Antiquities, &c. R O 
San Angelo in Peschiera are three magnificent fluted Corin¬ 
thian columns of Grecian marble, supposed to be the remains 
of the temple of Juno. 
Of the thermae, or baths of ancient Rome, the ruins of those 
of Titus, of Caracalla and Dioclesian, are all that now remain. 
The baths of Caracalla are situated at the base of the south 
summit of the Aventine hill. They are now a mass of roof¬ 
less ruins of almost immeasurable extent, filled with tremen¬ 
dous fragments of broken wall, and overgrown with weeds 
and brambles. 
Beside the immense halls, one of which was 150 feet long, 
and covered with a flat roof of stone, there are the remains 
of a large circular building, and other smaller ones. A bro¬ 
ken staircase leads to the top of the ruins. 
The part of the baths of Titus which has been excavated, 
is near the Coliseum. After passing the mouths of nine long 
corridors, we enter the portal of what is called the house of 
Maecenas, and then arrive at a damp and dark corridor, the 
ceiling of which is still adorned with some of the most beau¬ 
tiful specimens that now remain of the paintings of antiquity. 
After examining these arabesque paintings, the visitor enters 
magnificent halls, whose ceilings are beautifully painted with 
fantastic designs. In one of these dungeons, 36 of which 
have been opened, is shown the remains of a bath supposed 
to have been for the private use of the emperor, and in another 
is seen the crimson-painted alcove, in which the Laocoon 
was found in the time of Leo X. The French found in those 
chambers the Pluto and the Cerberus. It is said that miles 
of these baths remain unexplored. 
The baths of Dioclesian are scattered over the summit of 
the Quirinal and Viminal hills, and they are said to have 
surpassed all the thermae of ancient Rome. They seem to 
have formed an immense oblong square, with a circular hall 
at two corners which are still standing. One of these halls, 
which is much dilapidated, has been used as a granary, and 
the other has been transformed into a church. The Xystum, 
or great covered hall of the thermae, was converted into 
the church of Santo Maria de Angeli by M. Angelo. It is a 
hall 350 feet long, and 90 high. The vaulted roof is sup¬ 
ported by sixteen Corinthian columns, eight of which only, 
of Egyptian granite, are ancient. The Meridian, traced on 
the pavement in 1701 by Bianchini, still remains. 
Among the ancient arches is that of Claudius Drusus Nero, 
which is close to the present Porta San Sebastiano. It con¬ 
sists of a single arch, and is built of marble and Tiburtine 
stone. The two columns of African marble are supposed to 
be of a later age. The arches of Titus and of Severus have 
already been described. The arch of Constantine is in fine 
preservation. Its sculptured medallions and bas-reliefs which 
commemorate the victories of Trajan, are supposed to have 
been torn from one of his triumphal arches. This arch con¬ 
sists of eight fluted Corinthian columns of marble, which sup¬ 
port the figures of eight Dacian captives; one column, one 
Dacian, and all the eight heads very modern. The arch of 
Gallienus is a building of mean architecture, on the Esqui- 
line hill, near the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. The 
arch of Dolabella and Silanus stands on the Coelian hill, 
near the church of San Tomaso in Formis. 
The only remains of the celebrated aqueducts of ancient 
Rome, are those of the Martian and Claudian. The 
long and broken lines of these lofty arches stretch over 
the Catnpagna to the south. That of Martian was built by 
Quintius Martius in the time of the republic ; that of the 
emperor Claudius was carried through the hills and across 
the vallies of Latium for a distance of 50 miles. 
The first obelisk was brought to Rome from Egypt by 
Augustus, and now stands on Monte Citorio. The obelisk 
of Rameses is the loftiest that was ever brought from Egypt. 
Though now patched together, it rises to a hundred feet in 
front of the Lateran church. The two obelisks that stood at 
the entrance of the mausoleum of Augustus, were brought to 
Rome by Claudius. One of them stands in front of Santa 
Maria Maggiore, and the other on Monte Cavallo. The 
obelisk found in the circus of Caracalla stands on the Fountain 
of the Piazza Navona. The obelisk in the grand piazza of 
Vox.. XXII. No. 1506. 
M E. Antiquities, See. 341 
St. Peter’s is in the most perfect preservation, and was brought 
from Egypt by Caligula. The obelisk which stood in the 
circus of Sallust, occupies the summit of the Pincian hill. 
The stree!s of Rome are in general narrow, gloomy, ir¬ 
regular, and dirty, being narrower than those of London, 
and wider than those of Paris. They have seldom any foot 
pavement. They are often very long and strait, and some¬ 
times terminating in a church, a fountain, or an obelisk. 
Three of the present streets diverge from the Piazza del Po- 
polo, near the Pantheon Gate, viz. the Corso, the Strada del 
Barberino, and the Strada de Ripetta. The Corso, so called 
from being the race course; was anciently the Via Lata, ex¬ 
tends a mile in length, in a direct line from the above piazza, 
to the base of the Capitoline hill, but though it is lined with 
churches, and palaces, and handsome edifices, its general 
effect is far from good. Among the other good streets are 
the Strada Giuli, the Strada della Langara, the Strada Felice, 
the Strada Maggiore, and the Strada Pia. 
The houses of Rome are partly of stone and partly of 
brick, and are frequently plastered or stuccoed as at Vienna. 
Marble is not common. 
Eustace informs us that modern Rome contains 46 squares, 
5 monumental pillars, 10 obelisks, 13 fountains, 22 mauso¬ 
leums, 150 palaces, and 346 churches. 
The area in front of St. Peter’s may be ranked among the 
squares of Rome. It is large, and of an oval shape, encircled 
with a fine colonnade by Bernini. In the middle stand two 
elegant fountains, and the Egyptian obelisk already de¬ 
scribed. The Piazza Navona, on the side of the Circus Ago- 
nalis, is adorned by the handsome church of St. Agnes, and 
many elegant houses. It is of an oblong shape, and its prin¬ 
cipal ornament is the fountain in its centre, erected by Ber¬ 
nini. It consists of a circular basin, 73 feet in diameter, 
containing a mass of artificial rock, to which are chained 
four river gods, and which supports the Egyptian obelisk 
brought from the circus of Caracalla. Each of these gods 
sends out his own stream, which, after falling down the 
rock, loses itself in the ocean of the basin. In a cavern in 
the rock is a lion and a horse. The fountain is contrived so 
as to overflow annually. The Piazza d’Espagna, so called 
from its containing the palace of the embassy, is adorned 
with a fountain, and several handsome buildings, but chiefly 
by the noble flight of marble steps that lead from it to the 
obelisk, church, and square of Della Trinita di Monti, 
which extends along the brow of the Pincian hill, and com¬ 
mands a fine view of Rome, Monte Mario, and the Janieu- 
lum. The Piazza of Monte Citorio, which is very beautiful, 
is ornamented with the Curia Innocenziana, or palace erected 
by Innocent XII. for courts of justice. The Piazza de Campo 
Marzio is small, and is to a great degree covered with build¬ 
ings. The Piazza de Monte Cavallo, which stands on the 
Quirinal hill, is one of the finest in Rome, and contains the 
two marble horses already mentioned. We have already 
spoken of the Roman Forum, and of the small square of the 
Intermontium. The principal obelisks of Rome, as objects 
of antiquity, have already been noticed. 
Among the fountains of modern Rome which are parti¬ 
cularly admired by strangers, are the Fontana Felice, the 
Fontana Poalina, and the Fontana di Trevi. The Fontana 
Felice, in the Piazza del Termini, on the Viminal hill, is 
supplied by the Aqua Claudia. It .discharges itself through 
a rock under an Ionic arcade of white stone, cased with 
marble. Among its gigantic statues are Moses striking the 
rock, Aaron conducting the Israelties, Gideon leading his 
soldiers to the torrent, and below are four lions, two of 
marble, and two of basalt. The fountain was restored by 
Sextus V. 
The Fontana Poalina, situated in a deep evergreen shade, 
stands on the brow of the Janiculum. It consists of an 
arcade, supported by six pillars of granite. Here torrents 
from the summit of the hill rush through the v three principal 
arches into an immense marble basin, whose surface is agi¬ 
tated like the waves of a lake, by their concussion. The 
waters then roll down the sides of the mountain, turn several 
mills as they descend, and supply numerous reservoirs 
4 S below. 
