148 THE VILLAS OF FRASCATI. 



adorned with fine mosaics, are often covered with . graceful pictures, and that they nearly all 

 contain marble fountains. . . . To complete the whole, we must imagine baths, piscenice, 

 tennis courts, porticoes extending in every direction for the enjoyment of all the views, alleys 

 sanded for walks and for those who chose to ride on horseback, a large hippodrome, formed of 

 a long alley straight and sombre, shaded by plane trees and laurels, while on all sides curved 

 alleys wind, which cross and cut each other so as to render the space greater in appearance 

 and the programme of enjoyment more varied." The pictures of gardens in the old houses 

 of Rome and Pompeii show these alleys shut in by walls of hornbeam, with a round space in 

 the middle where swans swim in a basin, and either little arbours disposed here and there or 

 else a marble statue or a column, and seats spaced at intervals. 



In the fourth century came the terrible blow of the transportation of the Court to 

 Constantinople. The old capital was left in fallen grandeur, and on those who still clung to 

 their well loved country homes dawned the awful fate that awaited a small civilisation secluded 

 in the midst of an uncivilised world. All that refinement and those choice collections, the 

 outcome of loving scholarship and of learned leisure, were shattered and dissipated either by the 

 invasions of the peoples of the north or by the Saracens. Those who could not fly were 

 forced into the restricted space that could be protected by the city's cyclopean walls. Numerous 

 signs of great devastations have been found among the ruins, but nothing that points to any 

 restoration or after attempt to inhabit them. The city of Tusculum, still of considerable size, 

 was saved by its tremendous walls, which enabled it to resist the terrible onslaughts of the 

 barbarian devastators. Notwithstanding the visitations of these barbarous hordes, a little 

 group of farmers gathered among the ruined gardens of Lucullus. They were probably retainers 

 of the great house, and, united by their Christian faith, a church and monastery found place 

 among them, and thus Frascati came into being. 



The Middle Ages saw the rise into importance of the great race of the Counts of Tusculum, 

 under whom in the ninth and three following centuries Tusculum became once more a place of power 

 and importance. They were a race whose whole history is full of deeds of cruelty and treachery ; 

 but they figure as consuls and senators, and gave to Rome no less than seven Popes. The 

 ruined castle of Borghetto, lying below, was one of their fastnesses, and the history of Tusculum 

 is a record of perpetual combats with rival Popes and with the Roman people. Gradually the 

 haughty town and its Counts degenerated, and in 1170 the last Count Ranio, made over the 

 possession to Pope Alexander III, who made a triumphal entry into the town and fixed his 

 residence there for more than two years. During this time the Ambassadors of Henry II of 

 England came to Tusculum, bringing the news of the murder of Thomas a Becket, Archbishop 

 of Canterbury. They were charged with the task of clearing the King from the accusation of 

 having conspired to bring it about. 



As one of the conditions of accepting Alexander as their sovereign the Tusculans were 

 required to level their impregnable walls. The work of destruction was carried out in 1172, 

 and the ancient city was left in an absolutely defenceless condition. In 1191, Pope Celestin III 

 and the Emperor Henry VI betrayed the unhappy city into the hands of its enemies, the ever- 

 jealous Romans. On an April night they surprised and stormed the place ; the inhabitants 

 defended themselves desperately, but a terrible massacre took place, and afterwards every 

 building and temple was destroyed and the prehistoric walls of Telegonus were razed 

 to the ground, and the symbolic salt was strewn over the ruins so that they should never 

 be restored. E. M. P. 



