The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-20

are or enormous thickness ana may Oh
the original seats for spectators remain.
Then there is the mighty reservoir. FL Lazo
de Proserpina, seven miles north OF Merida.
The granite wall which dams up the water
is gigantic with staircases leading down
into the huge tank. Another reservoir, six
miles in the opposite direction, is called
Albuera de Cornalvo. 1t is much smaller
than the one above mentioned, but the
arrangement Of its steps, in regular rows,
inclines antiquarians to the belief that maui
machiae were performed here.
ARCHITECTURAL REMAINS.
Besides all these stupenduous works of
its founders, Merida abounds in other in
teresting reiics-houses and palaces entire
Iy composed OF sculptured fragments, ex-
hibiting. in their mutilated and discolored
ornamentation the inimitabie traces of the
Roman chisel; gates of stupendous dimen-
sions; highways stretching like the roads
of the Campagna, far over plain and noun
tain: villas. whose alabaster fountains and
mosaic posace pavements reveal the pomp
and luxury of their early owners; temples,
whose shadowy aisles and venerable pillars
have been consecrated TO the rites or four
antagonistic religions-all ghostly souve-
Mrs Of the mighty power now vanished
from the earth. You may visit the half
Roman, Moorish palace which for
merly belonged TO the Duke de la Roca,
noted diplomatic of the reign of Philip ~
II is a perfect museum Of architectural
varieties-Corinthian. Roman. Gothic. Ionic.
Moorish and modern. It's entrance doorway
is a beautiful specimen of Gothic art, but
its Roman portion has been degraded into
a stable. In another obscure street is the
once superb palace of the Condo de los
Corvos, with its colonnades Of fiuted gran
lite and graceful Corinthian capitals The
building was constructed entirely out OF the
remains of an ancient temple dedicated TO
DIANA Then there is the Church of Santa
Eulalia, said to have been built In the
fourth century. 1t has a fine Romanesque
doorway and chapels Of the same date at
the end of the aisles. with many singular
capitals buried in whitewash. In front of
the church stands Ell Horuito. "the little
oven," in which-so many authorities de-
clare-the good child-martyr was baked.
1t was converted into a chapel in 1872, and
is most interesting with its Roman decora-
tions-the pillar of Saint Eulalia being
made up of ancient capitals and scraps of
heather affairs. piled one above another.
FAMOUS ROMAN BRIDGE.
Merida's Alcazar. built by the Moors
about the year SS5. is in excellent pres
ervation. The Church Of Santa Maria,
with its rich Picturesque arch, is we'll worth
a visit: and so is the little provincial
museum. the Vega de Guadiana, the six
teenth century Plaza Mayor, and other
places which keep the travellers inter-
est unclaimed for weeks. Various short
trips in Estramadura province should by
no means be neglected. For example: there
is Alcantara, a village the Tagus
river, sixty miles northwest of Merida. The
dusty trip. usually made on mule-back. is
very fatiguing; but what globe-trotter
would on that account forego seeing the
old stronghold of the military monks of
Alcantara, an order which like those Of
Santiago and Calatrava, was instituted in
the early days Of the Castilian monarchy
to protect the frontier against the infdel?
Their monastery-an immense structure,
half castle, half barrack, has fallen into
ruin, Notwithstanding the almost incredi-
BILE strength and extent of its walls. A Ro-
man bridge in the vicinity. said to be the
most superb work Of its kind now In exist
ence, measurs go feet In length and rises
20 feet above the water. The enormous
granite blocks composing it-many of them
ten feet long by three feet thick-are Won
6erfully jointed without the aid of mortar.
Can you imagine the feeling of awe and adj
miration which this stupenduous work,
which has been in use nearly eighteen hun
dred years, inspires in the breast of wan
Il fro, tIei inf Of ha
stripes? Standing amid a wilderness Of
rocks, gorges and treeless hills. IL bursts
suddenly upon the view in all the majesty
of it's solitary grandeur. it's colossal arches
as sound to-day as when they echoed to the
measured tread of the Roman legions
Over this broad causeway have passed the
eagles of the Emperor, the struggling hordes
of invading Goths. the armies of Roderick
and Musa, the sacrilegious booty wrested
by the Moor from the churches of Galicia,
the triumphant chivalry of CASTLE and
Leon returning from the conquest and dew
astation of fair Grenada
Another excursion of less magnitude may
be made to the Sierra de las Viboras-if
you dare to risk the snakes and reptiles of
every sort with which those mountains
abound-to say nothing of rascally brig
ands. a very real and ever-present peril
in this part of Spain. You will, of course
make II In the saddle. following the sinuous
banks of the Guadiana for several miles;
then crossing the Aljucen river into the
re gion of wheat-helds and finally scramb-
ling up steep and rocky hill-trails, as far
as fancy leads you.
SIGHTS OF BADAJOZ.
Certainly you must go to Badajoz, the
historic city on the very border line be-
tween Spain and Portugal. Luckily II is an
easy trip by railway, though very slow 1t
is a compact little town of only $1,000 in
habitants, and most of it's sights" are
gathered around the central plaza. Bada-
joz is approached by handsome granite
bridge of thirty arches. completed in the
sixteenth century, with quaint forts guard
ing both ends of 1t. The cathedral, the
municipal palace. the theater, barracks
and best shops and cafes all face the
Campo de San Juan, as II principal square
is called. while the tree-shaded center. with
its fountain and band stand, serves as the
fashionable promenade. The cathedral,
which has survived so many changes. was
begun by Alonzo ell Subio in 124S Its IA