Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-11-10
full Marbles of the Emporium.
Cor. Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.l

full Marbles of the Emporium.
Cor. Philadelphia Evening Bulletin.l
ROME. September z. 1869.
The wonderful discoveries at the EN-
porium-the ancient marble wharf Of the
Romans on the Tiber--are to me one of
the greatest marvels of the present day
in Rome. When we remember that in
S72 and 1872 Pope John VIII raised walls
and Notifications on this very Emporium
spot, in order to defend Rome against
the incursions of the Saracens, without
touching one stone that rested beneath
the accumulated heaps of Tiber mud. it
seems all the more wonderful. Then
think how many popes and princes there
have been in Rome who were so eager for
stones and marbles to build their new
temples and palaces that they even laid
hands on such famous relics OF antiquity
as the C1liseum-and all the while the
Emporium treasures lay at their feet,
with columns and slabs and blocks of
enormous value and in almost inexhaust-
able quantities Even such learned an
tiquariaps as Fea, Winckelman and Jean
Baptiste Visconti overlooked this myste-
rious quarry-like wharf. To Pietro Ercole
ViscoDti, the eminent representative of
this remarkable family, has been re-
served the honor of unesrthing these
treasures and enriching the buildings of
this day with them.
If the Emporium belonged to any gov
ernment it would be made mine of
wealth. 1t belongs to the Pope, and he
will rot sell stone. He has sent vast
quantities away. as presents, however, to
various parts of the world. The Prus-
sian Government has already expressed
its thanks to his Holiness for bis lib
erality to the Cathedral of Aix-'a-C Chap
ellie. The Unirers Of Aix-la: Chspelle
says the Chapter of that Cathedral is so
grateful to Plus TX for his magnificent
gift of superb antique marbles which
we're needed for the restoration OF the
Dome of Charlemange, that it has or
dered the shield of the Pope to be placed
ad perpetuam rel memoriam in mosiacs
in the pendentives of the cupola, also a
Latin inscription to be engraved there,
which will recall the donor and his rich
gifts to posterity. Salvisti, of Venice,
80 famous for his mosiacs, is to execute
the work in the Csrlovingisn style, at the
cost of 100000 francs.
Numberless churches in the Italian
peninsula have been repaired and
adorned with these Emporium marbles,
and they have also been sent to France,
Germany and Switzerland-to Mar
settles, Lyons, Avignon, Lyons, Vannes,
Meiningen, Bale, etc; and even to
Sweden, and some other northern Euro
pesn countries. The greatest liberality
has been shown in the distribution of the
contents Of this modern tressure.trove of
the Tiber. Twenty-Five churches in
Rome are at this moment using its mar
bles in having their psvements repaired,
altars refaced, and other marble work
done. All the marble workmen-scat-
pelligi, as that order of them are called
are busy, and in the restoration Of the
Pantheon of AgrippA-the burialplace
of R,phael-the marbles are ell drawn
from this wonderful emporium.
Within the past few weeks sixteen
large blocks of valuable marble have
been discovered there. One of these is
block of rose-colored oriental alabas-
ter, of very great value; another of pa
vonazzetto-violet color-snd several OF
yellow antique. Formerly Rome pos
sessed only tWo sellnns of African mar
BILE, those which can be seen at the en-
trance Of the Vatican Blsilica-St.
Peters. Fifteen columns of this rare
African marble have been discovered this
season in the Emporium The Arst ore
! have spoken Of 10 previous letters. l.
is the one that has been carried up to the
Janieulum summit, to be erected there as
a monument 10 the first Vatican Council.
A gigantic blook of African marble
was transferred, few weeks ago. from
the Emporium to the Vatican. Twenty
oxen dragged it there. The whole affair,
marble and oxen together, had a very
severe and bsrbaric look; it reminded
me of some Of the has reiefs on the old
triu phsl archer The Romans cheered
as the procession passed by, aud ! felt
lifted back many centuries for few mo
ments.
Thirteen pieces Of that curious old
stone, for ilng tine unkuown except
by tradition to the modernism 1rrha or
Murrhine, so highly valued by the an
eients=hsye slso keen lately found at
Emporium. The II jmsus, it will be re-
membered, gave fabulous prices for
MurrbIne vase. Modern scientific men
had masy doubts about the composition
of Murrhs, for the sncients expressed
themselves we're vaguely about 1t; and
Scsligsr, Sslmssius and many Others,
equally learned, went so far as to say
Murrsh yss not stens al Gil, cut tlainese
porcelain. Porcelain itself went BY the
name of MUrrha de Smyrna up to the
sixfeenth century.