Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-07-26
lieves it is so. Around the inner walls of the

ny Can0va ThorwaldseD, and other famous
modern sculptors. Beside these are numer-
Gus smaller figures in marble, one of which,
The Pieta," representing the Virgin Mary
holding the body of the crucifed Saviour,
was executed by Michael Angelo when he
was only twenty four years of age. Elevated
nigh on the upper end wall is bronze chair.
SAID 10 enclose the wooden one used by st.
refer and his successors. In one of the
many chapels ranged around the sides of the
church are the sacred relics of that saint.
over each of these chapels is smaller but
lofty dome. The ceiling and walls are deco
rated with splendid frescoes and mosacs by
Michael Angelo, and other great artists.
Among the splendid statutes and paintings
which we saw in the Vatican galleries, We
may mention the Apollo Belvdere, one of
the most famous of statues, the celebrated
group LAGOON and his sons writhng in the
embrace of the serpents, and the statue of Mer-
curry Raphaels great picture Of 1.-THE Trans
tiguration" 1.-The Madonna the Crucifxion
of ST. Peter" and ''St. Sebastian" "the Ma
donna" and other pictures by Guido. and the
magnificent irescoes in the hall of Constan.
tine by Romano, one of the pupils of Raphael,
representing Constantine and the vision of the
cross in the Heavens-"By this sign shall We
and the terrible battle which he
soon after waged and won against the usurper
should not fail to mention also Domenchno's
most famous work, the Communion of St.
Jerome which depicts the dying martyr
eagerly receiving the sacrament. This pic
tnre and the one first mentioned, the Trans
iguration," which it rivals are two of the
most famous paintings in the world. They,
as well as many other of the best productions
of the old masters, were taken to Paris and
placed in the Louvre Palace by Napoleon, but
upon his downfall were restored. In one of
the saloons are also some magnificent frescoes
by modern painter, the principle of which
is the "Annunciatlon of the Dogma of the I'M
maculate Conception, which although long
time entertained in the church was not for.
merry proclaimed as one of its tenets until
after the election OF the present pope. In the
Slstine chapel the ceiling is covered with
frescoes by Michael Angelo, one of his earlier
labers, occupying twenty-five months. Thir-
ty years later on his return to Rome from
Florence, he spent three years in frescoing
upon one of the end walls of this chapel, his
last great work 'the Judgment of the World"
representing Christ as the central figure in a
cloud surrounded by the apostles, while be-
meath them are purgatory, hell &c. These
and other great frescoes have beeu consider
ably injured by the smoke of candles and the
cracking Of the plaster by the conclusion at
the time of an explosion in the castle of ST.
Angelo, a stronghold erected on the founda-
tions of Hadrians tomb, near by A few
Swiss Zouaves, dressed in the fanciful uni
form of many colors said to have been de-
signed by Michael Angelo, stand guard around
st. Peters and the Vatican.
Leaving st. Peters, let US return to the an
cient city with its seven hills, the northern
three only ofwh are occupied by new Rome,
namely the Pincian, Capitoline and the Quiri-
nal. The four remaining hills are covered
with the ruins of old Rome. They are the
Palatine, Esquline, Aventine and Celium.
Near the centre of the principal ruins is the
renowned Roman Forum. During the lapse
of centuries and the repeated destruction of
the city, the ancient level has been filled in
and it became necessary to excavate vast
amount of earth and debris before the site of
the Forum and other noted places could be
brought to light. What historical SPOT as
you stand upon the very stones which the an
cient Romans trod in the via sacra, you have
Immediately about you the scenes of the most
noted events of Rome. Here is the Forum
itself with the Tribune Of the people, the very
rostrum where Cicero and others haranged the
people, the spot where Nirginius killed his
daughter, the Cloaca Maxima, great sewer.
built by Tarquinius Priscus and still in won
derful state of preservation, fulfilling its tunc-
tons with as much fidelity as though it had
been constructed yesterday instead of more
than two thousand years ago. Bounding the
ancient Forum on one side is the arch OF Sep
timus Severus erected in the beginning of
the III century to commemorate the victories
of that monach and his sons. Close by are
eight granite columns of the Temple of Saturn
erected b. c. 49i. Not far off are the ruins
of the Temple of Vesta, consisting of nine
teen Corinthian columns the arch of Titus,
erected in honor of Titus the son of Vespa-
sian, for the conquest of Jerusalem, the finest
monument of the kind, and the ruins of the
Temple of Venus and Roma, designed and
erected in 1876 by the Emperor Hadrian. In
the distance are seen the Coliseum, on the
one hand and the Pantheon on the other, W lille
near by is the Palatine, still covered by the
| remarkable ruins of the Palace of the CAESARS
the buildings of which occupied forty.two
acres of ground. They were first built by
Caesar, and afterward rebuilt in much greater
splendor by Tiberus and Nero, each demol-
ishing the building of the former to build his
own palace upon the foundations. Excaya.
tons made here by Napoleon III at his own
expense, have brought to light many objects
OF great historical interest, among which are
the ruins Of the wall built by Romulus, and
several rooms of the house of Tiberius, on
the walls of which we saw the ancient fresc
in remarkable state Of preservation, the
colors being as bright as though recently
painted
| Near the Forum lisa small church in the Dor
tai of which we found man dressed in priest
ly garb, who gave US candles and our guide
conducted us down a pair of narrow stone
stairs, to damp cellar in which is chapel.
Here is the Career Mamertinus, one of the
most ancient structures of Rome. 1t was orig
inally an excavation made in the rock for
well, and subsequently became the ancient
prison. In it Jugurtha and Catalnes con-
spirators persisted. St. Peter was also con-
fined here by Nero, and the rock and chain to
which he was fastened were shown, as also an
indenture in the wall of the staircase, which
is said to have been caused by Peters face
con ing in contact with it. Underneath the
chapel spoken of, is another prison room, still
more damp and dark, in which is small
spring or well, said to have been miraculous
ly brought forth out of the rock by ST. Peter,
for the purpose of baptsing the jailor whom
he converted to Christianity. Adjoining the
Forum and among the most notable objects
are the column of Phocos, erected in Cos, the
ruins Of Basilica Jubia, commenced BY Caesar
and completed by Augustus and three columns
left standing of the ancient Temple of Castor
and Pollux, erected 400 years before Christ.
I tha al a.