Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-04-09
TEMPLE OF DIANA VISITED.
On the Borders of the Italian Laka
Nenni

On the Borders of the Italian Laka
Nemi.
should like to tell YOU of a trim 10
the mysterious temple of Diana serveo
by that strange pr esthood of r,,na.
way slaves, who had killed their nra.
decessors.
The priest that slew the SLAYER
And shall himself be slain
We took the morning train -
Albano, passing the beautiful AIban
lake and two or three picturesque
towns, as we climbed the hills after
crossing the Campagna. AT Alhano
we took a two7wheeled cart. called .
carrozzlna, drawn by diminutiva
morse and driven by a small bow AMI
SET OH at rafting pace through the
stony streets. The roads finally ba.
came secluded and very beautiful We
met herd of goats-6O or more
just outside the town, but after tbav
had gone by we saw no living creature
during the three-mile drive Roses
were blooming in the hedges. and the
small boy, hearing me exclaim over
some particularly beautiful pink ones
was out of the cart in a minute and
gathering them for me.
Soon we began to see the lake ove,.
us volcanic rim, deep down in ita
green bowl. On oppnsite sides of the
lake Genzano and Nemi faced each
ooher' each on its high rocky cliff
while all the steep slopes were cover
ed with vines and olive trees. On
reaching Nemi we dismissed orr cart
and began the zigzag descent to the
lake, stepping aside once to let a little
donkey with big, wide panniers.
pass us. AS we neared the level OF
The lake we came upon acres of straw.
berry beds, some of them red with the
ripe berries (Nemi is famous for
this fruit, little larger than our
own wild berries, but looking much
like them.
After some search we found the
ruins OF the temple, which are rathe;
puzzllng to- understand. But little
can be seen now save two long walls
at right angles to each other. and
backed by the hillside, each containing
Is inches for statues, probably TWO of
the sides on an inclosing colonnada.
WI taso ?nffi$ o fat egg f rfiafswpg
The whole is now overgrown with
IVY and lick, with dainty maidenhair
ferns springing out of the crevices of
the inches.
We sat down in sunny spot to eat
our luncheon, watching the bright
green lizards dart in and out of the
wall, and our sandwiches and oranges
and figs tasted very good We, tried
to put ourselves back into those days
when the white-robed priestesses
served in this temple and the fearful
priest watched always for the coming
of the one he must sometime meet
in mortal struggle. But it all seemed
dim and far away, while the peaceful
scene before us,-the blue lake, the
the olive groves, the voices of men
and women at work, pruning the
vines and picking the olives, a snatch
of song on the hillside,-this was
real uuLldu anu comprehensive.
A walk by the side of the lake
brought us to a fiShermans hut, and
We got him to row us across to Cen
zano, passing over the sunken treasure
ships that for so many hundred years
have been hidden in the bosom of the
lake. Several attempts have been
made to raise them, and once some
beams were brought up and few
bronzes recovered. Curiously enough,
that very evening, after our return, We
saw in the Roman World that another
attempt to recover them would soon
be made by draining the lake through
its artificial outlet and some method
of siphoning. How thrilling it would
be if, after all these centuries, the hid
den treasure, guarded SO jealously
should be brought to light.