Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-11-21
Discoveries Mt Rome.

Though it is the dead season of
Rome, so far as society is concerned,
the month OF August has been full of
interest in the matter of buildings and
excavations. Nearly every day has
brought its portion Of excited news of
discoveries of strange sarcophagi, val
liable inscriptions, fine fragments of
SCULPTURE, and the dwelling of the slope
OF Mount Palatine under the Velia has
seemed to let loose any number of lit
tie ends of promises for the disentang-
ling of the archaeological sAeins of the
Forum and Palatine. In fortnight
all the grassy slope between the arches
OF Titus and Constantine will be clear
ed away. The part already excavated
looks like q miniature Pompeii; there
are ruins of baths, broken walls. and
pavements of coarse mosalcs. There is
also the trace of q small Christian
church to be seen; double
absls, and on some of the
marble slabs of it's pavement are
Christian signs-the palm, the dove,
and TIE Greek name of Christ. On
Tuesday of this week there was found
near the column of Phocas, in the For
UNI, a large bas-relief in three pieces,
sculptured on both sides, which evil
IDENTIFY served as balustrade. On one
side is represented a sacrifice; there
are fifteen persons in the groups. This
sacrifice takes place in front of rude
" sketched temple. In the left corner
is an arch of triumph. On the other
side are the sacriicial beasts-a bull
and ram. These are very we'll exc
cuted some of the persons who have
seen them say the bull is as fine in it's
style as the celebrated lion on the Bar
berini Palace staircase, which Canova
admired SO much as to stand and lie in
front of when he was modelling his
beautiful lions in the monument of
Clement XIII. at st. Peters. This
Barberini lion is oh the staircase lead
ing to Mr.. Story's apartment.
Early in August, Duke Fiano began
the repairs of his palace, which is on
the Corso and St. Lorenzo, in Lucina.
A sarcophagus was found six feet be-
low the ground, covered with slab of
marble; the workmanship is of the
best period. This sarcophagus will be
opened some time this month, when
all the members of the archaeological
commission are assembled in Rome,
and much speculation is INDUCED in as
to it's contents. Some important per-
son must have teen placed in it, as the
Campus Martius burial. place, where it
was found, was SO exclusive that it re-
quired a degree of the Senate to be in
tered there.
At Monte Cltorio, while making the
foundations for some building attached
to Palazzo Chegi, a fortnight ag O, the
workmen struck on an ancient black
and white mosaic, representing dancing
figures. The place is filled with water;
thus the mosaic cannot be seen until
drained. Early in August beautiful
frescoed room was opened in the foun-
dations of the house, No. 154 Salita di
st. Maria Maggiore. The frescoes are
what are called Pompeirian Candida
bra; black squares with figures over
half yard high ON them, and a rich
cornice with putt, or children holding
garlands. Since then another room
has been opened at the same place,
similarly we'll preserved. To form
some idea of the accumulation Of soil
in Rome, these rooms, which originally
were on the highest floor of the ancient
house to which they belonged, are on
u level now with the modern cellars!