The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-23 00:00:00

AN ARTIST'S TOUR.

We quote from the Art- Union the following in-
teresting account of Ostia, and other places at the
mouth of the Tiber, seldom visited by travellers :
Rome, Jane 3, 1838.
I have been traversing the classic, though now deso-
late shores of Ostia, Ardea, Nettuno, &c., accompanied
by an intimate friend, a Swiss artist. We set out on
foot at four o'clock in the morning, carrying with us our
sketching materials, a knapsack containing linen, &c.,
good stout sticks with iron points,- to defend oarselves on
the road in case of necessity, and a chart of the country
to facilitate our progress. We arrived at Fuemiccino
about ten o'clock in the morning, and, having refreshed
ourselves, proceeded to Ostia, passing the famous fields
of Apollo, on which stood 'his temple, now a melancholy
waster marshy and sterile. We arrived at the ancient
Ostia about twelve o'clock, having crossed the Tiber a
little below its termination into the sea, a slight memo-
randum of which I transferred to my sketch-book. After
having scrambled our way with much difficulty through
long grass and brambles, we entered the ruins of a temple
said to be the Temple of Jupiter, and which still bears
evident marks of former splendour ; from these ruins
we had a view of the very slender remains of the ancient
city, which consist of a number of foundations of build-
ings, &c., almost lost amongst briars and brambles. One
can scarcely imagine, when looking on the desolate scene
around, that this was once a flourishing and populous
city, into the ports of which entered vessels from all
parts of the world. Leaving these ruins we arrived at
the modern Ostia, and were so much struck with its ap-
pearance, that we sat down to take a sketch of it : it is
a most picturesque object, and the two pines which grow
in front of its half-ruined walls add much to its " pic-
turesqueness." After the dreary waste we had left, it
seemed like a spring in the desert. Having completed
our sketches, and feeling our appetites sharpened, we
entered the village, and were served at the inn with a
sorry repast by a brutal and ill-looking landlord, who
made us pay exorbitantly. We took a survey of the in-
terior of the large tower, but found in it nothing particu-
larly interesting, except a few inscriptions dug out of
the neighbouring ruins. Having satisfied our curiosity,
' we proceeded by a pleasant walk to Castel Fusano, a
country seat of Prince Ghigi, where we intended to pass
the night : it is an old castellated mansion ; and tradi-
tion says that the stone figures of sentinels on the top of
this mansion were placed there to deceive the Turkish
corsairs, who from time to time made incursions on the
neighbouring shore, and did not spare the castle itself.
It is situated in a spacious though neglected park, and
is surrounded by beautiful pines. As we approached it
the sun was setting, and threw a gorgeous light on an
avenue of those trees, at which we were gazing with ad-
Miration, when we were accosted by the custode, or
keeper of the park, with whom we entered into conver-
sation ; in the course of which he informed us, to our
great vexation, that the steward had accompanied the
Prince to Rome, and that all the rooms in the castle
were locked up, and- advised us to go back td Ostia.
Here was a pretty predicament : we were not disposed to
retrace our steps, as. the distance from Ostia was seven
miles ; nor did we like trusting ourselves in the hands of
the worthy landlord, and other certain ferocious-looking
individuals we had noticed in the inn. We therefore
begged and prayed of the custode to give us shelter, if
it Were only in a shed, explaining to him our forlorn con-
dition. Upon consideration, he said he would apply to
the cowherd, who lived in a kind of hovel with his family
adjoining the villa, whither we accompanied him ; and,
after no little persusion, lie was induced to give us shel-
ter ; we supped with the cowherd and his family on
bread and water, this being the only fare they had to
offer us. He then conducted us to a room without furni-
ture, arid having supplied us with some straw for beds,
and lighted a fire, we laid down to repose ourselves, or
at least with that intention, for we were kept awake all
night by the buzzing of mosquitoes, with which this part
of the country is infested : they bit me so severely on the
hands that I still bear the marks of them. We arose at

daybreak, not sorry 'to get out of our wretched resting-
place. It was a chill misty morning, and cur prospect of
breakfast was very doubtful, but we were sustained by
our enthusiasm : we thought of Virgil, Apollo, &c.; and
my friend, who is a zealous classic, opening a pocket edi-
tion of the lEneid in Italian, spouted as we proceeded
briskly along a road in the midst of a wood, formed from

the materials of the Via Severiana, and which brought
us' to the sea-side just in time to see the sun rise on the
ocean—a glorious sight ! which gave us fresh energy.
So beautiful was the effect, that I was induced to make a
sketch of it, but gave it over in despair ; and after we
had lincrered awhile gazing on the broad blue ocean, we
proceeded along the shore for many miles without meet-
ing a soul, except two or three soldiers stationed in
cabins to prevent smugglers from landing. The sands
in this part are very smooth, so we took off our shoes
and stockings and walked in cuerpo the whole length of
them. Having trotted in this manner for about seven
or eight miles, we arrived at a solitary tower called the
Tor Paterno, inhabited by a few miserable-looking sol-
tilers employed in _ watching smugglers : this was the
site of the famous city of Laurentum, celebrated by
Virgil is his lEneid, and which was the first place where
fEneas landed on his arrival in Italy ; and the daughter
of whose king, Latinus, he married. Leaving the sea-
shore we branched off into the road to Practica, the
place of our destinationlor that day : this path lay in
the midst of a wood which, for desolate wildness, I con-
ceive may rival any in the most savage region. After
walking a considerable distance without meeting with
any living creature, except snakes and lizards, and des-
crying no signs of Practica, we began to imagine we had
lost our way ; this was a melancholy reflection ! We .
had tasted nothing but a bit of bread since twelve
o'clock the preceding .day. The sun shone hotly upon
us, and we were encumbered with our trappings ; yet,
not allowing our courage to flag, we trudged on till we
arrived at a cross-road in an open country ; here, how-
ever, we could discover no signs of Practica ; and my
companion, leaving me in charge of the luggage, walked
to a hill.at a short distance, where he, to his great joy,
discovered the eagerly sought for town ; and at that
moment some labourers coming up, told him they were
going on the road to Practica to a farm, where they were
employed in hay-making. We all joined ; and having
arrived at the farm, were enabled to procure some bread
and wine, which you may easily imagine we needed not
a little. After this refreshment, we proceeded to Prac-
tica, where we arrived about two o'clock in the day,
having slept on the ground for above two hours from ex-
cessive
fatigue. This town. is very small, but prettily
situated, and from the tower of a palace of Prince
Borghese there is a most magnificent distant view of
Rome and the surrounding countries of Albano, Gen-
sane, Frascati, &c. Practica is situated on the same site
as Lavinium, built by .21:neas in honour of his wife Lavi-
nia; and many antiquities have been dug up in the neigh-
bourhood. After having dined and supped tolerably
well in the inn of the plebe, we went to rest, and next
morning early we set nut for Ardea, sketching many
objects on the road. It is a curious circumstance, that
all the farm-houses and cottages on this road were
formed exactly in the same manner as those described
by Virgil, and they are only to be found so in-this part
of the country. We passed several herds of fierce
looking buffaloes; which we wished a hundred miles
off ; luckily, however, they offered us no annoyance.
The country round about on this road is very picturesque,
and now and then one catches a distant view of the sea,
or of a long line of blue ;mountains. We arrived at
Ardea about twelve o'clock ; this town is exceedingly
picturesque and interesting ; the air, however, we were
told, is so extremely bad in the summer, that all the in-
habitants leave it and go to more healthy parts. Ardea
is celebrated by Virgil in his Aneid as the habitation
of Turnus, Kin.' of the Rutuli; and Ardea was the capi-
tal of their kingdom : it was besieged by Tarquin the
Proud; and in the after ages was the retreat of the cele-
brated General Furius Camillus, on leaving his ungrate-
ful country; and from its gates he sallied forth to com-
bat Brennus, King of the Gauls, when he had reduced
Rome to its last shift. We occupied ourselves in sketch-
ing many- objects there the rest of the day, and the next
morning departed for Porto d'Anzio. After passing
many fields of oxen and buffaloes, we arrived at the sea
side, at a large tower, called the tuwer of St. Lorenzo,
where we reposed ourselves for a short time, and break-
fasted on some provisions we had brought with us from
Ardea; for experience had taught us the necessity of
providing ourselves in this manner. We then walked

servedt.relue
frequent
tot
trhee-
lb r several miles along the sea shore: the morning was
very fine, and the sea of a- beautiful azure blue, now and
then relieved by a tint of emerald green, and where the
sun was reflected on its surface it appeared as if. spotted
with a thousand brilliants. In England it is impossible
to imagine these effects; the deepest. ultramarine is not
too strong to represent the sea in fine sunny- weather:
there was one annoyance, however, in the midst of this
beautiful scene, which tended to-. disturb the delighted
feeling it produced; numbers of oxen, driven by the
enjoy
perspective,
tive, agreat heat from the woods and meadows lying inland,
had come out to the border of thOeaititothe_en
fresh-
ness of the breeze, and we had to drive them away
passed along, though not without some fear and trem-
bling. We at length arrived at a solitary . tower on the
nril
whiteab ibeeor (x1:111,t(f, forming,
i beach;n as i
ta
nd were,s,thce ,y
whichnas we
barurlilig.ved at Porto
sea shore, called Solfatara, where we reposed; and gaz-
"uelKreeespidinegs
ing on the sea shore, and reflecting on the " dangers we
had passed," we regarded with other foelinogns
entering
eterfionrg-
occupation
, we came to
we. were addredsoseudbt,b,,ysaaidn
amlohnidg it'll eosfhlo':urerofpora four or otrhefi'v'efamirilewsh, white bull."
(It l‘h,'
when
tni
townzihoo.
goes
erasoes Thei
anfit first sa ttr
hgoeeb object
ant
country;
that
eir metieis ourpootills eyeti‘aln t
is in shooting the wild boars,
an ebigarhrbaocukritoigi woods.soldie r
e,.le)asndsinug.erbeyptahsesiln.igilasome ruins on
our right unnoticed, when
officer from the window, who told us they svereyotuhrevirsei:
mains of Nero's birth-place. e I have no
he then
hheel,.e".,b, utltvheataitloswseeereidt iisnotthme oaftlitrhnemotli)jveee;tsatn)fd.
politely directed one of the soldiers to show us over the
ruins. They contain many rooms with rich mosaic floors
an:l painted walls: we observed many small apartments
which have evidently been baths, and on the upper
part of the room is a very handsome mosaic floor .
in black and white. This palace, of which these
ruins formed but a very inconsiderable portion,
extended to a great distance, covering a large‘ere
fospac
uncle,
of ground; it was among a part of its remains that
the famous statue of Apollo Belvidere, and many of the
cluf•d'cruvres which now adorn the Vatican, v
but the spot where they were discovered has since been
filled up; the ruins that remain have only been excavated 1
within a short space of time. Ilaring satisfied our
met the
cu-
riosity, we went to the inn where we officer, who
had called our attention to the place ; we found him a
very pleasant, well-informed man, a native of Ravenna:
he invited us to the barracks to show us some drawings
and sketches he had made, which were indeed very ere-
.. ..

Bitable ' • he pointed out some very- beautiful. views to us,
which he thought we might like
.to &ketch, particularly a
very extensive one from his room window. To the left
lay Nettuno, a very picturesque little town bordering the
sea, with a small fort of the middle ages ; beyond, and
extending to a considerable distance, lay a beautiful line
of majestic mountains, spotted with the snaalhowns of