The Cairo bulletin., 1912-07-29
ITALY RESTORING
ANCIENT BATHS
OF CARACALLA
Government is Carrying Out
Scheme Originated By
Ruggiero Bonghi
NEW DISCOVERIES ARE MADE
-
Latest Find is Library, Only One
To Have Existed in Old
Rome
NEW DISCOVERIES ARE MADE

been in the minds of the powers that
be that something more should be
made of the series of ancient re-
mains which have the Baths OF Car
acalia as their center, and at last
this dream is in process of realiza-
ton. Americans returning to Rome
IN the autumn will scarcely reeog-
nize that part of ancient Rome
which extends from the Coliseum
and the Circus Maximus to the fanl-
Gus Thermae, or Baths. The Their
nae were the wonder OF the world
when built and are still so, ana
while not SO large as those of Dioc-
.letian, were more luxurious, accom-
modating $1,000 bathers contempt
|faneously.
The government, carrying out
scheme originally due to the versa
lille mind of the late historian and
statesman, Ruggiero Borghi, and the
ax-Cabinet Minister, Guido Baccell,,
has entrusted Senator Professor Ro-
|dolfo Lanciani, the celebrated archae-
logist, SO we'll known to American
leaders, to bring to life what is knowa
Us the Archaeological Promenade,
which already covers $50 acres OF
and Part of this land required drain
ng and was fruitful source of ma
aria, so that, incidentally, Professor
4aneiani has improved the health Cf
hat portion of the enyirons of the
| ity. The whole forms magnifl
ent park, surrounding and setting
0rth the unique ruins from Roman
ines. the greatest care being taken
D recreate what it must have been
hen the remains were glorious re-
l.ties, so that besides the natural
,Iants of the soil, there are only
wen kinds OF trees, the classic trees
Rome, | G., olive. laurel, pine, cy-
,fess, Hex, oak and poplar, of which
$500 have been planted, nearly all
Icing we'll
In the center, and oyershadowins
II, stand the Baths. One does not
iced to be a profound student VI
oman times to understand what it
aeans to discover under one building
the Thermael one mile of under
!round passages, evidently for the
lae of slaves as they led to the diff
erent bath halls above. and were the
zen Gle through which the soiled
Iinen passed.
1t has Just been ascertained that
me of the wonders of this pile was
the largest fiat roof in the world,
supported by copper beams, no longer
n existence, but there are the
walls, and their formation shows
that the roof was fiat without sup
1ort from below.
Another of the sensational discop-
ries is huge library, the only one
noWn to have existed in Rome in
onneetion with the Baths. The
Iehes where the hoods stood aye
till to be seen. with the three steps
hich led up TO the platform before
hem, and other signs which seem to
DIRT to the fact that there We're
reading desks attached to the walls.
This Caracalla library is almost a re.
production of the Roman library at
Pergamo, but il much larger
The part of gray porphyry col.
unn has also been unearthed, which
IS almost as valuable as precious
| stones, owing to its rar.
| ity 1t is as hard as the red por-
| phyry, but is almost unknown
There must have been a colonnade OF
| them at the Baths, as the two
standing in st. Peters, which arr
the pride came from Thermae The
tquarries for this rare stone have moi
long been known and have now beer
/ Identified as near the Mont Cents tun
incl, at Frejus, but there is no more
lporphyry there.
In the middle of what was once th
garden of the Baths. and will soon b,
so again, there lies on one side
huge capital, four feet high, partl.
consumed. 1t Is TIE facsimile 0
two celebrated capitals in the ChurcN
of Santa Maria in Trastevcre 9th
! titular church of Cardinal Gibbons)
I the origin of which had been Dues
toned, but which Is thus settled be
yond dispute.
| TIL question has often been asked
what tremendous force could have s
thoroughly demolished a building o
4 the strength of these baths. wnil
Others not so strong, like the Pan