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Article ARCHÆOLOGIC ITEMS FROM ROME. ← Page 2 of 3 →
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Archæologic Items From Rome.
details that are not all to be easily verified ; some ( we cannot but suspect ) open to quasi refutation . We read of repairs effected in the fortifications of Servius Tullius , as well as in the Agger called after that king ( that rampart having been , in part , broken and levelled with the groundfor railway
, purposes , within the period contemplated ); repairs of the Pyramid of Cestius ( its apex restored after the ancient one had been struck off by lightning ) ; of the Tabularium , the Circus Maximus , the Pantheon , the Tomb of the Scipios , the Colosseum , Forum of Augustus , the Arches of Constantino
and Septimus Severus , the Column of Trajan , the Circus of Caracalla ,, the Portico of Octavia , the Aqueducts of Nero aiid Trajan , the Villa of Hadrian , the Thermae of Titus and Caracalla , the Etruscan Tombs of Corneto ( Tarquinii ) ; and , moreover , the restorations of ancient ways—the
Latin , PraDnestine , Appian , Claudian , besides the uninterrupted continuance of excavations in Ostia , in the Palatine , ancl at Prima Porta , and site of the Villa of Libia . Fourteen churches restored , ancl nineteen embellished with new paintings , evince the activity in the interests of those
monuments naturally most precious in the eyes of this Government ; aud in order to display the movement of commerce in art-objects within this period , tables were supplied , from which Ave learn , besides particulars referring to earlier date , that in 1803 the ancient paintings exported from these states represented the value of 116 , 427 scudi ; the
ancient sculptures , that of 213 , 130 scudi ; the entire amount of these exportatious in the Fineart Department , during six years , more than 8 , 000 , 000 francs . High-sounding ancl imposing is the above list ; but if we confront it with realities , we shall find many of its items refer to things
so trivial , many of the assumed "public works " confined to details so insignificant as to justify the charge against the ministerial report , of almost fallacious wording . Nothing has been restored at the Therinaj of Titus or Caracalla , the Augustan Forumor the triumphal archesthat can meet or
, , declare itself to the eyes , without express particularisation of every stone renewed or polished , every letter fresh cut in the epigraph . At the Column of Trajan , as at the Arch of Constantino , the only undertaking effected has been the execution ofcasts from the historic sculpturesat the
^ , same time ordered b y this Government for Eome , as by the French for Paris ; and one may be amazed at the archeeologic science of this report , in _ reference to the " Circus of Caracalla "—the ruins implied having been long known to every
tyro since the distinct refutation of such misnomer , as the Circus of Maxentius , on the Appian Way . We visited that impressive scene , so picturesque in the _ Campagna solitude , a few days ago , for the first time after long absence , for perhaps the forteith time since we first saw those interesting ruins , and certainly no perceptible traces of the restoring labours could we detect in any portion of the
encircling walls , the extant carceres , the triumphal arch , or once-buried spina . The discovery of an antique art-production pertaining to the highest order , is naturally an event to excite all attention , to become the subject of all talk ancl conjecture in this city , where other
interests can be discussed so little at freedom ; but it is long since any incident of the kind has made such sensation here as the exhuming , under the Pio Palace , of the magnificent Hercules statue , one of the priceless adornments of Pompey's Theatre , which has lately been removed from its original
site for the requisite restoration ( little mors than 4 foot being wanted ) , by Tenerani , after which it is to have its place in . the Vatican . — -we are not exactly informed in what locality of that museum . The Academicians of St . Luke , invited by the Pope to pronounce ex cathedra upon the merits ancl
assignable value of this colossal work , dwelt some time on the rather subtle question whether it " should be described of the highest or the best period in Greek art , the former definition having been , we understand , suggested by Mr . Gibson , but the latter unanimously adopted in the result . That
theatre , connected with the curia of Pompey , which passed through such strange Mediasval vicissitudes , and became eventually , with the curia , temple , ancl portico belonging to the same aggregate , completely buried underground beneath a labyrinth of obscure streets , near the present Campo de' Fiori , has from time to time yielded wealth , even from
its hidden recesses , to enrich the Eoman museums with some of their most prized contents . The Belvedere Torso ( also a Hercules ); the Hercules with the infant Ajax , a Melpomene , a Euterpe ( all statues at the Vatican ) , besides the celebrated colossus of Pompey , at the base of which " great
Ca 3 sar fell , " were alike found on the site once occupied by those splendid Pompeian buildings . In that Pio Palace , the fortunate discoverer of the new antique , Cav . Eighetti , is having the works of excavation continued , whilst the Government is cai * rying on similar researches under the houses
adjacent , with a view to laying open the ruins of the curia aud portico . An inner court , presenting the scene of neglect and decay common to Eoman palaces , is the area where labourers are now employed under Eighetti ' s directions ; and here we look downat considerable depthon
re-, , mains of walls ancl pavement , from amidst which had been raised , just before our last visit , a female figure , headless , and indeed little more than a torso , in fine marble , ancl beautifully draped ; turning from which spot to enter a chamber off this court , we see a multitude of marble
fragments , some most precious in material , giallo and verde antico , porphyry , fwr di Fersico , Phrygian paonazzetto , & c , from the same locale where the Hercules was found ; a variety of architectonic ornaments , antefixae , and others very rich in character ; masses of bronze in state of fusion ( the evidence of injury suffered by fire ) , several terra
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Archæologic Items From Rome.
details that are not all to be easily verified ; some ( we cannot but suspect ) open to quasi refutation . We read of repairs effected in the fortifications of Servius Tullius , as well as in the Agger called after that king ( that rampart having been , in part , broken and levelled with the groundfor railway
, purposes , within the period contemplated ); repairs of the Pyramid of Cestius ( its apex restored after the ancient one had been struck off by lightning ) ; of the Tabularium , the Circus Maximus , the Pantheon , the Tomb of the Scipios , the Colosseum , Forum of Augustus , the Arches of Constantino
and Septimus Severus , the Column of Trajan , the Circus of Caracalla ,, the Portico of Octavia , the Aqueducts of Nero aiid Trajan , the Villa of Hadrian , the Thermae of Titus and Caracalla , the Etruscan Tombs of Corneto ( Tarquinii ) ; and , moreover , the restorations of ancient ways—the
Latin , PraDnestine , Appian , Claudian , besides the uninterrupted continuance of excavations in Ostia , in the Palatine , ancl at Prima Porta , and site of the Villa of Libia . Fourteen churches restored , ancl nineteen embellished with new paintings , evince the activity in the interests of those
monuments naturally most precious in the eyes of this Government ; aud in order to display the movement of commerce in art-objects within this period , tables were supplied , from which Ave learn , besides particulars referring to earlier date , that in 1803 the ancient paintings exported from these states represented the value of 116 , 427 scudi ; the
ancient sculptures , that of 213 , 130 scudi ; the entire amount of these exportatious in the Fineart Department , during six years , more than 8 , 000 , 000 francs . High-sounding ancl imposing is the above list ; but if we confront it with realities , we shall find many of its items refer to things
so trivial , many of the assumed "public works " confined to details so insignificant as to justify the charge against the ministerial report , of almost fallacious wording . Nothing has been restored at the Therinaj of Titus or Caracalla , the Augustan Forumor the triumphal archesthat can meet or
, , declare itself to the eyes , without express particularisation of every stone renewed or polished , every letter fresh cut in the epigraph . At the Column of Trajan , as at the Arch of Constantino , the only undertaking effected has been the execution ofcasts from the historic sculpturesat the
^ , same time ordered b y this Government for Eome , as by the French for Paris ; and one may be amazed at the archeeologic science of this report , in _ reference to the " Circus of Caracalla "—the ruins implied having been long known to every
tyro since the distinct refutation of such misnomer , as the Circus of Maxentius , on the Appian Way . We visited that impressive scene , so picturesque in the _ Campagna solitude , a few days ago , for the first time after long absence , for perhaps the forteith time since we first saw those interesting ruins , and certainly no perceptible traces of the restoring labours could we detect in any portion of the
encircling walls , the extant carceres , the triumphal arch , or once-buried spina . The discovery of an antique art-production pertaining to the highest order , is naturally an event to excite all attention , to become the subject of all talk ancl conjecture in this city , where other
interests can be discussed so little at freedom ; but it is long since any incident of the kind has made such sensation here as the exhuming , under the Pio Palace , of the magnificent Hercules statue , one of the priceless adornments of Pompey's Theatre , which has lately been removed from its original
site for the requisite restoration ( little mors than 4 foot being wanted ) , by Tenerani , after which it is to have its place in . the Vatican . — -we are not exactly informed in what locality of that museum . The Academicians of St . Luke , invited by the Pope to pronounce ex cathedra upon the merits ancl
assignable value of this colossal work , dwelt some time on the rather subtle question whether it " should be described of the highest or the best period in Greek art , the former definition having been , we understand , suggested by Mr . Gibson , but the latter unanimously adopted in the result . That
theatre , connected with the curia of Pompey , which passed through such strange Mediasval vicissitudes , and became eventually , with the curia , temple , ancl portico belonging to the same aggregate , completely buried underground beneath a labyrinth of obscure streets , near the present Campo de' Fiori , has from time to time yielded wealth , even from
its hidden recesses , to enrich the Eoman museums with some of their most prized contents . The Belvedere Torso ( also a Hercules ); the Hercules with the infant Ajax , a Melpomene , a Euterpe ( all statues at the Vatican ) , besides the celebrated colossus of Pompey , at the base of which " great
Ca 3 sar fell , " were alike found on the site once occupied by those splendid Pompeian buildings . In that Pio Palace , the fortunate discoverer of the new antique , Cav . Eighetti , is having the works of excavation continued , whilst the Government is cai * rying on similar researches under the houses
adjacent , with a view to laying open the ruins of the curia aud portico . An inner court , presenting the scene of neglect and decay common to Eoman palaces , is the area where labourers are now employed under Eighetti ' s directions ; and here we look downat considerable depthon
re-, , mains of walls ancl pavement , from amidst which had been raised , just before our last visit , a female figure , headless , and indeed little more than a torso , in fine marble , ancl beautifully draped ; turning from which spot to enter a chamber off this court , we see a multitude of marble
fragments , some most precious in material , giallo and verde antico , porphyry , fwr di Fersico , Phrygian paonazzetto , & c , from the same locale where the Hercules was found ; a variety of architectonic ornaments , antefixae , and others very rich in character ; masses of bronze in state of fusion ( the evidence of injury suffered by fire ) , several terra