Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-05-25
LETTERS FROM ARROAn.
ROME, ITALY. Anril. 1S1

ROME, ITALY, April, 1872
OF all places in Rome, think wanted
more than all TO go to the Forum; so we
drove thither after lunch on Friday past To
jams forum and column TO the grand ruins of
the Roman Forum, back of the Capital How
splendid are these ruins 1t was rather diff
cult to study out by the Guide book the vari-
Gus columns aud temples, but my ideas were
at last arranged so that | could enjoy il all.
Directly back of the Capital is large excaya-
ton many feet deep, where stand the arch of
Stptimus Seberus, the remaining sixteen col
umns OF the temple of Saturn, three white,
f1uted pillars of the temple of Vespasian, and
the foundation of the Scuola Xantha But
the yarOts columns are so well known that il
is useless to so into detail But il is thrilling
to stand before them and admire and wonder
at the grandeur of days past, and at the dura-
biliiy OF these monuments. On the other side
of the wooden bridge ON which we stand,
stretches the Forum, with the Via Sacra be
yond. The grounds are rich in wonderful re-
mains; the Basilica of Julia, Temple of An
toninus and Fanstina the Arch of Titus, near
which is a small post OF the Temple Of Venus
and Rome, and beyond, the Arch of Constar-
tine, and finally, the Coliseum. We spent
some time in wandering among its haunted
passages, discovering the dungeons for prison
ers, and studying out its plan as far as posi-.
bic. One side of the outside walls is still al
most complete showing the three styles of
architrcture-Doric, Ionic and Corinthian,
oIe above The other There are broken col
umns on the top, remains of covered gallery
above. was not disappointed in il in the
least; ii is such grand structure, and so
beautiful in Its undiscovered with moss and
vegetable life. Ii is said there are four hun
dred and twenty species of plants growing
there 1t cannot excite much wonder when
one is shown thing and merely told that il is
very ancient, but if one looks at the Coliseum
without information it is enough, its age
speaks for itself. We meet travellers often
here who are doing" Rome who confess
they never liked ruins never believe In any of
them, find nothing but dirt aud decay in their
crumOling walls, but as it is Rome they must
see it, but as fast as possible. | am thankful
to be able to believe the majority appreciate
at least in parts, Rome's glorics Three weeks
is but time enough to have glimpse, an idea
of the city, but that time used WELL seeing on
ly the most profitable sights, storing well the
memory, viii suffice TO be life long Joy.
You have heard often Of the cross in the
center of the Arena and the fourteen shrlnes
about it, Black and red priests were kneellng
at them successlvely, and many others were
using the holy day for prayers. 1t is apily
the Coliseum has been 50 much destroyed by
using its material to build other cdifices. and
to supply the defect fresh bricks have been
put in /; much of the original was of brick but
very different from our present structures in
solidly
Saturday, for our morning work, we visited
four private palaces. TO see few good pictures
among the collections. In the "Suarro"
there is Raphaels "Violin Player" simple,
beautiful piece; also Leonardo da Vlnci's
"Modesty and Vanity" showing fine con.
trast between two female faces. At the "Spa-
da" is the statue of Pompey, at the foot of
which Caesar fell The "Rospigliosi' has the
famous fresco of Guido's Aurora" That is q
lovely piece the grace of the seven figures
around Apollo's Chariot, and the colors of
the dresses are exquisite. Finally, in the
handsome Barbarini palace is that sweet face
of Beatrice CencI never understood it be-
fore. from the copies.
In the afternoon, we went to admire the
Pantheon; Raphael's remains rest within.
under one of the modern atars, erected for
Roman Catolie worship. 1t seems too bad to
destroy the simplicity of the old Pagan tenn
pie bf turning it into n church and erecting,
besides, two ugly bell.towers between the
dome and the front porlico, but do not like
to complain of Michael Angelo, for it was he