Chap^ III. through the State 
any further upon thofe Particulars, we will proceed in 
the Account of our Journey. 
January 24, 1664. We left Rome^ and taking our 
"Way towards Venice along the Via Flaminia^ pafs’d the 
*Iiber again by the Ponte Molle [Pons Milvius) and at 
feven Miles Diftance from Rome^ through a fmall Vil- 
jage called Prima -porta^ which fome fuppofe to have 
been the ancient Boundary of the City on that Side. 
From thence we travell’d eightMiles further, toC^^i?/ novo^ 
where we took up our Lodgings. All this Afternoon 
we kept along the Fiber, upon the Via Flaminia, which 
reaches as far as Rimini, and is all along pav’d with 
broad Flints and Pebbles, having on each Side a Bor- 
der of Stone, and in that Border, at every feCond or 
third Pace, a Stone Handing above the Level of the 
Border. In the Fields, as we pafs’d along, we found 
abundance of Vernal Crocufes in Flower. 
Jan. 25. We continued our Journey to Ariano, eight 
Miles, where leaving the Via Flaminia, we rode round 
a high Hill, for nine Miles, to a little Town call’d Ci- 
vita Cafiellatta, now Handing on a Hill, not far from 
whence we had a Profpeit of the Duke of Parmah?, Pa- 
lace of Caprarola, which Teem’d to be no more than 
two or three Miles off, but was, as they told us, at 
leaH ten or twelve. After we had travel’d four Miles' 
further, we pafs’d the Fiber a little below Borgetto, over 
a Bridge called Ponte Felice, begun by Pope Sixtus V. 
and finiHied by Urban VIII. At a fmall DiHance from 
the River Side we paffed under the little Town of Mag- 
liano, built on the Top of a Hill, and travelling for 
four Miles along the Bank of the River, came to Utri- 
coli, now Handing upon a Hill, though the Ruins which 
remain fliew the ancient Ocricoli to have extended, at 
leaH for fome Part, to the River. From hence we 
rode, for five Miles, over mountainous^ and rocky Ways, 
and a Mile before we reach’d Flarni, upon the Brink 
of a moH dreadful Precipice, extending along the Ri- 
ver Nera*s fide. Narni (the Nequinum of the Ancients) 
has borrowed its Name from the River Nar, which 
paffes below that Heep Rock, upon the Ridge whereof 
this City is built : It was formerly a Roman Colony, and 
none of the leaH confiderable ones, but is now very poor 
and mean. Here you fee the Brafs Statue erecHed in 
Memory of Gattamelata, the famous Venetian General, 
on Horfeback, who was a Native of this Place. Near 
it you fefe the Ruins of vaH Stone Arches, which fome 
would have to be the Remnants of a Bridge, others of 
an Aqu^dudt over the River from one Mountain to 
another. 
Jan. 26. We travell’d thence through a very delight- 
ful and fertile Valley, environ’d with Mountains, and 
well cultivated, to Ferni, anciently Interamna, from its 
Situation, a neat little City, in the Piazza of which 
Hands a Church which feems to have been an ancient 
Temple. About four Miles further is the famous Wa- 
terfall from the Lake di Pie di Luco. Beyond Ferni, 
at the further End of this Valley, and on all the ad- 
jacent Hills, we faw whole ForeHs of Olive-trees, and 
the Country People bufy in gathering them. From 
Ferni we paffed over the Mountains to Fritura, and 
thence defcended to Spoleto, the Capital of Umbria, 
thence call’d Ducato Spoletano : The Walls of this City 
are of confiderable Extent, and the Houfes well built : 
Here are to be feen the Ruins of many ancient Build- 
ings. From hence we paffed through a moH fpacious 
and pleafant Valley, enclos’d with Mountains in the 
Form of an Amphitheatre, the Valley being planted 
with Trees and Vines after the Manner of Lombardy, 
and the neighbouring Hills full of little Towns and 
Houfes. About four Miles fhort of Foligno, we paffed 
under Frevi, a little Town feated on a round Hill. 
Foligno {Fulginium) is a very pleafant and handfome 
Town, famous chiefly for Confectioners and good Sweet- 
meats. Beyond it, at the Extremity of the Valley of 
Spoleto, v;e faw fuch another Plantation of Olive-trees 
as before. 
Jan. 27. We afcended from Foligno to a Mountain, 
by a Way cut out of the Rock, having a terrible 
Precipice on our left, and below a Valley furrounded, 
with high and Heep Hills, into which falls a fmall River 
VoL. II. N^ CXVI, 
^Venice, 
called Dale, which drives fome Paper-Mills. After we 
had thus travell’d four or five Miles, we reach’d the 
Top of the Appennine, the Mciuntains round about us 
being covered with Snow ; On the Topi we came into 
a fmall Plain, having a little Lake or Pool near a Vil- 
lage called Col Jiorito, a very delightful Place in Sum- 
mer. No fooner had we pafs’d this Plain, but we be- 
gan to defcend, and paffing through the Village of Sef'^ 
ravalle, fituateci at the Entrance of a narrow Valley, 
fourteen Miles from Foligno, we continued our Journey 
through the Mountains, and lodg’d at Valcimarra. Jan. 
28, We travelled thro’ Folentino, nine Miles from Valci- 
marra, a pretty little Town, famous for the Birth-place 
of that great Critick, Francifcus Pbilelphus, who was the 
firH Inventer of the Word Stapes, for Stirrops, which 
had before no Word in Latin. From hence we rode 
on ten Miles to Macerata, a large and populous City, 
the Capital of the Marca Anconitana, and Refidence of 
the Cardinal Legate. From hence we travel’d thro’i^^’c^- 
nati to Loretto. At Recanati we faw a Statue in Brafs of 
the Virgin Mary in baffo relievo, with a Table having an 
Infcription upon it giving Thanks to her, that Hie was 
pleafed to fettle her Houle in the Territory of this City. 
Loretto Itfelf is no more than a fmall City, feated 
upon a Hill, confiHing only of one Street within the 
Walls, and fuch another without, which makes ihe 
Suburb : The Church and College of the Canons Hand 
at one End of the Street ; and before the Church is a 
fmall Piazza, having a CloyHer on one Side, where 
the Canons have their Lodgings. In the Midlt of the 
Piazza you fee a very fair Fountain, and juH before the 
Church Door a Brafs Statue of Sixtus V. in a fitting 
PoHure, with an Infcription, intimating, that it was he 
who gave a BiHiop and the Title of a City to Loretto. 
All the Doors of this Church are of Brafs caH, with 
feveral HiHories upon them. The Church is built in 
Form of a Crofs, with a Cupola in the middle, diredfly 
under which you fee Handing, the Santa Cafa or holy 
Houfe, enclos’d in a Cafe of white Parian Marble, 
curioudy engraven with Figures in bajjo relievo, repre- 
fenting feveral HiHories, done by the beH Sculptors 
of that Age, the full Defcription of which may be 
be feen in Furfelinus*s HiHory. The Walls of the 
Houfe itfelf are made of a peculiar kind of Stone (as 
they would perfuade the World) refembling Bricks 
both in their Colour and Figure, but to be found only 
about Nazareth ; which if they could prove to be true, 
would be the beH Argument to verify their Affertion 
concerning the Tranfportation of this Houfe from 
thence ; but, in my Opinion, they are real Bricks. But 
to let the Reader know what Arguments they make 
ufe of to perfuade the World of the Verity of it, I will 
here infert the whole Relation as given by themfelves, 
which being tranHated into thirteen Languages, and. 
hung up in the Church, written dn as many Tables, 
runs thus in Englijh. 
Ave Domina Angelorum, 
Fhe miraculous Origin and Franjlation of the Church 
of our Lady of Loretto, 
“ The Church of Loretto was a Chamber of the 
“ bleffed Virgin nigh Jerufalem, in which Hie was born' 
“ and bred, and fainted by the Angel, and thereirt 
“ conceiv’d and brought up her Son Jefus to the Age 
“ of twelve Years. This Chamber, after the Afcenfioii 
“ of our Saviour, was by the ApoHles confecrated into 
‘‘ a Church, in Honour of the bleffed Lady : And St. 
“ Luke made a Pidure to her, likewife extant therein 
“ to be feen at this very Day. It was frequented with 
“ great Devotion by the People of the Country where 
“ it Hood, whilH they were Catholicks ; but when, 
“ leaving the Faith of ChriH, they follow’d the SecH of 
“ Mahomet, the Angels took it and carried it into Scla- 
vonia, and placed it by a Town call’d Flumen,'f!httQ. 
« not being had in due Reverence, they again tranf- 
“ ported it over the Sea, to a Wood in the Territory of 
“ Recanati, belonging to a Noblewomen called Loretta, 
« from whence it took the Name of our Lady of Le?- 
8 L ‘‘ retto f 
