The Osceola times., 1876-05-27
More Ancient Treasures Discovered at
Rome.

L
The new part of the Via Nazionale
leads from the Via Quattro Fontane
along the Quirinal down the hill, where
there will he view of the column and
forum of Trajan, past the medieval
tower of the Colonna family, and near
there makes rigbt-angle on its way to
the Corso. The fint part is sixty-six
feet wide. The contract for the new OPP
erations has been given TO n private per
son, who is prosecuting them with a
celerity Unprecedented here. Old pal
aces are cut away; time. honored gardens,
hitherto guarded by jealous walls, ex-
posed to the gaze Of all and under
ground treasures discovered, with an
expedition which is marvellous to the
Romans.
On the eastern side OF the Rospigliosi
garden several rooms and corridors were
found which Termed part of the center
Of the baths of Constantine. They had
been greatly injured by various fires.
One Of the rooms had a pavement of
colored marbles, which has been removed
to the Capiloline museum. Upon this
pavement lay the trunk of column of
African marble, the diameter of which
was little more than three feet. I'm
der the palace of Cardinal Antonelli, 'on
the Qurnal, which has been partly cut
away to make room for the new street,
has been found one of the ancient gate
ways of the wall of Servius Tullius,
called the Porta Fontanale. The classic
writers mention four city gates on the
Quirinal, and the archnologists of the
city think this is one of them. A part
of the ancient city wall has also been
discovered in connection with the gate
way. Tne massive stones of the wall of
Servius Tullius may be seen at various
points in the city, as at the railway sta
tions near the Porta SAHARA, under the
church of st. Clement, etc. There is
some difference of opinion among archa-
ol0gists, @ there always is at first, as
to whether or not this is the real Porla
Fontinale, but those persons who doubted
are now gradually yielding to the opin.
ion that il is the ancient gateway of the
city at last returned to the light OF
day.
The beautiful garden of the Palazzo
Aldibrandini has also been opened, and
was discovered an entirely unknown ed.
ihcc of the second century, constructed
in the best manner, which seemed to have
been Incorporated by Constantine in the
circuit of his baths. A wall ornamented
with large inches, which constitutes the
western front of the fabric, seems to have
been added by him when it was included
in his baths. Here was found lime
furnace eighteen feet in diameter, full OF
fragments of sculpturcd marble entirely
spoiled by the fire. 1t was thus that the
descendants of the ancient Romans dis.
posed OF the extraordinary quantity OF
marble with which their ancestors had
embellished the Imperial City," and
made it the wonder and glory of the
world. They made lime of it, and SO
common was the practice that il became
regular business, and some took the
name of Calcarens, or burners of lime.
Commentators Rosa, as superintend-
ent of the excavations of the province,
excavated the piazza in front of the Pan
theon to depth of five or six feet, and
found the ancient pavement of large fiat
stones, also two sculptured tablets which
were discovered to be the originals of two
Others which form part of the front of
the building. He proposed to reduce the
piazza 10 its original level, and show the
Pantheon in its primitive form with
steps before it. But the four arcaolo-
gists of the city commission combined
against him and said that the work was
useless, and that he had discovered moth
ing which was not already known. The
city council, therefore, as the business
in the streets was greatly interrupted
ordered the ancient pavement 10 be COW
cred up again. In digging sewer few
weeks ago this pavement was laid open
again, but the stones, which were laid in
particular manner, were replaced with
the same design as before. The streets
surrounding the Pantheon are so full of
old underground walls, forgotten stone
stair cases, ancient sewers, pavcments,
sculptures, statues and columns that the
necessary work for sewers, gas and water
is one of immense labor. The workmen
labor Tor hours with their pick axes on a
small piece of wall without making per
ceptible progress, as the cement is harder
than the rock itself Last week the in
terror part of the statue of woman was
found, and column of red granite
broken in two parts and about eighteen
feet in length and three IN diameter
Rome Cor. ". y. Erening Post.