Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-28
T|VOLYS CASCADES
AN|NSP|R|NG SIGHT
Ruins of Ancient Italian City
Source of Delight to
the Tourist.
ROME, TWENTY-FIVE MILES
AWAY. GIVES A FINE VIEW
Road Still in Remarkable Condition
Despite It's Two Thousand
Years of Service

STAFF Correspondence of The star.
ROME. May "A couple of thousand
years ago the Roman with taste for
natural beauties and the charm of seen
cry would order his chariot or his litter
or his horse to be ready in the morning
for visit to Tivoli. where perhaps he had
a villa. The ride out to the Sabine noun
tains, on the west slope of which lies Ii
wolf. would require about half a day. save
on horseback. being very nearly twenty
five miles. Thus to go to Tivoli was no
mere hasty excursion. but an event call
ing for preparations and anticipated with
the keenest pleasure.
Today Tivor is more easily reached. A
steam tram runs out from Rome and
lands the passenger in about an hour and
Il half The railway line from Rome to
Naples passes through Tivoli and makes
the run in about an hour. BY motor one
can reach the scene of ancient Roman
holdaying in three-quarters of an hour
il the road is fairly free of distractions.
If. however. the highway across the Cam
pagna is well occupied with traffic the
motor must slow down and the chauffeur
must call loudly and frequently with his
horn for carriers to make way for pas
sage and even to rouse from Slumber to
guide the horse, mule or donkey. Some
times. as today in many cases. the driver
sleeps through all the noise and the ami
NAL moves slightly to one side, while the
motor is swung out upon the trolley
track
The road to Tivol is not very good. but
considering that it has been used for more
than score of centuries it is in remark
able condition The old Romans were
builders their n
smoothness does not quite equal that eX
pected today by the speed-lovlng autoist.
And the modern Romans are not trying
very hard to maintain even the ancient
standard
Running across the Champagne. the Sa
hine hills rise in view plainly from the
start. with the Adams off to the south
east Tivoli lies almost due east from
Rome. and for the greater part of the
way can be seen with glasses as white
spot on the hillside. This morning the
air was clear, after a rain that had laid
the dust of weeks and freshened the
feds. The roadside was a continuous
glow of color. red. blue ard yellow. The
wild popRies which abound through this
parn.of ftSsy made the stenesviyid with
their brightness. Clouds chung to the tops
of the Sabines and far beyond an occa-
sional peak of the Apennnes protruded
To the right and left. in the distance. rose
hills crowned with ancient castles and
walled towns. Nearer the shepherds
straw huts resembling hay stacks. pune
tuated the skyline. Large focks OF newly
sheared sheep grazed in the fields, and
one large flock filled the road and gave
our driver much concern until the last
closely trimmed animal was passed.
Cattle Fierce Looking, But Mild.
Cattle with immense spreading horns.
the true Champagne oxen. plodded steadily
down the road where once the pranclng
horses of the Roman warriors and pa
tricians made their naughty way. They
looked formidable on the approach. Out
mildly made room even without a tug OF
the ropes fastened TO the tips of their
Nide-branching horns.
Just before the plain begins to rise into
the first slopes of the Alban hillside we
see off to the right scattered grove o.
cypress trees. pointed out as Hadrlan
villa Here once was the real center OF
Roman power. when the Emperor Ha-
trian built himself wondrous palace
surrounded by architectural marVeis re-
producin. the most notable structures ne
rad seen in the course of his wide trav-
els But today only a few ruined Walls
and staircases and underground chambers
remain. and even the expresses Whicn
form the landmark are comparative
Youngsters. not quite two centuries oiu-
Hadrian's villa is intensely interesting 10
antiuuarians. but it should be taken pS
The non-scientific visitor merely IN pass
ing and preferably on the way to IiVol
rather than on the return. as we took IT,
for il is not beautiful and calls for
severe stretch of the imagination to re-
produce the scene of spiendor which IT
once presented.
Speeding up the hill along the best
road of the entire way from Rome. We
PASSED through a most remarkable ohVe
grove Though full leaved in dusty gress
these twisted split and age-worn trunks
seem fit only for the firewood pile. But
rhev are in fact richly productive. despite
the fact that they are rent in Some cases
from the ground to the boughs and stand
on many legs like strange rickety ami
mails This is famous grove, and the
olive oil of Tivoli has a wide repute.
The town itself clings to the mountain
side on a little plateau of horseshoe shape
indented by a deep chasmlike bay. The
settlement is chiefly on the southern side
If this break in the hill. The River
Nnione or anio. rising mile, back in the
mountains. at this point breaks over the
cliffs and through them to form the cas-
cades for which Tivoli is famous and
IL see which is the object of visiting IT.
In ancient times the -Amo had way
If swelling suddenly and inundating the
town, despite the amplitude Of outlet to