The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-01-10
ROME BEING REBUILT
Vast Improvements Under
taken by the State.
CITY TO BE MODERNIZED
Priceless Relics of Antiquity
are Unearthed.
CITY TO BE M0DERNIZED

rebuilding and identifying of modern
Rome, and when the improvements nov
being carried out and those contemplat
ed are completed, the Eternal City of :
few years ago would scarcely be recog
nized for the changes made. A total o
mol essthan 1.424.OO0 lire is to be expended
by the government in the next four years
Prince Ruspoh has caused nuberou.
streets and by-paths to be Strengthened
Wldened, and paved. Various other i'm
| portant works of repair will be carried
out next year, among which may be men
toned the Piazza del Gesu, the Via anC
Piazza d'Aracoen: the basement OF the
| obelisk in Piazza della Minerva, and the
paving of the piazza itself. which is in
a deplorable condition: and finally the
repairs greatly needed TO the steps of the
famous 'gradinata" of the Trinita del
Monti in Piazza di Spagna.
| The inauguration of the prolongation OF
| the Via del Serpent, which is not only
| of the greatest utility. but opens out a
| magnificent view of the Colos scum IN its
| most beautiful part, was recently cele-
brated with great festivity by the inhab-
itants of that thickly populated quarter
The treaties now on hand for the expro-
priation of the houses in Via Tomacelli
for the widening of the same, which ends
at the new Cavour bridge, are being sat
isfactorially carried on. The houses in
that part of the same street leading form
the corner of Via Ripetti to Piazza Monte
dOro now being demolished.
With regard to the tunnel under the
Quirinal, which will put Piazza di Spag-
IA in direct communication with Via Ma
zionale, the project has been approved,
and the work will shortly be commenced.
The tunnel will be 1000 feet long and
about 40 feet wide. There will be a foot
path on either side, with road in the
middle wide enough for two tram lines
and room enough ench side for ordinary
traffic.
The superb edifces which surround the
ancient exedra Of the Thermae of Do
cletian, at the end Of Via Nazionale, will
shortly be completed. And when the great
sewer works on the Tiber embankment
from the Janiculum to Farnesina are
completed the Janiculensis bridge fill be
commenced
Among the most interesting Of the pub
lie works completed up till now are the
repairs made to the Farnesina, the ele-
CANT little example of Italian Renaissance
situated at the corner of Corso Vittorio
Emanuele and Via del Baulari. and res
torations made to the medieval Tore de-
gil Anguillara, near Ponte Garibaldi.
TDnanandantIxy Of
municipal administration, it has been pro-
posed to complete various others in the
space Of seven years, including the i'm
portant resolving of the question of the
definite settling of Piazza Collonna and
the purchase of Villa Borghese, with re-
gard to which the Council will be called
as soon as possible to pronounce definitely
The proposed works are: The construc-
ton of school buildings; completion Of
the Tiber Embankment, the widening of
the lanes behind the Colonnad1s of ST.
Pete's which lead TO Porta Cavalleggieri
and to the Via Porta Angelica; drama
ton of the Via Cavour, near the Forum,
as far as the Colosseum to unite it with
the Via Labicana; the descent to the Col
osseum at the end of the prolongation of
Via del Serpent; the completion Of Ponte
Cavour, and corresponding raising of the
Via Ripetta
The government expectes TO set aside
the sum of $4,000 IRE to continue the
work on the monument TO Victor EN-
manuel. which it is expected will be COM
pleted in 1893, just twenty-five years since
the death of the King
The important works OF repairing the
roof and ceiling of the patriarchal bas-
ilica of Sta Maria Maggiore were beg IN
by Pope Leo XIII. The heads of the
by time. and have been all repaired
Some polychrome paintings were discov-
cred, together with some beautiful fres-
Goes of the twelfth century. on the walls
Of the ceiling. especially at the extremi-
ties of the beams of the cross nave;
which fact shows that before Leon Bat
tista Albert had the paneled ceiling put
up the church was covered with an
arched roof with the beams and inter
stices painted with architectural designs
and large rounds with heads Of prophets
and apostles.
While the repairs then Led 20 this inter
esting discovery, a most important one
for archaeology and the history of the
the roof Of the basilica. where 255 tiles /
with antique stamps were found. OF these
twelve are Of pagan manufacture OF the
first entury, ifty-four of the second. six
teen OF the third and tventy-three Of the !
fourth century form DiocIetfan ouwards /
\ certain number % these stamps were /
Unkncvn Up Til now and not mentioned Z
in the Vol Ky OF the Corpus inscr. TIA 4
Besides these tiles OF classic times there f
were some ANCIENT Christian stamps, SIX
ty-six specimens IN all. with monogram +
OF Christ in the center, with Greek let
tiers ali round l. Several are az the
Gothic King Theodortc. with the usua, .
Felix Roma; one with TIE inscription In +
Nouniue Del s. OF the sixth century. n
other appears 10 be Of Pope Hadrian L. j
with a monogram q his name similar IN
shape TO that Ct the arch ot 50. Ppsen- i
tiana; finally ere IS q the tine Of Pope /
EugsuiUs ".
Ire gront of the Church % ths Md
dalena Is being repaired Al the expense
Of the worship fund. TIE structure e
Z 5eweI in fhe whimsical style u The sew
eu;senth and eighteessth centuries by Bcr-
roE1ini ard sardi- Ths interior also q
The church. n the same style. = rIch n
fTeseoes by Cones- and artistic stuccoss.
sad e especially remarkable for The *
csIlsn; 10000 VOID carving a The choir
Exesvati0ns are gsiag made IN ,he IN
sulae and e tie Regione Y, xaers.
on the columns - 3 perlsfyie a number
% frscrfrsEorz rad hea- z~-a-es,.s ,Ae (
greater part relating 70 gladiator 4