m ./'<^'' LIBRARY THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA PRESENTED BY JOHN & ANNA GILLESPIE '4 ^^'<^-M 0- A vA' ^ ^'^5^ /j^WU^ Z^-^ DAYS NEAR ROME TWO VOLS.— I. ,DAYS NEAR ROME By AUGUSTUS J. C. HARE AITHOR OF WALKS IN" ROME, MEMORIALS OF A QUIET LIFE, ETC SClitb Illustrations TWO VOLUMES. 1. LONDON DALDY, ISBISTER & CO. 56, LU UG ATK II ILL 1S75 \Ati rights re serve J\ ^^ PREFACE. T N submitting these volumes to the pubHc, I would earnestly apologize to my readers for their imper- fections. The ground, in many instances, had been almost untrodden ; several of the places described are difficult of access, and have never before been visited by foreigners ; and, in most cases, published descrip- tions either do not exist at all already, or are so inaccurate and untrustworthy as to be only mis- guiding. A great field for discovery still remains, even within a day's journey of Rome ; and if, in opening the way to others, I lead them to enjoy half the pleasure I have received from my own researches, I shall be more than rewarded. Some of the chapters of this book have already appeared, in a condensed form, as Magazine Articles in " Good Words." The illustrations of buildings and scenery are vi PREFACE. from lu)- own sketches, taken on the sjjot ; the figures I owe to the kindness of friends ; for their transfer- ence to wood I am indebted to the skill of Mr. T. Sulman. The subjects chosen are purposely selected wiicre verbal descriptions may fail to delineate the character of the [)laces visited. Augustus J. C. Hare. J/oI)/i/iursf, Si'pt., 1674. CONTENTS. INTRODUCTION 9 CHAPTER I. 03TIA AND CASTEL FUSANO 39 CHAPTER n. AI-BANO AND LARICCIA 5'^ CHAPTER HI. MONTE CAVO, NF.MI, AND CtVITA LAVINIA . . . . 8l CHAPTER IV. FRASCATI, TUSCULUM, AND COLONNA 97 CHAPTER V. GROTTA FERRATA AND MARINO I23 CHAPTER VI. VRII 131 CHAPTER VH. GALERA AND BRACCIANO . . . 143 CHAPTER VIII. GABII AND ZAGAROI.O . . '54 FaCB 162 S CONTENTS. CHAPTER IX. CF.RVARA, LUNGHEZZA, AND C01.I.ATIA .... CHAPTER X. ANlKMN.t AND FIPF.N.'E 167 CHAPTER XI. MEN TANA AND MONTE ROTONDO . . . . . -177 CHAPTER XII. TIVol.I 184 CHAPTER XIII. LICENZA AND MONTE GENNARO ...... 2O7 CHAPTER XIV. VE1.LETRI 220 CHAPTER XV. THE VOLSCIAN HILLS— CORI, NORMA, NINFA, AND SEGNI . . 226 CHAPTER XVI. THE HURMCAN HILLS — FERENTINO, ALATKI, AND ANAGNI . 248 CHAPTER XVII. PALESTRINA 268 CHAPTER XVIII. GENAZZANO, PALIANO, AND OLEVANO 282 CHAPTER XIX. SUBIACO 294 INTRODUCTORY. ONLY about one traveller in five hundred of those who cross the Alps ever sees Italy. Those who go to Milan, Venice, Florence, Rome, and Naples, and who stay at the hotels of New York, Washington, Brighton, Paris, or Londres, dining daily on a well-cooked English or French dinner, at hot tables d'hote amid a vociferous throng of their own countrymen, attended by obsequious waiters who talk bad English ; visiting hackneyed sights, led in tow by haughty couriers or ignorant ciceroni; driving out to meets in the Campagna, making parties for illuminations in the Coliseum, or devouring chickens and champagne on the slopes at Veii : — these do not see Italy. They lead a pleasant life and pass very agreeable days ; but the life they are leading is not Italian, the land which they allow to be doled out for them, or dole out for themselves, is not Italy : and as regards the real, true, un- Anglicized, un- Americanized country, they might just as well, on their return home, have been attending an admirable series of panoramas and dioramas in Leicester Square. In order, however, to enjoy the Eden of sights which couriers guard with their two-edged swords, a very different 10 DA YS NEAR ROME. line of conduct, ca very different phase of character, must be assumed by our countrymen, to those which they usually indulge in. It is no use to look for French cookery in the Abruzzi, or to hope to find tea and toast amid the sepul- chral cities of Etruria, neither need any one expect to be treated with great deference, to be placed on a mental pedestal and regarded as a superior being, in these uncon- ventional places. Travellers will certainly meet with nothing of the kind. They will learn that the only way to have what you like, is to like what you have ; they will find that they are treated with just as much courtesy and defer- ence as they are willing to bes'tow ; that if they regard the natives as their equals, are genial, frank, modest, and unsus- picious, they will receive a boundless amount of small kindnesses in return, and that if they are only open-hearted, their being open-handed is a matter of comparative indif- ference. There is no greater mistake than that of suppos- ing the Italian character to be extortionate and avaricious ; except in the old kingdom of Naples, it is neither. In the beaten track, couriers have raised the prices, or travellers have done it for themselves, to an English and American standard, and the constant habit of bargaining recommended in guide-books, has led to extortionate demands, and thus become a necessity ; but in Italiati inns, any overcharge is exceedingly unusual, and is only suggested by suspicion. The more distant the place and the more difficult of attain- ment, the greater is usually the attention shown to strangers, and the warmer a disinterested welcome. Their wants are sometimes little understood, often a cause of great surprise and amusement, but every effort is made to supply them, and little is expected from those whom some misfor- INTROD UCTOR V. j I tune alone, it is supposed, can have driven from the deb'ghts of the capital into such desolate places. But if travellers give themselves airs, if they are too exacting in their demands, heedless of passing salutations, especially of the Abruzzi peasant, who always meets you with, " May God accompany you — may your return be happy : " above all, if they always act in the inns as if they were being cheated, and chatter in the churches during mass as if they were at a London party, they must expect to be laughed at, despised, insulted, and occasionally robbed. " Non sono Cristiani, come noi altri," is the national comment upon strangers who do not know how to behave themselves, and they are sure to be treated with contempt for they deserve nothing better. It is strange how wonderfully little the country around Eome has been investigated, even by those who are not usually daunted by little difficulties and discomforts. Such attention as has not been expended upon the interest of the capital, has been almost entirely devoted to the " Cam- pagna " in its narrowest sense of the plain girdled in by the hills which may be seen from the walls of Eome, but into, and beyond those hills, travellers scarcely ever penetrate, and they generally have not an idea of the glories which lie concealed there. It is, therefore, as an invitation and a companion into these unknown regions that these volumes are intended. " The country which is described by the name of the Roman Cam- pagna, has a narrower or a wider circumference, in proportion as one regards its geographical limits. Taken in the narrower sense, the Campagna is that grand and desolate district, which spreads around the walls of Rome, and is enclosed by the Tiber and the Anio. Its cir- cumference might be marked hi* a series of well-knowii points : Civita 12 DAYS NEAR ROME. Vecchia, Tolfa, Ronciglione, Soracte, Tivoli, Palestrina, Albano, and Ostia. But in its wider sense the Campagna extends almost to the former kingdom of Naples and its boundary is the Liris or Garigliano. "The Campagna of Rome is nothing else than the land of Latium, which is separated from Tuscany by the Tiber. From the time of Constantine the Great the name of Latium has fallen into disuse, and that of Campania has been used in its place, and in the middle ages this name indicated a great part of the so-called ' Ducatus Romanus.' " Since the middle ages this district has been divided into two parts, the Campagna, which comprises the inland district, and the Maritima, which extends along the sea-coast as far as Terracina. Nature herself has separated it by mountains and plains into distinct compartments. It is divided into three plains ; first, the Campagna around the city, watered by the Tiber and the Anio, and hemmed in by the Alban and Sabine mountains, the hills above Ronciglione, and the sea-coast : secondly, the great plain in which the Pontine Marshes are situated, bounded on one side by the Alban and Volscian Hills and on the other by the sea ; and lastly, the valley of the Sacco which runs between the Volscian and the Equian and Hernican Hills, and falls into the Liris near Isoletta below Ceprano." — Gregorovius. The more distant excursions described in these volumes are perhaps the most interesting, but cannot generally be recommended for aged or delicate persons. There are, however, some even of these which may be undertaken without the slightest inconvenience or discomfort, and which form a delightful change from Rome in the Spring. The most advisable of these easy tours is that by the southern railway, making the excursions (separately) to Cori and Ninfa from Velletri, ascending the valley of the Liris from Rocca Secca to Sora, and, while there, visiting Arpino and its neighbourhood, and staying at the inn at S. Germano and thence seeing Aquino. Subiaco, Olevano, and Palestrina may be comfortably visited from Rome in a carriage. Orvieto is now easily accessible by railway. The neighbourhood of the Pontine Marshes always presents a certain amount of risk from fevers. The Abruzzi will only delight those who INTRODUCTORY. 13 can enjoy the savagcst moods of nature. In the Ciminian Hills, which, combined with Caprarola, afford in Spring perhaps the most delightful of the excursions from Rome, the accommodation is indifferent, though much may be seen in drives from Viterbo, a central situation, where a week may be passed most agreeably. There is no town in the world whence such a variety of excursions may be made as from Rome. They are so entirely different from one another. The phase of the scenery, the architecture of the towns, the costume, the habits, the songs (and this means so much to Italian peasants), even the language, is changed, according to the direction you take on leaving the capital. And whether tourists confine themselves to the inner circle of sights usually known to strangers and roughly indicated in " Murray's Handbook," which is hemmed in by the hills which encircle the Campagna ; or whether they are induced to penetrate into the glorious heights of the Volscian and Hernican Mountains, the deep recesses of the Sabina, or amid the lost cities of Etruria, they will find that the small disagreeables and the occasional difficulties, which must frequently be endured at the time, weigh as nothing in the balance against the store of beautiful mental pictures, of instructive recol- lections of people and character, and of heart-stirring associations, which will be laid up for the rest of life. And they will come to feel that it is just because there were not good roads, not easy carriages, 7iot comfortable inns, that it was all so interesting, because thus, not only the places themselves remained the same, but the simple poetical character of the people was unspoilt. The comparative stagnation of life under the Papal govern- 14 r>A YS NEAR ROME. ment did even more to preserve the medijeval character of the distant towns in the Papal States than of Rome itself. And in Rome now the ancient characteristics have entirely perished, having been swept away in three years in a man- ner which sounds incredible, and which would have seemed impossible beforehand. And, while acknowledging certain beneficial changes introduced by the present Government, it is not only the artist who will recognize that much of the interest, and as much as possible of the beauty, of the " Eternal City " has been destroyed. Not only has all trace of costume perished, together with the mediaeval figures and splendid dresses which belonged to the Papal Court, and walked in the footsteps of crimson cardinals ; but all the gorgeous religious ceremonies, all the processions, and benedictions, and sermons preached by the shrines of martyrs, have ceased to exist. Even the time-honoured njferari have been chased from Rome by the present Government as a public nuisance. The closing of so many convents and the robbery of the dowries of so many nuns (given on their entrance in the same sense in which a marriage portion is given), has not only been an act of crying injustice in itself, which even the strongest Protestant must feel, but while it has flooded the streets with starving, helpless, or infirai persons, who subsisted on the daily con- vent dole of coarse bread and soup, it has thrown thousands of helpless ladies, who believed themselves provided for during their lives (and by their own families), into a state of utter destitution, for the relief of which the miserable and irregularly paid pension of a few pence a day appointed by the Government sounds merely like a mockery. Many famous antiquarian memorials have disappeared, together INTRO D UC TOR Y. 1 5 with other well-known buildings, of which the interest was confined to Papal times. The Agger of Servius Tullius and the ruined Ponte Salara have been swept away. The in- comparable view from the Ponte Rotto has been blocked out, the trees on the Aventine and the woods of Monte Mario have been cut down. The Villa Negroni-Massimo, the most beautiful of Roman gardens, with the grandest of old orange avenues, and glorious groves of cypresses amid which Horace was buried, — a villa whose terraces dated from the time when it belonged to Maecenas, and which was replete with recollections of the romantic story of Vittoria Accorambuoni, of Donna Camilla Perretti, and of Alfieri, has been ruthlessly and utterly ploughed up, so that not a trace of it is left. Even this, however, is as nothing com- pared with the entire destruction of the beauty and charm of the grandest of the buildings which remain. The Baths of Caracalla, stripped of all their verdure and shrubs, and deprived alike of the tufted foliage amid which Shelley wrote, and of the flowery carpet which so greatly enhanced their lonely solemnity, are now a series of bare featureless walls standing in a gravelly waste, and possess no more attraction than the ruins of a London warehouse. The Coliseum, no longer " a garlanded ring," is bereaved of everything which made it so lovely and so picturesque, while botanists must for ever deplore the incomparable and strangely unique " Flora of the Coliseum," which Signer Rosa has caused to be carefully annihilated, even the roots of the shrubs having been extracted by the firemen, though, in pulling them out, more of the building has come down than five hundred years of time would have injured. In the Basilica of Constantine, the whole of the beautiful covering of shrubs. l6 DA VS NEAR ROME. with which Nature had protected the vast arches, has been removed, and the rain, soaking into the unprotected upper surface, will soon bring them down. Nor has the work of the destroyer been confined to the Pagan antiquities ; the early Christian porches of S. Prassede and S. Pudenziana, with their valuable terra-cotta ornaments, have been so smeared with paint and yellow-wash as to be irrecognisable ; many smaller but precious Christian antiquities, such as the lion of the Santi Apostoli, have disappeared altogether. And in return for these destructions and abductions, Rome has been given . . what ? Quantities of hideous false rock-work painted brown in all the public gardens ; a Swiss cottage and a clock which goes by water forced in amid the statues and sarcophagi of the Pincio ; and the having the passages of the Capitol painted all over with the most flaring scarlet and blue, so as utterly to destroy the repose and splendour of its ancient statues. Should tb« present state of things continue much longer, and especially should Signor Rosa remain in power, the whole beauty of Rome will have disappeared, except that which the Princes guard in their villas, and that which the everlasting hills and the glowing Campagna can never fail to display. It is to the environs that poets must turn for their inspiration and artists for their pictures, and as the de- stroying hand advances, they must wander further away, for though the Villa Adriana, which was like a historical Idyll of Nature, has already fallen, and the amphitheatre of Sutri is threatened, Cori and Ninfa, Alatri and Anagni, Aquino, Subiaco, Nami, Soracte, and Caprarola must long remain unspoilt. On the immediate neighbourhood of Rome much has INTRODUCTORY. 17 already been written. Sir William Cell's " Topography of Rome and its Vicinity " is a mine of antiquarian information. Some slight sketches of different points of interest, especially of the monasteries in the neighbourhood, may be found in the different works of Hemans. The author would especially express his constant debt of gratitude to " Cramer's Ancient Italy," and to many of the wonderfully accurate articles in "Smith's Dictionary of Creek and Roman Ceography." Stor/s charming " Roba di Roma," and several admirable novels, especially " The Marble Faun " (foolishly called " Transformation " in England), " Barbara's History," and more especially Ceorge Sand's *' Daniella," abound in charming word-pictures of the Campagna and the nearer places on the hills. But for more distant excursions, the EngUsh books of reference are easily exhausted, with one great exception, — " Dennis' Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria." In studying this delightful work, and even in the few extracts given in these volumes, the reader who knows Rome will seem to feel again the fresh breeze from the Sabine and Alban hills sweeping over the Campagna, laden with a scent of sweet basil and thyme, and he will enjoy again in their remembrance that glow of enthusiasm which the real scenes brought into them. The great volumes of Dennis are too large to be companions on the excursions themselves, but in preparation for them will be charming fireside companions for Roman winter evenings. Cerman scholars will delight in the charming volumes of Gregorovius, and especially in his " Lateinische Sommer," than which no descriptive book is more pictorial or more interesting. The best and most accurate Hand-books of Italy which have yet been published are also in Cerman — those of Dr. Th. VOL. I. 2 Ig DA yS NEAR ROME. Gsell-fels, assisted by admirable maps, and though they are exceedingly unequal, as if the author had only visited in person a portion of the district he describes, in some places they are almost exliaustive. The small Hand-books of Baedeker are very convenient and practical, and are gener- ally very carefully corrected. It must necessarily be with the present work as with the many which have preceded it. Some who follow in the paths it indicates will think its descriptions exaggerated, others will find them not sufficiently glowing. For Rome, more than any other place, produces different impressions on different minds. The Campagna in its ruin and desolation will be described as " dismal and monotonous," or *' solemn and beautiful," according to the feelings of those who traverse it. Some \vill only be impressed with the dirt, the poverty, the ruinousness of the mountain-towns ; others with their pic- turesqueness and colour. It is necessary to real enjoyment of these mountain places to cast out all the black motes which too often obscure our vision. When this is done, what a store of sunny memories may be laid up. " Yea, from the very soil of silent Rome You shall grow wise ; and walking, live again The lives of buried peoples, and become A child by right of that eternal home, Cradle and grave of empires, on whose walls The sun himself subdued to reverence falls. " — J. A. S. Rome is unlike other towns in having scarcely any suburbs \ on nearly every side one is in the country almost directly. " St. John describes Rome, in the ApocaI)^se, as sitting upon her seven hills in the wilderness. And a vrildemess indeed it is. First, in every direction that leads into the Campagna, you pass the inhabited streets; then comes a belt of vineyards and villas, fading off into INTRODUCTORY. 19 desolation as you proceed ; then come the grand old walls, stretching away, with their richly-coloured brickwork and flanking towers. You pass out through a stately gate, through which legions have gone out and in fifteen hundred years ago, and you are in the Campagna. There it is before you, mile after mile, brownish green in the foreground, red in the middle distance, melting away into purple and blue in the farther distance, and bounded by a glorious bank of mountains, of colours not to be attempted by pen or pencil. Hardly a human habitation is visible, save where, on the Alban Hills to your right, the villages gleam out, sprinkling their gorgeous sides with spots of pearl. Ancient towers and tombs are cast at random about the waste. Flat it is not, but full of the most picturesque undulations, and even lines of low cliffs and wind- ing streams. Endless are its varieties of beauty, in outline, in grouping, and above all, in colour. For miles and miles the ancient and modern aqueducts bridge it with their countless arches — haunts of all the lovely hues of the bow of heaven. Watch them in the yellow and orange of the morning and noonday sun ; watch them mellowing off as the westering beam slopes on them, turning their gold to copper, then casting that copper into the glow of the furnace, then cooling it down into the dull iridescence of parting evening ; watch them till the green grey of the fading light has subdued them into the sober mass of undistinguished plain and mountain ; then wrap your cloak double round you, and stride away through the chilled streets and the thronging Corso to your steep open staircase, and your snug log fire, and meditate on as fair and heavenly a sight as ever blessed a day on this varied earth. " Rome itself is a place of never-dying and ever-vaiying interest ; but the Campagna of Rome is a pure source of unfailing delight." — Dean Alford. Yet without its varied mountain distances, without the glorious climate to illuminate it, it is almost impossible to say how ugly the Campagna would be. As it is it is per- fectly beautiful. For so vast an expanse there are few marked features ; only, here and there, the aqueducts, some- times striding across the plain in mighty lines of arches garlanded against the sky with ivy and smilax, sometimes merely marked by a white line in the grass or a succession of miniature round towers over their openings. Between the aqueducts, run the roads, often following the course of 20 DA VS NEAR ROME. the ancient Roman highways, and, as in the case of the Via Tiburtina, still paved with the blocks of black lava, laid down two thousand years ago, over which the wine-carts rattle with their revolving hoods {capote), shelters alike against sun and shower, — ^^often drawn by grand, meek-eyed oxen. Hard by, the black crosses, sprinkled along the dusty wayside amongst the thistles, keep their dismal record of accidents or murders ; and refuges of hurdles, erected at intervals, attest the ferocity of the Campagna buffaloes and the necessity of escape from them. In the winter the plain is crimson and gold with the decaying vegetation ; but, as spring advances, it changes so rapidly to green, that it is as if it were suddenly touched with phosphoric light ; and, as summer advances, the growth becomes coarse and rampagious to a degree — ^Virgins thistle, breast-high ; rank anchusas ; hemlock ; huge resedas ; acres covered with the tall and stately but poisonous asphodel, here and there a low bush of hawthorn, and a band of green osiers marking where the Anio meanders through a cleft. Almost every building is mediaeval, except those which ate classical. The most conspicuous are the tall towers of brick and stone, relics for the most part of Orsini and Colonna feuds, and erected as a refuge for the shepherds of one of the great proprietors, against the inroads of his neighbours. Besides these, there are the huts built of reeds, such as Virgil describes, and the rifled tombs, now used as houses, in the doors of which we so often see the shepherd-wives, with folded panni shading their withered faces, seated spirming like the pictures of the Fates, while the shepherds themselves, dressed in goat-skins, watch their flocks on the neighbouring turfy hillocks. INTRODUCTORY. 21 " Next to the picturesquely conspicuous towers the most frequent landmarks are the conical shepherds' huts, usually on the higher grounds, inhabited during about half the year by a race of men so cut off from all social and civilizing influences that one might expect to find the lowest brutality, and all the fiercest passions, in a moral soil thus neg- lected. The shepherd of these parts, in his broad-brimmed black hat, long loose jacket and leggings, both alike of unshorn sheep or goat- skin, might seem the original type whence an idealizing dream devised the mythologic satyr. His temporary dwelling is made of branches of the yellow-flowering Spanish broom, and is open at the pointed apex for the escape of smoke from the wood-fire lit in the middle, around which are ranged beds, something like berths in a ship, and usually for several people, as this hut is inhabited by many inmates, besides dogs or pigs, and at times sheep or goats, also privileged to enjoy its warmth and shelter. Here (it may be within sight of St. Peter's and the Lateran basilica) does this rude servant of the soil spend the long seasons of his monotonous existence, till the summer-sultriness obliges him to migrate with his dogs and sheep. The usual food of these outcast-looking beings is black bread and ricotta (ewe's-milk cheese). Yet, despite his wild and savage aspect, this shepherd, on near approach, proves a hannless creature ; will sometimes beg in the humblest tone ; and has the re- putation of being consistently devout, his religion standing him in the stead of knowledge and ideas." — Heman's Story 0/ Monuments in Rome. '^ Vous apercevez <;a et \k quelques bouts de voies romaines dans des lieux ou il np passe plus personne, quelques traces dessechees des tor- rents de I'hiver, qui, vues de loin, ont elles-memes I'air de chemins battus et frequentes, et qui ne sont que le lit d'une onde orageuse, qui s'est ecoulee comme le peuple romain. A peine decouvrez-vous quelques arbres, mais vous voyez partout des mines d'aqueducs et de tombeaux qui semblent etre les forets et les plantes indigenes d'une terre composee de la poussiere des morts et des debris des empires ; so'Svent, dans une grande plaine, j'ai cm voir de riches moissons ; je m'en approchais, et ce n'etaient que des herbes fletries qui avaient trompe mon ceil. Sous ces moissons arides, on distingue quelquefois les traces d'une ancienne culture. Point d'oiseaux, point de mugisse- ments de troupeaux, point de villages ; un petit nombre de fermes delabrees se montrent sur la nudite des champs ; les fenetres et les portes en sont fermees, il n'en sort ni fumee, ni bmit, ni habitants. Une espece de sauvage, presque nu, pale et mine par la fievre, garde seule- ment ces tristes chaumieres, comme ces spectres qui, dans nos his- toires gothiques, defendent I'entree des chateaux abandonnees. . . . 22 DA YS NEAR ROME. Vous croiriez peut-etre, d'aprcs cette description, qu'il n'y a rien de plus affreux que les campagiies romaines ; vous vous tromperiez beaucoup : elles ont une inconcevable grandeur." — Chateaubriand. In this vast undulating plain, generally occupying some green knoll, washed by a brook at its base, are the sites of many an ancient Latin town which was alternately the enemy and the ally of Rome. Sometimes, as in the case of Ostia, a whole city, with its paved streets, its narrow shops, and its equally miniature temples, has been laid bare. Sometimes, as at Veii, Gabii, and Tusculum, only a fragment of ruin, rising here and there above-ground, marks one of the principal buildings — a theatre or a temple. Often, as at Antemnae, Fidense, Crustumerium, and Collatia, only the undulations of the turf attest where the city has been. As we advance into the hills, where they were more easily protected, the ancient cities are far more perfect ; at Tivoli are beautiful miniature temples of the ancient Tibur ; at Sutri is its wonderful rock-hewn amphitheatre ; at Aquino are noble remains both of arches and temples ; at Cori are the threefold walls which gird, and the rock temples which crown, its hill top. Further still from the capital, where the classical buildings were always less magnificent, glorious mediaeval remains attest the presence of Popes who made the hill-towns the fortified residence of their troubled reigns. The massive remains of the Papal palaces of Anagni, Viterbo, and Orvieto, with the glorious churches of those towns; the gothic palace of Cardinal Vitelleschi at Cometo ; the convents of Monte Cassino, Subiaco, Farfa, Grotta Ferrata, Trisulti, Casamari, and Fossanuova; the castles and towers of Tivoli, Bracciano, Ostia, Celano, Avezzano, Borghetto, and INTRODUCTORY. 23 Bolsena ; the walls of Civita Lavinia and Nepi, — ^attest the love and knowledge of art and beauty which flourished in those dark ages. As we go further from Rome, too, new interests are sug- gested by the pelasgic and cyclopean remains at Palestrina, Cori, Norba, Segni, Alatri, and Arpino, or by the marvellous Etruscan discoveries of Cervetri, Cometo, Vulci, Norchia, and Bieda. "The excursions in the neighbourhood of Rome are charming, and would be full of interest if it were only for the changing views they afford of the wild Campagna. But every inch of ground, in every direction, is rich in associations, and in natural beauties. There is Albano, with its lovely lake and wooded shore, and with its wine, that certainly has not improved since the days of Horace, and in these times hardly justifies his panegyric. There is squalid Tivoli, with the river Anio, diverted from its course, and plunging do\vn, headlong, some eighty feet in search of it. With its picturesque Temple of the Sibyl, perched high on a crag ; its minor waterfalls glancing and sparkling in the sun ; and one good cavern yawning darkly, where the river takes a fearful plunge and shoots on, low down under beetling rocks. There, too, is the Villa d'Este, deserted and decaying among groves of melan- choly pine and cypress trees, where it seems to lie in state. Then, there is Frascati, and, on the steep above it, the ruins of Tusculum, where Cicero lived, and wrote, and adorned his favourite house (some fragments of it may yet be seen there), and where Cato was bom. We saw its ruined amphitheatre on a grey dull day, when a shrill March wind was blowing, and when the scattered stones of the old city lay strewn about the lonely eminence, as desolate and dead as the ashes of a long-e.\.tm- guished fire. " — Dickens. " Nothing can be more rich and varied, with every kind of beauty, than the Campagna of Rome — sometimes, as around Ostia, flat as an American prairie, with miles of canni and reeds rustling in the wind, fields of exquisite feathery grasses waving to and fro, and forests of tall golden-trunked stone-pines poising their spreading umbrellas of rich green high in the air, and weaving a murmurous roof against the sun ; sometimes drear, mysterious, and melancholy, as in the desolate stretches between Civita Vecchia and Rome, with lonely hollows and hills without a habitation, where sheep and oxen feed, and the wind roams over treeless and deserted slopes, and silence makes its home ; sometimes 24 DA YS NEAR ROME. rolling like an inland sea whose waves have suddenly been checked and stiffened, gi-een with grass, golden with grain, and gracious with myriads of wild flowers, where scarlet poppies blaze over acres and acres, and pink-frilled daisies cover the vast meadows, and pendant vines shroud the picturesque ruins of antique villas, aqueducts, and tombs, or droop from mediaeval towers and fortresses. *' Such is the aspect of the Agro Romano, or southern portion of the Campagna extending between Rome and Albano. It is a picture wherever you go. The land, which is of deep rich loam that repays a hundred-fold the least toil of the farmer, does not wait for the help of man, but bursts into spontaneous vegetation and everywhere laughs into flowers. Here is pasturage for millions of cattle, and grain fields for a continent, that now in wild untutored beauty bask in the Italian sun, crying shame on their neglectful owners. Over these long unfenced slopes one may gallop on horseback for miles without let or hindrance, through meadows of green smoothness on fire with scarlet poppies — over hills crowned with ruins that insist on being painted, so exquisite are they in form and colour, with their background of purple moun- tains — down valleys of pastoral quiet, where great tii/a caves open into subterranean galleries leading beyond human ken ; or one may linger in lovely secluded groves of ilexes and pines, or track the course of swift streams overhung by dipping willows, and swerving here and there through broken arches of antique bridges smothered in green ; or wander through hedges heaped and toppling over with rich luxuriant foliage, twined together by wild vetches, honeysuckles, morning-glories, and every species of flowering vine ; or sit beneath the sun -looped shadows of ivy-covered aqueducts, listening to the song of hundreds of larks far up in the air, and gazing through the lofty arches into wondrous deeps of violet-hued distances, or lazily watching flocks of white sheep as they cross the smooth slopes guarded by the faithful watch-dog. Everywhere are deep brown banks oipozzolaiia earth which makes the strong Roman cement, and quarries of tufa and travertine with unexplored galleries and catacombs honey-combing for miles the whole Campagna. Dead generations lie under your feet wherever you tread. The place is haunted by ghosts that outnumber by myriads the living, and the air is filled with a tender sentiment and sadness which makes the beauty of the world about you more touching. You pick up among the ruins on every slope fragments of rich marbles that once encased the walls of luxurious villas. The contadino or shepherd offers you an old worn coin, on which you read the name of Cresar, or a scarabaiis which once adorned the finger of an Etruscan king, in whose dust he now grows his beans, or the broken head of an ancii^nt jar in marble or terra-cotta, or a lacrymatory INTRODUCTORY. 2$ of a martyred Christian, or a vase with the Etrurian red that now is lost, or an intaglio that perhaps has sealed a love-letter a thousand years ago. " — Story's Roba di Roma, i. 313. From the unenclosed nature of the Campagna and the paucity of inhabitants, all the ancient land-marks are more easily traced here than in other parts of Italy. " The hills of Rome are such as we rarely see in England, low in height but with steep and rocky sides. In early times the natural wood still remained in patches amidst the buildings, as at this day it still glows here and there on the green sides of the Monte Testaccio. Across the Tiber the ground rises to a greater height than that of the Roman hills, but its summit is a level unbroken line, while the heights, which opposite to Rome itself rise immediately from the river, under the names of Janiculus and Vaticanus, then sweep away to some distance from it, and return in their highest and boldest form at the Monte Mario, just above the Milvian bridge and the Flaminian road. Thus to the west the view., is immediately bounded ; but to the north and north-east the eye ranges over the low ground of the Campagna to the nearest line of Apennines, which closes up, as with a gigantic wall, all the Sabine, Latin, and Volscian lowlands, while over it are still distinctly to be seen the high summits of the central Apennines, covered with snow, even at this day, for more than six months in the year. South and south-west lies the wide plain of the Campagna ; its level line succeeded by the equally level line of the sea, which can only be distinguished from it by the brighter light reflected from its waters. Eastward, after ten miles of plain, the view is bounded by the Alban Hills, a cluster of high bold points rising out of the Campagna, like Arran from the sea, on the highest of which, at nearly the same height with the summit of Helvellyn, stood the Temple of Jupiter Latiaris, the scene of the common worship of all the people of the Latin name. Immediately under this highest point lies the crater-like basin of the Alban lake ; and on its nearer rim might be seen the trees of the grove of Ferentia, where the Latins held the great civil assemblies of their nation. Further to the north, on the edge of the Alban Hills looking towards Rome, was the town and citadel of Tusculum ; and beyond this, a lower summit crowned with the walls and towers of Labicum seems to connect the Alban hills with the line of the Apennines just at the spot where the citadel of Prseneste, high up on the mountain side, marks the opening into the country of the Hernicans, and into the valleys of the streams that feed the Liris. 26 £>yi YS NEAR ROME. '* Returning nearer to Rome, the lowland country of the Campagna is broken by long green swelling ridges, the ground rising and falling, as in the heath country of Surrey and Berkshire. The streams are dull and sluggish, but the hill-sides above them constantly break away into little rocky cliffs, where on every ledge the wild fig now strikes out its branches, and tufts of broom are clustering, but which in old times fonned the natural strength of the citadels of the numerous cities of Latium. Except in these narrow dells, the present aspect of the country is all bare and desolate, with no trees nor any human habitation. But anciently, in the time of the early kings of Rome, it was full of independent cities, and in its population and the careful cultivation of its little garden-like farms, must have resembled the most flourishing parts of Normandy or the Netherlands." — Arnold^s Hist, of Rottie, vol. i., ch. iii. Excursions from Rome have hitherto been usually limited to the Alban Hills and Tivoli, or at most Subiaco. Thus foreigners have lost not only enjoyment of much that is worth seeing, but the benefit of occasional draughts of pure mountain air, vi^hich would do much to keep off the fevers to which too many, who strictly confine themselves to the city-sights, are apt to fall victims. You enter the Campagna and "the ancient dust and mouldiness of Rome, the dead atmosphere in which so many months are wasted, the hard pavements, the smell of ruin and decaying generations, the chill palaces, the convent bells, the heavy incense of altars, the life led in the dark narrow streets, among priests, soldiers, nobles, artists, and women ; all the sense of these things rises from the consciousness like a cloud which has imperceptibly darkened over it." — Hawthorne. In the Campagna, taken in its narrower sense, the Malaria is always sufficiently alarming to make it desirable to avoid lingering on its damp grass, and especially to hesitate about sketching in the sunset. Its growth is most mysterious, but it is certainly in no way due, as is often stated, to the mis- government of the Popes. " ' Latifundia perdidere Italiam ' (large farms were the ruin of Italy) is the expression of the elder Pliny ; and in reference to this later period INTRODUCTORY. 27 does Strabo particularize the sites on the Campagna notoriously- dangerous to inhabit : — Ardea, Sastia (now Sezza), Terracina, &c. In reference to this does Cicero complain of the fevers prevailing in its low districts ; and Livy laments the fate of the retired soldiers doomed to reside on this soil — ' Se militando fessos in pestilent! atque arido, circa urbem, solo luctari.' Horace also observes of the month of August in the city ' Adducit febres et testamenta resignat.' " — Hef nans' Story 0/ Monuments iii Rome. Even in the villas at Tivoli, as in those nearer Rome, malaria is greatly to be feared towards sunset. " What the flaming sword was to the first Eden, such is the malaria to these sweet gardens and groves. We may wander through them of an afternoon, it is true, but they cannot be made a home and a reality, and to sleep among them is death. They are but illusions, therefore, like the show of gleaming waters and shadowy foliage in the desert." — Transformation . But malaria does not penetrate into the hills, and nothing can be more healthy and invigorating than the air in the more distant mountain towns. The middle of winter should be devoted to the city, and to the nearer Campagna drives, so as to leave many spring days for the hill-excursions, which will then have a charm none who have not felt them can realize. " About your feet the myrtles will be set, Grey rosemary, and thyme, and tender blue Of love-pale labyrinthine violet ; Flame-bom anemones will glitter through Dark aisles of roofing pine-trees ; and for you The golden jonquil and starred asphodel And hyacinth their speechless tales will tell. The nightingales for you their tremulous song Shall pour amid the snowy scented bloom Of wild acacia bowers, and all night long Through starlight-flooded spheres of purple gloom Still lemon-boughs shall spread their faint perfume, Soothing your sense with odours sweet as sleep, While wind-stirred cypresses low music keep." — y. A. S. 28 DA YS NEAR ROME. "The spring came ; the languid, fragrant, joyous Italian spring, all sunshine and perfume, and singing of birds and blossoming of flowers. The Easter festivals were past, and the strangers dispersed and gone. The snow had faded from the summit of Soracte. The Coliseum hung out its banners of fresh green. The Campagna glowed under the midday sun, like a Persian carpet — one wilderness of poppies and harebells, buttercups, daisies, wOd convolvuli, and purple hyacinths. Every crumbling ruin burst into blossom, like a garden. Every cultivated patch within the city walls ran over, as it were, spontaneously, with the delicious products of the spring. Every stall at the shady corner of every quiet piazza was piled high with early fruits : and the flower-girls sat all day long on the steps of the Trinita de' Monti. Even the sullen pulses of the Tiber seemed stirred by a more genial current, as they eddied round the broken piers of the Ponte Rotto. Even the solemn sepulchres of the Appian Way put forth long feathery grasses from each mouldering cranny, and the wild eglantine struck root among the shattered urns of the roadside columbarium. Now, too, the transparent nights, all spangled with fire-flies, were even more balmy than the days. And now the moon shone down on troops of field-labourers encamped under the open sky against the city M'alls ; and the nightingales sang as if inspired, among the shadowy cypresses of the Protestant burial-ground." — Barbara's History. The spring in Italy is the time for active, the summer for passive enjoyment. "You know not 'yet the enchantment of an Italian summer amid Italian hills ! You know not what it is to breathe the perfume of the orange-gardens — to lie at noon in the deep shadow of an ilex-grove, listening to the ripple of a legendary spring, older than history — to stroll among ruins in the purple twilight ! Then up there, far from the sultry city and the unhealthy plains, we have such sunrises and sunsets as you, artists though you be, have never dreamt of — there, where the cool airs linger longest, and the very moon and stars look more golden than elsewhere." — Ba7-baras History. In the mountain towns, living is exceedingly economical. Even at the hotels there are few places where the charges iox pension including everything would be more than \\, or at most 5 francs a day, while in lodgings one may live quite handsomely for 25 francs a week. All prices are proportion- INTRODUCTORY. 29 ately small. For instance, in the Abruzzi a whole day's journey by diligence seldom costs more than 6 or 8 francs. Of course this tariff does not apply to Albano, where the price of everything has been raised by foreign interference, but rather to places which are not much frequented, or which are resorted to by Italians of the lower-upper or viezzo-ceto classes, who would simply laugh down any overcharge. In some of these places there are charming, happy summer colonies, which migrate to the fresher air like the swallows, as regularly as the hot months come round. . To L'Ariccia especially the artists flock forth, and there and at Olevano they make their summer societies, leading an innocent, merry life enough, and, while rivals in their art, filled with simple kindnesses for one another ; the companionship and good-fellowship of the Via Margutta being carried on in these country villages. " The life of the student in Rome should be one of unblended enjoy- ment. If he loves his work, or, what is the same, if he throws himself conscientiously into it, it is sweetened to him as it can be nowhere else. His very relaxations become at once subsidiary to it, yet most delight- fully recreative. His daily walks may be through the field of art, his resting-place in some seat of the muses, his wanderings along the stream of time bordered by precious monuments. He can never be alone ; a thousand memories, a thousand associations accompany him, rise up at every step, bear him along. There is no real loneliness in Rome now any more than of old, when a thoughtful man could say that ' he was never less alone than when alone.' " — Cardinal iVisetnaft. He who lives long in one of these country places will have an experience of Italian character which no town residence will give ; and will be astonished at the amount of quaint folk lore and historical tradition which is handed down orally in a population which can seldom read, and is utterly ignorant of the most notorious principles of modern 30 DA yS NEAR ROME. information. They seldom go beyond the limits of their own casielli, except that all have probably paid one visit to Rome in their lifetime, to receive the Easter Benediction from the Holy Father. Their animals are generally like friends to them, and are often trained in a wonderfully human way — especially their pigs, which generally live in the houses, and are the companions of their daily life. A pig at Subiaco danced the tarantella like a human being. If an Italian peasant were told that there was no future state for his domestic animals he would be very incredulous. "Sant' Antonio abbia pieta dell' anima sua," cried Madame de Stael's Italian coachman, as his horse fell down dead; and the Litendente of the Duke of Sermoneta, writing lately to announce that a number of his pigs had died in the country, said simply, " Sono andati in Paradiso." The men are generally far more instructed than the women, whose ideas are for the most part confined to what they hear in the churches, and to the stories of their o\vn village or of the saints. " Among us, and in many places, the contadina is neither more nor less than the wife, the female of the contadino, as the hen is the female of the cock ; with which, except in sex, it has life, nourishment, habits, all in commoir. This equality, on the contrary, in certain places becomes destruction and loss to the poor woman. Here, for example, if a faggot of wood and a bunch of chickens have to be carried down to the shore from one of the villages half-way up the mountain, the labour is thus distributed in the family ; the wife loads herself with the faggot of wood which weighs half a hundred-weight, and the husband will take the chickens which weigh a mere nothing. In mountainous places it is generally thus. It is curious to hear the cotttaditii, when they are trying to lift a weight, if they find it heavy, say, as they quickly put it down again, ' It is woman's work 1 ' " — Massimo d'Azeglio. " From a people so original and so ignorant we may expect many quaint superstitions. Accordingly besides ghosts and haunted houses we hear of the lupo-tnanaro, a kind of were-wolf, most dangerous on rainy INTRO D UCTOR Y. 3 1 nights ; of witches whom you may keep out of the house by hanging a broom at the window. The Roman witch seizes eagerly on her favourite steed, and with the muttered charm, * Sopr' acqua e sopra vento Portami alia noce di Benevento,' she is off in a trice to join her Samnite sisters. If a Roman housewife has lost anything, she will repeat Psalm xci., ' Qui habitat,' quite sure that at the words ' from the snare of the hunter' ( ' de laqueo venantium ' — she reads it ^ acqua di Venanzio'') the truant will re-appear. Then she has her famous ' Rimedii Simpatici^ To cure a wart you must tie the finger round with crimson silk ribbon : for a sty, pr,etend to sew it up with needle and thread : for a boil, get a poor neighbour to beat a frying-pan at your door. Their faith in the lottery and the libra deh' arte is too well known for comment ; a similar reverence is paid to the weather-prophecies of the almanac. The book must be true, they argue, for it has the Ii?iprimatur." — Claude Dclaval Cobham, ^^ Essay on Belli.'''' In spite of the richness of the land, and in spite of the fact that most of the peasants are themselves land-OAvners on a very small scale, the most terrible poverty frequently prevails, but this is greater in the Hemican and Equian than in the Alban Hills. " Can we believe that amid the abundant produce of the land the peasants are poor ? Looking at the region, it appears to be an Eldorado of happy inhabitants ; but living with them in the paradise of Nature we meet too often with starvation. All these fruits (twenty figs or twenty walnuts may be bought here for one bajocco, and in good years a bottle of wine for the same price) do not feed the peasant ; he would stai've if he had not the meal of the Turkish corn, which is his only food. The fault of this incongruity lies in the agrarian condition. To begin with, you must know that the possessor of land here owes the fourth part of the produce as rent to the lord of the soil. It is the old curse of the latifundia to sink the people in poverty. There are indeed few peasants who do not possess a small vineyard, but it is not sufficient to maintain the family. Usury is unlimited ; even from the poorest ten per cent, is taken. The smallest misfortune, or a bad harvest, brings him into debt. If he borrows money or grain the interest burdens him ; the avaricious rich man watches for the time of want to wrest the land from the small proprietor for a nominal price. Barons and monasteries grow rich, the 32 DA VS NEAR ROME. peasant-farmer becomes their vassal and vine-dresser. As a rule the transaction takes place thus, — the debtor only sells the soil ; the trees {gh albcri, which includes the vines) remain his, he continues to cidti- vate the vineyard, and retains for himself half or three-quarters of the produce. Scarcely a year passes, and the same vine-owner appears before the purchaser of his land and offers him the trees for sale. Now he becomes farmer for his master, inhabits the vineyard with his family, and continues to cultivate it, receiving a portion of the produce. This may equal or even exceed that of the present proprietor, but yet he will find himself more and more in debt, and have to make over to his master no small proportion of his gains in advance." — Gregorovius, The simple religious faith which exists amongst the mountain peasantry is most touching and instructive. The sound of the angelus bell will collect the whole population of one of the small Abruzzi towns in its churches, and the priests, unlike the spectres which haunt ultra-Protestant story-books, are more frequently simple gentle fathers of their people, consulted by them in every anxiety, and trusted in every difficulty. The open-air life in many ot these villages, where all the spinning, lace-making, and other avocations are carried on in the street, brings the people wonderfully together, and unites their interests and associations as those of one great family, and if a poor person dies, it is not unusual to see the whole town attend the funeral, while orphans who have been born in the place, become regarded as universal property, and receive a share of the attentions and care of all. On a summer's evening, wlien crowds of the inhabitants of a mountain town are sit- ting out in the shady street at their work, it is not unusual for one of them to take up one of the long melancholy never- ending songs which are handed down here for generations, and for the whole people to join in the choruses. These songs are inexhaustible, varying from the short lively catches INTROD UCTOR Y. 33 in two lines called stornelli, to long ballads which some- times succeed one another in more than a hundred verses. A curious collection of the latter, giving their variations according to the different towns and patois in which they are sung, are being published, under the name of " Canti e Eacconti del Popolo Italiano," collected by D. Comparetti and A. D'Ancona. But no more complete picture of the manners and characteristics of the lower classes in Eome and its neighbourhood can be found than that which is given in the two thousand three hundred sonnets of Belli (1791 — 1863), who, himself one of "the people," wrote with the very essence of their feeling. There is a charming volume on "The Folklore of Eome," by E. H. Busk. Eiding is the best means of seeing the Campagna imme- diately around Eome ; indeed there are many interesting places, such as Eustica on the Anio, which cannot be reached in a carriage. But for the longer excursions it is far best to adopt whatever is the usual means of locomotion in the district, generally some high-slung Baroccino. In the Abruzzi, diligences are universally used, and, where the distances are so great between one to^vn and another, they are quite a necessity. In some places these are of the most primitive construction, and in mountainous districts are always drawn by oxen placed in front of the horses, while the harness of the latter, thickly adorned with bells, feathers, and little brass figures of saints, is quite an artistic study. Diligence life is a phase of Italian existence which no one should omit trying at least once, or rather that of the public carriages which ply slowly between the different surrounding towns and the capital. In a vehicle of this kind one cannot fail to be thrown into the closest juxtaposition with 34 DA YS NEAR ROME. one's neighbours, and nowhere is the universal national honhommie and good fellowship more conspicuous. Sup- pose you are at Tivoli and wish to go to Eome. The diligence starts in the middle of the day. You walk to it from your inn, with a porter carrying your portmanteau. You find it under a dark archway ; a lumbering vehicle, something like a heavy though very dilapidated fly, with three lean unkempt horses attached to it by ropes. The company is already assembled and greet you as if you were an old acquaintance. There is a fat monk in a brown habit which does not smell very good, a woman in panno and large gold ear-rings, a young office clerk, a girl of six- teen, and a little child of two. The young man sits by the driver, all the rest go inside. There is endless delay in starting, for when you are just going off, the rope-harness gives way and has to be mended. You begin to feel impa- tient, but find nobody cares in the least, so you think it is not worth while. You get in, and find the interior very mouldy, with tattered sides, and dirty straw on the floor. The most unimaginable baggage is being packed on the roof The gossippy cotiduttore leans against the portico smoking cigarettes, and regaling Tivoli with the scandal of Eome. An important stalliere in rags stands by and demands his fee of one soldo. At last the company are desired to mount. The diligence is moving : it is an immense excitement : there is quite a rush of children down the street to see it. The vehicle creaks and groans. Surely the ropes are going to break again ; but no, they actually hold firm this time and the carriage starts, rocking from side to side of the rugged pavement, amid the remonstrances of the woman in the ear- rings, whose daughter has not been able to embrace her, INTROD UCTOR Y. 35 and who shrieks out of the window, " Ma, Nmo, Nino, non ho baciato la figUa mia." You do not get far before the fleas become active and a universal scratching begins. The child squeals. Then the monk gives it a lollypop and begins a long story about an image in his convent which winked tAvice — ringraziamo Dio — actually tzmce, on the eve of Ascension Day. You can hardly hear, for you are going down a hill and the carriage rocks so, and the bells make such a noise. Suddenly there is a regular outcry, " Oh, Madonna Santissima ! " the young girl is taken worse. ... " Oh, povera piccina ! " You stop for a little while, and are glad to escape even for a minute from the overwhelming smell of cheese and garlic which rises from a basket your next neighbour has placed at your feet. All is perfect good humour, the invalid recovers, you mount once more, the driver sings stornelli in a loud ringing voice : the monk hands round his snuff-box : you sneeze, and all the company say " Felicita " — and so on, till, when you reach the walls of Rome, you are all the greatest friends in the world, and you shake hands all round when you part, amid a chorus of " a rivederla Signore ! " It is melancholy to think how many people are deterred from the great enjoyment which is to be obtained from these Italian mountain excursions by imaginary fears of brigands. Of course it is just within the bounds of possibility that a casualty might occur, but, except perhaps in the neighbour- hood of Palestrina or the Pontine Marshes, the chances are exceedingly remote, and as a general rule the more distant places are the safest. Those who stay amongst the cordial, frank, friendly people of most of the mountain towns, or who visit the beautiful prosperous valley of the Liris, would smile 36 DAYS NEAR ROME. at the very idea of an adventure ; and, in the nearer Cam- pagna, the buffaloes, and still more the shepherd dogs, are far more to be dreaded by lonely pedestrians than the in- habitants. Tourists who are content to travel simply to live with and like the people they are amongst, and especially who can sign '■'■ pittore" to the description of their profession required in strangers' books at the inns, are not only likely to be unmolested, but cordially welcomed and kindly treated, however savage the aspect of nature may be in the country in which they are wandering. The times are quite passed when picturesque groups surrounded every carriage which appeared in a remote place, and commanded its occupants to " saltar fuora," as the expression was. The brigand stories of the last century are preserved in English country houses, and served up for the benefit of any member of the family who may be travelling south, as if they were events of to-day. But those who entertain these fears do not realize how nry small the proportion of robberies and murders is in Italy compared to that of their own country — and do not know that no well-authenticated case can be ascertained of a foreigner having been either murdered or carried off by brigands, north of the old Neapolitan states, since the time of railways. Events which would curdle the blood of every Italian throughout the country pass almost unnoticed in England. For instance, what detail of old Italian brigandage was ever half so horrible as the sentence which was appended to the account of the dreadful railway accident at Merthyr Tydvil (May, 1874) in the Times: — "We regret to say that the poor women most injured were robbed of their purses even before they could be extricated from the ruins of the carriages ! " Or, what tale of Italian ferocity ever equalled INTROD UCTOR V. 37 that of the Liverpool " roughs " (August, 1874), who, when a respectable citizen refused to give up his money, deliberately kicked him to death, in the presence of his wife and brother, who were themselves terribly injured in endeavouring to defend him. Even from brigands, if they are Italian, a woman would be almost certain to meet with nothing but personal kindness and respect, and a suffering woman could not be sufficiently commiserated or assisted. An equally false impression exists in England as to middle and upper classes in Central Italy, who are generally represented and believed to be little better than well-dressed clowns, selfish, egotistical, frivolous, uneducated, ground down by superstition, devoid of all the habits of cleanly and civihzed life. Such misconceptions will soon vanish from the minds of those who are at the pains to furnish themselves with introductions to the resident gentry on their mountain excursions, and who enjoy the friendly cordial hospitality of the many happy family homes, in which generation after generation have lived honoured and beloved, while in the sons and daughters of the country-houses, as well as in those of many of the Roman palaces, the same cultivation and ac- complishments will be found which exist in a similar class in England, illuminated by that native grace and natural quick- ness and brilliancy which is seldom seen out of Italy. "Any one who has been at the pains to seek a friendship, and has been lucky enough to find one, among the sons of modern Rome, will not be slow in doing justice to their charms ; the faithfulness, warmth, tact, good humour, the grace of manner, the courage and tenderness, and that dignity of manhood which is so well reflected in the strong straight limbs, bright skin, rippling hair, and sunny faces, so well known to the loungers in the Corso, or on the Pincian hill. Let us not judge the Roman harshly. His history has been strangely chequered, and his energies may have varied with his fortunes. Sometimes, like 38 DA YS NEAR HOME. Rienzi, he may still mistake memories for hopes, idle visions of past greatness for that inspiration which is the earnest of future glory : ' At non omnia perdidit, neque omnes.' " C/aiide Delaval Cobham. With regard to the best seasons for the excursions from Eome, those who reach Central Italy in October will find that month far the best for a tour in the Abruzzi, before the winter snows have set in. Subiaco and its surroundings are gloriously beautiful in November, and are greatly enhanced by the tints of the decaying vegetation, the absence of which is much felt in spring when the valley between Subiaco and Tivoli looks bare and colourless. During the winter months many of the shorter excursions may be pleasantly made from Eome in a carriage or on horseback, and a tramontana, if not too severe, will be found most agreeable by pedestrians in the valleys of Veii, or on the heights of Tusculum. The railway to Frascati opens many delightful and short excursions, and may always give a perfect country change of a few hours. In March, Alatri, Anagni, Cori, and Segni may be visited, with many other places in that district, but March is an uncertain month because " Marzo e pazzo," for it is the time, say Italians, " when men did kill God." " A reverend meteorologist accounted for the cold in Lent, by saying that it was a mortification peculiar to the holy season, and would con- tinue till Easter, because it was cold when Peter sate at the High Priest's fire on the eve of the Crucifixion." — Forsyth. But April is the pleasantest month of all, and then should be made the enchanting excursion to Soracte, Caprarola, and the Ciminian Hills — which may be extended to Orvieto, whence those who do not wish to return to Rome may continue their journey northwards. CHAPTER I. OSTIA AND CASTEL FUSANO. (This excursion can easily be managed in the day. Provisions must be taken, as there is no inn at Ostia, and visitors to Castel Fusano must provide themselves the day before with an order (given on presenting a card with a request, at the Chigi Palace in the Corso) to put up their horses there. Two hours suffice to see Ostia, but as much time as pos- sible should be given to Castel Fusano.) IT was in the freshness of an early morning of most brilliant sunshine, that we drove out of the old crumbling Ostian gate now called Porta San Paolo, which Belisarius built, and where Totila and Genseric entered Eome, and passed beneath the Pyramid of Caius Cestius, which for nineteen hundred years has cast its pointed shadow over the turfy slopes, where foreign Christians, gathered froni so many distant lands, now sleep in Christ. This pyramid St. Paul looked upon as he was led out to execution beyond the city walls, and it may be considered as " the sole surviving witness of his martyrdom." A little further and we pass the " Chapel of the Farewell," which marks the site of his legendary leave-taking with St. Peter, and is adorned with a bas-relief of the two aged martyrs embrac- ing for the last time, and inscriptions of the words they are reported to have spoken to one another. Then we reach the great basilica, once surrounded by the flourishing fortified village of Joanopolis, but now standing alone in 40 DA YS NEAR ROME. solitary abandonment, even the monks, who scantily occupy its adjoining convent, being obliged to fly into the town before the summer malaria. Outside, the restored church has no features of age or grandeur, but within, as the eye passes down its unbroken lines of grey columns, sur- mounted by a complete series of papal portraits, it may rest upon the magnificent mosaics of the tribune, and the grand triumphal arch of Galla Placidia, relics of the venerable basilica which perished by fire on the night of the 15th of July,. 1823, on which Pius VII. lay dying, who had long been a monk within its walls, and to whom the watchers by his death-bed never ventured to tell the great catastrophe with which the sky was red, though as his last moments approached, he is believed to have seen it in a troubled vision. Beyond San Paolo, and indeed all the way from thence to Ostia, the road was once bordered with villas, but now there are only three cottages in the whole distance, which is bare or solemn as the feelings of those who visit it. It leads through the monotonous valley of the Tiber, where buffaloes and grand slow-moving bovi feed amid the rank pastures which are white with narcissus. Here and there a bit of tufa rock crops up crested with ilex and laurestinus. A small Roman bridge called Ponte della Eefolta is passed. At length, on mounting a slight hill, we come upon a wide view over the pale-blue death-bearing marshes of the Ma- remma, here called Campo-morto, to the dazzling sea, and almost immediately enter a forest of brushwood, chiefly myrtle and phillyrea, from which we only emerge as we reach the narrow singular causeway leading to Ostia itself It is a strange scene, not unlike the approach to Mantua APPROACH TO OSTIA. 41 upon a srtiall scale. On either side stretch the still waters of the pestiferous lagoon, called the Stagno, waving with tall reeds which rustle mournfully in the wind, and white with floating ranunculus. To the left, a serrated outline of huge pine-tops marks the forest of Fusano ; to the right we see the grey towers of Porto, the cathedral of Hippolytus, and the tall campanile which watches over the Isola Sacra, where, with a feeling fitting the mysterious sadness of the place, Dante makes souls wait to be ferried over into pur- gatory. Large sea-birds swoop over the reedy expanse. In front the mediaeval castle rises massive and grey against the sky-line. As we approach, it increases in grandeur, and its huge machicolations and massive bastions become visible. The desolate causeway is now peopled with marble figures ; heroes standing armless by the wayside, ladies reposing headless amid the luxuriant thistle-growth. Across the gleaming water we see the faint snowy peaks of the Leonessa. On each sandbank, rising above the Stagno, are works connected with the salt mines founded by King Ancus Martins, twenty-five centuries ago, and working still. They have always been important, as is evidenced by the name of one of the gates of Rome, the Porta Salara, through which the inhabitants of the Sabina passed with their pur- chases of Ostian salt. Every artist will sketch the Castle of Ostia, and will remember as he works, that Raphael sketched it long ago, and that, from his sketch, Giovanni da Udine painted it in the background of his grand fresco of the victory over the Saracens, in the Stanza of the Incendio del Borgo in the Vatican, for here the enemy who had totally destroyed the ancient town in the fifth century, were as totally defeated in 42 DA YS NEAR ROME. the reign of Leo IV. (a.d. 847 — 856). Procopius in the sixth century wrote of Ostia as *' a city nearly overthrown." The present town is but a fortified hamlet, built by Gregory IV., and originally called by him Gregoriopolis. It was strengthened by Nicholas I. in 858. In the fifteenth cen- tury Cardinal d'Estouteville employed Sangallo, who lived here for two years, in building the castle, and Giuliano della Rovere, afterwards Pope Julius II. and then cardinal bishop of Ostia, continued the work. Here he took refuge Castle of Ostia. for two years from the persecution of Alexander VI. Afterwards he imprisoned Cssar Borgia here in 1 5 1 3, whose escape was connived at by Cardinal Carbajal, to whose care he was intrusted. Nothing remains of the internal decorations but some mouldering frescoes executed by Baldassare Peruzzi and Cesare da Sesto for Cardinal della Rovere, but the outer walls are so covered with the escutcheons of their different papal owners as " to form a veritable chapter of pontifical heraldry." Conspicuous amongst these grand coats of arms are the oak-tree (Robur) of the Della Rovere, and the wreathed column of the OSTIA. 43 Colonna. On the battlements above, masses of the blue- green wormwood, which is a lover of salt air and scanty- soil, wave in the wind. Artists will all regret the destruc- tion of the tall pine, so well known till lately in pictures of Ostia, which stood beside the tower, till it died in 1870. The tiny town, huddled into the narrow fortified space, which forms as it were an outer bastion of the castle, con- tains the small semi-Gothic cathedral, a work of Baccio Pin- telli, with a rose-window, but scarcely larger than a chapel, and seeming out of keeping with the historical recollections which we have of many mighty cardinal bishops. Some ac- counts state that this most ancient see was founded by the apostles themselves ; others consider that Pope Urban I. (a.d. 222) was its founder, and announce St. Ciriacus as its first bishop. It is the bishop of Ostia who has always been called upon to ordain a pope who has not been in priests' orders at the time of his election, and he bears the title of " Dean of the Sacred College."* A quarter of a mile beyond the mediaeval town we enter upon the ancient city. It is like Pompeii. The long entrance street, now quite unearthed, is paved with great blocks of lava closely dovetailed into one another, and is lined \\'ith the low ruins of small houses and shops, chiefly built of brick, set in opus reticulatiwi. Here and there a tall grey sarcophagus stands erect ; but no building remains per- fect in the whole of the great town, which once contained eighty thousand inhabitants. Thistles flourish everywhere, and snakes and lizards abound, and glide in and out of the hot unshaded stones. After a time we turn into other and * The towns of Ostia, Portus, Silva Candida, Sabina, Prseneste, Tusculum, and Albanum, were the sees of seven suffragan bishops, afterwards called cardinal bishops, of whom the Bishop of Rome was in a special sense the Metropolitan. 44 DA YS NEAR ROME. siTi'aller streets, in some of which there are evident remains of pillared porticoes. A temple of Mithras, supposed to be of the date of the Antonines, has been identified by the in- scription on its pavement, " Soli Invict. Mit. D. D. L. Agrius Calendio." Three statues of Mithraic priests were found near its altar. Baths, richly decorated with mosaics, have also been discovered. In the streets, the marks, the deep ruts of the chariot- wheels — obliged by the narrow space to run always in the same groove, remain in the pavement. The ground is littered with pieces of coloured marble, and of ancient glass tinted with all the hues of a peacock's tail by its long inter- ment. The banks are filled with fragments of pottery, and here and there of human bones. The whole scene is melancholy and strange beyond description. Emerging from the narrow, almost oppressive confinement of the ruined streets, upon higher ground still unexcavated, which stretches away in ashy reaches to the mouths of the Tiber and the sea, we find a massive quadrangular building of brick, which is more stately and perfect than anything else, and is supposed to have been a temple of Jupiter. It con- tains its ancient altar. Ancus Martius was the original founder of Ostia, which then stood upon the sea-shore, and for hundreds of years it was the place where the great Roman e.tpeditions were em- barked for the subjugation of the provinces. Chief among these were the expedition of Scipio Africanus to Spain, and that of Claudius to Britain. It was in the time of Claudius that the town obtained its chief importance. He dearly loved his sea-port, often sta3'ed here, and it was from hence that he was summoned to Rome by the news of the S. AUGUSTINE AT OSTIA. 45 iniquities which led to the death of Messalina. In his time the sand was already beginning to accumulate at the mouth of the Tiber, and Ostia was soon after ruined, paling before the prosperity of Porto. In consequence of the changes in the mouth of the Tiber, which has no longer the graceful course and the woody banks described by Virgil, it is diffi- cult to ascertain the site of the ancient harbour. It is even disputed through how many channels the river entered the sea ; Dionysius, in his " Periegesis," declares that it had only one ; Ovid alludes to tvvo. "Ostia contigerat, qua se Tiberinus in altum Dividit, et campo liberiore natat." — Fast. iv. 291. " Flumiuis ad flexum veniunt ; Tiberina priores Ostia dixerunt, unde sinister abit." — Fast. iv. 329. But from these classical recollections the Christian pilgrim will turn with enthusiasm to later memories, as precious and beautiful as any that the Campagna of Rome can afford, and he mil see Augustine, with his holy mother, Monica, sitting, as in Ary Scheffer's picture, at "a curtain window," dis- coursing alone, together, very sweetly, and, " forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before," inquiring in the presence of the Truth of what sort the eternal life of the saints was to be, and " gasp- ing with the mouths of their hearts " after the heavenly streams of the fountain of life. Then, as the world and all its delights become contemptible in the nearness into which their converse draws them to the unseen, he will hear the calm voice of Monica in the twilight telling her son that her earthly hopes and mission are fulfilled, and that she is only waiting to depart, " since that is accomplished for which she had desired to linger awhile in this life, that she 46 DA YS NEAR ROME. might see him a Catholic Christian before she died." He will remember that five days after this conversation, Monica lay in Ostia upon her death-bed, and waking from a long swoon, and looking fixedly on her two sons standing by her, " with grief amazed," said to Augustine, " Here thou shalt bury thy mother ; " and that to those who asked whether she was not afraid to leave her body so far from her own city, she replied, " Nothing is far to God ; nor is it to be feared lest at the end of the world He should not recognize whence to raise me up." And here "on the ninth day of her sickness, and the fifty-sixth year of her age, was that religious and holy soul freed from the body." The bones of Monica were moved afterwards to Rome, to the church which was dedicated to her son's memory ; but it is Ostia which will always be connected with the last scenes of that most holy life, and at Ostia that Augustine describes the '' mighty sorrow which flowed into his heart," the tears and outcries of " the boy Adeodatus,"* as the beloved mother sank into her last sleep ; how Euodius calmed their grief by taking up the Psalter, and how all the mourning house- hold sang the psalm, " I will sing of mercy and judgment to thee, O Lord," around the silent corpse ; and lastly, how the body was carried to the burial, and they " went and returned without tears — for the bitterness of sorrow could not exude out of the heart." With these recollections in our minds, let us leave Ostia. It is a curious and deeply interesting, but not a beautiful place, and it is a strange contrast, when we have returned once more to the old fortress, and, turning sharply round its walls, traversed the two miles of desolate campagna between * The son of Augustine. APPROACH TO CASTE L FUSANO. 47 it and the pine-wood, to find in Castel Fusano an absolute climax of poetical loveliness. The peasants do all their field labour here in gangs, men and women together, and most picturesque they look, for the costumes which are dying out in Rome are universally worn here, and all the women have their heads shaded by white pawii, and are dressed in bright pink and blue petticoats and laced bodices. They have hard work to fight against the deep-rooted asphodels, which overrun whole pastures and destroy the grass, and they have also the constantly recurring malaria to struggle against, borne up every night by the poisonous vapours of the marsh, which renders Ostia almost uninhabit- able even to the natives in summer, and death to the stranger who attempts to pass the night there. Approach to Castel Fusano. A bridge, decorated with the arms of the Chigis, takes us across the last arm of the Stagno, with a huge avenue of pines ending on a green lawn, in the midst of which stands the mysterious, desolate Chigi palace, occupying the site of the beloved Laurentine villa of Pliny. No road, no path 4S DA YS NEAR ROME. even, leads to its portal ; but all around is green turf, and it looks like the house where the enchanted princess went to sleep with all her attendants for five hundred years, and where she must be asleep still. Round the house, at in- tervals, stand gigantic red vases, like Morgiana's oil-jars, filled with yuccas and aloes. Over the parapet wall stone figures look down, set there to scare away the Saracens, it is said, but for centuries they have seen nothing but a few stranger tourists or sportsmen, and the wains of beautiful meek-eyed oxen drawing timber from the forest. All beyond is a vast expanse of wood, huge pines stretching out their immense green umbrellas over the lower trees ; stupendous ilexes contorted by time into a thousand strange vagaries ; bay-trees bowed with age, and cork-trees grey with lichen — patriarchs even in this patriarchal forest. And beneath these greater potentates such a wealth of beautiful shrubs as is almost indescribable— arbutus, lentisc, phillyrea ; tall Medi- terranean heath, waving vast plumes of white blossom far overhead, sweet daphne, scenting all around with its pale pink blossoms ; myrtle growing in thickets of its own ; smilax and honeysuckle, leaping from tree to tree, and forming themselves into a thousand lovely wreaths, and, beneath all, such a carpet of pink cyclamen, that the air is heavy with its perfume, and we may sit down and fill our hands and baskets with the flowers without moving from a single spot. A road, a mile long, paved with blocks of lava plundered from the Via Severiana, leads from the back of the palace to the sea, and we must follow it, partly to see the famous rosemary which Pliny describes, and which still grows close to the shore in such abundance, and partly for the sake of a glimpse of the grand Mediterranean itself (so SHORE OF CASTEL FUSANO. 49 refreshing after the close air of Roman streets), which rolls in here with long waves upon a heavy sandy shore, where a few fishermen have their huts, built of myrtle from the wood, and bound together with the reeds of the Stagno. But all the forest is delightful, and one cannot wander enough into its deep recesses, where some giant of the wood is reflected in a solitary pool, or where the trees reach overhead into long aisles like a vast cathedral of Nature. If time can be given, it is well worth while to follow on horseback the heavy road which leads continuously through the forest to Porto d'Anzio, by Ardea and Pratica ; but in this case it will be necessary to have permission to sleep at Castel Fusano. Such an excursion will give leisure to dwell upon the beauties which are generally seen so hurriedly. Virgil should be taken as a companion, who describes the very pines, which cast such long shadows, in his " yEneid," — " Evertunt actas ad sidera pinus," * and with the poet as a fellow-traveller, perhaps the very desertion and solitude will act as a charm, and the intense silence, only broken by the songs of the birds and the chirp of the cicala. * xi. 1.^6. CHAPTER 11. ALBANO AND LARICCIA. (The Hotel de Paris (occupying an old palace) at Albano, is perhaps the best, and is comfortable. The Albergo della Posta, belonging to the same landlord, is an old-established inn in the Italian style, and has a few pleasant rooms towards the Campagna. The Hotel de Rome, on the other side of the street, nearer Lariccia and the comrtry, is comfort- able and well-furnished : the upper floor is very cold in winter. The Hotel de Russie, near the Roman gate and the Villa Doria, is an old- fashioned inn, with less pretensions. At all the hotels at Albano the charges are very high in comparison with other places near Rome, and quite unreasonably so. It is necessary on arriving to make a fixed bar- gain at all of them, and for everything. The charges for carriages are most extortionate and ought to be universally resisted. If no bargain is made at the railway-station, travellers are liable to a charge of lo or even 15 francs for a carriage to take them to their hotel. Places in the open omnibus, without luggage, cost one franc each. It is far more ecorjomical as well as pleasanter for a party of people to take a carriage from Rome to Albano (costing 20 francs), than to go by the railway and be at the mercy of the Albano carriages on arriving. Those who stay long in the place will find it much less expensive to walk across the via- duct to Lariccia and take a carriage from thence, or even to order one from Genzano. Donkeys cost four francs by the day, the donkeyman four francs, and the guide seven francs : these prices include the whole excursion by Monte Cavo and Nemi.) LOOKING across the level reaches of the Campagna as it is seen above the walls of the city from the Porta Maggiore to the Porta S. Paolo, the horizon is bounded by a chain of hills, or rather very low mountains, so varied in out- THE ALBAN HILLS. 51 line, so soft and beautiful in the tender hues of their ever- changing colour, that the eye is always returning to rest upon them, and they soon assume the aspect of loved and familiar friends, equally charming in the sapphire and amethyst hues of autumn, under the occasional snow-mantle of mid-winter, or when bursting afresh into ligh^, and life, from the luxuriant green of early spring. Where they break away from the plain, the buttresses of the hills are clothed with woods of olives or with fruit-trees, then great purple hollows vary their slopes, and towns and villages on the projecting heights gleam and glitter in the sun, towns, each with a name so historical as to awaken a thousand associations. And these centre most of all round the white building on the highest and steepest crest of the chain, which marks the summit of the Alban Mount, and the site of the great temple of Jupiter Latiaris — the famous — the beloved sanctuary of the Latin tribes. "For those who have not been at Rome I will say, that on looking south-east from the gate of S. John Lateran, after a slightly undulating plain of eleven miles, unbroken by any tree, but only by tombs and broken aqueducts, there rises in the mist of beautiful days, a line of blue hills of noble forms, which, leaving the Sabine country, go leaping on in various and graceful shapes, till they reach the highest point of all, called the Monte Cavo. Hence the chain descends afresh, and with moderate declension, and a line long drawn out, reaches the plain, and is lost there not very far from the sea." — Massimo d^Azeglio. "Alba, thou findest me still, and. Alba, thou findest me ever, Now from the Capitol steps, now over Titus's Arch, Here from the large grassy spaces that spread from the Lateran portal, lowering o'er aqueduct lines lost in perspective between. Or from a Vatican window, or bridge, or the high Coliseum, Clear by the g'arlanded line cut of the Flavian ring. Beautiful can I not call thee, and yet thou hast power to o'ermaster, Power of mere beauty ; in dreams, Alba, thou hauntest me still." A. H. CloitgiL. Pedestrians will do well to take tne old Appian Way in 52 DA YS NEAR ROME. going to Albano (see Walks in Rome, vol. i.), every step of which is full of interest; but carriages will usually follow the Via Appia Nuova, which emerges from the city walls by the Porta S. Giovanni, and after crossing the Via Latina ( Walks in Roj?te, i. 124), runs between the stately arches of the Claudian Aqueduct on the left, and the ruined tombs of the Appian Way on the right. Claudian Aqueduct. " L'aqueduc et la voie d'Appius marquent un moment d'une grande importance dans la destinee de Rome, ils sont comme une magnifique vignette entre le premier alinea de I'histoire de la republique et les suivants." — Ampere, Hist. Rom., iv. 49. "Passing out by the San Giovanni gate, you enter upon those broad wastes that lie to the south-east of the city. Going forward thence, with the aqueducts to your left, and the old Appian Way, lined with crumbling sepulchres, reaching for miles in one unswerving line on your far right, you soon leave Rome behind. Faint patches of vegeta- tion gleam here and there, like streaks of light ; and nameless ruins lie scattered broadcast over the bleak slopes of this most desolate region. Sometimes you come upon a primitive bullock-waggon, or a peasant driving an ass laden with green boughs.; but these signs of life are rare. Presently you pass the remains of a square temple, with Corinthian pilasters — then a drove of shaggy ponies— then a little truck with a tiny pent-house reared on one side of the seat, to keep the driver from the sun — tlien a flock of rusty sheep — a stagnant pool — a clump of stunted trees — a conical thatched hut — a round sepulchre, half buried in the soil of ages — a fragment of broken arch ; and so on, for miles and miles across the barren plain. By and by you see a drove of buffaloes scouring along towards the aqueducts, followed by a mounted herds- ■ man, buskined and brown, with his lance in his hand, his blue cloak LE FRATTOCCHIE. 53 floating behind him, and his sombrero down upon his brow — the very picture of a Mexican hunter." — -Aliss Edwards, Bai-bard's History. Eleven miles from Rome the Via Appia !N"ova joins the Via Appia Vecchia at Le Frattocchie. The view from hence, looking down the avenue of mouldering sepulchres, is most desolate and striking. The use of the popular term Strada del Diavolo, which we constantly meet with here as applied to the Via Appia, will call to mind the name of the Devil's Dyke as applied to a well-known Roman work in England. " One day we walked out, a little party of three, to Albano, fourteen miles distant ; possessed by a great desire to go there by the ancient Appian Way, long since ruined and overgrown. We started at half- past seven in the morning, and within an hour or so were out upon the open Campagna. For twelve miles we went climbing on, over an unbroken succession of mounds, and heaps, and hills, of ruin. Tombs- and temples, overthrown and prostrate ; small fragments of columns,, friezes, pediments ; great blocks of granite and marble ; mouldering arches, grass-grown and decayed ; ruin enough to build a spacious city from, lay strewn about us. Sometimes loose walls, built up from these fragments by the shepherds, came across our path ; sometimes a ditch, between two mounds of broken stones, obstructed our progress ; some- times the fragments themselves, rolling from beneath our feet, made it a toilsome matter to advance ; but it was always ruin. Now, we tracked a piece of the old road above the ground ; now traced it underneath a grassy covering, as if that were its grave ; but all the way was ruin. In the distance, ruined aqueducts went stalking on their giant course along the plain ; and every breath of wind that swept towards us stirred early flowers and grasses, springing up, spontaneously, on miles of ruin. The unseen larks above us, who alone disturbed the awful silence, had their nests in ruin ; and the fierce herdsmen, clad in sheepskins, who now and then scowled upon us from their sleeping nooks, were housed in ruin. The aspect of the desolate Campagna in one direction, where it was most level, reminded me of an American prairie ; but what is the solitude of a region where men have never dwelt, to that of a Desert where a mighty race have left their foot-prints in the earth from which they have vanished ; where the resting-places of their Dead have fallen like their Dead ; and the broken hour-glass of Time is but a heap of idle dust ! 54 J:>A YS near ROME. Returning, by the road, at sunset ; and looking, from the distance, on the course we had taken in the morning, I almost felt as if the sun would never rise again, but look its last, that night, upon a ruined world." — Dickens. Le Frattocchie itself was the scene of the fatal meeting (Jan. 2oth, B.C. 52) between Clodius and Milo. " Clodius etait alle a Aricia pour une affaire. Lelendemain, il s'etait arrete dans sa villa, voisine du mont Albain, oix il devait coucher. La nouvelle de la mort de son architecte le fit partir assez tard. A peine avait-il commence a suivre la voie Appienne, qu'il se croisa pres de Boville avec Milon ; Milon se rendait a Lanuvium, d'ou il etait ori- ginaire, pour y installer dans sa charge un pretre do la deesse du lieu, Junon Sospita. "Je crois que les deux ennemis ne s'attendaient pas a se rencontrer. Milon etait en voiture avec sa femme ; escorte par ses esclaves, parmi lesquels se trouvaient deux gladiateurs renommes. Dans la situation ou il se trouvait vis-a-vis de Clodius, cette escorte n'avait rien d' extra- ordinaire. " Clodius etait a cheval, suivi de trois amis, et d'une trentaine d' esclaves. Les deux ennemis s'etaient depasses sans se rien dire. Une querelle s'engagea entre ceux qui formaient leur suite. "Selon Ciceron, un grand nombre des gens de Clodius attaquerent Milon d'un lieu qui dominait la route. Son cocher fut tue. Milon sauta a teiTe pour se defendre ; les gens de Clodius coururent vers la voiture pour attaquer Milon, et commencerent a frapper ses esclaves a coups d'epee. Ce fut alors que le gladiateur Birra, attaquant Clodius par deniere, lui per9a I'epaule. " Les serviteurs de Clodius, beaucoup moins nombreux, s'enfuirent et emporterent leur maitre dans une hotellerie ; rhotellerie fut assiegee par les hommes de Milon, I'hote tue. Clodius, arrache de cet asile, fut ramene sur la route, et la perce de coups. Milon ne fit rien pour I'empecher. On dit plus tard qu'apres le meurtre il etait alle dans la villa de son ennemi, qui etait tout proche, pour chorcher son enfant et I'egorger ; que, ne le trouvant pas, il avait torture ses esclaves ; mais ces accusations n'ont aucune vraisemblance. "La suite de Clodius s'etait dispersee. Un senateur qui passait par la trouva son corps gisant sur la route et le fit reporter dans sa maison du Palatin." — Ampere, Hist. Rom., iv. 577. Some ruins at a short distance to the left are supposed tc BOVILL^. 55 mark the site of the city of Appiola, destroyed by Tarqiiin, who used its spoil to erect the Circus Maximus. A httle to the right are the ruins of Bovillce, whose foundation is attributed to Latinus Silvius of Alba. The remains consist of insignificant fragments of the circus and theatre. Bovillae was the first station on the Appian Way : — "Et cum currere debeas Bovillas, Interjungere quseris ad Camcenas." Martial, ii., Ep. 6. The title of Suburbange distinguished it from another town of the same name : — " Orta suburbanis qusedam fuit Anna Bovillis, Pauper, sed multa; sedu'litatis, anus." Ovid. Fast. iii. 667. " Quidve suburbanre parva minus urbe Bovillas." Piopertius, iv., Eh'g. i. Floras speaks of Bovillae as one of the first towns subdued by the Romans : Plutarch tells how it was taken and plun- dered by Marcus Coriolanus. In the time of Cicero, who speaks of it as a " municipium," it was already almost deserted.* The Julian Gens had a chapel here, where their images Avere preserved, and games were performed in their honour. Here the body of the Emperor Augustus rested for a month as it was being brought from Nola, and here the knights assembled to conduct it to the cit)\ The position of Bovillae receives an additional identification from the description which Cicero gives of the circumstances which led to the murder of Clodius, when he speaks of it as " Pugna Bovillana."+ Beyond Le Frattocchie the Via Appia ascends con- tinuously. * Oral, pro Plancio. t Ad Atticum. v. i;. 56 DA YS NEAR ROME. "Now the Campagna is left behind, and Albano stands straight' before you, on the summit of a steep and weary hill. Low lines of white-washed wall border the road on either side, enclosing fields of fascine, orchards, olive-yards, and gloomy plantations of cypresses and pines. Next come a range of sand-banks, with cavernous hollows and deep under-shadows ; next, an old cinque-cento gateway, crumbling away by the road-side ; then a little wooden cross on an overhanging crag ; then the sepulchre of Pompey ; and then the gates of Albano, through which you rattle into the town, and up to the entrani,e of the Hotel de Russie." — Miss Edwards, Barbara's History. Immediately before entering the town, we pass, on the left, a lofty tomb, always known as the Tomb of Pompey. Plutarch mentions his sepulchre as being near his villa at Albanum, though according to the epigram of Varro Atacinus, quoted by the scholiast on Persius ii. 36, Pompey had no tomb : — ' ' Marmoreo Licinus tumulo jacet ; at Cato parvo ; Pompeius nuUo ; quis putet esse Deus." To those who receive their previous impressions of Albano from water-colour drawings and from the engravings of Pinelli, the sight of the place will be full of disappointment. The town consists, for the most part, of an ill-paved street a mile in length, of shabby white-washed houses, without fea- ture, and the inhabitants have little beauty and wear no dis- tinctive costume. All the interest of the place is to be found in the lovely scenery which surrounds it, and most lovely it is ; and for costumes and primitive habits of the peasantry we must penetrate further, to the Volscian and Hernican hills. Yet, except in the building of a few better-class hotels, Albano has made no progress in late years, and is ill-pro- vided with all the comforts of civilized life : the few there are being supplied to strangers at prices which are enormous for Italy. LIFE A r A LB A NO. 57 " Albano — -a place of more than 6000 souls, the episcopal see of a Cardinal who represented his sovereign in the spiritual government 01 Rome — has not a bookseller's shop, no sort of library for public use, no journal except sterile official papers, though a large Cathedral Chapter, seminary, and public schools, the residence of a Gonfaloniere and a governor, attest the importance — numerous hotels and rather gay caffes, announce the fashionable — reputation of this town. Under the old government, twelve convents, in Albano and its vicinity, dispensed charities, usually in the form of soup and bread, to all applicants, either daily or on stated days. Yet the town itself has always been swarming with beggars, who usually appeal to compassion with promises of so many Aves in return ! The native youth of the place, seeming for the most part artizans or labourers in tolerably good condition, spend their evenings generally, as the visitor may perceive, at the caffes playing cards." — Ilemans' Catholic Italy. But the beauty of the villas, and the variety of excursions in the neighbourhood, make Albano the most enchanting of summer residences for those who can bear the heat of Italian villeggiature. Large airy apartments may be obtained in many of the old palaces, where, in the great heat, the scarcity of furniture is scarcely a disadvantage. But those who sojourn here, will do well to conform to Italian habits — to dine early and then take a siesta, followed by the delicious Italian refection of lemonade, fruits, &c., which is known as Merenda, and sallying out in the gorgeous beauty of the evening to walk or drive in the '' galleries " which overhang the lake, or in the woods towards Nemi. " Ah, dearest, you know not yet the enchantment of a summer amid Italian hills, and you know not what it is to breathe the perfume of the orange gardens — to lie at noon in the deep shadow of an ilex grove, listening to the ripple of a legendary spring, older than history — to stroll among ruins in the purple twilight ! Then up here at Albano, far from the sultry city and the unhealthy plain, we have such sunrises and sunsets as you, artist though you be, have never dreamt of — here, where the cool airs linger longest, and the very moon and stars look more golden than elsewhere" — Barbara's History. "When the sun draws down to the horizon the people flock forth 58 jDA VS near ROME. from their houses. All the chau-s and benches in front of the caffi are filled — the streets are thronged with companies of promenaders — every door-step has its little group — the dead town has become alive. March- ing through the long green corridors of the "gallerie" that lead for miles from Albano or Castel Gandolfo to Genzano, whole families may be seen loitering together, and pausing now and then to look through the trunks of the great trees at the purple flush that deepens every moment over the Campagna. The cicale now renew their song as the sun sets, and croak dryly in the trees their good-night. The contadini come in from the vineyards and olive-orchards, bearing ozier-baskets heaped with grapes, or great bundles of brush-wood on their heads. There is a crowd around the fountain, where women are filling their great copper vases with water, and pausing to chat before they march evenly home under its weight like stout caryatides. Broad-horned white oxen drag home their creaking wains. In the distance you hear the long monotonous wail of the peasant's song as he returns from his work, interrupted now and then with a shrill scream to his cattle. White- haired goats come up the lanes in flocks, cropping as they go the over- hanging bushes— and mounting up the bank to pluck at the flowers and leaves, they stare at you with yellow glassy eyes, and wag their beards. The sheep are huddled into their netted folds. Down the slopes of the pavement jar along ringing files of wine-carts going towards Rome, while the little Pomeranian dog who lives under the triangular hood in front is running about on the piled wine-casks, and uttering volleys of little sharp yelps and barks as the cars rattle through the streets. If you watch the wine-carriers down into the valley you will see them pull up at the wayside fountains, draw a good flask of red wine from one of the casks, and then replace it with good fresh water. " The ^r//// now begin to trill in the grass, and the hedges are alive with fire-flies. From the ilex groves and the gardens nightingales sing until the middle of July ; and all summer long glow-worms show their green emerald splendour on the grey walls, and from under the road-side vines. In the distance you hear the laugh of girls, the song of wandering pro- menaders, and the burr of distant tambourines, where they are dancing the saltarello. The civetta hoots from the old tombs, the barbigiano answers from the crumbling ruins, and the plaintive, monotonous ciou owls call to each other across the vales. The moonlight lies in great still sheets of splendour in the piazza, and the shadows of the houses are cut sharply out in it, like blocks of black marble. The polished leaves of the laurel twinkle in its beams and rustle as the wind sifts through them. Above, the sky is soft and tender ; great, near, palpitant stars flash on you their changeful splendour of emerald, topaz, and ruby. TOMB OF A RUNS. 5^ The JNIilky Way streams like a torn veil over the heavens. The villa fronts whiten in the moonlight among the grey smoke-like olives that crowd the slopes. Vines wave from the old towers and walls, and from their shadow comes a song to the accompaniment of a guitar — it is a tenor voice, singing 'Non ti scordar, non ti scordar di me.' "Nothing can be more exquisite than these summer nights in Italy. The sky itself, so vast, tender, and delicate, is like no other sky. As you stand on one of the old balconies or walls along the terraces of the Frescati villas, looking down over the mysterious Campagna, and listening to the continuous splash of fountains and the song of nightin- gales, you feel Italy — the Italy of Romeo and Juliet. Everything seems enchanted in the tender splendour. The stars themselves bum with a softer, more throbbing and impulsive light. The waves of the cool, delicate air, passing over orange and myrtle groves, and breathing delicately against the brow and cheeks, seem to blow open the inmost leaves of the book on which youth painted its visionary pictures with the colours of dreams. In a word, we say this is Italy — the Italy we dreamed of— not the Italy ot fleas, couriers, mendicants, and postilions, but of romance, poetry, and passion." — Story's Roba di Roma, i. 298. As soon as the visitor is settled in his hotel he will probably wander up to the end of the street, where he will at once find himself amid the greatest attractions of the place. Just below the road, upon the right, is the tomb of Aruns, son of Porsenna. It is a huge square base with four cones rising from it, and a central chamber, in which an urn with ashes was discovered some years ago. Aruns was killed by Aris- todemus of Cumse before Ariccia, which his father had sent him to besiege : his tomb is identified by the descriptioii which Pliny gives of that of Porsenna, but it was long sup- posed to be the monument of the Horatii and Curiatii. Below the tomb of Aruns, the old road to Ariccia winds through the hollow, amid rocks and trees, which, alas, have lately been pollarded. Still the glen must always be full of beauty, and is the constant summer resort of landscape- painters. 6o DA YS N'EAR ROME. " From Albano we had to go on foot for the short and beautiful re- mainder of the way through Ariccia. Reseda and golden cistus grew wild by the road-side ; the thick, juicy olive-trees cast a delicious shade. I caught a glimpse of the distant sea ; and upon the mountain-slopes by the wayside, where a cross stood, merry girls skipped dancing past us, yet never forgetting piously to kiss the holy cross. The lofty dome of the church of Ariccia I imagined to be that of S. Peter, which the angels had hung up in the blue air among the dark olive-trees." — Improvisatore. //. C. Audeisrii. ?m '£ hS. L'Ariccia. The ravine is now called Vallericcia, and was once a sheet of water called Lacus Aricinus. Near the road are some small remaiiis supposed to be those of a temple of Diana. " The ceremonies of the temple of Aricia were, according to Strabo, barbaric and Scythian, like those of the Tauric Diana. The priest (Rex Nemorensis) was always a fugitive who had slain his predecessor, and always had in his hand a drawn sword, to defend himself from a similar fate. There was a tree near the temple, whence if a fugitive could ap- proach and carry off a bough, he was entitled to the duel, or mono- machia, with the Rex Nemorensis. " A most curious basso-relievo was found in the neighbourhood some vears ago, * representing several personages, among whom is the priest, lately in possession, lying prostrate, with his entrails issuing from a * Now at Palma in Majorca. ARICCIA 6i wound, inflicted by his successor, who stands over him with his sword ; there are also several females in long robes, in the Etruscan style, who seem to invoke the gods. This basso-relievo and the passage of Strabo seem to explain each other." — Sir W. Cell. Hippolytus or Urbius, the legendary founder of Ariccia, was joined wth Diana in the worship of the inhabitants, and is commemorated with her by many of the Latin poets. " Jamque dies aderat ; profugis cum regibus altum Fumat Aricinum Triviae Nemus, et face multa Conscius Hippolyti splendet lacus." Stat. Sih. iii. I. *' Ecce suburbanae templum nemorale Diana?, Partaque per gladios regna nocente manu." Ovid. Art. Am. i. 259. " Nympha, mone, Nemori stagnoque operata Dianee ; Nympha, Num?e conjux, ad tua festa veni. Vallis Aricinse sylva praecinctus opaca Est lacus, antiqua religione sacer. Hie jacet Hippolytus furiis direptus equorum," &c. Ovid. Fast. iii. 261. r " Lucus eum, nemori.sque tui Dictynna recessus Celat : Aricino Virbius ille lacu est." Ovid. Fast. vi. 755. " .... nam conjux urbe relicta Va'lis Aricin.'e densis latet abdita sylvis : .-lacraque Oresteas gemitu questuque DianK Impedit. Ah quoties NymphcC nemorisque lacusqiie, Ne faceret, monuere." 07'id. Metani. xv. 4S7. " Ibat et Hippolyti proles pulcherrima bello, Virbius ; insignem quern mater Aricia misit, Eductum Egerise lucis, humentia circum Littora, pinguis ubi et placabilis ara Dianae. "' Virgil. ^F.n. vii. 761. "At Trivia Hippolytum secretis alma recondit Sedibus, et nymphae Egerise nemorique relegat ; Solus ubi in silvis Italis ignobilis aevum Exigeret, versoque ubi nomine Virbius esset." Virgil. Alii. vii. 774. 62 DA YS NEAR ROME. "Jam nemus Egerire, jam te ciet altus ab Alba Jupiter, et soli non mitis Aricia regi." Val. Flac. Arg. ii. 304. " .... quos miserat altis Egerite genitos immitis Aricia lucis, .i^tatis mentisque pares ; at non dabat ultra Clotho dura lacus aramque videre Diante." Sil. Hal. iv. 36S. The steep ascent from Vallericcia to the town is also com- memorated by the poets. . . "accede Bovillas Clivumque ad Virbi : prKsto est mihi Manlius hseres." Persius. Sat. vi. 56. " Irus tuorum temporum sequebaris. Migrare Clivum crederes Aricinum." Martial, xii. Ep. 32. The steepness of the hill from the earliest times afforded great advantages to the beggars. " Dignus Aricinos qui mendicaret ad axes, Blandaque devexre jactaret basia rhedae." yuvenal. Sat. iv. 1 1 7. The rich country upon which we look down \\?^% as famous in ancient as in modern times for the produce of its vineyards. "Est mihi nonum superantis annum Plenus Albani cadus." Horace. Od. iv. Ii. "Hie herus, Albanum, Maecenas, sive Falernum Te magis appositis delectat ; habemus utrumque." Sat. ii. 8. " Hoc de Cresareis mitis vindemia cellis Misit, luleo qua; sibi monte placet." Martial, xiii. 106. Aricia was also celebrated for its leeks : — " Bruttia qu.-e tellus, et mater Aricia porri." ColuDi. R. Rust. X. THE PALAZZO CIIICI. 63 " Mittit prascipuos nemoralis Aricia porros." I\Iartial. xiii. 16. Some fragments of the ancient wall may be seen before enterinsi; the gate of Aricia with its forked Guelfic battle- ments. The city itself is of very ancient origin, being first mentioned in the story of Tarquinius Superbus, when Turnus Herdonius, its king, was drowned in the Aqua Ferentina. It was the birth place of Atia, mother of Augustus, and as such is extolled by Cicero in his third Philippic. Aricia was a station on the Via Appia : — " Nous arrivons avec Horace a Lariccia. La nous disons comme lui : ' Egressum magna me excepit Aricia Roma ' {Sat. i., S. i.) enchantes de ces delicieux aspects dont Horace, moins occupe que nous ne le sommes du pittoresque, n'a point parle. La ville moderne de Lariccia s'est perchee, comme il arrive souvent, dans la citadelle de la ville ancienne. M. Pierre Rosa, cet explorateur infatigable et sagace de la campagne romaine, et qui excelle a decouvrir les mines que son aieul Salvator Rosa aimait a peindre, a cru retrouver les restes de la petite auberge [Sat. i., S. i.) ou. Horace a loge [kospicio modico), et meme des vases contenant I'orge destinee aux montures des voyageurs." — Ampere, Emp. Rom. i. 365. Lariccia is now chiefly remarkable for the huge Palace of the Chigi family, built by Bernini for Alexander VII. It is noble and imposing in its proportions, as it rises on huge buttresses from the depths of the ravine. In the interior are some interesting rooms hung with exceedingly curious stamped leather, and a chamber containing portraits of the twelve nieces of Alexander VII., who Avere so enchanted at the elevation of their uncle, that they all took the veil im- mediately to please him. Apartments are let here in the summer months, and are very delightful. Opposite the palace is the beautifully proportioned Church 64 I^A YS NEAR ROME. of the Assumption, also built (1664) by Bernini, with a dome painted by Antonio Raggi, and a few very indifferent pictures. A fountain covered with mimulus stands in front of the portico. The palace and church form the beautiful group of Lariccia so well known from pictures. Between them the town is now entered from Albano by a grand viaduct, 700 feet long, whence the view is exquisitely lovely, on the left over the Campagna, on the right looking into the depths of the immemorial wood known as the Parco Chigi. " Le pont monumental remplit un profond ravin pour mettre de plain-pied la route d'Aricia a Albano. II passe done par-dessus tout un paysage vu en profondeur, at ce paysage est rempli par une foret vierge jetee dans un abime. Une foret vierge fermee de murs, c'est la une de ces fantaisies que les princes peuvent seuls se passer. II y a cinquante ans que la main de I'hom.me n'a abattu une branche et que son pied n'a trace un sentier dans le foret Chigi. Pourquoi ? Chi lo sa ? vous disent les indigenes. " Au reste, ce caprice-la, qui serait bien concevable de la part d'lm pro- prietaire artiste, est une agreable surprise pour I'artiste qui passe. Sur les flancs du ravin s'echelonnent les tetes venerables des vieux chenes soutenant dans leur robuste branchage les squelettes penches de leurs voisins morts, qui tombent en poussiere sous une mousse dessechee d'un blanc livide. La lierre court sur ces mines vegetales, et sous I'impenetrable abri de ces reseaux de verdure vigoureuse et de pales ossements, un pele-mele de ronces, d'herbes, et de rochers va se baigner dans le ruisseau sans rivages practicables. Si I'on n'etait sur une grande route, avec une ville derriere soi, on se croirait dans une foret du nouveau monde." — George Sand, La Daniella. "It had been wild weather when I left Rome, and all across the Campagna the clouds were sweeping in sulphurous blue, with a clap of thunder or two, and breaking gleams of sun along the Claudian aque- duct, lighting up the infinity of its arches like the bridge of chaos. But as I climbed the long slope of the Alban Mount, the storm swept finally to the north, and the noble outline of the domes of Albano, and graceful darkness of its ilex grove, rose against pure streaks of alternate blue and amber ; the upper sky gradually flushing through the last frag- ments of rain-cloud in deep, palpitating azure, half aether and half dew The noonday sun came slanting down the rocky slopes of La Riccia, THE CAPPUCCINI CONVENT. 65 and their masses of entangled and tall foliage, whose autumnal tints were mixed with the wet verdure of a thousand evergreens, were pene- trated with it as with rain. I cannot call it colour, it was conflagration. Purple, and crimson, and scarlet, like the curtains of God's tabernacle, the rejoicing trees sank into the valley in showers of light, every separate leaf quivering with burning and buoyant life; each, as it turned to re- flect or transmit the sunbeam, first a torch, and then an emerald. Far up into the recesses of the valley, the green vistas arched like the hollows of mighty waves of some ci"ystalline sea, with the arbutus flowers dashed along their flanks for foam, and silver flakes of orange spray tossed into the au- around them, breaking over the gray walls of rock into a thousand separate stars, fading and kindling alternately as the weak wind lifted and let them fall. Every glade of grass burned like the golden floor of heaven, opening in sudden gleams as the foliage broke and closed above it, as sheet-lightning opens in a cloud at sunset ; the motionless masses of dark rock— dark though flushed with scarlet lichen — casting their quiet shadows across its restless radiance, the foun- tain underneath them filling its marble hollow with blue mist and fitful sound ; and over all^the multitudinous bars of amber and rose, the sacred clouds that have no darkness, and only exist to illumine, were seen in fathomless intervals between the solemn and orbed repose of the stone pines, passing to lose themselves in the last, white, blinding lustre of the measureless line where the Campagna melted into the blaze of the sea." — Riiskiiis Modern Painters. The most delightful lanes fringed with cyclamen and for- get-me-not, lead under the arch at the back of the Chigi palace and skirt the walls of the wood to the Convent of the Capf>ucani, from whose lovely ilex groves there are glorious views in every direction. The convent occupies the site of part of the villa of Domitian, whither J uvenal describes the saturnine emperor as summoning the imperial council from Rome in the winter of a.d. 84. " Anxiously they asked each other, What news ? What the purport of their unexpected summons ? What foes of Rome had broken the prince's slumbers, — the Chatti or the Sicambri, the Britons or the Dacians ? While they were yet waiting for admission, the menials of the palace entered, bearing aloft a huge turbot, a present to the emperor, which they had the mortification of seeing introduced into his presence, VOL. I. 5 66 DA YS NEAR ROME. while the doors were still shut against themselves. A humble fisherman had found the monster stranded on the beach, beneath the fane of Venus at Ancona, and had Iiurried to receive a reward for so rare an offering to the imperial table. When at last the councillors were admitted, the question reserved for their deliberations was no other than this, whether the big fish should be cut in pieces, or served up whole on some enor- mous platter, constructed in its honour. The cabinet was no doubt sensibly persuaded that the question allowed at least of no delay, and with due expressions of surprise and admiration voted the dish, and set the potter's wheel in motion." — Merivale's Romans under the Empire. " Surgitur, et misso proceres exire jubentur Consilio, quos Albanam dux magnus in arcem Traxerat attonitos et festinare coactos." Sat. iv. 145. This palace of Domitian is frequently alluded to in the poets : — " Hoc tibi Palladia seu collibus uteris Albse, Caesar, et hinc Triviam prospicis, inde Thetin ; Mittimus." Martial, v. Ep. i. " Sed quis ab excelsis Trojanse collibus Albse, Unde suaj juxta prospectat moenia Romae, Proximus ille Deus-" Statins, Silv. v. 2. One of the best subjects for a picture is the view from under the great ilex-trees in front of the convent gate towards Albano and the sea. A door in the wall on the right of the lane which leads down towards Albano, admits one to the remains of the Rovmti Amphitheatre, now used as folds for goats, who crowd the rugged recesses of its caverned masonry, and group themselves picturesquely on its old walls. This was the scene of some of the worst cruelties of Domitian. The other Roman remains in Albano are insignificant, the ruins of the P)'cetoriati Camp near the Church of S. Paolo, and some fragments of Roman onia- LAKE OF ALBANO. 67 mentation built into the Church of Sta. Maria della Rotonda being the chief of them. Turning the rocky corner beyond the Cappuccini we come at once upon one of the loveliest scenes in this land of beauty, and look down upon " — the still glassy lake that sleeps Beneath Aricia's trees." * At the Other end of the lake stands, on the hill-side, Castel Gandolfo, embossed against the delicate hues of the distant Campagna. Beneath us, buried in verdure, is the famous Emissarium ; on the opposite shore was the site of Alba Longa; and on the right, beyond the convent of Palazzuola, rise Rocca di Papa, and the Alban Mount. The lake itself, which occupies the crater of an extinct volcano, is 6 miles in circuit, 2\ miles long, and if miles wide. Concerning its origin, a legend was related to one of the translators of Niebuhr's Histo?y, by a peasant boy, who guided him to Frescati, as follows : — " ' Where the lake now lies, there once stood a great city. Here, when Jesus Christ came into Italy, He begged alms. None took com- passion on Him but an old woman, who gave Him two handfuls of meal. He bade her leave the city : she obeyed : the city instantly sank ; and the lake rose in its place.' To set the truth of the story beyond dispute, the narrator added, Sta scritto nei libriy — Niebuhi's Hist, of Rome. "The lakes of Alba and Nemi, like others in the neighbourhood of Rome, are of a peculiar character. In their elevation, lying nestled as it were high up in the bosom of the mountains, they resemble what in Cumberland and Westmoreland are called tarns ; but our tarns, like ordinary lakes, have their visible feeders and outlets, their head which receives the streams from the mountain-sides, and their foot by which they discharge themselves, generally in a larger stream, into the "valley below. The lakes of Alba and Nemi lie each at the bottom of a perfect basin, and the unbroken rim of this basin allows them no visible outlet. • Macaulay's Lays. 6S DA YS NEAR ROME. Again, it sometimes happens that lakes so situated have their outlet under-ground, and that the stream which drains them appears again to the day after a certain distance, having made its way through the basin of the lake by a tunnel provided for it by nature. This is the case par- ticularly where the prevailing rock is the mountain or metalliferous lime- stone of Derbyshire, which is full of caverns and fissures ; and an instance of it may be seen in the small lake or tarn of Malham in York- shire, and another on a much larger scale in the lake of Copais in Boeotia. But the volcanic rocks, in which the lake of Alba lies, do not afford such natural tunnels, or at least they are exceedingly small, and unequal to the discharge of any large quantity of water ; so that if any unusual cause swells the lake, it can find no adequate outlet, and rises necessarily to a higher level. The Roman tradition reported that such a rise took place in the year 357 ; it was caused probably by some vol- canic agency, and increased to such a height, that the water at last ran over the basin of the hills at its lowest point, and poured down into the Campagna. Traces of such an outlet are said to be still visible ; and it is asserted that there are marks of artificial cutting through the rock, as il to enlarge and deepen the passage. This would suppose the ordinary level of the lake in remote times to have been about two hundred feet ^ higher than it is at present ; and if this were so, the actual tunnel was intended not to remedy a new evil, but to alter the old state of the lake for the better, by reducing it for the time to come to a lower level. Possibly the discharge over the edge of the basin became suddenly greater, and so suggested the idea of diverting the water altogether by a different channel. But the whole story of the tunnel, as we have it, is so purely a part of the poetical account of the fall of Veii, that no part of it can be relied on as historical Admitting that it was wholly worked through the tufa, which is easily wrought, still the labour and expense of such a tunnel must have been considerable ; and in the midst of an important war, how could either money or hands have been spared for such a purpose ? Again, was the work exclusively a Roman one, or performed by the Romans jointly with the Latins, as an object of common concern to the whole confederacy? The Alban lake can scarcely have been within the domain of Rome ; nor can we conceive that the Romans could have been entitled to divert its waters at their pleasure without the consent of the neighbouring cities. But if it were a common work ; if the Latins entered heartily into the struggle of Rome with Veii, regarding it as a struggle between their race and that of the Etruscans ; if the overflow of the waters of their national lake, the lake which bathed the foot of the Alban mountain, where their national temple stood, and their national solemnities were held, excited THE EMISSARIUM. 69 an interest in every people of the Latin name, then we may understand how their joint labour and joint contributions may have accomplished the work even in the midst of war ; and the Romans, as they disguised on every occasion the true nature of their connexion with the Latins, would not fail to represent it as exclusively their own." — Arnold'' s Hist, of Rome, vol. I. ch. xxiii. Following the beautiful avenue of ilexes, known as the Galleria di Sopra, as far as the Convent of S. Francesco, we shall find a little path winding down through thickets of cistus and genista to the water's edge, where we may see the remains of the famous Emissarium, constructed B.C. 394. The extreme beauty of the spot is worthy of the romantic story of its origin. " For seven years and more the Romans had been besieging Veil. Now the summer was far advanced, and all the springs and rivers were very low ; when on a sudden the waters of the Lake of Alba began to rise ; and they rose above its banks, and covered the fields and the houses by the water-side ; and still they rose higher and higher, till they reached the top of the hills which surrounded the lake as with a wall, and they overflowed where the hills were lowest ; and behold the water of the lake poured down in a mighty torrent into the plain beyond. When the Romans found that the sacrifices which they offered to the gods and powers of the place were of no avail, and their prophets knew not what counsel to give them, and the lake still continued to overflow the hills and to pour into the plain below, then they sent over the sea to Delphi, to ask counsel of the oracle of Apollo, which was famous in every land. " So the messengers were sent to Delphi. And, meanwhile, the report of the overflowing of the lake was much talked of ; so that the people of Veil heard of it. Now there was an old Veientian, who was skilled in the secrets of the Fates, and it chanced that he was talking from the walls with a Roman centurion whom he had known before in the days of peace ; and the Roman spoke of the ruin that was coming upon Veil, and was sorry for the old man his friend ; but the old man laughed and said : ' Ah ! ye think to take Veil ; but ye shall not take it till the waters of the Lake of Alba are all spent, and flow out into the sea no more.' When the Roman heard this he was much moved by it, for he knew that the old man was a prophet ; and the next day he came again to talk with the old man, and he enticed him to ;o DA YS NEAR ROME. come out of the city, and to go aside with him to a lonely place, saying that he had a certain matter of his own concerning which he desired to know the secrets of fate : and while they were talking together, he seized the old man, and carried him off to the Roman camp, and brought him before the generals ; and the generals sent him to Rome to the Senate. Then the old man declared all that was in the Fates concern- ing the overflow of the Lake of Alba ; and he told the Senate what they were to do with the water, that it might cease to flow into the sea : ' If the lake overflow, and its waters run out into the sea, woe unto Rome ; but if it be drawn off, and the waters reach the sea no longer, then it is woe unto Veii.' But the Senate would not believe the old man's words, till the messengers should come back from Delphi. ' ' After a time the messengers came back, and the answer of the god agreed in all things with the words of the old man at Veii. For it said, ' See that the waters be not confined within the bason of the lake ; see that they take not their own course and run into the sea. Thou shalt let the water out of the lake, and thou shalt turn it to the watering of thy fields, and thou shalt make courses for it till it be spent and come to nothing.' Then the Romans believed the oracle, and they sent work- men, and began to bore through the side of the hills to make a passage for the water. And the water flowed out through this passage under- ground ; and it ceased to flow over the hills ; and when it came out from the passage into the plain below, it was received into many courses wiiich had been dug for it, and it watered the fields, and became obedient to the Romans, and was all spent in doing them service, and flowed to the sea no more. And the Romans knew that it was the will of the gods that they should conquer Veii." — Arnold's Hist, of Rome. "L'emissaire fonctionne encore aujourd'hui ; par lui les eaux du lac arrosent la canipagne romaine et vont se jeter iion dans la mer mais dans le Tibre : I'oracle a done ete obei, aussi Veies a ete prise." — Ampb^e, Hist. Rom. ii. 526. The opening of the Emissarium is enclosed within a Nymphaeum of imperial date, such as is beautifully described in the lines of Virgil : — " Fronte sub adversa scopulis pendentibus antrum ; Intus aqUcS dulces, vivoque sedilia saxo ; Nympharum domus." ^«. i. 167. A custode (who resides at Castel Gandolfo) is required to THE VILLA BARBERINL 71 open the grating. Italians always set fire to little paper boats, which they call " fates," and float them down through the darkness, where they may be seen burning for an im- mense distance. Near the Nymphaeum are many ruins of other Roman buildings known by the country people as Bagni di Diana, Grotte delle Ninfe, &c. All probably are remains of the summer retreats of Domitian. " Quand, par un beau jour de printemps, on contemple le lac endormi dans une coupe de verdure et reflechissant les gracieuses ondulations de ses bords, a la pensee de Domitien on voit apparaitre le bateau ou Pline le Jeune nous le montre trouble par du bruit des rames, dont chaque coup le fait tressaillir. II fallait cesser de ramer et le remorquer. ' A- lors,' dit Pline, 'immobile dans ce bateau muet, il semblait traine comme a une expiation.' " — Ampere, L'Emp. Rom. ii. 135. Clambering up the hill again, we find the height crested by the fine trees overhanging the wall of the Villa Barberini. The beautiful grounds of this villa may always be visited by strangers, and present an immense variety of lovely views, from a foreground, half cultivated and half wild, ending in a grand old avenue of umbrella-pines. The ruins, which we see here in such abundance, are supposed to be remains of the Villa of Pompey, or of the " insane structures," as Cicero calls them, belonging to the villa of Clodius. As we wander here we cannot but call to mind the whole grand invocation of Cicero in his speech in behalf of Milo against the owner of this villa. "And you, hills and groves of Alba, you, I say, I entreat and im- plore, and you, the ruined shrines of the Albans, so closely knit with all that is revered by the people of Rome, altars which this fellow in his headlong madness had dared to strip and rob of their holy groves, and bury beneath the insane piles of his own buildings. Then it was your shrines, your rites that were honoured, your influence which prevailed, which he had insulted with crime of every kind, and thou, from thy lofty peak, great J upiter Latiaris, whose lake and woods and fields he 72 DA YS NEAR ROME. had often defiled with every abominable wickedness and crime, at last thou openedst thine eyes to punish him : to you, late though you might deem it, his punishment was a just and due atonement." Words fail to paint the glories of Italian sunset as seen from the Villa Barberini. " Various as the Campagna is in outline it is quite as various in colour, reflecting every aspect of the sky, and answering every touch of the seasons. Day after day it shifts the slide of its wondrous panorama of changeful pictures — now tender in the fresh green and flower-flush of spring — now golden in the matured richness of summer — and now sub- dued and softened into purple-browns in the autumn and winter. Silent and grand, with shifting opal hues of blue, violet, and rose, the mountains look upon the plain. Light clouds hide and cling to their airy crags, or drag along them their trailing shadows. Looking down from the Alban Hill one sees in the summer noons wild thunder-storms, with sloping spears of rain and flashing blades of lightning, charge over the plain and burst here and there among the ruins, while all around the full sunshine basks upon the Campagna, and trembles over the moun- tains. Towai'ds twilight the landscape is transfigured in a blaze of colour — the earth seems fused in a fire of sunset — the ruins are of beaten gold — the meadows and hollows are as crucibles where delicate rain- bows melt into every tone and gradation of colour — a hazy and misty splendour floats over the shadows, and earth drinks in the glory of the heavens. Then softly a grey veil is drawn over the plain, the shadow creeps up the mountain-side, the purples deepen, the fires of sunset fade away into cold ashes— and sunset is gone almost while we speak. The air grows chill, and in the hollows and along the river steal long white snakes of mist — fires from the stubble begin to show here and there— the sky's deep orange softens slowly into a glowing citron, with tinges of green, then refines into paler yellows, and the great stars begin to look out from the soft deep-blue above. Then the Campagna is swallowed up in dark, and chilled with damp and creeping winds." — Story's Roba di Roma, i. 324. Close to the entrance of the villa, is the town-gate of Castel Gandolfo, the favourite summer residence of the popes for the last two hundred and fifty years, and the only portion of their property outside the Vatican walls, left untouched since the Sardinian occupation. The place was the fortress CASTEL GANDOLFO. 73 of the Gandolfi family in the 12th century, when Otho Gan- dolfi was senator of Rome. In 12 18, it passed to the SavelH, who held it for four hundred years, triumphantly defying all attempts to wrest it from them. In 1596 it was raised into a duchy for Bernardino Savelli by Sixtus V., but poverty obliged him to sell the property to the government for 150,000 scudi, an enormous sum in those days. Clement VIII., by a decree of 1604, incorporated it with the temporal domain of the Holy See, and included it expressly in the bull of Pius V. de non infeiidandis bojiis Ecdesice. It was re- served for Urban VIII. in 1604 to adopt it as a residence, and to build the palace from designs of Carlo Maderno, Bartolomeo Breccioli, and Domenico Castelli. Urban came every year to Castel Gandolfo, and a large number of his bulls are dated from hence. The pontifical palace was en- larged by Alexander VII., and completed by Clement XIII. The interior is furnished in the simplest manner and is little worth visiting. Pius IX. spent part of each summer here, before the invasion ; and every afternoon saw him riding on his white mule in the old avenues or on the terraced paths above the lake, followed by his cardinals in their scarlet robes — a most picturesque and mediaeval scene. The Church of S. TJiomas of Villamiova, close to the palace, was built 1661, by Bernini, for Alexander VII. Its altar-piece is by Pietro da Cortona. Not many tourists penetrate to the other side of the lake, yet here, it is established with tolerable certainty, was the Site of Alba Longa, the mother city of Rome. As the town was entirely destroyed by TuUus Hostilius, who removed its inhabitants to Rome, and established them on the Coelian, its situation was long a disputed point with topographers, and 74 DA YS NEAR ROME. was generally asserted to be that now occupied by Palazzuola, but Sir W. Gell discovered traces of an ancient road leading up the hills from the plain to the further shore of the lake, and suddenly terminating there at a turn of the precipice. This caused an examination of the spot to which it led, and resulted in the discovery of vast blocks of masonry and por- tions of columns buried beneath the underwood, probably fragments of the temples of the gods which Strabo tells us were spared by the Romans amid the general destruction. A knoll to the north was also found to be covered with ruins. Alba was the metropolis of the cities of Latium before the building of Rome. Its foundation is ascribed by the Latin poets to Ascanius, and its name to the white sow of Eneas, and her thirty little pigs. ' ' Ex quo ter denis urbem redeuntibus annis Ascanius clari condet cognominis Albam." ALn. viii. 47. "Et stetit Alba potens, albse suis omine nata." Prope7-t. iv. El. i. " Turn gratus liilo, Atque novercali sedes praelata Lavino, Conspicitur sublimis apex ; cui Candida nomen Scrofa dedit." Juv Sat. xii. 70. Lycophron however {Cassandra, v. 1255) says that the sow was black. " La truie figure encore dans les armes de la petite ville d'Albano, et un bas-relief qui la represente au milieu de sa famille, encastre dans le mur d'une maison du-dessus d'une fontaine, a donne a une rue de Rome le nom de rue de la Truie (Via della Scrofa) ; allusion bien moderne a un bien antique souvenir. " — Ampere, Hist. Rom. i. 196. Since attention was first turned to this spot, every sue- ALBA LONG A. 75 ceeding discovery has curiously confirmed the opinion that it is the true site of Alba. "The characteristics of the city of Alba, says Dionysius of Halicar- nassus, were, * that it was so built, with regard to the mountain and the lake, that it occupied a space between them, each seeming like a wall of defence to the city.' . . . Livy (Lib. i. c. 3) has a pas- sage, which is too descriptive of Alba Longa to be omitted : ' Ascanius, abundante Lavinii multitudine . . . novum ipse aliam sub Albano monte condidit ; qu^e ab situ porrcctcB in dorso urbis, Longa Alba adpellata.' Dionysius also (Lib. i.) informs us that the name Longa was added ' on account of the shape (tov crxvuarog) of its ground plan ; ' Varro, chat it was called Longa, ' propter loci naturam ; ' and Aure- lius Victor, ' eamque ex forma, quod ita in longum porrecta est, Longam cognominavit." . . . "There is a tradition, that the palace of the kings of Alba stood on a rock, and so near the edge of the precipice, that when the impiety of one of its monarchs provoked Jupiter to strike it with his lightning, a part of the mass was precipitated into the lake, carrying the impious king along with the ruins of his habitation. Now this tra- dition is apparently confirmed by a singular feature in a part of the re- mains of this city ; for directly under the rock of the citadel towards the lake, and where the palace, both for security and prospect, would have been placed, is a cavern about fifty feet in depth, and more than one hundred in width, a part of the roof of which has evidently fallen in, and some of its blocks remain on the spot. This may be visited from below without difficulty, by a small path used by goat-herds and wood-cutters, leading across four deep ravines to Palazzuola." — Sir l-V. Cell. It is a beautiful walk or drive back to Albano, through the Galleria di Sotto, shaded by huge ilexes which were planted by Urban VIII., or are even of older date. These gigantic trees, acquainted for centuries, often lean together against the walls as if in earnest conversation ; often, faint from old age, are propped on stone pillars, supported by which, they hang out towards the Campagna. At the end of the avenue we come upon Pompey's Tomb, beneath which are some of the Capajme or shepherds' huts of reeds, described by Virgil. On the opposite side of the Via Appia stands the 76 DAYS NEAR ROME. Villa Alfieri, consecrated now to the Italian heart as having Galleria di Sotto, Albano. been the residence of the noble and self-devoted cardinal, who died a martyr to his self-sacrifice in the cholera of 1867. The disease appeared quite suddenly during the first week in August. At that time Albano was especially crowded with visitors of high and low degree, from the Royal Family of Naples and the principal members of the Roman aristocracy, to the thrifty Jewish salesman from the Ghetto, intent on combining a stroke of business with change of air. On a beautiful Monday afternoon various parties were given in the gardens of the principal villas, and as Albano had always hitherto been exempt from attacks of pestilence, no alarm was felt, though there were already cases of cholera at Rome. Suddenly a cloud, bringing a strange chill, seemed to rise out of the Campagna ; cloaks and wraps were brought out for those who were feasting in the gardens, but the chill passed away as quickly as it had come, and was succeeded by great heat. Almost immediately the pestilence began. People were attacked on the garden-seats as they sat. Before morning there were 115 cases and 15 deaths. All who could, fled to Rome and the neighbouring towns. " The prevailing features of the scene were the processions of priests with the consecrated host, litters conveying the sick to the hospital, and carts conveying the dead to the cemetery. The usual agents in the latter operation, being by no means adequate in number to the amount of doleful work thus devolved upon them, were aided by the soldier of a company of Zouaves, who had been sent to Albano for change of air after recovery from fever, and who arrived opportunely on the very morning when their aid was so much needed. Telegraphic messages were sent to Rome repeatedly in the course of the day, requesting THE CHOLERA AT ALBANO. 77 medical aid, instructions, and vehicles. Cardinal Altieri, being bishop of Albano, came out from the capital to encourage the towns-people by his presence, and take the direction of affairs. In the course of the afternoon many people .arrived from Rome in a state of great anxiety about their families or relatives, whom they had left at Albano, and whom they were desirous of conveying elsewhere as soon as possible. Means of transport to the capital by the high road became suddenly scarce, and the drivers of omnibuses down to the station availed them- self of the opportunity of exacting double fare from the panic-stricken fugitives who surrounded the vehicles." At the entrance of the Olmata of Genzano, a cordon was established, and no one was allowed to pass without undergoing fumigation. On the same day the Royal Family of Naples was attacked, some of the servants died, and one of the princes was taken ill. On the second morning "the dead-carts rolled drearily about the town, stopping here and there to take up rude wooden boxes, rather than coffins, for conveyance to the cemetery of the Madonna della Stella. Many of the shops were shut up, their owners having either died or emi- grated. Fruit-stalls were abolished." All who could, endeavoured to reach a purer air if possible, but it was already difficult, as "the au- thorities of Ariccia had ■pla.ced °^ieardia>ii with guns to prevent any one crossing the great viaduct from Albano, and all the neighbouring towns, except Rome, had drawn the same inextricable cordon." The attacks of the disease were so sudden that if a carriage containing five fugitives took the way towards Rome, three were frequently dead before it reached the walls of the city. By the third morning 1 20 deaths from cholera had occurred in the village of Albano. People fled in every direction. "Along the road were families migrating in all sorts of waggons and vehicles : the country farm-houses were resorted to all round, though it was the fever season, and it seemed as if there would soon be none left to kill in Albano. But unfortunately most of the fugitives took away the germ of the malady with them, and died wherever they might chance to have taken refuge." On the evening of the 8th, the Queen-Dowager of Naples died, after an illness of only four hours' duration, and on the same day the Princess Colonna, having fled to Genzano to the palace of Duke Cesarini, to whom her eldest daughter was engaged, was seized wdth cholera at luncheon, and died in a few hours. Meanwhile Cardinal Altieri was unremitting in his attentions to the sick and dying, giving himself too little rest either by night or day, but on the Friday he was himself seized with the malady, and died on Sunday the llth. On the same day Mr John Macdonald, brother of the well- known sculptor, died soon after effecting his escape to Rome. Frightful 78 DA YS NEAR ROME. mortality began amongst the regiment of Zouaves who had so courage- ously devoted themselves to the dead, and almost all of them perished — chiefly, it is said, because, owing to the rapid succession of deaths, and the impossibility of finding grave-diggers, the corpses buried on the first day in one large grave had to be packed to give more space ! On the 13th the cholera catastrophe at Albano had reached such a degree that the most necessary relations of social existence might be said to be annihilated. With the exception of the Gonfaloniere, who took flight early, all the local authorities were either ill or dead, and the Pope had sent out Monsignor ApoUoni, as special commissary, to assume the government of the town. The last of the bakers who had the courage to remain in Albano and carry on his trade died on the 12th, so that to prevent the surviving inhabitants from starving, bread and other pro- visions had to be sent out from Rome. After the 14th the cholera began to abate, having carried off more than one-tenth of the population. — From the Letters of the " Times Correspondent. " The monument of Cardinal Altieri is the only object of interest in the Cathedral, which stands in a small square behind the principal street. It is inscribed : — Ludo\"icus de Alteriis, Card. S.E.R. Episc. Albanus, Pastor bonus cum in medium gregem dira saeviente lue advolasset, prsclarum vitse cursum morte magnanima con- summavit sanctissime, III Id. Aug. MDCCCLXVII. Vixit annos LXII. Celebrated among the bishops of Albano was Pietro Aldo- brandini (S. Pietro Igneo), who walked through fire at Settimo in 1067, to prove a charge of simony against Pietro di Pavia, bishop of Florence. The festa of S. Pancrazio — the patron of Albano — is kept here ■with great solemnity. "From the cathedral issued, at an early hour, a procession whose length almost corresponded to that of the town itself. There were little girls in tinsel finery, with butterfly-wings, intended to represent angels, and chubby little boys who toddled along in the disguise of Carmelite friars, curiously contrasting with the gravity of friars fiill grown, bearded CASfELLO SAVELLL 79 capuchins, venerable canons, and full-armed soldiers. There was the Gonfaloniere with his two councillors ; the local magistracy, in long robes of black silk and velvet lined with silver tissue, Avith flat black caps, looking not unlike some of Titian's portraits ; and another conspicuous group, very different, formed by young girls in long white satin dresses, with veils covering not only the head but the lower part of the face, each attended by a buxom matron in the gayest local costume — a bright- coloured bodice, white linen veil folded square over the brow, and ample folds of muslin round the largely-developed bust, their fidl -blown charms iiirther set oflf by a profusion of gold ornaments chiselled in a style re- sembling those in Etruscan museums — precisely such figures as Pinelli and many other artists have delighted to introduce in genre pictures illus- trative of Italian life and scenery. The younger females were those selected to receive small dowries out of a fund appropriated to charity, such donations being annually conferred at the religious seasons in Albano. Next to the female group came about a hundred members of a lay fraternity in their peculiar costume with hoods, carrying large crucifLxes and banners painted on both sides with sacred figures life-size, and, finally, the principal group of clerg)"-, the first in dignity supporting under a crimson canopy a bust of silver-gilt containing the skull of S- Pancrazio. " — Heniam Catholic Italy. On the right of the main street, on entering the Roman gate, is the Villa Doria, whose grounds, abounding in ancient ilex groves, and in fragments of ruin of imperial date, are of the most extreme beaut}^ About a mile below the town the ruins of the Castdlo Savelli crown a conical hill above the plain, and form a pleasant object for a short excursion. The great family of the Savelli continued to be lords of Albano till the middle of the sixteenth centur)-, when tragical circumstances led to their extinction. The young and handsome heir of the house was betrothed to the daughter of the Marchese del Vasto Of Xaples, who had a dowry' of 800,000 crowns. But while waiting for his bride to attain her thirteenth year, when the marriage was to be solemnized, he became passion- ately in love with a beautiful young girl of Albano, of humble but respectable parentage. Her father, fearing the 8o DA YS NEAR ROME. addresses of his young lord, hastened her marriage with one Cristoforo, a vassal of the Savelli. But the young count continued to persecute her with his attentions, took a house immediately opposite to the married pair, and wrote con- stantly in the hope of softening the object of his love. She remained faithful to her husband, to whom she showed all the letters of the count : but Cristoforo constantly mis- trusted her, and was full of jealousies. One day he borrowed her flounced petticoat (guardinfante) and other attire, and forced her to write a letter to Savelli appointing an assigna- tion, persuading her that he only intended to humiliate him by a disappointment. Savelli arrived at the rendezvous and was received by Cristoforo in his wife's dress, who shot him through the heart, cut his throat, and dragged the corpse to the front of the Savelli palace, where he left it weltering in its blood. On the discovery of the murder all the inhabitants of Albano were shut up in their houses to prevent flight. Cris- toforo had made good his escape, but his innocent wife and all her family were arrested and frequently put to the tor- ture, in the hope of extorting the whereabouts of the fugitive, of which they were really ignorant. After six months' im- prisonment, the relatives were set at liberty, but the wife was condemned to death, and was only saved by the inter- vention of the Duchess of Parma, who received her into her service, from whence she was transferred to that of the Duchess of Modena. The bereaved father never recovered the shock of his son's murder, and died in a lunatic asylum, and the only survivor of the Savelli having no heir, all the property of that ancient race passed to the family of Chigi. CHAPTER III. MONTE CAVO, NEMI, AND CIVITA LAVINIA. (Donkeys should be taken for the excursion from Albano to Monte Cavo and Nemi, except by very good walkers — price, four francs each, the donkey-man four francs, the guide seven francs, for the day. Civita Lavinia will form a pleasant separate drive for the afternoon from Albano — a carriage ought not to cost more than seven or eight francs. Tliose who ascend Monte Cavo from Rome, and return thither in the same day, may take the morning train to Frascati, or, still better, drive thither, and send on their carriages to the Hotel de Russie at Albano (as being the hotel nearest to the "galleries" and the Roman gate). They may then take donkeys at Frascati (price, five francs for the day), and ascend Monte Cavo by Rocca di Papa. After passing some time at the temple, they may descend by the Madonna del Tufo, Palaz- zuola, and skirting the Alban Lake, visit Castel Gandolfo, and ride through the "galleries" to Albano. Good walkers may also see Nemi the same day, but this is too great a hurry to be commended. The rest is an easy day's work, and allows time for returning to Rome in the evening from Albano, where the horses will have rested for many hours. Those who do not bring a carriage from Rome, and intend returning by the railway, must recollect that the Albano station is 2| miles distant from the town, and that fatigue and distance, as well as expense, are thus greatly increased. ) ASCENDING the stony path which leads from Albano to the Cappuccini, and reaching the comer whence we overlook the glassy lake, sleeping in its deep wooded hollow, let us turn to the right by the tempting path which winds through the woods and rocks, between banks which in spring are quite carpeted with cyclamen, violets, hepaticas, and every VOL. I. 6 82 DA VS NEAR ROME. shade of anemone, while higher up, amid the richly flowering laurestinus and genista, patches of brilliant pink " honesty " glow in the sunshine. At every turn the flowers become lovelier, and the fore-grounds more as if they were waiting for an artist to paint them, till, passing between some jagged masses of rock, which have fallen down from the higher cliffs long ago, but have been half buried for centuries under luxuriant drapery of ferns and moss, we reach, above the southern end of the lake, the Franciscan monastery of Pdlazzuola. Here we may allow our donkeys to rest for a few minutes on the little rounded platform which so beautifully over- looks the lake, and stop to examine a Consular Tomb cut in the rock, which overhangs the garden of the convent, and which resembles in style many of the tombs in Etruria. It is attributed to Caius Cornelius Scipio Hispallus, consul and pontifex-maximus, though he died at Cumse, on the very slight ground that he was first attacked with his fatal illness, paralysis, while on a pilgrimage to the temple of the Alban Mount, in B.C. 176. A path winding upwards through the woods leads from hence to the little sanctuary of the Madonna del Tiifo, much frequented by the country people, whence a beautiful terrace fringed with ilexes extends to the picturesque village of J^occa di Papa, which occupies an isolated sugar-loaf rock standing out from the rest of the mountain-side and crowned by the ruins of a castle, which for two centuries was a strong- hold of the Colonnas, but afterwards (1487) passed into the hands of the Orsini. " All know that, in those ages, the poor and weak had the choice of being assassinated in two ways, but they were obliged to choose ; either ROCCA DI PAPA. 83 assassinated by casual wandering brigands, or by established brigands, settled in the fortresses. Generally the preference was given to the second, and thus around the fortresses was formed a trembling settlement of hovels and huts of contadini, which were afterwards changed into villages, towns, and cities, a preference which speaks to the praise of those poor calumniated barons of the middle-ages." — Massinio d'Azeglio. "Rocca di Papa est un cone volcanique couvert de maisons super- posees jusqu'au faite, qui se termine par un vieux fort mine. I.,es caves d'une zone d'liabitations s'appuient sur les greniers de I'autre ; les maisons se tombent continueliement sur le dos ; le moindre vent fait pleuvoir des tuiles et craquer des supports. Les rues, peu a peu verti- cales, finissent par des escaliers qui fmissent eux-memes par des blocs de lave supportant une ruine difficile a aborder, et flanquee d'un vieil arbre qui se penche sur la ville, comme une banniere a la pointe d'un clocher. "Tout cela est vieux, crevasse, dejete et noir comme la lave dont est sorti ce receptacle de misere et de malproprete. Mais, vous savez, tout cela est superbe pour un peintre. Le soleil et I'ombre se heurtent vive- ment sur des angles de rochers qui percent de toutes parts a travers les maisons, sur des fa9ades qui se penchent I'une contre I'autre, et tout a coup se tournent le dos pour obeir aux mouvements du sol, apre et tourmente, qui les supporte, les presse et les separe. Comme dans les faubourgs de Genes, des arceaux rampants relient de temps en temps les deux cotes de la ruelle etroite, et ces ponts servent eux-memes de rues aux habitants du quartier superieur. "Tout done est precipice dans cette ville folle, refuge desespere des temps de guerre, cherche dans le lieu le plus incommode et le plus im- possible qui se puisse imaginer. Les confins de la steppe de Rome sont hordes, en plusieurs endroits, de ces petits crateres pointus, qui ont tous leur petit tort demantele et leur petite ville en pain de sucre, s'ecroulant et se relevant sans cesse, grace a I'acharnement de Thabitude et a I'amour du clocher. "Cette obstination s'explique par le bon air et la belle vue. Mais cette vue est achetee au prix d'un vertige perpetuel, et cet air est vicie par I'exces de salete des habitations. Femmes, enfants, vieillards, cochons et poules grouillent pele-mele sur le fumier. Cela fait des groupes bien pittoresques, et ces pauvres enfants, nus au vent et au soleil, sont souvent beaux comme des amours. Mais cela serre le cceur quand-meme. Je crois d'ailleurs que je m'habituerais jamais a les voir courir sur ces abimes. L'incurie des meres, qui laissent leurs petits, a peine ages d'un an, marcher et rouler comme lis peuvent sur ces tahis effrayants, est quelque chose d'inoui qui m'a semble horrible. J'ai de- mande s'il n'arrivait pas souvent des accidents. 84 DA YS NEAR ROME. " 'Oui,' m'a-t-on repondu avec tranquillite, 'il se tue beaucoup d'en- faiits et meme de grandes personnes. Que voulez-vous, la ville est dangereuse ! ' " — George Sand, La DanicUa. Rocca di Papa is frequently used as a summer residence by English who are detained all the year round in the neigh- bourhood of Rome : but it is not desirable, being so exposed to the sun, with very little shade. The place derives its present name from the residence here of the anti-pope John, in A.D. 1 190. By the steep path which scrambles up the rocks above the house-tops of Rocca di Papa, we reach a wide grassy plain known as the Campo di Annibale from a tradition that Hannibal encamped there when marching against Rome.* In spring it is covered with snow-drops, pan-di-neve the Italians call them. Hence we enter the forest, and under the green boughs and gnarled stems of the over-arching trees, in the hollow way lined with violets and fumitory, we find the great lava blocks of the pavement of the Via Triumphalis still entire. " Quaque iter est Latiis ad summam fascibus Albam : Excelsa de mpe procul jam conspicit urbem." Litcaii. iii. 87. The marks of chariot-wheels still remain. Pope Alexander VII. was the last person who enjoyed a triumph here in the footsteps of Julius Ctesaf, and he was drawn up in a car- riage. The stones are frequently marked V, N., signifying Via Numinis. " Le lac d'Albano etait entoure d'une foret. Ovide est sur ce point d'accord avec Tite Live (v. 15), et la tradition qui donne a plusieurs rois fabuleux d'Alba le nom de Sylvius, Homme des bois, semble confirmer par les temoignages les plus anciens la verite de ce double temoignage. " Aujourd'hui, on ne trouve un bout de foret que plus liaut, en * See Livy, xxvi. cap. 10. SUMMIT OF MONTE CA VO. 85 gravissaut le Mont-Albain (Monte-Cavi), a I'endroit oil, sous les grands chenes, apparaissent tout a coup, parmi les feuilles tombees, les dalles de la voie Triomphale." — Ampere, Hist. Rom. i. 47. " Up this same Alban Mount, to the temple of Jupiter Latiaris, which was for Alba what the Capitol was for Rome, the dictators of Alba and Latium undoubtedly led their legions when they returned in triumph. This solemnity, in which the triumphant generals appeared in royal robes, was unquestionably derived from the period of the monarchy : nor would the Latin commanders deem themselves inferior to the Romans, or bear themselves less proudly, when they were not subject to the imperium of the latter, or show less gratitude to the gods. Indeed their triumph was preserved in that which the Roman generals solemnized on the Alban Mount : for that the first who assumed this honour (C. Papirius Maso) was renewing an earlier usage, is at least far more pro- bable, than that he should have ventured to assume a distinction of his own devising. He triumphed here, not properly as a Roman consul, but as commander of the Latin cohorts, belonging partly to the towns of ancient Latium, partly to the colonies which sprang out of that state after it was broken up, and which represented it. At this distance front Rome he was secured from interruption by his imperium : and the honour was bestowed on him by the acclamation of the Latins, seconded by that of the Italian allies, and perhaps expressing itself by the other- wise inexplicable salutation of iinperator, given to generals after a victory ; a salutation which, at least after the Latins and their allies had all received the freedom of the city, was used by the Roman legions ; as they may have joined in it previously, when its origin was forgotten. In early times, if fortune was propitious, Latin triumphs might be cele- brated, for wars conducted by Latin generals under their own auspices, and even, by virtue of their equality in the league, with Latin legions under their command." — Niebukrs Hist, of Rome, ii. 36. The top of the mount is a grassy platform, in the centre of which is a Passionist Convent, btiilt in 1788 by Cardinal York, who destroyed the ruins of the famous temple for the purpose. The only remains are some massive fragments of wall and the huge blocks of masonry which stirround a grand old wych-elm tree in front of the convent. The Latin Ferise had been always celebrated on the Alban Mount ; and there Tarquin erected the temple of Jupiter Latiaris, probably 86 DA YS NEAR ROME. with the idea of doing something popular, in using a site Remains of the Temple of Jupiter Latiaris, Monte Cavo. once consecrated to the protecting god of the Latin con- federation : " Et residens celsa Latiaris Jupiter Allja." Lucan. F/iars. i. 198. Piranesi says that the temple was 240 ft. long and 120 wide — the having the width half the length being according to Etruscan taste. Servius had already built a temple for the Latins (that of Diana) upon the Aventine — but : " Le Monte Albain, qui s'eleve a trois mille pieds au-dessus de la mer et domine tout la Latiuni, allait mieux au .Superbe, visant danstous ses monuments et dans tout son regne a la grandeur et a la magnificence, que I'humble Aventin, I'un des sejours de le plebs latine favorisee par Servius et meprisee par Tarquin." — Ampere, Hist. Rom. i. 214. Instead of sacrificing a bull on the Capitol, on the summit of the Alban Mount Crassus sacrificed a sheep — ovetn — hence ovation. THE ALBAN MOUNT. 87 "La route des Ovations est celle qu'on suit aujourd'hui pour arriver au sommet du Mont Albain. Une partie, qui est tres-bien conservee, frappe le voyagear quand elle lui apparait tout a coup au sein d'une foret solitaire. II est encore imposant ce souvenir, meme du petit triomphe." — Ampire, Hist. Rom. iv. 416. On the Alban Mount, Juno, in the ^neid, stood to con- template the country, in the same way that tourists do in our days : — " At Juno, e summo, qui nunc Albanus habetur, Turn neque nomen erat, nee honos aut gloria monti, Prospiciens tumulo, campum adspectabat, et ambas Laurentum Troiimque acies, urbemque Latini." ^71. xii. 134. And truly the view is worthy of the eyes of a goddess, though the heights of Monte Pila close it in towards the south. " From the summit of the Alban Mount, by the light of the setting sun, the eye can reach Corsica and Sardinia ; and the hill which still bears the name of Circe looks like an island beneath the first rays of her heavenly sire. The line of the long street of Alba, stretching between the mountain and the lake, may still be made out distinctly. Monte Cavo was the Capitoline hill of Alba; its summits required to be fortified, to secure the town from above : and there is great probability in the conjecture, that, as the citadel at Rome was distinct from the Capitoline temple, the Rocca di Papa was the citadel of Albano." — Niehhihi's Hist, of Rome, i. 199. Hence, by the green lanes of La Fajola, once notorious for their brigands, and by winding pathlets through delicious woods, and narrow ways between green meadows (somewhat difficult to find without a guide), passing a farm of the Corsini, we descend upon the second lake of our pilgrimage. " Lo, Nemi ! navelled in the woody hills So far, that the uprooting wind which tears The oak from his foundation, and which spills The ocean o'er his boundary, and bears Its foam against the skies, reluctant spares 88 DA YS NEAR ROME. The oval mirror of thy glassy lake ; And, calm as cherish'd hate, its surface wears A deep cold settled aspect nought can shake, All coiled into itself and round, as sleeps the snake." Byi-ojCs Childe Harold. "Ovide dit, en parlant du lac de Nemi : ' La est un lac ceint d'une epaisse foret.' ' Sylva prsecinctus opacdi Est lacus.' (Fast. iii. 263.) II y'avait done en cet endroit une foret. Cette foret etait assez con- .siderable pour faire donner au sanctuaire de la Diane d' Aricie le nom de Nemus. Ce bois n'existe plus, mais il a laisse son nom au lac charmant et au village pittoresque de Nemi.''' — Ampere, Hist. Rom. i. 48. Nemi. The village of JVcmi (far more worth visiting than Gen- zano) is beautifully situated on the edge of a steep cliff above the lake, and is surmounted by a fine old castle which, after passing through the hands of the Colonna, Borgia, Picco- lomini, Cenci, Frangipani, and Braschi, is now the property of Prince Rospigliosi. "The water is surrounded in parts by rocks of the hardest basaltic lava, in others by conglomerated cinders and scorise, and in some places by banks of tufa. Its circumference is about five miles, and the level of LAKE OF NEMl. ,89 the water higher than that of the Alban lake. The story of the ship discovered at the bottom of this lake, and said by some authors to have belonged to the time of Tiberius, by others to that of Trajan, is well known. Biondi, Leon Battista Alberti, and particularly Francesco Marchi, a celebrated architect and military engineer of the sixteenth century, who went down into the lake himself, have spoken of it. Fresh investigations have been carried on of late, at which I was present, and I assert that the pretended ship was nothing more than the wooden piles and timbers used in the foundations of a building. The beams were of fir and larch, and were joined by metal rails of various sizes. The pavement, or at least the lowest stratum of the remains, was formed of large tiles placed upon a kind of grating of iron, on which the name Caisar in ancient letters was marked. " The name Caisar seems to explain the history of the building. For Suetonius, \\\\{\% Life of Julius drsar, as an illustration of the Dictator's extravagance, asserts, that after having built a villa on the lake of Nemi at an enormous expense, he had the whole destroyed because it did not quite suit his taste. It is my belief that the pretended ship was nothing else than the piles and wooden framework upon which this villa was supported, and that after the upper part was destroyed the foundation under the water still remained, partly covered by fragments of the demolished building above." — Nibhy. Nemi occupies the site of the ancient town of Nemus. " Albanus lacus, et socii Nemorensis ab unda." Propert. iii. El. 22. "Nemus . . . glaciale Diance." Stat. Silv. iv. 4. Diana must have had a grove and temple here as well as at Ariccia. The fountain into which she is supposed to have changed the nymph Egeria after the death of Numa is pointed out on the way to Genzano. " Non tamen Egerire luctus aliena levare Damna valent ; montisque jacens radicibus imis Liquitur in lacrymas : donee pietate dolentis Mota soror Phoebi gelidum de corpore fontem Fecit, et aetemas artus tenuavit in undas." Ovid. Metam. xv. 547. Genzano, which forms so conspicuous a feature in the view go DA YS NEAR ROME. from Nemi, is reached by a circuitous walk along the ridges of the hills. The slopes beneath the town are occupied by the gardens of Duke Sforza-Cesarini (which an order or even " a silver key " will generally open to visitors). The scenery of this beautiful hill-side is photographed in the de- scription of H. Christian Andersen. "The lake of Nemi slept calmly in the great round crater, from which at one time fire spouted up to heaven. We went down the amphitheatre- like, rocky slope, through the great beech wood and the thick groves of plane trees, where the vines wreathed themselves amongst the tree- branches. On the opposite steep lay the city of Nemi, which mirrored itself in the blue lake. As we went along we bound garlands, entwin- ing the dark green olive and fresh vine-leaves with the wild golden cistus. Now the deep-lying blue lake and the bright heavens above us were hidden by the thick branches and the vine-leaves, now they gleamed forth again as if they were only one united infinite blue. Every- thing was new and glorious to me ; my soul trembled for its great joy. There are even still moments in which the remembrance of these feelings comes forth again like the beautiful mosaic fragments of a buried city. "The sun burned hotly, and it was not until we were by the water-side, where the plane trees raise aloft their ancient trunks from the lake, and bend down their branches, heavy with enwreathing vines, to the watery mirror, that we found it cool enough to continue our work. Beautiful water-plants nodded here as if they dreamed under the cool shadow, and they too made part of our garlands. Presently, however, the sunbeams no longer reached the lake, but only played upon the roofs of Nemi and Genzano ; and the gloom descended upon where we sate. I went a little distance from the others, yet only a few paces, for my mother was afraid that I should fall into the lake where it was deep and the banks were steep. Not far from the small stone ruins of an old temple of Diana there lay a huge fig-tree which the ivy had already begun to bind fast to the earth ; I climbed upon this, and wove a garland whilst I sang .rom a canzonet, — Ah, rossi, rossi fiori, Un mazzo di viole ! Un gelsomin d'amore." The Palazzo Cesarini contains nothing of interest, but is associated with one of those dramas of real life which are GE.VZA.VO. 9r seldom found out of Italy. A Duchess Cesarini dreamt be- fore her confinement that she should give birth to twins, one of whom would endanger the happiness of the other. De- termined to obviate this misfortune, she bribed the midwife to convey one of the children away as soon as it was bom, and bring it up as a peasant. This was done, and the young Cesarini served as a shepherd, supposing himself to be a shepherd's son, till after he came of age. Then his adopted shepherd-mother happened to hear that the young Duke Cesarini and his father and mother were dead and that there was no heir to the fortunes and title, and going to the palace with the midwife, she was able to produce indisput- able proofs to the astonished heirs-at-law which established the claims of the shepherd-boy, who was sent to Paris to be educated and became the late Duke Cesarini. Genzano is now chiefly celebrated for the festival of the Infiorata, which takes place on the eighth day after Corpus Domini, and is wonderfully appropriate to this land of flowers. " I dreamed till the sun shone in at my window, and awoke me to the beautiful feast of flowers. "How shall I describe the first glance into the street — that bright picture as I then saw it ? The entire, long, gently-ascending street was covered with flowers ; the ground colour was blue ; it looked as if they had robbed all the gardens, all the fields, to collect flowers enough of the same colour to cover the street ; over these lay in long stripes, green, composed of leaves, alternately with rose-colour, and at some distance from this was a similar stripe, as it were a broad border to the whole carpet. The middle of this represented stars and suns, which were formed by a close mass of yellow, round, and star-like flowers ; more labour still had been spent upon the formation of names — here flower was laid upon flower, leaf upon leaf The whole was a living flower- carpet, a mosaic floor, richer in pomp of colouring than anything which Pompeii can show. Not a breath of air stirred — the flowers lay im- moveable, as if they were heavy, firmly-set precious stones. From all the windows were hung upon the walls large carpets, worked in leaves 92 DA YS NEAR ROME. and flowers, representing holy pictures. Here Joseph led the ass on which sat the Madonna and the child ; roses formed the faces, the feet, and the arms, gilly-flowers and anemones their fluttering garments ; and crowns were made of white water-lilies, brought from Lake Nemi. Saint Michael fought with the dragon ; the holy Rosalia showered down roses upon the dark blue globe, wherever my eye fell flowers related to me Biblical legends ; and the people all round about were as joyful as myself. Rich foreigners, from beyond the mountains, clad in festal garments, stood in the balconies, and by the side of the houses moved along a vast crowd of people, all in full holiday costume, each in the fashion of his country. The sun burnt hotly, all the bells rang, and the procession moved along the beautiful flower-carpet ; the most charming music and singing announced its approach, choristers swung the censer before the Host, the most beautiful girls in the country followed, with garlands of flowers in their hands, and poor children, with wings to their naked shoulders, sang hymns, as of angels, while awaiting the arrival of the procession at the high altar. Young fellows wore fluttering ribands around their pointed hats, upon which a picture of the Madonna was fastened ; silver and gold rings hung to a chain round their necks, and handsome bright-coloured scarfs looked splendidly upon their black velvet jackets. The girls of Albano and Frascati came, with their thin veils elegantly thrown over their black, plaited hair, in which was stuck the silver arrow ; those of Velletri, on the contrary, wore garlands around their hair, and the smart handkerchief, fastened so low down in the dress as to leave visible the beautiful shoulde: and the round bosom. From Abruzzi, from the jMarshes, from every other neighbouring district, came all in their peculiar national costume, and produced altogether the most brilliant effect. Cardinals, in their mantles woven with silver, advanced under canopies adorned with flowers, then monks of various orders, all bearing burning tapers, ^^'hen the procession came out of church, an immense crowd followed." — The Itnprcwisatore, We were at Genzano on Good Friday, when all the boys of the place were busy, not only " grinding Judas's bones " in the ordinary fashion, i.e. by rattling them together in a box, but were banging large planks of wood and broad strips of bark up and down upon the church steps, with almost frantic fury, to show what good Christians they were. We took a little carriage in the piazza of Genzano in which we rattled merrily down the hill-side for about two miles to CrVITA LAVINIA. 93 Civita Lavinia, occupying the site of the ancient Lanuvium, Breaking Judas' bones. Genzano. and remarkable as the birth-place of the Emperors Antoninus Pius and Commodus, of T. Annius Milo the enemy of Clodius, of Roscius the comedian, L. Murana who was defended by Cicero, and P. Sulpicius Quirinus who was Cyrenius the Governor of Syria, mentioned in St. Luke's Gospel. Lanuvium was celebrated for the worship of Juno Sospita, and when it took part with the other Latin cities against Rome and was defeated, its inhabitants were not only unpunished, but admitted to the rights of Roman citizens, on condition that the temple of their goddess should be common to the Romans also. "Quos Castrum, Phrygibusque gravis quondam Ardea misit, Quos celso devexa jugo Junonia sedes Lanuvium." Sil. Ital. viii. 361. "Lanuvio generate, inquit, quem Sospita Juno Dat nobis, Milo, Gradivi cape victor honorem." xiii. 364. 94 DAYS NEAR ROME. "Inspice, quos habeat nemoralis Aricia Fastos Et populus Laurens, Lanuviumque meum : Est illic mensis Junonius." Ovid. Fast. vi. 59. " Livy mentions the Juno of Lanuvium more than once. Lib. xxi. 62, he says, ' among other prodigies, it was affirmed that the spear of Lanuvian Juno vibrated spontaneously, and that a raven flew into the temple ; ' and again : ' forty pounds of gold were sent to Lanuvium, as an offering to the goddess.' In another place he says (xxiii. 31), ' the statues at Lanuvium in the temple of Juno Sospita, shed blood, and a shower of stones fell round the temple ; ' and in Lib. xxiv. 10 : ' the ciows built nests in the temple of Juno Sospita at Lanuvium.' Cicero also, in Orat. pro Mur. ad fin., speaks of the sacrifices made by the consuls to Juno Sospita, in connection with the ' municipium honestissi- mum ' of Lanuvium. In Propertius we read, ' Lanuvium annosi vetus est tutela draconis.' There were great treasures in the temple, which Augustus borrowed, as well as those of the Capitol, of Antium, Nemus, and Tibur." Sir W. Cell. From Civita Lavinia. Civita Lavinia is approached by a terrace commanding a grand view across the Pontine Marshes to the Circean mount. It stands on the edge of the promontory and MONTE QIOVE—CORIOLI. 95 is surrounded by dark walls of peperino, in many places apparently of great antiquity. At the western extremity is a building which Gell imagines may be the cella of the temple of Juno. Curious old mediseval houses are every- where built upon the walls, and are highly picturesque, and near the gateway is a very fine machicolated tower. In the little piazza is a magnificent sarcophagus, now used as a fountain. Some remains of the theatre were found in 1831, on the western slope below the town, and the ancient paved road may still be traced in its descent towards the cities of the plain. (Standing out from the main line of hills, below Genzano are two projecting spurs. The higher is Monte Due Torre, once crowned by two towers, of which only one is now stand- ing, the other lying in ruins beside it. The lower, covered with vineyards and fruit gardens, and only marked at the sum- mit by a low tower and some farm buildings, is now called Monte Giove, but is almost universally allowed to have been the famous Corioli, the great Volscian city, which gave the title of Coriolanus to its captor, C. Marcius, and which was once at the head of a confederation almost too strong for Rome. "There was a war between the Romans and the Volscians : and the Romans attacked the city of CorioU. The citizens of Corioli opened theii gates, and made a sally, and drove the Romans back to their camp. Then Caius ran forwards with a few brave men, and called back the runaways, and he stayed the enemy and turned the tide of battle, so that the Volscians fled back into the city. But Caius fol- lowed them, and when he saw the gates still open, for the Volscians were flying into the city, then he called to the Romans, and said, ' For us are yonder gates set wide rather than for the Volscians ; why are we afraid to rush in ? ' He himself followed the fugitives into the town, and the enemy fled before him ; but when they saw that he was but one man they turned against him ; but Caius held his ground, for he 96 DA YS NEAR ROME. was strong of hand, and light of foot, and stout of heart, and he drove the Volscians to the furthest side of the town, and all was clear behind him, so that the Romans came in after him without any trouble and took the city. Then all men said, ' Caius and none else has won Corioli,' and Cominius the general said, 'Let him be called after the name of the city.' So they called him Caius Marcius Coriolanus." — Arnold's Hist, of Rome. The farm-house on Monte Giove now stands desolate amongst its vineyards, and there are no remains of the an- cient city above-ground. It is supposed that the present name of the hill commemorates a temple of Jupiter which may have remained to later times, for the Romans usually spared the temples of the cities they destroyed. In imperial times the town had quite disappeared. " There was a time when Tibur and Praeneste, our summer retreats, were the objects of hostile vows in the Capitol, when we dreaded the shades of the Arician groves, when we could triumph without a blush over the nameless villages of the Sabines and Latins, and even Corioli could afford a title not unworthy of a victorious general. " — Florus, temp. Hadrian. ) In returning to Albano (from Civita Lavinia) we pass through the triple avenue of elms called the Olmata, planted in 1643 by Giuliano Cesarini, as an approach to his palace of Genzano. Then, on the left, we pass the handsome Church of La Afadonna del Galloro, beneath which the sub- structions which raised the Via Appia above the level of the plain, deserve obsen^ation. CHAPTER IV. FRASCATI, TUSCULUM, AND COLONNA (Trains leave Rome at 11.30 and 12.5, returning at 5.40 and 6.18. This gives time for a pleasant sight of Frascati, and for a ride or walk to Tusculum and the Villa Mondragone, or to Tusculum and Grotta Ferrata. There is an excellent small inn at Frascati — the Albergo di Londra — very clean and comfortable. Donkeys cost 5 francs for the whole day, or 25 francs for the half day ; but a distinct agreement must be made. ) IT is only half-an-hour by rail to Frascati, and the change is so complete and reviving, that it is strange more so- journers at Rome do not take advantage of it. Only one exciursion to Frascati is generally made during a Roman winter, which gives little time where there is so much to be seen. Even the railway journey is most delightful and charac- teristic. The train runs close to the aqueducts, the Pao- line first, and then the ruined Claudian. As we pass out- side the Porta Furba, the artificial sepulchral mound, called Monte de Grano, is seen on the left, and then the vast ruins called Sette Basse, belonging to a suburban villa of imperial date,* and, as the light streams through their ruined windows, • The carriage-road to Frascati passes close to both of these, and then by the beautiful stone-pines on the farm of Torre Nrtova belonging to Prince Borghese, where archaeologists place Papinia, the villa of Attilius Regulus. VOL. I. 7 9$ DA YS NEAR ROME. forming a beautiful foreground to the delicate distances of mountain and plam. As we approach nearer, Colonna is seen on the left upon its knoll, then Monte Porzio, and beneath it the site of the Lake Regillus. When the lights and shadows are favourable, the difference between the two craters of this volcanic chain of hills now becomes strikingly evident. "The Alban hills form a totally distinct group, consisting of two principal extinct volcanic craters, somewhat resembling in their relation to each other the great Neapolitan craters of Vesuvius and Somma. One of them lies within the embrace of the other, just as Vesuvius lies half enclosed by Monte Somma. The walls of the outer Alban crater are of peperino, while those of the inner are basaltic. Both are broken away on the northern side towards Grotta Ferrata and Marino, but on the southern side they are tolerably perfect. " The outer crescent-shaped crater beginning from Frascati extends to Monte Porzio and Rocca Priora, and then curves round by Monte Al- gido, Monte Ariano, and Monte Artemisio. The inner crescent in- cludes the height of Monte Cavo, and surrounds the flat meadows known by the name of Campo d'Annibale. Besides these two principal cra- ters, the ages of which are probably as distinct as those of Vesuvius and Somma, there are traces of at least four others to be found in the lakes of Castel Gandolfo, commonly called the Alban lake, and of Nemi, and in the two small cliff-encircled valleys of the Vallis Aricina and Larghetto." — Burn, The Roman Campagna. The effect of the Campagna here, as everywhere, is quite different upon different minds. The French almost always find it as depressing as the English do captivating and ex- hilarating. " Frascati est a six lieues de Rome, sur les monts Tusculans, petite chaine volcanique qui fait partie du systeme des montagnes du Latium. C'est encore la Campagne de Rome, maisc'est la fin de I'horrible desert qui environne la capitale du monde catholique. Ici la terre cesse d'etre inculte et la fievre s'arrete. II faut monter pendant une demi-heure, au. pas des chevaux, pour atteindre la ligne d'air pur qui circule au-dessus de la region empestee de la plaine immense ; mais cet air pur est moins da a I'elevation du sol qu'a la culture de la terre et a I'ecoulement des FRASCATI. 99 eaux, car Tivoli, plus haut perche du double que Frascati, n'est pas a I'abri de I'influence maudite. " Aux approches de ces petites montagnes, quand on a laisse derriere soi les longs aqueducs mines et trois ou quatre lieues de terrains on- dules, sans caractere et sans etendue pour le regard, on traverse de nou- veau une partie de la plaine dont le nivellement absolu presente enfin un aspect particulier assez grandiose. C'est un lac de pale verdure qui s'etend sur la gauche jusqu'au pied du massif du mont Gennaro. Au baisser du soleil, quand I'herbe fine et maigre de ce gigantesque patur- age est un peu echauffee par I'or du couchant et nuancee par les om- bres portees des montagnes, le sentiment de la grandeur se revele. Les petits accidents perdus dans ce cadre immense, les troupeaux et les chiens, seuls bergers qui, en de certaines parties de la steppe, osent braver la malaria toute la journee, se dessinent et s'enlevent en couleur avec une nettete comparable a celle des objets lointains sur la mer. Au fond de cette nappe de verdure, si unie que Ton a peine a se rendre compte de son etendue, la base des montagnes semble nager dans une brume mouvante, tandis que leurs sommets se dressent immobiles et nets dans le ciel." — George Sand, La Daniella. Beyond Ciampino, the railroad ascends out of the Cam- pagna into the land of corn and olives. Masses of pink nectarine and almond-trees bloom in spring amid the green. On the right, we pass the great ruined castle of Borghetto, which belonged to the Savellis in the loth century. At the station, an open omnibus with awnings (fare, 50 centesimi), and carriages, are waiting to save travellers the mile of steep ascent to the town. Here, passing near the Villa Sora, once the residence of Gregory XIII. (1752-85), and skirting the wall of the Villa Torlonia, we are set down in the noisy little piazza before the cathedral, and are at once surrounded by donkey boys vociferating upon the merits of their respective animals. The cathedral (S. Pietro) only dates from 1700, but we must enter it to visit the monument (near the door), which Cardinal York put up to his brother Prince Charles Edward, who died Jan. 31, 1788. It is inscribed: — too DA YS NEAR HOME. " Hie situs est Carolus Odoardus cui Pater Jacobus III. Rex Anglise, Scotize, Franciae, Hibernice, Primus Natorum, paterni Juris et regiae dignitatis successor et hasres, qui domicilio sibi Romse delecto Comes Albaniensis dictus est. " Vixit Annos LVII. et mensem ; decessit in pace, pridie Kal. Feb. Anno MDCCLXXXVII." There is an older cathedral, Duomo Vecchio, now called SS. Sebastiano e Rocco, chiefly of the 14th century, and near it a fountain erected in 1480 by Cardinal d'Estouteville, the French Ambassador. The streets are dirty and ugly ; but the little town is important as being the centre of the villas which give Frascati all its charm. Most of these date only from the 17th century, and, with the exception of the Villa Mondragone, the buildings are seldom remarkable, but they are situated amid glorious groves of old trees, often relics of a natural forest, and amid these are grand old fountains and water-falls, which, though artificial, have been long since adopted by Nature as her own, while from the terraces the views over the Campagna are of ever-varying loveliness. In many of these villas, far too large for any single occupants, vast airy suites of apartments may be hired for the summer vi/leggiatiira, and, though scantily furnished, are a delightful retreat during the hot season, " At Frascati and Albano there are good lodgings to be had. Noble old villas may be hired on the Alban slopes for a small rent, with gardens going to ruin, but beautifully picturesque — old fountains and water-works painted with moss, and decorated with maiden hair, vines, and flowers — shady groves where nightingales sing all the day — avenues of lopped ilexes that, standing on either side like great chandeliers, weave together their branches overhead into a dense roof — and long paths of tall, polished laurel, where you may walk in shadow at morning and evening. The air here is not, however, ' above suspicion ; ' and one must be careful at night-fall lest the fever prowling round the damp alleys seize you as its prey. The views from these villas are truly exqui- site. Before you lies the undulating plain of the Campagna, with every FRASCATI. loi hue and changing tone of colour ; far off against the horizon flashes the level line of the Mediterranean ; the grand Sabine hills rise all along on the west, with Soracte lifting from the rolling inland sea at their base ; and in the distance swells the dome of St. Peter's. The splendours of sunset as they stream over this landscape are indescribable, and in the noon the sunshine seems to mesmerise it into a magic sleep." — Story's Roba di Roma. " Les collines Tusculanes ne sont, d'ici a leur point le plus eleve, qu'un immense jardin partage entre quatre on cinq families princieres. Et quels jardins ! celui de Piccolomini ne compte plus. Vendu a des bourgeois qui font argent de leur propriete, il n'a de beau que ce que Ton n'a pu lui oter. Mais la villa Falconieri, qui le borne a Test, et la villa Aldobrandini, qui le borne au couchant, la villa Conti, qui touche a cette demiere ; plus haut, la Ruffinella, et, en revenant vers Test, la Taverna et Mondragone, tout cela se tient et communique, si bien que j'en aurais pour trois heures a vous decrire ces lieux enchantes, ces futaies monstrueuses, ces fontaines, ces bosquets et ces escarpements semes de ruines romaines et pelasgiques ; ces ravins de lierre, de liseron, et de vigne sauvage, ou pendent des restes de temples, et ou tombent des eaux cristallines. Je renonce au detail qui viendra peut-etre par le menu ; je ne peux que vous donner une notion de 1' ensemble. " Le caractere general est de deux sortes : celui de I'ancien gout italien, et celui de la nature locale qui a repris le dessus, grace a I'in- difference ou a la decadence pecuniaire des maitres de ces folks et ma- gnifiques residences. Si vous voulez une exacte description de ces residences, telles qu'elles etaient encore il y a cent ans, vous la trouverez dans les spirituelles lettres du president de Brosses, un des hommes qui, malgre son apparente legerete, a le mieux vu I'ltalie de son temps. II s'est beaucoup moque des jeux d'eaux et girandes, des statues gro- tesques et des concerts hydrauliques de ces villegiatures de Frescati. II a eu raison. Lorsqu'il voyait depenser des sommes folles et des efforts d'imagination puerile pour creer ces choses insensees, il s'indignait de cette decadence du gout dans le pays de I'art, et il riait au nez de tous ces vilains faunes et de toutes ces grima9antes naiades outrageusement meles aux debris de la statuaire antique. II appelait cela gater I'art et la nature a grands frais d'argent et de betise, et je m'imagine que, dans ce temps-la, quand tous ces fetiches etaient encore frais, quand ces eaux sifflaient dans ces flutes, que les arbres etaient tailles en poires, les gazons bien tondus et les allees bien tracees, un homme de sens et de liberte comme lui devait, h. bo.n droit, s'indigner et se moquer. " Mais s'il revenait ici, il y trouverait un grand et heureux change- ment : les Pans n'ont plus de flute, les nymphes n'ont plus de nez. A I02 DA YS NEAR ROME. beaiicoup de dieux badins, il manque davantage encore, puisqu'il rien reste qu'une jambe sur le socle. Le reste git aii fond des bassins. Les eaux ne soufflent plus dans des tuyaux d'orgue ; elles bondissent encore dans des conques de marbre et le long des grandes girandes ; mais elles y chantent de leur voix naturelle. Les rocailles se sont tapissees de vertes chevelures, qui les rendent a la verite. Les arbres ont repris leur essor puissant sous un climat enei-gique, et sont devenus des colosses encore jeunes et pleins de sante. Ceux qui sont morts ont derange la symetrie des allees ; les parterres se sont remplis de folks herbes ; les fraises et les violettes ont trace des arabesques aux contours des tapis verts ; la mousse a mis du velours sur les mosaiques criardes : tout a pris un air de revoke, un cachet d'abandon, un ton de ruine et un chant de solitude. "Et maintenant, ces grands pares jetes aux flancs des moatagnes forment, dans leurs plis verdoyants, des vallees de Tempe, oil les ruines rococo et les ruines antiques devorees par la meme vegetation parasite donnent a la victoire de la nature un air de gaiete extraordinaire. Comme en somme, les palais sont d'une coquetterie princiere ou d'un gout chai-mant ; que ces jardins, surcharges de details puerils, avaient ete dessin^s avec beaucoup d' intelligence sur les ondulations gracieuses du sol, et plantes avec un vrai sentiment de la beaute des sites ; enfin, comme les sources abondantes y ontete habilement dirigees pour assainir et vivifier cette region bocagere, il ne serait pas rigoureusement vrai de dire que la nature y a ete mutilee et insultee. Les brimboriens fragiles y tombent en poussiere ; mais les longues terrasses d'ou Ton dominait I'immense tableau de la plaine, des montagnes et de la mer ; les gigan- tesques perrons de marbre et de lave qui soutiennent les ressauts du terrain, de qui ont, certes, un grand caractere; les allees couvertes qui rendent ces vieux Jidens praticables en tout temps ; enfin tout ce qui, travail elegant, utile et solide, a survecu au caprice de la mode, ajoute au charme de ces solitudes, et sert a conserver, comme dans des Kinctu- aires, les heureuses combinaisons de la nature et la monumentale beaute des ombrages. II suffit de voir, autour des collines de Frascati, I'aride nudite des monts Tusculans, ou I'humidite malsaine des vallees, pour reconnaitre que Fart est parfois bien necessaire al'ceuvrede la creation." — George Sand, La Daniella. Nothing can describe the charm of the villa life at Fras- cati, — the freshness of the never-ceasing fountains, the deep shade of the thick woods, the splendour of the summer fruits, and, above all, the changing glories of the view, which V2LLA TORLONIA, FRASCATI. 103 is unlike any other in the world, over the vast plain, in which the world's capitol seems almost to be lost in the immensity and luminousness of the pink haze. Opposite to the gate of the towTi, opens that of the Villa Torlonia — the Pincio of Frascati — and the great resort of its inhabitants. The villa itself is not worth visiting, but the view from its terrace is most beautiful, and a grand water- fall tumbles down a steep behind the house, through the magnificent ilex-groves. This type of villa is well pourtrayed by Miss Edwards, " We went down a broad walk, wide enough for a carriage drive, and completely roofed in by thick trees. Weeds grew unheeded in the gravel, and last year's leaves lay thick on the ground. Here and there, in the green shade, stood a stone seat brown with mosses ; or a broken urn ; or a tiny antique altar, rifled from a tomb— and presently we reached a space somewhat more open than the rest, with a shapeless mass of reticu- lated brick-work and a low arch guarded by two grim lions, in the midst. Here the leaves had drifted more deeply, and the weeds had grown more rankly than elsewhere ; and a faint oppressive perfume sickened on the air. We pushed our way through the grass and bram- bles, and looked do\vn into the darkness of that cavernous archway. A clinging damp lay on the old marble lions, and on the leaves and blossoms of the trailing shrubs that overgrew them. A green lizard darted by on a fragment of broken wall. A squirrel ran up the shaft of a stately stone pine that stood in the midst of the ruins. "At length we emerged upon a terrace that bounded the gardens on this side. The Campagna and the hills lay spread before us in the burning sun-set, and a shining zone of sea bounded the horizon. Long shadows streamed across the marble pavement, and patches of brilliant light pierced through the carved interstices of the broken balcony. A little fountain dripped wearily in the midst, surmounted by a headless Triton, and choked with water-weeds ; whilst all along the parapet, with many a gap, the statues of the Csesars stood between us and the sun." — Barba7-d s History. Below the Villa Torlonia, the Villa Pallavicini, with an ilex-crested terrace, projects over the plain. Above it, is the Villa Aldobrandini, standing grandly upon a succession of I04 DA YS NEAR ROME. terraces, designed by Giacomo della Porta, and finished 'eV^^ Palazzo Aldobrandini, Frascati. by Giovanni Fontana for Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandini, nephew of Clement VIII. The villa is adorned internally with frescoes by Cav. d'Arpino. Behind it a succession of waterfalls tumble through a glorious old ilex-grove, into a circle of fantastic statues. The scene may once have been ridiculous, but Nature has now made it most beautiful. ' ' At the Villa Aldobrandini, or Belvidere, we were introduced to the most multifarious collection of monsters I ever hope to behold. Giants, centaurs, fauns, Cyclops, wild beasts, and gods, blew, bellowed, and squeaked, without mercy or intermission ; and horns, pan's-pipes, organs, and trumpets, set up their combined notes in such a dissonant chorus, that we were fain to fly before them ; when the strains that suddenly burst forth from Apollo and the Nine Muses, who were in a place apart, compelled us to stop our ears, and face about again in the opposite direction. ' ' When this horrible din was over, we were carried back to admire the now silent Apollo and the Muses, — a set of painted wooden dolls, seated on a little mossy Parnassus, in a summer-house, — a plaything we should have been almost ashamed to have made even for the amusement of children. All these creatures, in the mean time, were spouting out VILLA RUFINELLA, FRASCATI. 105 water. The lions and tigers, however, contrary to their usual habits, did nothing else ; and the 'great globe itself,' which Atlas was bearing on his shoulders, instead of 'the solid earth,' proved a mere aqueous ball, and was overwhelmed in a second deluge." — Eaton's Home. Those who are not good walkers, should engage donkeys for the excursion to Tusculum, to which a steep ascent leads from the piazza of the towa, between the walls of the villas Aldobrandini and Falconieri. Just beyond the latter, an inscription marks the humble retreat of the learned Cardinal Baronius. A steep hill leads to the Convent of the Cap- puccini, but our path passes through the shady and delightful walks of the Villa Rufitiella, which is now the property of Prince Lancellotti, having formerly belonged to the Buona- partes. The casino was built by Vanvitelli. The chapel contains monuments of the Buonaparte family. During the residence of Lucien Buonaparte here (Nov. 1818), this villa was the scene of one of the boldest acts of brigand- age knowTi in the Papal States. A party of robbers, who had their rendezvous at Tusculum, first seized the old priest of the family as he was out walking, and having plundered and stripped him, bound him hand and foot. As they surmised, when the dinner-hour arrived, and the priest was missing, a servant was sent out in search of him, and left the door open, through which five bandits entered, and attacking the servants they met, forced them to silence by threats of instant death. One maid-servant, however, escaped, and gave warning to the party in the dining-room, who all had time to hide them- selves, except the Prince's secretary, who had already left the room to discover the cause of the noise, and who was carried off, together with the butler, and a facchino. The io6 DA YS NEAR ROME. old priest meanwhile contrived to escape and conceal him- self in some straw. The next day the facchino was sent back to treat with the Prince, and to say that unless he sent a ransom of 4000 crowns the prisoners would be immediately put to death. He sent 2000 and an order on his banker for the remainder. The brigands, greatly irritated, returned the order torn up with a demand for 4000 crowns more, and with this the Prince was forced to comply in order to preserve the lives of his attendants. The brigands escaped scot free ! A tomb which is passed at the entrance of Frascati towards the Villa Rufinella is said to be that of Lucullus, who is known to have had a villa here. This stood near the Villa of Cicero, who was accustomed to borrow books and fetch them with his own hand {De Fin. iii. 2) from the library of his friend. The scholiast on Horace describes the Villa of Cicero as being " ad latera superiora " of the hill, and its site is generally believed to have been that now occupied by the Villa Rufinella, and that the Casino stands on the site of his Academica, which had shady walks like those of Plato's Garden — forefathers of the walks which we still see. The Tusculan Disputations of Cicero take their name from this beloved villa of his, which he bitterly complained of the Roman consuls valuing at only '' quingentis millibus " — between ;^4ooo and ;^5ooo. A complete picture of the villa may be derived from the many allusions to it in the works of Cicero, thus : — " We learn that it contained two gymnasia (Div. i. s.), an upper one called the Lycaeum, in which, like Aristotle, he was accustomed to walk and dispute in the morning ( Tusc. Disp. ii. 3), and to which a library was attached [Div. ii. 3) ; and a lower one called the Academy ( Tusc. Disp. ii. 3). Both were adorned with beautiful statues in marble and TUSCULUM. 107 bronze {Ep. ad Alt. i. 8, 9, 10). The villa likewise contained a little atrium (atriolum, lb. i. 10 ad Quint. Fr. iii. l), a small portico with exedria [oil Fain. vii. 23), a bath {lb. xiv. 20), a covered promenade ('tecta ambulatiuncula,' ad Att. xiii. 29), and a horologium {ad Fam. xvi. 18). The villa, like the town and neighbourhood, was supplied by the Aqua Crabra {De Leg. Agr. iii. 31)." — Smithes Diet, of Greek and Roman Geography. In his Essay on Old Age, Cicero describes the deUghts of country life as enjoyed in a villa of this kind. ' ' Where the master of the house is a good and careful manager, his wine-cellar, his oil-stores, his larder, are always well stocked ; there is a fulness throughout the whole establishment ; pigs, kids, lambs, poultry, milk, cheese, honey, — all are in abundance. The produce of the garden is always equal, as our country-folk say, to a second course. And all these good things acquire a double relish from the voluntary labours of fowling and the chase. What need to dwell upon the charm of the green fields, the well-ordered plantations, the beauty of the vine- yards and olive-groves ? In short, nothing can be more luxuriant in pro- duce, or more delightful to the eye, than a well-cultivated estate." — Trans, by Lucas Collins. Leaving the Villa Rufinella by shady avenues of laurel and laurestinus, the path to Tusculum emerges on the hill- side, where, between banks perfectly carpeted with anemones and violets in spring, a street paved with polygonal blocks has been laid bare. On the left are remains of the small Amphilheatre ; all the seats have perished, and it is onl}- recognizable by its form. Beyond, also on the left, are the ruins of a villa, called, without authority, Scuola di Cicerone. The path leads directly up to the most important of the ruins, the Theatre, Avhich was excavated in 1839 by Maria Christina, Queen-dowager of Sardinia. With the exception of the walls of the scetia, the lower walls are almost perfect, and the fifteen rows of seats in the lower circle {cavea) re- main intact, though the upper rows have perished. The spectators, facing the west, had a magnificent view over the loS DA YS NEAR ROME. plains of Latium, with Rome in the distance. Close to the Theatre of Tuscuhim. Theatre are the remains of a piscina, and the fountain sup- plied from it. " Je pai^vins au sommet de la montagne, en m'egarant dans de su- perbes bosquets. Puis, je me trouvai sur un long plateau dent le versant est aussi nu et aussi desert que celui que I'on monte depuis Frascati est ombrage et habite. Devant moi se presentait une petite voie antique, bordee d'arbres, qui, suivant a plat la Crete douce de la montagne, de- vait me conduire a Tusculum. "J 'arrival bientot en vue d'un petit cirque de fin gazon, borde de vestiges de constructions romaines. Un peu au-dessous, je penetrai, a travers les ronces, dans la galerie souterraine par laquelle, au moyen de trappes, les animaux feroces, destines aux combats, surgissaient tout a coup dans I'arene, aux yeux des spectateurs impatients. Ce cirque n'a de remarquable que sa situation. Assis sur le roc, au bout le plus eleve d'une etroite gorge en pente, qui s'en va rejoindre, en sauts gracieux et verdoyants, les collines plus basses de Frascati et en suite la plaine, il est la comme un beau siege de gazon, installe pour offrir au voyageur le plaisir de contempler a I'aise cette triste vue de la Campagne de Rome, qui devient magnifique, encadree ainsi. Le remplement de la colline autour du cirque le preserve des vents maritimes. Ce serait un emplace- ment delicieux pour une villa d'hiver. " J'y pris quelques moments de repos. Pour la premiere fois depuis que j'ai quitte Genes, il faisait un temps clair. Les montagnes loin- taines etaient d'un ton superbe, et Rome se voyait distinctement au fond de la plaine. Je fus etonne de I'emplacement enorme qu'elle occupe, et de I'importance du dome de Saint- Pierre, qui, tout lemonde vous I'a dit, ne fait pas grand effet, vu de plus pres. "En quittant cet amphitheatre, je suivis, dans le desert, un chemin jonche de mosaiques des marbres les plus precieux, de verroteries, de tessons de vases etrusques et de gravats de platre encore revetus des tons de la fresque antique. Je ramassai un assez beau fragment de terre TUSCULUM. 109 cuite, representant le combat d'un lion et d'un dragon. Je dedaignai de remplir mes poches d'autres debris ; il y en avait trop pour me tenter. La colline n'est qii'un amas de ces debris, et la pluie qui lave les che- mins en met chaque jour a nu de nouvelles couches. Ce sol, quoique souvent fouille en divers endroits, doit cacher encore des richesses. "Le plateau superieur est une vaste bruyere. C'etait jadis, proba- blement, le beau quartier de la ville, car cette steppe est semee de dalles ou de moellons de marbre blanc. Le chemin etait, sans doute, la belle rue patricienne. Des fondations de maisons des deux cotes attestent qu'elle etait etroite, comme toutes celles des villes antiques. Au bout de cette plaine, le chemin aboutit au theatre. II est petit, mais d'une jolie coupe romaine. L'orchestre, lesdegi"esde I'hemicycle sont entiers, ainsi que la base des constructions de la scene et les marches laterales pour y monter. L'avant-scene et les voies de degagement necessaires a I'action scenique sont sur place et suffisamment indiquees par leurs bases, pour faire comprendre I'usage de ces theatres, la place des choeurs et meme celle du decor. " Derriere le theatre est une piscine parfaitement entiere sauf la voute. On est li en pleine ville romaine. On n'a plus qu'a atteindre le faite de la montagne pour trouver la partie pelasgique, la ville de Telegone, fils d'Ulysse et de Circe. "La, ces ruines prennent un autre caractere, un autre interet. C'est la cite primitive, c'est-a-dire la citadelle escarpee ; repaire d'une bande d'aventuriers, berceau d'une societe future. Les temples et les tom- beaux des ancetres y etaient sous la protection du fort. La montagne, semee de bases de colonnes qui indiquent I'emplacement des edifices sacres, et bordee de blocs bruts dont I'arrangement dessine encore des ramparts, des poternes, et des portes, s'incline rapidement vers d'au- tres gorges bientot relevees en collines et en montagnes plus hautes. Ce sont les monts Albains. Dans une de ces prairies humides ou paissent les troupeaux, etait le lac Regille, on ne sait pas ou precisement. Le sort de la jeune Rome, aux prises avec celui des antiques nationalites du Latium, a ete decide la, quelque part, dans ces agrestes solitudes. Soixante-dix mille hommes ont combattu pour etre ou tt'etre pas, et le destin de Rome, qui en ce terrible jour, ecrasa les forces de trente cites latines, a passe sur I'Agro Tusculan comme I'orage, dont la trace est vite effacee par I'herbe et les fleurs nouvelles." — George Sand, La Daniella. Behind the theatre rises the steep hill which was once crowned by the Arx of Tusculum, which was of great strength in early times. It was besieged by the ^quians in b.c. 1 lo DA YS NEAR ROME. 457, and only taken when the garrison were starved out. In B.C. 374 it was successfully defended against the Latins. Dionysius mentions the advantage it received from its lofty position, which enabled its defenders to see a Roman army as it issued from the Porta Latina. The view is indeed most beautiful, over plain and mountains, the foreground formed by the remains of — " the white streets of Tusculum, The proudest town of all," * scattered sparsely amongst the furze and thorn-bushes, but the ruins which now exist belong chiefly not to early times but to the mediaeval fortress of the Dukes of Tusculum. Including the Arx, the town of Tusculum was ^bout li mile in circuit. The Roman poets ascribe the foundation of the city to Telegonus, the son of Circe and Ulysses. " Inter Aricinos Albanaque tempora constant, Factaque Telegoni moenia celsa manu." Ovid. Fast. iii. 91. " Et jam Telegoni, jam mcenia Tiburis udi Stabant, Argolicse quod posuere manus." Ovid. Fast. iv. 71. " At Cato, turn prima sparsus lanugine malas, Quod peperere decus CircEco Tuscula dorso Moenia, Laertre quondam regnata nepoti, Cunctantem impellebat equum." ^;7. Itai. vii. 691. " Linquens Telegoni pulsatos ariete muros, Haud dignam inter tanta moram." Sil. Ital. xii. 535. t Tusculum was remarkable for the steadiness of its friend- ship for Rome, which was only interrupted in B.C. 379, when in consequence of a number of Tusculans having been * Macaulay, Lays of Ancient Rome. \ See also Horace, Epode i. 29, and Statius, Silv. i. 3, 83. TUSCULUM. Ill found amongst the prisoners made in the Volscian cam- paign, war was declared, and Camillus was sent against the city. " But the Tusculans would not accept this declaration of hostilities, and opposed the Roman arms in a manner that has scarcely been paral- leled before or since. When Camillus entered their territory he found the peasants engaged in their usual avocations ; provisions of all sorts were offered to his army, the gates of the town were standing open ; and as the legions defiled through the streets in all the panoply of war, the citizens within, like the countrymen without, were seen intent upon their daily business, the schools resounded with the hum of pupils, and not the slightest token of hostile preparation could be discerned. Then Camillus invited the Tusculan dictator to Rome. When he appeared before the senate in the Curia Hostilia, not only were the existing treaties with Tusculum confirmed, but the Roman franchise was shortly afterwards bestowed upon it, a privilege at that time rarely conferred." — SmitKs Diet, of Greek and Roman Geography. " In the times of the Latin League, from the fall of Alba to the battle of the Lake Regillus, Tusculum was the most prominent town in Latium. It suffered, like the other towns in Latium, a complete eclipse during the late. Republic and the Imperial times ; but in the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth centuries, under the Counts of Tusculum, it be- came again a place of great importance and power, no less than seven popes of the house of Tusculum having sat in the chair of S. Peter. The final destruction of the city is placed by Nibby, following the ac- count given in the records of the Podesta of Reggio, in 1 191, on the 1st of April, in which year the city was given up to the Romans by the Emperor Henry VI., and, after the withdrawal of the German garrison, was sacked and razed to the ground. Those of the inhabitants who escaped collected round the Church of S. Sebastian, at the foot of the hill, in the district called Frascati, whence the town of Frascati took its origin and name." — Burn, The Ro7nan Campagna. " We had wandered long among those hills, Watching the white goats on precipitous heights, Half-hid among the bushes, or their young Tending new-yeaned : and we had paused to hear The deep-toned music of the convent bells. And wound through many a verdant forest path, Gathering the crocus and anemone. With that fresh gladness, which when flowers are new 112 DAYS NEAR ROME. In the first spring, they bring us, till at last We issued out upon an eminence, Commanding prospect large on every side ; But largest where the world's great city lay, Whose features, undistinguishable now, Allowed no recognition, save where the eye Could mark the white front of the Lateran Facing this way, or rested on the dome. The broad stupendous dome, high over all. And as a sea around an island's roots Spreads, so the level champaign round the town Stretched every way, a level plain, and green With the new vegetation of the spring ; Nor by the summer ardours scorched as yet. Which shot from southern suns, too soon dry up The beauty and the freshness of the plains ; But to the right the ridge of Apennine, Its higher farther summits all snow-crowned. Rose, with white clouds above them, as might seem Another range of more aerial hills. These things were at a distance, but more near And at our feet signs of the tide of life. That once was here, and now had ebbed away — Pavements entire, without one stone displaced. Where yet there had not rolled a chariot-wheel For many hundred years ; rich cornices, Elaborate friezes of rare workmanship. And broken shafts of columns, that along This highway side lay prone ; vaults that were rooms, And hollowed from the turf, and cased in stone, Seats and gradations of a theatre. Which emptied of its population now Shall never be refilled : and all these things. Memorials of the busy life of man. Or of his ample means for pomp and pride, Scattered among the solitary hills. And lying open to the sun and showers, And only visited at intervals By wandering herds, or pilgrims like ourselves From distant lands ; with now no signs of life, Save where the goldfinch built his shallow nest CAMALDOLI. 113 'Mid the low bushes, or where timidly The rapid lizard glanced between the stones — All saying that the fashion of this world Passes away ; that not Philosophy Nor Eloquence can guard their dearest haunts From the rude touch of desecrating Time. What marvel, when the very fanes of God, The outward temples of the Holy One, Claim no exemption from the general doom, But lie in ruinous heaps ; when nothing stands, Nor may endure to the end, except alone The spiritual temple built with living stones ? " Archbishop Trench. Descending from the Arx, a path to the right leads through woods full of flowers to the Camaldoli, but nobody can pass the cross at the foot of the hill on which the con- vent stands, upon pain of excommunication. Here Cardinal Passionei lived in retirement, and occupied himself by col- lecting eight hundred inscriptions found amongst the ruins of Tusculum. The whole of the inhabitants of the Camaldoli were car- ried off during an audacious outbreak of brigandage in the reign of Pius VII., but escaped during a skirmish with the Papal troops sent to their rescue. Since then the buildings have been surrounded with defensive walls with loopholes for the discharge of fire-arms. The aspect of the place is beautifully described by Cardinal Wiseman. " The English college possesses a country house, deliciously situated in the village of Monte-Porzio. Like most villages in the Tusculan territory, this crowns a knoll, which in this instance looks as if it had been kneaded up from the valleys beneath it, so round, so shapely, so richly bosoming does it swell upwards ; and so luxuriously clothed is it with the three gifts whereby 'men are multiplied' (Ps. iv. 8), that the village and its church seem not to sit upon a rocky summit, but to be half sunk into the lap of the olive, the vine, and the waving corn, that reach the very houses. While the entrance and front of this villa are VOL. I. 8 114 r>A YS NEAR ROME. upon the regular streets of the little town, the garden side stands upon the very verge of the hill-top ; and the view, after plunging at once to the depths of the valley, along which runs a shady road, rises up a gentle acclivity, vine and olive clad, above which is clasped a belt of stately chestnuts, the bread-tree of the Italian peasant, and thence springs a round craggy mound, looking stem and defiant, like what it was — the citadel of Tusculum. Upon its rocky front the English students have planted a huge cross. "Such is the view which presents itself immediately opposite to the spectator, if leaning over the low parapet of the English garden. Just where the vineyards touch the woods, as if to adorn both, there lies nestling what you would take to be a very neat and regular village. A row of houses, equidistant and symmetrical, united by a continuous dwarf wall, and a church with its towers in the midst, all of dazzling whiteness, offer no other suggestion. The sight would certainly de- ceive one, but not so the ears. There is a bell that knows no sleeping. The peasant hears it as he rises at day-break to proceed to his early toil ; the vine-dresser may direct every pause for refreshment by its un- failing regularity through the day ; the horseman returning home at evening uncovers himself as it rings forth the ' Ave ; ' and the muleteer singing on the first of his string of mules, canying wine to Rome, at midnight is glad to catch its solemn peal, as it mingles with the tinkle of his own drowsy bells. Such an unceasing call to prayer and praise can only be answered, not by monks nor by friars, but by anchorites. " And to such does this sweet abode belong. A nearer approach does not belie the distant aspect. It is as neat, as regular, as clean, and tranquil as it looks. It is truly a village divided by streets, in each of which are rows of houses exactly symmetrical. A small sitting-room, a sleeping cell, a chapel completely fitted up, in case of illness, and a wood and lumber room, compose the cottage. This is approached by a garden, which the occupant tills, but only for flowers, assisted by his own foun- tain abundantly supplied. While singing None in the choir, the day's meal is deposited in a little locker within the door of the cell, for each one's solitary refection. On a few gi-eat festivals they dine together ; but not even the Pope, at his frequent visits, has meat placed before him. Everything, as has been said, is scrupulously clean. The houses inside and out, the well-furnished library, the stranger's apartments (for hospi- tality is freely given), and still more the church, are faultless in this respect And so are the venerable men who stand in the choir, and whose noble voices sustain the church's magnificent psalmody with un- wavering slowness of intonation. They are clad in white from head to loot, their thick woollen drapery falling in large folds ; and the shaven VILLA MONDRAGONE. 115 head, but flowing beard, the cabn features, the cast-down eyes, and often venerable aspect, make every one a picture, as solemn as Zurbaran ever painted, but without the sternness which he sometimes imparts to his recluses. They pass out of the church, to return home, all silent and unnoticing ; but the guest-master will tell you who they are. I remem- ber but a few. This is a native of Turin, who was a general in Napo- leon's army, fought many battles, and has hung up his sword beside the altar, to take down in its place the sword of the Spirit, and fight the good fight within. The next is an eminent musician, who has discovered the hoUowness of human applause, and has unstrung his earthly harp, and taken up the ' Ij're of the Levite,' to join his strains to those of angels. Another comes ' curved like a bridge's arch,' as Dante says, and leaning on a younger arm, as he totters forward, one whose years are ninety, of which seventy have been spent in seclusion, except a few of dispersion, but in peace : for he refuses any relaxation from his duties. Then fol- lows a fourth, belonging to one of the noblest Roman families, who yet prefers his cottage and his lentil to the palace and the banquet." — Life of Pius VI L Below the Camaldoli we reach the gates of the Viiia Mondragone, the Qtieen of Frascati villas. It belongs to the family of Borghese, but is used as a Jesuit College. The casino, built, from designs of Vansanzio, by Cardinal Altemps in the reign of Gregory XIII., is exceedingly magnificent, but still more so is the view from the vast and stately terrace in front, adorned with a grand fountain and tall columns. " Imaginez-vous un chateau qui a trois cent soixante quatorze fene- tres, un chateau complique comme ceux d'Aime Radcliffe, un monde d'enigmes a debrouiller, un enchainement de surprises, im reve de Piranese. " Ce palais fut bati au seizieme siecle. On y entre par un vaste corps de logis, sorte de caserne destinee a la suite armee. Lorsque, plus tard, le pape Paul V. en fit une simple villegiature, il relia un des cotes de ce corps de garde au palais par une longue galerie, de plein- pied avec la cour interieure, dont les arcades elegantes s'ouvraient, au couchant, sur un escarpement assez considerable, et laissent aujourd'hui passer le vent et la pluie. Les voutes suintent, la fresque est devenne une croute des stalactites bizarrees ; des rouces et des orties poussent dans le pave disjoint ; les deux etages superposes au-dessus de cette galerie s'ecroulent tranquillement. II n'y a plus de toiture ; les entable- 1 16 DA YS NEAR ROME. ments du dernier etage se penchant et s'appaissent aux risques et perils des passants, quand passants il y a, autour de cette thebai'de. " Cependant, la villa Mondragone, restee dans la famille Borghese, a. laquelle appartenait Paul V., etait encore une demeure splendide, il y a une cinquantaine d'annees, et elle revete aujourd'hui un caractere de de- solation riante, tout a fait particulier a ces ruines prematurees. C'est durant nos guerres d'ltalie, au commencement du siecle, que les Autri- chiens Font ravagee, bombardee, et pillee. II en est resulte ce qui arrive toujours en ce pays-ci apres une secousse politique : le degout et I'aban- don. Pourtant la majeure partie du corps de logis principal, la parte- media, est assez saine pour qu'en supprimant les dependances inutiles, on puisse encore trouver de quoi restaurer une delicieuse villegiature." — George Sand, La Daniella. Joining the grounds of the Mondragone are those of the Villa Taverna, built in the i6th century, from designs of Girolamo Rainaldi. It was much used, until the change of Government, as a summer residence by the Borgheses. A beautiful road along the ridge of the hill-side leads back to Frascati, or we may go on to the right towards Colonna, about four miles distant. Not far below the Villa Mondragone is the volcanic Lake of Cornufelle. There is no longer any water here, but its bed is a crater about half a mile in diameter, and is evidently the place described by Pliny, where there was a grove of beeches (probably horn-beams — carpini) dedicated to Diana, one of which was so much admired by Passienus, the orator and consul, that he used to embrace it, sleep under it, and pour wine upon it. This is the spot described in Macaulay's Lays, as that " — where, by Lake Regillus, Under the Porcian height, All in the lands of Tusculum, Was fought the glorious fight. " And Arnold says : — "The lake of Regillus is now a small and weedy pool surrounded by THE LAKE HE GILL US. 117 zrater-like banks, and with much lava or basalt about it, situated at some height above the plain, on the right hand of the road as you de- scend from the high ground under La Colonna (Labicum), to the ordin- ary level of the Campagna, in going to Rome." — Hist, of Rome, i. 120. "The Battle of the Lake Regillus, as described by Livy, is not an en- gagement between two armies : it is a conflict of heroes, like those in the Iliad. All the leaders encounter hand to hand ; and by them the victory is thrown now into one scale, now into the other ; while the troops fight without any effect. The dictator Postumius wounds King Tarquinius, who at the first onset advances to meet him. T. ^butius, the master of the horse, wounds the Latin dictator : but he himself too is disabled, and forced to quit the field. Mamilius, only aroused by his hurt, leads the cohort of the Roman emigrants to the charge, and breaks the front lines of the enemy ; this glory the Roman lays could not allow to any but fellow-citizens, under whatever banner they might be fight- ing. M. Valerius, surnamed Maximus, falls as he is checking their progress. Publius and Marcus, the sons of Publicola, meet their death in rescuing the body of their uncle, but the dictator with his cohort avenges them all, repulses the emigrants, and puts them to flight. In vain does Mamilius strive to retrieve the day : he is slain by T. Hermin- ius, the comrade of Codes. Herminius again is pierced through with a javelin, while stripping the Latin general of his arms. At length the Roman knights, fighting on foot before the standards, decided the victory : then they mounted their horses, and routed the yielding foe. During the battle the dictator had vowed a temple to the Dioscuri. Two gigantic youths on white horses were seen fighting in the van : and from its being said, immediately after the mention of the vow, that the dictator promised rewards to the first two who should scale the wall of the enemy's camp, I surmise that the poem related, nobody challenged these prizes, because the way for the legions had been opened by the Tyndarids. The pursuit was not yet over, when the two deities ap- peared at Rome, covered with dust and blood. They washed themselves and their arms in the fountain of Juturna beside the temple of Vesta, and announced the events of the day to the people assembled in the Comitium. On the other side of the fountain the promised temple was built. The print of a horse's hoof in the basalt on the field of battle remained to attest the presence of the heavenly combatants. " — Nicbuhr's Hist, of Rome, i. 557. On the right is the hill of Monte Forzlo, said to have de- rived its name from the Porcian Villa of Cato the younger. It is crowned by a large village, built by Gregory XIII. ii8 DA YS NEAR ROME. (Buoncompagni), whose arms adorn its gateway. The church was consecrated by Cardinal York in 1766. Beyond this, on the right, is Monte Compatri^ a large vil- lage, cresting another hill, and belonging to the Borgheses. Further on is Rocca Friora, now identified with Corbio, the first place attacked by the Latin confederates in behalf of Tarquin, who, when they had expelled the garrison, hence ravaged all the surrounding country. Rocca Friora stands high up on the Alonte Algido, the second of the heights of which the Alban Hills are composed. On one of its peaks are remains which are referred to a temple of Diana mentioned by Horace. "QuEeque Aventinum tenet Algidumque, Quindecim Diana preces virorum Curet." Carm. Sac. 69. The plain which separated the Mons Algidus from the heights near Tusculumwas frequently a battle-field. In B.C. 458 Cincinnatus gained here his great victory over the ^"Equians under Clcelius Gracchus ; and here, in B.C. 428, Postumius Tubertus conquered the combined armies of the ^quians and Volscians. " Scilicet hie olim Volscos .(Equosque fugatos Viderat in campis, Algida terra, tuis." Ovid. Fast. vi. 721. Horace mentions the cold climate of Algidus : — "Gelido prominet Algido." Carm. i. 21. * Nivali pascitur Algido." And its black woods : — "Nigrae feraci frondis in Algido." 111. 23. IV. 4- COLONNA. 119 Silius Italicus, however, speaks of the pleasures of a re- sidence here : — " . . Nee ameena retentant Algida." xii. 536. On the left we now reach an insulated hill crowned by the picturesque little mediaeval town of Co/oiina, for seven centuries the stronghold of the great family of that name, but now belonging to Prince Rospigliosi. Colonna occupies the site of Labicum, which, according to Virgil, existed before the foundation of Rome, for he re- presents its warriors as joining the army of Turnus : — " Auruncoeque manus, Rutuli, veteresque Sicani, Et Sacranas acies, et picti scuta Labici." y^7i. vii. 795. Hannibal approached Rome from hence : — " Jamque adeo est campos ingressus et arva Labici, Linquens Telegoni pulsates ariete muros." Sil. Ital. xii. 534. Silius alludes to the fertility of its lands : — ". . . at que habiles ad aratra Labici." viii. 368. Through the Middle Ages, Colonna was the scene of end- less sieges, and consequently perhaps suffered more than any other town in the neighbourhood of Rome. "The private story of the Colonna and Ursini is an essential part of the annals of modern Rome. The name and arms of Colonna have been the theme of much doubtful etymology ; nor have the orators and antiquarians overlooked either Trajan's Pillar, or the columns of Her- cules, or the pillar of Christ's flagellation, or the luminous column that guided the Israelites in the desert. Their first historical appearance in the year 1 104, attests the power and antiquity, while it explains the simple meaning, of the name. By the usurpation of Cavi, the Colonna provoked the arms of Paschal II. ; but they law- 123 D.4VS NEAR ROME. f.il!y held, in the Campagna of Rome, the hereditary fiefs of Zagarolo and Colonna ; and the latter of these towns was probably adorned with some lofty pillar, the relic of a villa or temple. They likewise possessed one moiety of the neighbouring city of Tusculum ; a strong presumption of their descent from the counts of Tusculum, who in the loth century were the tyrants of the apostolic see. According to their own and the public opinion, the primitive and remote source was derived from the banks of the Rhine ; and the sovereigns of Germany were not ashamed of a real or fabulous affinity with a noble race, which in the revolutions of seven hundred years has been often illustrated by merit, and always by fortune. About the end of the 13th century, the most powerful branch was composed of an uncle and six brothers, all con- spicuous in arms, or in the honours of the Church. Of these, Peter was elected senator of Rome, introduced to the Capitol in a triumphant car, and hailed in some vain acclamations with the title of Caesar ; while John and Stephen were declared Marquis of Ancona and Count of Romagna by Nicholas IV., a patron so partial to their family, that he has been delineated, in satirical portraits, imprisoned as it were in a hollow pillar. After his decease, their haughty behaviour pro- voked the displeasure of the most implacable of mankind. The two cardinals, the uncle and the nephew, denied the election of Boniface VIII. ; and the Colonna were oppressed for a moment by his temporal and spiritual arms. He proclaimed a crasade against his personal enemies ; their estates were confiscated ; their fortresses on either side of the Tiber were besieged by the troops of S. Peter, and those of the rival nobles ; and after the ruin of Palestrina or Praeneste, their princi- pal seat, the ground was marked with a plough-share, the emblem of perpetual desolation. Degraded, banished, proscribed, the six brothers, in disguise and danger, wandered over Europe without renouncing the hope of deliverance and revenge. In this double hope, the French court was their surest asylum ; they prompted and directed the enter- prise of Philip ; and I should praise their magnanimity, had they re- spected the misfortune and courage of the captive tyrant. His civil acts were annulled by the Roman people, who restored the honours and pos- sessions of the Colonna ; and some estimate may be formed of their wealth by their losses, of their losses by the damages of one hundred thousand gold florins, which were granted them against the accomplices and heirs of the deceased pope. All the spiritual censures and dis- qualifications were abolished by his pradent successors ; and the fortune of the house was more firmly established by this transient hurricane. The boldness of Sciarra Colonna was signalized in the captivity of Boni- ace, and long afterwards in the coronation of Lewis of Bavaria ; and by FROM FRASCATI TO PALESTRINA. 121 the gratitude of the Emperor the pillar in their arms was encircled with a royal crown. But the first of the family in fame and merit was the elder Stephen, whom Petrarch loved and esteemed as a hero superior to his own times, and not unworthy of ancient Rome. Persecution and exile displayed to the nations his abilities in peace and war ; in his dis- tress, he was an object, not of pity, but of reverence ; the aspect of danger provoked him to avow his name and country : and \ hen he was asked, ' Where is now your fortress ? ' he laid his hand on his heart, and 'answered, 'Here.' He supported with the same virtue the return of prosperity : and, till the ruin of his declining age, the ancestors, the character, and the children of Stephen Colonna, exalted his dignity in the Roman republic and at the court of Avignon." — Gibbon's Roman Empire, ch. Ixix. The ancient Via Labicana, now the high road to Naples by Vahiiontone, runs at the foot of the hill upon which Colonna is situated. An excellent new road leads from Frascati to Palestrina, passing for the most part through the reinains of the fine old chestnut forest, with which these mountain slopes were once covered. The road ascends first to Monte Porzio, which most picturesquely crowns an olive-clad hill with its gaily painted houses. Hence, by a beautiful terrace, with glorious views through the vineyards into the Sabina, we climb up to Monte Compatri, above which stands the great Convent of S. SUvestro. We are now high above Colonna, and Monte Porzio becomes very eftective rising against the faint distances of the vast plain in which Rome is asleep. From Monte Compatri the new road descends, and falls into the high road from Rome before reaching the Villa Doria at S. Cesareo. On the left, Zagarolo is seen, in a striking position at the end of a ravine. We pass some Roman tombs hewn in the rocks of the hollow way ; the DA YS NEAR ROME. Via Prenestina with its ancient pa\ang-blocks appears by the side of the road ; and, passing a great Casino called // Parco del Barberlni, we reach the foot of the hill, up which Palestrina clambers, at the inn of S. Rocco. CHAPTER V. GROTTA FERRATA AND MARINO/ (This is a very pleasant excursion from Rome, and may be taken between two trains from the Frascati station ; or, both Grotta F'errata and Marino may be visited in driving from Frascati to Albano.) THE great castellated monastery of Grotta Ferrata is only about two miles from Frascati on the slopes of the Alban hills. It is the only Basilian monastery in the Papal States, and its monks perform the service in Greek according to the Greek ritual. The story of its foundation is that of S. Nilus. S. Nilus was a Calabrian Greek, born near Tarentum. He did not embrace a religious life till his old age, when his wife, to whom he was tenderly attached, was dead, and then he became a Greek monk of the order of S. Basil, and soon was elected abbot of his convent. Driven by the Saracens from the east of Italy, he fled with his brotherhood to jNIonte Cassino, where the abbot received them kindly, and appointed them a residence in the neighbourhood. While he was here, Aloare, widow of Pandolfo, Prince of Capua, who had incited her two sons to the murder of their cousin, came to S. Nilus to beseech absolution for her crime. He refused, unless she would yield up one of her sons to 124 DAYS NEAR ROME. the family of the murdered man, but she could not make up her mind to the sacrifice, upon which S. Nilus denounced her sin as unforgiven and foretold her punishment. Shortly after, one of the princes was assassinated in a church by his brother, who was himself put to death by order of Hugh Capet, King of France. S. Nilus next took up his abode at Rome in the convent of S. Alexis, where he wrought many miracles, among others the cure of an epileptic boy. Rome was at this time dis- tracted with internal dissensions, and had been besieged by the Emperor Otho III., who had persuaded Crescentius, Consul of Rome, by his false promises, to deliver up S. Angelo, and had there murdered him ; and, putting out the eyes of Pope John XVI., had set up Gregory V. in his place. S. Nilus alone ventured to oppose the marauders, rebuking them as the enemies of God, and Amting to the Emperor, " Because ye have broken faith, and because ye have had no mercy for the vanquished, nor compassion for those who had no longer the power to injure or resist, know that God will aveuge the cause of the oppressed, and ye shall both seek for mercy and shall not find it." He then fled to Gaeta, and afterwards to a cave at the spot now called Grotta Ferrata. Two years after, Gregory V. died miserably, and Otho, on his knees at Grotta Ferrata, implored the intercession of Nilus, promising a rich endowment for his convent. But his offers were all sternly refused by the saint, who said with solemnity, that he asked nothing from him but that he would repent of his sins and save his owti soul. A few weeks after, Otho was obliged to fly from the people, and was poisoned by the widow of Crescentius. Nilus had betaken himself in STOJ?y OF GROTTA FERRATA. 125 1004 to the solitudes of Grotta Ferrata because of the certainty of canonization if he remained at Gaeta. Here, asleep in a grotto, he had a dream of the Virgin, who commanded him to build a church on that spot, placing a golden apple in the foundations, as a pledge of her protection. Nilus built the church, but first placed in the grotto, where he had received the mandate, a picture of the Virgin which he had brought with him from Gaeta, and guarded it with an iron railing, which gave it the name of Grotta Ferrata. S. Nilus died in the same year with Otho, commanding that his burial-place should be concealed, in order that no undue honours might be paid to his remains ; but over the cavern where he had lived, his friend and successor Bartolomeo began to raise the church and castellated convent of Grotta Ferrata, in which, in memory of the Greek Nilus, the rule of S. Basil should always be followed, and mass celebrated in the Greek language. The Count of Tusculum protected the work, which rose rapidly, and the church was consecrated by John XIX., only twenty years after the death of its founder. Several of the popes resided here, especially the boy Pope Benedict IX. (nephew of the Count of Tusculum), who had resigned the honours of the Papacy, of which he was most unworthy, in 1033, at the entreaty of the first Abbot, S. Bar- tholomew. Pope Julius II. (Delia Rovere) had been Abbot here, and began the buildings on which the Rovere oak may still be seen. He, the warlike Pope who commanded at the siege of Mirandola, built, as Abbot, the picturesque fortifica- tions of the monastery. Benedict XIV. ordained that the Abbot, Prior, and Fathers of Grotta Ferrata should always celebrate in the Greek rite. The last Abbot Commendator was Cardinal Gonsalvi, who renounced the baronial juris- 126 DAYS NEAR ROME. diction which had hitherto belonged to the abbots in 1816, Grotta Ferrata, at a distance, looks more like a castle than a monastery. It is surrounded by walls with heavy machico- lations and low bastion towers. Within, the greater part of the two courts have been modernized, but the church retains its campanile of the tenth century. In the atrium is a black cross supposed to mark the exact height of our Saviour, and a model of the golden apple given by the Virgin to S. Nilus and buried in the foundations of the belfry. Over the western door (now enclosed) is the inscrip- tion : — oiKou Gtou fiiWovTCQ ilcFlSaivin' wvXtjv t^io ykvoiaOe ri/e fiidrjQ twv (ppovTiSwv 'iv' evuevwi; tvpoin tov kqit))v iaw. [Ye who would enter here the house of God Cast out the leaven of pride and worldly thought That kindly ye may find the Judge within.] Above, is a very interesting mosaic of 1005, representing the Saviour between the Virgin and S. J. Baptist, with a pmall standing figure supposed to represent the Abbot S. Bartholomew. The doors are beautifully carved. At the end of the right aisle is a curious piece of perforated carving found in the Campagna, and believed to have belonged to a screen between the nave and choir through which the voices of the monks could reach the congregation : it is inscribed with the names ot the thirteen first abbots. At the end of the left aisle is the tomb of Pope Benedict IX., with the imperial eagle in mosaic, and above it two angels with torches in their hands. In the middle of the floor is an enormous dish of porphyry : it was broken by the French in their attempts to remove it. Over the entrance of the choir is a second mosaic, of the Twelve Apostles, with the CHURCH OF GROTTA FERRATA. 127 Saviour, typified by the Lamb, represented below, not on the throne. The high altar, decorated with two angels of the Beniini school, sustains a reliquary of bronze with agate pillars, which was intended for S. Peter's, but, being found too small, was given to Grotta Ferrata by Cardinal Bar- bcrini. From the left aisle we enter the famous chapel of the first Abbot, S. Bartholomew, It is a parallelogram with a small dome over the east end. The wall on the left is occupied by the famous frescoes of S. Nilus praying before the crucifix ; the visit of Otho III. to S. Nilus ; and, in the choir, the healing of the demoniac by S. Nilus. The frescoes on the right represent Nilus and Bartholomew, who by their prayers avert a thunder-storm from the crops which hus- bandmen are gathering in ; the building of the Monastery ; and, in the choir, the vision of the Madonna who gives the golden apple. At the sides of the altar are : S. Eustace, because he was the protector of the Farnese family, and S. Edward, because of the name of the Cardinal who built the chapel. In the dome, beneath the figure of the Almighty, are the Roman saints, Agnese, Cecilia, and Francesca Ro- mana. All the frescoes are by Domenichino, The altar- piece, representing Nilus and Bartholomew \vith the Virgin, is by Afin. Caracci. At the west end of the chapel is a curious urn used as a baptismal font. "About the year 1610, when Cardinal Odoardo Farnese was Abbot of Grotta Ferrata, he undertook to rebuild a defaced and ruined chapel, which had in very ancient times been dedicated to the interesting Greek saints S. Adrian and his wife S. Natalia. The chapel was accordingly restored with great magnificence, rededicated to S. Nilus and his com- panion, S. Bartolomeo, who are regarded as the two first Abbots ; and Domenichino, then in his twenty-eighth year, was employed to represent 128 DA YS NEAR ROME. on the wall some of the most striking incidents connected with the foundation of the monastery. " The walls, in accordance with the architecture, are divided into com- partments, vaiying in form and size. In the first large compartment, he has represented the visit of Otho III. to S. Nilus ; a most dramatic composition, consisting of a vast number of figures. The Emperor has just alighted from his charger, and advances in a humble attitude to claim the benediction of the saint. The accessories in this grand pic- ture are wonderful for splendour and variety, and painted with consum- mate skill. The whole strikes us like a well-got-up scene. The action of a spirited horse, and the two trumpeters behind, are among the most admired parts of the picture. It has always been asserted that these two ti^umpeters express, in the muscles of the face and throat, the quality of the sounds they give forth. This, when I read the description, appeared to me a piece of fanciful exaggeration ; but it is literally true. If painting cannot imitate the power of sound, it has here suggested both its power and kind, so that we seem to hear. Among the figures is that of a young page, who holds the Emperor's horse, and wears over his light flowing hair a blue cap with a plume of white feathers ; according to tradition, this is a portrait of a beautiful girl, with whom Domenichino fell violently in love while he was employed on the frescoes. Bellori tells us that, not only was the young painter rejected by the parents of the damsel, but that when the picture was uncovered and exhibited, and the face recognized as that of the young girl he had loved, he was obliged to fly from the vengeance of her relatives. "The great composition on the opposite wall represents the building of the monastery after the death of S. Nilus by his disciple and coad- jutor S. Bartolomeo. The master builder, or architect, presents the plan, which S. Bartolomeo examines through his spectacles. A number of masons and workmen are busied in various operations, and an antique sarcophagus, which was discovered in the foundation, and is now built into the wall of the church, is seen in one comer ; in the background, is represented one of the legends of the locality. It is related that when the masons were raising a column, the ropes gave way, and the column would have fallen on the heads of the assistants, had not one of the monks, full of faith, sustained the column with his single strength. " One of the lesser compartments represents another legend. The Madonna appears in a glorious vision to S. Nilus and S. Bartolomeo in this very Grotta Ferrata, and presents to them a golden apple, in testi- mony of her desire that a chapel should rise on this spot. The golden apple was reverently buried in the foundation of the belfry, as we now bury coins and medals when laying the foundation of a public edifice. THE FRESCOES OF DOMEiVICHIXO. 129 " Opposite is the fresco which ranks as one of the finest and most ex- pressive of all Domenichino's compositions. A poor epileptic boy is brought to S. Nilus to be healed ; the saint, after beseeching the Divine favour, dips his finger into the oil of a lamp burning before the altar, and with it anoints the mouth of the boy, who is instantly relieved from his malady. 7'he incident is simply and admirably told, and the action of the boy, so painfully true, yet without distortion or exaggera- tion, has been, and I think with reason, preferred to the epileptic boy in Raphael's Transfiguration. " In a high, narrow compartment, Domenichino has represented S. Nilus before a crucifix : the figure of our Saviour extends his arm in ])enediction over the kneeling saint, who seems to feel, rather than per- ceive, the miracle. This also is beautiful. " S. Nilus having been a Greek monk, and the convent connected with the Greek order, we have the Greek fatliers in their proper habits — venerable figures pourtrayed in niches round the cornice. The Greek saints, S. Adrian and S. Natalia ; and the Roman saints, S. Agnes, S. Cecilia, and S. Francesca, are painted in medallions. "A glance back at the history of S. Nilus and the origin of the chapel will show how significant, how appropriate, and how harmonious is this scheme of decoration in all its parts. I know not if the credit of the selection belongs to Domenichino ; but, in point of vivacity of con- ception and brilliant execution, he never exceeded these frescoes in any of his subsequent works ; and every visitor to Rome should make this famous chapel a part of his pilgrimage." — yameso)Cs Monastic Orders, P- 35- Grotta Ferrata formerly possessed the finest Greek library in Italy, but its treasures were removed, partly to the Vatican by Sixtus V., and partly to the Barberini collection by Urban VIII. In the Palace of the Abbots, in Jan. 1824, died Cardinal Gonsalvi, the famous minister and friend of Pius VII., having survived his master only five months. His body, being opened after death, in consequence of unfounded suspicions, proved that he died from entirely natural causes. About 3I miles from Grotta Ferrata, on the way to VOL. I. 9 I30 DA y^S NEAR ROME. Albano, is the very picturesque mediseval town of Marino, which has been identified, from inscriptions which have been found there, as occupying the site of Castrimonium, a town fortified by Sylla, and which continued to be a " municipium " to the time of Antoninus Pius. As, in the Middle Ages, Colonna was a principal fortress of the family of that name, so Marino was the stronghold of the great rival family of the Orsini, from whom, however, it was wrested in the 14th century by the Colonnas, who built the walls which still remain. Beyond the town is the beautiful glen called Parco Colonna, once the " Lucus Ferentinge," which was the meet- ing-place of the Latin league after the destruction of Alba. A pleasant walk leads up the valley through the green wood fresh with rushing streams and carpeted with flowers, to a pool formed by several springs, with an old statue and remains of 17th-century grottoes. One of the small springs on the right is pointed out as the " Caput Aquae Ferentinae," where Turnus Herdonius of Aricia, who had inveighed against the pride of Tarquinius Superbus and warned his countrymen against placing any trust in him, having been accused of plotting the death of the King and condemned by the great council of the Latins, was drowned in the shallow water, being held down by a hurdle, upon which stones were piled.* * Livy, i. 50^52. CHAPTER VI. VEIL (An excursion should be made to Veii before the weather becomes too hot for enjoyment in walking about its steep ravines. A sunny day in February is the best time to choose. ) IT is a drive of about an hour and a half from Rome to Veii. At first we follow the Via Cassia, one of the three roads which led to Cisalpine Gaul, and which passed through the centre of Etruria : Cicero says — " Etruriam discriminat Cassia." It is now one of the pleasantest drives near the city, with its high upland views over the wide plains of the Campagna to the towns which sparkle in the sun under the rifted purple crags of the Sabina, or down bosky glades studded with old cork-trees, whose rich dark green forms a charming contrast to the burnt grass and poetic silvery thistles. Three miles from Rome, on a bank on the left of the road, is the fine sarcophagus adorned with griffins in low relief, which is popularly known as Nerd's tomb, and is really that of Publius Vibius Marianus and his wife Reginia Maxima. Beyond this, on the right, is the castellated farm-house of Buon-Ricovero, picturesquely situated with pine trees upon a grassy knoll. 132 DAYS NEAR ROME. About lo miles from Rome we reach the dismal post- house of La Storfa, where, in vetturino days, horses were changed for the last time before reaching the city. Just beyond this the by-road to Veil turns off on the right. As we wind along the hill-sides, we see below us the picturesque little mediaeval town of Isola Farnese. "From La .Storta it is a mile and a half to Isola by the carriage road ; but the visitor, on horse or foot, may save half a mile by taking a pathway across the downs. When Isola Farnese comes into sight, let him halt awhile to admire the scene. A wide sweep of Campagna lies before him, in this part broken into ravines or narrow glens, which, by varying the lines of the landscape, redeem it from the monotony of a plain, and by patches of wood relieve it of its usual nakedness and sterility. On a steep cliff, about a mile distant, stands the village of Isola — a village in fact, but in appearance a large chateau, with a few out-houses around it. Behind it rises the long, swelling ground, which once bore the walls, temples, and palaces of Veii, but is now a bare down, partly fringed with wood, and without a single habitation on its surface. At a few miles distance rises the conical tufted hill of Musino, the supposed scene of ancient rites, the Eleusis, the Delphi, it may be, of Etruria. The eye is then caught by a tree-crested mound or tumulus, standing in the plain beyond the site of the city ; then it stretches away to the triple paps of the Monticelli, and to Tivoli, gleaming from the dark slopes behind ; and then it rises and scans the majestic chain of Apennines, bounding the horizon with their dark-grey masses, and rests with delight on La Leonessa and other well-known giants of the Sabine range, all capt with snow. Oh, the beauty of that range ! From whatever part of the Campagna you view it, it presents those long, sweeping outlines, those grand, towering crests — not of Alpine abruptness, but consistently with the character of the land, preserving, even when soaring highest, the true Italian dignity and repose — the otijim cum dignitate of Nature." — Dennis' Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria. The fortress, which clings more than half-dismantled to the crumbling tufa-rock, was built by the barons of the ISIiddle Ages, was constantly taken and retaken in the Orsini and Colonna feuds, and was eventually ruined by Caesar Borgia when he took it after a twelve days' siege. ISOLA FARNESE. 133 Tlere we must leave our carriage and find and engage the Isola Farnese. custode who opens the painted tomb. A deep lane between high banks of tufa overhung by bay and ilex, leads into the ravine, where a brook called Fosso de' due Fossi (from the two litde torrents, Storta and Pino, of which it is formed) tumbles over a steep rock into the chasm near an old mill, and rushes away down the glen to join the Crimera. The craggy hill-side is covered with luxuriant foliage, and snow- drifted with laurestinus-bloom in spring ; the ground is carpeted with violets and blue and white wood-anemonies. Beyond the mill, where we cross the brook upon stepping- stones, a small gateway of mediaeval times, opening upon a green lawn overhanging the chasm, with the castle of Isola crowning the opposite cliff, forms a subject dear to artists, and many are the picnics which meet on the turfy slope under the shade of the old cork-trees. From hence we may begin our explorations of the ancient city, and if we are to visit all its principal remains, it is no short or easy excursion which we are going to undertake. The ruins are widely scattered, and the labyrinthine ravines formed by the windings of the Crimera and the Fosso de' due Fossi, which almost surround the city and meet beneath it, are so bewildering, that a guide is necessary. At first it 134 DA YS NEAR ROME. seems quite impossible that these woody valleys, which only echo now to the song of a thousand nightingales, can really have been Veii, the city which Dionysius underrates when he describes it as being as large as Athens,* which Eutropius (i. 20) writes of as " civitas antiquissima Italiee atque ditis- ■ sima," which was a flourishing State at the time of the founda- tion of Rome, and which once possessed so many attractions that it became a question whether Rome itself should not be abandoned for its sake. "The city of Veii was not inferior to Rome itself in buildings, and possessed a large and fruitful territory, partly mountainous, and partly ill the plain. The air was pure and healthy, the country being free from the vicinity of mai'shes, which produce a heavy atmosphere, and without any river which might render the morning air too rigid. Never- theless there was abundance of water, not artificially conducted, but rising from natural springs, and good to drink." — Dion. xii. frag. 21. Gradually, as we push through the brushwood, traces of the old walls may be discovered here and there, and of the nine gates to which from local circumstances topographers have assigned the imaginary names of Porta de' Sette Pagi, Porta deir Arce, Porta Campana, Porta Fidenate, Porta di Pietra Pertusa, Porta dell' Are Muzie, Porta Capenate, Porta del Columbario, and Porta Sutrina. A long walk through the woods leads to the Porta Capenate, which might easily pass unobserved, so slight are its remains. But beneath it is the most interesting spot in the whole circuit of the city, the Ponte Sodo, where the Crimera or Fosso di Formello, as it is called here, forces its way for 240 yards through a natural(?) tunnel over-grown with luxuriant bay and ilex. It is necessary to climb down • The circuit of V^eii was 43 stadia, that of Athens only 35. VEIL 135 to the level of the stream to enjoy the view through the dark recesses to the light beyond. " It would be easy to pass the Ponte Sodo without observing it. It is called a bridge ; but is a mere mass of rock bored for the passage of the stream. Whether wholly or but partly artificial may admit of dispute. It is, however, in all probability, an Etruscan excavation — a tunnel in the rock, two hundred and forty feet long, twelve or fifteen wide, and nearly twenty high. From above it is scarcely visible. You must view it from the banks of the stream. You at first suspect it to be of natural formation, yet there is a squareness and regularity about it which prove it artificial. The steep cliffs of tufa, yellow, grey, or white, over- hung by ilex, ivy, and brushwood — the deep, dark-mouthed tunn:;l with a ray of sunshine, it may be, gleaming beyond — the masses of lichen- clad rock, which choke the stream, give it a charm apart from its antiquity." — Dennis" Cities of Etrn?-ia. Near the Ponte Sodo are remains of an aqueduct of imperial times, confirming the opinion that Veii had a temporary revival during the reign of Tiberius, whose statue, with several inscriptions of his time, has been found here. About a mile up the stream from this, passing the Roman Ponte deir Jsola, Veii. bridge called Fonfe Fonnello, we reach the tall Etruscan bridge Ponte dell" Isola, which crosses the river with an arch twenty-two feet wide. About the same distance in the op- posite direction, descending the river, the remains of a ruined Columbarium are seen in the grey rock on the opposite 136 DA YS NEAR ROME. bank, and a little further, on the slope of the hill-side called Poggio Reale, is the Painted Tomb. Before the entrance of the tomb, which is sometimes known as the Grotta Ccuiipa/ia, are the almost shapeless remains of the stone lions which once guarded it. The custode opens a door in the rock and admits one with lights to the interior of two low vaulted chambers hewn out of the tufa, and they are well worth seeing. On either side of the outer room are stone benches, on which, when the tomb was first opened, skeletons were seen lying, but crumbled away in a few minutes. With one of these, who had been a warrior, lay his breast-plate, helmet, and spear^s-head, which still remain, and all around were the large earthen jars and vases which yet stand here. The walls are covered with fantastic paintings of figures, with horses, dogs, leopards, and other animals, all of rude execution, but still fresh in form and colour. The inner-chamber is surrounded by a shelf still laden witli vases and curious little cinerary sarcophagi, and in its centre stood the brazier in which perfumes were burnt to purify the air. These are the sights usually seen at Veii ; but if possible another two hours should be devoted to ascending the hill of the Arx, called by the natives Piazza d'Armi, which may be reached by a little path winding through the brush- wood above the Columbarium. Of late years this has been decided to be the citadel of Veii, formerly supposed to have occupied the rock of Isola Farnese, which was separated from the rest of the city by a deep glen, so that, had it been the citadel, Camillus by its capture would not, as Livy tells us, have obtained immediate possession of the town. These desolate heights, now overgrown with thorns and SIEGE OF VEIL 137 thistles, amongst which fragments of precious marbles and alabasters may still be found in abundance, formed the citadel whose fourteen wars are matters of history, and which, having been successfully able to resist the whole forces of Rome during an eight years' siege, was at last only taken (a.c. 393) by a stratagem. " It was a time of trace round the walls of Veii ; and many who froni living so near had known each other before the war, would often fall into discourse. In this manner the inhabitants heard of the prodigy of the (Alban) lake : and a soothsayer was impelled by destiny to scoff at the efforts of the Romans, the futility of which was foretold in the prophetic books. Some days after, a Roman centurion invited the soothsayer to come into the plain between the walls and the Roman trenches, to hear an account of a portent that had fallen out at his house, and to teach him in what way to appease the gods : the aruspex was seduced by the reward promised him, and incautiously let himself be led near the Roman lines. On a sudden the stout centurion seized the old man, and dragged him, an easy prey, into the camp. From hence he was carried to Rome before the senate ; where he was forced by threats to speak the truth, and, loudly bewailing the destiny that had infatuated him to betray the secret of his nation, confessed that the Veien- tine books of fate announced that, so long as the lake kept on overflow- ing, Veii could not be taken, and that if the waters were to reach the sea, Rome would perish. Not long afterwards the ambassadors return- ed from Delphi, and brought an answer to a like effect : whereupon the tunnel was begun, in order that the lake might cease to overflow, and that the water drawn from it might be sj^read through the fields in ditches. This work was carried on unremittingly ; and the Veientines learnt that the fatal consummation, on which their ruin hung, was at hand. They sent an embassy to implore forbearance ; but they found no compassion. The chief of the envoys, before they quitted the senate-house with the unrelenting answer, warned the Romans once more of the penally that would inevitably await them : for, as certainly as Veii was now doomed to fall, so surely did the same oracles foretell, that, soon after the fall of Veii, Rome would be taken by the Gauls. Nobody listened to him. " Camillus was already commanding as dictator before the city, and was unsuspectedly executing the work which opened the way for its destruc- tion. The Romans seemed to be standing quietly at their posts, as if 138 DAYS NEAR ROME. they were waiting the slow issue of a blockade which could not be forced. But the army was divided into six bands ; and these, relieving one another every six hours, were labouring incessantly in digging a mine, which was to lead into the citadel of Veii, and there to open into the temple of Juno. " Before the assault was made, the dictator inquired of the senate, what was to be done with the spoil. Appius Claudius, the grandson of the decemvir, advised selling it for the benefit of the treasury, that it might supply pay for the amny without need of a property-tax. This was opposed by P. Licinius, the most emiuenL among the plebeian mili- tary tribunes : he even declared it would be unfair if none but the soldiers then on the spot were to have a share in the booty, for which eveiy citizen had made some sacrifice or other. Notice, he said, ought, to be given, for all who wished to partake in it to proceed to the camp. This was decreed ; and old and young flocked toward the devoted city. Hereupon, as soon as the water was dispersed over the fields, and the passage into the citadel finished, Camillus made a vow to Matuta, a goddess highly revered on the adjacent Tyrrhenian coast, and addressed prayers to Juno, whose temple covered the way destined to lead the Romans into the city, with promises that she should receive higher hon- ours than ever. Nor were his adjurations fruitless. To the Pythian Apollo, whose oracle, when it encouraged the Romans to put faith in the words of the aruspex, demanded an offering for Delphi, he vowed a tenth of the spoil. Then, at the appointed hour, the passage was filled with cohorts : Camillus himself led the way. Meanwhile the horns blew the signal for the assault ; and the countless host brought scaling ladders, as if they meant to mount the walls from every side. Here the citizens stood expecting the enemy, while their king was sa- crificing in the temple of Juno. The aruspex, when he saw the victim, declared that whoever brought the goddess her share of the slaughtered animal would conquer. This was heard by the Romans underground. They burst forth and seized the flesh ; and Camillus offered it up. From the citadel they rushed irresistibly through the city, and opened the nearest gates to the assailants. " The incredible amount of the spoil even surpassed the expectations of the conquerors. The whole was given to the army, except the cap- tives who had been spared in the massacre, before the unarmed had their lives granted to them, and who were sold on account of the state. All objects of human property had already been removed from the empty walls : the o.naments and statues of the gods alone were yet untouched. Juno had accepted the vow of a temple on the Aventine. But every one trembled to touch her image ; for, according to the Etruscan re- LA SCALE TTA. 139 ligion, none but a priest of a certain house might do so without fear of death. A body of chosen knights, who took courage to venture upon removing it from its place, proceeded to the temple in white robes, and asked the goddess whether she consented to go to Rome. They heard her voice pronounce her assent ; and the statue of its own accord fol- lowed those who were leading it forth. " While Camillus was looking down from this temple on the magnifi- cence of the captured city, the immense wealth of which the spoilers were amassing, he called to mind the threats of the Veientines, and that the gods were wont to regard excessive prosperity with displeasure ; and he prayed to the mighty queen of heaven to let the calamity that was to expiate it be such as the republic and he himself could support. When after ending his prayer he turned round to the right, with his head veiled according to custom, his foot stumbled, and he fell. It seemed as if the goddess had graciously appeased destiny with this mishap : and Camillus, forgetting the foreboding which had warned him, provoked the angry powers by the unexampled pomp and pride of his triumph. Jupiter and Sol saw him drive up with their own team of white horses to the Capitol. For this arrogance he atoned by a sentence of con demnation, Rome by her destruction." — N^iebithi-'s Hist, of Rome, ii. 476. From this time, with the exception of a brief revival under the Empire, the site of Veii has been utterly desolate. In 117 Florus (in allusion to the Etruscan city) wrote, " Who knows the situation of Veii ' It is only to be found in our annals." . , , "Tarpeia sede perusta Gallorum facibus, Veiosque habitante Camillo, lUic Roma fuit." Lucan. v. 27. ..." Tunc omne Latinum Fabula nomen erit ; Gabios, Veiosque, Coramque Pulvere vix tectse poterunt monstrare ruinse. " Id. vii. 392. There are many other points which may be visited in or near the circle of the ancient city. Such is the Scaletta, a staircase of uncernented blocks of masonry near the Porta Fidenate, which attracted much attention twenty years ago, I40 £>A YS NEAR ROME. but is now greatly mutilated ; and most especially the Arco di Pino, a very picturesque arch in the tufa, whether natural or artificial is unknown, on the east of the city near the large tumulus called La Vaccareccia* Many other remains are doubtless still waiting to be discovered, but the place has never been fully investigated. None of the dangers now await travellers which are described by Mrs Hamil- ton Gray. " Isola is a sweet quiet-looking hamlet, but about three weeks after our visit forty of the inhabitants were taken up as leagued banditti, and brought to Rome. The master of the inn was one of their leaders, and said at times to have given his guests human flesh to eat — detected by a young surgeon, who found a finger in his plate." — Sepulchres of Etruria. The rock of Isola itself is perforated with tombs, and was probably the necropolis of the city, " Such, then, is Veil — once the most powerful, the most wealthy city of Etruria, renowned for its beauty, its arts, and refinement, which in size equalled Athens and Rome, in military force was not inferior to the latter, and which for its size, strong by nature and almost impregnable by art, and for the magnificence of its buildings and the superior extent and fertility of its territory, was preferred by the Romans to the Eternal City itself, even before the destruction of the latter by the Gauls, — now void and desolate, without one house or inhabitant, its temples and palaces level with the dust, and nothing beyond a few fragments of walls, and some empty sepulchres, remaining to tell the traveller that here Veil was. The plough passes over its bosom, and the shepherd pastures his flock on the waste within it. Such must it have been in the earlier years of Augustus, for Propertius pictures a similar scene of decay and desolation. ' Et Veil veteres, et vos turn regna fuistis ; Et vestro posita est aurea sella foro ; Nunc intra muros pastoris buccina lenti Cantat, et in vestris ossibus arva metunt.' * Those who ride mny visit this on the way to or from Rome. MONTE MUSI NO. 141 " Veil, thou hadst a royal crown of old, And in thy forum stood a throne of gold ! — Thy walls now echo but the shepherd's hom, And o'er thine ashes waves the summer corn.' How are we to account for this neglect ? The city was certainly not de- stroyed by Camillus, for the superior magnificence of its public and private buildings were temptations to the Romans to desert the Seven Hills. But after the destruction of Rome by the Gauls Veil was aban- doned, in consequence of the decree of the senate threatening with the severest punishment the Roman citizens who should remain within its walls ; and Niebuhr's conjecture is not perhaps incorrect, that it was de- molished to supply materials for the rebuilding of Rome, though the distance would preclude the transport of more than the architectural ornaments. Its desolation must have been owing either to the policy of Rome which proscribed its habitation, or to malaria ; othenvise a city which presented so many advantages as almost to have tempted the Romans to desert the hearths and the sepulchres of their fathers would scarcely have been suffered to fall into utter decay, and remain so for nearly four centuries." — Dennis. A leading feature in all the views from Veii, is the conical hill called Monte Musino, six miles distant. This curious place may be reached by following the Via Cassia as far as the posthouse of Baccano, the ancient " Ad Baccanas," 18 miles from Rome. It is situated in the crater of a volcano, afterwards a lake, which was drained in very early times. Two miles further north lies Campagnano, a village with a few insignificant Etruscan and Roman remains. Hence a path runs eastward for five miles to Scrofano, which has many Etruscan tombs and lies at the foot of IMonte Mu- sino, which is most easily ascended from thence. The hill is conical, and is cut into a series of artificial terraces whose origin cannot be satisfactorily explained, unless this is the " Oscum " mentioned by Festus, the sacred country retreat of the Roman augurs. Near the summit is a cave. The whole is crested by a wood which has been preserved intact 142 DA YS NEAR ROME. by the superstition of the inhabitants of Scrofano, who be- Heve that the felUng of the trees would be followed by the death of the head of each family. On the top of the hill a treasure is supposed to be buried, and protected by demons, who would arouse a tempest, were any attempt made to discover it. The view is very striking. Twenty-two miles from Rome on the Via Cassia is the large inn of Le Sette Ve?ie, near which there is a small Etrus- can bridge in a;ood preservation. CHAPTER VIT. GALERA AND BRACCxANO. (There is a public conveyance daily from Rome to Bracciano, which toils along the road in five hours. Two good horses will take a light carriage containing four persons thither in three hours. Though it is said to be 26 miles distant, Bracciano is within an easy day's excursion from Rome. There are two tolerably decent inns at Bracciano, which has a population of above 2000.) STORMS were sweeping over the Janiculan, and occasion- ally shrouding S. Peter's in a white mist, while the Campagna beyond the Aventine seemed blotted with ink, but as we had settled to go to Bracciano, and an excursion of more than 20 miles is very difficult to re-arrange, we de- termined not to be deterred by weather, and, as usual in such cases, things turned out better than we anticipated. It was again the Via Cassia, which had led us to Veii ; but, beyond La Storta, the road to Bracciano turns to the left, over a most* dreary thistle-grown part of the Campagna, with here and there a deep cutting in the tufa, and banks covered with violets and crowned with golden genista. A bridle road, turning off on the right, one mile from La Storta, leads to the picturesque and lonely convent of La Madonna del Sorbo (about seven or eight miles distant), founded in 1400 by the Orsini. 144 DA VS NEAR ROME. On the main road there is Httle interest, till the tiny rivulet Arrone, an outlet of the lake of Bracciano, crosses the road, and tumbles in a waterfall over a clifif into one of those deep glens which suggest the sites of so many- Etruscan cities, and which here encircles that of the for- gotten Etruscan fortress of Galeria, afterwards occupied by the mediaeval town of Galera. Those who pass along the high road catch glimpses of its tall tower and ivy-grown walls, but they must cross the fields, and descend into its ravine (leaving their carriage at the farm-house called Santa Maria di Galera) to realize that the whole place is absolutely deserted except by bats and serpents, and that it is one of the most striking of " the lost cities of the Campagna." The situation is wonderfully picturesque, the walls rising from the very edge of a steep lava precipice, round which „ -Z-i^^' ilsS^aw Galera. the beautiful Arrone circles and sparkles through the trees, and unites itself to another little stream, the Fosso, just be- GALERA. 145 low the citadel. In the eleventh century Galera belonged to the Counts Tosco, troublesome barons of the Campagna, against whom in 1058 Pope Benedict X. called in the assist- ance of the Normans, who were only too happy to ravage and plunder the town. In the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries the place became an important stronghold of the Orsini, who held it by tenure of an annual payment of three pounds of wax to the Pope. Their arms are over the gateway, and they built the tall handsome tower of the church, which was dedicated to S. Nicholas ; but they were unable to defend the town against their deadly enemies the Colonnas, who took it and utterly sacked it in July, 1485. The last histo- rical association of the place is that Charles V. slept there, the day he left Rome, April 18, 1536. Only a short time ago Galera had ninety inhabitants. Now Castle of Galera. it has none. There is no one to live in the houses, no one to pray in the church. Malaria reigns triumphant here, VOL. I. 10 146 DA YS NEAR ROME and keeps all human creatures at bay. Even the shepherd who comes down in the day to watch the goats who are scrambling about the broken walls, would pay with his life for passing the night here. It is a bewitched solitude, with the ghosts of the past in full possession. All is fast decay- ing ; the town walls, some of which date from the eleventh century, are sliding over into the thickets of brambles. Above them rise the remains of the fine old Orsii>i castle, from which there is an unspeakably desolate view, the effect of the scene being enhanced by the knowledge that the strength of Galera has fallen beneath no human foe, but that a more powerful and invincible enemy has been found in the mys- terious "scourge of the Campagna." The only bright point about the ruins is the old washing-place of the town in the glen, where the waters of the Arrone, ever bright and spark- ling, are drawn off into stone basons overhung with fern and creepers. Beyond Galera, leaving the Convent of Santa Maria in Celsano to the east, the road to Bracciano enters a more fertile district. On the left is passed a marsh, once a lake, called the Lago Morto. Green corn now covers the hill-sides, and here and there is an olive garden. Soon, upon the right, the beautiful Lake of Braccia/io^ 20 miles in circumference, and six miles across in its widest part, is seen sleeping in its still bason surrounded by green wooded hills. Then the huge Castle of the Odescalchi, built of black lava, and fringed by deeply-machicolated towers, rises before us, crowning the yellow lichen-gilded roofs of the town. We rattle into the ill-paved street, and, between the dull white- washed houses, we see the huge towers frov^Tiing down upon us. At last the carriage can go no further and stops ASCENT TO BRACCIANO. 147 in a little piazza. The steep ascent to the fortress can only be surmounted on mule-back or on foot, and is cut out of the solid rock. On and in this rock the castle was built by the Orsini in the fifteenth century, just after their normal enemies, the Colonnas, had destroyed a former fortress of theirs. So they were determined to make it strong enough. As we enter beneath the gateway surmounted by the arms of the Orsini, we see that the rock still forms the pavement, and reaches half-way up the walls around us. The rest of these grim walls is of black lava, plundered, it is said, from the paving-blocks of the Via Cassia. Gloomy passages, also cut out of the solid rocks, lead into profundities suggestive liracciano. of the most romantic adventures and escapes. One does not wonder that Sir Walter Scott was more anxious to see Bracciano than anything else in Italy, and set off thither almost immediately after his arrival in Rome. The inner court of the castle is much more cheerful. It 148 DA YS NEAR ROME. has a gothic loggia and a curious outside staircase, at once descending and ascending, and adorned with frescoes. As we were sitting here to draw, the old housekeeper came out to welcome us. She had been the German nurse of the young Prince Odescalchi, to whom the castle now belongs ; we brought her a letter from the Princess-mother, and she was delighted to have the break in the monotony of her life. She had " told the Princess she wished for repose — she wished to have time to think in her old age — and here she found it, but sometimes the repose was almost too much. The wind whistled through the long galleries louder than was pleasant, when there was no voice to enliven it ; and last week in the earthquake — when the castle went crick-crack, and the plaster fell from the walls, and the tiles rattled upon the roof — oh, then it was roba da spaventare." Castle Court. Bracciano. Of the few mediaeval castles in Italy which are still in- habited Bracciano is one of the largest. The Odescalchi CASTLE OF BKACCIANO. 149 family still occasionally come here in summer, when the vast chambers must be delightfully cool, and the views over lake and town and mountains most enjoyable. On the upper floor is the Hall of Justice, where the Orsini barons, who had the right of appointing magistrates, and being judges in their own persons, used for several centuries to sit in judgment upon their dependants. The Great Hall on the ground floor has some rapidly-vanishing frescoes of Zuc- chero, and looks like a place where ten thousand ghosts might hold carnival, only perhaps their revels would be hin- dered by the tiny chapel which opens out of it. In the living apartments are some fine old chairs and carved modern furniture, splendid beds and wardrobes, and infinitesimal washing-apparatus. One room has family portraits from old times down to the present possessors. These are very proud of their home, though they are not often here. Some years ago, poverty obliged them to sell their castle, but they did so with aching hearts, and when it was bought by Prince Torlonia, a reservation was made, that if the wheel of their fortunes should revolve within a limited space of years, they should be allowed to buy it back again at the same price which he had given. Torlonia felt secure, spent much time and money at Bracciano, and was devoted to his new pur- chase. As the time was drawing to a conclusion, all doubt as to the future vanished from his mind, but, just in time, the fortune of the Princess-mother Odescalchi enabled the family to redeem their pledge, and the former possessors returned, to their own triumph and the delight of the inhabitants. The Princess Odescalchi, whose fortune re- deemed Bracciano, is almost a historical character in Rome. She has been one of the strongest supporters of the Pope, I50 DA YS NEAR ROME. which is not unnatural, for in a great ilhiess, the physicians had given up her case as hopeless, and declared that no- thing short of a miracle could save her. At this juncture, when all her family were assembled to see her die, the Pope, from the Vatican, sent her his absolution and bless- ing, and with it a very tiny loaf of bread — " panetella," * wliich he desired her to swallow, — he had prayed over it and blessed it, and perhaps it would save her life. She did swallow it, recovered, and the next day went in person to the Vatican to return thanks to the Holy Father ! But it was only in the last century that the Odescalchi purchased Bracciano from the Orsini, who were then begin- ning to fall into decadence, after a sple^idid historical career of more than six hundred years. Pope Celestin III. (1191 — 98) was an Orsini, and Pope Nicholas III. (1277 — 81), whom Dante sees in hell, among the Simonists. "Sappi ch'io fui vestito del gran manto. E veramente fui figliuol dell' Orsa Cupido si per avanzar gli Orsatti, Che su I'avere, e qui me misi in borsa." Inferno, xix. But having bestowed two popes upon the Church is the least of the glories of the Orsini, and it is their ceaseless contests with the Colonnas, in which they were alternately victorious and defeated, which gives them their chief his- torical consequence. " Orsi, lupi, leone, aquile e serpi Ad una gran marmorea Coloiina Fanno noja sovente e a se danno." Pdrarca, Canz. vi. * " Panetelle di San Nicolo " are still eaten by the lower classes in and near Rome on the festival of that popular saint — the Bishop of Myra — " per divozione," in re- membrance of the little loaves of this kind which he used to distribute to the poor. THE ORSINI. 151 " The Ursini migrated from Spoleto : the sons of Ursus, as they are styled in the twelfth century, from some eminent person, who is only known as the father of their race. But they were soon distinguished among the nobles of Rome, by the number and bravery of their kins- men, the strength of their towers, the honours of the senate and sacred college, and the elevation of two popes, Celestin III. and Nicholas III., of their name and lineage. Their riches may be accused as an early abuse of nepotism ; the estates of S. Peter were alienated in their favour by the liberal Celestin ; and Nicholas was ambitious for their sakes to solicit the alliance of monarchs ; to found new kingdoms in Lombardy and Tuscany ; and to invest them with the perpetual office of senators of Rome. All that has been observed of the greatness of the Colonna, will likewise redound to the glory of the Ursini, their constant and equal antagonists in the long hereditary feud, which distracted above two hun- dred and fifty years the ecclesiastical state. The jealousy of pre-emin- ence and power was the true ground of their quarrel ; but as a specious badge of distinction, the Colonna embraced the name of Ghibellines and the party of the Emj'Sre ; the Ursini espoused the title of Guelphs and the cause of the Church. The eagle and the keys were displayed in tlieir adverse banners ; and the two factions of Italy most furiously raged when the origin and nature of the dispute were long since forgot- ten. After the retreat of the popes to Avignon, they disputed in arms the vacant republic ; and the mischiefs of discord were perpetuated by the wretched compromise of electing each year two rival senators. By their private hostilities, the city and country were desolated, and the fluctuating balance inclined with their alternate success. But none of either family had fallen by the sword, till the most renowned champion of the Ursini was surprised and slain by the younger Stephen Colonna. His triumph is stained with the reproach of violating the truce ; their defeat was basely avenged by the assassination, before the church door, of an innocent boy and his two servants. Yet the victorious Colonna, with an annual colleague, was declared senator of Rome during the term of five years. And the muse of Petrarch inspired a wish, a hope, a prediction, that the generous youth, the son of his venerable hero, would restore Rome and Italy to their pristine glory ; that his justice would extirpate the wolves and lions, the serpents and hears, who laboured to subvert the eternal basis of the marble Column." — Gibbon's Koinaii Empire, ch. Ixix. "genuit quem nobiiis Ursae Progenies, Romana domus, veterataque magnis Fascibus in clero, pompasque experta senatus, Bellorumque manu grandi stipata parentum 152 DAYS NEAR ROME. Cardineos apices, necnon fastigia dudum Papatus iterata tenens." Cardinal St. George on Celesfin V. The broad terrace immediately under the castle looks down upon the great Lake of Bracciano, which in ancient times was called the Lacus Sabatinus, and is mentioned by Festus. Near the site of Bracciano, says tradition, stood the city of Sabate, which was overwhelmed by the lake long ago, though its houses, its temples, and statues, may still be seen, on a clear day, standing intact beneath the glassy waters. The silvery expanse is backed by distant snow mountains, and here and there a little feudal town crowns the hill-sides or stands on the shore and is reflected in the lake. Oriolo has a villa of the Altieri, and its church-porch bears an in- scription, which shows that it occupies the site of Pausilypon, built by Metia, wife of Titus Metius Herdonius, VicarcUo (from Vicus ilureli^e) has the ruins of a Roman villa, and is still celebrated for the baths so useful in cutaneous disorders, which were well known in old times as Aquae Aureliae. Many curious Roman coins and vases have been found there. Beyond Vicarello is Trevignano, another Orsini stronghold, picturesquely crowned by their old castle. Lastly we must notice Anguillara, with a fine machicolated castle, bearing the celebrated ' crossed eels ' of the famous Counts of Anguil- lara, of whom were Pandolfo d'Anguillara who built the church of S. Francesco a Ripa at Rome, Everso d'Anguil- lara, celebrated as a robber chief of the fifteenth century, and Orso d'Anguillara, the senator who crowned Petrarch upon the Capitol, and lived iii the old palace which still remains in the Trastevere. Their country casde, which successfully withstood a siege from the Duke of Calabria in LAKE OF BR AC CI A NO. 153 i486, overhangs the quiet lake, which indeed at one time bore its name, and the town, which is 20 miles from Rome, is well worth visiting, by a road which turns off on the right not far from Galera. As we stood on the terrace, looking down upon all these historical scenes, the violet sky suddenly opened, a rainbow arched across the expanse of waters, and rays of light flitting along the green encircling slopes, lit up one old fortress after another, as with a golden glory, which lasted for an instant, and faded again into the purple mist. It was a beautiful effort of Nature, cheering the monotony of a cloudy, misty day. CHAPTER VIII. GABII AND ZAGAROLO. (Gabii, II miles from Rome, is a pleasant short-day's excursion in a Carnage ^which, with two horses, ought not to cost more than 15 francs). On horseback Gabii, Collatia, and Lunghezza, may be visited in the same day.) THE road which leads to Gabii is the Via Prcsnestina, sometimes called Via Gabina, which emerges from the Porta Maggiore, and turns to the left (the central road of three). On the left, about half a mile from the walls, we pass a tomb said to be that of T. Quintus Atta, a.u.c. 678. Then, crossing a small streamlet in a hollow, believed to be the Aqua BoUicante, which marked the limits of ancient Rome, where the Arvales sang their hymn, we reach the ruins of the Torre degli Schiavi, the villa and temple of the Gordian Emperors (see Walks in Rome, ii. 133), which, in their rich- ness of colour, backed by the lovely mountains of the Sabina, present one of the most beautiful scenes in the whole Campagna. At the foot of the little hill upon which the ruins stand, the road to Lunghezza turns off on the left. The Campagna now becomes excessively wild and open. Here and there a tomb or a tower breaks the wide expanse. Far on the left is the great castle of Cervaretto, and beyond it Cervara and rOXTENONA. 155 Rustica; further still is the Tor dei Pazzi. To the left the valley is seen opening towards the Hernican and Volscian hills, between the great historic sites of Prreneste and Colonna. All is most beautiful, yet unutterably desolate : — " The very sepulchres lie teiiantless Of their heroic dwellers. " Now, on the left, rises, on a broad square basement, tlie fine tower called Tor Tre Tcste^irom the three heads (from a tomb) built into its walls. Beyond, also on the left, is the Tor Sapienza. The eighth mile from Rome is interesting as the spot where Roman legend, as narrated by Livy (v. 49), tells that Camillas overtook the army of the Gauls laden with the spoils of Rome, and defeated them so totally, that he left not a single man alive to carry the news home to their countrymen. " Among the fictions attached to Roman historj', this was one of the first to be rejected." — Nicbiihr. "Such a falsification, scarcely to be paralleled in the annals of any other people, justifies the strongest suspicion of all those accounts of victories and triumphs which appears to rest in any degree on tlie authority of the family memorials of the Roman aristocracy." — Arnold. At the ninth mile the road passes over the magnificent viaduct called Pontcno/ia, consisting of seven arches, built of the gloomy stone called " lapis gabinus." The pave- ment of the bridge, and even part of the parapet, exist, showing what it was when entire. "C'est certainement a la plus belle epoque de I'architecture republic- dine qu'appartient le pont de Nona, sur la voie Prenestine, probablemsnt a I'epoque du Tabularium, c'est a dire au temps de Sylla. II est bati en peperin dont les blocs ont quelquefois dix ou douze pieds de longueur ; au-dessous des arches, qui ont de dix-huit a vingt-quatre pieds de hauteur, est un pont Ijcaucoup plus petit, qui a precede I'autre. Ce 156 DAYS NEAR ROME. petit pont primitif etait sans doute Toeuvre des habitants du lieu et lour suffisait ; mais Rome est venue ; elle a eleve le niveau du pont jusqu'au niveau de la voute, a laquelle 11 etait lie, et a laisse subsister a ses pieds son humble pred^cesseur comme pour seiTir a mesurer sa gi-andeur par le contraste." — Ampire, iv. 71. More and more desolate becomes the country, till at the Osteria del Osa, 11 miles from Rome, the road to Gabii, now exceedingly rough for carriages, leaves the Via Pr?enes- tina to the right, and, skirting the edge of the crater-lake of Gabii, now almost dried up, reaches the few huts which mark the site of the town, and a low massive ruin, which might easily pass overlooked, but which is no less than a fragment — the cella — of the famous Te^nple of 'jfuno, cele- brated by Virgil : — " quique arva Gabinse Junonis, gelidumque Anienem, et roscida rivis Hernica saxa colunt." ^n. vii. 682. and by Silius Italicus ; ". . . . nee amoena retentant Algida, nee juxta Junonis tecta Gabinse." xii. 5, 36. "The temple (the cell of which remains almost entire, but rent in certain parts apparently by lightning) is built of rectangular blocks of peperino. It has the same aspect as that of Diana at Aricia ; that is, the wall of the posticum is prolonged beyond the cella, to the width of the portico on each side : 'Columnis adjectis dextra et sinistra ad humeros pronai.' Vitriiviiis. The number of columns could scarcely be less than six in front ; those of the flanks have not been decided. The columns were fluted, and of peperino, like the rest of the building ; but it might perhaps be hazardous to assign them to a very remote period. The pavement is a mosaic of lai-ge white tesserae. " — Sir W. Gell. " The form of this temple was almost identical with that at Aricia. The interior of the cella was twenty-seven feet wide, and forty-five feet REMAINS OF GAB II. 157 long. It had columns of the Doric order in front and at the sides, but none at the back. The surrounding area was about fifty-four feet at the sides, but in front a space of only eight feet was left open, in consequence of the position of the theatre, which abutted closely upon the temple. On the eastern side of the cella are traces of the rooms in which the priests in charge of the temple lived. " — Burn, The Roman Campagna. From the temple we look across the grey-green crater of the lake — which has lately been drained by Prince Torlonia, to whom it belongs, to the great destruction of its beauty, and the improvement of his property — to the mediaeval tower of Castlglione (which is mentioned in a deed of 1225) occupying the highest part of the ridge, and marking the site of the citadel of Gabii. Slight remains of wall exist near the tower, and small fragments of ruins with scattered pieces of marble may be found all along the ridge. Near the temple remains of semi-circular seats, perhaps indicating a Theatre, have been discovered, and nearer the high-road it has become possible to trace the plan of the Forum, a work of imperial times, surrounded on three sides by porticoes, and adorned with statues. These fragments, ill-defined and scattered at long intervals in the corn or rank weeds with which the Campagna is over- grown, are all that remains of Gabii. Virgil and Dionysius say that Gabii was a Latin colony of Alba. Solinus asserts that it was founded by two Siculian brothers Galatios and Bios, from whose united names that of the city was formed. Dionysius says that it was one of the largest and most populous of Latin cities. It seems to have been the university of Latium, and Plutarch and Strabo narrate that Romulus and Remus were sent there to learn Greek and the use of arms. In the reign of Tar- quinius Superbus, Gabii gave refuge to exiles from Rome 158 DAYS NEAR ROME. and other cities of Latium, and so aroused the hostility of the King. " Ultima Tarquinius Romance gentis habebat Regna ; vir injustus, fortis ad anna tamen. Ceperat hie alias, alias everterat urbes ; Et Gabios turpi fecerat arte suos." Ovid. Fast. ii. 687. "The primeval greatness of Gabii is still apparent in the walls of the cell of the temple of Juno. Dionysius saw it yet more conspicuous in the ruins of the extensive walls, by which the city, standing in the plain, had been surrounded, and which had been demolished by a destroying conqueror, as well as in those of several buildings. It was one of the thirty Latin cities : but it scorned the determination of the confederacy — in which cities far from equal in power were equal in votes — to degrade themselves. Hence it began an obstinate war with Rome. The contending cities were only twelve miles apart ; and the country betwixt them endured all the evils of military ravages for years, no end of which was to be foreseen : for within their walls they were invincible. "But Sextus, the son of Tarquinius Superbus, pretended to rebel. The king, whose anger appeared to have been provoked by his wanton insolence, condemned him to a disgraceful punishment, as if he had been the meanest of his subjects. He came to the Gabines under the mask of a fugitive. The bloody marks of his stripes, and still more the infatuation which comes over men doomed to perish, gained him belief and goodwill. At first he led a body of volunteers : then troops were trusted to his charge. Every enterprise succeeded; for booty and soldiers were thrown in his way at certain appointed places ; and the deluded citizens raised the man, under whose command they promised themselves the pleasures of a successful war, to the dictatorship. The last step of his treachery was yet to come. None of the troops being hirelings, it was a hazardous venture to open a gate. Sextus sent to ask his father in what way he should deliver Gabii into his hands. Tarquinius was in his garden when he received the messenger : he walked along in silence, striking off the heads of the tallest poppies with his stick, and dismissed the man without an answer. On this hint, Sextus put to death, or by means of false charges banished, such of the Gabines as were able to oppose him. By distributing their fortunes he purchased partisans among the lowest class ; and, acquiring the uncon- tested rule, brought the city to submit to his father." — Niebuhr^ s Hist, of Rome, i. 491. STONY OF GAB II. 159 The treaty concluded at this time between Rome and Gabii was preserved on a wooden shield in the temple of Jupiter Fidius at Rome. It is evidently one of those alluded to by Horace as the : — " federa regum Cum Gabiis aut cum rigidis asquata Sabinis. "* After the expulsion of the kings, Sextus Tarquinius took refuge at Gabii, where, according to Livy, he was murdered. But Gabii was one of the cities which combined in behalf of the Tarquins at the Lake Regillus. After that battle it became subject to Rome, and almost disappears from history for several centuries, and was so reduced that : — "... Galnos, Veiosque, Coramque Pulvere vix tectx poterunt monstrare ruina;. " Liican. vii. 392. "Scis Lebedus quam sit Gabiis desertior atque .. Fidenis vicus. " Hor. i. Ep. II. "Quippe suburbans parva minus urbe Bovillse ; Et, qui nunc nulli, maxima turba Gabi." P)-operf. iv. El. i. " Hujus qui trahitur prsetextam sumere mavis ; An Fidenarum, Gabiorumque esse potestas ? " yuvenal. Sat. x. 1 00. " Quis timet, aut timuit gelida Prreneste ruinam ; Aut positis nemorosa inter juga Volsiniis ; aut Simplicibus Gabiis." yntmial. Sat. iii. 189. " cum jam celebres notique poetae Balneolum Gabiis, Romae conducere fumos Tentarent." yuvenal. Sat. vii. 4. The Gabini had a peculiar mode of girding the toga, " See Smith's Diet, of Greek and Roman Geography. i6o DAYS NEAR ROME. which gave more freedom to the limbs, and which was found useful when hurrying to battle from a sacrifice. Virgil alludes to it : — "Ipse, Quirinali trabea cinctuque Gabino Insignis, reserat stridentia limina consul." ^n. vii. 612. Under Tiberius the town had a slight revival, which was increased under Hadrian, who adorned it with handsome public buildings, colleges, and an aqueduct. In the first ages of Christianity it became the seat of a bishopric (a list of its bishops from a.d. 465 to 879 is given in Ughelli's // alia Sera), but it was finally ruined when Astolphus ravaged the Campagna, at the head of 6000 Lombards. It is only a mile's walk or ride from the Osteria del Osa (turn- ing left) to the Castello del Osa or CoUatia, for which see chapter ix. Continuing along the Via Prsenestina. much of the old pavement is visible. This is most perfect at Cavamonte (seven miles beyond Gabii), where the road passes through a deep cutting in the rocks which guard the valley of Galli- cano. The cliffs on either side of the road reach a height of 70 feet, and are most picturesquely overhung with shrubs and ivy. The road, which is generally only 14 feet wide, here has a width of 27 feet. After passing through Cava- monte, the Via Pranestina ascends towards Prceneste by the Convent of the Buon Pastore. On the left of the road (19 miles from Rome) is the village of Gallicano, supposed to occupy the site of the ancient Pedum, whose name is familiar to readers of Horace, from the epistle to Albius Tibullus. ZAGAROLA. l6i " Albi, nostrorum sennonum candide judex. Quid nunc te dicam facere in regione Pedana ? " i. Ep. iv. The present name is derived from Ovinius Gallicanus, Prefect of Rome in the time of Constantine, who was afterwards canonized for his charities, and in whose honour the Hospital in the Trastevere was dedicated. The place was formerly a fief of the Colonnas, and now gives a title to the Rospigliosi. "The towns of Scaptia, Ortona, and Querquetula lay somewhere in this neighbourhood. Scaptia was one of the cities which conspired to restore the Tarquins to the Roman throne. It gave a name to one of the tribes at Rome, but in Phny's time had fallen entirely into ruins. The site of Passerano has been fixed upon as the representative of Scaptia by most modem topographers. But this opinion rests upon a false reading in Festus, and must be rejected. Ortona lay on the frontier, between the Latins and /Equians, but belonged to the Latins. It seems to have been near Corbio, and on the further side of Mount Algidus. The site of Querquetula is entirely unknown. Cell and Nibby place it at Corcolo, arguing from the similarity of the name. Corcolo is four miles from Gallicano, and six from Zagarolo, at a point where there is an artificial dyke separating a small hill from the neighbouring plateau. There are traces of ancient roads converging to this spot from Prae- neste, Castellaccio, and Gallicano." — Burn, The Roman Campagna. Zagarola, 2 1 miles from Rome, will scarcely be made the object of an especial excursion, but may be visited by those who drive to Palestrina. It is a curious old mediaeval town chiefly built by the Colonnas, in whose wars it was twice sacked, first by Boniface VIII,, and afterwards by Cardinal Vitelieschi in the reign of Eugenius IV. It now gives a ducal title to the Rospigliosi. Many Roman antiquities found in the neighbourhood are built up into the walls and houses, and over the Roman gate is a seated statue of Jupi- ter. The commission for the revision of the Vulgate under Gregory XIV. met in the palace of Zagarolo. CHAPTER IX. CERVARA, LUNGHEZZA, AND COLLATIA. (It is a short and pleasant afternoon's drive to Cervara, but a day must be given to Lunghezza and Collatia, though, if visited on horse- back, they may be combined with the ruins of Gabii. ) AFTER passing the Torre degli Schiavi, the road to Lun- ghezza turns off to the left. On the right is the Tor Tre Teste, on the left we pass close to a fountain of the Acqua Vergine. On the left is now seen the great castel- lated farm of the Borgheses called Cervaretto, rising above the low marshy ground. The field-road which passes in front of the further side of this castle, leads on a mile further to another Campagna castle, Cervara, a most picturesque red-brick tower with some fann buildings attached to it. Close to this, are the famous Caves of Cervara, which are said to have been formed when excavating the materials for the Coliseum. It is a strange place. You are quite uncon- scious of any break in the wide grassy Campagna, till you suddenly find yourself on the edge of a precipice, with deep, narrow, miniature ravines yawning beneath you and winding in all directions till they emerge on a meadow near the Anio. And when you descend into these, openings in the rocks CERVARA AND RUSTIC A. 163 beneath lead into vast chambers opening one upon another, their roof supported by huge pillars of natural rock, while the floor is deep in sand, and long tresses of ivy, and branches of flowering laurestinus, wave in upon the gloom, whenever the light streams in through a rift overhead. One point is especially charming, where the Anio and the hills beyond it are seen through a great arch of natural rock. In May these solitudes are enlivened by the revels of the Festa degli Artisti, which is well worth seeing. Some his- torical scene, such as the triumph of Vitellius (as in 1870), is taken as the groundwork of a costumed procession,— tourna- ments are held in the meadow near the Anio, wonderful cavalcades of Arabs in rich dresses ride waving their long spears through the Petra-like ravines, and a bellowing Dragon vomiting forth fire and smoke emerges from the caves, and is slain by an imaginary S. George in the rock- girt hollow. Cervara. About two miles beyond Cervara, the tall tower of Rustica rises above the swellings of the Campagna. It stands on the very edge of the Anio in a beautiful situation, and is well worth visiting. It was once the property of Elius. father of the Emperor Lucius Verus, who was adopted by Hadrian as his successor. Rustica is most easily seen from 1 64 DA YS NEAR ROME. the opposite side of the river, reached by the road to Tivoli, turning off to the right beyond Ponte Mammolo. Return- ing to the Via Collatina, a tolerable road leads us over an uninhabited part of the Campagna for about five miles further. Then it descends into the valley of the Anio, which is here bordered with willows. The great castle or rather fortified farm of Lunghezza is seen on the opposite slope, backed by the purple peaks of the Sabina. This was an ancient possession of the Strozzi family, but has lately been sold to the Duke of Grazioli, one of the richest of the modern Roman nobles. " C'est le boil plaisir des souverains pontifes qui a fait entrer quelques riches parvenus dans I'aristocratie romaine. " Un boulanger du nom de Grazioli fait une grande fortune, et le pape ordonne qu'il soit inscrit sur la liste du patriciat romain. II achete une baronnie et le pape le fait baron. II achete un duche et le voila due Grazioli. Son fils epouse une Lante de la Rovere." — Abotd. There is little remarkable about Lunghezza, except its situation, but some hours may be pleasantly spent in sketch- ing on the river-bank lower down the valley. A pleasant walk of about two miles up the stream of the Osa (turning to the left in descending from the Castle) leads along fields and through a wood, filled in spring with the snow-drops which are sold in Rome in such abund- ance, to the ruined castle called Castellaccio or Castello dcir Osa, which occupies a declivity of lava on the left of the stream. It is disputed whether Castel dell' Osa or Lunghezza is the site of the famous Collatia. Beneath the ruined castle near the Osa some fragments of ancient wall, in regular blocks, may be observed, but this is the only fact in favour of its being the site of the home of Lucretia, while Sir W. Gell, COLL A TIA. 165 in favour of Lunghezza, draws attention to the existence of the Via CoUatina (apparently leading direct to Lunghezza), Castello deir Osa. which would have been unnecessary had Collatia occupied a site such as Castel dell' Osa, which is only two miles from Gabii, as a slight turning from the Via Gabina would have led to it. Lunghezza accords much better than Castel dell' Osa with the description of Virgil : — " Collatinas imponent montibus arces." ALn, vi. 774. Virgil and Dionysius notice Collatia as a colony of Alba- Longa. It was reduced into subjection to Rome in the reign of Tarquinius Priscus, who established a garrison there, and appointed his nephew Egerius as its governor, who forthwith took, and transmitted to his descendants, the name of Col- latinus. His daughter-in-law, Lucretia, was residing here during the siege of Ardea, and thus Collatia became the scene of the events which led to the overthrow of the Roman monarchy. "As the king's sons and their cousin L. Tarquinius were sitting over their cups at Ardea, a dispute arose about the virtue of their wives. This cousin, surnamed Collatinus, from Collatia, where he dwelt as an i66 DA VS NEAR ROME. independent prince, was the grandson of Aruns, the elder brother of the first Tarquinius, after whose death Lucumo removed to Rome. Nothing was doing in the field : so they straightway mounted their horses to visit their homes by surprise. At Rome, the princesses were revelling at a banquet, surrounded by flowers and wine. From thence the youths hastened to CoUatia, where at the late hour of the night Lucretia the wife of CoUatinus was spinning amid the circle of her handmaids. "... The next day Sextus, the eldest of the king's sons, returned to Collatia, and, according to the rights of gentle hospitality, was lodged in his kinsman's house. At the dead of night he entered sword-in-hand into the matron's chamber, and by threatening that he would lay a slave with his throat cut beside her body, would pretend to have avenged her husband's honour, and would make her memory for ever loathsome to the object of her love, wrung from her what the fear of death could not obtain. "Who, after Livy, can tell of Lucretia's despair? She besought her father and her husband to come to her, for that horrible things had taken place. Lucretius came, accompanied by P. Valerius, who after- wards gained the name of Publicola ; CoUatinus with the outcast Brutus. They found the disconsolate wife in the garb of mourning, sitting in a trance of sorrow. They heard the tale of the crime, and swore to avenge her. (Saying, ' I am not guilty, yet must I too share the punishment, lest any should think that they may be false to their husbands and live,' Lucretia drew a knife from her bosom, and stabbed herself to the heart. ) Over the body of Lucretia, as over a victim, the vows of vengeance were renewed. Her avengers carried the corpse into the market-place of Collatia. The citizens renounced Tarquinius, and promised obedience to the deliverers. Their young men attended the funeral procession to Rome. Here with one voice the decree of the citizens deposed the last king from his throne, and pronounced sentence of banishment against him and his family." — NieOu/ir's Hist, of Rome. Silius Italicus notices Collatia as the birth-place of the elder Brutus : — • "... altrix casti Collatia Bruti." viii. 363. In the time of Strabo (v. 229) Collatia was little more than a village. It is only two miles from the ruins to Gabii, up the valley of the Osa. CHAPTER X. ANTEMN^ AND FIDEN^. (This is a pleasant afternoon's drive. Pedestrians may vary the way by going first to the Acqua Acetosa (see IValks in Rome, ii. 420), and turning to the right across the hill of Antemnas to the Ponte Salara.) LEAVING the Porta Salara, by which Alaric entered Rome (August 24, 410), the Via Salara runs between the walls of half-deserted villas till it reaches the brow of the hill above the Anio. Here, on the left, about two miles from the city, is the green hill-side, which was once the site of the "Turrigerae Antemnge "* of Virgil, one of the most ancient cities of Italy. " Antemnaque prisco Crustumio prior." Silius Ital. viii. 367. " Not a tree — not a shrub on its turf-grown surface — not a house — not a ruin — not one stone upon another, to tell you the site had been inhabited. Yet here once stood Antemnae, the city of many towers. Not a trace remains above-ground. Even the broken pottery, that infallible indicator of bygone civilization, which marks the site and determines the limits of habitation on many a now desolate spot of classic ground, is here so overgrown with herbage that the eye of an antiquary would alone detect it. It is a site strong by nature, and well adapted for a city, as cities then were ; for it is scarcely larger than the Palatine Hill, which, though at first it embraced the whole of Rome, was afterwards too small for a single palace. It has a peculiar interest as the site of one of the three cities of Sabina, whose daughters, ravished * /En. vii. 630. l68 DA YS NEAR ROME. by the followers of Romulus, became the mothers of the Roman race. " * — Dennis. "It would seem that the high point nearest the road was the citadel ; and the descent of two roads, now scarcely perceptible, one toward Fidenas and the bridge, and the other toward Rome, marks the site of a gate. On the other side of the knoll of the citadel is a cave, with signs of artificial cutting in the rock, being a sepulchre under the walls. There was evidently a gate also in the hollow which runs from the platform of the city to the junction of the Aniene and the Tiber, where there is now a little islet. Probably there was another gate toward the meadows, on the side of the Acqua Acetosa, and another opposite ; and from these two gates, which the nature of the soil points out, one road must have run up a valley, tending in the direction of the original Palatium of Rome ; and the other must have passed by a feriy toward Veii, up the valley near the present Torre di Quinto. It is not uninteresting to observe how a city, destroyed at a period previous to what is now called that of authentic history, should, without even one stone remaining, preserve indications of its former existence. From the height of Antemnse, is a fine view of the field of battle between the Romans and the Fidenates, whence Tullus Hostilius despatched M. Horatius to destroy the city of Alba Longa. The isthmus, where the two roads from Palatium and Veii met, unites with the city a higher eminence, which may have been another citadel. The beauty of the situation is such, that it is impossible it should not have been selected as the site of a villa in the flourishing times of Rome. "The spot is frequently adverted to in the early periods of history. Servius, Varro, and Festus, agree that Antemnae was so called, '■quasi ante amnem posita.' " — Cell. Just below the site of Antemnae the Via Salara crossed the Anio by a fine old bridge built by Narses in the sixth century upon the site of the famous Pcvtte Saiara, where Manlius fought with the Gaul. The bridge was blown up during the panic caused by the approach of Garibaldi and the insurgents in 1867 (see Walks in Rome, ii. 19), and the ruins, which were of the greatest interest, were destroyed by the Government in 1874. Beyond the ugly modern bridge * The other two were Caecina and Cnistumium. TORRE S ALAR A. 169 is a great mediseval tower, Torre Salara, built upon a Roman tomb, which is itself used as an Osteria. The road now runs for several miles through a plain called the Prato Rotondo, the scene of the battle which led to the destruction of Alba. When the combat between the Horatii and Curiatii was agreed upon, "the compact had been, that the nation whose champions should be victorious, was to command the obedience and sen'ice of the other : and the Albans fulfilled it. When Fidenae, however, having driven out or overpowered the Roman colonists, was defending itself with the help of the Veientines against Tullus and the Romans, in the battle that ensued, the Romans stood against the Veientines : on the right, over against the Fidenates, were the Albans under their dictator Mettius Fuffetius. Faithless, and yet irresolute, he drew them off from the conflict to the hills. The Etruscans, seeing that he did not keep his engagement, and suspecting that he meant to attack their flank, gave way, and fled along his line ; when the twofold traitor fell upon them in their disorder, in the hope of cloaking his treachery. The Roman King feigned himself deceived. On the following day the two armies were summoned to receive their praises and rewards. The Albans came without their arms, were surrounded by the Roman troops, and heard the sentence of the inexorable King ; that, as their dictator had broken his faith both to Rome and to the Etruscans, he should in like manner be torn in pieces by horses driven in opposite directions, while, as for themselves and their city, they should be removed to Rome, and Alba should be destroyed." — Niebuhr, i. 349. ' ' On the same field was fought many a bloody fight between the Romans and Etruscans. Here, in the year of Rome 3 1 7, the Fidenates, with their allies of Veil and Falerii, were again defeated, and Lars Tolumnius, chief of the Veientines, was slain. And a few years later, Mamilius yEmilius and Cornelius Cossus, the heroes of the former fight, routed the same foes in the same plain, and captured the city of Fidenre. Here, too, Annibal seems to have pitched his camp when he marched from Capua to surprise the City." — Dennis. A low range of hills now skirts the road on the right, and a few crumbling bits of wall near some old bay-trees are pointed out as fragments of the Villa of Phaon, the freed- man of Nero, where the emperor died. I70 DAYS NEAR ROME. "The Hundred Days of Nero were drawing rapidly to a close. He was no longer safe in the city. . . He would have thrown himself into the Tiber, but his courage failed him. He must have time, he said, and repose to collect his spirits for suicide, and his freedman Phaon at last offered him his villa in the suburbs, four miles from the city. In undress and bare-footed, throwing a rough cloak over his shoulders, and a kerchief across his face, he glided through the doors, mounted a horse, and, attended by Sporus and three others, passed the city gates with the dawn of the summer morning. The Nomentane road led him beneath the wall of the praetorians, whom he might hear uttering curses against him, and pledging vows to Galba ; and the early travellers from the country asked him as they met, What news of Nero? or remarked to one another, These men are pursuing the tyrant. Thunder and lightning, and a shock of earthquake, added horror to the moment. Nero's horse started at a dead body on the road-side, the kerchief fell from his face, and a praetorian passing by recognized and saluted him. At the fourth milestone the party quitted the highway, alighted from their horses, and scrambled on foot through a corn-brake, laying their own cloaks to tread on, to the rear of the promised villa. Phaon now desired Nero to crouch in a sand-pit hard by, while he contrived to open the drain from the bath-room, and so admit him unperceived ; but he vowed he would not go alive, as he said, tinder-ground, and remained trembling beneath the wall. Taking water in his hand from a puddle, This, he said, is the famous drink of Nero. At last a hole was made, through which he crept on all fours into a narrow chamber of the house, and there threw himself on a pallet. The coarse bread that was offered him he could not eat, but swallowed a little tepid water. Still he lingered, his companions urging him to seek refuge, without delay, from the insults about to be heaped on him. He ordered them to dig a g[rave, and himself lay down to give the measure ; he desired them to collect bits of marble to decorate his sepulchre, and prepare water to cleanse and wood to bum his corpse, sighing meanwhile, and muttering, IVJiat an artist to perish ! Presently a slave of Phaon's brought papers from Rome, which Nero snatched from him, and read that the senate had proclaimed him an enemy, and decreed his death, in the ancient fashion. He asked what that was ? and was informed that the culprit was stripped, his head placed in a fork, and his body smitten with a stick till death. Terrified at this announcement, he took two daggers firom his bosom, tried their edge one after the other, and again laid them down, alleging that the moment 7uas not yet arrived. Then he called on Sporus to commence his funeral lamentations ; then he implored some of the party to set him the example ; once and again he reproached DEA TH OF NERO. 171 himself with his own timidity. Fie! Nero, fie! he muttered in Greek, Courage, man ! come, rouse thee ! Suddenly was heard the trampling of horsemen, sent to seize the culprit alive. Then at last, with a verse of Homer hastily ejaculated, Sound 0/ swift-footed steeds strikes on my ears, he placed a weapon to his breast, and the slave Epaphroditus drove it home. The blow was scarcely struck, when the centurion rushed in, and thrusting his cloak against the wound, pretended he was come to help him. The dying wretch could only murmur, Too late, and, Is this your fidelity ? and expired with a horrid stare on his countenance. He had adjured his attendants to bum his body, and not let the foe bear off his head ; and this was now allowed him : the corpse was consumed with haste and imperfectly, but at least without mutilation." — Merival^s Hist, of Romans under the Empire, vii. 45. " Neron vit que tout etait perdu. Son esprit faux ne lui suggerait que des idees grotesques : se revetir d'habits de deuil, aller haranguer le peuple en cet accoutrement, employer toute sa puissance scenique pour exciter la compassion, et obtenir ainsi le pardon du passe, ou, faute de mieux, la prefecture de I'Egypte. II ecrivit son discours; on lui fit remarquer qu'avant d'arriver au forum, il serait mis en pieces. II se coucha : se reveillant au milieu de la nuit, il se trouva sans gardes ; on pillait deja sa chambre. II sort, frappe a diverses portes, personne ne repond. II rentre, veut mourir, demande le mirmillon Spiculus, brillant tueur, una des celebrites de I'amphitheatre. Tout le monde s'ecarte. II sort de nouveau, erre seul dans les rues, va pour se jeter dans le Tibre, revient sur ses pas. Le monde semblait faire le vide autour de lui. Phaon, son affranchi, lui offrit alors pour asile sa villa situee entre la voie Salaria et la voie Nomentane, vers la quatrieme borne milliare. Le malheureux, a peine vetu, couvert d'un mechant manteau, monte sur un cheval miserable, le visage enveloppe pour n'etre pas reconnu, partit accompagne de trois ou quatre de ses affran- chis, parmi lesquels etaient Phaon, Sporus, Epaphrodite, son secretaire. II ne faisait pas encore jour ; en sortant par la porte Colline, il entendit au camp des pretoriens, pres duquel il passait, les cris des soldats qui le maudissaient et proclamaient Galba. Un ecart de son cheval, amene par la puanteur d'un cadavre jete sur le chemin, le fit reconnaitre. II put cependant atteindre la villa de Phaon, en se glis- sant a plat ventre sous les broussailles et en se cachant derriere les roseaux. ' ' Son esprit drolatique, son argot de gamin ne I'abandonnerent pas. On voulut le blottir dans un trou a Pouzzolane comme on en voit beaucoup en ces parages. Ce fut pour lui I'occasion d'un mot a effet ! 172 DAYS NEAR ROME, 'Quelle destinee,' dit-il ; ' aller vivant sous terre!' Ses reflexions etaient comme un feu roulant de citations classiques, entremelees des lourdes plaisanteries d'un bobeche aux abois. II avait sur chaque circonstance une reminiscence litteraire, une froide antithese : ' Celui qui autrefois etait fier de sa suite nombreuse n'a plus maintenant que trois affranchis ?' Par moments, le souvenir de ses victimes lui revenait, mais n'aboutissait qu'a des figures de rhetorique, jamais a un acte moral de repentir. Le comedien survivait a tout. Sa situation n'etait pour lui qu'un drame de plus, un drame qu'il avait repete. Se rap- pelant les roles oil il avait figure des parricides, des princes reduits a I'etat de mendiants, il remarquit que maintenant il jouait tout cela pour son compte, et chantonnait ce vers qu'un tragique avait mit dans la bouche d'QLdipe : Ma femme, ma mere, mon pere Prononcent mon arret de raort. Incapable d'une pensee serieuse, il voulut qu'on creusat sa fosse a la taille de son corps, fit apporter des morceaux de marbre, de I'eau, du bois pour ses funerailles ; tout cela, pleurant et disant : ' Quel artiste va mourir ? ' " Le courrier de Phaon, cependant, apporte une depeche ; Neron la lui arrache. II lit que le senat I'a declare ennemi public et I'a condamne a etre puni ' selon la vieille coutume.' — 'Quelle est cette coutume?' de- mande-t-il. On lui repond que la tete du patient tout nue est engagee dans une fourche, qu'alors on le frappe de verges jusqu'a ce que mort s'ensuive, puis que le corps est traine par un croc et jete dans le Tibre. II fremit, prend deux poignards qu'il avait sur lui, en essaye la pointe, les resserre, disant que I'heure fatale n'etait pas encore venu ? II engageait Sporus a commencer sa nenie funebre, essayait de nouveau de se tuer, ne pouvait. Sa gaucherie, cette espece de talent qu'il avait pour faire vibrer faux toutes les fibres de I'ame, ce rire a la fois bete et infernal, cette balourdjse pretentieuse qui fait ressembler sa vie entiere aux miaulements d'un sabbat grotesque, atteignaient au sublime de la fadeur. II ne pouvait reussir a se tuer. ' N'y aura-t'il done personne ici, demanda-t-il, pour me donner I'exemple ? ' II redoublait de citations, se parlait en grec, faisait des bouts de vers. Tout-a-coup on entend le bruit du detachement de cavalerie qui vient pour le saisir vivant. " ' Le pas des lourds chevaux me frappe les oreilles,' dit-il. Epaph- rodite alors pesa sur le poignard et le lui fit entrei dans la gorge. Le centurion arrive presque au meme moment, veut arreter le sang, cherche a faire croire qu'il v-ient le sauver, * Trop tard ' ' dit le mourant, CASTE L GIUBELEO. 173 dont les yeux sortaient de la tete et gla9aient d'horreur. ' Voila ou en est la fidelite ! ' ajouta-t-il en expirant. Ce fut son meilleur trait comique. Neron laissant tomber una plainte melancholique sur la mechancete de son siecle, sur la disposition de la bonne foi et de la vertu ! . . . . Applaudissons. La drame est complet. Une seule fois, nature aux mille visages, tu as su trouver un acteur digne d'un pareil role." — Ernest Retiatt, ' VAjilechrist.' Castel Giubeleo. On the left of the road now rises an almost isolated hill, overlooking the valley of the Tiber, called Castel Giubeleo, from the farm-buildings upon it, which were erected by Boniface VIII. in the year of Jubilee. This hill is believed to have been the arx of ancient Fidenae. Towards the river it is very steep, but it is united by a kind of isthmus to the high table-land, where the rest of the city is supposed to have stood. " Dionysius, who is generally an excellent antiquaiy, says that Fiden?e was an Alban colony, founded at the same time with Nomentum and Crustumerium, the eldest of three emigrant brothers building Fidenae. But it is evident that the great mass of the original inhabitants were Etruscans, for it appears, from Livy (lib. i. 27), that only a portion of the inhabitants ' (ut qui coloni addili Romanis essent) Latine 174 J^A VS NEAR POME. sciebant. ' The same author elsewhere relates, that when the Romans wanted a spy upon the Fidenates, they were obliged to employ a person who had been educated at Caere, and had learned the language and writing of Etruria : and in another place (lib. i. 15) he expressly says, ' Fidenates quoque Etrusci fuerunt.' The Fidenates were the constant allies of the Veientes, with whom they were probably connected by race. " 'The city,' says Dionysius, 'was in its glory in the time of Romulus, by whom it was taken and colonized ; the Fidenates having seized certain boats laden with corn by the Crustumerini for the use of the Romans, as they passed down the Tiber under the walls of Fidenre.' Livy (lib. iv. 22) calls Fidense ' urbs alta et munita ; ' and says, ' neque scalis capi poterat, neque in obsidione vis ulla erat.' " — Gell. "Making the circuit of Castel Giubeleo, you are led round till you meet the road, where it issues from the hollow at the northern angle of the city. Besides the tombs which are found on both sides of the southern promontory of the city, there is a cave, running far into the rock, and branching off into several chambers and passages. Fidenae, like Veii, is said to have been taken by a mine ; and this cave might be supposed to indicate the spot, being subsequently enlarged into its present form, had not Livy stated that the cuniculus was on the opposite side of Fidenae, where the cliffs were loftiest, and that it was carried into the Arx. "The ruin of Fidense is as complete as that of Antemnae. The hills on which it stood are now bare and desolate : the shepherd tends his flock on its slopes, or the plough furrows its bosom. Its walls have utterly disappeared ; not one stone remains on another, and the broken pottery and the tombs around are the sole evidences of its existence. Yet, as Nibby observes, ' few ancient cities, of which few or no vestiges remain, have had the good fortune to have their sites so well determined as Fidenae.' Its distance of forty stadia, or five miles, from Rome, mentioned by Dionysius, and its position relative to Veii, to the Tiber, and to the confluence of the Anio with that stream, as set forth by Livy, leave not a doubt of its true site." — Dennis. "When we climb the promontory of Castel Giubeleo, and look around, standing in the shelter of the old house, what a strange prospect opens before us ! Once how full of life and conflict ! — now, how entirely a prey to decay and solitude ! At our feet the lordly Tiber winds, with many a sweeping curve, away to Rome, which bristles in the horizon with its domes and towers. It is hardly possible to imagine that two hundred thousand human beings are living and moving two leagues off. As we turn the eye northwards not a creature FIDENM. 175 is seen, not a single habitation of man. Still, how memory peoples the waste ! That stream, which, marking its devious valley with a line of bare wintry trees, enters the Tiber opposite to the marshy meadow under our feet, is the Crimera — name of fatal omen, and yet eloquent of heroic daring. On that stream the race of the Fabii, who had under- taken on their own account the war with the people of Veil, perished, all, to the number of 306, being cut off by an ambush of the enemy. " Further to the right, another stream, more faintly marked, comes into the Tiber on the other side. That is the Allia, a name of even more fatal sound ; for on its banks took place that great defeat by the Gauls which issued in the taking of Rome. "This scene surveyed, we descend again into the valley, and climb the lower opposite hill, which was evidently the site of Fidense. Here, as in several other places in the Campagna, we find mysterious ranges of rock-caverns communicating with one another, and opening into vast halls, now the stalls of cattle. It would seem that tliis was FidencE. Yet, how should these holes represent a city? Whence issued the legions that met the legions of Rome ? Where are the walls — where the materials of the houses ? One ruin only appears containing any- thing like masonry, and that apparently of the Middle Ages. Were these caves, hewn in the tufa, the ancient city? Then were the inhabitants little more than savages ; then were the narratives of the historians impossible and self-contradicting. The whole matter is wrapped in impenetrable darkness. " — Dean Al/onl. Horace speaks of Fidense as if it was almost deserted in his time : — "Scis Lebedus quam sit Gabiis desertior atque Fidenis vicus — " I Epist. ii. 7. but in the reign of Tiberius it appears to have been a municipal town : — " Hujus qui trahitur praetextam sumere mavis. An Fidenarum, Gabiorumque esse potestas." jfuvenal. Sat. x. 99. and that its population was considerable is attested by the greatness of a public calamity which took place there. "The retirement of Tiberius was followed by a succession of public 176 DA YS NEAR ROME. calamities. ... A private speculator had undertaken, as a matter of profit, one of the magnificent public works, which in better times it was the privilege of the chief magistrates or candidates for the highest offices to constnict for the sake of glory or influence. In erecting a vast wooden amphitheatre in the suburban city of Fidense, he had omitted the necessary precaution of securing a solid foundation ; and when the populace of Rome, unaccustomed, from the parsimony of Tiberius, to their favourite spectacles at home, were invited to the diversions of the opening day, which they attended in immense numbers, the mighty mass gave way under the pressure, and covered them in its ruins. Fifty thousand persons, or, according to a lower computation, not less than twenty thousand, men and women of all ranks, were killed or injured by this catastrophe." — Merivale's Hist, of the Romans, ch. xiv. CHAPTER XL MENTANA AND MONTE ROTONDO. (This is a delightful day's excursion from Rome, and comprises much of interest. It may be easily made in a carriage with two horses. Monte Rotondo may be visited between two trains on the Ancona line of rail- way.) THE ancient road which led from Rome to Momentum was called the Via Nomentana. It issued from the city by the now closed gate of the Porta Collina, and separat- ing from the Via Salaria, proceeded almost in a direct line to its destination. The modern road nearly follows the Roman Way. It was on this side that the Italian troops approached Rome, on the day which so many patriotic spirits regarded as the dawn of freedom for Rome. " The blind, and the people in prison, Souls without hope, without home, How glad were they all that heard ! When the winged white flame of the word Passed over men's dust, and stirred Death ; for Italia was risen, And risen her light upon Rome. The light of her sword in the gateway Shone, an unquenchable flame, Bloodless, a sword to release, A light from the eyes of peace, To bid grief utterly cease. And the wrong of the old world straightway Pass from the face of her fame : VOL. I. 12 1 78 DA YS NEAR ROME. Hers, whom we turn to and cry on, Italy, mother of men : From the sight of the face of her glory, At the sound of the storm of her stoiy. That the sanguine shadows and hoary Should flee from the foot of the lion, Lion-like, forth of his den." Swinburne, " The Halt before Rome.^' Below the basilica of S. Agnese (see Walks in Rome, ii. 26) we cross the Anio by the picturesque Ponte Noraen- tana or Lomentana, occupying the site of the ancient bridge, but in itself raediseval, with forked battlements. The green slopes beyond the bridge are those of the Mons Sacer, where the famous secession and encampment of the plebs, in B.C. 549, extorted from the patricians the concessions of tribunes who were to represent the interests of the people. "The spot on which this great deliverance had been achieved became to the Romans what Runnpnede is to Englishmen : the top of the hill was left for ever unenclosed and consecrated, and an altar was built on it, and sacrifices offered to Jupiter, who strikes men with terror and again delivers them from their fear ; because the commons had fled thither in fear, and were now returning in safety. So the hill was known for ever by the name of the Sacred Hill." — ArnoWs Hist, of Rome, i. 149. Passing the Casale dei Pazzi, and the tomb known as Torre Nomentana, we reach, on the right, the disinterred Basilica of S. Alessandro (see Walks in Rome, ii. 32). A little beyond this, after passing the farm called Cesarini, the road divides. The turn to the right passes under the Montes Corniculani, of which the nearest height is occupied by S. Angelo in Cappoccia, considered by Nibby (quoted by Mur- ray), without any authority, to occupy the site of the Latin city MeduUia. It finally leads to Falouibara, a town of the Sabina, once a fortress of the Savelli, but now belonging to FICULEA. MENTANA. 179 the Borghese, most beautifully situated at the foot of Monte Gennaro. Following (to the left) the Via Nomentana, where the ancient pavement is now very perfect, we reach Casa Nuova, and, about 1 1 miles from Rome (on the left) the fine mediaeval tower called Torre Lupara, built of alternate courses of brick and stone. The next hill is called Alonte Gentile, and is the supposed site of the Latin city of Ficidea or Ficulnea, which is frequently mentioned both by Livy and Dionysius in the early history of Rome. Gell speaks of the ground near Torre Lupara as " strewn with tiles and pottery — per- haps one of the surest indications of an ancient city." It has been supposed, from an inscription found near the farm Cesarini referring to a charitable institution of M. Aurelius for " Pueri et Puellas Alimentarii Ficolensium," and from the expression " Ficulea vetus " used by Livy (i. 38), and " Fice- lias veteres" by Martial (vi. 27), that there may have been a second town called Ficulea, built in later times nearer the capital. Ficulea was the seat of an early bishopric. It is said to derive its name from the wild figs, which are still found in abundance on its supposed site. In the acts of Pope Caius and St. Lawrence the Martyr it is called " Civitas Figlina extra Portam Salariam." The Via Nomentana is sometimes spoken of as Via Ficulea. Beyond Monte Gentile, the road passes through forests of oaks, a great contrast to the bare Campagna, till, when it first comes in sight of the village of Mentana, it reaches the height which was the site of the battle, in which, Oct. 1867, the Papal troops, assisted by the French, entirely defeated the Italians under Garibaldi. Some blocks of marble in the village street are the only i8o DAYS NEAR ROME. remains of the ancient Latin city Nomentum, which is spoken of by Virgil (vi. 773) and Dionysius (ii. 53) as a colony of Alba. It was one of the thirty cities of the Latin league,* and continued to flourish in the times of the Em- ])ire, when Seneca had a country house-there,t and also Martial, who frequently speaks of it in his poems, and con- trasts its peaceful retirement with the vanities of Baige and more fashionable summer villeggiature. " Me Nomentani confimiant otia ruris, Et casa jugeribus non onerosa suis, Hie mihi Baiani soles, mollisque Lucrinus ; Hic vestrre mihi sunt, Castrice, divitise. Quondam laudatas quocunque libebat ad undas Currere, nee longas pertimuisse vias : Nune urbi vieina juvant, faeilesque reeessus, Et satis est, pigro si licet esse mihi." vi. 43. " Numse eolles, et Nomentana relinques Otia? nee retinent rusque foeusque senem." X. 44. " Cur saepe sieei parva rara Nomenti, Laremque villae sordidum petam, qusris ? Nee eogitandi, Sparse, nee quiescendi : In urbe loeus est pauperi." xii. 57. Martial praises its wine, which is also extolled by Seneca and Pliny. " In Nomentanis, Ovidi, quod nascitur agris, Aceepit quoties tempora longa merum, Exuit annosje mores nomenque senectse, Et quidquid voluit, testa vocatur anus." i. 106. In the Middle Ages the place was called Civitas Nomen tana, and was the seat of a bishopric. Here, in a.d. 800, * Niebuhr, ii. 17. t Sen, Ep. 104. MONTE ROTONDO. i8i Leo III. met Charlemagne, when he came to be crowned at Rome, and here the great Consul Crescentius was born. Mentana was granted by Nicholas III. (1277-81) to his own family, the Orsini, by whom it was sold to the Peretti, whose arms still remain upon the walls of its 15th-century castle. The place now belongs to the Borghene. The Via Nomentana proceeds to join the Via Salara near Correse, passing — three miles beyond Mentana — Grotta Ma- rozza, which is believed with much reason to occupy the site of the Sabine Eretum, which, from its position on the fron- tier between the Latins and Sabines, was constantly the scene of warfare between the two nations. It was never a place of much importance. Valerius Maximus speaks of it as " Vicus Sabinge regionis." It is two miles from Mentana to Motite Rotondo, also the site of a battle between the Papal troops and the Garibaldians. Here is a fine old castle built by the Barberini, on the site of a fortress of the Orsini : it is now the property of the Buon- compagni. There is a wide and beautiful view from its summit. A road of two miles leads to the railway station in the valley, whence we may return to Rome by the Via Salara. One and a half mile from hence, near Fonte di Papa, the road crosses an insignificant brook, which is decided to coin- cide more than any other with the description which Livy (v. 37) gives of the fatal AlUa, a description so accurate as to show that the place was not necessarily familiar to his readers, viz. : " .iEgre ad undecimum lapidem occursum est, qua flumen Allia Crus- tuminis montibus prsealto defluens alveo, haud multum infra viam Tibe- rino amni miscetur." 1 82 DAYS NEAR ROME. Here, then, and in the upland hollows, which are watered by the same brook, the Romans underwent their famous de- feat by the Gauls under Brennus (b.c. 390), which led to the capture of the city, on the iSth of July (a.d. XV. Kal. Sextiles) called thenceforth Dies AUiensis, and regarded as so ill- omened, that no business was transacted upon it. " Haec est in fastis cui dat gravis Allia nomen." Ovid in lb in. 221. " Quosque secans infaustum interluit Allia nomen." yEn. vii. 717. " Daninata diu Romanis Allia fastis." Lucan. vii. 408. At about nine miles from the city, we pass (on the left) be- neath the extensive farm-buildings oiUed Marcigliana Vecchia, which are usually believed to occupy the site of the city of Crustumerium, though some place it at Sette Bagni, the next large farm on the left of the road to Rome, where there arc traces of ancient buildings ; while others refer it to Monte Rotondo. Dionysius speaks of Crustumerium as an Alban colony sent out long before the building of Rome. The city was taken by Romulus, again by Tarquinius Priscus, and again during the Roman Republic, B.C. 499, after which it remained subject to Rome. In B.C. 477 occurred the " Crustumerina Secessio," when the army which was being led by the De- cemvirs against the Sabines deserted, and retreated to Crus- tumerium. Virgil * mentions the Crustumian pears, and Servius says that they were red only on one side. It is in- teresting that wild pears of this kind still grow in abundance * Geor^ics, ii. 33. CRUSTUMERIUM. 183 over all these desolate uplands, amongst which Crustumerium must certainly have been situated. Two miles further we reach, on the right, Castel Giubileo, the site of Fidense, de- scribed in chapter x. CHAPTER XII. TIVOLI. (This, 1 8 miles distant, is the most attractive of all the places in the immediate neighbourhood of Rome, and the one excursion which no one should omit, even if they are only at Rome for a week. A carriage wdth two horses ought not to cost more than 25 francs for the day. The Villa Adriana may be visited on the way : then the Temple of the Sibyl, the Cascades, the view of the Cascatelle from the opposite side of the valley, and last of all the Villa d'Este. Those who are not strong enough for the whole should see the view of the Cascatelle and the Villa d'Este. The round which Tivoli guides and donkey-men take strangers, through the woods and underneath the waterfalls, is very long and fatiguing. There are two hotels at Tivoli, la Regina (in the town), which is com- fortable, clean, and well-furnished, but where it is necessaiy to come to a very strict agreement as to prices on arriving, and La Sibylla, far humbler, but not uncomfortable, and in the most glorious situation. In the former, guests are received en pension at 8 francs ; at the latter, at 6 francs a day. Those who stay long will find endless points of interest both in the place itself and the excursions which may be made from it. Visitors who are pressed for time may omit the Villa Adriana, but on no account the Villa d'Este.) THE road to Tivoli follows the ancient Via Tiburtina for the greater part of its course, and leads through one of the most desolate and least interesting parts of the Campagna. Issuing from the Porta S. Lorenzo, we pass the great basilica of the same name, and descending into the valley of the Anio, cross the river by a modem bridge, near the ancient Fonte Mammolo, which took its name (Pons Mammseus) from Mammsea, mother of Alexander Severus. THE A mo. 185 The little river Teverone, or Anio, in which Silvia, the mother of Romulus and Remus, exchanged her earthly life for that of a goddess, adds greatly to the charm of the Cam- pagna. — It rises near Treba in the Simbrivian hills, and flows through the gorges of Subiaco and the country of the ^quians till it forms the glorious falls of Tivoli. After this stormy beginning it assumes a most peaceful character, glid- ing gently between deep banks, and usually marked along the brown reaches of the burnt-up Campagna by its fringe of green willows. Silius calls it " sulphureus," from the sulphu- retted hydrogen which is poured into it by the springs of Albula. " Sulphureus gelidus qua seipit leniter undis Ad genitorem Anio labens sine murmure Tybrim." Sil. Ital. xii. 539. On its way through the plain a whole succession of his- torical brooks pour their waters into the Anio. Of these, the most remarkable, as we ascend it, are (on the left) the torrent Le Molette (the Ulmanus), the Magliano, the Tutia, and the Albula ; and (on the right) the Marrana, and the Osa which flows beneath the walls of Collatia. Nibby says that " anciently the Anio was navigable from the Ponte Lucano to its mouth." Strabo mentions " that the blocks of travertine from the quarries near Tibur, and of Lapis Gabina from Gabii, were brought to Rome by means of it. But in the dark ages the channel was neglected, and the navigation in- terrupted and abandoned." When we reach the dismal farm-buildings, which encircle the Osteria del Fornaccio, the caves of Cervara and the mediaeval towers of Rustica and Cervara are visible at no great distance, rising above the Campagna on the opposite 1 86 DA YS NEAR ROME. bank of the Anio. Nothing more is to be seen, except, here and there, the pavement of the ancient road, till we pass, on the left, the ruins of the mediaeval Castel Arcione. Across the Campagua, on the left, near the Sabine mountains, the pic- turesque little hills called Montes Corniculani may be seen, their three summits occupied by the villages of St. Angelo, Colle Cesi, and Monticelli ; on the right we. overlook the distant sites of CoUatia and Gabii, with many other cities of the plain, whose exact positions are unknown. After cross- ing the brook Tuzia, the ancient Tutia on whose banks Hannibal encamped,* and leaving to the left the now drained Lago de' Tartari, a terrible smell of sulphur announces the neighbourhood, about a mile distant on the left, of the lakes of the Soljatara, the Aquse Albulae, from which a canal, cut in 1549 by Cardinal d'Este, to take the place of the ancient Albula, carries their rushing milk-white waters under the road towards the Anio. Here, near " the hoary Albula," was the hallowed grove of the Muses mentioned by Martial : — " Itur ad Herculei gelidas qua Tiburis arces, Canaque sulphureis Albula fumat aquis, Rura, nemusque sacrum, dilectaque jugera musas Signal vicina quartus ab urbe lapis." /. Ep. 13. There are now three lakes. On the largest, the Lago delle Isole Natanti, are some floating islands formed by matted weeds. The ruins near it, called Bagni della Regina, are supposed to have been the baths of Queen Zenobia during her semi-captivity at Tibur. The two smaller lakes have the names of Lago di S. Giovanni and Lago ddie Colonelle. There is no reason for supposing the temple of Faunus (.^n. vii.), which is spoken of by Murray as if it were here, to * Livy, xxvi, 10. PONTE LUC A NO. 187 have been in this neighbourhood. It was more probably at La Solfatara in the great Laurentine wood sacred to Picas and Faunus. Thither, and not hither, the king of Lauren- turn would naturally go to consult the oracle.* " Sir Humphrey Davy made some curious experiments on the process by which the water in these lakes continually adds to the rocks around, by petrifaction or incrustation. He says, that the water taken from the most tranquil part of the lake, even after being agitated and exposed to the air, contained in solution more than its own volume of carbonic acid gas, with a very small quantity of sulphuretted hydrogen. The tem- perature is 80 degrees of Fahrenheit. It is peculiarly fitted to afford nourishment to vegetable life. Its banks of Travertino are everywhere covered with reeds, lichen, confervce, and various kinds of aquatic vege- tables ; and at the same time that the process of vegetable life is going on, crystallizations of the calcareous matter are ever)'where formed, in consequence of the escape of the carbonic acid of the water. " In the line between the bridge and the Solfatara, the rocky crust was l)roken in on the left near the stream, in the year 1825, and a portion of the water was lost ; and another stream, called Acqua Acetosa, falls mto a hole on the right : these instances show that the crust is but thin in some places. It probably covers an unfathomable abyss ; for a stone thrown into the lake, occasions in its descent so violent a discharge of carbonic acid gas, and for so long a time, as to give the idea of an im- mense depth of water. The taste is acid, and the sulphureous smell so strong, that when the wind assists, it has sometimes been perceived in the higher parts of Rome." — Cell. Two miles beyond the canal is the Ponte Lucano, well known by engravings from the beautiful picture by G. Pous- sin in the Doria Palace. Close beyond the bridge rises, embattled into a tower by Pius IL, the massive round tomb of the Plautii, built by M. Plautius Silvanus in B.C. i, and long used by his descendants. At Barco, near this, were the principal quarries for the Travertino used in the buildings of ancient Rome. * Hut two inscriptions have been found which show that there was once a temple of Cybele here, and that the waters themselves were honoured as " Aquae Albulae Sanc- tissimae." 1 88 DAYS NEAR R OME. About half a mile beyond the bridge a lane to the left leads to the gates of the Villa Adriana, which is said once to have been from 8 to lo miles in extent. It is believed to have been ruined during the siege of Tibur by Totila. The chief interest of the ruins arises from their vast extent, and from the lovely carpet of the shrubs and flowers, with which Nature has surrounded them. In spring nothing can ex- ceed the beauty of the violets and anemonies here. * Successive generations of antiquaries have occupied themselves with the nomenclature of the different masses of ruin, and they always disagree: most travellers will consider such discussions of little consequence, and, finding them exceedingly fatiguing, will rest satisfied in the knowledge that the so-called villa was once a most stupendous conglomeration of unnecessary buildings, and in the joyful contemplation of its present loveHness. "I went down to Adrian's villa with exalted ideas of its extent, variety, and magnificence. On approaching it, I saw ruins overgrown with trees and bushes ; I saw mixt-reticular walls stretching along the side of a hill, in all the confusion of a demolished town ; but I saw no grandeur of elevation, no correspondence in the parts. I went on. The extent and its variety opened before me^baths, academies, porticos, a library, a palestra, a hippodrome, a menagerie, a iiaumachia, an aqueduct, theatres both Greek and Latin, temples for different rites, and every appurtenance suitable to an imperial seat. But its magnificence is gone : it is removed to the Vatican, it is scattered over Italy, it may be traced in France. Anywhere but at Tivoli you may look for the statues and caryatides, the columns, the oriental marbles, and the mosaics, with which the villa was once adorned, or supported, or wainscoted, or floored. " — Forsyth. " The drive was less beautiful than most of those which lie round Rome. Thus two hours and a half went by, dully ; and I was not sorry when, turning aside from the castellated tomb of the Plautii family, * Since this account was written (1873) 'he destroying hand of Signor Rosa has been here, the flowers are all rooted up, the ruins stripped of their creepers, and of the fringes of Invely shrubs which gave them all their charm ; and, for the present, the Villa Adriana — a mass of bare walls in a naked country — is little worth visiting — VILLA ADRIANA. 189 we passed down a shady lane, and stopped at the gate of Hadrian's Villa. Alighting here, we passed into that wide and wondrous wilderness of ruin, through avenues dark with cypress, and steep banks purple with violets. The air was heavy with perfume. The glades were carpeted with daisies, wild periwinkle, and white and yellow crocus-blooms. We stepped aside into a grassy arena which was once the Greek theatre, and sate upon a fallen cornice. There was the narrow shelf of stage on which the agonies of QLdipus and Prometheus were once rehearsed ; there was the tiny altar which stood between the audience and the actors, and consecrated the play ; there, row above row, were the seats of the spectators. Now, the very stage was a mere thicket of brambles ; and a little thrush lighted on the altar, while we were sitting by, and filled all the silent space with song. " Passing hence, we came next upon open fields, partly cultivated, and partly cumbered with shapeless mounds of fallen masonry. Here, in the shadow of a gigantic stone pine, we found a sheet of mosaic pave- ment, glowing with all its marbles in the sun ; and close by, half buried in deep grass, a shattered column of the richest porphyry. Then came an olive plantation ; another theatre ; the fragments of a temple ; and a long line of vaulted cells, some of which contained the remains of baths and conduits, and were tapestried within with masses of the deli- cate maiden-hair fern. Separated from these by a wide space of grass, amid which a herd of goats waded and fed at their pleasure, rose a pile of reticulated wall, with part of a vast hall yet standing, upon the vaulted roof of which, sharp and perfect, as if moulded yesterday, were en- crusted delicate bas-reliefs of white stucco, representing groups of Cupids, musical instruments, and figures reclining at table. Near this spot, on a rising ground formed all of ruins, overgrown with grass and underwood, we sate down to rest, and contemplate the view. ' ' A deep romantic valley opened before us, closed in on either side by hanging woods of olive and ilex, with here and there a group of dusky junipers, or a solitary pine, rising like a dark green parasol above all its neighbours. Interspersed among these, and scattered about the foreground, were mountainous heaps of buttressed wall, arch, vault, and gallery, all more or less shattered out of form, or g^een with ivy. At the bottom of the valley, forming, as it were, the extreme boundary of the middle distance, rose two steep volcanic hills, each crowned with a little white town, that seemed to wink and glitter in the sun ; while beyond these again, undulating, melancholy, stretching mysteriously away for miles and miles in the blue distance, lay the wastes of the Campagna." — Barbara s History. " Autour de moi, a travers les arcades des mines, s'ouvraient des igo DAYS NEAR ROME. points de vue sur la campagne romaine : des buissons de sureau rem- plissaient les salles desertes, oil venaient se refugier quelques merles solitaires ; les fragments de maconnerie etaient tapisses de feuilles de scolopendre, dont la verdure satinee se dessinait comme un travail en mosaique sur la blancheur des marbres. Ca at la de hauts cypres remplagaient les colonnes tombees dans ces palais de la mort. L'acanthe sauvage rampait a leurs pieds sur des debris, comme si la nature s'etait plu a reproduire sur ces chefs d'oeuvre inutiles de I'architecture Tomement de leur beaute passee ; les salles diverses, et les sommites des ruines, ressemblaient a des corbeilles et a des bouquets de verdure ; le vent en agitait les guirlandes humides, et les plantes s'inclinaient sous la pluie du ciel." — Chateaubriand.* The villa formed part of a large estate purchased by Pius VI. It is now the property of his representative, Duke Braschi. On Monte AJfiiano, which rises behind the Villa Adriana, to the south of Tivoli, most authorities place the site of the Latin city ^sula. The mountain of Tivoli is divided into three positions : Ripoli, towards the town ; Spaccato, in the centre ; and Monte Aftliano, at the southern extremity. Porphyrion has accurately described the position of ^sula as on this southern extremity of the centre of Tibur. " Udum Tibur propter aquarum copiam. . . /Esula, nomen urbis, alterius in latere montis constitutje. " There are remains of a city having stood here. " /Esula declive contempleris arvum." Horace, iii. Ode 29. It was probably deserted on account of its inconvenient situation, and the temple of Bona Dea or Ops was its repre- sentative, in later times. t A winding road, constructed by the Braschi, winds up the * The powerful description of Chateaubriand cannot be realized tiow, but is inserted, ill the hope that when the reign of Signor Rosa is over, Nature will be permitted to restore the ruins of the Villa Adriana to their former beauty. t See Gell's "Topography of Rome and its Vicinity." ASCENT TO TIVOLI. 191 hill to Tivoli, through magnificent olive-groves, the silvery trunks of the old trees caverned, loop-holed, and twisted in every possible contortion. "It is well to have felt and seen the olive-tree ; to have loved it for Christ's sake, partly also for the helmed Wisdom's sake which was to the heathen in some sort as that nobler Wisdom which stood at God's right hand, when he founded the earth and established the heavens : to have loved it, even to the hoary dimness of its delicate foliage, subdued and faint of hue, as if the ashes of the Gethsemane agony had been cast upon it for ever ; and to have traced, line by line, the gnarled writhing of its intricate branches, and the pointed petals of its light and narrow leaves, inlaid on the blue field of the sky, and the small rosy- white stars of its spring blossoming, and the beads of sable fruit scattered by autumn along its topmost boughs — the right, in Israel, of the stranger, the father- less, and the widow, — and, more than all, the softness of the mantle, silver grey, and tender like the down on a bird's breast, with which, far away, it veils the undulation of the mountains." — Ruskin, Stones of Venice, iii. 176. As we drive slowly up the ascent it may be pleasant to consider the history of Tibur, which claims to go back much further than that of Rome. Dionysius says that it was a city of the Siculi, and called Siculetum or Sicilis, and that the original inhabitants were expelled by Tiburtus, Corax, and Catillus, the three grandsons of Amphiaraus, the king and prophet of Thebes, who flourished a century before the Trojan war. Tibur was named after the eldest of the brothers. " Tum gemini fratres Tiburtia moenia linquunt, Fratris Tiburti dictam cognomine genlem, Catillusque, acerque Coras, Argiva juventus." ^}i. vii. 670. "Jam moenia Tiburis udi Stabant, Argolicas quod posuere manus." Ovid. Fast. iv. 71. "Nullam, Vare, sacra vite prius severis arborem Circa mite solum Tiburis, et moenia Catili." Horace, Od. 1. xviii. 1. 192 DA YS NEAR ROME. " Hie tua Tiburtes Faunos chelys et juvat ipsum Alciden dictumque lyra majore Catillum." Statins, Silv. I. 3. The inhabitants of Tibur frequently incurred the anger of Rome by assistance they gave to the Gauls upon their in- roads into Latium, and they were completely subdued by Camillus in B.C. 335. Ovid narrates how when they were requested to send back the Roman pipers, " tibicines," who had seceded to Tibur from offence which they had taken at an edict of the censors, they made them drunk, and took them thus in carts to Rome. " Exilio mutant urbem, Tiburque recedunt ! — Exilium quodam tempore Tibur erat ! — Quseritur in scena cava tibia, quseritur aris, Ducit supremos nsenia nulla choros. Alliciunt somnos tempus, motusque, merumque, Potaque se Tibur turba redire putat. Jamque per Esquilias Romanam intraverat urbem ; Et mane in medio plaustra fuere foro." Fasti, vi. 665. The second line of this passage expresses the fact that Tibur was an asylum for Roman fugitives, a result of its never having been admitted to the Roman franchise. In his Pontic Epistles, also, Ovid says : — ' " Quid referam veteres Romanee gentis, apud quos Exilium tellus ultima Tibur erat ? " Pont. I. El. 3. Brutus and Cassius are said to have fled thither after the murder of Caesar. Under the earlier emperors, Tibur was the favourite retreat of the wealthy Romans, — the Richmond of Rome — and, as such, it was celebrated by the poets. It was also the scene of the nominal imprisonment of Zenobia, BEAUTY OF TIVOLL 193 the brave and accomplished Queen of Palmyra, who lived here like a Roman matron, after having appeared in the triumph of Aurelian. She was presented with a beautiful villa by the Emperor. " Here the Syrian queen insensibly sunk into a Roman matron, her daughters married into noble families, and her race was not yet extinct in the fifth century." * In an earlier age, Syphax, king of Numidia, died here B.C. 201, having been brought from Africa to adorn the triumph of Scipio. The town was surrendered by the Isaurian garrisons, which Belisarius had placed there, to the Goths under Totila, who both burnt and rebuilt it. In the eighth century the name was changed to Tivoli. In the wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines it bore a prominent part and was generally on the imperial side. The climate of Tivoli was esteemed remarkably healthy, and was considered to have the property of blanching ivory. "Quale micat, semperque no\-um est, quod Tiburis aura Pascit, ebur." Sil. Ital. xii. 229. "Lilia tu vincis, nee adhuc delapsa ligustra, Et Tiburtino monte quod albet ebur." Martial, viii. 28. But since the existence of malaria, modern poetry has told a different tale : — "Tivoli di mal conforto, O piove, o tira vento, o suona a morte." As we ascend the hill, its wonderful beauty becomes more striking at every turn. "The hill of Tivoli is all over picture. The town, the villas, the ruins, the rocks, the cascades, in the foreground ; the Sabine hills, the three Monticelli, Soracte, Frascati, the Campagna, and Rome in the • Gibbon, ch. xi. VOL. I. '3 194 BAYS NEAR ROME. distance ; these form a succession of landscapes superior, in the delight produced, to the richest cabinet of Claude's. Tivoli cannot be de- scribed : no true portrait of it exists : all views alter and embellish it : they are poetical translations of the matchless original. Indeed, when you come to detail the hill, some defect of harmony will ever be found in the foreground or distance, something in the swell or channelling of its sides, something in the growth or the grouping of its trees, which paint- ers, referring every object to its effect on canvas, will often condemn as bad Nature. In fact, the beauties of the landscape are all accidental. Nature, intent on more important ends, does nothing exclusively to please the eye. No stream flows exactly as the artist would wish it : he wants mountains where he finds only hills : he wants hills where he finds a plain. Nature gives him but scattered elements, the composition is his own." — Forsyth. Close to the gate of the town, on the right, is the picturesque five-towered Castle, built by Pius II. (1458-64). A street, full of mediseval fragments, leads to the Regitia and on to the Sibylla, which all artists will prefer, and which has never merited the description of George Sand :— " L'affreuse auberge de la Sibylle, un vrai coupe-gorge de I'Opera- Comique." It stands on the very edge of the precipice : — " The green steep whence Anio leaps In floods of snow-white foam. " Macaulay. This is an almost isolated quarter of the town, occupying a distinct point of rock, called Castro Vetere, which is supposed to have been the arx or citadel of ancient Tibur — the Sicelion of Dionysius. Here, on the verge of the abyss, with coloured cloths hanging out over its parapet- wall, as we have so often seen it in pictures, stands the beautiful — the most beautiful — little buildmg, which has been kno^vn for ages as the Temple of the Sibyl. It was once encircled by 18 Corinthian columns, and of these 10 TEMPLES OF TIVOLI. 195 Still remain. In its delicate form and its rich orange colour, standing out against the opposite heights of Monte Peschia- vatore, it is impossible to conceive anything more picturesque, and the situation is sublime, perched on the very edge of the cliff, overhung with masses of clematis and ivy, through which portions of the ruined arch of a bridge are just visible, while below the river foams and roars. Close behind the circular temple is another little oblong temple of travertine, with Ionic columns, now turned into the Church of S. Giorgio. Those who contend that the circular temple was dedicated to Vesta, or to Hercules Saxonus, call this the Temple of the Sibyl : others * say it is the Temple of Tibur- tus, the founder of the city ; others, that it was built in honour of Drusilla, sister of Caligula. We know from Varro that the loth and last of the Sibyls, whose name was Albunea, was worshipped at Tivoli, and her temple seems to be coupled by the poets with the shrine of Tiburtus above the Anio. " Illis ipse antris Anienus fonte relicto, Nocte sub arcana glaucos exutus amictus, Hue illuc fragili prostemit peetora musco : Aut ingens in stagna cadit, vitreasque natatu Plaudit aquas : ilia recubat Tibumus in umbra, Illie sulphureos eupit Albula mergere crines." Statius, Silv. I, 3. Close to the temples a gate will admit visitors into the beautiful walks begun by General Miollis, and finished under the Papal government. Those who are not equal to a long round, should not enter upon these, and in taking a local guide it should be recollected that there is scarcely the slightest ground for anything they say, and that the names they give to villas and temples are generally the merest con- jecture. * Nibby. Dintorni, iii. 205. 196 DA YS NEAR ROME. The walks, however, are charming, and lead by a gradual descent to the caves called the Grottoes of Neptune and the Sirens, into the chasm beneath which the Anio fell magnifi- cently till 1826,* when an inundation which carried away a church and twenty-six houses led the Papal government to divert the course of the river in order to prevent the temples from being carried away also, and to open the new artificial cascade, 320 feet high, in 1834. The Anio at Tivoli, as the Velino at Terni, has extraordinary petrifying properties, and the mass of stalactites and petrified vegetation hanging everywhere from the rocks adds greatly to their wild picturesqueness. " Puisque vous me dites que vous avez sous las yeux tous les guides at itinerairas da I'ltalie pour suivre mon humble peregrination, je dois vous prevenir qua, dans aucun vous ne trouverez une description exacte de ces grottes, par la raison que les eboulements, les tramblements de terre, et les travaux indispensables a la securite de la ville, menacee de s'ecrouler aussi, ou d'etre emportea par I'Anio, ont souvent change leur aspect. Ja vais tacher de vous donner succinctament une idee exacte ; car, en depit des nouveaux itinerairas qui pretendant qua ces lieux ont perdu leur principal interet, ils sont encore une des plus ravissantes mer- veilles da la terre. " Je vous ai parle d'un puits de verdure ; c'est ce bocaga, d'anviron un mille de tour a son sommet, que I'on a arrange dans I'antonnoir d'un ancien cratere. L'abime est done tapisse de plantations vigourauses, bien libres at bien sauvrages, descendant sur las flancs de montagne presqua a pic, au moyan das zig-zags d'un santiar doux aux pieds, tout borde d'herbes et de fleurs rustiquas, soutanu par les tarrassas naturelles du roc pittoresqua, et sa degageant a chaque instant des bosquets qui I'onibragent pour vous laisser ragarder le torrent sous vos pieds, le rocher perpendicu- laire a votre droite, et le joli temple de la Sibylle au-dassus de votre tete. C'est a la fois d'une grace et d'une majeste, d'une aprete et d'une fraicheur qui resument bien les caracteras de la nature italienne. II me semble qu'il n'y a ici rien d'austere et da terrible qui ne soit tout a coup tempere on dissimule par des voluptes souriantas. * This fall, though natural, was itself the result of an inundation in a.d. 105, which is recorded by Pliny the Younger. (Ep. viii. 17.) FALLS OF THE ANIO. 197 " Quand on a descendu environ les deux tiers du sentier, 11 vous con- duit a I'entree d'une grotte laterale completement inaperque jusque-la. Cette grotte est un couloir, une galerie naturelle que le torrent a rencon- tree dans la roche, et qui semble avoir ete une des bouches du cratere dont le puits de verdure tout entier aurait ete le foyer principal. "De quelles scenes effroyables, de quelles devorantes ejaculations, de quels craquements, de quels rugissements, de quels bouillonnements affreux cette ravissante cavite de Tivoli a du etre le theatre ! II me semblait qu'elle devait son charme actuel a la pensee, j'allais presque dire au souvenir evoque en moi, des tenebreuses horreurs de sa formation premiere. C'est la une mine du passe autrement imposante que les debris des temples et des aqueducs ; mais les mines de la nature ont encore sur celles de nos oeuvres cette superiorite que le temps batit sur elles, comme des monuments nouveaux, les merveilles de la vegetation, les frais edifices de la forme et de la couleur, les veritables temples de la vie. " Par cette caveme, un bras d'Anio se precipite et roule, avec un bmit magnifique, sur des lames de rocher qu'il s'est charge d'aplanir et de creuser a son usage. A deux cents pieds plus haut, il traverse tran- quillement la ville et met en mouvement plusieurs usines ; mais, tout au beau milieu desmaisons et des jardins, il rencontre cette coulee volcani que, s'y engouffre, et vient se briser au bas du grand rocher, sur les debris de son couronnement detache, quigisent la dans un desordre grandiose." — George Saud, La Daiiiella. "Above the cold deep dell into which you dive to see the mysteries of Anio's urn, raised high on a pedestal of sharply-cut rock and seated as on a throne of velvet verdure, towers, like a pinnacle projected on the deep blue sky, the graceful temple of the Sibyl, that most exquisite specimen of art crowning nature, in perfect harmony of beauties." — Cardinal Wiseman. The small ruins of two Roman bridges were rendered visible when the course of the river was changed. Ascend- ing again the upper road beyond the falls, guides, on no authority whatever, point out some ruins as those of the Villa of Vopiscus, a poet of the time of Domitian. That he had a property at Tibur, we know from the verses of Statius, who has left a pleasant account of the villa of his friend : his grounds appear to have extended on both sides of the river. 198 DA YS NEAR ROME. " Cernere facundi Tibur glaciale Vopisci Si quis et inserto geminos Aniene penates, Aut potuit sociffi commercia noscere ripse. Ingenium quam mite solo ! quK forma beatis Arte manus concessa locis ! Non largius usquam Indulsit natura sibi. Nemora alta citatis Incubuere vadis ; fallax responsat imago Frondibus, et longes eadem fugit unda per umbras. Ipse Anien — miranda fides — infraque superque Saxeus, hie tumidam rabiem spumosaque ponit Murmura, ceu placidi veritus turbare Vopisci Pieriosque dies et habentes carmina somnos. Litus utrumque domi, nee te mitissimus amnis Dividit. Alternas servant prtetoria ripas Non externa sibi, fluviumve obstare queruntur. Hie aeterna quies, nullis hie jura procellis, Nusquam fervor aquis. Datur hie transmittere visus Et voces, et pasne manus." Silv. I. 3. We now turn round the base of Monte Catillo to that of Monte Peschiavatore and the point opposite the Cascatelle, which is known to have borne the name of QuintiHolo in the loth century, and where a little church is still called La Madonna di Qidntiliolo. It is possible this name may be derived from Quintilius Varus, and that his villa, mentioned by Horace (ode i. 18) as near the town, may have been in this neighbourhood. Remains of a sumptuous villa with inlaid pavements and statues — especially two Fauns now in the Vatican — have certainly been found here. Nothing can exceed the loveliness of the views from the road which leads from Tivoli by the chapel of S. Antonia to the Madonna di QuintiHolo. On the opposite height rises the town with its temples, its old houses and churches, clinging to the edge of the cliffs, which are overhung with THE CASCATELLE. 199 such a wealth of luxuriant vegetation as is almost indescrib- able; and beyond, beneath the huge piles of building known Tivoli. as the Villa of Maecenas, the thousand noisy cataracts of the Cascatelle leap forth beneath the old masonry, and sparkle and dance and foam through the green — and all this is only the foreground to vast distances of dreamy campagna, seen through the gnarled hoary stems of grand old olive-trees — rainbow-hued with every delicate tint of emerald and amethyst, and melting into sapphire, where the solitary dome of S. Peter's rises, invincible by distance, over the level line of the horizon. And the beauty is not confined to the views alone. Each turn of the winding road is a picture; deep ravines of solemn dark-green olives which waken into silver light as the wind shakes their leaves, — old convents and chapels buried in 200 DAYS NEAR ROME. shady nooks on the mountain-side, — thickets of laurestinus, roses, genista, and jessamine, — banks of liUes and hyacinths, anemonies and violets, — grand masses of grey rock, up which white-bearded goats are scrambling to nibble the myrtle and rosemary, and knocking down showers of the red tufa on their way ; — and a road, with stone seats and para- pets, twisting along the edge of the hill through a constant diorama of loveliness, and peopled by groups of peasants in their gay dresses returning from their work, singing in parts wild canzonetti which echo amid the silent hills, or by women washing at the wayside fountains, or returning with brazen cojiche, poised upon their heads, like stately statues of water-goddesses wakened into life. "The pencil only can describe Tivoli ; and though unlike other scenes, the beauty of which is generally exaggerated in pictures, no re- presentation has done justice to it, it is yet impossible that some part of its peculiar charms should not be transferred upon the canvas. It almost seems as if Nature herself had turned painter when she formed this beautiful and perfect composition." — Eatoii's Rome. Deep below Quintiliolo, reached by a winding path through grand old olive-woods, is the Fo?ite dell' Acquoria — "the bridge of the golden water," so called from a beautiful spring which rises near it. It is a fine single arch of traver- tine, crossed by the Via Tiburtina. Passengers now cross the Anio by a wooden bridge, and ascend the Clivus Tiburtinus on the other side. Much of the ancient pavement remains. On the right of the road is the curious circular-domed building, somewhat resembling the temple of Minerva-Medica at Rome, and called by local antiquaries // Tempio dclla Tosse, or "The Temple of Cough." The fact being, that it was probably the sepulchre of the Turcia family, one of the members of which, Lucius VILLA OF MMCENAS. 201 Arterius Turcius, is shown by an inscription to^ have repaired the neighbouring road in the time of Constans. In the in- terior are some remains of 13th-century frescoes, which indicate that this was then used as a Christian church. The Via Constantina, which leads into the town from the Ponte Lucano, falls into the Via Tiburtina near this. On the brow of the hill, we may now visit the immense ruins called The Villa of Mcecenas, though there is no reason , whatever to suppose that it was his villa, or even that he had a villa at Tibur at all. "It is an immense quadrilateral edifice, 637^ feet long, and 450 broad, surrounded on three sides by sumptuous porticoes. The fourth ■side, or that which looks towards Rome, which is one of the long sides, 'had a theatre in the middle of it, with a hall or saloon on each side. The porticoes are arched, and adorned on the side towards the area with half-columns of the Doric order. Behind is a series of chambers. An oblong tumulus now marks the site of the house, or, according to •Nibby, who regards it as the temple of Hercules, of the Cella. The pillars were of travertine, and of a beautiful Ionic order. One of them existed on the ruins as late as 181 2. This immense building intercepted the ancient road, for whicb, as appears from an inscription preserved in the Vatican, a vault or tunnel was constructed, part of which is still extant. Hence it gave name to the Porta Scura or Obscura, mentioned in the Bull of Benedict, which it continued to bear at least as late as the 15th century." — Sinitk^s Diet, of Greek attd Roman Geography. These ruins are the only remains in Tivoli which at all cor- respond with the allusions in the poets to the famous Heracleum, or Temple of Hercules, which was of such a size as to be quoted, with the waterfall, by Strabo as charac- teristics of Tivoli, just as the great temple of Fortune was the distinguishing feature of Proeneste. It contained a library, and had an oracle, which answered by sortes like that of Prseneste. Augustus, when at Tibur, frequently ad- ministered justice in the porticoes of the temple of Hercules. 202 DA YS NEAR ROME. To trace all the poetical allusions to it would be endless : here are a few of them. "Curve te in Herculeum deportant esseda Tibur.' Propertiiis, II. 32. "Tibur in Herculeum migravit nigra Lycoris. " Maiiial, iv. 62. " Venit in Herculeos colles : quid Tiburis alti Aura valet ? " Mart. vii. 12. "Nee mihi plus Nemee, priscumve habitabitur Argos, -^ Nee Tibuma domus, solisque cubilia Gades. " Stat. Silv. iii. i. 182. "Quosque sub Herculeis taciturno flumine muris Pomifera arva creant Anienicolse Catilli." Sil. Ital. iv. 224. We re-enter the town by a gate with Ghibelline battle- ments, near which are two curious mediaeval houses, one with a beautiful outside loggia. Passing through the dirty streets almost to the Porta Santa Croce, by which we entered Tivoli, a narrow alley on the right leads us to a little square, one side of which is occupied by the Cathedral of S. Francesco, a picturesque little building, with a good rose- window. Behind the church is a cella of the age of Au- gustus, which some antiquaries have referred to the temple of Hercules. " But it would be difficult to regard these vestiges as forming part of a temple 150 feet in circumference, nor was it usual to erect the princi- pal Christian church on the foundations of a heathen temple. It is pretty certain, however, that the Forum of Tibur was near the cathedral, and occupied the site of the present Piazza dell' Ormo and its environs, as appears from a Bull of Pope Benedict VII., in the year 978. The round temple at the cathedral belonged therefore to the Forum, as well as the crypto-porticus, now called Poi-to di Eixole in the street del Poggio. The exterior of this presents ten closed arches about 200 feet in length, VILLA D'ESTE. 203 which still retain traces of the red plaster with which they were covered. Each arch has three loop-holes to serve as windows. The interior is divided into two apartments or halls, by a row of 28 slender pillars. Traces of arabesque painting on a black ground may still be seen. The mode of building shows it to be of the same period as the circular remains. " — Smith's Diet, of Greek and Roman Geography. Close to the Cathedral is the door of the famous Villa (TEste, where we are admitted on ringing a bell, and cross- ing a court-yard, and descending a long vaulted passage, are allowed unaccompanied to enter and wander about in one of the grandest and wildest and most impressive gardens in the world. The villa itself, built in 1549, by Pirro Ligorio, for Cardinal Ippolito d'Este, son of Alfonso II., Duke of Ferrara, is stately and imposing in its vast forms, bold outlines, and deeply-projecting cornices. Beneath it runs a broad terrace (rather too much grown up now), ending in an archway, which none but the most consummate artist would have placed where it stands, in glorious relief against the soft distances of the many-hued Campagna. Beneath the twisted staircases which lead down from this terrace, fountains send up jets of silvery spray on every succeeding level against the dark green of the gigantic cypresses, which line the main avenue of the garden, and which also, interspersed with the richer verdure of Acacias and Judas trees, snowy or crim- son with flowers in spring, stand in groups on the hill-side, with the old churches of Tivoli and the heights of Monte Catillo seen between them. The fountains at the sides of the garden are colossal, like everything else here, and over- grown with maiden-hair fern, and water glitters everywhere in stone channels through the dark arcades of thick foliage. Flowers there are few, except the masses of roses, guelder roses, and lilacs, which grow and blossom where they will. 204 • DA YS NEAR ROME. The villa now belongs to the Duke of Modena, the direct descendant of its founder. (Those who return to Rome the same evening will do well to order their carriages to wait for them at the entrance of the Villa d'Este.) Outside the Porta Santa Croce are the old Jesuits' College, with its charming terrace called La Veduta, and the Vil/a Braschi, in whose cellar the aqueduct of the Anio Novus may be seen. Some disappointment will doubtless be felt at the uncertainty which hangs over the different homes of the poets at Tivoli, especially over that of Horace, which was near the grove of Tiburnus ; * but then, though the actual ruins pointed out to us may not have belonged to them, there is so much of which they tell us that remains un- changed, the luxuriant woods, the resounding Anio, the thymy uplands, that the very atmosphere is alive with their verses ; and amid such soul-inspiring loveliness, one cannot wonder that Tibur was beloved by them. " Mihi jam non regia Roma, Sed vacuum Tibur placet." Horace, i Ep. 7. "Vaster, CamoeiiK, vaster in arduos Tollor Sabinos : seu mihi frigidum Prseneste, seu Tibur supinum, Seu liquidse placuere Baise. " iii. Od. 4. "... Ego, apis Matinas More modoque Grata carpentis thyma per laborem Plurimum, circa nemus uvidique Tiburis ripas, operosa parvus Carmina fingo." '■■ Suet. Vit. Hor. iv. Od. 2. HOMES OF THE POETS. " Sed quae Tibur aquae fertile praefluunt, Et spissse nemorum comje, Fingent yEolio carmine nobilem. " Od.3. "Que de vers charmants dans Horace, consacres a peindre ce Tibur tant aime, ce delicieux Tivoli dont il est si doux de gouter apres lui, je dirai presque avec lui, les imperissables enchantements ! Comment ne pas y murmurer cette ode ravissante dans laquelle, apres avoir enumere les beaux lieux qu'il avait admires dans son voyage de Grece, revenant a son cher Tibur, il s' eerie, comme d'autres pourraient le faire aussi : ' Rien ne m'a frappe autant que la demeure retentissante d'Albunee, I'Anio qui tombe, le bois sacre de Tiburnus, et les vergers qu'arrosent les eaux vagabondes ! ' ' Quam domus Albuneae resonantis, Et praeceps Anio, ac Tiburni lucus, et uda Mobilibus pomaria rivis.' Carm. i. 7, 12. Est-il rien de plus gracieux, de plus sonore, et de plus frais ? Malheur- eusement il ne reste d'Horace a Tivoli que les cascatelles, dont le mur- mure semble un echo de ses vers. Les ruines qu'on montre au voyageur, comme celles de la maison d'Horace, ne lui ont jamais appartenu, bien que deja du temps de Suetone a Tibur on fit voir au curieux la maison du poete." — Ampere, Emp. Rom. i. 360. Catullus had a villa here on the boundary between the Sabine and Tiburtine territories, but which he chose to consider in the latter, while his friends, if they wished to tease him, said it was Sabine : — "O funde noster, seu Sabine, seu Tiburs (Nam te esse Tiburtem autumant, quibus non est Cordi CatuUum losdere : at quibus cordist, Quovis Sabinum pignore esse contendunt), Sed seu Sabine sive verius Tiburs, Fui libenter in tua suburbana Villa, malamque pectore expuli tussim. " Carm. 44. Here also lived •' Cynthia," whose real name was Hostia, the beloved of Propertius, who did not hesitate to test his 2o6 DA YS NEAR ROME. devotion by summoning him to face the dangers of the road from Rome to Tibur at midnight. "Nox media, et dominse mihi venit epistola nostrse, Tibure me missa jussit adesse mora, Candida qua geminas ostendunt culmina turres, Et cadit in patulos lympha Aniena lacus. " iii. El. 1 6. And here she died and was buried, and her spirit, appearing to her lover, besought him to take care of her grave. " Telle hederam tumulo, mihi quce pugnante corymbo Mollia contortis alligat ossa comis. Pomosis Anio qua spumifer incubat arvis, Et nunquam Herculeo numine pallet ebur. Hie carmen media dignum me scribe columna, Sed breve, quod currens vector ab urbe legat, Hie Tiburtina jacet aurea Cynthia terra : Accessit ripae laus, Aniene, tuoe." V. 7. Beyond the Porta Santa Croce is the suburb Carciano, a corruption from Cassianum, its name in the loth century from the villa of the gens Cassia, of which there are con- siderable remains beneath the Greek College. From the excavations made here in the reign of Pius VI. many of the finest statues in the Vatican were obtained, especially those in the Hall of the Muses. Painters, and all who stay long enough at Tivoli, should not fail to visit the picturesque rums of the Marcian and Claudian aqueducts beyond the Porta S. Giovanni. Delight- ful excursions may also be made to Subiaco, to S. Cosimato and Licenza, to Monte Gennaro, and to Montecelli. A pleasant road leads by the old castle of Passerano and Zagarolo to Palestrina. CHAPTER XIII. LICENZA AND MONTE GENNARO. (This is one of the most interesting of the excursions from Tivoli. A carriage may be taken from Tivoli to the farm of Horace itself, or good walkers may take the morning diligence to Subiaco as far as S. Cosimato, and walk from thence to Licenza, returning to meet the dili- gence in the evening. For the excursion to Monte Gennaro, horses must be ordered beforehand, ) SOON after leaving Tivoli some magnificent arches of the Claudian Aqueduct are seen crossing a ravine on the left, through which a road leads to Ampiglione (probably the ancient Empulum), where some of the ancient walls re- main. Then, also on the left, rises the most picturesque village of Castel Madama crowning a ridge of hill. Then the road passes close to some ruins supposed to be those of the tomb of C. Msenius Bassus of the time of Caligula. Seven miles from Tivoli we reach Vicovaro, the Varia of Horace. Some of the ancient walls remain, of huge blocks of travertine. The place now belongs to Count Bolognetti Cenci, who has a dismal palace here. At one end of a ])iazza facing the principal church in the upper town, is the beautiful Chapel of S. Giacomo, built for one of the Orsini, Count of Tagliacozzo, by Simone, a pupil of Brunelleschi, who (says Vasari) died when he was employed upon it. It is octagonal, with a dome crowned by the figure of a 2o8 DA YS NEAR ROME. saint. The Italian-gothic is very peculiar. The prin- cipal door is richly adorned with saints : above are angels floating over the Virgin and Child, their attitude of adoration very beautiful. Santa Severa is buried here, as well as at Anagni ! Pope Pius II. in his "Commentaria" (LVI.) speaks of this church as " nobile sacellum ex marmore candi- dissimo," and as adorned with " statuis egregiis." Of late years it has become important as a place of pilgrimage from •' the miraculous picture " which it contains. " Outside the church was a stall, at which I bought a copy of a hymn addressed by the inhabitants of the town, ' to their miraculous picture of the most Holy Mary our advocate, which on July 22, 1 868, began to move its eyes miraculously.' Then follows the hymn, which is poor enough. Inside the church, over the high altar, surrounded with decorations and with lights, is placed the picture, a beautiful one, full of feeling and pathos. The hands are united as in prayer, and the face is turned upwards, the eyes being large and lustrous, and in the very act of beginning to weep. It is a work of the school of Guido, and might be by the master himself. "Before the altar were kneeling a group oicoiiladiiii, or country people, on their way from the Easter services at Rome. The priest was kneeling at the altar, singing the Litany of the Virgin, in which she is addressed in direct prayer, ' Mother of mercy, have mercy on us : ' ' Mother of grace, have mercy upon us, ' &c. : the contadini repeating the 'Misej-ere nobis ' after each title of invocation had been given out by the priest. This being ended, the worshippers all bent down and kissed the pave- ment, and then went backwards out of the church, bowing repeatedly as they passed down the nave. ' ' Meantime we were invited into the sacristy to see the book of testi- monials to the fact of the miracle. The witnesses were many, of all nations. The purport of their testimony was mainly this : that at such a time the deposer had seen the left, or the right eye, or both, move or enlarge, or fill with tears ; or the expression of the face change, or the throat become agitated. Many of the depositions were accompanied with fervent expressions of thankfulness and joy. " Now as to the account to be given of the phenomena thus deposed to. It is well known that certain arrangements of lines and of colours cause the appearance, when long contemplated, of unsteadiness and of motion LUCRETIUS. 209 ill a picture : especially if combined with the representation of an ex- pression of countenance itself emotioned, and, if I may thus use the word, transitional. Now this last is eminently the case at Vicovaro. I am convinced, that were I a devotee kneeling before that picture, I could in ten minutes imagine it to undergo any such change as those recorded in the book. All is engaging, lustrous, suggestive." — Dean Alford, 1865. A short distance beyond Vicovaro, almost opposite the convent of S. Cosimato (see ch. xix.), a road to the left turns up the valley of Licenza. On the right is the castle of the Marchese del Gallo. About two miles up the valley, on the left, the castle of Rocca Giovane is seen rising above its little town. Here was a temple of Vacuna, the Victoria of the Sabines. The scenery is now classical, for : — ' ' where yon bar Of girdling mountains intercepts the sight The Sabine farm was till'd, the weary bard's delight." Childe Harold. The village upon the right, Bardella, is Mandela. Be- tween us and it flows the brook Licenza, the Digentia of Horace ; the hill in front, Monte Libretti, is the famous Mons Lucretilis. *' Me quoties reficit gelidus Digentia rivus, Quem Mandela bibit, rugosus frigore pagus ; Quid sentire putas ? quid credis, amice, precari ? Sit mihi quod nunc est." i. Epist. xviii. X04. Velox amoenum soepe Lucretilem Mutat Lycseo Faunus, et igneara Defendit testatem capellis Usque meis pluviosque ventos. i. Ode 17. " Le veritable pelerinage a la demeure champetre d'Horace, c'est celui qu'on peut faire a sa villa dc la Sabine, dont I'emplacemeut a ete VOL. I. 14 2IO DA YS NEAR ROME. si bien determine, pies de Rocca Giovane, par M. Rosa. S'il ne reste de la maison que des briques et des pierres enfouies a I'endroit ou une esplanade en fait connaitre aujourd'hui I'emplacement, les lieux d'alentour portent des noms dans lesquels on a pu retrouver les anciens noms. Varia (Ep. i. 14, 3) est Vico Vara ; la village de Mandela (Ep. i. 18, 105), dont Horace etait voisin, s'appelle Bardella : la Digentia (Ep. i. 18, 104) est devenue la Licenza. II y a aussi la fontaine ^Oratini, et, tout pres des debris de I'habitation, la coUine du poete, colle del Poetello. On a reconnu encore le mont Lucretile, qui protegeait les chevres d'Horace centre I'ardeur de I'eteet les vents pluvieux (Carm. i. 13, 1—4). " Cette villa est celle que Mecene avait donnee a Horace. C'etait ' ce champ modeste qu'il avait reve, avec un jardin, aupres d'une eau toujours vive ' (Sat. ii. 6, 2, et Ep. iii. 16, 12) — celle qui s'appelle encore, foiite d'Oratini, — et un peu de forets au-dessus. ' La vegetation a ete changee par la culture, mais les grands traits du paysage subsistent. L'on voit toujours la chaine des montagnes qui est coupee par une vallee profonde, celle ou coule la Licenza ; et Ton peut remarquer la justesse de tous les details de cette description, que le poete semble s'excuser de faire si longue, loqicaciter, et qui est renfermee dans quelques vers charmants et precis : ' Continui montes nisi dissocientur opaca Valle ; sed ut veniens dextrum latus aspiciet sol, Lievum decedens curru fugiente vaporet.' — Ep. i. 16, 5." Ampere, Emp. Rom. i. 363. The Sabine farm was pre.sented to Horace by Maecenas, c B. C. 33. " To the munificence of Maecenas we owe that peculiar charm of the Horatian poetry, that it represents both the town and country life of the Romans of that age ; the country life, not only in the rich and luxurious villa of the wealthy at Tivoli, or at Baias ; but in the secluded retreat and among the simple manners of the peasantry. It might seem as if the wholesome air which the poet breathed, during his retirement on his farm, re-invigorated his natural manliness of mind. There, notwith- standing his love of convivial enjoyment in the palace of Maecenas and other wealthy frien.ls, he delighted to revert to his own sober and frugal way of living." — Miha.jti. The road comes to an end on the margin of the clear LICENZA. brook Digentia, which is here sometimes swollen into a broad river by the winter rains. On the further side of the wide stonv bed it has made for itself, rises Licenza, cresting Licenza. a high hill and approached by a steep rocky path through the olives. Further up the valley is the " Fonte Blandusino,"' still pointed out as the spring of Horace. Just where the read ends, a steep bank covered with chestnuts rises on the left. Passing through the wood (only a few steps from the road) to a garden, we find a confadiiio, who shovels up the rich loam with his spade, exposes a bit of tesselated pave- ment, and says " Ecco la villa d'Orazio." "The Sabine farm was situated in the valley of Ustica, thirty milt;s from Rome, and twelve miles from Tivoli. It possessed the attraction, no small one to Horace, of being very secluded — Varia (Vico Varo), the nearest town, being four miles off — yet, at the same time, within an easy distance of Rome. When his spirits wanted the stimukis of society or the bustle of the capital, which they often did, his ambling mule could speedily convey him thither; and when jaded, on the other hand, by the noise and racket and dissipations of Rome, he could, in the same 212 DAYS NEAR ROME. homely way, bury himself within a few hours among the hills, and there, under the shadow of his favourite Lucretilis, or by the banks of the clear-flowing and ice-cold Digentia, either stretch himself to dream upon the grass, lulled by the murmurs of the stream, or do a little farming in the way of clearing his fields of stones, or turning over a furrow here and there with the hoe. There was a rough wildness in the scenery and a sharpness in the air, both of which Horace liked, although, as years advanced and his health grew more delicate, he had to leave it in the colder months for Tivoli or Baiae. He built a villa upon it, or added to one already there, the traces of which still exist. The farm gave employment to five families of free coloiii, who were under the superintendence of a bailiff; and the poet's domestic establishment was composed of eight slaves. The site of the farm is at the present day a favourite resort of travellers, of Englishmen especially, who visit it in such numbers, and trace its features with such enthusiasm, that the resident peasantry, ' who cannot conceive of any other source of interest in one so long dead and unsainted than that of co-patriotism or consan- guinity,' believe Horace to have been an Englishman.* What aspect it presented in Horace's time we gather from one of his Epistles "(i. i6) : — "About my farm, dear Quinctius : You would know What sort of produce for its lord 'twill grow; Plough-land is it, or meadow-land, or soil For apples, vine-clad elms, or olive-oil ? So (but you'll think me garrulous) I'll write A full description of its fonn and site. In long continuous lines the mountains run. Cleft by a valley, which twice feels the sun — Once on the right, when first he lifts his beams; Once on the left, when he descends in streams. You'd praise the climate well, and what d'ye say To sloes and cornels hanging from the spray? What to the oak and ilex, that afford Fruit to the cattle, shelter to their lord ? What, but that rich Tarentum must have been Transplanted nearer Rome, with all its green ? Then there's a fountain, of sufficient size To name the river that takes thence its rise- Not Thracian Hebrus colder or more pure, Of power the head's and stomach's ills to cure. * Letter by Mr Dennis : Milman's " Horace," London, 1849, p. 109. HORACES FARM. 213 This sweet retirement — nay, 'tis more than sweet^ Insures my health even in September's heat." (C) Here is what a recent tourist found it : *— " Following a path along the brink of the torrent Digentia, we passed a towering rock, on which once stood Vacuna's shrine, and entered a pastoral region of well-watered meadow-lands, enamelled with flowers and studded with chestnut and fmit trees. Beneath their sheltering shade peasants were whiling away the noontide hours. Here sat Daphnis piping sweet witching melodies on a reed to his rustic Phidyle, whilst Lydia and she wove wreaths of wild flowers, and Lyce sped down to the edge of the stream and brought us cooling drink in a bulging conca borne on her head. Its waters were as deliciously refreshing as they could have been when the poet himself gratefully recorded how often they revived his strength ; and one longed to think, and hence half believed, that our homely Hebe, like her fellows, was sprung from the coloni who tilled his fields and dwelt in the five homesteads of which he sings. , . . Near the little village of Licenza, standing like its loftier neighbour, Civitella, on a steep hill at the foot of Lucretilis, we turned off the path, crossed a thickly-wooded knoll, and came to an orchard in which two young labourers were at work. We asked where the remains of Horace's farm were. ' A pie tui ! ' answered the nearest of them in a dialect more like Latin than Italian. So saying, he began with a shovel to uncover a massive floor in very fair preservation ; a little farther on was another, crumbling to pieces. Chaupy has luckily saved one all doubt as to the site of the farm, establishing to our minds convincingly that it could scarcely have stood on ground other than that on which at this moment we were. As the shovel was clearing the floors, we thought how applicable to Horace himself were the lines he addressed to Fuscus Aristius, — ' Naturam expelles,' etc. ' Drive Nature forth by force, she'll turn and rout The false refinements that would keep her out,' [C.) for here was just enough of his house left to show how Nature, creeping on step by step, had overwhelmed his handiwork and re-asserted her sway. Again, pure and Augustan in design as was the pavement before us, how little could it vie with the hues and odours of the grasses that bloomed around it ! — ' Deterius Lybicis,' etc. ' Is springing grass less sweet to nose and eyes Than Libyan marble's tesselaled dyes ? ' (C. ) * " Pall Mall Gazette," August 16, i86q. 214 DAYS NEAR ROME. '■ Indeed, so striking were these coincidences that we were as nearly as possible going off on the wrong tack, and singing ' lo Pcean ' to Dame Nature herself at the expense of the bard; but we were soon brought back to our allegiance by a sense of the way in which all we saw tallied with the description of him who sang of Nature so surpass- ingly well, who challenges posterity in charmed accents, and could shape the sternest and most concise of tongues into those melodious cadence>, that invest his undying verse with all the magic of music and all the freshness of youth. For this was clearly the ' Angulus iste,' the nook which ' restored him to himself ' — this the lovely spot which his steward longed to exchange for the slums of Rome. Below lay the green sward by the river, where it was sweet to recline in slumber. Here grew the vine, still trained, like his own, on the trunks and branches of trees. Yonder the brook which the rain would swell till it overflowed its margin, and his lazy steward and slaves were fain to bank it up; and above, among a wild jumble of hills, lay the woods where, on the Calends of March, Faunus interposed to save him from the attack of the wolf as he strolled along unarmed, singing of the soft voice and sweet smiles of his Lalage ! The brook is now nearly dammed up ; a wall of close-fitting rough-hewn stones gathers its waters into a still, dark pool; its overflow gushes out in a tiny rill that rushed down beside our path, mingling its murmur with the hum of myriads of insects that swarmed in the air." — Horace, by TIuo. Martin in " Classics for Eng- lish Readers.^'' Visitors to Licenza will be glad further to beguile the long drive with the following extract : — " Entering the valley which opens to the north. On a height which rises to the right stand two villages, Cantalupo and Bardela; the latter is supposed to be the Mandela, which the poet describes as rugosns frigore pagns ; and, certes, it stands in an airy position, at the point of junction of the two valleys. You soon come to a small stream, of no remarkable character, but it is the Digentia, the gelidns riviis, at which the poet was wont to slake his thirst— ;«^ quoties reficit — and which flows away through the meadows to the foot of the said hill of Bardela —quein Mmdela bibit. You are now in the .Sabine valley, so fondly loved and highly prized. ' Cur valle permutem Sabina Divitias operosiores ? ' " A long lofty ridge forms the left-hand barrier of the valley. R is Lucretilis. It has no striking features to attract the eye — with its easy HORACES FARM. 215 swells, undulating outline, and slopes cov^ered with wood, it well merits the title of anicenus, though that was doubtless due to its grateful shade, rather than to its appearance. Ere long you espy, high up beneath the brow of the mountain, a village pushed on a precipitous grey cliff. It is Rocca Giovane, now occupying the site of the ruined temple of Vacuna. " On a conical height in this valley stands the town of Licenza ; while other loftier heights tower behind, from which the village of Civitella, apparently inaccessible, looks down on the valley like an eagle from its eyrie. In the foreground a knoll crested with chestnuts, rising some eighty or hundred feet above the stream, marks the site of the much- sung farm. "This knoll stands at a bend of the stream, or rather at the point where several rivulets unite to form the Digentia. Behind the knoll stood the Farm. Its mosaic pavement, still shown, is black and white, in very simple geometrical figures, and, with the other remains, is quite in harmony with an abode where ' Non ebur neque aureum Mea renidet in domo lacunar; Non trabes Hymettire Premunt columnas ultima recisas Africa. ' "From the poet's description, we learn that his land was little culti- vated : ' Quid, si rubicunda lenique Coma vepres et pruna ferunt ? si quercus et ilex Multa fruge pecus, multa dominum juvat umbra ? ' You may remember, too, that he says of the neighbourhood : — ' Angulus iste feret piper et thus ocyus uva. ' " Tempora matantur, and soils may change also — the cultivation of nineteen centuries has rendered this more fertile ; for vines hang in fes- toons from tree to tree over the site of his abode ; the cornels and sloes iiave in great measure given way to the olive and fig ; and the walnut and Spanish chestnut have taken the place of the oak and ilex. Never- theless the poet's description still holds good of the uncultivated spots in the neighbourhood, which are overrun with brambles and are fragrant with odoriferous herbs ; and until late years the ground was covered with wood — with cere and cjuercie, different kinds of oak, and with scarlet-holm and Spanish ches'.nut. " The Farm is situated on a rising ground, whicli sinks with a gentle 2i6 DAYS NEAR ROME. slope to the stream, leaving a level intervening strip, yellow in the har\-est. In this I recognized the pratum apricum which was in danger of being overflowed. The aprica rura were probably then, as now, sown with com, — purcB riviis aqucB, et segetis lecta fides mecz. Here it must have been that the poet was wont to repose after his meal : prope riimm sommis in herbd ; and here his personal efforts, perhaps, to dam out the stream, provoked his neighbours to a smile — ' Rident vicini glebas et saxa mo vent em.' " Frxmi a Letter by G. Dennis — "Z'f Villa Horatii," — given in Milman^s *' Works of Quintus Horatius Flacacs," Those who are able to encounter rather a rough walk will not be satisfied without trying to reach the spring, which is supposed to be the Fons Blandusiae. " The spring now commonly called the ' Fonte Blandusia ' rises at the head of a narrow glen, which opens into the broader valley of the Digentia just beyond the Farm, and stretches up for two or three miles into the heart of the mountains, dividing Lucretilis from Ustica. This is evidently the reducta vallis, to which Tyndaris was invited ; and is known by the peasants as the ' Valle Rustica,' than which no name could be more appropriate ; though it probably was not conferred with reference to the scenery, but as a corruption of 'Ustica.' Whether Ustica Cubans were a mountain or a valley, or both, as hath been opined, I leave to the critics to determine ; but the mountain on the right of the glen, which contrasts its recumbent form with the steep-browed Lucre- tilis, is still called * Ustica, ' and sometimes ' Rustica, ' by the peasantry. The penultimate, however, is now pronounced short. The streamlet is called ' Le Chiuse ; ' it is the same which flows beneath the villa, and threatens the ^pratum apriciim.' I ascended its course from the Farm, by the path which Horace must have taken to the fountain. It flows over a rocky bed, here overshadowed by dwarf- willows, there by wide- spreading fig-trees, and is flanked by vineyards for some distance. Then all cultivation ceases — the scenery becomes wilder — the path steeper — the valley contracts to a ravine — a bare grey and red rock rises on the right, schistose, rugged, and stern ; another similar cliff rises op- posite, crested with ilex, and overtopt by the dark head of Lucretilis. As I approached the fountain I came to an open grassy spot, where cattle and goats were feeding. ' Tu frigus amabile Fessis vomere tauris Prsebes, et pecori vago.' FONS BLAND USLE. 2 1 7 The spot is exquisitely Arcadian ; no wonder it captivated the poet's fancy. It is now just as it must have met his eye. During the noon- tide heat, tlae vast Lucretilis throws his grateful shade across the glen, ' et igneam Defendit sestatem capellis.' Goats still wander among the underwood, cropping arbutos et thyma which cover the ground in profusion, or frisking amongst the rocks as smooth-faced —levia saxa — as when they reechoed the notes of the poet's pipe. " Crossing the stream by the huge rocks which almost choke its bed, I climbed through brambles and sloes to the fountain. It is a most picturesque spot. Large masses of moss-clad rock lie piled up in the cleft between the hills, and among them the streamlet works its way, overshadowed by hanging woods of ilex, beech, horn-beam, maple, chestnut, nut, and walnut, — which throw so dense a shade, that scarcely a ray of the all-glaring sun can play on the turf below. ' Te flagrantis atrox hora Caniculce Nescit tangere : tu frigus amabile Prtebes.' The water springs from three small holes at the top of a shelving rock of no great height, and glides down into a sandy basin, which it overflows, trickling in a slender thread over the rocks into a small pool, and thence sinking in a mimic cascade into the rugged channel which bears it down the glen. From the rocks which separate the upper from the lower basin of the fountain, springs a moss-grown walnut tree, which stretches its giant limbs over the whole. The water itself merits all that has been said or sung of it ; it is verily splendidior vitro. Nothing — not even the Thracian Hebrus — can exceed it in purity, cool- ness, and sweetness. " Hse latebrse dulces, et jam (si credis) amcense ! ' Well might the poet choose this as a retreat from the fierce noon-tide heat. Here he could lie the live-long day on the soft turf and sing ' ruris amoeni Rivos, et musco circumlita sa.xa, nemusque,' while his goats strayed around, cropping the cyclamen which decks the brink of the fountain, or the wild strawberries and sweet herbs which scent the air around. Here, while all nature below was fainting with the heat, might he enjoy the grateful shade of Lucretilis. Or here might he 2i8 DA YS XEAR 1^0 ME. well sing the praises of the fountain itself, as he listened to its ' babbling waters,' and feasted his eye on the rich union of wood and rock around it. ' Me dicente cavis impositam ilicem Saxis, unde loquaces Lymphte desiliunt tuK.' " Just as it was then, so is it now, — even to the very ilices overhanging the hollow rocks whence it springs. And so exactly, in eveiy particular, dijes this fountain answer to the celebrated Fons, that my faith in its identity is firm and steadfast." — G. Dennis. " On this farm lovers of Horace have been fain to place the fountain of Bandusia, which the poet loved so well, and to which he prophesied, and truly, as the issue has proved, immortality from his song {Ode\\\. 13). Charming as the poem is, there could be no stronger proof of the poet's hold upon the hearts of men of all ages than the enthusiasm with which the very site of the spring has been contested. ' Bandusia' s fount in clearness crystalline O worthy of the wine, the flowers we vow ! To-morrow shall be thine A kid, whose crescent brow ' Is sprouting, all for love and victory In vain ; his warm red blood, so early stirred, Thy gelid stream shall dye, Child of the wanton herd. *Thee the fierce Sirian star, to madness fired, Forbears to touch ; sweet cool thy waters yield To ox with ploughing tired And flocks that range afield. ' Thou too one day shall win proud eminence, 'Mid honoured founts, while I the ilex sing Crowning the cavern, whence Thy babbling wavelets spring.' (C)." Horace, by Theo. Martin. The ascent of ATonte Gawaro may be made from Licenza, but it is better to make it from Tivoli itself, whence a car- riage may be taken to Polo., and horses ordered there. Hence it is a constant ascent over ridsres of hill till we reach MONTE GENNARO. 219 the long upland valley called Val del Paradiso, which is ex- ceedingly beautiful, covered in spring with primroses, crocuses, heartsease, and many of the mountain flowers of Switzerland. Here herds of cattle feed under the shade of the ilexes. The last part of the ascent is very steep and entirely over rock. The view from the top, 3,965 feet above the sea, is magnificent, though many will doubt whether it is sufficiently finer than that from Monte Cavo, to repay tlie fatigue of an excursion which is certainly very long and tiring, though it is exaggerated by the hotel-keepers at Tivoli, and though the start at 3 a.m., which is urged by them, is altogether unne- cessary : 6 or 7 A. M. being quite early enough. It is best to descend by the almost perpendicular stair- case called La Scarpellata, but the steps are very rugged and of course can only be traversed on foot. There is a pleasant ride through meadows from S. Francesco, ascending after- wards by the olive-woods, and coming up to Tivoli by the Madonna del Quintiliolo. We leave a little to the right the low isolated hills called Mojites Corniculaiii (which may be made the object of a separate excursion from Tivoli). Their southern height is occupied by the village of Mouticelli, the next by CoUe Cesi, the northern by S. Angela in Cappoccio. All the villages are ruinous, but contain many pic- turesque bits. S. Angelo is supposed to occupy the site of Coniiculum, which was burnt by Tarquin. The widow of its slain chieftain, Ocrisia, was taken, after the siege, to Rome, where she was delivered of a boy, who was educated in the house of Tarquin, and became King Servius Tullius. Some ancient walls of Cyclopean masonry remain : the interstices between the large stones are filled in with smaller ones. CHAPTER XIV. VELLETRI. (Velletri is a station on the Naples line of railway, one hour and 20 minutes from Rome. The Locanda del Gallo is a comfortable and reasonable hotel. The vetturino Roberto Tasselli, 116 Strada Vittorio Emmanuele, is an honest man, and lets out capital carriages for excursions. A carriage for the day to Cora costs 25 francs, to Ninfa 22 francs, but the price must be settled beforehand. ) VELLETRI is in many respects a much better centre for excursions than Albano, being situated on the rail- way itself, so that tourists are saved the long drive down to the station, which makes excursions from the latter town so fatiguing. Its streets are wide and clean, and the air healthy and invigorating. Like Albano, it has no costumes of its own, but on festas the people flock in from the neighbour- ing villages, and enliven it with their white _pafi?ii and brilliant red and blue bodices. Of the old Volscian city of Velitrce, which once occupied this site and which was so long at war with Rome, there are many scattered traces, and vestiges may be discovered of the vallum and fosse with which the place was surrounded by Coriolanus. But the inhabitants of the Volscian city were removed to Rome, where they became the forefathers of the Trasteverini, and though in imperial times the place had again a certain im- portance, and though Augustus himself is declared by the PALAZZO LANCELLOTTI. 221 natives to have been born there (in contradiction to the account of Suetonius, who expressly states that he was born at Rome, at the sign of the Ox-heads, in the Palatium), the principal existing remains are all mediaeval. From the station a gradual ascent leads into the town, fringed with trees, and with beautiful views of the Volscian range, over the hill-side slopes so rich in the vines which produce the famous wine of Velletri. The extraordinary folly which has affected almost every town in Italy since the change of government, has changed all the old historical appellations of the streets to the meaningless " Corso Cavour, Via Vittorio Emmanuele, Via Garibaldi," &c. One whole side of the principal square is occupied by the fagade of the Palazzo Lancellotti, built by Martino Longhi. The exterior gives no idea of the extreme beauty of the in- terior, which is one of the most remarkable in Italy. On the first floor is an open gallery of immense length, the arcades divided by pillars richly decorated with caryatides. A marble staircase, with open loggias on every landing, ascends to the top of the palace, whence there is a glorious view, and beneath are beautiful gardens extending to the open country. Near the top of the staircase is a very fine statue of Minerva Pudicitia (with its own head, that at the Vatican being an addition) found at Velletri. The palace is nov/ inhabited by Prince Gianetti, who kindly allows it to be shown to strangers, and it is well worth visiting. Opposite the palace rises the beautiful tall detached cam- panile of Santa Maria in Trivio, raised to commemorate the deliverance of the city from the plague in 1348, whilst it was being besieged by Nicola Gaetani, Lord of Fondi. Other old palaces of impoverished nobles abound in the 222 DA YS NEAR ROME. smaller streets, the most remarkable being the Palazzo Filippi, S. Maria in Trivio, Velletri. which is really magnificent, in spite of its desertion and decay. The old palace of the popes, now called Palazzo Commun- ale, built by Giacomo della Porta, occupies the highest part of the town, the citadel of old Velitrse, and beside it stands the palace of the Cardinal- Archbishop, with a bas-relief on its front commemorating the opening of the Via Appia Nuova by Pius IX., and an inscription rather inconsistent with present ideas — " Papalis et imperialis est mihi hbertas." Close to these jmlaces are two little churches, San Michacle and // Santissimo Sangue. Over the door of the latter is an ancient sun-dial— " Horologium Beronianum" — foundinthe neighbouring ruins. In the interior is an inscription recording a miraculous appear- ance of the Virgin, and an altar to an early Christian who has been canonized on the belief that she was a martyr — " Temporalem CATHEDRAL OF VELLETRI. 223 mortem S. Tertura Victorina comemnenscoronam vitaeseternae possidet in pace." By the side is tlie catacomb inscription : — URTURA VICTORINA VAE VIXIT ANNUS XLII III MATRI FECERUNT BENEMERENTI IN PACE. u The Legate's Fountain, Velletri. In the lower part ot' the town is the Cathedral, dedicated 224 ^'i yS NEAR ROME. to S. Clemente, and partly ancient, though altered in 1660. It contains a chapel of the Borgias, who are still one of the great families of the place, with their monuments. On the left of the altar is a beautiful fresco of the Virgin and Child, with St. John, St. Sebastian, St. Jerome, and St. Roch, by an unknown artist of the Perugino school. In the sacristy is the lavainano, which Julius II. presented to the church while he was Cardinal-Archbishop of Velletri. Latino Orsini, to whom the hymn " Dies Irje " is wrongly attributed, but who was one of the most distinguished prelates of the thirteenth century, was also bishop here. We were present on Easter Sunday, when the existing archbishop performed high-mass in the presence of thousands of countrywomen^ kneeling in their white and brown /a/;;//, and the sight was very imposing and impressive. Nothing can be more charming than the environs of Vel- letri in early spring. It is almost the only place near Rome where the trees are allowed to grow at their own will, and are not cut into squares, and the lanes around are delight- fully shady and attractive. Gulfs of verdure with little streams running in their deep hollows may be discovered in all directions, and there are also pleasant walks to many convents and churches on neighbouring heights. Near the Roman gate is the ascent to the Cappucciiii, whence the view is especially fine, the long lines of the Pontine marshes and the beautiful Circean promontory being seen behind the old houses and churches of the town. In this direction is the battle-field where Charles III. of Naples gained the victory over the Austrians which gave the kingdom of the two Sicilies to the Spanish Bourbons. On the Naples road JESUIT CONVENT, VELLETRI. 225 is the Jesuit Convent containing a famous Madonna attri- buted to St. Luke, of which About tells : — "Un hote du Campo-Morto appele Vendetta con9ut le projet d'une speculation hardie. Depuis longtemps, il ran9onnait las gens de Vellctri et des environs. II demandait a ceUu-ci deux ecus, a celui-la dix ou douze. Quiconque avait una recolta sur pied, des arbres charges de fruits, un frere en voyage, payait sans marchander ce singulier impot. Cependant Vendetta finit par prendre an degoiit un metier si lucratif. II reva de rentrer dans la vie normale avec un revenu modeste et un honnete emploi. Pour atteindre ce but, il ne trouva rien de plus in- genieux que de voler la madone de Velletri et de la deposer en lieu siar. " On approchait d'une fete carillonnee ou la madone devait paraitre aux yeux du peuple avec tous ses diamants. Le sacristain ouvrait la niche et constata avec des cris de douleur que la madone n'y etait plus. Grande rumeur dans Velletri. On chercha de tous cotes et Ton ne trouve rien. Le peuple s'emeut ; une certaine effei-vescence se manifeste dans les villages voisins. Le clerge du pays accuse les jesuites de s'etre voles eux-memes; les jesuites recriminent contre les pretres de Velletri. Le convent est envahi, fouille, bouleverse par un public idolatre. Enfin le dimanche, a la grand'messe. Vendetta, arme d'un poignard, monte en chaire et se denonce lui-meme. II prie le peuple d'agreer ses excuses et promet de rendre la madone des qu'il aura, regie ses comptes avec I'autorite. L'autorite traite avec lui de puissance a puissance. Vendetta demande sa grace et celle de son frere, une rente de tant d'ecus et un emploi du gouvernement. On promet tout, mais Rome desavone ses agents et ne veut rien ratifier. Cependant la popu- lation des montagnes se met en marche, et un flot de paysans menace d'inonder Velletri. Le brigand cede au nombre, revele la cachette oCi il a cele la madone, et se rend lui-meme a discretion. II aura la tete coupee; personne n'en doute a Velletri." — Rome Contemporaine. The inhabitants of Velletri were formerly famous for their brigand tendencies : now they are most inoffensive. But a Roman proverb says " Velletrani sette volte villani." IS CHAPTER XV. THE VOLSCIAN HILLS— CORI, NORBA, NINFA, AND SEGNL FOR the excursion to Norba it is quite necessary to make an early start, and can anything be more charm- ing than sLx o'clock on a cloudless morning in April, if, with jingling bells, we drive out of the old town of Velletri and descend into the hollow lanes shaded by fresh green trees and gay with peasants going out in bands to the work of the day. The road winds through dips in the low hills. It is the country which was formerly known as the " Volscorum Ager." We only pass one village, San GiiiUaneUo. A little beyond this, Rocca Massima is seen on the top of a precipice, but travellers may reach it by a good mountain path, if they are anxious to explore the site of the ancient Arx Carven- tana. An excellent road ascends to Cori, which soon be- comes visible, though its temples cannot be seen from here as Murray describes, for they are on the other side of the hill. Through the olives there is a beautiful view across the Pontine marshes to the sea, with the Circean promontory and the neighbouring islands. Of these, the largest is San Felice. Then comes Ponza, whither Tiberius banished his nephew Nero, the son of Germanicus, and where many Christians lived in exile, or suffered martyrdom, under ASCENT TO CORI. 227 Tiberius and Caligula. Lastly we see Pandataria, to which Julia, daughter of Augustus, and then wife of Tiberius, was banished by her father. Hither, too, her beautiful daughter, Agrippina, \vife of Germanicus, was banished by Tiberius, and here she was starved to death. Here also Octavia, the divorced wife of Nero, and daughter of Claudius and Mes- salina, was banished by the Empress Poppsea, who forced her to commit suicide by opening her veins. Thinking of these associations, and stopping to gather honey-suckle — -fiori della Madonna (because it generally flowers in May) — we reach the gates of Cori. We must leave our carriage here, for the streets, chiefly staircases, are too steep for anything but mules and foot passengers. It is best to make our way first to the quaint old inn in the Piazza Romana, to order dinner from the fat, good-tempered land- lady with the silver spadello in her hair, and to get the honest old landlord, Filippo Capobianchi, to provide a guide, which is desirable, if time be of importance, and delivers one from the swarm of would-be cicerones who pounce upon the stranger like so many harpies. The inn at Cori is quite tolerable as a resting-place, but is strangely backward in civilized knowledge. A friend of ours who stayed there was astonished by seeing that the eggs when boiled were always bored through with a very small hole, and, asking the reason, was told that of course it must be so, or they would burst in the boiling ! Virgil and Diodorus speak of Cori as a colony of Alba Longa. Pliny asserts that it was founded by the Trojan Dardanus. It was certainly one of the thirty cities of the Latin League in B.C. 493, and Livy speaks of it as in the enjoyment of municipal rights during the second Punic 228 DA VS NEAR ROME. war. During this war it is mentioned as one of the rebelHous cities which refused to contribute the necessary supplies. It was taken and sacked many years after by one of the wandering bands of Spartacus. Propertius and Lucan describe it as totally ruined. Yet there are few places in the neighbourhood of Rome which have so many or such fine remains of antiquity as Cori. In mounting to the upper town, three distinct tiers of its ancient walls may be traced. The first, in the lower town, built of polygonal blocks, has their interstices filled up Temple of Castor and Pollux, Cori. with smaller stones ; the second, near Santa Oliva, has poly- gonal blocks alone, very carefully fitted ; and the third, at the top of the hill, is still polygonal, but of ruder construc- tion. Behind some wretched houses are two columns still standing, with beautiful Corinthian capitals, a fragment of TEMPLES OF CORI. 229 the Temple of Castor and Pollux, as is proved by still legible inscriptions. Another capital of the same temple is before a house door a little further up the ascent. The adjoining house to this temple is called the Palace of Pilate. On the top of the hill stands the church of S. Pietro, where the font (in the first chapel on the right) is sustained by a sculptured marble altar, adorned with rams' heads. Behind the church is a small garden, where we find entire the beautiful Doric peristyle of the Temple of Minerva, generally known here as Temple of IVIiner\'a, Con. the Temple of Hercules. Eight columns still remain, four in the front. Here the figure of Minerva, which now stands under the Senators' palace on the Roman Capitol, was found. The ruin is most picturesque, and is grandly situated on a terrace. 230 DA VS NEAR ROME. " Whence Cora's sentinels o'erlook The never-ending fen." Raphael made a sketch of it, which is still extant. As we sat to draw here, the children, who were vainly locked out by the Sacristan, and climbed after us over the wall, got pieces of stone for blocks, and sticks for pencils, and imi- tated every line we made. Halfway up the hill is the beautiful old convent of Santa Oliva, whose shrine is in the crypt at Anagni. She was a holy maiden of Cori, to whom the Virgin appeared in 1521. Her cloister, with a double row of arches, is most picturesque, and it contains an old well. The body of the church has a ceiling whose intention is the same as that of the Sistine, re- presenting scenes of Old and New Testament story. In the apse is the Coronation of the Virgin, evidently by a pupil of Pinturicchio ; the donor kneels beneath. The aisle of the church, a lab}Tinth of columns of different sizes and designs, is shown as the Temple of Jupiter. The temples of Cori are all attributed to Sylla. Outside the gate of the town, on the Norba side, is the beautiful bridge called Ponk alia Catena, built of huge masses of tufa, spanning the deep ravine of the Pichionni, and overhung by quaint old houses. Norba and Norma are five long miles from Cori, and can be reached only on foot or on muleback without making an immense detour. A very steep and intensely stony way leads up the hill-side from near the Ponte alia Catena. The olive-gardens beside it are fringed with unld blue iris — gigli the Italians call them, and the gigli, which are the arms of Florence, are represented as iris. The path emerges on the steep of the mountain, and clambers along, \\-ith precipices above and below, amid the wildest NORBA. 231 scenery. All around are grey rocks, uith short grass between, on which the flocks of goats pasture, whose shepherds, clad in goatskins, are the only human beings we meet here. Hawks swoop overhead. It is a vast view over what looks like a boundless plain, for all the undulations and sinuosities of the country are lost to us at this great height. The village which glitters midway between us and the sea is Cis- tema, " the Three Taverns " of St. Paul. At length Sermoneta comes in sight on the top of a precipice, and then Norma. Then the ancient Norba, now often called Civita la Fe?iJia d'Oro, one of the earliest of the Roman colonies, rises on the right. It has been an utter ruin ever since the time of Sylla, when it was betrayed into the hands of his general, Lepidus, and the garrison put themselves and the inhabitants to the sword. It must have been a tremendous fortress, for the walls are seven thousand feet in circuit, and the blocks of which they are built, and on which time has failed to make any impression, are often ten feet ii\ length. The gates may be traced, and an imier series of walls surrounding the citadel, A square enclosure sunk in the earth is surrounded by Cyclopean walls : its object is unknown. Our guide said that when the Deluge occurred it would have failed to make any impression upon Norba — a very ancient city at that time — so strong was it ; but here the rain which fell was made of lead, and the inhabitants, who were giants, were all destroyed, and every house, and all the temples of the ancient religion of that time, and only the walls remained, for they were so strong that not even a leaden deluge could affect them. Hither Ricchi mentions that as late as the beginning of the last century people were wont to use mafrical arts in the search for hidden treasure. 232 DA YS NEAR ROME. Norma and Norba belonged to the Gaetani from 1282 to 1 6 18, when they were sold to Cardinal Scipio Borghese. " From the citadel, the panorama of the Maritima is especially magnificent. One can distinctly trace the whole boundary line of the sea, from Antium (Porto d'Anzio) to the Cape of Circe near Terracina, and still farther off one can distinguish Ostia, Pratica, and Ardea, and many towers rising like solitary obelisks on the sea-shore. These watch towers were built in the ninth century, when the Saracens began to in- vade the coasts of Italy ; and even in the present time the whole of Italy and all the Italian islands are encircled by these picturesque towers. ... A tower gleams on the sea-shore with the dark woods reach- ing down close to it : it is the celebrated castle of Astura. A mile farther on is another tower, Foceverde, so called from the river, flowing from the marshy wooded wilderness into the sea. Farther on is another tower by a great lake, the surface of which shines like molten gold, while round it extends a thick green wood. There a ghostly stillness surrounds the traveller, he stands by the lake as if in a strange world ; and he looks at the osprey circling above ; or at the fisherman, pale with fever, floating on his frail raft ; or at the half-naked leech-seeker, who passes his life there. These are the Tower and Lake of Fogliano, in ancient times Clostra Romana, where Lucullus had a villa. The Nymphreus, that charming stream which we see rushing through the green ring of Ninfa, flows into the lake of Fogliano ; we can trace its course thither, through the whole of the Pontine marsh-land. Farther on, by its side, the Lago de' Monaci is visible, then the Lago di Crapolace ; finally the great lake of Paola, with its tower ; and not far firom this rises the Cape of Circe, almost like an island. ' ' Whoever has not traversed the Pontine marshes by the Via Appia as far as Ten-acina, has the most erroneous idea of their nature, if he only thinks of horrible morasses. There are indeed plenty of marshes and lakes, but they lie hidden in forests and bushes, where the hedge-hog, the stag, the wild boar, the buffalo, and the half wild bull are roaming. In May and June the Pontine land is a sea of flowers, which cover the ground as far as the eye can reach. In summer it is a Tartarus, where pale fever stalks, and torments the poor shepherds and farm-labourers, who have to earn their bread here. " The nearer to the sea, the more forest, and from Norba we see it dis- tinctly stretching to the Cape of Circe. From the mouth of the Tiber the forests of Ostia, of Ardea, of Nettuno, Cistema, and Terracina suc- ceed one another. In the middle of these woods or on their borders lie single farms, principally devoted to breeding cattle, but also to agricul- NORMA. 233 ture ; such are Conca, Campo Morto, Campo Leone, Tor" del Felce, and others. Where the forest leaves off in the interior stretch endless mea- dows, then a firm arable land, and we see distinctly the Appian Way, renewed by Pius VI., traversing the Maritima. Near it is Cisterna, the largest place in the marshes, close to which the Three Taverns stood formerly, and farther on is For' Appio, the ancient Forum Appium. "No century has been able to drain the Pontine marshes. Julius Caesar formed a plan for it, but he died before putting it into execution. The Roman Emperors, so extravagant in buildings of every kind, did nothing for it ; and it is therefore strange enough, that under a barbarian king, inheritor or conqueror of Rome, the great Theodoric, the ruined Appian Way was first restored, and a part of the marshes as far as Terracina drained. The original record of this noble deed of a Goth, may be read at the present day inscribed on two tablets in Terracina. In papal times Sixtus v., a man of practical Roman spirit, was the first to undertake again the draining of the marshes, and more than two centuries later he was followed by Pius VI. This pope restored the Appian Way, dug the great canal alongside, had other canals made, changed part of the marsh into arable land, and thus gained a lasting credit in this part of the Alaritima. " — Gregorovius. A man in scarlet cap and with long curly hair guided us through the high beans which occupied the platform of the ancient city, to the " Grotte di Norba." It is a ruin of later Roman brickwork, covering the entrance to long caves and cellars, but is always shown to strangers as the place where the spirit of Junius Brutus is held imprisoned, waiting for the final judgment, and whence his howls are heard at night mingling with the thunder-storms. Leaving the citadel, and descending slightly on the other side, we soon reach the edge of the precipice towards the marshes, and here, through a jagged rift in the mountain-side, we look upon Norma, perched like an eagle's nest upon the top of tremendous precipices of bare rock. " Immediately beneath us is a ring as of green ivy walls encircling many wonderful mounds, which all seem formed of flowers and ivy. 234 DA YS NEAR ROME. Grey towers rise out of this, ruins all overhung with green, and in the midst of the strange circle we may see a silver spring gushing forth and glowing through the Pontine marshes, ending in a sparkling lake far away by the sea-shore. We ask in astonishment what this curious gar- landed circle is with its many green hillocks, and are told it is Ninfa Ninfa, the Pompeii of the middle ages." — Gregorovius. If '" M View of Norma. Instead of returning the same way, it is best to descend from hence to the valley, clambering down through the broken rock and sliding shale, clinging to the myrtle and Judas bushes, into the depths where, nestling under the hill, NINFA. 235 is Ninfa, almost as entirely a ruin as Norba itsdf. It is an unspeakably quiet scene of sylvan beauty, and there is something unearthly about it which possesses and absorbs every sense. If fairies exist anywhere, surely Ninfa is their capital ; Ninfa, where Flora holds her court, where the only inhabitants are the roses and lilies, and all the thousand flowers which grow so abundantly in the deserted streets, where honeysuckle and jessamine fling their garlands through the windows of every house, and where the very altars of the churches are thrones for the flame-coloured valerian. Outside the walls you would scarcely believe it was a to^wn, so encrusted in verdure is every building, that the houses look like green mounds rising out of the plain. It is as if Nature had built the city for a perpetual Feast of Tabernacles. One tall tower stands near the entrance and watches its reflection Ninfa. in the still waters of a pool white with lilies and fringed with forget-me-not. By the road-side a crystal spring rises 236 DA YS NEAR ROME. in great abundance in a little basin of ancient brickwork, and falls into the pool, where it turns a mill, and a Httle farther on becomes a lake, on which Pliny mentions the floating islands in his time, which were called Saltuares, because they were said to move to the time of dancing feet. An inscrip- tion on the mill tells that it was built by one of the Gaetani, lord of the place, in 1765. The town must have been inhabited then, yet none can tell now the story of its deser- tion. It has belonged to the Gaetani since the thirteenth century, and Pope Alexander III. was consecrated here, September 20, 11 59. From the tower, say the natives of Norma, " la bella Ninfa," who was disobedient to her parents, flung herself -into the pool to evade becoming the sposina of the unsympathetic partita they had chosen for her, and ever since the name of the little city has kept her memory alive. Let it be so, though etymologists suggest the little river Nymphgeus as a godfather. The water-nymphs will avenge all insults by the fever-bearing vapours of their lake. Ninfa can never be rebuilt. Even the shepherds cannot dare to pass the night there. Death, garlanded with flowers, is death still. Gregory I., who built a church here in 12 16, to " St. Mary of the Myrtle-branch, " dedicated it in vain. No sound will ever be heard but the hum of the myriad insects which float amongst the flower-possessed streets and houses, the croaking of the green frogs in the surrounding waters, and the everlasting sighing and rustling of the wind in the tall bulrushes. " Here is Ninfa, the fairy-like ruin of a town, witli its walls, towers, churches, convents, and dwellings half sunk in the marsh, and buried under thickest ivy. Truly this place looks even more charming than Pompeii, for there the houses stare like crumbling mummies, dragged from the volcanic ashes. But over Ninfa waves a balmy sea of flowers ; THE CITY OF FLOWERS. zyj every building, every wall, every church, every house is veiled with ivy, and on all the ruins wave the purple banners of the triumphant god of spring. "It causes an indescribable impression to enter this ivy town, to wander down the grassy, ilowery streets, between the walls where the wind plays in the leaves, and no voice is heard, but the cry of the raven in the tower, the splash of the foaming stream Nymphseus, the rustling of the tall reeds by the pond, and the melodious singing and sighing of the blades of grass all around. " All the streets are filled with flowers, which seem to march in pro- cession to the ruined churches. They climb on every tower, they lie laughing and smiling in all the desolate windows, they barricade every door, for within the houses reside elves, fairies, water-nymphs, and a thousand charming spirits of the fable world. Yellow marigolds, mallows, sweet narcissus ; grey-bearded thistles who once dwelt here as monks ; white lilies, who were nuns in their lifetime ; wild roses, laurestinus, masticks, tall ferns, wreaths of clematis and bramble ; the red fox-gloves, which look like enchanted Saracens ; the fantastic caper- plant growing in the clefts of the buildings, the sweet wall-flower, the myrtle, and the fragrant mint ; brilliant yellow broom, and dark ivy which creeps over all the ruins, and falls over the walls like green cascades, — yes, one may fling oneself into this sea of flowers, quite intoxicated by the perfume, and the most charming fairy power enchains the soul. " The walls of the town are still standing and encircle it like a great ring, but they are everywhere covered thickly with ivy, and only here and there peeps out a crumbling pinnacle on a square ruined tower. The gates of the town are no less barred and barricaded by the wild vine, the ivy, and the bramble, as if the flowers in Ninfa feared some enemy who wanted to break in upon them, as fonnerly the Saracen, or the soldiers of Barbarossa, or of the Duke of Alba, and the Colonna. They have entrenched themselves behind these ivy walls ; perhaps it may be the swarms of meteors, or will-o'-the-wisps from the Pontine marshes, who by night besiege or storm this enchanted town to carry off the flower spirits into the marshes. "Many squares and many streets are still standing, with their ruined houses covered with an ivy web, many palaces of a half-gothic archi- tecture, once the dwellings of rich nobles. The churches, the ruins of four or five of which remain, look very strange. I never saw such fan- tastic ruins ; but how can one describe them in words ? How shall I depict such a brown shattered bell tower, with round windows, or win- dows divided by small pillars, with its frieze of the middle ages formed of sharp-pointed tiles, and with its romantic decorations of ivy 238 DA YS NEAR ROME. and flowers waving in the wind ? or how shall I picture the ruins of the arched niches, or the nave of the church, all overhung with tapestries of flowers ? "These churches are old, they belong to the eleventh or twelfth cen- tury if they are not of a still earlier date, for they are built in the simple basilica style. In their deserted space the flowers worship now, and the censers are swung by the bacchanalian roses. From the walls, or per- haps from an ivy-hung tribune, some old fresco paintings still look down. They represent early Christians with palms in their hands, and instruments of martyrdom by their side. With faded nimbi on their pale foreheads, in golden dalmatica, with stole upon their shoulders, they look down morosely from behind their veils of flowers, and seem shocked by the heathen rites which the children of Flora are daring to celebrate in these deserted churches. "The beetle hums continually his romance of summer, and the cricket chii-ps incessantly her Anacreontic love-songs. The flowers and beetles yield up these temples no more. A complaint was once brought to S. Bernard that countless swarms of flies had taken possession of a church which was just about to be consecrated, and would not leave it : ' I ex- communicate them, ' said he ; and behold, when the messengers returned to the church all the flies lay dead. But a saintly exorcist would hardly succeed in excommunicating the flowers from the churches of Ninfa, and though the painted martyrs look angry, the ivy is already creeping up and will soon have entirely veiled and walled them in. Of many there is now nothing more visible than the hem of a robe, and the name in old Roman characters : — S. Xystus or vS. Cesarius and S. Laurentius. I went into the last of these churches — what a sight ! The original mosaic of the pavement with its arabesques and circles or squares seemed now to be imitated by living flowers, and from the shrine where the bones of the saint once lay the Indian vine waves joyously ■with its bluish red berries. "Here also the counterpart of Pompeii is not wanting. As there the classic age expresses itself decidedly in the bright frescoes, so in Ninfa the Christian epoch of humanity speaks from the paintings on the walls of the ruins. There they are the attractive forms of life and pleasure : Cupids fishing in the pool, dancing satyrs, crickets driving a little chariot, hovering Bacchantes clashing c)mibals, or holding in their hands a mysterious casket, or bearing juicy figs upon a dish, but in the Pom- peii of the middle ages the frescoes only represent death and woe. Instead of those cheerful pictures, we find here the melancholy figures of the catacombs, the mythic gods of suffering and martyrdom, in the flames, NINFA AND THE NYMPH^US. 239 on ♦.he cross, or kneeling with folded hands before the executioner who stands with uplifted sword. "Is it not time that all these martyrs, saints, and decaying crucifixes were buried in flowers ? Here Nature strews them plentifully on the graves of the unfortunate penitents and monks, and of all those who in the time of dark superstition scourged and tortured themselves — would that catholic humanity might imitate her, and give to the dead peace and a grave of flowers ! " At the entrance to Ninfa still stands the castle, once the seat of the barons in whose dungeons the victims of feudalism languished. High rises the square tower, built as strongly of bricks as the Torre delle Milizie in Rome, and it seems to belong to the same period. It stands close to a pool, which lies here like a Stygian marsh at the entrance to the city of the dead. Tall reeds surround it. It is a mythic spot, as if from the shadow-world of Eneas or Ulysses. The gloomy tower and other ruins fling their trembling reflection across the still water of the marsh. The reeds rustle sadly. Sometimes the sobbing voice of a water-hen is heard, like the souls of the departed, who dwell in this Hades and yearn after the upper existence. I sit on ruins and look into this green spirit world, then up to the blue entrancing mountains, on which stand the cyclopean stones of Norba and its citadel, then over the Pontine marshes to the sea in the sunshine of evening, whence rises the glittering Circean mount. Can the enchantress Circe have left her castle there ? Does she now dwell in Ninfa ? Has she become the ivy-queen ? There is so much ivy here, it seemed to me as if this Ninfa must be the ivy store-house of Italy, and as if the ivy spirits of history supplied all the ruins of this noble country with creepers from this place. " One must sit here when the evening floods eveiy ruin of these ivy halls first with purple, and then with gold, and steeps mountains, and sea, and the Cape of Circe in unspeakable richness of colour — but I will not speak of it, or describe how this fairy land appears, so soon as the moon shines on it. " Out of the pool rushes the spring Nymphteus. It appears to take its rise here, and suddenly brings a startling contrast of young, noisy life into this green grave-world. For with the stormy force of a mountain torrent it dashes past the ruins, as if urged on by demons, as if winged, as if trying to escape from the deathly grasp of the ivy, and it looks like a living creature, as, sparkling and foaming, it flees across the Pontine marsh towards the sea. " Near the pool it turns a mill, which has been erected in a building of the middle ages, for part of this liouse keeps still its pillared gothic- 240 DA YS NEAR ROME. roman windows. They say that there stood in olden times, by the spring and the lake, a temple of the Nymphs, from which the town took its name, and on the site of that Nymphseum the church of St. Michael was built. In the year 1216 Ugolino Conti founded here the church of S. Maria del Mirteto — of the myrtle-grove. "But the history of Ninfa is all very obscure. In the 12th century the Frangipani possessed this town. At the end of the 13th century the race of Gaetani got possession of Ninfa, and the descendants of that famous house retain it to this day. The archives of the family in Rome preserve many records which show how Pietro Gaetani, nephew of Boniface VIII., Lateran Count Palatine and Count of Caserta, gradually bought up the houses and possessions of Ninfa. I found there no deeds of the 15th century. But an old record of 22 Feb., 1349, is inscribed on the now ruined baronial castle. It runs thus : Actum Nimphe in scalis palatii Rocce Nimphe presente Nicolao Cillone Vicario Sculcule." — Gregorovius. Evening closed in upon us at Ninfa ; the low houses turned purple against the sunset, and the lake became like molten gold. We hurried away from the fever. It was too late to ascend the mountain way again with its unguarded pre- cipices, but another path led us along the foot of the hills through the low-lying moorlands — parched and ugly at mid- day, but beautiful in the soft twilight, when each arum and thistle, thickly diamonded with dew, sparkled and glittered in the last gleams, and the figures of our party on their mules stood out dark against the soft after-glow. And then, as the bells of Cori were ringing the last strokes of the Ave Maria, which serves as the summons for the peasants of the Campagna to save themselves from the malaria in their high mountain homes, we wound up to the town through the ancient olive-groves, the most solemn thing in nature, and looked down through the gnarled stems over the vast marshes to the great Circean promontory engraven in black upon a flaming sky. From Cori a mountain road, which is described as most ASCENT TO SEGNI. 241 .beautiful, leads through the Volscian forests to Segni. We took the railway thither from Ferentino. The station is at the bottom of the mountain called Monte Lepini, while the town is at the top, and we had the discomfort of finding that no omnibus met the train from the south, and having to wait until the great heat of the April day was over before Ave could walk up. However, we employed the time in sketching two fine old castles near the railway, one of them, Colleferro, now turned into farm-buildings, being especially picturesque, its front formed by deeply recessed arches. The ascent to Segni is most wild and rugged, and the road wound along the mountain edge without any para- pet beyond a fringe of Judas bushes just bursting into bloom to be ready for the Good Friday close at hand, and with tremendous precipices below, rather alarming in a carriage. Segni was the ancient Signia, colonized by Tarquinius Su- perbus as a restraint upon the inhabitants of the Volsciaii and Hernican hills, and it is said that the name is derived from the number of standards which he saw raised by the inhabitants in his behalf against the people of Gabii. The town is mentioned in the " Captives " of Plautus, where the parasite and epicure Ergasilus swears in turn by Cora, Prgeneste, Signia, Phrysinone, and Alatrium, and explains, when asked by his host Hegio why he swears by foreign cities, that they are just as disagreeable as the dinner he is about to receive from him. Strabo and Pliny mention the peculiar wine of Signia, as well as several of the poets : " Quos Cora, quos spumans immiti Signia niusto, Et quo.s pestifera Pomptini uiigiue campi." Sil. Ilal. viii. 380. VOL. I. 16 242 DA YS NEAR ROME. " Potabis liquidum Signina morantia ventrem ; Ne nimium sistant, sit tua parca sitis." Martial, xiii. Ep. Io6.. In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, when the popes sought safety in the strongest towns of the Campagna, Segni was frequently their residence. Eugenius III. fled hither from the Roman Senate, and built a papal palace, in 1 1 45; and here Alexander III., Lucius III., and Innocent III. passed a considerable portion of their reigns in se- curity. Segni was long a fief of the great family of Conti, to which so many of the popes belonged, and it disputes with Anagni the honour of having been the birthplace of Innocent III. In 1353 the head of the house of Conti was Podesta, and afterwards Vicar in the name of the Pope. After the Conti had died out, and Segni had passed into the hands of Mario Sforza, Sixtus V. created it a Duchy. On the 13th of August, 1557, the place was taken and almost totally destroyed by the Duke of Alba, and it is owing to this that so few gothic buildings remain. The town was re- built, and was given as a duchy by Urban VIII. to his nephew. Cardinal Antonio Barberini. A long lawsuit which followed between the Barberini and the Sforza, the former lords of Segni, was only decided at the end of the last cen- tury in honour of the Sforza-Cesarini, who are still Dukes of Segni. The town is surrounded on all sides by steep rocks, except where a passeggiata bordered by trees, with splendid views of valley and mountains, leads to the one gate, the Porta Maggiore. This gate rests against the Cyclopean walls, and over it are the remains of the baronial castle of the Conti, in which, as in many other buildings here, the WALLS OF SEGNT. 243 curious style of construction may be ol)served, which is frequently spoken of in old documents about other places as " Signino opere," and which consists of alternate layers of bricks and the dark lime-stone of the country. All those who visit Segni should turn at once to the right after entering the gate (there is a poor inn where a tolerable meal may be obtained), and make the circuit of the Pelasgic walls which give the place its chief interest. They are formed by masses of rock jammed into one another, and though of no great height, almost surround the existing town, and are among the most extensive in Italy. In some places they are most picturesque, especially where a tall cross crowns the huge pile of stones, and stands out against the vast expanse of distance, for you look across the great i'niin ihe Walls of St^iii. depths to billow upon l)illow of purple Hernican hills, and 244 BA YS NEAR ROME. beyond these upon all the ranges of the Abnizzi, still, in April, covered with snow. The church of S. Pietro, built quite at the end of the fortifications, is another striking point. " When I reached this spot where the cyclopean citadel of the Vol- scians stood in hoary antiquity on the lofty heights, the magnificence of the situation took me by surprise ; it reminded me of the Acropolis of some Sicilian mountain town. Here, on a height overlooking all Latium, stood the citadel and temple of ancient Signia, of which but few vestiges remain, among them a large circular cistern near the Seminary. The townspeople have here one of their favourite promenades ; they walk about there on the cyclopean walls of the highest plateaux of the mountain, as if round a great stone table, among the grey blocks of stone overgrown with moss and wild flowers. One can imagine nothing more original than this promenade in the cloud-region, amid this grand rock scenery. Among the promenaders I saw, as it was a Sunday, many a gaily decked young lady in silk attire parading up and down, while, immediately below, the mountain fell sheer away in a precipice, and Latium lay extended below. The eye reaches over a wide-spread picture of provinces with their innumerable mountains and cities, each of which is full of its own historical or mythical memories. For the pano- rama extends from Rome, visible in the plain, to Aipino, Cicero's paternal city, which stands out among the far blue mountains of the Neapolitan kingdom. " The air up here is fresh, almost sharp. The brown grasses on the masses of rock, the wild roses, and the golden broom wave to and fro in it. The very spirit of antiquity and of the primaeval wilderness, of a great, mighty, pre-historic age, seems to brood on these storm-worn cyclopean stones. " I scrambled further over the rocks, to reach the famous cyclopean walls. As in all the Latin cities, their long lines girdle the actual Arx or citadel, and sink away sheer down the precipice. The arrangement of their unhewn stones is as perfectly preserved as if the builder had been at work but yesterday : here and there they are pierced by a small door of Etruscan appearance. At the end of one great line of v.'all there still stands the great cyclopean gate, in use at the present day. It is built of massive, almost square blocks, in such a manner that the two side walls lean towards each other till the angle is cut off by the stone which forms the lintel. "The hugeness of these grey walls, v/eathcr-stained by thousands of CATHEDRAL OF SEGNL t.a,'-, years, the wild growth of plants clinging to them, the mighty strength oi the mountain on which the giant fabric rests, and the grandeur of nature which surrounds it, all combine to bring the mind into a state of feeling impossible to describe. " When I had passed through that gate, the rocky path led me deep down the other side of the wall of mountain, so that the view of Latium was lost. Below I found another and far larger circular cistern hewn in the rock, of at least 30 feet in diameter. In its broad rocky margin many basins are scooped out, in which the women of Segni still do their wasli- ing. In all the Volscian towns I have found such ancient and perfectly presei-ved cisterns : they seem to be peculiar to that neighbourhood, as I do not I'emember ever to have met with them elsewhere in Latium of this size and shape." — Gregorovius. The streets of Segni have little interest. In its piazza is the modernized Cathedral, having few memorials of a bishopric which dates from 499. It contains however two remarkable statues — one is that of St. Vitalian, a native of Segni, Pope from 657 to 672, the feeble though canonized pontiff who received the Emperor Constans II. at Eome, and allowed him to carry off to Constantinople so many of its treasures, including the bronze roof of the Pantheon. Nevertheless he deserves honour for having been in some respects, with Wilfrid, the apostle of England, and, having been the Pope who sent the Greek Archbishop Theodore to Canterbury. The statue was placed here in 1721, and taken from the image on his coins. Its inscription ends : " Signia gave me to Rome : Rome gave me the tiara. Signia divides with Rome the honours of my rule." " The other statue, also of indifferent execution, stands opposite that of St. Vitalian. Bruno, a native of Asti, in Piedmont, came to Rome, recommended to Gregory VII., and was afterwards made Bishop of Segni by Urban II. In defiance of the Canon, he abandoned his epis- copal seat and went to Monte Cassino, where the Abbot Oderisius received him among the Benedictines. Although Pascal II. ordered the truant to return to his diocese, he remained at Monte Cassino, was 246 DA VS NEAR ROME. there chosen Abbot, and in tlie lei>>ure of the cloister composed his exegetical writings. " Not long after, Bruno played a part at Rome. It is well known that in the sequel of the strife about investiture. Pope Pascal was taken prisoner by the Emperor Henry V., and compelled to issue a Bull by which he yielded to the Emperor the contested right of spiritual investi- ture. After his release, when Henry had returned to Germany, Cardi- nals and Bishops beset Pascal with entreaties to revoke the Bull thus wrung from him, and to break his oath ; among these fanatics the most zealous was Bruno. His vehemence angered Pascal, who thereupon forbade him to be at the same time Bishop and Abbot. So Bruno laid down his office at Monte Cassino, and returned to Segni, where he died in 1 123. He was canonized in 1 183. " It was Lord Ellis, also both Abbot of Monte Cassino and Bishop of Segni, who raised this monument to his predecessor. But the Church of Segni has another and more remarkable connection with distant England ; for it was in a synod of bishops of the Campagna held here in 1 1 73, that Thomas a Becket was canonized shortly after his murder. This is recorded by an inscription in the Cathedral. "Lord Ellis became Bishop of Segni in 1708. He restored the Cathedral, and bequeathed to the town a seminary, its best memorial of him. Pupils come to it from all parts of Latium ; they wear a priestly garb, although not necessarily intended for Holy Orders. The seminary stands near the Church of St. Pietro."— Gregorcyvius. Nothing can be more kind than the reception which the inhabitants of Segni give to strangers. The women here wear a different costume to those in the towns on the other side of the valley. They have wo J'aiuii, but a large silver bodkin fastens up their hair, and their bodices, usually green, are laced behind instead of in front. Almost all the natives are proprietors in the country on a very small scale, and though little can be grown in these lofty uplands, the vineyards, oliveyards, and fruit-gardens are very productive. The most excellent cherries and peaches abound ; and the woods supply chestnuts for a coarse bread which is con- sidered very nourishing, and abundant acorns for the main- tenance of the black pigs which are fed here in vast numbers. EVENING AT SEGNL 247 It is most amusing to see the return of the country-people at sunset when they return home from their fields, thousands The Inhabitants of Segni returning from the Country. at a time, streaming along the terrace in front of the gateway, and up the steep streets into the upper town, each accom- panied by his domestic animals — his donkeys, his goats, or his pet pigs, which come frisking behind their masters in the most diverting manner, for all share their homes with them. Then the Avhole street is blocked up for a time, and the cries, the shouts, the braying, the barking, and, above all, the squeaking and grunting, baffle all description. CHAPTER XVI. THE HERNICAN HILLS— FERENTINO, ALATRI, AND ANAGNL HIS is one of the most inter- esting excursions near Rome, and is perhaps the one which is least known, though it is now rendered very easy by the rail- way. To accomplish it, one must leave Rome by the first train at eight a.m., and it must be remembered, that that train alone is met by the omnibus from Segni, Anagni, Ferentino, and other places on the route, but distant several miles from the At Ferentino. railway ; and that if any other train is chosen, the traveller will find himself deposited at a small country station in a desolate district, without any further means of progress. For the same reason it will be best to visit the nearest places first, taking up the same train at the different stations. Any one who is delicate about food, had better take it with them from Rome, or at any rate some tea and coffee. Meat can scarcely ever be obtained in the mountain towns, but eggs. EARLY MORNING IN THE CAMPAGNA. 249 goats' milk, and excellent coarse bread are always to be found there, and often macaroni also, with the thin sour wine of the hill districts. The inns are mere taverns, often approached by filthy alleys, but the people are always civil, the linen clean, and the beds sufficiently comfortable to be appreciated by a tired traveller, whose appetite, strengthened by the fresh mountain air, will also be quite ready for the humble fare of the place. The charges are those of an Italy unspoilt by English and Americans ; one franc for bed, two francs for dinner, and forty centimes for breakfast, are not unusual prices. It is quite unnecessary to bargain, and will only create surprise and discomfort. Those who have not been accustomed to it in Rome, will learn on this excursion how much beauty and pleasure are lost by want of early rising. The most delicate hues and shadows do not last for many hours after sunrise. When we have emerged from the unfinished station, and traversed the vineyards and kitchen-gardens within the walls of Rome, we are astonished by the colouring of the pale pink precipices in the familiar range of the Sabina, as they melt into a silver haze. Here and there a projecting cliff can be distinguished, in the rest all form is lost in colour; Monticelli and S. Angelo glitter on their hill-tops, and the long flat lines of the Campagna are tinged with peacock hues, as the blue cloud-shadows flit across them. In the foreground the rank vegetation of thistles, marigolds, and lupins, grows together so vigorously, that you seem to see them sucking their strong life out of the rich brown earth. On the other side, we have first the striding aqueducts, tinged on their inner edge by the dazzling sunlight, and then the long line of ruined tombs, which traces out the Appian Way against the low-lying 250 DA YS NEAR ROME. horizon. Soon the train rushes across the sepulchral road of so many memories, and over the stones which we know were once trodden by the sandalled feet of St. Paul, — and so into the upland, to olive-gardens, whose silvery stems glisten against the brilliant green of the young corn, to dark cypress groves and pine-trees on the edge of terraced villas, and to fields divided by hedges of the graceful Spina Christi, the hallowed plant, said to have been brought to Italy by the returning crusaders, and to have come from the seed of the tree on Calvary, whence the sacred crown was woven. Thus we wind round the base of the green slopes encircling Monte Cavo, from which Castel Gandolfo looks down upon the Alban lake, and reach the station of Albano. Beyond this, upon the right, we overlook a plain historical with the sites of Pratica, Ardea, Antium, and Astura, to a wide expanse of blue sea. On the left Civita Lavinia rises with its tower on a fortified height ; then Velletri with its orange roofs and wooded hills riven into gulfs of verdure ; and then we enter a wilder and less wooded country, the valley of the Sacco — a plain alternately narrow and wide ; a very definite plain indeed, closed in by the Hernican hills on one side, and the Volscian mountains on the other, which rise abruptly out of it with rocky buttresses. An omnibus met us at the Fe e?itino station, and took us the three miles up into the town, through a country where the most remarkable feature was the faggots, stacked high up in the maple-trees, pollarded for the purpose. We found tolerable rooms at the little inn, and almost immediately set off in the omnibus again for Alairi. It is a long drive (much longer than Murray describes) of about two hours ; you skirt the base of the Hernican mountains, and cross many running streams : ALATRI. 251 " Roscida rivis Hernica Saxacolunt." AL)i. vii. 683. You are beginning to wonder where Alatri can be, when you see its huge Cyclopean walls rising against the sky at the end of a valley upon the left, and forming a terrace fit for Titans to walk upon, an architectural Stonehenge. The modern road winds into the town by a gradual ascent. The ancient approach is the earliest instance of a cordonnata, a hill-side broken by steps, such as the approach to the Roman Capitol. The streets are full of mediaeval houses, with gothic windows and loggias ; and the two ancient churches have each a fine rose-window in the west front. But tower- ing high above the buildings of all later ages are the Cyclo- pean walls of the Pelasgic city, forming a quadrangle, and quite perfect, as if they were finished yesterday : for though the stones are fitted together without cement, each is like a mass of rock, and the arched form of their fitting adds to their firmness. One of the ancient gates remains under a single horizontal stone measuring eighteen feet by nine. The figure of the Pelasgic god Priapus is repeatedly sculp- tured on the walls, and it has long been a semi-religious custom for the inhabitants to go out eti masse to mutilate it on Easter Monday. The place is mentioned by Plautus, under the Greek form csXaT^iov. Strabo calls it AAtVpioj'. " Alatri, like Ferentino, was surrounded with walls, but the circle round the town has been almost entirely destroyed, and only the walls of the citadel remain, an astonishing monument of that period of civiliza- tion, and without parallel amongst the towns of Latium, so that to see so wonderful, so unparalleled a work, which may be compared with the buildings of Egypt, is well worth a fatiguing day's journey. "The old citadel of Alatri (it is now called ' Civita'— the town, by itself) occupies the highest point in the place, and is now the site of the cathedral, for here, as at Ferentino, the bishopric has nestled within the 2 52 DAYS NEAR ROME. old forfress. And this hill, on the broad flat surface of which is the cathedral, is surrounded, supported, and surmounted by Cyclopean walls reaching to a height of from eighty to a hundred feet. When I saw and I walked round these constructions, of black Titanic stone- work, to which the eye looks up with astonishment, so well preserved that they seem as if their age might be reckoned not by thousands of years but by years, I was impelled to much greater admiration of human pov/er than the sight of the Coliseum of Rome had inspired. For in times of advanced civilization, with many complete mechanical ap- pliances, amphitheatres or public baths like those of Caracalla or Constantine might be piled up, without imputing anything extraordinary to the strength of man ; and even the walls of Dionysius of Syracuse, the grandest of such creations which I had yet seen, do not make an equal impression. But here we see before us walls, each stone of which is not ? huge square but a block of irregular shape, many-sided, hewn out of the rock ; and if we ask in wonder by what mechanical means such huge masses of rock could be lifted up and piled one upon another, still less can we understand how it was possible to arrange the many- cornered blocks so artistically that they fit into one another exactly without leaving spaces to be filled up, and form a complete gigantic mosaic . "Tradition ascribes this species of ancient Latin buildings to the time of Saturn, and so places them altogether before the time of historical civilization ; but scientific research, which occupies itself so much with Indo-Germanic and Pelasgic races in Italy, is forced to confess that it knows nothing of the nations which piled up these works. Their ap- pearance shows that the race of men which built such walls must have possessed already a considerable material civilization and well-iirdered political arrangements. As these Cyclopean towns are found near one another, and scattered over the whole of Latium, it follows that in this country a great number of independent republics or states were estab- lished in very ancient times, whose connection with one another we do not know. But such immense fortifications imply constant war between the different towns, and particularly a predatory, unsafe, and isolated state of life. To bring the strength of the men into a suitable propor- tion to the colossal dimensions of the works, one must imagine those who erected them, or who came as enemies to storm them, to have been regular giants. But these erections only point to that colossal period with which the civilization of men in all nations and in all parts of the world begins, till it gradually rises from the materially sublime to the representation of things pleasing and beautiful, which more perfect means render possible. Altogether these Cyclopean works should not CITADEL OF ALATRI. 253 be placed in too dark a time ; perhaps some of them may have been built in Latium after Rome was founded, and the step from tliis many- cornered style of building to the hardly less colossal square stone walls of the Etruscans and Romans is by no means a long one. "Out of the walls of this Capitol of the ancient Alatri led a principal gate which exists still, an enormous erection made of horizontal stones ; besides this there is also a smaller entrance, and three square niches in the south wall lead to the conclusion that images of gods may have been set up there, while at the same time Cyclopean remains in the middle of the castle may with some probability be held to be the public altar on which festive sacrifices were offered. "Till the year 1843 these walls were half buried under ruins and creepers, and no road led round them. A visit of Gregory XVI. in- spired the Alatrians with the happy thought of cleaning and clearing out such unparalleled monuments of the remotest antiquity ; so 2000 men worked for ten days at removing the rubbish, and thus the Acropolis was not only laid bare again but surrounded with a road called Via Gregoriana, by which one can walk round it comfortably. Then too the great gate was dug out, and the ascent to the plateau re-opened. This broad flat space is only surrounded by a stone bulwark, which rises above the Cyclopean wall, and as it contains no building but the cathe- dral, it admits a most charming view of the mountain scenery. And indeed the beautiful surroundings make such an enchanting picture, that I will not attempt to describe it in words, or even to indicate the lines of the mountains which rise from Elysism fields to the sunny blue above. In the perfect stillness and indeed deserted condition of this strange scene of remote civilization, the impression of the sublime is doubly effective. ' ' — Gregorovius. Within the precincts of the Pelasgic fortress stands the Cathedral. It only dates from the last century, though the see was created in a.d. 551 ; but it is a conspicuous feature in all distant views of the town. A finer church is that of S. Maria Alaggiore, which has three gothic portals in its west front, and a fine rose-window above them. The mouldings are richly ornamented with acanthus. It had formerly two towers, but only one remains. The interior is com- pletely modernized. From the heights overhanging the C}'clopean walls are wild views over the Volscian and 254 DA YS NEAR ROME. Hernican hills, the most prominent feature being a bare mountain, crowned by a little town and a grove of cypresses. This is Fumone, the scene of the imprisonment and death of the abdicated hermit- Pope, Celestine V., immured here by. the jealousy of his successor, Boniface VIII., though the next Pope, Clement V., enrolled him amongst the saints. In old days Fumone was carefully watched, for its lord had feudal rights over all the surrounding country, and, when he wished to summon his vassals, either in defence or attack, he lighted a bonfire on his hill-top, whence the proverb, — " Quando Fumone fuma, tutta la campagna trema." The Cyclopean Gate of Alatri. people of Alatri are magnificently handsome, and as the women come down the steep stairs under the great gateway, FROM ALATRl TO FERENTINO. 255 with their flowing veils, their rich costume, and their gleam- ing brass co7iche poised upon their stately heads, they are wonderfully in keeping with the scene. The drive back from Alatri to Ferentino in the gloaming of one of the most beautiful days in the beginning of April, gave us a perfect succession of charming pictures, not only of landscape — though that was beautiful exceedingly in the still late light — but of herdsmen in their closely-fitting blue dress, with their guiding-poles over their shoulders, following great grey oxen down the hollow ways between the red earth and bright young grass, and singing as they went ; and of women Inn at Ferentino. in white dresses, with snow-white parmi folded over their dark hair, large gold earrings, and embroidered aprons, sometimes coming up from wayside fountains with the great brazen vessels of water, which one sees here everywhere, 256 DA YS NEAR ROME. poised upon their heads, like beautiful Greek Caryatides. And our evening was a perfectly Italian one — seated in the brick-floored, wall-painted room, lighted by Italian lamps with three burners and hanging chains, and waited on by a gaily-jevv-elled hostess, who had nothing to offer but eggs and salad. Another beautiful morning found us quite rested, and up at six to enjoy the early light glinting through the old olive- trees under our window, and the distant views of rosy peaks fading fainter into a misty plain. Then we set off to explore the town, the ancient Ferentinum, up the steep dark street, all balconies, and loggias, and Gothic windows, with plenty of dirt beneath, and only a strip of opal sky lighting it up at the end. On the steepest part of the hill is the Church of St Valentine, with a very curious porch, whose canopy is formed by a projecting apse. A little further is S. Francesco, with strange bas-reliefs in its little fore-court. Hence the Via deir Antico Acropole, a street full of long steep staircases, beloved by artists, leads up to a terrace under Cyclopean walls of huge stones, something like those of Alatri. The dark passage caverned under these walls emerges close to the Dnomo (SS. Giovanni e Paolo), which, externally, has much of its Lombard architecture remaining ; and, within, a splendid opus-alexandrinum pavement, mended with frag- ments of sculptured marble-work, and a glorious twisted mosaic pillar nearly the whole height of the church, secured against the wall by iron clamps. Behind the church is the bishop's palace, with a stately old staircase guarded by marble lions. A crowded street, where old women, like the Fates of Michael Angelo, sit spinning in their doorways, surrounded FERENTINO. 257 by their domestic circles of goats, cats, dogs, and pigs, all joining vociferously in the conversation, leads to the lower Bishop's Staircase, Ferentino. town. The stone used as the font in the little church of St Giovanni Evangelista has an inscription from the inhabitants of Ferentinum to Cornelia Salonina, wife of the " unconquered Gallienus." From the piazza, where a number of Roman altars are collected, we have a magnificent view over moun- tain and plain. Hence, also, one may learn, by looking down, to find one's way through the intricate maze of filthy alleys, many of which have such stately names as Via dell' Atreo, Vicolo dei Bagni de Flavio, Vicolo del Calidario, &c., to the finest of the churches, Sta. Maria Maggiore, which, in its beautiful west front, has a door with detached red marble columns banded together, and above it the VOL. I. 17 258 DA YS NEAR ROME. emblems of the Evangelists on either side of the Lamb of God, and a grand rose window. S. Maria Maggiore, Ferentino. Old Italian histories assert that S. Maria Salome, the reputed mother of S. John the Evangelist, was buried at Ferentino, "as is attested by the archives in the cathedral of Veroli." Near the gate close to this church an inscription hewn in the solid rock records the erection of a statue by the grateful people of Ferentinum to Quinctilius Priscus, who, amongst other largesses, gave them cnistula and mulsum (cakes and mead) upon his birth-day, with sportulce (presents of money) for the decurions, and niccuin sparsiones (scrambles of nuts) for the boys. ' ' The pride of Ferentino, amongst its antiquities, is the so-called ' Testament.' With difficulty I climbed over rocks and through the brambles in a vineyard to reach this curiosity, and at last I saw before me a gi-eat table hewn in the living rock. A long inscription in well- cut characters tells here that Aulus Quinctilius, Quatuorvir and Jidile, was the benefactor of his native town, bequeathing to it all his property by will, for which the town gratefully honoured him by placing his statue publicly on the Forum." — Grcgorovius. Another public carriage met us at the station for Anagni, ANAGNI. 259 the ancient Anagnia, the capital of the Hernicans, and one of the five Saturnian cities whose names begin with the first letters of the alphabet — Anagni, Alatri, Arpino, Area, and Atino. The town clings to terraces on the bare side of the Hernican hills, with the most splendid views in every direction. Its streets perfectly abound in quaint archi- tectural fragments, griffins, lions, open loggias, outside stair- cases, trefoiled windows, and great arched doorways, and still remind one of the expression " municipium ornatissi- mum," which Cicero, in his defence of Milo, applies to this town. Virgil also speaks of its riches : — " Quos, dives Anagnia, pascis." The centre of life here, as in all the mountain towns, is the piazza, where groups of brilliantly-dressed peasants, the women all wearing /rt-;;;// again, stand gossipping round the fountain, poising their brazen conche meanwhile upon its marble ledges. The men lie basking in the sunshine along the stone ledges of the terrace, for here only three sides of the piazza are surrounded with houses, the fourth is open towards the valley and the mountains. " From this piazza the view is so beautiful, that it enchants even those who have seen all Italy from the Alps to the African and Ionian sea. Immediately opposite rise the Volscian hills, whose sunny heights are so distinctly seen that the windows in the houses can be distinguished. Everywhere Volscian towns catch the eye, as they follow one another along the hills. Monte Fortino, the celebrated Segni, Gavignano, Rocca Gorga, Scurgola ; then Morolo, Supino, Patrica, behind which the tall pyramid of Monte Cacume rises blue and beautiful. Further still are peak after peak ; then more towns ; here Ferentino on a hill ; there Frosinone, whose citadel even is visible, and Arnara, Posi, Ceccano, and many other places which the eye can discover. Towards Rome extends a large plain bounded by the mountains of Palestrina, which is itself visible in the far distance. The Latin hills also appear, and thus the view embraces a large part of Latium." — Gregoravius. 26o DA YS NEAR ROME. Beyond the piazza, on the left, open the huge round arches of the portico of the old Papal palace. Little that is curious Papal Palace, Anagni. remains in the interior; yet in these rooms William of Nogaret insulted the mighty Boniface VIII., and im- prisoned him in his own palace, when " the fleur-de-lis was seen in Anagni." Here, also, Innocent III., Gregory IX., and Alexander IV., held their courts in the thirteenth century, all born here, and all sprung from native families, and once canons of the cathedral. Behind the palace a fragment of a beautiful Gothic loggia of the time of Boniface remains ; part of the interior is now used as a theatre. There is not a book-shop in Anagni, and we could find no one, not even the sacristan of the cathedral, who knew anything whatever of its history. The utmost they could tell, was that " Bonifazio " had lived there, that his statue CATHEDRAL OF A NAG NT. 261 Stood on their walls, and that Dante had written of him — what, or who he was, they were quite ignorant of. Entrance to the Cathedral, Anagni. It is a very short distance up the hill to the Cathedral (Sta. Maria), which is the most interesting mediaeval building in this part of Italy, except the convent of Subiaco. The see dates from a.d. 487. On the wall, above what was once the great south entrance, Boniface VIII. sits aloft, in robes and tiara, in his throne of state. Over his head, blazoned in gold and mosaic, are the illustrious alliances of 262 DA YS NEAR ROME. the Gaetani before his tune. The steps beneath this statue, which must have had a magnificent effect in the open space, as seen from the valley beneath, were destroyed thirty years ago by a certain Marchese (even his name seems to be forgotten), and the present entrance is by the north, where a quaint winding staircase leads into a dark gallery, lined with curious old frescoes and inscriptions, and so into the cathedral. "The cathedral of Anagni, though several times renovated by the bishops of the town and by the popes, still retains its original Gothic- Roman character. The fa(;ade is of rude architecture ; it terminates in an obtuse-angled gable, the triangle of which is cut off by a simple cornice. In it is an arched, unornamented window, beneath which is a large square one, evidently of a later date. The door (there is only one) has a cornice in very bad taste, formed of different blocks of stone patched together, and ornamented with heads of oxen and lions, the rude work of the middle ages. Two pillars are built into the wall, with the capitals joined together, without any visible object, and very unsyinme- trically too, as they are only on one side of the door. Over the door is a round arch adorned with simple arabesques. The masonry is through- out of the black limestone from the neighbouring mountains. One can see that the facade still retains its original form, and has only been re- stored at a later period in a hurry, when absolutely necessary." — Gregoroviits. The interior is far more picturesque than beautiful. In the lofty choir is a grand pascal candlestick, supported by a crouching figure. Portraits of all the popes connected with Anagni hang over the throne and stalls. The whole pave- ment of the church is of the most splendid opus alexan- drinum, though much decayed, and in the choir it reaches a degree of minuteness and perfection like delicate jewellers' work. Here, on the Maundy Thursday of 1160, Alexander III. stood to curse the great Emperor Barbarossa. Here Innocent III. read aloud the bull which excommunicated ASSOCIATIONS OF ANAGNI. 263 Frederick II., and on this same spot Alexander IV. banished the young Manfred. Here also the cardinals elected Inno- cent IV., after they had received the furious letter of the Emperor Frederick II., calling them " sons of Belial." In this church also (September 7, 1303) Boniface VIII. knelt at the altar in his pontifical robes, when the French, prompted by his hereditary enemies, the Colonnas, had forced the gates of the tOAvn, and burst into the streets, crying, " Vive le roi de France, et meure Boniface." " The Pope had retired, as usual, from the summer heat to his native city, Anagni. Here he seemed, as it were, to pause, to be gathering up his strength to launch the last crushing thunders upon the head of the contumacious king of France. The Bull of excommunication was ordered to be suspended in the porch of the cathedral of Anagni. The 8th of September was to be the fatal day. " On a sudden, on the 7th of September, the peaceful streets of Anagni were disturbed. The Pope and the Cardinals, who were all assembled around him, were startled with the trampling of armed horse, and the terrible cry, which ran like wild-fire through the city, ' Death to Pope Boniface ! Long live the King of France ! ' Sciarra Colonna, at the head of three hundred horsemen, the Barons of Ceccano and Supino, and some others, the sons of Master Massio of Anagni, were marching in furious haste, with the banner of the King of France dis- played. The ungrateful citizens of Anagni, forgetful of their pride in their holy compatriot, of the honour and advantage to their town from the splendour and wealth of the Papal residence, received them with rebellious and acclaiming shouts. "The bell of the city, indeed, had tolled at the first alarm; the burghers had assembled ; they had chosen their commander ; but that commander, whom they ignorantly or treacherously chose, was Arnulf, a deadly enemy of the Pope. The banner of the Church was unfolded against the Pope by the captain of the people of Anagni. The first attack was on the palace of the Pope, on that of the Marquis Gaetani, liis nephew, and those of three Cardinals, the special partisans of Boni- face. The houses of the Pope and of his nephew made some resistance. The doors of those of the Cardinals were beaten down, the treasures ransacked and carried off; the Cardinals themselves fled from the backs of the houses through the common sewer. The Pope and his nephew 264 BA YS NEAR ROME. implored a truce ; it was granted for eight hours. This time the Pope employed in endeavouring to stir up the people to his defence : the people answered coldly that they were under the command of their captain. The Pope demanded the terms of the conspirators. ' If the Pope would save his life, let him instantly restore the Colonna Cardinals to their dignity, and reinstate the whole house in their honours and possessions ; after this restoration the Pope must abdicate, and leave his body at the disposal of Sciarra.' The Pope gioaned in the depth of his heart. ' The word is spoken.' Again the assailants thundered at the gates of the palace ; still there was obstinate resistance. The principal church of Anagni, that of Santa Maria, protected the Pope's palace. Sciarra Colonna's lawless band set fire to the gates ; the church was crowded with clergy and laity, and traders who had brought their precious wares into the sacred building. They were plundered with such rapacity that not a man escaped with a farthing. "The Marquis Gaetani found himself compelled to surrender, on the condition that his own life, that of his family, and of his servants, should be spared. At these sad tidings the Pope wept bitterly. The Pope was alone ; from the first the Cardinals, some from treachery, some from cowardice, had fled on all sides, even his most familiar friends : they had crept into the most ignoble hiding-places. The aged Pontiff alone lost not his self-command. ' He had declared himself ready to perish in his glorious cause ; he determined to fall with dignity. ' If I am betrayed like Christ, I am ready to die like Christ.' He put on the stole of S. Peter, the imperial crown was on his head, the keys of S. Peter in one hand and the cross in the other : he took his seat on the Papal throne, and, like the Roman senators of old, awaited the approach of the Gaul. "But the pride and cruelty of Boniface had raised and infixed deep in the hearts of men passions which acknowledged no awe of age, of intrepidity, or religious majesty. In William of Nogaret the blood of his Tolosan ancestors, in Colonna the wrongs, the degradation, the beggary, the exile of all his house, had extinguished every feeling but revenge. They insulted him with contumacious reproaches ; they menaced his life. The Pope answered not a word. They insisted that he should at once abdicate the Papacy. ' Behold my neck, behold my head,' was the only reply. "The Pope was placed under close custody, not one of his own attendants permitted to approach him. Worse indignities awaited him. He was set on a vicious horse, with his face to the tail, and so led through the town to his place of imprisonment. The palaces of the Pope and of his nephew were plundered ; so vast waa the wealth, that POPE BONIFACE VI 11. 265 the annual revenues of all the kings in the world would not have been equal to the treasures found and carried off by Sciarra's freebooting soldiers. His very private chamber was ransacked; nothing left but bare walls. " At length the people of Anagni could no longer bear the insult and the sufferings heaped upon their illustrious fellow-citizen. They rose in irresistible insurrection, drove out the soldiers by whom they had been over-awed, now gorged with plunder, and doubtless not unwilling to withdraw. The Pope was rescued, and led out into the street, where the old man addressed a few words to the people : ' Good men and women, ye see how mine enemies have come upon me, and plundered my goods, and those of the Church, and of the poor. Not a morsel of bread have I eaten, not a drop have I drunk, since my capture. I am almost dead with hunger. If any good woman will give me a piece of bread and a cup of wine, — if she has no wine, a little water, — I will absolve her ; and any one who will give me their alms, from all their sins.' The compassionate rabble burst into a cry, ' Long life to the Pope ! ' They carried him back to his naked palace. They crowded, the women especially, with provisions, bread, meat, water, and wine. They could not find a single vessel : they poured a supply of water into a chest. The Pope proclaimed a general absolution to all except the plunderers of his palace. He even declared that he wished to be at peace with the Colonnas and all his enemies. This perhaps was to disguise his intention of retiring, as soon as he could, to Rome. "The Romans had heard with indignation the sacrilegious attack on the person of the Supreme Pontiff. Four hundred horse, under Matteo and Gaetano Orsini, were sent to conduct him to the city. He entered it almost in triumph ; the populace welcomed him with every demonstra- tion of joy. But the awe of his greatness was gone ; the spell of his dominion over the minds of men was broken. "The religious mind of Christendom was at once pei-plexed and horror-stricken by the sacrilegious violence on the person of the Supreme Pontiff : it shocked some even of the sternest Ghibellines. Dante, who brands the pride, the avarice, the treachery of Boniface in his most terrible words, and has consigned him to the direst doom, nevertheless expresses the almost universal feeling. Christendom ' shuddered to behold the Fleur-de-lis enter into Anagni, and Christ again captive in his Vicar, the mockery, the gall and vinegar, the crucifixion between robbers, the insolent and sacrilegious cruelty of the second Pilate.' " — I\^ilmaiCs Hist, of Latin Christianity. " Veggio in Alagna entrar lo fiordaliso, E nel vicario sue Cristo esser catto ; 266 DA YS NEAR ROME. Veggiolo un' altra volta esser deriso, Veggio rinnovellar I'aceto e '1 fele, E tra vivi ladroni esser anciso. Veggio '1 nuovo Pilato si crudele, Che cio nol sazia, ma, senza decreto, Porta nel tempio le cupide vale." — Purgaforio, xx. 89. Two chapels on the left of the cathedral nave are filled with Gaetani memorials. In one is a Greek inscription. In the other is a painting of the Madonna, of 1322, and the grand mosaic tomb wTought by the Cosmati ("magister Cosmas, civis Romanus, cum filiis suis Luca et Jacopo "), known as "II sepolcro della famiglia di Bonifazio." It bears in Latin the inscription : " Whoever thou art who directest thy steps to this venerable church, know at once the founders of all its glories. Peter the Bishop founded it with great effort, whom noble Salerno reared and gave to us. May the only Son of the Supreme Father have mercy on him." In the sacristy are preserv^ed some curious copes, and the croziers of Innocent III. and Boniface VIII. The cr\-pt is given up to the especial saints of Anagni, who are numerous, and whose story, in a series of very early frescoes, occupies the walls. The south altar is devoted to Santa Oliva, whose bones and head are shown in a glass case beneath her statue. Opposite her is St. Magnus, bishop and mart>T, who is represented above seated between two virgin saints. Beneath another altar are the mart}TS Secunda, Aurelia, and Neonissa. In the tribune, which has a magnificent pave- ment, is the papal throne, and over it, in ancient fresco, the whole story of the Apocalypse — the seven candlesticks, the seven churches, the twenty-four elders in adoration of the spotless Lamb, &c., and, in the centre, above the altar, the Redeemer seated on a rainbow, with the two-edged sword proceeding out of his mouth. ACUTO. 267 The tall Romanesque tower of the Cathedral is not joined to the rest of the building, but stands alone upon a little green platform at the west end of the church. Hence there is a grand view over the valley, but to lioman Catholics a more interesting feature will be the knot of bro^^^l buildings on the barren side of the mountain, about six miles above Anagni ; for this is Aaito, where the recently founded but ever-increasing order of the Precious Blood had its origin, and where its foundress, Maria de Matthias, lived till her death in August, 1866. The story of her vocation is quite as romantic and curious as that of any old saintly legend, and that of her founding here a large sisterhood and school which she supported by faith and prayer, mthout any defi- nite sources of assistance, in the same way in which the immense institutions of the Protestant Muller are carried on at Clifton. Of her extraordinary influence on the surround- ing districts, no one who has visited them can have a doubt, or of the power ot her sermons, which were simple discourses of lo\-ing practical Christianity, such as Miss Marsh might have delivered. "When she was likely to preach thousands flocked to hear her, and when she appeared, a silence fell upon the crowd, with the whisper, " Hush, the great mother is going to speak to us." CHAPTER XVII. PALESTRINA. (Palestrina is about 27 miles from Rome by way of Zagarolo. Pub- lic carriages leave the Piazza S. Marco daily at 6 A. M. for Palestrina and proceed to Olevano — fare, five francs. A shorter way of reaching these places is to take the railway as far as the Valmontone Station, where a post-carriage, with seats for two, meets the first train. It is about seven miles from the station to Palestrina. But the best plan of all is to drive from Velletri. There is no decent inn at Pales- trina, but comfortable quarters may be obtained at the house of an artist's widow, sister of a lawyer, Anna Pastina, at the same charges as those usual in country inns. Her house — i. Via delle Concie — is the last on the left at the top of the staircase on the right of the piazza.) AN early drive from Velletri to Palestrina, the ancient Prseneste, is delightful. Then the cloudless sky is generally opal behind the soft pink mountains. Reaching the foot of the Volscian hills, we come upon the most picturesque town of Monte Fortino, a fortress of the Conti, clambering up the side of a hill so steep that each row of houses begins over the roof of its neighbour, and each has a clear view of the sky. About a mile distant, at the spot now called La Civita, is the site of the Volscian city Artena : portions of the Cyclopean walls of the citadel remain. It is about three miles from Monte Fortino (passing the station) to Valmontone, the ancient Toleria, which stands on VALMONTONE. 269 a tufa rock in the midst of the plain between the two ranges of mountains, and is girt by old republican walls, with me- diaeval towers. From the families of Conti, Sforza, and Bar- berini, it has passed to the Pamfili, by whom the huge palace which crowns the town was built in 1662. The eldest son of Prince Doria Pamfili bears the title of Prince of Valmon- tone. In the cortile of the palace are some inscriptions from the Labican catacombs. Adjoining it is a rather hand- some cathedral of the 17 th century, designed by Matteo de Valmontone. Rossi. There are several bits at Valmontone to delight an artist, especially at the entrance of the towTi, where a magni- ficent fragment of the ancient wall forms the foreground to some very picturesque houses. Near this also is the in- teresting old church of Sant' Antonio, now called the Ma- donna delle Grazie. Pakstrina is quite a different type of place from all the others we have seen, and its people, unlike the courteous 270 DA YS NEAR ROME. peasants we have hitherto met with, are savage and lawless, violent and avaricious. Can the bitter warfare of reprisal, of which both ancient Prseneste and mediseval Palestrina have been the scene, be setting its mark still upon the in- habitants? for perhaps no place has been more often be- sieged, and more often utterly ruined and destroyed. Prseneste is one of the towns of fabulous origin. Virgil ascribes it to C^eculus the son of Vulcan : " Nee Prasnestinse fundator defuit urbis, Vulcano genitum pecora inter agrestia regem Inventumque focis omnis quem credidit setas, Caeculus." .En. vii. 678. Strabo gives it a Greek origin, and says that it was first called Uo\v(rri(pai'OQ. Pliny also says that it was called Ste- phane, a name which is supposed to have been derived from the appearance of the castle on the top of the hill being like a mural crown. Servius derives the name from the Trpivoi, ilexes, which grew here, Cato and Festus from the situation — " quia montibus prrestet." Even in the time of the Siculi, Virgil describes Praeneste as having been governed by a king called Herilus, who fell in defending his country against the Latins. Livy says that eight towns were dependent upon it. It was reduced to the condition of a Roman colony upon the failure of the strug- gle in favour of the Tarquins. After the defeat of Caius Marius, who killed himself within its walls, Praeneste fell into the hands of Sylla, who totally annihilated the population and the city alike : — " . . . Vidit Fortuna colonos Prasnestina suos cunctos simul ausa recisos, Unius populum pereuntem tempore mortis." Liican. ii. 193. PRMNESTE. 2-ji But Sylla rebuilt the town with the utmost magnificence, and erected the Temple of Fortune, which was so splendid that the Athenian philosopher Carneades said he had " never seen a Fortune so fortunate as that of Praeneste." Its glories were celebrated by several of the Latin poets. " Sextus Junonis mensis fuit. Aspice Tibur, Et Prsenestinse moenia sacra Dese." Ovid. Fast. vi. 6l. "^dificator erat Cetronius, et modo curvo Littora Caietce, summa nunc Tiburis arce, Nunc Prrenestinis in montibus, alta parabat Cuhiiina villarum, Gr^cis longeque petitis Marmoribus, vincens Fortunce atque Herculis redem." yiiv. Sat, xiv. 86. '* . . . sacrisque dicatum Fortunes Praeneste jugis." Sil. Ital. viii. 366. " . . . sacro juvenes Prseneste creati Occubuere simul : votisque ex omnibus unum Id Fortuna dedit, junctam "inter prslia mortem." Id. ix. 404. "Cicero gives a curious account of the institution of the divination called the Sortes Fortunas Primigenise Prosnestinse : ' Numerius Suffucius having, in consequence of frequent dreams, excavated in a rock, found a piece of oak, on which the necessary ceremonies seem to have been inscribed in ancient characters. The place was inclosed, honey flowed from an olive tree on the spot, and the Temple of Fortune was erected on or near the site." (De Divin. ii. 41.) "In the time of Cicero, the credit of the Sortes Pra^nestinas had much diminished." — GdVs Topo- graphy of Rome. Its coolness, which was an agreeable change after the heat of Rome, made Praeneste a favourite summer resort to the emperors Augustus, Tiberius, Nero, Domitian, and Hadrian. Suetonius describes Augustus as employing two days on the journey hither from Rome. Horace alludes to the freshness of the climate. 272 DA YS NEAR ROME. " . . seu mihi frigidum Prasneste, seu Tibur supinum, Seu liquidae placuere Baice. Horace, iii. Od. 4. Sometimes the poet himself resided here : " Trojani belli scriptorem, maxime LoUi, Dum tu declamas Romse, Praeneste relegi." i. Epist. 2. " Quis timet aut timuit gelida Praeneste ruinam ? " yuv. Sat. iii. 190. In 970, the town, already called Palestrina, was given by Pope John XIII. to his sister Stephania, and through the marriage of her grand-daughter Emilia (" Imilia nobilissima comitissa "), came into the Colonna family, whose history is henceforth that of the place. When, in 12 17, the Cardinals Giacomo and Pietro Colonna had opposed the election of a member of the rival family of the Gaetani of Anagni to the papacy, they fled hither with their kinsfolk. The newly- elected pope, Boniface VIII., immediately issued bulls con- fiscating all the estates of the Colonnas, and promised plenary indulgences to all who would take up arms against them. "Stronghold after stronghold was stormed; castle after castle fell. Palestrina alone held out with intrepid obstinacy. Almost the whole Colonna house sought their last refuge in the walls of this redoubted fortress, which defied the siege, and wearied out the assailing forces. Guido di Montefeltro, a famous Ghibelline chieftain, had led a life of bloody and remorseless warfare, in which he was even more distinguished by craft than by valour. He had treated with contemptuous defiance all the papal censures which rebuked and would avenge his discom- fiture of many papal generals, and the depression of the Guelfs. In an excess of devotion, now grown old, he had taken the habit and the vows of S. Francis, divorced his wife, given up his wealth, obtained remission of his sins, first from Coelestine, afterwards from Boniface, and was THE COLONNA FAMILY. 273 living in quiet in a convent at Ancona. He was summoned from his cell on his allegiance to the Pope, and, with plenary absolution for his broken vows, commanded to inspect the walls and give his counsel "for the best means of reducing the stubborn citadel. The old soldier sur- veyed the impregnable defences, and then, requiring still further abso- hition for any crime of which he might be guilty, uttered his memora- ble oracle, " Promise largely, keep little of your promises."* — Milman s Latin Christiatiity. Thus the Colonnas were induced to open their gates, and proceeded in mourning robes to meet the Pope at Rieti. He received them with outward forgiveness, and gave them absolution ; but while they were detained as his guests, Ranieri, Bishop of Pisa, was sent to destroy Palestrina ut- Cathedral, Palestrina. terly, and ordered to spare nothing except " the cathedral of S. * Among the evil-counsellors in Malebolge, swathed and tormented in the flame of his own consciousness, Dante saw the shade of Guido di Montefeltro, wlio had found that the Devil was a logician and unable to reconcile the wish to repent witli the wish to sin. So the cordelier's frock had to give place to the robe of flame, in whigh the unh.Tppy warrior must rue eternally the crafty counsel. " Lunga promessa con I'attender corto." Inf. xxvii. \%. 274 DA YS NEAR ROME. Agapitus." Everything else was " totali exterminio et ruinas exposita," a plough was driven over the ruins, and the ground was sown with salt ; even the famous marble staircase of a hundred steps, up which people could ride on horseback into the palace, perished. The Colonna family fled in all direc- tions, but Sciarra Colonna returned just at the time when Boniface was quarrelling with PhiHppe le Bel, and joining the French, captured the Pope at Anagni. Under Benedict IX., the ban against the Colonnas was removed, and under Cle- ment V. Stefano Colonna was allowed to rebuild Palestrina. In 1350 and 1354 the to\vn was successfully defended against Rienzi, but in 1436, when the Colonnas had rebelled against Eugenius IV., it was again besieged and taken by his legate Cardinal Vitelleschi, who completely razed it to the ground, not even the cathedral being spared this time. In 1447, Nicholas V. gave permission that Palestrina should once more be rebuilt, but it never again became a place of any importance, and the only noteworthy event which has since occurred there, has been the birth, in 1524, of the musician Pierluigi da Palestrina, author of the mass of Pope Marcellus. The last Colonna of Palestrina was Francesco, who died in 1636, and in 1630 the to^\^l was sold to Carlo Barberini, brother of Urban VIII., and it still belongs to that family. Remains of the old Praeneste meet us on every side, and it is typical of the place and its overflow of antiquities, that the curbstone at the cross-roads as we approach it is a head- less ancient statue. In the walls of almost every house fragments of pillars and capitals may be discovered. And what is chiefly remarkable is that almost all the remains belong to one building, the gigantic Temple of Fortune, built PALAZZO BARBERINI, PALESTRINA. 275 by Sylla, which rose upon terraces, tier above tier, occupying the whole space now filled by the town, and perhaps the largest building in Italy. Behind Palestrina the mountain rises abruptly, bare and arid, and the town itself stands very high. Virgil alludes to the cool climate of Praeneste : — " Quique altum Prseneste viri, quique arva Gabinas Junonis, gelidumque Anienem, et roscida rivis Hernica saxa colunt : — " There is not much to be seen in the lower town. In the piazza are some pillars of the Temple of Fortune built into a wall, and the small ugly Cathedral^ which has a low but graceful gothic campanile. In the highest part of the town is the Palazzo Barbermi, of which the wing is used as a bar- rack, but which is for the most part as deserted and forlorn a specimen of an old Itahan palace, once exceedingly mag- The Barberini Well, Palestrina. nificent, as can well be found. Its front was built in a vast semi-circle, so as to follow the plan of the temple of 276 DA YS NEAR ROME. Sylla, and is approached by curved staircases enclosing an old well. The halls on the ground-floor are painted by the Zuccheri, but Apollo with his dove-chariot, and Juno with her peacocks, are fading with the damp which streams from the walls. We asked the old housekeeper if she did not suffer from it. " Ah, yes," she said, " all my hair has come off, and all my teeth have fallen out ; for even when out of doors it is a caldofcroce, here within it \% fresco assai." She said she was z.forestiera, for she came from Frescati, and though she had been here forty years, she could not accustom her- self to the wickedness of the people, — "II mondo e bello, ma se fosse buono sarebbe meglio." On the upper floor is the famous mosaic, found amid the ruins of the Temple of Fortune, representing the joy of the people and the beasts of Eg)-pt in the annual overflow of the Nile. It is like a dictionary of the manners and customs and people of the Egypt of its time. Priests and priestesses, warriors, fisher- men, shepherds, and huntsmen are equally represented, with all the peculiar animals of the country, and its plants, be- sides its temples and houses. The mosaic was discovered in 1638 and it is quite perfect : the arms and the bees of the Barberini have been added in the corners. There is a grand view from the balcony of this room over the Volscian and Alban ranges, while the Hemican and Sabine hills are seen in profile. " What is most remarkable in the palace of Palestrina is its incom- parable situation on the height, where an ever-fresh and health-giving breeze blows, and whence the indwellers enjoy a view, whose beauty is indescribable. Here a great part of Latium lies spread out beneath the eyes on one side, and of Tuscany or the patrimony of S. Peter's on the other, a great and classic district, whence rise the Latin and Volscian mountains, between which a wide plain opens, reaching to the distant ^. MARIA DELIA VILLA. 277 glancing sea. There is the world-town Rome steeped in the mist ; there stands the island-like Soracte; hard by rise the mighty chains of the Apennines ; on the left, at their feet, is the deep beautiful valley of the Sacco, overwhich shine the gleaming hill-towns of Monte-Fortino and Segni ; further are the heights of the Serra, and the airy chiefs of all these hills, whose varied forms lose themselves in the sunny atmosphere beyond Anagni and Ferentino. One looks upon these plains and hills, bedecked with towns and villages, of which most are rich in associations, and the early history of Rome, the story of the empire, or of the middle ages, comes back to one's recollection, and when one feels that Umbria, the Sabina, Latium, the Equian territory, the land of the Hernicans, Etruria, the Volscian country, the Alban hills, and the sea are united in one panorama, one appreciates the grandeur of this view. When a Colonna of the middle ages looked down from the windows of the old palace or castle, he might venture, as he gazed upon his possessions, to feel that he was the richest and mightiest chieftain in Latium." — Grcsro- The plain beneath the windows is so rich that it looks like one vast garden of fruit-trees, amongst which, about a mile from the town, near S. Maria della Villa (the name commemorating it), the remains of the immense villa of Hadrian may be discovered. They are little worth visiting, yet here the Braschi Antinous and other important statues have been found, and smaller antiquities are dug up daily. Madama Pastina, who lets the lodgings to strangers, has a collection of them, chiefly terra-cottas and small bronzes, which she sells at low prices. The little statuettes of For- tune suckling a child are very interesting. The hill-side above Palestrina is so bare and the sun beats so pitilessly upon its white rocks, that it is best to put off the ascent till near sunset. It may be made on donkeys, but they are atrociously bad. We were obliged to dismiss ours ; and when we reproached its owner for having brought it, he coolly said — " Yes, he knew that it was bad, and would cer- tainly fall down, but he brought it because if a saddle was 278 DA YS NEAR ROME. once put on it must be as much paid for as if it had been used. So few strangers came, that they must be taken ad- Street Scene, Palestrina. vantage of." We did not wonder that so itw came amongst this savage population. Every woman and child you meet, however well dressed they may be, rush at you with defiant shouts, insisting, not petitioning, " Signor, dammi un baiocc." From every window hands are outstretched. Stern-looking Sibyls scowl their demands at you, distaff in hand, upon their doorsteps. Dozens of ragged children yell and tumble over one another, and follow you for hours, dancing like frantic little demons, wherever you go. Some friends of ours ascended the mountain, followed by hampers well S. PIETRO. 279 equipped for a delicious pic-nic. They reached the top, and were surrounded by the inhabitants of S. Pietro. The hampers were unpacked and the luncheon spread out, and — before any resistance could be offered or even suggested, the thronging swarms had descended upon the feast like locusts, and, in one moment, men and women tore up the chickens and swallowed the limbs at a mouthful, crunching bones and all like wild beasts, so that not the slightest vest- ige remained, and the rightful owners were left, dumb- foundered and famished, to stare at their empty table-cloth. We had happily no such attractions to offer, but were well persecuted notwithstanding, and heartily cursed by troops of hungry ragged urchins because we had brought nothing for them, as well as by a shaggy-looking ruffian, who was im- prisoned under the Barberini Palace, for having lately mur- dered his wife and son, and who stretched out his bony hand with nails like claws, and shook it at us through the iron bars as we passed. Yet an officer, who was quartered at the palace, told us that the people here are perfectly angelic compared to those of the neighbouring Cavi. There, on the slightest contradiction, the natives never hesitated to pull out a stiletto or a revolver, and he never knew a time when six or seven of his men were not suffering from their violence while they were quartered there. The view from the top is certainly magnificent. No wonder that Hannibal climbed up to survey it in order to assist his military operations. It is the most historical pano- rama imaginable. Rome is seen amidst the mists of the plain. Nearer us are Gabii, Collatia, and Zagarolo. On the Alban hills are Tusculum, Frescati, Monte Porzio, Monte Com- patri, Labicum (now Colonna), Corbio (now Rocca Priora), 28o DA YS NEAR ROME. Velitrge (now Velletri). Then on the distant sea-coast we can make out Astura, Nettuno, Antium (Porto d'Anzio), Ardea, Pratica, Ostia, Porto, and Fiumicino. On the Volscian hills are Monte Fortino, CoUe Ferro and Signia (Segni); on the Hernicans, Anagni, Ferentino, Paliano, Genazzano, and Cavi, and the fore-ground is formed by the Cyclopean walls of Prseneste ! Looking down upon all these scenes, girt by the huge polygonal stones of the walls of the ancient citadel, is the modern village of San Pietro, a place so dilapidated and crumbling, so bare and colourless, that it looks as if it had been transported from Africa to this windy height. Here the Roman Catholic Church believes that St. Peter dwelt for some time, and here, in the church, he is commemorated in a statue by Bernini, as well as in a good picture representing his martyrdom by Pietro di Cortona. The holy water basons are supported by ancient cippi. Colonna Castle, Palestrina. Still higher, on the last peak, stand the huge ruins of the fortress, rebuilt by the famous Stephen Colonna, which bears POMTE S. ANTONIO. 281 over its gate, beneath the Colonna arms, the inscription, " Magnificus DNS Stefan de Columna-redificavit civitatem penestre cv monte et arce. Anno 1332." In summer the stagnation of Palestrina is enlivened by the presence of the Barberini family, who live, not at the palace with the mosaic, but at another lower down in the town, quite in a feudal manner, and, as Prince and Princess of Palestrina, hold receptions in their garden, to which all the small gentry of the place are invited. The Ponte S. Atiionio may be visited from Palestrina. It is a magnificent Roman arch 120 feet in height, not far from Poli, by which the Aqua Claudia and the Anio Novus were carried across a deep ravine in the Campagna, CHAPTER XVIII. GENAZZANO, PALIANO, AND OLEVANO. (At Olevano there is an excellent country inn, kept by Nino and Pepina Baldi, much frequented by artists, who reside here for months in summer. The charges for pension, including everything, are five francs a day, or four francs if for a long time. A carriage may be ob- tained from Olevano to meet the train at the Valmontone Station by writing beforehand to Casa Baldi. The public carriage, which leaves the Piazza S. Marco at six a.m. for Palestrina, proceeds to Olevano— fare, from four to five francs. At Subiaco there is a comfortable small hotel with capital food — Locanda della Pernice — pension, six francs a day. ) IT is a pleasant drive of three miles from Palestrina to Cavi, which is built on the edge of a steep bank over a tor- rent, approached by a handsome bridge, and entered by a gateway, over which is an inscription, dedicating the place to the especial protection of the Madonna. To her the in- habitants trust to supply them with all the necessaries of life, and exist themselves in a far niente not very dolce, but unending. The very dogs seemed too apathetic to move when our carriage approached where they lay in the sun. Some ragged children were rolling in the gutter, while their mother was engaged in lavishing the tenderest embraces and kisses upon a pet pig — the son of her heart. In the market- place rises a column decorated with the arms of the Colonna, of whom Cavi is a fief. The dialect of the people here is very peculiar. Six miles beyond Cavi, after passing a chapel Genazzano. 283 beautifully situated near an old pine and some cypresses, Genazzano rises in a valley on the left about half a mile distant from the road. It contains the shrine of the Ma- donna di Buon Consiglio, who fiew hither through the air from Albania. "From this time the Madonna of Genazzano, called 'Our Lady of Good Offices,' began to work miracles, and a church was built in her honour, with a monastery adjoining it. The Order of the Augustines possessed themselves of this wonder-working and holy source of gain, i,vhich is not less profitable, if not more so, than the Madonna of the Augustine monastery at Rome. For this Divinity of Genazzano enjoys throughout the whole of Latium a reputation, which exactly corresponds with that of a heathen oracle. Twice a year, in spring and in summer, her festival is celebrated, and thus a double harvest of offerings is reaped, besides innumerable presents of money and jewels brought by the wor- shippers. And as even the poorest countryman lays his mite upon the altar of the picture, it may be said that this one Madonna taxes the whole Latian Campagna as well as the State itself I was told that the offerings are collected by certain confraternities which exist in the Cam- pagna ; each member puts into the common fund as much as five baiocchi a month, and thus a travelling confraternity brings sometimes as much as a hundred scudi. The yearly receipts of this place of pilgrimage are estimated at 37,500 francs." — Gregomius. The festa of the Madonna of Genazzano, on the 25th of Genazzano. April, is one of the most celebrated and the most frequented 2S4 DA YS NEAR ROME. in this part of Italy. A figure-artist should never fail to see it, and the most sanguine expectations as to colour and cos- tume cannot possibly be disappointed. " Even on the eve of the festival the pilgrims begin to arrive, and the place and the whole landscape becomes animated in a wonderful manner, while the air resounds perpetually with the chanting of Litanies. Through all the streets pass gay but orderly crowds. They come from the Abruzzi, from the sandal land, from Sora, from the Liris, and from all parts of the Latian Campagna. " The festival of Jupiter Latiaris seems to be renewed before our eyes, so numerous are the thousands that approach, so varied their dress and their dialects. They come down from the hills with their solemn chant of the ' Ora,' there down the broad road, here along the river, by field paths, ever and again fresh bands of pilgrims in bright red, green, and blue costumes, with their tall pilgrim staves {bordoni) in their hands, and the sight combined with the grandeur of the scenery is one which would be alike wonderful to the artist, the poet, and the historian. "... They wander along the Sacco, and down from the hills {come i grit, che van cantando lor lai), like the cranes who sing as they go. The middle ages passed before me ; and I thought of those bands of pilgrims who thronged to Rome at the Jubilee year, and more than once the sight made me repeat that beautiful verse in the pilgrim sonnet of the Vita Nuova, Deh ! peregrini, che pensosi andate Forse di cosa che non v'e presente, Venite voi di si lontana gente. Com' alia vista voi ne dimostrate ? " They go by tens, twentys, fifty s, hundreds, and even more. All ages are represented amongst them ; the old man leans on the same pilgrim staff which has supported him already fifty times along the same road, and this may perhaps be the last time : the matron passes with her grand- children ; the beautiful and blooming maiden ; the sturdy youth, the boy ; even infants are here carried on the heads of their mothers, for in one of these processions I saw a young woinan carrying on her head a basket in which lay a laughing child, its eyes wide open as if it was en- joying the beautiful sunshine. Most of the women carry on their heads a basket of provisions, or a bundle of clothes, which still more increases the beauty of the spectacle. If any one could lift up the veil from these souls they would see concealed crime side by side with innocence, and vice, remorse, pam, and virtue passing in a motley crowd. THE GENAZZANO PILGRIMAGE. 28s " It is like a great and beautiful but serious masked procession which passes over one of the most beautiful scenes of nature, always with fresh dresses and colours, and with different faces. One sees the people of Contadino, Valley of the Sacco. Frosinone, of Anagni, the inhabitants of Veroli, of Arpino, of Anticoli, of Ceprano, and the Neapolitans from Sora. "See the groups from Sora ! dark olive complexions and beautiful 286 DA YS NEAR ROME. oval faces. The women look fantastic, like the Arab women ; they are adorned with strings of coral or golden chains round their necks, and heavy gold eamngs ; their heads are covered with white or brown ker- chiefs, with long fringes, which hang down upon the neck like a ma- donna's veil : they wear white chemisettes quite loose though folded in Contadina, Valley of the Sacco. innumerable plaits, and over these a low, dark red bodice. The skirt is short, of a bright red or blue colour, ^^•ith a yellow border. And what large dark eyes, under black, strongly marked eyebrows ! "The pilgrims of Ceccano ! The women wearing red bodices with long aprons of the same colour, white kerchiefs on their heads with long THE GENAZZANO PILGRIMAGE. 287 ends hanging down behind, and sandals. The men in pointed hats, with red jackets, and a girdle round the waist, twisted of bright ribbon. " Pilgrims from Pontecorvo ! The women in dark red dresses beautifully ornamented ; with a red head-di-ess ; beautiful and majestic. "Pilgrims from Filettino : black velvet bodices, a most simple dress, quiet and graceful. " Ciociari ! The men and women of the sandal land ! Perhaps from some place near Ferentino, or farther away, from the Neapolitan boundaries of the Liris and the Melfa. It is a land of beautiful and wild mountains, which extends from Ferentino far into the Neapolitan terri- tory. There the people wear the Ciocia, a very simple covering for the foot, from which the countiy is called Ciociaria. I found this covering for the foot in use near Anagni. One more primitive certainly cannot be found, perhaps one might also say there is none more comfortable. It certainly made me envy the Ciociari. The shoe is simply formed of a square piece of ass or horse skin. Holes are made in this skin, through which a string is passed, and this parchment is so tied round the foot that it forms itself to the shape of the foot. The leg is swathed up to the knee with coarse grey linen, bound round many times with string or thread. Thus the Ciociaro moves freely and comfortably across the fields, and over the rocks, whenever he goes to dig the ground ('zappar la terra'), or drives his sheep and goats, as a shepherd with bag-pipes, dressed in a short grey cloak, or clothed in skins. These sandals are classical, and Diogenes would have worn them if he had not gone bare- foot ; and Chrysippus or Epictetus might have praised them in a treatise on the few needs of wise men. If these shoes are well arranged, and the linen leggings new, they look well, but very bad and beggarly when they are old and ragged ; and as this is generally the case, it has given the sandal folk a character of ragged poverty, and their name is despised and even used as a word of reproach. One day, when a man of San Vito was showing me the beautiful panorama of the Campagna, he said to me, ' See, sir, there lies the Ciociaria ! ' and he smiled with a look of lofty contempt. " The Ciociari wear bright red vests, and pointed black felt hats, which seldom lack a gay feather, a bow, or a flower. I found among them, especially in the Campagna of Rome, a remarkable number of men with fair hair and blue eyes ; they wear their hair cut short behind, like the Prussian Landwehr, but let it hang down in long locks from the temples. Hang a ragged grey waterproof cloak or a black or white sheepskin on the Ciociaro, and we have our sandal man complete ; but we will not give him a gun in his hand, or he will fall upon us as a rob" ber m the pass of Ceprano, crying out, 'faccia in terra,' and will empty 288 DA YS NEAR ROME. our pockets with astonishing agility. The women also wear the sandals, a short gay skirt, a bright striped apron, a white or a red woollen ker- chief on the head, and lastly the biisto, the principal article of female dress throughout the whole of Latium. This is the bodice of stiffly- quilted linen, hard as a saddle, broad and high, with epaulets resting on the shoulders. It foi-ms a support to the breast, it seems like a bulwark to shield virtue ; like a firm breast-plate it surrounds the bosom ; yet it is loose, and stands out, so that it serves at the same time as a pocket." ' — Gregoroviiis. The town of Genazzano was long a fortress of the Colonnas, and was the place where Stefano Colonna was murdered in 1438. The only pope given by the great Colonna family to Rome was born at Genazzano. This was Oddone Colonna, elected at Constance in 141 7 as Martin V. while two other popes were already in existence. As sovereign he continued to be devoted to his native place, where he built churches and enlarged the palace of his family, which is now neglected and fast falling into decay. In its decline it is very picturesque, and is supplied with water by a half-ruined aqueduct, along which there is a walk leading to the deserted convent of San Pio. The whole population is occupied in the cultivation of the hill-side vineyards. Continuing our way along the valley, we see that a hill- top in front of us is occupied by a mountain-town, sur- rounded with strong, sixteenth-century fortifications. This is Faliano, another important stronghold of the Colonnas. Prospero Colonna defended it against Sixtus IV. In 1556 Paul IV. took it away from the Colonnas, and gave it to his own nephew Giovanni CarafFa, for whom it was raised into a principality. "Declaring that the Colonnas, 'those incorrigible rebels against God and the Church,' however frequently deprived of their castles, had OLEVANO. 289 always managed to regain them, Paul IV. resolved that this should be amended ; he would give those fortresses to vassals who would know how to hold them. Thereupon he divided the possessions of the house of Colonna among his nephews, making the elder Duke of Paliano, and the younger Marquis of Montebello. The cardinals remained silent when he announced these purposes in the assembly ; they bent down their heads and fixed their eyes to the earth." — Ranke s History of the Popes. Only fifteen years after, however, upon the victory of Marc- Antonio Colonna over the Turks at Lepanto, Paliano was restored to its original owners, and has since given the title of Duca di Paliano to the head of their house. A long ascent now brings us to Olroano, of the beauty of which one has no idea till one really arrives, but it is per- haps the most picturesque place of this wonderful district. Passing from the rough stone houses with their crumbling staircases of rock, and from the stony ways full of pigs and children, a gate admits us to a high olive garden, ftill of beans and corn, where a winding path leads to a kind of large farm-house at the top of the hill, with an outside loggia and staircase. And this is the famous inn of Olevano, the Albergo degli Artisti. It is a perfect artist's paradise. Its rooms are homely, but are cleanliness itself. They all de- bouch from a common sitting-room, surrounded by queer old portraits and with a grand old chair, which may have been that of Cardinal Scipio Borghese, whose picture hangs over the fire-place. The pleasant honest mistress, Pepina Baldi, with her husband Nino, are really charming specimens of respectable well-to-do Italians of the lower orders, full of simple kindnesses and courtesies, and frank- ness and openness itself. Their handsome boys and girls have served as voluntary models to half the artists in VOL. I. 19 290 DA YS NEAR ROME. Rome when they have been staying here; and many sketches of the family by famous hands, which would fetch enormous prices in Paris or London, hang upon the walls, where they have been left as thank-offerings with the mother. For the entertainment of guests too we have a collection of albums, which any sovereign might envy, and than which few possess any more valuable, for every artist who has staid here has left his portrait, by his o\vti hand or that of a friend, and the collection is really wonderful, of the natives of every country in Europe, from the delicate hand of our English Leighton to that of the least known student of the Via Margutta. But still the greatest charm of Casa Baldi is its view. One looks along the whole of the Hernican range, tossed above into every variety of peak, and clothed on its lower slopes with corn and fruit-trees, olives and cypresses, from which Anagni and Ferentino and Frosinone look across the valley to the more distant Volscians, also sprinkled with rock-throned villages. In the middle distance Paliano watches the valley from a steep elevated ridge. Deep below rises the town of Olevano, •^-iT:^ Olevano. with yellow-roofed houses, weather-stained, machicolated, arch-adorned, rising from rocks overhung with ivy and OLEVANO. 291 flowers, and leading up to the jagged walls and tower of a ruined castle. Behind the to^vn are the wild mountains of the Sabina, with Civitella, Capranica, San Vito, and Rocca di Cavi perched upon different heights, and on the furthest of all the curious sanctuary and the Polish convent of Men- torella, and round the comer of this range we catch a glimpse of the Alban hills projecting over the purple Campagiia. " There are many places on the sunny heights, or in the dark recesses of the mountains ; castles, monasteries, and towns, rising in the clear air — all seems to rest in a romantic quietude. The outlines of the moun- tains are cut wdth enchanting clearness and sharpness upon the pure blue of the sky ; one longs to cross over, to wander amongst the shining crags and soft plains in the freshness of that high and heavenly region. Above the hollows of the Serra, rises, here and there, a snow-capped mountain, violet-tinted, out of the wilds of the Abruzzi, suggesting still another distance ; in tlie backgi-ound mountain-peaks rise further and further out of the silvery mists, shadowy, many-formed, obelisk-like, dome-like, beckoning the spirit onwards into the unknown regions of the sandal-land, or to the shore of the lovely Liris." — Gregorovius. The name of Olevano carries us back pleasantly into the mediaeval times, when it was compelled to pay a tax called Olibanum, for purchasing incense for the churches of the p'-ovince. Then the noble family of Frangipani, who derived their glorious name of " Bread-breakers " from their vast charities during a famine, resided in its fortress. From them it passed by exchange to the Benedictine monks of Subiaco, by whom it was sold in the 13th centur)- to the Colonnas, who built the present castle and guarded it through weal and woe for four hundred years, when it was pur- chased by the Borgheses, who hold it still. The most remarkable excursion which can be made from Olevano is that to Guadagnolo, a rock 4000 feet high, with a 292 DA YS NEAR ROME. village curiously wedged in between high rocks, which sur- round and conceal it on every side, as with a natural wall. A mile and a half below the town, are the hermitage and church of La Alentorella, on the edge of the precipice, jutting out over the valley of the Girano. Here, before he went to Subiaco, S. Benedict lived in the sixth century, in a cave at the foot of the rock. A tradition of far earlier date (during the reign of the Emperor Trajan) represents the crag of La Mentorella as that where the vision of a white deer, with a crucifix between his horns, led to the conversion of S. Eustace. " S. Eustace was a Roman soldier, and captain of tlie guard to the Emperor Trajan. His name before his conversion was Placidus, and he had a beautiful wife and two sons, and lived with great magnificence, practising all the heathen virtues, particularly those of loyalty to his sovereign and charity to the poor. He was also a great lover of the chase, spending much of his time in that noble diversion. " One day while hunting in the forest, he saw before him a white stag, of marvellous beauty, and he pursued it eagerly, and the stag fled before him, and ascended a high rock. Then Placidus, looking up, beheld, between the horns of the stag, a cross of radiant light, and on it the image of the crucified Redeemer ; and being astonished and dazzled by this vision, he fell on his knees, and a voice which seemed to come from the crucifix cried to him, and said, ' Placidus ! why dost thou pursue me ? I am Christ, whom thou hast hitherto served without knowing me. Dost thou now believe ? ' and Placidus fell with his face to the earth, and said, ' Lord, I believe ! ' and the voice answered, saying, ' Thou shalt suffer many tribulations for my sake, and shalt be tried by many tempta- tions ; but be strong and of good courage, and I will not forsake thee.' To which Placidus replied, ' Lord, I am content. Do thou give me patience to suffer ! ' And when he looked up again the wondrous vision had departed. Then he arose and returned to his house, and the next day he and his wife and his two sons were baptized, and he took the name of Eustace." — Janiesoti's Legendaiy Art. A flight of Stairs, which troops of pilgrims devoutly ascend upon their knees on the festa of the twenty-ninth of Septem- LA MENTORELLA. 293 ber, leads to the campanile, which is surmounted by a pair of antlers, like those of the portico of the church of S. Eus- tachio at Rome, commemorating his conversion. The festa of La Mentorella is one of the most romantic in Italy. The peasants come by the steep mountain-paths chaunting litanies, and each carrying a stone which they add to a great commemorative pile. They spend the night in groups, sleeping round fires lighted on these wild crags, and those who have been present describe the scene as quite unrivalled in its weird picturesqueness — the brilliant costumes illumin- ated by the fire-light and backed by the savage precipices which overhang the Girano and Siciliano, and the rude chaunts echoing amid the rocks under the starlit sky. The name of Mentorella comes from Wultvilla or Wulturela, the ancient name of the mountain. The gothic chapel which now exists, is of the tenth century, but a church certainly existed here as early as a.d. 594, when it was bestowed upon the abbot of Subiaco by Gregory I. In a.d. 958, the moun- tain of Wulturela with its church, dedicated to Sta. Maria, belonged to S. Gregorio in Eome, but the building appears to have been deserted in the fourteenth century, though it was restored by the Emperor Leopold in 1660. CHAPTER XIX. SUBIACO. (Subiaco is 26 miles from Tivoli. A diligence runs daily. There is a very tolerable inn, La Pernice, — pension, 5 francs a day — but passing travellers must arrange their prices beforehand. ) THE road from Olevano to Subiaco passes through a dismal bare rocky district, but is a fine specimen of engineering, being one of the many excellent mountain-roads, constructed under Pius IX. A few miles before reaching Subiaco, we skirt a lake, which is probably one of the Sim- brivise Aquae. " Quique Anienis habent ripas, gelidoque rigantur Simbrivio, rastrisque domant ^Equicula rura." Sil. Ital. viii. 370. The three pools called Simbrivii Lacus were made by !N'ero by the damming up of the Anio. Here he fished for trout with a golden net, and here he built the mountain-villa to which he gave the name of Sublacum — under the lake — which still exists in Subiaco. " Avoir uue villa dans les montagnes du pays des ^ques, c'etait pour Neron ce que serait pour un moderne la fantaisie d'un chalet en Suisse." — Ampere, Etiip. Rom. ii. 62. While Nero was residing here the conspiracies were form- ing which led to his overthrow, and here he was warned of VILLA OF NERO. 295 his fate by a portent most terrible in those times of omens, when his drinking-cup was shivered in his hand by hght- ning whilst he was seated at a banquet near the lake, a pre- sage which seized upon his mind with appalling effect. That very day he had bathed in the aqueduct of the Aqua Mar- cia, that all his people might enjoy the privilege of drink- ing water that had been thus defiled.* The choice of his villa amid the yEquian mountains shows that, in spite of all his monstrosities, Nero must have been as great a connois- seur of the beauties of nature as of art, and for centuries the glorious gorge through which the Anio foams beneath its ruins, between tremendous crags clothed with evergreens and flowers, has been a sanctuary to half the poets and painters in the world. Hither, four centuries after the time of Nero, when the recollection of his orgies had given place to silence and solitude, a young patrician, sprung from the noble family of the Anicii, which gave Gregory the Great to the Church, and many other saints to the sacred calendar, fled from the seductions of the capital, to seek repose for his soul, with God alone as his companion. The name of the fugitive was Benedictus, or " the blessed one." He was only fourteen when he renounced his fortune, his family, and the world. It was to IMentorella that he first fled, and thither he was followed by his faithful nurse Cyrilla, who could not bear to think that the child of her affections was alone and uncared for, who begged for him, and prepared the small modicum of food which he could be prevailed upon to take. Some neighbour had lent her a stone sieve to make bread, * Claudius first made an aqueduct to bring to Rome the water of two fountains called Curtius and Caeruleus, in the hills above Sublacum. 296 DA YS NEAR ROME. after the manner of the mountain district, she let it fall out of her hands, and it was broken to pieces. Moved by her distress, Benedict prayed over the fragments, and the}- are said to have been instantly joined together. This was his first miracle. Terrified at the excitement it caused, and at seeing the sieve hung up in the village church as a relic, Benedict evaded the solicitude of his nurse, and escaped un- seen by any one to the gorge of Subiaco, where he found (c. 480) a cave in the rocks above the falls of the Anio, into which not even a ray of the sun could penetrate. Here he lived, his hiding-place unknown to any one, except to Romanus, a monk who dwelt amid a colony of anchorites founded by S. Clement on the ruins of Nero's villa. By him he was provided with a garment made of the skin of a beast, and each day Romanus let down to him from the top of the rock the half of his daily loaf, giving him notice of its approach by the ringing of a bell suspended to the same rope with the food. It is said that when the devil wished to make himself particularly disagreeable to Benedict he would cut the cord which supplied him. His hiding- place was discovered by a miracle. A village priest seated at a banquet of Easter luxuries had a revelation that while he was thus feasting a servant of God was pining with hun- ger, and his steps were miraculously directed to the hermit- age. Benedict refused to eat the delicate food, until con- vinced that it was indeed the festival of Easter. The priest told what he had seen to the shepherds, who, while follow- ing their goats along one of the tiny pathlets which may still be seen on the face of these mountains, had seen a strange creature with unkempt hair, and nails like claws, and taking it for a wild beast, had fled from it in terror. They were THE TWELVE MONASTERIES. 297 now re-assured by his gentle words, and from that day, while they watched their flocks, he began to instil into their rude and ignorant minds the light of the Christian faith. Gra- dually their report became spread abroad, pilgrims flocked from all quarters to the valley, and through the disciples who gathered round Benedict, this desolate ravine became the cradle of monastic life in the West. "The life of Benedict, from infancy to death, is the most perfect illustration of the motives which then worked upon the mind of man. In him meet and combine together all those influences which almost divided mankind into recluses or ccenobites, and those who pursued an active life ; as well as all the effects, in his case the best effects, pro- duced by this phasis of human thought and feeling. Benedict, it was said, was born at that time, like a sun to dispel the Cimmerian dark- ness which brooded over Christendom, and to revive the expiring spirit of monasticism. His age acknowledged Benedict as the perfect type of the highest religion, and Benedict impersonated his age. " How perfectly the whole atmosphere was then impregnated with an inexhaustible yearning for the supernatural, appears from the ardour with which the monastic passions were indulged at the earliest age. Children were nursed and trained to expect at every instant more than human interferences ; their young energies had ever before them ex- amples of asceticism, to which it was the glory, the true felicity of life, to aspire. The thoughtful child had all his mind thus pre-occupied ; he was early, it might almost seem intuitively, trained to this course of life ; wherever there was gentleness, modesty, the timidity of young passion, repugnance to vice, an imaginative temperament, a conscious- ness of unfitness to wrestle with the rough realities of life, the way lay invitingly open — the difficult, it is true, and painful, but direct and un- erring way to heaven. It lay through perils, but was made attractive by perpetual wonders ; it was awful, but in its awfulness lay its power over the young mind. It learned to trample down that last bond which united the child to common humanity, filial reverence ; the fond and mysterious attachment of the child and the mother, the inborn reverence of the son to the father." — Milman's Latin Christianity. Twelve monasteries speedily arose amid these peaks and gorges, each only containing twelve monks, for it was an idea 29S DA YS NEAR ROME. of Benedict that a larger number led to idleness and neglect. The names of several of these institutions recall their romantic situations, and they were the scenes of the miracles attributed to the founder and his disciples. ^. Clenmite della Vigna was the place whither Maurus and Placidus were brought to Benedict by their parents. It was situated near one of the lakes, and it was there that the sickle of a Gothic monk, which he dropped into the water while cutting weeds upon the bank, swam in answer to the prayers of Maurus, who summoned it by holding the wooden handle over the waves. This monastery was entirely destroyed by the earth- quake of 1 216. S. S. Cosmo and Damian was the next to be built, the monastery which was afterwards dedicated to Scholastica. 5. Biagio (S. Blaise) was the home of the monk Romanus, the friend of Benedict. Its church wa> consecrated in iioo by Manfred, Bishop of Tivoli. 6'. Giovanni dcW Acqua was so called because there, as well as in two other houses, water is said to have burst forth from the arid rock to supply the thirsting monks, in answer to the prayers of Benedict.* Santa Maria de Marcbotta was afterwards called 6". Lorenzo in honour of the holy monk S. Lorenzo Loricato who lived there as a hermit, in the most severe austerity, from 1209 to 1243. At Sanf Angelo, Benedict saw the devil, in the form of a black boy, leading away a monk, who had neglected to attend properly the serv- ices of the Church. In S. Victor at the foot of the Mountain lived the monk who brought the Easter food to Benedict when he was starving in the cave. S. Andrew, or Eternal Life, was ruined in a Lombard invasion. S. Michael the Archangel was built by Benedict beneath the Sacro Speco, * This subject is represented in thp frescoes of Spinello at San Miniato. APPROACH TO THE MON'ASTERIES. 299 but has long since disappeared. Saiif Angela di Trevi stood near Sta. Scholastica and was incorporated with it. S. Girolamo was rebuilt as late as 1387 in accordance \\-ith a bull of Urban VI. S. Donato has entirely disappeared. Gradually all these societies became incorporated in the great monastery dedicated to Scholastica, the holy sister of Benedict, which may be regarded as the mother house of the whole Order, and which was governed by a regular abbot chosen by the General Chapter. The visits of the numerous Popes who have come hither form landmarks in the story of the place. In 853 Leo IV., summoned by the Abbot Peter, came to consecrate the altars of the Sacro Speco. In 981 Benedict VII. came to consecrate Sta. Scholastica. In 1052 Leo IX. was sum- moned to turn out a monk who had unlawfully seized the abbacy — and issued a bull appointing Sta. Scholastica " Caput omnium monasteriorum per Italiam constitutorum." In the thirteenth century the privileges of the monastery were greatly augmented by Alexander IV., who had lived there as a simple monk, and who declared in his diploma that other Benedictine communities had only to look to Sta. Scholastica to receive a perfect model which they should copy. The same affection for the place was evinced by Urban V., who had also been a Benedictine, and who colonized the monastery with German monks, to amend the morals of the brethren, which had then grievous need of it. The last of a long series of papal visits was that of Pius IX. in the first year of his pontificate. The road which leads from the town to the monasteries (S. Benedetto is about two and a half miles distant) is beau- tiful, — bordered by ilexes and olives, beneath which there is 300 DA YS NEAR ROME. ever a carpet of tulips, hyacinths, and anemones, in spring. Gorgeous are the views looking back amid the mountain rifts, between which Subiaco rises house above house with the great archiepiscopal castle at the top of its rock. The modern Collegiata, a huge mass of building, seems to block the valley, standing almost over the stream of the Anio, and consisting of a church and palace built by Pius VI., when Cardinal Bishop of Subiaco, — being necessary, because the abbots of Santa Scholastica had been bishops also, until the see was united with a cardinalate. The nearer' hills are all aglow with the richest vegetation, olives, chestnuts, and corn, and here and there the tall spire of a cypress. The air is scented by the sweet box, which grows upon the cliffs close to the road, and a freshness always rises from the river which dashes wildly through the abyss of green beneath, rejoicing to be freed from its imprisonment in the walls of cliff beneath S. Scholastica. Here a ruined gothic chapel stands amid thickets of flowers, there a gaily painted shrine, very dear to artists, surmounts the tufa rocks. Wlien we reach the bridge called " Ponte S. Mauro," by which the road from Olevano crosses the Anio at a great height, a carriage can go no further, and the footpath which ascends to the great monasteries turns off up the gorge to the left. Little chapels at intervals mark the rocky way, which is overhung by wild laburnum and coronilla, and fringed with saxifrage and cyclamen. The first of these chapels commemorates an interesting mediaeval story in which Benedict bore a share. Amongst those who came hither from Rome to share his teaching, were two Roman senators of high rank, Anicius and Tertullus, who brought with them their sons Maurus and Placidus, entreating 302 DA YS NEAR ROME. hiin to bring them up in the way of Life. Maurus was then twelve years old and Placidus only five. One day (in 528) the child Placidus fell into the Anio below this cliff. Benedict, seeing him fall, called to Maurus to assist him, and he, walking upon the water, caught the drowning boy by the hair, and dragged him out. His safety was followed by a contest of humility between the pupil and master. Maurus attributed it to the holiness of Benedict, Benedict to the self-devotion of Maurus ; Placidus decided the question by saying that he had seen the sheepskin-coat of Benedict hovering over him in the water. Long before we reach it, the grandly toned bell of Santa Schoiastica, echoing amid the rocks, gives notice of the approach to a great sanctuary. Nothing can exceed the solemn grandeur of its situation, perched upon huge crags, and with the roaring river below. The monastery v/as founded in the fifth century by the Abbot Honoratus, the sainted successor of Benedict, and though repeatedly attack- ed and burnt by the Lombards, the Saracens, and by its own neighbours, it always rose again from its ashes more splendid than ever. In 981 it was rebuilt from the ground under Benedict VIL, and dedicated to S. Benedict and his holy sister Schoiastica. From this time rich donations were constantly made, and lands were added to its territory, till, in 1 100, its abbots became princes, possessed of many cas- tles and fortresses, and with a right of supreme jurisdiction over their vassals. They did not hesitate to appear person- ally in the battle-fields of that troubled time, in which the Bishops of Tivoli, Anagni, and Palestrina were also fre- quently seen. Many curious records remain of their savage administration of justice. In the time of the Ghibelline SANTA SCHOLASTICA, ^X 303 Abbot Adhemar (1353) seven monks were hung up by their feet, and fires hghted under their heads. In 1454 their severities led to a rebelHon in which the convent was stormed and many of the monks massacred. CaHstus III. made the Abbot a Cardinal Commendatory, and the first who bore this title was the Spanish Torquemada, under whose rule, in 1464, the famous Sweynheim and Pannartz established here the first printing-press in Italy, and pub- lished from hence " Lactantius de divinis institutionibus ; " "Cicero de Oratore," and, in 1467, " Augustinus de Civitate Dei." In the same year, however, a quarrel with the monks drove them to Rome, where they established themselves in the Massimo Palace. It is interesting to remember that the first printing-press in England was also established in a Benedictine Abbey — that of Westminster. Torquemada was succeeded as abbot by Rodrigo Borgia, afterwards Pope Alexander VI., and in his time Lucrezia Borgia often resided in the castle-palace, and Csesar came hither to hunt. Under the Abbot Pompeo Colonna, Julius II. united the abbacy with that of Farfa ; in 15 14, Leo X. joined it to that of Monte Cassino. After this it remained for 116 years in the hands of the Colonnas, and a memorial of the way in which they held their own against the Popes may be seen in the papal banner which fell into their hands in battle, and which still hangs in the convent church. From the middle of the last century the great power of the •abbots of S. Scholastica began to decline, but until the late suppression the monastery remained one of the richest and most influential in Italy, and it continued to own no less than sixteen towns and villages, viz. Subiaco, Trevi, Jenna, Cervara, Camerata, Marano, Agosta, Rocca di Canterano, 304 DA YS NEAR ROME. Canterano, Rocca di Mezzo, Cerreto, Rocca di Santo Stefano, Civitella, Rojate, Asile, and Ponza. The front of S. Scholastica is modem, but its tower dates from 1053, when it was built by the Abbot Humbert. The most interesting parts of the building are its three cloisters. The first, which only dates from the seventeenth century, has its arcades decorated with frescoes of papal and royal benefactors, amongst which is a full-length portrait of " James III., king of England." Here is a curious sarco- phagus with Bacchic ornaments. The second cloister, which dates from 1052, contains many beautiful fragments of Gothic decoration, but its chief feature is a richly decorated arch adorned with small figures and spiral columns. A bas- relief of 981 represents two animals, apparently a wolf and a dog, drinking ; on the body of one of the beasts is an in- scription relating to the dedication of the church, Dec. 4th, 981, by Benedict VH. To the right of the church, we enter the third and smallest cloister — " II chiostro dell' Ab- bate Lando " — built early in the thirteenth century. It is surrounded by a beautiful arcade of double pillars like those at the Lateran, and has an inscription in mosaic, the work of the famous Cosmo Cosmati and his two sons, Luca and Jacopo, to whom are due the beautiful decorations in the cloister of the Benedictine convent of S. Paolo at Rome : — "Cosmus ct Filii Lucas et Jacobus alter Romani Gives in Mamioris arte periti Hoc opus explerunt Abbatis tempore Landi." In the porch of the church is an interesting old Giottesque picture and the capital of a Corinthian column attesting the presence of a temple on this site. The interior, though modem, is not unimposing. S. Onorato sleeps beneath THE SACRED ILEX GROVE. 305 the high altar. Under his statue is an inscription which recalls the legend that the translation of his beloved master Benedict into the better world was miraculously revealed to him : " Scandentem hie alter Benedictum vidit in astra ; Primus et has aedes illo abeunte regit." As the path from Sta. Scholastica to the Sacro Speco is steep and fatiguing, a small chapel has been erected at a short distance beyond the larger monastery, where aged and infirm persons are allowed to accomplish their pilgrimage. It bears the inscription — " Si mentis superasse jugum negat aegra senectus, Nee detur ad sacros procubuisse specus, Siste, tibi coeli hcec ffides seraria pandet, Hasc tibi coelestes prodiga fundet opes." The scenery now becomes more romantic and savage at every step as we ascend the winding path, till, about half a mile further on, a small gate admits one to the famous im- memorial Ilex Grove, which is said to date from the fifth century, and which has never been profaned by axe or hatchet. The grand old trees bowed with age, with twisted and contorted stems, form a dense mass of shadow, grateful after the arid rocks, and they hang in masses of grey-green verdure over the depth. Here and there the mossy trunks are covered with fern, upon which a ray of sunlight falls with dazzling brilliancy. At the end of the grove the path nar- rows, and a steep winding stair, just wide enough to admit one person at a time, leads to the platform before the con- vent, which up to that moment is entirely concealed. It is always said that monks have known how to choose the sites of their dwellings better than any one else, but surely no 306 DA YS NEAR ROME. situation was ever equal to this, to which they were led by its historical associations. There is an old Latin distich which says : "Bemardus valles, colles Benedictus amabat, Oppida Franciscus, magnas Ignatius urbes." The name of the monastery, Sacro Speco, commemorates the holy cave of S. Benedict. Over his caverned oratory a chapel was erected by Onorato, his immediate successor. Soon after another chapel was built in the cave which was his dwelling, and the tAvo were united by the sixth abbot, Pietro. In the eleventh century a more imposing church was constructed by the Abbot Humbert, which was to en- close both the caves — utramque cryptam. His successor, the Abbot John V., finished the church much as we now see it, for the present buildings, raised on arches against the rocks, all date from the eleventh and the early part of the twelfth centuries ; the lower church is of 1053. At the entrance, the thrilling interest of the place is at once recalled to us by the inscription — " Here is the patri- archal cradle of the monks of the West of the Order of S. Benedict." The entrance corridor, built on arches over the abyss, has frescoes of four sainted popes — Gre- gory, Agatho, Leo, and another. It ends in an ante- chamber with a painted statue of S. Benedict, some beauti- ful old Umbrian frescoes of the Virgin and Child between the four Evangelists, and the lines "Do you ask of Benedict, 'If you seek for light, why do you choose a cave, For a cavern can give no light to him who prays for it ? ' Know that if one ray penetrates into utter darkness, It gives more hght in the gloom than the stars in the night." CHURCH OF THE SACRO SPECO. 307 We now reach the entrance of the all-glorious upper- cliurch, built by the Abbot John V. in 11 16, and adorned with frescoes under John VI. in 1220. " One seems to be deeply embued with the mysterious associations of famous days of old, as one enters the first church from the gallery, and finds oneself suddenly in a little cathedral of graceful Gothic archi- tecture, its walls and pillars gleaming with the varied colour of already fading frescoes. Unseen monks sing vespers in the choir, their power- ful bass voices echoing solemnly through the twilight gloom of the church, and the pauses of the litanies are filled up by the louder croak- ing of ravens. For three young ravens are brought up here in the convent in memory of S. Benedict ; it seems that the number of this living symbol of the order must always be maintained." — Gregoravius. On one side of the church the story of the Birth of Christ is told, introduced by the figures of the prophets who an- nounced His coming, and the story of His life is continued round the church to the eastern wall, which is occupied by the history of the Crucifixion. Here, angels are represented as catching the streams of blood which flow from the Divine wounds ; the soul of Uismas,*^ the penitent thief, is received by an angel, while that of the bad thief Gesmas is carried off by a black demon. Beneath the fresco of the Crucifixion, is S. Benedict throned with his principal disciples around him, over a triple arch, with hanging lamps, behind which the bare rock of the cavern is seen. A representation of Benedict writing his Rule m the cave, has the inscription : '* Hie mons est pinguis, qui multis claruit signis, A Domino missus sanctus fuit Benedictus, Mansit in hac cripta, fuit hie nova Regula scripta, Quisquis amas Christum talem sortire Magistrum." * One of the litanies preserved in Santa Scholastica has the strange invoc.-ition — " Sancte Dismas, latro de Cruce. ..." 3o8 DA YS NEAR HOME. From the principal church we enter upon a perfect labyrinth of chapels hewn out of the rock, which frequently forms one of their walls, while the other is completely covered by ancient frescoes. The four chapels hewn in the rock to the right and left of the high altar, are devoted to the story of S. Benedict, together with that of Scholas- tica, Placidus, Maurus, and other of his followers. The holy water basin was once the sarcophagus of a Roman child, and is decorated with reliefs of birds. The frescoes continue in succession to the second or middle church. A Madonna throned between two angels has the inscrip- tion — "Magister Conciolus pinxit hoc opus." Concioii is a rare Umbrian master noticed by Vasari, who, however, seems scarcely to have been aware of the power of his works. The most striking frescoes are those of the death and burial of the Virgin : in the latter the Jews who at- tempted to intercept the funeral procession are represented as stricken with blindness. A picture of the mart}Tdom of S. Sebastian bears the date i486. "Le gofit modeme, qui s'attache surtout a I'effet exterieur et a la perfection materielle, peut aujourd'hui regarder d'un ceil dedaigneux ces types etranges mais singiilierement expressifs qui, pendant plusieurs siecles, furent invariablement reproduits par la piete autant que par le genie tout symbolique des premiers peintres chretiens. Or, bien different etait sur ces questions le jugement des hommes du moyen age. Animes du sentiment profondement religieux qui avait inspire les oeuvres des artistes, leurs contemporains, ils regardaient ces pieuses representations avec les yeux de la foi, et n'y cherchaient qu'un nouvel aliment a la ferveur dont leur ame etait remplie." — Alphonse Danlier, Lis Mon- ast'eres Benedictins. In the sacristy are some small pictures by Bellini and the Caracci. Through the chapel on the left of the high altar a series of grotto-chapels are reached. In one of them is THE FRESCOES OF SUB I AC 0. 309 a picture by Giotto of " gli angeli che fanno festa " over the virtues of S. Benedict in his cave, while devils are torment- ing S. Eomano and cutting his cord. It is by a staircase in front of the high altar that we de- scend to the under church. At the foot of the first flight of steps stands the frescoed figure of Innocent III., who first raised Subiaco into an abbacy, above the charter of 12 13, setting forth all the privileges he accorded to the abbey. In the same fresco is represented the Abbot John of Taglia- cozzo, under whom (12 17 — 1227) the chronicles of the abbey narrate that many of the paintings were executed. The passage on the right of this landing has, among many others, a fresco of S. Claridonia, who lived here in a hermit- age above the monastery. On her dress is a curious in- scription evidently scratched by a chaplain of vEneas Silvius when he was celebrating mass here. Here also is a fresco of Christ seated in judgment — the lily in his hand blossoms on the side of the good. This passage leads to the hermitage occupied by S. Gregory the Great when he visited Subiaco. On the outer wall is a fresco of Gregory \vriting his com- mentary on Job. The inner chamber, which is decorated with frescoes of seraphim, contains a portrait of S. Francis, supposed to have been painted during his visit to the Sacro Speco, by the artist then at work upon the chapel. It is in exact accordance with the verbal description which remains of him : — " facie hilaris, vultus benignus, facie utcumque oblonga et protensa, frons plana et parva, nasus sequalis et rectus." " It is a life-size figure of a youthful monk in a high conical cowl, — the frock and cord of a mendicant friar, inscribed with the words FR. FRACISCU. Partially restored and retouched, the head may 310 DA YS NEAR ROME. still attract attention by its character. Though lean from abstinence, the features are regular, the brow open, the eyes large, and the nose straight. The tonsure is visible across the forehead and along the temples to the ears, which are not remarkable for smallness. A straggling beard and a downy upper lip complete a far more pleasing portrait of Brother Francis, than those which in hundreds, at a later time, were placed in every monastery and convent of the Order. A miniature kneeling figure of a donor at the monk's feet seems to have been added at a later time. It is remarkable that S. Francis is depicted without the Stigmata ; and if it be, as is pretended, a genuine portrait, it must have been executed, if not in 12 1 6, at least before 1228, when the monk was canonized, and perhaps by one who had seen and conversed with him. If considered as a work of art, it differs in no wise from other early pictures in the Sacro Speco. Parts of the picture, where the colour had entirely fallen off, have been renewed. The background is all repainted." — Crowe and Cavalcaselle. Another portrait, believed to be from his own hand, re- presents Brother Oddo, a monk of Subiaco, receiving the blessing of an angel he has invoked. S. Gregory is repre- sented consecrating the altar of the church with the words — " Vere locus iste sanctus est in quo orant." An inscription which commemorates the dedication of the chapel, also mentions the two months' retreat which Gregory IX. made in the monastery : Pontificis summi fuit anno picta secundo Hsec domus : hie primo quo summo fulsit honore, Manserat et vitam coelestem duxerat idem, Perque duos menses sacros maceraverat artus. Julius est unus, Augustus fervidus alter. On the second landing, the figure of Benedict faces us (on a window), with his finger on his lips, imposing silence. On the left is the coro, now used by the monks. On the right the cave where Benedict is said to have passed three years in darkness. A statue by Raggi (sculptor of the FRESCOES OF SUB I ACQ. 311 fountain in the Piazza Navona), of the school of Bernini, commemorates his presence here : a basket is a memorial of that lowered with his food by S. Romanus. An ancient bell is shown as that which rang to announce the approach of his daily sustenance. " The grotto of Benedict vividly reminded me of the famous grotto of S. Rosalia on the Monte Pellegrino near Palermo. Behind the richly- decorated altar one sees the marble figure of the young Benedict kneel- ing in prayer before the cross : it is a tolerable work of the Bernini school, and it gains through the half darkness of the cavern. Truly every- thing here has a dramatic character. The smallness and grace of this little church gleaming with colour, its chapels and grottoes like a spirit- ual vision, such as I have never found elsewhere in the whole field of religious conception. It is an illustrated picture-book of poetical legends, which are bloodless and painless, though fantastic, like the lives of pious anchorites in the wilderness, and amid the birds of the field. Here Religion treads on the borders of fairy-land, and brings an inde- scribable atmosphere away from thence." — Gregorovius. As we descend the Santa Scala, trodden by the feet of Benedict, and ascended by the monks upon their knees, the solemn beauty of the place increases at every step. On the right, is a powerful fresco of Death mowing down the young, and sparing the old ; on the left, the Preacher shows the young and thoughtless the three states to which the body is reduced after death. Much of the rock is still left bare and hangs overhead in jagged masses, preserving the cavern-like character of the scene, while every available space is rich with colour and gold, radiant, yet perfectly subdued and harmonious. On all sides the saints of the Order, and those especially connected with it, Benedict, Gregory the Great, the Archdeacon Peter, Romanus, Maurus, Placidus, Honoratus, Scholastica, and Anatolia, look down upon us repeatedly from the great thirteenth-century frescoes. 312 DAYS NEAR ROME. "C'est d'abord I'image du Christ qui ouvre le cycle de ces peintiires, en indiquant, dans la livre de sa vie, ce passage dont le texte a ete si fidelement suivi par I'auteur de la regie Benedictine — ego su?n via, ver-itas, et vita. Par un harmonieux rapprochement qui fait honneur k la pensee de I'artiste, de meme que le Sauveur y est entoure de ses principaux apotres, de meme Saint Benoit y rassemble aupres de sa personne ses disciples bien-aimes, auxquels il recommande de benir incessamment le Seigneur, et d'avoir toujours ses louanges sur leurs levres : Benedicam Dominum in omni tempore : Semper laus in ore meo. En effet, a I'entour figurent Saint Romain, Saint Placide, Saint Maur, et Saint Honorat, occupes ^ mediter les sages preceptes de leur maitre. Puis, on voit Saint Gregoire ayant a ses cotes le diacre Pierre, son con- fident habituel, et tons deux places en face du pape Saint Sylvestre et du diacre Saint Laurent. Plus loin sous la derniere travee, apparaissent les images a demi symboliques des quatre evangelistes dont le corps, qui a la forme humaine, est surmonte de la tete de chacun des animaux qui leur sert ordinairement d'embleme d^.'s,\S.VLC'(\iy^Alphonse Dantier, Les Monastires Benedicti7u. " Let any young painter or sculptor, thoroughly accomplished in the mechanism of his art, in which these his predecessors were so deficient, but drawing his inspiration from Christianity and the Romano-Teutonic nationality of Europe — let any such young artist, I say, visit Italy so pre- pared — tossing to the winds the jargon of the schools, content to feel and yield to the impulses of a high, and pure, and holy nature, and dis- posed, with God's blessing, like Fra Angelico or Perugino, to dedicate his talents, as the bondsman of love, to his Redeemer's glory and the good of mankind — let him so come, and commune with these neglected relics of an earlier, a simpler, and a more believing age — talk to the spirit that dwells within them in its own universal language ; ask it questions, and listen reverently for a reply — and he will gain more than a mere response — that spirit will pass into his own bosom — his eyes will be touched as with the magician's salve, and he will find himself in a world of undreamt-of beauty, hitherto unseen only because inadequately bodied forth ; a world of high spirits, beings of the mind ; ideas as yet only half-born (as it were), but which will throng around him on every side 'Demanding life, impatient for the skies,' for that life of immortality which his practised hand can so well bestow. — Lord Lindsay's Christian Art. FRESCOES OF SUB I A CO. 313 In the chapel on the left of the Scala Santa, that of S. Lorenzo Loricato, who is buried here, is a picture of the Madonna and Child, shown as one which existed in the time of S. Benedict, and was venerated by him in his child- hood. It is signed " Stammatico Greco Pictor P.," a power- ful painter of whom we have no account whatever. Lastly, we reach the Holy of Holies, the second cave, in which S. Gregory narrates that Benedict after his return from Vicovaro (to which he had gone for a short time as abbot) " dwelt alone with himself," being " always busied in the presence of his Creator, in bewailing the spirit- ual miseries of his soul and past sins, in watching over the emotions of his heart, and in the constant contemplation of Divine things." Here the Devil hovered over him as a little black bird, suggesting sinful thoughts and desires, which he subdued by flinging himself amid the thorns and nettles. Here he received a poisoned loaf from the wicked priest Florentius, and, throwing it on the ground, forced a tame raven on his command to bear it beyond mortal reach. And here he laid down the rule of his order, making its basis the twelve degrees of humility : viz. — 1. Deep compunction of heart, and holy fear of God and His judg- ments, with a constant attention to walk in the Divine presence, sunk under the weight of this confusion and fear. 2. The perfect renunciation of our own will. 3. Ready obedience. 4. Patience under all sufferings and injuries. 5. The manifestation of all thoughts to a spiritual director. 6. To be content, even rejoice, under all humiliations, to be pleased with mean employments and mean clothes ; in short, to love simplicity and poverty. 7. To esteem ourselves more unworthy and base than all — even the greatest sinners. 314 DA YS NEAR ROME. S. To avoid all wish for singularity in words and actions. 9. To love and practise silence. 10. To avoid uncurbed mirth and laughter. 11. To seek for modesty of speech and words. 12. To be humble in all external actions. "Three virtues constituted the sum of the Benedictine discipUne. Silence with solitude and seclusion, humility, obedience, which, in the strong language of its laws, extended to impossibilities. All is thus concentrated on self. It was the man isolated from his kind who was to rise to a lonely perfection. All the social, all patriotic, virtues were excluded : the mere mechanic observance of the rules of the brother- hood, or even the corporate spirit, are hardly worthy of notice, though they are the only substitutes for the rejected and proscribed pursuits of active life. " The three occupations of life were the worship of God, reading, and manual labour. The adventitious advantages, and great they were, of these industrious agricultural settlements, were not contemplated by the founder ; the object of the monks was not to make the wilderness blossom with fertility, to extend the arts and husbandry of civilized life into barbarous regions, it was solely to employ in engrossing occupation that portion of time which could not be devoted to worship and study." — Mihnatt's Latin Christiafiity. Here an appropriate inscription commemorates the won- derful series of saints, who, issuing from Subiaco, became the founders of the Benedictine Order all over the world. From the arches below the convent one may emerge upon a small terraced Garden, once a ridge covered with a thicket of thorns, upon which S. Benedict used to roll his naked body to extinguish the passions of the flesh. Here, seven centuries afterwards, S. Francis, coming to visit the shrine, knelt and prayed before the thorns which had such glorious memories, and planted two rose-trees beside them. The roses of S. Francis flourish still, and are carefully tended by the monks, but the Benedictine thorns have disappeared. " Ce jardin, deux fois sanctifie, occupe encore une sorte de plateau GARDEN OF S. BENEDETTO. 315 triangulaire qui se projette sur le flanc du rocher, un peu en avant et au- dessous de la grotte qui servait de gite a Benoit. Le regard, confine de tous cotes par les rochers, n'y peut errer en liberte que sur I'azur du ciel. C'est le dernier des lieux sacres que Ton visite et que Ton venere, dans ce celebre et unique monastere du Sagro Speco, qui forme comme une serie de sanctuaires superposes les uns aux autres et adosses a la mon- tagne que Benoit a immortalisee. Tel fut le dur et sauvage berceau de rOrdre monastique en Occident. C'est de ce tombeau, oil s'etait ense- veli tout vivant cet enfant delicat des derniers patriciens de Rome, qu'est nee la forme definitive de la vie monastique, c'est-a-dire la perfection de la vie chretienne. De cette caverne et de ce buisson d'epines sont issues ces legions de moines et de saints dont le devouement a valu a I'Eglise ses conquetes les plus vastes et ses gloires les plus pures. De cette source a jailli I'intarissable courant du zele et de la faveur religieuse. Li sont venus, la viendront encore tous ceux a qui 1' esprit du grand Benoit inspirera la force d'ouvrir de nouvelles voies ou de restaurer I'antique discipline dans la vie claustrale. Tous y reconnaissent la site sacre que le prophete Isaie semble avoir montre d'avance aux cenobites par ces paroles d'une application si merveilleusement exacte : Attetidite ad petram de qua excisi estis, et ad cavernam laci de qua prcEcisi estis. II faut plaindre le chretien qui n'a pas vu cette grotte, ce desert, ce nid d'aigle et de colombe, ou qui, I'ayant vu, ne s'est pas prosteme avec un tendre respect devant le sanctuaire d'oii sortirent, avec le regie et I'in- stitut de saint Benoit, la fleur de la civilisation chretienne, la victoire permanente de I'ame sur la matiere, I'affranchissement intellectuel de I'Europe, et tout ce que I'esprit de sacrifice, regie par la foi, ajoute de grandeur et de charme a la science, au travail, a la vertu " — Montalem- bert, Les Moines d'' Occident. "Cache d'abord au fond d'un antre, oublie des hommes, et connu de Dieu seul, passant les nuits, ou a chanter de saints cantiques, ou a mediter les annees eternelles, Benoit ne trouve plus de volupte qu'a crucifier sa chair, et la reduire en servitude ; devenu pere d'un peuple de solitaires, il renouvelle en Occident ces prodiges d'austerite, que les deserts de Seethe et de la Thebaide avoient admires ; et sa regie si estimee depuis, ne fut, dit Saint Gregoire, que I'histoire exacte des mceurs du saint Legislateur. C'est ainsi que Benoit confond la mollesse du monde. En effet, quand on nous propose ces grands modeles, nous nous recrions sur la puissance de la grace dans ces hommes extraordi- naires : mais nous n'allons pas plus loin ; et parceque nous ne croyons pas que ces modeles de penitence soient proposes pour etre imites, nous 3i6 DAYS NEAR ROME. ne les croyons pas meme faits pour nous instruire. Mais quel a pu etre le dessein de Dieu en suscitant dans tous les siecles, de ces penitents fameux qui ont edifie I'Eglise? n'est-ce pas de nous faire comprendre de quoi notre faiblesse, soutenue de la grace, est encore capable? De plus, je vous demande pourquoi ces grands exemples de penitence nous paroissent-ils si eloignes de nos devoirs et de notre etat ? Est-ce parce- qu'ils ont vecu dans des siecles fort eloignes des notres ? mais les devoirs ne changent pas avec les ages. Est-ce parce que les Saints ont ete des hommes extraordinaires ? mais les Saints ne sont devenus parmi nous des hommes extraordinaires, que parceque la corruption est devenue universelle. Est-ce parceque les mortifications et les saintes austerites ne forment que le caractere particulier de quelques Saints ? mais lisez les histoires ; tous ont fait penitence ; tous ont crucifie leur chair avec leurs desirs ; et partout oil vous trouverez des Saints, vous les trouverez penitents. Nous avons done beau nous rassurer sur I'exemple commun ; si les Saints I'avoient suivi, ils ne meritoient pas aujourd'hui nos hom- mages. L'Evangile est fait pour nous comme pour eux ; et comme il n'a rien qui nous ressemble, il n'a rien non plus qui doive nous rassurer." Alassillon, Sermons. Under the part of the cave which opens upon this garden all the monks are buried, and when corruption has passed away their bones are taken up and placed in an open chapel in the rock, where they are visible to all. To obtain a general view of the convent of the Sacro Speco, it is neces- sary to follow the lower path which diverges just beyond Santa Scholastica. A succession of zig-zags along the edge of the cliffs, amid savage scenery, leads into the gorge, which is closed in the far distance by the rock-built to^\Ti of Jenne, the birth-place of Alexander IV. and of the Abbot Lando. We cross the river by a bridge, whence a pathlet, winding often by staircases up and down the rocks, allows one to see the whole building rising above the beautiful falls of the Anio. We emerge close to the ruins of a Nymphczum belong- ing to Nero's Villa, and nothing can be more imposing than the view from hence up the gorge, with the great rock-crest- CASTLE OF SUB I AC O. 317 ing monastery on the other side, and all the wealth of rich verdure on the nearer steeps, which take the name of Alonte Carpineto from the hornbeams with which they are covered. The little chapel above the Sacro Speco is that of San Biagio (S. Blaise), who is invoked whenever any catastrophe occurs in the valley. Here, once every year, mass is chaunted by the monks of Santa Scholastica. Sacro Speco, Subiaco. The castle, called La Rocca, built by the warlike Abbot John v., was long a summer residence of the popes. One of its towers, still called " Borgiana," recalls the residence here of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, afterwards Alexander VI. Magnificent views may be obtained from the windows of the rooms, which contain a few good pictures. 3i8 DAYS NEAR ROME. The town formerly professed the utmost devotion to the papacy, and the waggon-load of its wild-flowers was one of the most suggestive and attractive of the presents to Pius IX, on his anniversary, sent by "Z^ sua divotissima Subiaco" yet now the names of the streets are all changed, and we have the eternal " Via Cavour, Via Venti Settembre, &c." Costumes still linger here, but are less striking than further in the mountains. The men all wear bunches of flowers in tlieir hats on festas, the women wear spadoni, ending in a hand, an acorn, or a bunch of flowers in silver. Beyond the Albergo della Pernice (see above), and the gate built in honour of Pius VI., is a curious old bridge with a gate-tower over the Anio. One of the best views of the town is just across this bridge. The path which is approached by the bridge leads to the beautifully situated Convmt of the Cappuccini. In its portico is a very quaint fresco of S. Francis, the beloved of animals, " vir vere catholicus totusque apostolicus," shaking hands with a wolf, much to the horror of his attendant monks.* Endless other paths lead up the hills in different directions, through woods by rushing brooks, and along mountain ledges, and indeed the whole of the Valle Sa?tta, as the dis- trict of Subiaco is popularly called, is well worth exploring. The road to Tivoli is one of the many benefits which Subiaco owes to its having been so long the residence of Pius VI. It follows, first the Via Sublacensis, constructed * Thii was at Gubbio. A wolf who had long ravaged the surrounding country was rebuked by S. Francis, who promised it a peaceful existence and daily food, if it would amend its ways. The wolf agreed to the compact, and placed his right paw in the hand of S. Francis in token of confidence and good faith. " Brother Wolf," as S. Francis called him, " lived afterwards tamely for two years at Gubbio, in good fellow- ship with all, and finally died, much regretted, of old age." — From the " Fioretti di ^'. Francesco." A THE VALLE SANTA. 319 by Nero, and then the Via Valeria, which was the work of the censor Valerius Maximus, in the year of Rome 447. In spring, when it is chiefly visited by foreigners, the country here strikes one as bare, and the chief interest is derived entirely from the villages which crest the hills on either side. Subiaco. But in summer, when the chestnut woods are in full leaf, and the luxuriant vines leap from tree to tree along the val- leys, the scenery is unspeakably lovely. "Les montagnes rapprochees forment une suite de vallees etroites et singulierement accidentees, ou, a chaque detour du chemin, le charme saisissant de rimprevu vous decouvre une source toujours nouvelle d'^motions. Sous la voute epaisse de ces bois, au milieu des gorges profondes de ces montagnes, on croit errerdans les forets primitives que les anciennes traditions nous representent pleines de tenebres, de mys- tere et d'horreur, et qui couvraient le pays, quand les colons sicules et pelasges vinrent s'y etablir long-temps avant la periode romaine. " La silence de ces retraites inhabitees n'est trouble que par le mur- 320 DA YS NEAR ROME. mure de niisseaux nombreux qui, roulant sur des pentes rapides, y forment des cascades et se precipitent ensuite dans I'Anio, dont les chutes retentissantes dominent 5a et la tous les autres bruits. C'est toujours le meme cours d'eau impetueux, aux ondes froides et trans- parentes — ' Frigidas atque perspicuas emanat aquas ' — comme le peint Saint Gregoire le grand, en decrivant la contree montagneuse oil le jeune Benoit trouva une solitude si bien appropriee a ses desirs. Au- jourd'hui encore la nature vivante n'y decele sa presence qu'^ de rares intervalles. Parfois seulement un troupeau de chevres a demi sauvages apparait suspendu sur la crete d'un mamelon reconvert de broussailles. Au vetement grossier, a la figure etrange du patre qui les conduit, il semble qu'on retrouve quelque berger arcadien, descendant des com- pagnons du bon roi Evandre. Assis sur la pointe du roc d'ou il parait ecouter la bruyante harmonic produite. par les chutes de I'Anio, ce berger rappelle assez fidelement celui que Virgile depeint, dans une attitude semblable ; ' stupet inscius alto Accipiens sonitum saxi de vertice pastor.' yEfi. ii. 307. pretant I'oreille aux bruits sinistres qui s'elevent d'une campagne devastee par I'inondation d'un torrent." — Alphonse Dantier. A continuous avenue of mountain villages lines the way. First we have, on the right Cerbara, and on the left Rocca di Canterano, its long lines of old houses cresting the declivity. Then, on the right we have Agosta, and on the left Marano. A road on the right now turns off to the Lago Fucino, and, only two miles distant, we see Arsoli, the ancient Arsula, containing the handsome, still inhabited castle of Prince Massimo. Here the apartment once occupied by S. Filippo Neri, founder of the Oratorians, is preserved with religious care. Though he frequently staid with the Massimo family, he lived here almost as a hermit, eating only bread, with a few olives, herbs, or an apple, drinking only water, and lying on the bare floor. There is a small Picture Gallery at Arsoli, but it is almost always locked up. S. COSIMATO. 321 Passing under Hoviano, which has a castle of the Sciarras, we reach a more fertile country, where the men train the vines, with bunches of great blue iris fastened in their hats, and on the right we see Cantelupo, where the Marchese del Gallo, who married a daughter of Prince Lucien Buonaparte, has a chateau, in which he spends the summer. Here a number of shrines, surrounding a little green with some old ilex-trees, announce the approach to Sa7i Coshnato, the village of hermitages, mentioned in a bull of Gregory VII. as " Monasterium Sancti Cosimatis situm invalle Tiburtina." No one would imagine, from merely passing along the road, that this is one of the most curious places in the country, well deserving of attention and study. But in the earliest ages of Latin Christianity the caverns in the cliffs which here abruptly overhang the river, had been taken possession of by a troop of hermits, who turned this country, for they had many caverns at Vicovaro also, into a perfect Thebaid. Passing through the convent, and its pretty garden full of pillared pergolas (ladies are not admitted), a winding path, the merest ledge, often a narrow stair against the face of the precipice, often caverned over or tunnelled through the rock, leads to this extraordinar}' settlement, and opens upon one tiny hermitage after another, provided with its little window and its rock-hewn couch and seat. A campa- nile remains on a projecting crag, which summoned the recluses to prayer. The last cave, larger than any of the others, was their chapel, formed of living rock. Mass is still occasionally said here, and the scene is most striking, as, to admit the light, large doors just opposite the altar, and only a few feet distant, are thrown open, and one looks down the perpendicular cliff overhung with ilexes centuries old, into the VOL. I. 2i DA Y3 NEAR ROME. Amo immediately beneath, and the roar of its waters mingles with the chaunting of the Psalms. In the fifth century a At S. Cosimato. collection of monks had united on the heighis above the river, and, before he had founded his own convent, attracted by the fame of his sanctity, they chose S. Benedict as their superior. He declined at first, warning them that they -vould not like the severity of his rule, but they insisted and he joined them here. In a short time his austerity roused their hatred, and they attempted to poison him in the Sacrament cup, but when, before drinking, he made the sign of the cross over it, it fell to pieces in his hands. " God forgive you, my brethren," he said, "you see that I spoke the truth when I told you that your rule and mine would not agree," and he returned to Subiaco. The scene of this story S. COSIMATC. 323 is a caverned chapel in the cliff on the other side of the con- vent, adorned with rude frescoes. Here women are per- mitted to enter. Two miles beyond San Cosimato is Vicovaro. The rest of the road to Tivoli is described in chapter xiii. END OF VOL. I. INDEX. Acque Sal vie, ii. 290 Acuto, i. 267 Ad Medias, Roman station of, ii. 249 .^sula, i. 190 Agosta, i. 320 Agylla, ii. 304 Alatri, i. 251 ; ii. 10 Alba Fucinensis, ii. 183 Alba Longa, site of, i. 73 Alban Lake, i. 67 Alban Mount, distant view of, i. 51 ; summit of, i. 85 Albano, i. 59 — 80 Albula, river, i. 185 Aldobrandini, family of — their villa at Frascati, i. 104 Alexander III., Pope — his consecra- tion at Ninfa, i. 236 AUia, the river, i. 175, 181 Altieri, family of — their villa at Oriolo, i. 152 Aluminiera, ii. 311 Amasena, the river, ii. 10, 249, 259 Amatrice, ii. 161 Amelia, ii. 139 Amitemum, ii. 161 Amphitheatre of Albano, i. 66 Albai Fucensis, ii. 184 Sutr, ii. 68 Tusculum, i. 107 Ampiglione, i. 207 Anagni, i. 259—267 - Angelico, Fra, his frescoes at Orvieto, ii. 128 Angitia, ii. 189 Anguillara, i. 152 Anio, river, i. 185 ; falls of, at Tivoli, i. 194, 196 ; at Subiaco, i. 316 Anio Novus, Aqueduct of, at Tivoli, i. 204 Ansedonia, ii. 345 Antinum, ii. igi Antium, ii. 268 Antrodoco, ii. 163 Antemnae, i. 167 Anxur, ii. 251 Appii Forum, ii. 248 Appiola, i. 55 Aquae Albula;, i. 186 Aqua BoUicante, i. 154 Aquae Cutilije, ii. 162 Aqua Ferentina, ii. 290 Aqueduct of the Anio Novus, i. 281 Aqua Claudia, i. 52, 97, 281 Aqua Marcia, i. 295 Aqua Vergine, i. 162 Delia Torre at Spo- leto, ii. 146 Paoline, i. 97 Aquataccia, the, ii. 290 Aquila, ii. 163 — 169 Aquino, ii. 234 — 241 Area, i. 259 Arce, ii. 202 Arco di Pino, i. 140 Ardea, ii. 276 Ariccia, i. 62 Arnara, i. 259 Amolfo, tomb of Cardinal de Braye by, ii. 133 Arpino, ii. 198 Arpino, II Cavaliere d' — picture at Trisulti by, ii. 18 ; birthplace of, ii. 200 Arrone, rivulet, Arsoli, i. 320 Artena, i. 268 Aspra, ii. 25 1. 144 INDEX. 325 Astura, ii. 27 Atina, ii. 203 Augustus, bridge of — at Nami, ii. 136 Avezzano, ii. 183 B. Baccano, i. 141 Ragnaja, ii. 89 Bagni di Paterno, ii. 162 Bagnorea, ii. 116 Balbi of Alatri, works of, ii. 18 Balzorano, ii. 192 Barberini, Cardinal, i. 127 ; the family Dukes of Segni, i. 242 ; their palace at Palestrina, i. 275 ; their residence at, i. 281 Bardella, i. 209 Basilica of S. Alessandro, i. 178 Bassano, Francesco and Leandro, — frescoes by, ii. 229 Bernini, Chigi Palace at Ariccia by, i. 63 Bertaldo, tower of, u. 314 Bieda, ii. 97 — 100 Bisentina, island of, ii. 10 Blera, ii. 97 Bomanzo, ii. 107 Boniface VIII., the story of, i. 263^ 265 ; his persecution of the Colonna family, i. 272 ; his treatment of Coelestine V., ii. 7 Borghese, property of, — at Frascati, i. 116 ; at Cervaretto, i. 162 ; at Palombara, i. 179 ; at Porto d'Anzio, ii. 267 ; at Pratica, i. 282 ; at Rocca Priora, i. 168 Borghetto, on the Alban hills, i. 99 in the Sabina, ii. 33 Borgia, Caesar, — his siege of Isola Farnese, i. 132 Borgo Velino, ii. 163 Bovillae, i. 55 Bracciano, i. 146 Bramante, La Querela built by, ii. 88 Braschi, family of, — Villa Adriana the property of, road constructed by, i. 190 ; viUa at Tivoli of, i. 204 Brigands in the Campagna, i. 35 ; their attack on the family of Lucien Buonaparte, i. 105 ; their encour- agement by the Sardinian Govern- ment, ii. 36 Bruno, Bishop, his statue at Segni, his history, i. 245, 246 Bulicame, the, — baths of, ii. 93 Buonaparte, family of, — their pro- perty at Frascati, i. 105 ; at Musig- nano, ii. 334 ; their conne.xion with Canino, ii. 334 ; their burial-place at Corneto, ii. 317 Buonaventura, S., — birth-place of, ii. 116 Buon Ricovero, farm of, 131 Caere, ii. 304 Camaldoli, convent of the, on the Alban hills, i. 113 Camindoli, ii. 181 Campagna, the, — its geographical Umits, i. II, 12 ; characteristics of the, i. 19, 32 ; effect of the, i. 98 ; lost cities of the, i. 144 ; in the direction of Ostia, ii. 292 ; views over, i. 131 Campagnano, i. 141 Campiglia, hill of, ii. 353 Campo Bufalaro, ii. 287 di Annibale, i. 84 Morto, i. 40 ; ii. 245 Canino, ii. 334 Cantalupo, i. 320 Canterano, i. 320 Capistrello, ii. 191 Capranica, ii. 104 Caprarola, ii. 65 — 73 Carciano, a suburb of Tivoli, i. 206 Carsoli, ii. 186 Cartiera, the, — of Isola, ii. 198 Casale dei Pazzi, i. 178 Casamari, ii. 8 — 10 Casa Nuova, i. 179 Castel d'Asso, ii. 89 — 94 Fusano, i. 47 — 49 Gandolfo, i. 72 Giubeleo, i. 173 Madama, i. 207 deir Osa, i. 160, 164 Porciano, ii. 287 di Sangro, ii. 178 Castiglione, tower of, i. 157 Castle of — Anguillara, i. 152 Antrodoco, ii. 163 Aquila, ii. 169 Ardea, ii. 277 Arsoli, i. 320 Avezzano, ii. 183 Borgetto, near Frascati, i. 99 326 INDEX. Castle of — continued. Borghetto, in the Sabina, ii. 33 Bracciano, i. 147 Cantelupo, i. 32 Castel di Sangro, ii. 178 Castel Fusano, i. 47 Celano, ii. 181 Ceprano, ii. 205 'Civita Castellana, ii. 35 Galera, i. 146 Isola, ii. 202 Montalto, ii. 329 Nemi, i. 88 Nepi, ii. 58 Olevano, i. 291 Ortucchio, ii. 190 Orvieto, ii. 134 Ostia, i. 42 Palestrina, i. 280 Passerano, i. 206 Petrella, ii. 162 Popoli, ii. 169 Populonia, ii. 351 Pratica, ii. 283 Rocca Janula, ii. 208 Ronciglione, ii. 64 Roviano, i. 320 Savelli, at Albano, i. 79 Segni, i. 242 Sermoneta, ii. 246 S. Severa, ii. 312 Spoleto, ii. 146 Subiaco, i. 320 Tivoli, i. 194 Viterbo, ii. 79 Castro, ii.338 Castro Vetere, i. 194 Castrum Novum, Roman station of, ii- 313 Cathedral of — Alatri, i. 253 Albano, i. 78 Anagni, i. 261 — 267 Bieda, ii. 97 Civita Castellana, ii. 36 Corneto, ii. 315 Ferentino, i. 256 Frascati, i. 99, 100 Massa, ii. 35 Nami, ii. 139 Orvieto, ii. 120 Ostia, i. 43 Palestrina, i. 275 Pontecorvo, ii. 242 Porto, ii. 298 Ronciglione, ii. 64 Cathedral of — coniitiued. Segni, i. 245 Spoleto, ii. 147 Sutri, ii. 64 Terni, ii. 140 Terracina, ii. 252 Tivoli, i. 202 Todi, ii. 143 Toscanella, ii. 336 Valmontone, i. 269 Velletri, i. 223 Cavaliere, ii. 186 Cavamonte, i. t6o Cavi, i. 283 Ceccano, ii. 205 Celano, ii. 181. Lago di, ii. 186 Centumcellas, ii. 313 Ceprano, ii. 205 Cerbara, near Subiaco, i. 320 Ceri Nuovo, ii. 311 Cervara, caves and tower of, i. 162 ; festa of, i. 163 Cervaretto, i. 154, 162 Cervetri, ii. 302 — 311 Cesarini, family of the, — their pro- perty at Genzano, i. 90 ; at Ardea, ii. 277. Chiarriccia, ii. 313 Chigi, family of, — their palace at Castel Fusano, i. 47 ; at Arriccia, i. 63. Ciampino, i. 98 Ciminian Hills, ii. 59 — 74 Cioccari, the, i. 287 Circean Mount, ii. 253 Circeii, town of, ii. 255 Cistema, ii. 244 Citadel of Tusculum, i. 109 Veil, i. 136 Civita Castellana, ii. 33 — 39 d'Antino, ii. 191 Ducale, ii. 162 Lavinia, i. 93 la Penna d'Oro, i. 231 di Roveto, ii. 191 Vecchia, ii. 313 Civitella, i. 291 Claudian Aqueduct, near Tivoli, i 206, 207 CoUatia, i. 164 CoUemaggio, La, ii. 166 CoUepardo, village of, ii. 13 ; Grotto of, ii. 19 Collicelli, ii. 161 Colonelle, Lago della, i. 186 INDEX. Colonia, ii. 350 Colonna, i. 119 Colonna, family of, — at Marino, i. 130 ; at Galera, i. 145 ; at Colonna, i. 118 ; at Olevano, i. 291 ; their Pope, i. 288 ; at Cavi, i. 282 ; at Paliano, i. 288 ; at Palestrina, i. 272 — 280 Colonna, Vittoria, her residence at Viterbo, ii. 85. Columbariunri of Veii, i. 134 Concioli, frescoes at Subiaco by, i. 308 Convent of— Acuto, i. 267 Buon Pastore, near Cavamonte, i. 160 Camaldoli, i. 113 Cappuccini, at Albano, i. 65 Cappuccini, at Frascati, i. 105 Cappucnini, at Subiaco, i. 318 Cappuccini, at Velletri, i. 224 Casamari, i. 8 Fossanuova, ii. 255 Gesuiti, at Velletri, i. 225 Grotta Ferrata, i. 126 II Retiro, on Monte Argentaro, ii- 347 La Madonna del Sorbo, i. 143 La Querela, ii. 88 Monte Cassino, ii. 208 Passionists, on Monte Cavo, i. 85 S. Casciano at Narni, ii. 137 S. Elia, ii. 56 S. Pietro Celestino, ii. 176 Sacro Speco, i. 306 S. Scholastica, i. 303 S. Silvestro, near Monte Com- patri, i. 121 on Mount Soracte, ii. 48 Trisulti, ii. 19 Consular Tomb at Palazzuola, i. 82 Conti, family of,— their possessions at Segni, i. 242 ; their fortress at Monte Fortino, i. 268 Corchiano, ii. 54 Corcolo, i. r6i Corese, i. 180 Corfinium, ii. 179 CorioH, i. 95 Corneto, ii. 315—327 Cornufelle, Lake of, i. 116 Cosa, ii 345 Cosmati, the family of,— the Gae- tani tomb at Anagni by, i. 266; mosaics at Subiaco by, i. 304 ; at Civita Castellana by, ii. 34 Crimera, the river, i. 133, 175 Crustumerium, i. 182 Cyclopean walls of — Alatri, i. 251 — 253 Amelia, ii. 139 Arpino, ii. 200 Atina, ii. 203 Cori, i. 228 Cosa, ii. 345 Ferentino, i. 256 Norba, i. 231 Palestrina, i. 280 Pyrgi, ii. 313 Segni, i. 243 D. Dennis, his work on Etrurla, i. 17 Digentia, the brook, i. 209 Dihgence travelling, i. 34 Domenichino, his frescoes at Grotta Ferrata, i. 127 Doria Pamphili, family of, — their property at Valmontone, i. 269 Dragoncello, ii. 291 E. Egeria, fountain of, near Nemi, i. 89 Emissarium of the Alban Lake, i. 69 of the Lago Fucino, ii. 188 Empulum, i. 207 Eretum, i. 181 E.xpenses, of hving, in the Roman castelli, i. 28 F. Fajola, La, i. 87 Falacrino, ii. 161 Falacrinum, ii. 141 Falerium Novum, ii. 42 Falerium Vetus, ii. 36 Falleri, ii. 40 — 42 Fara, ii. 25 Farfa, ii. 21^31 Farnese, ii. 338 Farnese, Cardinal Odoardo, chapel of Grotta Ferrata built by, i. 127 Farnese, family of, — their palace at Caprarola, ii. 68 328 INDEX. Ferentino, station of, i. 250 ; town of. i- 255—257 Ferentinum, ii. 105 Ferento, ii. 105 Feriie Latinse, i. 85 Feronia, the fountain of, ii, 250 Fescennium, li. 55 Festadegli Artisti, i. 163 Fiano, ii. 54 Ficulea, i. 179 Fiora, the river, ii. 329 Fiume Conca, ii. 273 Flume Rapido, ii. 207 Fiumicino, ii. 301 Fens Blandusiee, i. 216 Fossanuova, ii. 257 Fosso de' due Fossi, i. 133, 144 dell' Incastro, ii. 278 Frangipani, the, — their castle at Olevano, i. 291 ; their betrayal of Conradin at Astura, ii. 271 Frascati, i. 99 — 107 Fregellee, ii. 301 Frosinone, ii. 21 Fucino, Lago di, ii. 186 Fumone, i. 254 ; ii. 7. Gaetani, family of, — property of, at Ninfa, i. 236 ; history and me- morials of, at Anagni, i. 260, 266 ; palace of, at Cisterna, ii. 244 ; property of, at Sermoneta, ii. 246 ; property of, at Monte Circello, ii. 254 ; castle of, at Astura, ii. 272 Galera, i. 144 Galleria, di Sopra, Albano, i. 69 di Sotto, Albano, i. 75 Gallese, ii. 54 Gallicano, i. 160 Gallo, Marchese del, castle of, i. 209 Gasperoni, his imprisonment at Ci- vita Castellana, ii. 36 Gell, Sir William, his work on Roman Topography, {.17 Genazzano, i. 283 Genzano, i. 89 Gonsalvi, death of Cardinal, i. 129 Gran Sasso d' Italia, ii. 163 Graviscas, ii. 328 Grazioli, Duke of, i. 164 Greco, Stammatico, picture at Su- biaco by, i. 313 Gregorovius, works of, i. 17 Grosseto, ii. 349 Grotta della Maga, ii. 250 Ferrata, i. 123 Marozza, i. 181 Guadagnolo, i. 291 H. Hadrian, his villa near Palestrina, i. 277 ; his villa near Tivoli, i. 188 Handbooks, the best on the neigh- bourhood of Rome, i. 18 Hermitage of Pietro Murrone, ii. 173 Horace, farm of, i. 210 — 218 I. Ibi, Sinibaldo, picture at Orvieto by, ii. 133 II Toraccio, ii. 273 Incile, ii. 188 Infiorata, festival of the, i. 91 Interamna, ii. 140 Ischia, ii. 33S Isernia, ii. 179 Isola, ii. 202 Isola Farnese, i. 132 Isola Sacra, ii. 299 Isole Natanti, Lago dei, i 186 J- Jenne, i. 316 Joanopolis, i. 39 Labicum, i. 119 Lacordaire, the profession of, ii. Lacus Sabatinus, i. 153 La Civita, i. 268 La Fallonica, ii. 351 La Maiella, ii. 163, 170 La Mercareccia, ii. 327 La Querela, ii. 88 La Solfatara, ii. 280 LaStorta, i. 132, 143 La Vaccareccia, i. 140 Lago di Albano, i. 67 Bolsena, ii. 100 Bracciano, i. 147 Caldano, ii. 350 Caprolace, ii. 273 Castiglione, ii. 353 Celano, ii. 186 Cornufelle, i. 116 INDEX. T^ago di — continued. Fogliano, ii. 273 Fucino, ii. 181, 186 Gabii, i. 157 La Posta, ii. 203 Lago Morto, i. 146 Mezzano, ii. 339 Nemi, i. 88 Paolo, ii. 256 Pie di Lugo, ii. 143 Regillus, i. 116 Scanno, ii. 177 Lancellotti, family of, — their villa at Frascati, i. 105 ; their palace at Velletri, i. 221 Lante, family of, — their villa at Bag- naja, ii. 89 Lautulas, pass of, ii. 253 Lavinium, ii. 281 Le Caldane, ii. 353 Le Casacce del Bacuco, ii. 105 Le Frattocchie, i. 53 Le Molette, the river, i. 185 Le Vene, ii. 153 Licenza, the, i. 209 village of, i. 211 Ligorio, Pirro, the architect of the Villa d' Este, i. 203 Lionessa, ii. 160 Lippi, Filippo, tomb of, ii. 147 Liris, falls of the, ii. 202 Lo Schioppo, ii. 191 Lo Spagna, his frescoes at Todi, ii. 143 ; at Spoleto, ii. 147, 149, 150 ; at S. Giacomo, ii. 151 ; at Trevi, ii. 156 Lomentana, Ponte, i. 178 Loreto, ii. 241 Luco, ii. 189 Lucus Ferentinae, i. 130 Lunghezza, i. 164 M. Maccarese, ii. 301 Madonna del Tufo, shrine of, i. 82 Madonna di Buon Consiglio, shrine of, i. 283 Maglian Sabina, ii. 33 Magliano, ii. 347 Magliano, river, i. 185 Malaria, the, i. 26, 145 Mandela, i. 209 Marcian Aqueduct, near Tivoli, i. 206 Marcigliana Vecchia, the site of Crustumerium at, i. 182 Marco da Siena, frescoes at Monte Cassino by, ii. 229 Marino, i. 130 Marrana, river, i. 185 Marsica, the, ii. 182 Marta, the river, ii. 328 Martana, island of, ii. 100 Massa, ii. 356 Massimi, family castle at Arsoli, i. 320 ; dukes of Rignano, ii. 52 Matthias, Maria de, i. 267 Mazzaroppi, Marco, — frescoes at Monte Cassino by, ii. 228 MeduUia, Latin city of, i. 178 Memmi, Luca, his picture at Orvieto, ii. 127 Mengs, Raphael, picture at Sulmona by, ii. 136 Mentana, i. 179 Mentorella, i. 292, 295 Mesa, ii. 248 Mignone, river, ii. 314 Minio, river, ii. 314 Miollis, General, his works at Tivoli, i- 195 Monica, S., her death at Ostia, i 45 Mons Lucretilis, i. 209 Sacer, i. 178 Montaho, ii. 329 Monte Affliano, i. 190 Algido, i. 118 Argentaro, ii. 347 di Canino, ii. 334 Carpineto, i. 317 Cassino, i. 208 — 230 Catillo, i. 198, 203 Circello, ii. 253 Compatri, i. 118 di Decima, ii. 291 Due Torre, i. 95 Fortino, i. 268 Gennaro, i. 218 Gentile, i. 179 Giove, i. 95 di Grano, i. 97 Libretti, i. 209 Luco, ii. 150 Migliore, ii. 284 Musino, i. 140 Peschiavatore, i. 198 Porzio, i. 117, 121 Rotondo, i. 181 Salviano, ii. 191 Somma, ii. 145 330 INDEX. Montefiascone, ii. 107 — no Monterozzi, the, — of Corneto, ii. 317 Montes Corniculani, i. 178, 186, 219 Montopoli, ii. 25 Morolo, i. 259 Musignano, ii. 334 N. Nar, the river, ii. 136 Narni, ii. 136 — 139 Nemi, i. 88 Nepi, ii. 58, 59 Nepete, ii. 58 Nequinum, ii. 136" Nero, his death, i. 170 — 173 ; his residence at Subiaco, i. 294 Nero's Tomb, i. 131 Nettuno, ii. 268 Ninfa, i. 235 — 240 Nomentana, Ponte, Torre, i. 178 Nomentum, i. 180 Norba, i. 231 Norcia, in the Abruzzi, ii. 160 Norchia, ii. 95 — 104 Norma, i. 233 Novels, about Rome and its sur- roundings, i. 17 Palace (Palazzo) — Barberini, at Palestrina, i. 275 Bruschi, at Corneto, ii. 315 of Castel Gandolfo, i. 73 Cesarini, at Genzano, i. 90 Cisterna, ii. 244 Chigi, at Ariccia, i. 63 at Viterbo, ii. 85 Doria, at Valmontone, i. 219 of Musignano, ii. 334 of Theodoric (ruined), at Terra- cina, ii. 253 Vincentini, at Rieti, ii. 160 Vitelleschi, at Corneto, ii. 315 Palazzuola, i. 82 Palestrina, i. 269 — 281 Pahano, i. 288 Palo, ii. 302 Palombara, i. 178 Pan di Neve, i. 84 Pandataria, island of, i. 227 Panetella di S. Nicolo, i. 150 Papal Palace, Anagni, i. 260 Castel Gandolfo, i. 72 Papal Palace, Orvieto, ii. 120 Subiaco, i. 317 Viterbo, ii. 77 Papignia, i. 97 ; ii. 141 Papigno, ii. 158 Parco dei Barberini, i. 122 Chigi, i. 64 Colonna, i. 131 Passerano, i. 206 Patrica, i. 259 Pedum, i. i6o| Pelasgic Remains, i. 22 Pentima, ii. 179 Pescina, ii. 190 Petrella, ii. 162 Pie de Lugo, ii. 143 Pifferari, the e.\ile from Rome of the, i. 14 Pino, rivulet, i. 133 Piombino, ii. 350 Piperno, ii. 257 Pitigliano, ii. 339 Plautii, tomb of the, i. 187 Poggio Catino, ii. 25 Mirteto, ii. 25 Reale, i. 136 Polo, i. 218 Pompeo, ii. 25 Ponte deir Abbadia, ii. 330 deir Acquoria, i. 200 S. Antonio, i. 281 alia Catena, i. 230 dell Isola, i. 134 Lucano, i. 187 JMammolo, i. 184 Nomentana, i. 178 Nona, i. 155 Salara, i. 168 Sodo, i. 134 Pontecorvo, ii. 241 Pontine Marshes, ii. 247 — 250 Ponza, island of, i. 226 Popoli, ii. 170 Populonia, ii. 351 Porcigliano, ii. 287 Portella, frontier gateway of, ii. 253 Porto, ii. 296 — 299 Porto d'Anzio, ii. 263 — 267 d'Ercole, ii. 347 Falese, ii. 350 di Paolo, ii 256 di Troja, ii. 350 Posi, i. 259 I Pozzo di Santulla, ii. 13 • Pratica, ii. 281 I Prato Rotondo, i. 169 INDEX. Precious Blood, the Order of the, i. i 267 i Privernum, ii. 257 j Punicum, Roman station of, ii. 313 ; Puntone del Castrato, ii. 313 1 Pyrgi, ii. 313 Querquetuia, i. 161 Quintiliolo, i. 198 R. Rapinium, Roman station of, ii. 314 Regillus, Lake of, i. ir6 Rieti, ii. 158 Rignano, ii. 52 Rio Torto, ii. 279 Ripoli, i. 190 Rocca di Cavi, i. 291 Circea, ii. 254 Giovane, i. 209 Gorga, i. 259 Janula, ii. 208 Massima, i. 226 di Mezzo, ii. 181 di Papa, i. 82 Priora, i. 118 Ronciglione, ii. 64 Rosa S. , di Viterbo, ii. 83 Rospigliosi, family of, — their pro- perty at Colonna, i. 119 ; at Za- garola, their title, i. 161 Roviano, i. 320 Ruspoli, family of, —their property at Cervetri, their title, ii. 304 Russelas, ii. 349 Rustica, i. 163 S. Sacro Speco, monastery of the, i. 306 Salt Mines, near Ostia, i. 41 S. Agostino, tower of, ii. 314 Angelo in Cappoccia, i. 178, i36, 219 Appetite, ii. 181 Bartolomeo, i. 127 Benedetto, ii. 190 Clementino, ii. 329 Cosimato, i. 320 Domenico Abate, ii. 194 Elia, ii. 56 Felice, ii. 253 S. Felice, island of, i. 226 Germano, ii. 206 Giacomo, ii. 151 Giorgio, the family of, — at Bieda, ii. 99 Giovanni, Lago di, i. 186 Giulianello, i. 226 Maria in Forcassi, ii. 95 Maria della villa, i. 277 Marinella, ii. 313 Oreste, ii. 44 Pietro, i. 280 Procula, ii. 279 Severa, ii. 312 Vito, i. 290 Vittorino, ii. 161 Saturnia, ii. 341 Saturnian Cities, the five, i. 259' Savelli, castle of the, i. 99 ; their fortress at Palombara, i. 178 Scalza, Ippolito, — his works at Or- vieto, ii. 125, 132 Scaptia, i. 161 Schizzanello, ii. 2S4 Scholastici, Convent of, at Subiaco, i. 301 — 305 ; grave of, at Monte Ca;-.sino, ii. 229 SoiH''''a, family of, their castle at Koviano, i. 320 Scrofano, i. 141 Scurgola, i. 259 ; ii. 184 Segiii, i. 241 — 247 Sermoneta, ii. 245 — 247 Setia, ii. 256 Sette Basse, i. 97 Vene, i. 142 Sezza, ii 256 Sforza-Cesarini, family of, — gardens and villa of, at Genzano, i. 90; pos- sessions of, at Segni, i. 242 Signorelli, Luca, his works at Orvieto, ii. 127—137. Silva Laurentina, the, ii. 275 Simbriviag Aquas, i. 294 Simone, church at Vicovaro built by, i. 205 ; his death, i. 207 Solfatara, the, near Ardea, ii. 280 ; near Tivoli, i. 181 Sonnino, ii. 260, 261 Sora, ii. 192 Soracte, ii. 42 — 52 Sorano, ii. 339 Soriano, ii. 54 Sovana, ii. 339 Spaccato, i. 190 Spina Cristi, the, i. 250 INDEX. Spoleto, ii. 145 — 151 Stagno, the, of Ostia, i. 41, 47 Storta, rivulet, i. 133 Strada del Diavolo, i. 53 Stretti di S. Luigi, ii. 178 Strozzi, the,— their property at Lun- ghezza, i. 164 Subiaco, i. 294 — 318 Sugareto, the, ii. 280 Sulmona, ii. 171 — 177 Superstitions of the Campagna, i. 30 Supine, i. 259 Sutri, ii. 59 — 64 T. Tarquinii, ii. 315 Tartari, Lago dei, i. 186 Telamone, ii. 349 Temple of — Castor and Pollux, at Con, i. 229 the Clitumnus, ii. 153 Equestrian Fortune, at Porto d' Anzio, ii. 262 Esculapius, at Porto d' Anzio, ii. 264 Fortune, at Palestrina, i. 271 Hercules, at Tivoli, i. 200, 202 Juno, at Civita Lavinia, i. 95 Juno, at Gabii, i. 156 Jupiter Latiaris, on the Alban Mount, i. 86 Leucothea, at Pyrgi, ii. 313 Minerva, at Cori, i. 229 the Sibyl, at Tivoli, i. 194 the Sun, on the Circean Mount, ii. 254 Tiburtus, at Tivoli, i. 195 Tosse, at TivoU, i. 200 Vacuna, at Rocca Giovane, i. 209 Temple Tombs at Norchia, ii. 103 Terni, ii. 140 Terracina, ii. 250 — 253 Testament, the, at Ferentino, i. 258 Teverone, the river, i. 185 Theatre — of Civita Lavinia, i. 95 of Gabii, i. 157 of Tusculum, i. 107 Tiber, the river described, ii. 288— 290 Tibur, history of, i. 190 — 192 Timone, river, ii. 333 Todi, ii. 143 Toleria, i. 268 Tolfa, ii. 311 Tomb of — Aruns, i. 59 the Buonajyartes at Frascati, i. C. Maenius Bassus near Tivoli, i. 207 Cardinal Altieri at Albano, i. 78 Cardinal de Braye at Orvieto, ii. 133 Charles Edward at Frascati, i. 99 Consular, at Palazzuola, i. 82 P. V. Marianus, i. 131 Pompey, at Albano, i. 56 Torano, ii. 162 Torfea, ii. 25 Torlonia, family of, — at Frascati, i. 103 ; at Bracciano, i. 149 ; at Gabii, i. 151 ; at Musignano, ii. 334- Torre (tower) — della Bella Marsilia, ii. 349 Cervaro, i. 163 Flavia, ii. 312 Lupara, i. 179 Nuova, i. 97 Paterno, ii. 284 Salara, i. 169 Sapienza, i. 155, 162 degli Schiavi, i. 154 Tre Teste, i. 155, 162 Toscanella, ii. 335 — 338 Trasacco, ii. 190 Trevignano, i. 152 Tribucci, ii. 26 Trisulti, ii. 15 — 19 Tuder, ii. 144 Turchina, hill of, ii. 317, 326 Tusculum, i. 107 Tutia, river, i. 185, 186 Val del Paradiso, i. 219 Valentano, ii. 338 Vallericcia, i. 60 Valle Santa, i. 318 Valmontone, i. 268 Veil, i. 133— 141 Velino, the river, ii. 140 Velletri, i. 220 — 225 Venafro, ii. 179 j Veroli, ii. 10 i Vespasian, the Emperor, — born at INDEX. 333 Amiteraum, ii. i6i ; died at Aquae Cutiliae, ii. 162 Vetralla, ii. 94 Vetulonia, ii. 348 Via Appia Nova, i. 52 Appia Vecchia, i. 53 Ardeatina, ii. 280 Aurelia, ii. 313, 348 Cassia, i. 181 Collaiina, i. 164 Constantina, i. 201 Ficulea, i. 179 Flaminia, ii. 135 Gabina, i. 154 Labicana, i. 121 Latina, i. 52 Laurentina, ii. 285, 287 Nomentana, 177, 181 Prasnestina, i. 154, 160 Salara, i. 177, 181 Severiana, i. 48 Sublacensis, i. 318 Valeria, ii. 186, 318 . Vicarello, i. 159 Vicovaro, i. 207 Vignanello, ii. 54 Vignola, his work at Caprarola, ii. 69 ; at Bagnaja, ii. 89 ; at Rieti, ii. 159 Villa Adriana, i. 188 — 190 Aldobrandini, at Frascati, i. 103 Altieri, at Albano, i. 76 Altieri, at Oriolo, i. 152 of Attilius Regulus, i. 97 Barberini, at Albano, i. 71 Braschi, at Tivoli, i. 204 of Cato the Younger, i. 117 of Catullus, at Tivoli, i. 205 of Cicero, at Frascati, i. 106 Villa Doria, at Albano, i. 79 D'Este, at Tivoli, i. 203 Falconieri, at Frascati, i. 105 of the Gens Cassia, at Tivoli, i. 206. 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