The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-05-13

Rome Correspondence OF Boston Pilot.
The directors of archaeological exc

The directors OF archaeological exca-
yations have purchased the granaries
ut thenorthwestc corner OF the Palatine
ALL, which belonged to the the Torlo-
aia family. These granaries will be
,aken down in May and the excava-
lions will be continued around the
Palatine in the hope OF bringing to
light whatever antiquities may lie
in that spot. Excavations will be
made in q special manner in the hope
Of finding the ancient church over
which the church OF Santa Maria
Liberatrice was built, and where the
ancient sacristy was found in the be-
ginning of 1885. The latter building
has curious old frescoes of the 9th or
10th century, representing on one side
saints of Greek and ON the other saints
Of the Latin church. Amongst the
names that were made out on one
side at the time of the discovery were
those of SITS. Blasius, Basillus and
Cristoforus, and on the other st.
Benedictus. The discovery OF this
sacristy was quite revelation, as 1T
showed, contrary to the opinion OF
scholars, that churches had been built
in the middle ages on the slope OF the
Palatine hill. 1t appears further that
the whole side of the Palatine, which
bordered on the Via Sacra, was the
residence of the popes for more than
200 years, namely from John VII
(7O5 to 7O8) down to Marinus II
(943 to 946).
| At the last meeting of the Academia
of Christian archaeology, several i'm
portant and interesting discoveries
were reported. First amongst these
was a painting recently discovered in
the cemetery OF St. Felicitas, repre-
senting that saint and her seven sons,
who were put to death for the faith Of
Christ, when the perfect of Rome was
Publius Salvius Julianus-an office
which he filled during the last months
of the reign of Antoninus Plus, and
the first year of Marcus Aurelius,
from A. D. 161 TO 1872. The name OF
each individual is written beside the
figure representing him or her. An
accurate copy OF this fresco was
shown to the meeting by Com
mendatore De Rossi, who had dis
covered the original work. De Rossi
also related that the commission of
sacred archaeology are continuing the
excavations in the cemetery or cata-
comb OF St. Felicitas; and that several
interesting sepulcher inscriptions, some
loculi or graves, still intact, and a
splendid specimen of the glass of the
catacombs, having a representation
in gold-leaf burned into the glass rep
reese nting an orante, or praying
figure, were discovered. One OF
the rarest findings was that made
by De Rossi himself-an aes grave,
or heavy piece of ancient bronze
money, which he detached from the
mortar on grave, where it was
placed as a sign by which the relatives
of the dead person buried therein
might recoznlze the tomb. This aes
grave belongs to the fourth century OF
Rome, and is consequently close upon
23 centuries old. At the same meet
ing Prof. Orazio Marucchi announced
a discovery made IN the ancient cata-
comb of St. Agnes, consisting of a
sarcophagus on which was a figure OF
the Redeemer, represented as bearded,
of severe type of countenance, with
the book of the gospels in his left
hand, his right hand raised as in the
act of benediction and scrinlum, or
circular box, containing the volumes
of the devine law at his feet. This
type of the Savior differs from that
which was adopted by the artists CT
the earliest ages OF Christianity.
These represent him as young and
beardless, and with sweet and gentle
expression. In the beginning OF the
fifth century the severe and majestic
style OF representing the Savior came
into use and was soon fully developed
in the mosaics ofthe Byzantine period
and throughout the middle ages.