which his bones reposed for two hundred and sixty-two years—namely, till the time of his second burial. Two other distinguished men were buried in S. Onofrio—Guidi, the poet, and Cardinal Mezzofanti, the famous linguist.
At the bottom of the ascent, turn to the right, down the Via Lungara. Some little distance down on the right is the
(Formerly Corsini.)
Open Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, from 9 to 3.
As this palace, now the home of the Academy of the Lincei, is again open to the public, and as the paintings were generously presented by Prince Corsini to the city of Rome, it may be of advantage to visitors in Rome if we enumerate the paintings most worth inspection. At the same time we would inform our readers that there are full catalogues, on cards, in Italian and French in each room.
First Room.—In glass case on stand at window, Birth of Christ, by Batoni; 6, Sacred Family, by Barocci; 23, S. Catherine of Sienna, by Zobole.
Second Room.—In glass case on stand at first window, Mater Dolorosa, by Guido Reni.In second window, Madonna and Infant Jesus, by Carlo Dolci; 11 and 27, Fruit, by Mario di Fiori; 15, a Landscape, by Poussin; 20, Pietà, by Caracci; 41, Andrea Corsini, by Gessi, copied in mosaic in the Corsini Chapel in S. John's Lateran.
Third Room.—89, Ecce Homo, by Guido Reni; 1, Ecce Homo, by Guercino; 9, Madonna, by Sarto; 10, Birth of the Virgin, by Caracci; 15, Madonna, by Sarto; 17, Madonna, by Caravaggio; 21, Virgin and Child, by Vandyck; 22, The Players, by Rubens; 23, Sunset, by Botti; 26, Sacred Family, by Fra Bartolomeo; 27, Peter Paying the Tribute Money, by Caravaggio; 33, Flight into Egypt, by Perugino; 36, Holy Family, by Garofalo; 40, The Sleep of Jacob, by Massow; 44, Julius II., by Raphael; 45, Birth of the Virgin, by Berettini of Cortone.Under glass in last window, a Hare, by Albert Durer; 55, Butcher's Shop, by Teniers; 82, John the Baptist, by Carlo Maratta; 88, Ecce Homo, by Carlo Dolci.
Fourth Room.—In the centre, an ancient marble chair, with low reliefs, found at the Lateran. 1, Ancient mosaic, a Man Binding Bulls; 4, Cupid Asleep, by Guido; 11, The Daughter of Herodias, by Guido; 16, Madonna, by Guido; 20, The Baptist, by Guercino; 31, Peter and Agata, by Lanfranco; 33, Death of S. Stephen, by Domenichino; 40, Faustina Maratta, by Carlo Maratta; 41, the Fornarina, by Giulio Romano, after Raphael; 42, an Old Man, by Guido; 43, Holy Family, by Carlo Maratta; 45, Magdalen, by Carlo Dolci.
Fifth Room.—8, The Annunciation, by Michael Angelo—one of his few easel pictures; 12, S. Agnese, by Carlo Dolci; 16, The Sacred Family, by Schidone; 21, Madonna, by Carlo Maratta; 22, Marriage of S. Caterina, by Domenichino; 24, Christ at the Well, by Guercino; 26, Madonna, by Sassoferrato; 29, Madonna and Infant, by Guercino; 32–40, Annunciation, by Guercino; 34, The Forum Romanum, by Pannini; 38, Ecce Homo, by Guido; 39, S. John, by Guido.
Sixth Room.—21, The Children of Charles V., by Titian; 22, a Woman, by Rembrandt; 37, Mrs. Martin Luther, by Holbein; 31, Martin Luther, by Holbein; 47, Rubens's Portrait, by himself; 50, Cardinal Farnese, by Titian.
Seventh Room.—11, Landscape, by Poussin; 15, S. Sebastian, by Rubens; 19–27, Annunciation, by Carlo Maratta; 21, The Dispute, by Giordano; 23, 24, Last Judgment and Ascension, by Fra Angelico; 30, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone," by Titian; 42, Magdalen, by Franceschini.
Eighth Room.—2, Sacred Family, by Francia; 8, Christ before Pilate, by Vandyck; 9, The Baptist, by Caravaggio; 12, St. George and the Dragon, by Grandi; 13, Contemplation, by Guido; 15, Landscape, by Poussin; 16, a Sea Piece, by Salvator Rosa; 18, Susanna, by Domenichino; 19, Seneca Dying in the Bath, by Caravaggio; 24, S. Jerome, by Guercino; 29, Christ in the Garden, by Correggio; 32, Peter Raising Tabitha, by Placide Costanzi, copied in mosaic in S. Peter's; 37, Woman and Child, by Murillo.
Ninth Room.—2, Village Interior, by Teniers; 9, Triumph of Ovid, by Velasquez; 10, an Old Man Reading, by Guido; 12, Prometheus, by Salvator Rosa; 58, Death of S. Joseph, by Giuseppe del Sole.Opposite is
Open on the 1st and 15th of the month.
It contains the famous frescoes of Raphael. On the ceiling of the first room that of the fable of Cupid and Psyche, designed by Raphael, and painted by Giulio Romano. This charming fable is described by Kugler in his "Handbook on the Italian Painters."
Commencing on the left, the first is Venus ordering Cupid to punish Psyche; second, Cupid showing Psyche to the Three Graces; third, Juno and Ceres pleading for Psyche; fourth, Venus in her Car going to claim the interference of Jupiter; fifth, Venus pleading before Jupiter; sixth, Mercury flying to execute the Order of Jupiter; seventh, Psyche with the Vase of Beauty-Paint given by Proserpine to appease Venus; eighth, Psyche giving the Vase to Venus; ninth, Cupid complaining to Jupiter; tenth, Mercury taking Psyche to Olympus.On the vault, Council of the Gods, by Giulio Romano; Banquet of the Gods, on the Marriage of Cupid, by Francesco Penni.On the wall of the second room, Raphael's Galatea; on the ceiling, Diana in her Car drawn by Oxen, by Peruzzi, and the fable of Medusa, by D. Volterra. The landscapes are by Poussin.
On the opposite side of the street, just beyond the Corsini Palace entrance, in the Vicolo Stalle d'Corsini, is the
(Museo Torlonia.)
Permission must be obtained from Prince Torlonia. Written application should be made to the prince at his palace in the Piazza di Venezia.
A full catalogue of the Torlonia Museum has been written and printed by Signor P. E. Visconti. Copies are lent for the use of visitors. This grand collection of sculptures has been in course of formation by Prince Torlonia during many years. Some of the objects were found on his own property, others have been purchased by him, and many of the most valuable works formerly belonged to the Mosca, Cambral, Giustiniani, Ruspoli, and Randanini collections. As containing works of art, it ranks next to the Vatican collection, and is the finest private gallery in the world.
Amongst so many valuable and beautiful works of art it is almost impossible to say what the casual observer should more particularly notice. A day may be well and profitably spent amongst this admirable collection. The lover of art will gain every information from Visconti's excellent catalogue, whilst ordinary visitors can stroll through and consult it for those objects which strike them most. Venuses, the Muses, gods and goddesses, heroes and tales of mythology, the emperors and their wives,—all are amply illustrated here. Many of the objects are unique, and as there is such a good printed catalogue lent, it is unnecessary for us to enumerate the different objects.
Continuing down the Via Lungara, at a short distance is
said to have been an archway leading into a villa of Septimius Severus. It was incorporated by Aurelian into the line of his walls, and fortified by Honorius. Passing under the arch, theVia Garibaldion the rightleads to the garden-crowned height of
which commands a magnificent view of Rome, its surroundings, and the windings of the Tiber. The church was erected by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, and is still under the protection of the crowned head of Spain. In the court of the monastery is a small temple formed of sixteen Doric columns, said to be erected over the spot where the cross on which S. Peter was executed stood. Raphael's Transfiguration was painted for this church, whence it was taken by the French to adorn the Louvre. On its restoration to the Papal authorities it was placed in the Vatican. The tomb of Beatrice Cenci is to our left of the high altar, but no name is recorded on the stone. The new Spanish Academy adjoins the church.
The Government has recently acquired and thrown open to the public these grounds, known as the Corsini Villa, which for its view is one of the most charming sites in Europe, formerly the villa of Julius Martialis described by his nephew ("Ep." iv. 64):—
"The few acres of Julius Martial,More blest than the Hesperides' gardens,Lie on the long ridge of the Janiculum.It is possible hence to see the seven ruling mounts,[8]And to estimate all Rome,—The Alban hills, and those of Tusculum;And whatsoever cool shade lies under the city;Old Fidenæ,[9]and little Ruba;[10]And, that which delights in virgins' blood,The apple-bearing grove of Anna Perenna.[11]From thence, on the Flaminian and Salarian ways,[12]The rider is manifest, his chariot-wheels being silent,Whose gentle sleep may not be molested,Neither to break it by nautical shouts,Nor the clamour of the vigorous bargee,Although the Mulvian bridge[13]may be so near,And keels glide swiftly on the Sacred Tiber."
"The few acres of Julius Martial,More blest than the Hesperides' gardens,Lie on the long ridge of the Janiculum.It is possible hence to see the seven ruling mounts,[8]And to estimate all Rome,—The Alban hills, and those of Tusculum;And whatsoever cool shade lies under the city;Old Fidenæ,[9]and little Ruba;[10]And, that which delights in virgins' blood,The apple-bearing grove of Anna Perenna.[11]From thence, on the Flaminian and Salarian ways,[12]The rider is manifest, his chariot-wheels being silent,Whose gentle sleep may not be molested,Neither to break it by nautical shouts,Nor the clamour of the vigorous bargee,Although the Mulvian bridge[13]may be so near,And keels glide swiftly on the Sacred Tiber."
"The few acres of Julius Martial,More blest than the Hesperides' gardens,Lie on the long ridge of the Janiculum.
"The few acres of Julius Martial,
More blest than the Hesperides' gardens,
Lie on the long ridge of the Janiculum.
It is possible hence to see the seven ruling mounts,[8]And to estimate all Rome,—The Alban hills, and those of Tusculum;And whatsoever cool shade lies under the city;Old Fidenæ,[9]and little Ruba;[10]And, that which delights in virgins' blood,The apple-bearing grove of Anna Perenna.[11]From thence, on the Flaminian and Salarian ways,[12]The rider is manifest, his chariot-wheels being silent,Whose gentle sleep may not be molested,Neither to break it by nautical shouts,Nor the clamour of the vigorous bargee,Although the Mulvian bridge[13]may be so near,And keels glide swiftly on the Sacred Tiber."
It is possible hence to see the seven ruling mounts,[8]
And to estimate all Rome,—
The Alban hills, and those of Tusculum;
And whatsoever cool shade lies under the city;
Old Fidenæ,[9]and little Ruba;[10]
And, that which delights in virgins' blood,
The apple-bearing grove of Anna Perenna.[11]
From thence, on the Flaminian and Salarian ways,[12]
The rider is manifest, his chariot-wheels being silent,
Whose gentle sleep may not be molested,
Neither to break it by nautical shouts,
Nor the clamour of the vigorous bargee,
Although the Mulvian bridge[13]may be so near,
And keels glide swiftly on the Sacred Tiber."
The long narrow ridge which commands Rome on its western side took its name from Janus (Virgil, "Æn." vii. 358), but, although fortified by Ancus Martius, was not reckoned in the city. It was sometimes called Mons Aureus, from the golden colour of its sandy soil. From the fort on the summit a flag flying denoted that all was well; but if the flag was hauled down, the enemy were in view. It was this fort that Lars Porsena seized when Horatius defended the bridge below.
THE PAULINE FOUNTAIN.View larger image.
THE PAULINE FOUNTAIN.View larger image.
Above the church of S. Pietro in Montorio is
(Fontana Paolina,)
supplied by the ancient Aqua Trajana, which has its source in the Lago di Bracciano, thirty-five miles from Rome. The fountain was built out of the remains of the Temple of Minerva which stood in the Forum of Domitian.The road through thePorta S. Pancrazioleads to the
Open on Monday and Friday afternoons; one-horse carriages not admitted.
The villa—the most extensive and delightful of the Roman villas, abounding in avenues and woods, fountains and cascades—is situated on the summit of the Janiculum, it is supposed upon the site of a villa of Galba. From the ilex-fringed terrace there is one of the best views of S. Peter's; a lake supporting swans; a temple to the slain amongst the besiegers of Rome in 1849—all of which must be seen to be appreciated. "Galba was buried in his gardens, which are situated on the Aurelian Way, not far from the city" (Eutropius, vii. 16).
Re-entering the city, and descending the hill by the new road, thence by the Via delle Fratte, we reach the
originally the house of the saint. To the right, on entering, is the tomb of Adam Hereford, Bishop of London, who died in 1398. The second chapel on the right is said to have been the bath-room, and pipes may still be seen in the wall. Beneath the high altar is the statue of S. Cecilia, representing her body as found in the Catacombs of S. Calixtus, "not lying upon the back, like a body in a tomb, but upon its right side, like a virgin in her bed, with her knees modestly drawn together, and offering the appearance of sleep." A golden circlet conceals the wound in her throat that caused her death. The inscription is as follows: "Behold the body of the most holy virgin Cecilia, whom I myself saw lying incorrupt in her tomb. I have in this marble expressed for thee the same saint in the very same posture of body.—Stefano Maderno." Thus, when Cardinal Sfondrati restored the church, in 1599, was the body found in her tomb just as it had been deposited there eight hundred years before, after being found in the Catacombs by Paschal I. (Seepage 290.)
By the Via de Vascellari and Via Lungaretta we reach the
Founded by Pope Sylvester, and rebuilt 1623. It has a fine oldopus Alexandrinumpavement, and the aisles are formed by twenty-two columns, two in porphyry supporting the arch. A mosaic in the tribune represents the Madonna and Child enthroned between SS. James and Chrisogono. The ceiling was painted by Arpino.On the left of the piazza is the small street,Monte di Fiore,in which is the
(Roman firemen), remodelled and formed into seven watches by Augustus. The building was discovered in 1866.The custodian conducts the visitor over, fee half a franc.Descending the stairs we enter a mosaic paved courtyard, with a well in the centre, and on the right a small altar with mural paintings. There are several other chambers, and a bath, with numerous inscriptions on the walls scratched by the firemen during their idle moments.
Going down theVia Lungaretta,we enter thePiazza of S. Maria, in which are a fine fountain and the
The façade is covered with mosaics representing the Virgin and Child enthroned, surrounded by ten virgins, and on either side the figure of a bishop (Innocent II. and Eugenius III.); above this are palms, the twelve sheep, and the mystic cities, and our Lord enthroned between angels. The interior contains twenty-two columns. The Assumption, on the ceiling, is by Domenichino. Beneath the high altar are the remains of five early popes. In the upper part of the tribune are mosaics of the Saviour and a female figure (representing the Church, the bride of Christ, and not the Virgin, as is generally said) seated on thrones; beneath are lambs, and representations from the life of the Virgin.
Leaving the church, and going down theVia della Scala,hence turning to the right into the Via di Ponte Sisto, the house on the left, a baker's shop, with Gothic upper windows, was theHouse of Raphael's Fornarina.Raphael's Housewas at No. 124 Via dei Coronari, near the S. Angelo Bridge.A short distance, and we reach
The present bridge was built by Pope Sixtus IV., who laid the foundation stone, April 29, 1473, on the site of an older bridge whichwas destroyed in the flood ofA.D.792, it having been built by Symmachus, prefect of Rome under Valentinian (A.D.365), "under whose government the most sacred city enjoyed peace and plenty in an unusual degree; being also adorned with a magnificent and solid bridge which he constructed, and opened amid the great joy of his ungrateful fellow-citizens" (Ammianus Marcellinus, xxvii. iii. 3). In 1878, in making the new embankment for the Tiber, the remains of the left arch were found at the bottom of the river, upon which was part of the inscription, one foot seven inches high—Valentinian. Pedestals which formed part of the decorations were also found, and part of an inscription—Valentiniani au costi. At the Campus Martius end was a triumphal arch dedicated to Valens and Valentiniani—
DEDICANDI . OPERIS . HONORE . DELATO . INDICIO . PRINCIPUM .MAXIMORUM . LUCIO . AURELIO . AVIANIO . SYMMACHO . VIRO .CLARISSIMO . EX . PREFECTIS . URBI.
DEDICANDI . OPERIS . HONORE . DELATO . INDICIO . PRINCIPUM .MAXIMORUM . LUCIO . AURELIO . AVIANIO . SYMMACHO . VIRO .CLARISSIMO . EX . PREFECTIS . URBI.
Remains of a bronze statue were also found.
The Via Giulia,on the left, and the Via Mascherone,on the right, lead to
In the piazza are two fountains, the granite basins of which were found in the baths of Caracalla. The palace is not now to be visited, as it is occupied by the French Embassy. Its architecture is more admired than that of any other palace in Rome; it was built by Pope Paul III. with materials taken from the Colosseum. Its rooms are adorned with frescoes of Annibale Caracci, his finest works, consisting of mythological subjects. The centre piece represents the Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne.
THE FARNESE PALACE.View larger image.
THE FARNESE PALACE.View larger image.
Opening out of the square is thePiazza Campo di Fiore. Here every Wednesday is held a fair of curiosities, &c.At the left corner is
(Palazzo della Cancelleria,)
one of the finest palaces in Rome, built out of the travertine taken from the Colosseum: the forty-four red granite columns which support the portico came from Pompey's Theatre. At the foot of the staircase Count Rossi was assassinated in November 1848.
Adjoining the palace is theChurch of SS. Lorenzo e Damaso, lately restored.A short lane, Vicolo Regis, leads to the Braschi Palace, at the side of which is
a mutilated torso found here in the sixteenth century. It took its name from Pasquino, a tailor, who lived opposite, and whose shop was the rendezvous of the wits of the city, who wrote their jokes and stuck them on the statue: these were replied to by the statue of Marforio, now in the Capitol Museum.
Some of Pasquino's sayings were very witty, and have been published. Now, under a free government, he seldom speaks.
The Via del Governo Vecchio leads to the
(La Chiesa Nuova,)
containing three paintings by Rubens; they are at the high altar.
From the Statue of Pasquino, by the side of the Braschi Palace, we enter the
one of the finest squares in Rome, sometimes called Piazza Navona. It takes its name from being the site of the Circus Agonalis.Fêtesare held here during Carnival, and a fair at the Epiphany.
Notice the three fountains—the centre one by Bernini: four figures, representing four rivers, recline on a craggy rock; on its top stands an Egyptian obelisk, at its base a lion and a sea-horse.
This, from the inscription, was either made for, or the inscription was added to and imitated by, Domitian:—"Sun god. Son of the Sun god. Supporter of the world. Giver of life to the world. The man-god Horus. The son of the woman Isis, who is come to avenge the death of his ancestor Osiris. The king living for ever, Domitianus." From his Alban Villa, where it originally stood, it was transported, inA.D.311, to the spina of the Circus of Maxentius on the Via Appia, thence to its present site.
On the left is
said to have been built on the site where S. Agnes was exposed after her torture; the high altar in the subterranean chapel is said to stand on the very spot. In another part is shown her prison, and where she was beheaded and burned, the church occupying the side vaults of the circus. The upper church contains eight columns of red Cortanella marble; it is ornamented with stuccoes, statues, alto-reliefs, and pictures. Behind the high altar is the sepulchral chapel of Princess Mary Talbot, wife of Prince Doria, who died in 1857.
A street on the left leads to the
containing Raphael's Sibyls—the Cumæan, Persian, Phrygian, Tiburtine—on the face of the arch in the first chapel on the right.
Some statues in the Cesi Chapel were worked from pilasters found behind the Palace dei Conservatori, on the Capitol, from the Temple of Juno.
From the right of the Circo Agonale a street leads to the
It contains a fresco by Raphael, on the third pilaster to the left in entering,—Isaiah and two angels holding a tablet; also a favourite statue of the Virgin and Child, by Andrea Sansavino.
VIA RIPETTA—MAUSOLEUM OF AUGUSTUS—THE CAMPUS MARTIUS—THE BORGHESE GALLERY—HILDA'S TOWER—THE PANTHEON—BATHS OF AGRIPPA—S. MARIA SOPRA MINERVA—COLLEGIO ROMANO—KIRCHERIAN AND PRE-HISTORIC MUSEUMS—"THE GESU"—TEMPLE OF HERCULES—THE CAPITOLINE HILL—ARA CŒLI CHURCH—TEMPLES OF JUPITER CAPITOLINUS AND JUPITER FERETRIUS—THE TARPEIAN ROCK—TEMPLES OF CONCORD AND JUNO—THE TABULARIUM—ROME FROM THE TOWER—THE SEVEN HILLS—MUSEUMS AND PICTURE GALLERY OF THE CAPITOL—THEATRE OF MARCELLUS—DECEMVIRAL PRISONS—PORTICO OF OCTAVIA—THE GHETTO—CENCI PALACE—THEATRE OF BALBUS—POMPEY'S THEATRE—CÆSAR'S DEATH—STATUE OF POMPEY—SPADA PALACE—S. PAUL'S HIRED HOUSE—FABRICIAN BRIDGE—ISLAND OF THE TIBER—PONS CESTIUS—TEMPLES OF JUNO, PIETY, AND HOPE—HOUSE OF RIENZI—PONTE ROTTO—HORATIUS'S BRIDGE—TEMPLE OF PATRICIAN CHASTITY—ROUND TEMPLE OF HERCULES—S. MARIA IN COSMEDIN—EMPORIUM—MONS TESTACCIO—PROTESTANT CEMETERY—THE AVENTINE HILL—CHURCHES OF IL PRIORATO, SS. ALEXIUS, SABINA, PRISCA, SABA—THE CIRCUS MAXIMUS—S. ANASTASIA—ARCH OF JANUS (?)—ARCH OF THE SILVERSMITHS AND CATTLE-DEALERS—S. GIORGIO IN VELABRO—CLOACA MAXIMA—S. TEODORO.
BY THE TIBER.
From the Piazza del Popolo the line of the Ripetta runs between the Corso and the Tiber. In the house at the corner lived Ciceruacchio. A short way down is the Quay of the Ripetta, built in 1707 by Clement XI., and partly destroyed by the modern iron bridge, over which is a direct walk to S. Peter's, the site of the fields which formerly belonged to Cincinnatus (Livy, iii. 26).
Turning out of the Ripetta on the left into the Via de' Pontefici, through a gateway on the right, are the remains of this once handsome tomb; only the double reticulated wall, on which the tumulus with its trees formerly stood, remains. This ruin has been converted into a modern theatre, and thus the original finely-proportioned arrangements can no longer be traced. A part of the enclosure wall may be best seen from the court of the Palazzo Valdambrini,102 Via Ripetta. The mausoleum was built by Augustus,B.C.27. Marcellus, Agrippa, Drusus, and Germanicus were buried there. Strabo describes it as standing upon a lofty substruction of white stone, and shaded up to the top with trees. The summit was crowned with the statue of Augustus in bronze, and there were two Egyptian obelisks at the entrance, brought over by Claudius. They are mentioned likewise by Marcellinus.
It stood in
which Strabo thus describes: "The plain, adorned by nature and art, is of wonderful extent, and affords an ample and a clear space for the running of chariots, and other equestrian and gymnastic exercises. It is in verdant bloom throughout the year, and is crowned by hills which rise above the Tiber and slope down to its very banks. The whole affords a picturesque and beautiful landscape, which you would linger to behold. Near to this plain is another of less magnitude; and all around it are innumerable porticoes and shady groves, besides three theatres, an amphitheatre, and various temples contiguous to each other, so that the rest of the city appears only an appendage to it." This lesser plain occupied the space between the Mausoleum of Augustus and the Theatre of Marcellus—the plain from the tomb to the modern Ponte Molle. "Sylla's monument stood in the Campus Martius" (Plutarch).
Just past the bridge, a street on the left, by the side of the Borghese Palace, leads to the entrance of
situated in the Piazza Borghese, which is connected with the Corso by the Via Fontanella Borghese. Catalogues for the use of visitors in each room. Open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 10 till 3.The following are the principal objects of interest:—
First Room: Schools of Milan and Perugia.—3. Holy Family, by Perugino; 5. Vanity; 27, 28. Petrarch and Laura; 35. Raphaelas a Boy, by himself; 43. Madonna, by Francia; 49, 57. History of Joseph, by Pinturicchio; 61. S. Antonio, by Francia; 68. Doubting Thomas, by Mazzolini.
Second Room: School of Garofalo.—6. Madonna; 9. Mourners over Christ, both by Garofalo; 22. Portrait of a Cardinal, by Bronzino; 23. "Madonna col divin' amore," school of Raphael; 26. Cæsar Borgia (?), by Bronzino; 38. Entombment, by Raphael; 51. S. Stephen, by Francia.
Third Room.—5. "Noli me tangere," by Bronzino; 24, 28. Madonna, by Andrea del Sarto; 40. Danae, by Correggio (notice the cupids sharpening an arrow); 48. The Flagellation, by Sebastiano del Piombo; 46. Reading Magdalene, by Correggio.
Fourth Room: Bolognese School.—2. Cumæan Sibyl, by Domenichino; 20. S. Joseph, by Guido; 36. Madonna, by Carlo Dolci; 42. Head of Christ, by Carlo Dolci; 43. Madonna, by Sassoferrato.
Fifth Room.—11–14. The Four Seasons, by Albani; 15. The Hunt of Diana, by Domenichino; 25. The Deposition, by Zuccari.
Sixth Room.—10. S. Stanislaus, by Ribera; 13. The Three Ages of Man, copied by Sassoferrato from Titian.
Seventh Room.—Mirrors painted with Cupids and flowers; marble tables.
Eighth Room.—Mosaic portrait of Pope Paul V.
Ninth Room.—1. Fresco, Nuptials of Alexander and Roxana; 2. Fresco, Nuptials of Vertumnus and Pomona; 3. Fresco, Archers Shooting at a Target,—all by Raphael or his school.
Tenth Room.—13. David with the Head of Goliath, by Giorgione; 21. Sacred and Profane Love, by Titian.
Eleventh Room.—11. Venus and Cupid on Dolphins, by Cambiaso; 15. Christ and the Mother of Zebedee's Children, by Bonifazio; 16. Return of the Prodigal, by Bonifazio; 17. Samson, by Titian.
Twelfth Room: Dutch School.—1. Crucifixion, by Vandyck; 7. Entombment, by Vandyck; 8. Tavern Scene, Teniers; 22. Cattle-Piece, by Paul Potter.
On leaving the gallery, turn to the right, and take the continuation of the Via Ripetta on the left. Keeping straight on down the Via della Scrofa, in the third turning on the right, at Via Portoghesi, is the Torre della Scimmia, better known to Hawthorne's readers as
It is one of those medieval watch-towers that come upon one so unexpectedly in all sorts of out-of-the-way places in Rome. TheRomans call it the Tower of the Monkey, from a legend that years ago the proprietor kept a monkey. This monkey one day seized upon a baby in the street below, and carried it to the top of the tower, to the agony of the parents, who vowed a shrine to the Virgin if the child were safely restored. No sooner was the vow uttered than the monkey brought down the baby by means of the water-pipe. The shrine was forthwith erected, and every evening the lamp is lighted atAve Maria, and shines like a bright star till dawn.
A little beyond, on the left, is theNew Wesleyan Church for Italians;beyond which the Via Giustiniani, on the left, leads to the Piazza Rotonda.
surmounts a fountain. This obelisk and the one in the Piazza Minerva were erected as pairs in Rome. They stood before the Temple of Isis and Serapis in the Campus Martius. There is a small relief in the Villa Ludovisi, representing in its background a temple with four Ionic columns, and to the left an Egyptian obelisk. In the foreground, to the left, is the figure of Minerva, fronting a reclining female figure holding a vessel full of ears of corn (Isis?). By her side is Cupid, and at their back a figure holding something in a spread-out cloth. May not the temple in the background represent the Temple of Isis and Serapis?
This incomparable circular edifice, originally intended by Agrippa to form the conclusion of his thermæ,[14]with which it is intimately connected, is one of the noblest and most perfect productions of that style of architecture specifically denominated Roman. When the first wonderful creation of this species came into existence, the founder of this glorious dome appears to have himself shrunk back from it, and to have felt that it was not adapted to be the every-day residence of men, but to be a habitation for the gods.
The Church of S. Maria ad Martyres was originally the sudatorium, or sweating-room, of the baths of Agrippa, being similar in construction to all the sweating-rooms now existing, notably one in the Villa of Hadrian at Tivoli. It exactly answers Vetruvius's description of this department of the baths. It seems afterwards to have been dedicated as a temple of the gods, or Pantheon of theJulian line, according to Dion Cassius (liii. 27), when the portico was added in the third consulship of Agrippa.