Chapter C: Vibius . C. F. Rufinus . M. Cocceius . Nerva . Cos . Ex . S. C (4)

The vast amphitheatre erected in the centre of ancient Rome by Vespasian was known to the ancient Romans as the Flavian Amphitheatre. It was begun by the Flavian emperors A.D. 72, and dedicated A.D. 80. It is 157 feet high, and is 1900 feet in circumference, and was built by the captive Jews after the fall of Jerusalem. Originally the upper story was of wood, but this was burned down, and it was rebuilt with travertine stone like the rest of the edifice. Martial tells us that its site was formerly occupied by the artificial lakes of Nero; and Marcellinus (xvi. x. 14) says, "The vast masses of the amphitheatre so solidly erected of Tiburtine stone, to the top of which human vision can scarcely reach." All the brickwork we now see are repairs at various dates after the dedication; but there is enough travertine left at different points to show that it was originally built of this stone, as recorded by the historian. For nearly five hundred years it was the popular resort of the Roman populace and their betters. There were eighty arches of entrance, and it held one hundred thousand people, and could be emptied in ten minutes; such were the order kept and regulations observed that there was no confusion. It was devoted to the exhibition of wild beasts, their fighting together, gladiators fighting together, or with beasts, and naval fights. On these latter displays the stage or arena was moved, water let in, and naval fights represented in real earnest.

Suetonius ("Vespasian," vii.), says, "He began an amphitheatre in the middle of the city, upon finding that Augustus had projected such a work." _Ibid._ ("Titus," vi.): "He entertained the people with most magnificent spectacles, and in one day brought into the amphitheatre five thousand wild beasts of all kinds."

The last display was given by Theodoric in 523; and in 555 the lower part was destroyed by a flood from the Tiber, when the whole of Rome was under water for seven days. From then we must date the ruin of the Flavian Amphitheatre--the Romans themselves hastening on the work, using the material for building purposes.

"Which on its public shows unpeopled Rome,
And held uncrowded nations in its womb."--JUVENAL.

It is held by the Roman Church, on the authority of an inscription found in the Catacombs, that the architect of the Colosseum was one Gaudentius; but that inscription only says that he was employed there. We believe the architect to have been Aterius, whose monument is now in the Lateran, and upon which several buildings are represented of which he was no doubt the architect, also the machine used to raise the stones into their places. He flourished at the end of the first century, and, no doubt, these buildings shown in relief upon his tomb were erected by him, the dates agreeing; for if not, why should they be there represented?

First, we have an arch which says on it, "Arcus ad Isis." Now if we compare this with the Arch of Constantine, we find it is the same without the attic. Then we have the amphitheatre without the upper story; then an arch (query, Arch of Domitian?). Then another arch with the words, "Arcus in Sacra Via Summa:" compare this with the Arch of Titus, and, minus the restorations, it will be found to be the same. Then there is a temple agreeing with the descriptions of that of Jupiter Stator upon the Palatine. All these buildings were erected or rebuilt about this time, and from being recorded on this monument of the Aterii, tend to show that Aterius was the architect of them.

When perfect, the Colosseum consisted of four stories--the lowest, of the Doric order, 30 feet high; the second, Ionic, 38 feet high; the third, Corinthian, about the same height; and the fourth, also Corinthian, 44 feet high. The holes in the cornice with the corbels below them were to receive the masts that supported the _velaria_ on the outside.

The numerous holes in the stone were made in the middle ages for the purpose of extracting the iron cramps that kept the stones from shifting. The long diameter is 658 feet, the shorter 558 feet; the arena is 298 feet by 177 in its widest part.

The last performance was a bull-fight, held at the expense of the Roman nobles, in the year 1332. Many martyrs are said to have perished in the Colosseum during the persecutions of the early Christians, and among others S. Ignatius, who was brought from Antioch to be devoured by wild beasts. Benedict XIV. consecrated the building to the Christian martyrs, A.D. 1750.

In excavating the Basilica of S. Clement, the Rev. Father Mullooly found (1870) the remains of S. Ignatius, and had them carried with great ceremony over the scene on the anniversary of his martyrdom.

At the present day there remains sufficient to indicate the construction of the building, though but a small portion of the immense outer shell, which originally both adorned and formed an impenetrable girdle round the whole, has been preserved. In the interior, a great deal of rebuilding has been necessary for its preservation.

Vast as the building is, its construction is easily understood; a simple segment of the whole serving to show how all the others succeed one another like the cells of a bee-hive.

The upper part was originally of wood only, and was burned, having been set on fire by lightning. The three lower stories only are of the time of the Flavian emperors; the upper story was rebuilt and added in the third century, and only finished in the time of the Gordiani, as is shown by the coins representing it. The imperial entrance was from the Esquiline side, between the arches Nos. 38, 39, which is without number. Commodus constructed an underground passage from the arena to the Palatine, which has not yet been discovered, his so-called passage (_on the right in entering_) being that by which the dead bodies were carried from the arena. Dion Cassius says: "Upon the last day of the sports his helmet was taken off and fell through the door where the dead used to be carried out."

The area, basement, or ground-floor, was flooded for the naval fights. Surrounding this were the dens, in front of which was a channel for fresh water for supplying the animals with drink--a spring still supplies it; about ten feet above was the movable stage, sprinkled with sand for the combats, and hence called the arena. A few feet above the arena was the podium, or seat of the emperor, vestal virgins, &c., protected from the arena by iron bars. Behind the podium was a double portico, which ran round the whole building. Fragments of the marble chimeras, with long wings, that ornamented the seats of the podium have been found.

The three successive tiers were called _cavea_. Above these was a tier for the people; above this one for the "gods;" thus making six in all. The amphitheatre seated eighty-seven thousand people, and there was standing room for thirteen thousand more.

The walls standing upon the area, composed of tufa, travertine, and brick, old material re-used, were built at a period long after the building was dedicated, when the naval fights being abandoned there was no longer any occasion for a movable stage or arena as before. They contained the machinery for the stage above, and for the lifts or _pegmata_ to send men or beasts from the area to the arena. Probably these are the walls thus alluded to by Dion Cassius: "He [Commodus] divided the theatre into four parts by two partitions that cut through diametrically, and by right angles, to the end that from the galleries that were round about he might with greater ease single out the beasts he aimed at."

"The emperor having employed himself in shooting from above ... descended afterwards to the bottom of the theatre, and there slew some other private beasts, whereof some made toward him, others were brought to him, and others were shut up in dens. Returning after dinner, he used the exercises of a gladiator, with a shield in his right hand, and in his left a wooden sword. After him fought those whom he had chosen in the morning at the bottom of the theatre." Also, in his life of Septimius Severus, he says: "There was a kind of cloister made in the amphitheatre, in the form of a ship, to receive them [the wild beasts]. On a sudden there issued out bears, lions, ostriches, wild asses, and foreign bulls."

The walls before us are of very bad construction, evidently repairs of a late date: they are the work of either Lampridius, prefect of Rome under Valentinian III., 425-455, who repaired the steps and renewed the arena; or of Basilius, who restored the podium and arena after their destruction by an earthquake in 486--this we learn from two inscriptions standing at the entrance. Half way, on each side, two large passages have been discovered choked up with mud: they were the aqueducts to bring the water for the _naumachiæ_ from the reservoirs upon the Esquiline and Cælian Hills respectively; from the small openings in the blind arches the water also poured out over the top of the dens, thus forming cascades all round. At the end opposite the present entrance a long passage has been opened, above the level of the area floor; below this passage is the great drain, with the remains of the iron grating[6] to prevent large objects going down: this and the passage were closed by flood-gates on naval representations, which can be clearly seen in the construction. On the right and left of this passage, connected with it, but at a lower level, two dens have been cleared out, 27 yards long by 5 wide, containing six holes in the floor, in the centre of square blocks of stone, and these holes are faced with bronze, evidently the sockets into which metal posts were fixed to which the beasts were chained. On the fragments depicting scenes from the arena, the animals are shown with a long piece of rope or chain dangling from their necks, which seems to bear out our idea that they were attached to posts fixed in these sockets, and that as they were wanted the chain or rope was cut, and they were free to rush upon the arena.

The corbels round the front of the line of arches under the podium are in pairs, and between them the masts were inserted to support the awning on the inside, as the holes and corbels supported the masts on the outside; for we find on examination that those inside are exactly in a line with those outside at the top of the building. These corbels are 29 inches deep, and from them to the level of the area is 10 feet, and to the present surface 11 feet; between each pair of corbels are chases 19½ inches wide, ending on a block of travertine for the masts to rest on, the chases coming down 1½ yards below the corbels, which are 15 feet apart. They probably helped to support the arena, and show what the height of this wooden arena must have been, and that from its vast size it must have had a framework and supports: the numerous holes on the area, in travertine, were for the heels of the supports; one of these, a square one, has remains of the decayed timber in it.

In the central passage, resting on the area and extending as far as the excavations, is an ancient wooden framework in a decomposed state. Various suggestions have been made as to its use,--we suppose it to be the framework and joists of the flooring covering the central passage; others, a sort of tramway for running the cages along,--but till the whole space has been cleared out it is impossible to arrive at a correct estimate of its use.

Honorius, A.D. 404, having abolished the gladiatorial combats, probably the last display of wild beasts was that given by King Theodoric at the beginning of the sixth century.

The soil cleared out in the passage, dens, galleries, and area was found to be composed of mud deposited during a flood or floods by the Tiber, the composition of which may still be seen in parts of the long passage not yet cleared. The most remarkable of these floods, which lasted some days and did immense damage to the city, were those of A.D. 555, 590, 725, 778, 1476, 1530, 1557, and 1598.

We may presume, from the nature of the soil, that at some early date, probably A.D. 555, one of those terrible floods reached the Colosseum, and on the waters retiring a great deposit of mud was left, covering the old area floor and filling up the various passages and galleries, and that the authorities, instead of clearing out this deposit, added to it to make a solid floor, and used the arena above; for after that date we have no record of its being used, with the exception of the bull-fight.

_By applying to the custodian, the visitor can ascend to the top_, where a most magnificent view is enjoyed, the only way to get a good idea of its size and oval shape, and where the construction of the upper galleries can be studied. It will be seen that the arches forming the tiers of seats have at some date been filled in with brickwork, of the time of Alexander Severus and the Gordiani. The water-courses for keeping the building cool in hot weather can also be traced. The highest wall of all, the inside brick casing of which is partly gone, is built of fragments evidently not originally intended for the purpose for which they are used, corresponding to a great extent with the construction of the walls upon the area.

The Colosseum was for a long time used as a quarry, from which several of the palaces in Rome were built.

Should the visitor be fortunate enough to see the ruin under moonlight, or when it is illuminated with Bengal lights, he will see it in its grandeur, for "it will not bear the brightness of the day."

FOOTNOTES:

[1] _Ab urbe condita_, From the foundation of the city (B.C. 753).

[2] From the Forum.

[3] Diodorus Siculus, lib. xxxi., calls it the jail Albinus.

[4] S. P. Q. R., Senatus Populusque Romanus.

[5] For a full detailed account of this important discovery see our photograph, a panoramic view of the Forum from ancient reliefs, with descriptive letterpress.

[6] Recently removed to clean out the drain.

RAMBLE II.

THE BRIDGE AND CASTLE OF S. ANGELO -- THE TOMB OF HADRIAN
-- S. PETER'S -- THE SACRISTY -- THE CRYPT -- THE DOME --
THE VATICAN -- SCALA REGIA -- SISTINE AND PAULINE CHAPELS
-- STANZE AND LOGGIE OF RAPHAEL -- THE PICTURE GALLERY --
THE MOSAIC MANUFACTORY -- THE MUSEUM OF SCULPTURE -- THE
INQUISITION -- PORTA S. SPIRITO -- S. ONOFRIO AND TASSO'S
TOMB -- MUSEUM TIBERINO -- THE CORSINI AND FARNESINA
PALACES -- PORTA SETTIMIANA -- VIA GARIBALDI -- S. PIETRO
IN MONTORIO -- PAULINE FOUNTAIN -- VILLA PAMPHILI DORIA --
S. CECILIA IN TRASTEVERE -- CHURCH OF S. CRISOGONO --
STAZIONE VII COHORTI DEI VIGILI -- CHURCH OF S. MARIA IN
TRASTEVERE -- PONTE SISTO -- FARNESE AND CANCELLERIA
PALACES -- STATUE OF PASQUINO -- CHIESA NUOVA -- CIRCO
AGONALE -- OBELISK -- S. AGNESE -- S. MARIA DELLA PACE --
S. AGOSTINO.

IN TRASTEVERE.

(_Over the Tiber._)

THE ROUTE.

_From the Piazza del Popolo the Via Ripetta leads towards S. Peter's, turning off to the right, past the bridge, by the Via Monte Brianzo._

_From the Piazza di Spagna we take the Via Condotti to the Via Monte Brianzo and Tor di Nona._

At the right-hand end of the latter street is the Apollo Theatre, built on the site of the Tor di Nona prison, where Beatrice Cenci was confined. Passing into the Piazza Ponte S. Angelo, on our left, is the Italian Free Church of Gavazzi, and in the Palazzo Altoviti, in front, lived Visconti.

_We turn to the right over_

THE BRIDGE OF S. ANGELO,

(_Ponte S. Angelo_,)

which is decorated with ten angels standing on the parapet, bearing the instruments of our Lord's passion; and SS. Peter and Paul, an addition made in 1668 by Clement IX. It is the finest bridge in Rome, and was built by Hadrian.

TOMB OF HADRIAN, NOW THE CASTLE OF S. ANGELO.

(_Castel S. Angelo. Permissions required: see page 353._)

It was covered with white Paros marble, and decorated with statues of the gods and heroes, the works of Praxiteles and Lysippus, which were hurled upon the heads of the Goths. Erected by Hadrian, A.D. 130. The porphyry sarcophagus, which is supposed to have contained his remains, is now used as the font in the chapel on the left in S. Peter's.

Procopius thus describes it: "The tomb of the Emperor Hadrian is situated outside the Porta Aurelia. It is built of Parian marble, and the blocks fit close to one another without anything to bind them. It has four equal sides, about a stone-throw in length; its altitude rises above the city walls; on the top are statues of the same kind of marble, admirable figures of men and horses."

Lucius Verus, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, were all buried here. It was first turned into a fortress A.D. 423. Popes John XXIII. and Urban VIII. built the covered way connecting it with the Vatican. One of the barrack-rooms contains frescoes by Pierino del Vaga and Sicciolante, another by Giulio Romano. A circular room, surrounded with carved wood cases, once contained the archives of the Vatican. A large iron-bound chest contained the treasury. Some dark cells built in the thickness of the walls are shown as the prisons of Beatrice Cenci (?), Cellini, Cagliostro, and others. Tradition asserts that Gregory the Great saw S. Michael standing over the fortress sheathing his sword as a sign that a pestilence was stayed; to commemorate which the castle is now surmounted by a figure of the archangel in the act of sheathing his sword. This old castle served for a fortress during several ages, and its first cannon were cast out of part of the bronze taken from the roof of the Pantheon.

_The Borgo Nuovo leads to_ the Cathedral, passing, _on the right_, the Church of S. Maria, built on the site of a pyramid to Honorius, 423 A.D., which is represented on the doors of S. Peter's.

S. PETER'S.

(_S. Pietro._)

EXTERIOR.

Before the era of railways, the traveller in approaching Rome, across the Campagna, was generally electrified by the first glimpse of S. Peter's dome looming in the distance. Then he had full time, in advance of entering the gates of the city, to ponder over all the recollections which the magical word "Roma" might suggest to him. At present he is rapidly borne into the city, and sometimes before he is aware of having arrived even in its neighbourhood; yet the dome is plainly visible from afar by the railway approach of to-day. Now, as then, the first sight of Rome is always her unequalled cathedral; now, as then, the latter is the great object which the tourist eagerly hastens to visit. The present Church of S. Peter is relatively modern, having been first conceived by Pope Nicholas V. about the year 1450. It is built upon the site of the religious edifice erected in the time of Constantine, and consecrated as the "Basilica of S. Peter." The old basilica stood on part of the Circus of Nero, and occupies the spot consecrated by the blood of the martyrs slaughtered by order of that tyrant. Tradition supposes that the basilica held possession of the body of the apostle after his crucifixion,--a circumstance which reflected high credit upon it, and dignified its entrance with the appellation of the "limina apostolorum" (threshold of the apostles). After enjoying the veneration and tributes of all Christendom during eleven centuries, the walls of the old basilica began to give way, and its approaching ruin becoming visible about the year above stated, Nicholas V. conceived the project of taking down the old church, and erecting in its stead a new and more expensive structure. The project was begun, and resulted, after a long series of experiments made by various architects, in the splendid fabric which is now regarded by the world as the chief glory of modern Rome. The work made slight progress until the epoch of Julius II., who resumed the great task, and found in Bramante an architect capable of comprehending and executing his grandest conceptions. The walls of the ancient basilica were then wholly removed, and on the 18th of April 1508 the foundation stone of one of the vast pillars supporting the dome, as we now see it, was laid by Julius with great pomp and ceremony. From that period the work, though carried on with ardour and perseverance, continued during one hundred years to occupy the attention and absorb much of the incomes of eighteen pontiffs. The most celebrated architects of the times displayed their talents in its erection--namely, Bramante, Raphael, San Gallo, Michael Angelo, Vignola, Carlo Maderno, and last, though not least, Bernini, who gave it the finishing touches of ornamentation, and who built the enclosing colonnade. It is estimated that its cost, after completion, was no less than £12,000,000 sterling--a sum representing a far greater value than it does in our day. Colossal statues of Peter and Paul, erected by Pius IX., guard the approach at the foot of the steps on either side.

Eustace says: "Entering the piazza, the visitor views four rows of lofty pillars, 70 feet high, sweeping off to the right and left in a bold semicircle. ('A tabernacle for a shadow in the day-time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain,' Isa. iv. 6.) In the centre of the area formed by this immense colonnade, an Egyptian obelisk, of one solid piece of granite, ascends to the height of 130 feet; two perpetual fountains, one on each side, play in the air, and fall in sheets round the basins of porphyry that receive them. Raised on three successive flights of marble steps, extending 379 feet in length, and towering to the elevation of 148, you see the majestic front of the basilica itself. This front is supported by a single row of Corinthian pillars and pilasters, and adorned with an attic, a balustrade, and thirteen colossal statues. Far behind and above it rises the matchless dome. Two smaller cupolas, one on each side, add not a little to the majesty of the principal dome."

Five lofty portals open into the vestibule; it is 468 feet in length, 66 in height, and 50 in breadth, paved with variegated marble, covered with a gilt vault, adorned with pillars, pilasters, mosaic, and bas-reliefs, and terminated at both ends by equestrian statues, one of Constantine, the other of Charlemagne.

THE OBELISK

is the only one near its original site, the _Spina_ of Nero's Circus, which was near the Sacristy, on the left of S. Peter's. An inscription in the pavement marks the place. Pliny (xxxvi. 14), says: "The third obelisk at Rome is in the Vatican Circus, which was constructed by the emperors Caius [Caligula] and Nero; this being the only one of them all that has been broken in the carriage. Nuncorcus, the son of Sesoses, made it [_the original, this is probably a copy_], and there remains [in Egypt] another by him, 100 cubits in height, which, by order of an oracle, he consecrated to the sun, after having lost his sight and recovered it." Herodotus says: "It was dedicated by Phero, son of Sesostris, in gratitude for his recovery from blindness." It has no hieroglyphics, so if this was the original how could they know who erected it? but it bears this inscription of Caligula--

DIVO. CAES. DIVI. JULII. F. AUGUSTO.--TI. CAESARI.
DIVI. AUG. F.--AUGUSTO. SACRUM.

[To the divine Augustus, son of the divine Julius, and to the divine Tiberius, son of the divine Augustus.]

The Nuncorcus of Pliny is supposed to stand for Menophtheus, the king Meneph-Pthah.

Pliny (xvi. 76) gives the following particulars of how it was brought over:--

"A fir tree of prodigious size was used in the vessel which, by the command of Caligula, brought the obelisk from Egypt, which stands in the Vatican Circus, and four blocks of the same sort of stone to support it. Nothing certainly ever appeared on the sea more astonishing than this vessel; 120,000 bushels of lentils served for its ballast; the length of it nearly equalled all the left side of the port of Ostia--for it was sent there by the Emperor Claudius. The thickness of the tree was as much as four men could embrace with their arms."

Suetonius ("Claudius," xx.) says: "He sank the vessel in which the great obelisk had been brought from Egypt, to secure the foundation of the mole at Ostia."

Pliny (xvi. 76), says: "As to the one in which, by order of the Emperor Caius, the other obelisk had been transported to Rome, it was brought to Ostia, by order of the late Emperor Claudius, and sunk for the construction of his harbour."

Marcellinus says: "Subsequent ages to Augustus brought also other obelisks, one of which is in the Vatican."

VESTIBULE.

Over the entrance _outside_ is a relief of Christ giving the keys to Peter; _inside_ the vestibule is Giotto's (1298) celebrated mosaic, representing our Lord sustaining Peter when he was about to sink whilst walking on the sea. Opposite are the great bronze doors, opened only on special occasions, the work of Antonio Filareto and Simone Donatello in the fifteenth century. The upper panels represent in relief our Saviour and the Virgin, below whom are SS. Peter and Paul; Peter is giving the keys to Pope Eugenius IV. Beneath are the martyrdoms of Peter and Paul: in the former is represented the pyramidal tomb which stood in the Borgo Nuovo, and which was destroyed by Alexander VI. The smaller reliefs represent scenes from the life of the Emperor Sigismund--his coronation, the council of Florence, and his entry into Rome. The framework represents satyrs, nymphs, fauns, Leda and the Swan, Ganymede, the Fox and the Stork, with reliefs of fruit and flowers, and medallions of Roman emperors. The walled-up side door, on the right, is the Porta Santa, which was formerly opened on Christmas-eve of the years of jubilee--every twenty-fifth year.

_The first_ inscription relates the gift of olive-yards to provide oil for the lamps given by Gregory II.

_The second_, the Bull of Boniface VIII., of the indulgence granted at jubilee.

_The third_, Panegyric of Charlemagne on Pope Adrian I.

INTERIOR.

Five portals give access to the edifice, which faces east.

"Enter, its grandeur overwhelms thee not."--BYRON.

"The most extensive hall ever constructed by human art expands in magnificent perspective before you. Advancing up the nave, you admire the beauty of the variegated marble under your feet, and the splendour of the golden vault overhead, the lofty Corinthian pilasters with their bold entablature, the intermediate niches with their statues, the arcades with the graceful figures that recline on the curves of their arches. But how great your astonishment when you reach the foot of the altar, and, standing in the centre of the church, contemplate the four superb vistas that open around you; and then raise your eyes to the dome, at the prodigious elevation of 440 feet, extended like a firmament over your head, and presenting, in glowing mosaic, the companies of the just and the choirs of celestial spirits....

"Around the dome rise four other cupolas, small, indeed, when compared with its stupendous magnitude, but of great boldness when considered separately; six more, three on either side, cover the different divisions of the aisles; and six more of greater dimensions canopy as many chapels. All these inferior cupolas are, like the grand dome itself, lined with mosaics. Many, indeed, of the masterpieces of painting which formerly graced this edifice have been removed [to the Church of S. Maria degli Angeli, see page 265], and replaced by mosaics, which retain all the tints and beauties of the originals, impressed on a more solid and durable substance. The aisles and altars are adorned with numberless antique pillars that border the churches all around, and form a secondary order" (Eustace).

The variegated walls are in many places ornamented with festoons, wreaths, crosses, and medallions representing the effigies of different pontiffs. Various monuments rise in different parts of the church, of exquisite sculpture, and form very conspicuous features in the ornament of this grand temple.

Below the steps of the altar, and, of course, some distance from it, at the corners, on four massive pedestals, four twisted pillars, 50 feet in height, rise and support an entablature, which bears the canopy itself, topped with a cross. The whole is 95¼ feet from the pavement. This brazen edifice--for so it may be called--was constructed of bronze stripped from the dome of the Pantheon, and is so disposed as not to obstruct the view by concealing the chancel and veiling the chair of S. Peter. This ornament is also of bronze, and consists of a group of four gigantic figures, representing the four principal doctors of the Greek and Latin Churches, supporting the chair at an elevation of 70 feet. Under the high altar of S. Peter's is the tomb of that apostle, the descent to which is in front, where a large open space leaves room for a double flight of steps. The rails that surround this space above are adorned with one hundred and twelve bronze cornucopiæ, which support as many silver lamps, burning during the day in honour of the apostle. Upon the pavement of the small area enclosed by the balustrade is the kneeling statue of Pius VI., by Canova.

DIMENSIONS.

_Interior._

613½ feet long.
152½ feet, height of Nave.
87½ feet, width of Nave.
33¾ feet, width of Aisles.
197¾ feet, width of Basilica.
446½ feet, length of Transepts.
95¼ feet, height of Baldacchino complete.
139 feet Cupola, interior diameter.
179 feet Cupola high.
277 feet above Floor.
440 feet from Pavement to Base of Lantern.

_Area._

240,000 square feet.

A PROMENADE IN S. PETER'S.

On entering, the size of objects may be judged by noticing the cherubs that support the holy water basins; they present no extraordinary appearance, but stand by them and their immense size will be appreciated. The first chapel, on the right, contains Michael Angelo's Mary with the Dead Christ; hence it is called the Chapel of La Pietà. It was executed by the great master when only twenty-four, and bears his name across Mary's girdle. This work of art is unfortunately very badly placed for proper observation. Opening out of this chapel are two side chapels, kept closed: in that of the left are kept the relics belonging to the basilica; and in the right, a column, ornamented with flutings and reliefs, and said to be the column against which Jesus leaned when disputing with the doctors.

Proceeding up the aisle, on the right, is Fabris's statue of Leo XII.; and opposite, Carlo Fontana's monument to Christina, Queen of Sweden, who died in Rome in 1689, after her abjuration of Protestantism. The chapel beyond contains a beautiful mosaic copy of the Martyrdom of S. Sebastian; the original was by Domenichino. Next is the monument to Innocent XII., supported by Charity and Justice, by Filippo Valle; and opposite is one to the Countess Matilda, by Bernini; the relief is Gregory VII. giving absolution to Henry IV.

The Chapel of the Sacrament contains, above the altar, a fresco by Cortona; over the side-altar is a mosaic copy of Caravaggio's Entombment. The principal altar is formed with a model in lapis lazuli and gilt bronze of Bramante's chapel; the original is erected over the spot pointed out as the scene of Peter's martyrdom. Before the side-altar is the bronze tomb of Sixtus IV., with reliefs by Antonio del Pollajuolo; near by is interred Julius II., whose monument, now in S. Pietro in Vincoli, was to have been the grand masterpiece of Michael Angelo.

Beyond, on the right, is the monument to Gregory XIII., supported by Religion and Power, with a relief representing the correction of the calendar, the work of Rusconi. Opposite is Gregory the Fourteenth's simple marble urn.

The next chapel is named Madonna del Soccorso, containing the monument to Gregory XVI., erected by the cardinals he had made. On the left is a mosaic copy of Domenichino's Last Communion of S. Jerome. In the aisle, proceeding on the right, is the monument to Benedict XIV. (with figures of Science and Charity), by Pietro Bracci. Opposite is a mosaic copy of S. Basil Celebrating Mass before the Emperor Valens, after Subleyra's picture.

In the transept are mosaic copies of S. Wenceslaus, king of Bohemia, by Caroselli; Martyrdom of SS. Processus and Martinianus, after Valentin; and that of Erasmus, after Poussin. In the aisle, leading out, is Canova's celebrated tomb of Clement XIII. It took eight years to execute. The pope is represented praying: on one side is the genius of Death with inverted torch (the finest piece of sculpture in S. Peter's), and on the other Religion with the cross; at the angles are a wakeful and a sleeping lion. Opposite is a mosaic of S. Peter Walking on the Sea, after Lanfranco. In the next chapel is a mosaic of Guido's S. Michael and Guercino's S. Petronilla. On the left, coming towards the apse, S. Peter Resuscitating Tabitha, from Costanzi's painting; and opposite is the tomb of Clement X., by Ferrata.

In the centre of the apse is S. Peter's chair. January 18th is the feast of the chair of S. Peter in Rome. Some remarks on the chair which does duty for S. Peter's may be of interest to our readers. A photograph of this famous object was taken in 1867, when it was last exposed to view, and can be had at any of the shops in Rome. Visitors must be content with looking at the photograph, for the chair itself is not to be seen. At present it is enclosed in the bronze covering which is supported by the four colossal figures of the doctors of the Church--SS. Gregory, Jerome, Ambrose, and Augustin.

It is encased in a framework, in which are the rings through which the poles were inserted in order to carry the person seated. This casing, consisting of four posts and sides, is made of oak, and is very much decayed. The straight vertical joints are easily distinguished where the frame is attached to the chair itself, which is composed of dark acacia wood. The front panel is ornamented with three rows of square plates of ivory, six in a row, eighteen in all, upon twelve of which are engraved the labours of Hercules, and on the other six, constellations, with thin _laminæ_ of gold let into the engraved lines. Some of the ivories are put on upside down, and had evidently nothing to do with the original chair: they are Byzantine in style, of the eleventh century. The ivory band decorations of the back and sides evidently belonged to the chair, and correspond with its architecture and fit into the woodwork. They are sculptured in relief, representing combats of men, wild beasts, and centaurs. The centre point of the horizontal bars has a portrait of Charlemagne crowned as emperor. In his right hand is a sceptre (broken), and in his left a globe; two angels on either side offer him crowns and palms, they having combatants on each side. The chair is 4 feet 8¾ inches high at back, 2 feet 10½ inches wide, 2 feet 2⅓ inches deep, and 2 feet 1½ inch high in front. Fancy Peter using such a chair as this!

It is asserted by the Roman Church that this chair was used by S. Peter as his episcopal throne during his rule over the Church at Rome. Even if we grant, for argument's sake, that he was bishop in Rome, there is no evidence to prove that this was his chair; in fact, every evidence to the contrary. All the primitive episcopal chairs are of marble, and as unlike this one in construction as possible; for it is not an episcopal throne, but a _sella gestatoria_ or cathedra, similar to the chairs introduced into Rome in the time of the Emperor Claudius, mentioned by Suetonius ("Nero," xxvi.), and Juvenal (i. 64, vi. 90). It is not unlike in shape the one used to carry the Pope in grand ceremonies in S. Peter's. Some early authors speak of a _sella gestatoria_ which was placed in the baptistery of old S. Peter's by Damasus, and which, formerly on the 22nd of February, was carried hence to the high altar, where the Pope, with much ceremony, was enthroned upon it.

The chair which was originally assigned as that of S. Peter was eventually passed on from one chapel to another, till, it is said, that, when Rome was sacked by the imperialists in 1527, they stripped it of its ornaments and covering, for the sake of their value; and that beneath they found an old carved wooden chair, with the inscription, "_There is only one God, and Mohammed is his prophet_"--which same formula is engraved upon the back of the marble episcopal chair in the Church of S. Pietro in Castello at Venice. In 1558, the feast of the chair of S. Peter was fixed in Rome for the 18th of January, and in Antioch for February 22nd; and in 1655 Pope Alexander VII. placed this chair where it now stands. The present chair is medieval, ninth century, and is unlike early representations in art of the chair used by the Apostle Paul, which we may look upon as episcopal.

The ivory diptych of St. Paul (A.D. 400), the property of Mr. Carrand of Lyons, engraved by the Arundel Society, represents Paul seated on a chair, holding in his left hand a roll, the symbol of apostleship, whilst the right hand is raised in the act of blessing Linus, who carries a book in his hand. At the back of the chair is S. Mark, holding a roll in his left hand. The chair is light, and not unlike a modern library one in shape. Later art agrees with the present chair. A fresco at S. Clement's, Rome (1050), represents Peter installing Clement into the Papal chair--a chair, so far as can be seen, not unlike the present one of S. Peter, which was made after the coronation of Charlemagne as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (A.D. 800).

Upon our right is the tomb of Urban VIII. His bronze statue is by Bernini, with Justice and Charity in marble. On our left is Della Porta's monument to Paul III.; likewise a bronze figure, with Prudence (the Pope's mother, Giovanna Gaetani) and Justice (his sister, Giulia Farnese). Justice is a beautiful figure, but the tin drapery put on to cover its nakedness by Bernini destroys its beauty. It is necessary to re-paint the tin every now and then. There is a deal of this mock modesty in S. Peter's.

Turning into the south aisle, on our right, is the tomb of Alexander VIII. The bronze statue is by Arrigo, and the figures of Religion and Prudence by Rossi. The relief represents the Pope canonizing five saints. Opposite is the mosaic of S. Peter at the Gate of the Temple. It is said that this scene, here represented, gave to President Lincoln the idea for his proposed motto for the greenbacks. When the commission applied to him for a motto to put upon the notes, he said, "I can think of nothing better than what Peter said to the sick man at the gate of the temple--'Silver and gold have I none, but what I have that give I unto thee.'"

Beyond, upon the right, is a splendid alto-relief by Algardi, representing Leo threatening Attila with the vengeance of Peter and Paul if he should attack the holy city of Rome. It is the largest relief ever executed. A circular marble slab below it marks the tomb of Leo XII. Upon the right, coming down the aisle, is the tomb of Alexander VII., by Bernini. Justice, Prudence, Charity, and Truth surround the kneeling pontiff. A bronze gilt figure of Death supports the marble canopy. The naked Truth was clothed in tin by Innocent XI. Opposite is Vanni's oil-painting, the Fall of Simon Magus. The south transept contains mosaics of S. Thomas by Camuccini, the Crucifixion by Guido, and S. Francis by Domenichino. On the left is the chair of the Grand Penitentiary, where great princes have to make their public confession as pilgrims. Returning to the aisle, on the right is the tomb of Pius VIII., by Tenerani. Our Saviour is blessing the Pope; Peter and Paul are on either side; Justice and Mercy are represented in relief below. Opposite is a mosaic of Ananias and Sapphira after Roncalli. Beyond is the Miracle of Gregory the Great, by Sacchi. Facing us is the tomb of Pius VII., by Thorwaldsen. History and Time support him on either side, with Power and Wisdom below. On the left, nearly opposite, is a mosaic copy of Raphael's Transfiguration. Proceeding down the aisle, on our right, is the tomb of Leo XI., with a relief, by Algardi, representing the abjuration of Henry IV. of France. Opposite is the tomb of Innocent XI., with relief of the raising of the siege of Vienna by John Sobieski, with figures of Religion and Justice, by Monot.

On our right is the Chapel of the Choir, decorated by Giacomo della Porta. The mosaic altar-piece of the Conception is after Pietro Bianchi. Over the door, in the pier on the left of the chapel, is a niche closed with a wooden sarcophagus; here the body of the Pope is placed till his tomb is prepared. Opposite is the bronze memorial to Innocent VIII. by the brothers Pollaiolo. The spear-head held in the hand of the Pope refers to the spear which pierced our Saviour's side, it being presented to this Pope by the Emperor Bajazet II. On our right is a fine mosaic by Romanelli, the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple. Beyond, on the left, is Canova's memorial to the "last of the Stuarts," who died in Rome, and are buried in the crypt below. It takes the form of an entrance to a tomb, which is guarded by beautiful genii. Over the door are the words--"BLESSED ARE THE DEAD THAT DIE IN THE LORD." Above are medallions of the Chevalier S. George, Prince Charlie, and the Cardinal York, the whole being surmounted by the British coat-of-arms, in which is quartered that of France. This monument was erected by George IV. Opposite, over the door leading to the dome, is the monument to Maria Clementina, wife of the Chevalier S. George, whose portrait in mosaic is by Barigioni. Beyond is the baptistery. The font is of red porphyry, which was once the top of the tomb of Otho II., and originally, it is said, of Hadrian. In front is Carlo Maratta's Baptism of Christ in mosaic; upon the left Peter baptizing the jailers in the Mamertine prison, a fiction from Passeri; and opposite is Procaccini's Baptism of the Centurion. This baptistery is said to be on the site of a temple to Apollo, upon what authority we cannot say.

The nave has marked in the centre of its pavement the measurement of all the principal churches in the world, whereby it can be seen that S. Peter's is 93 feet longer than S. Paul's, London. The large porphyry circular slab is that upon which the holy Roman emperors were crowned, and where the priest who is made judge of ecclesiastical matters in the Roman Church is ordained. In a niche in each of the piers supporting the vault are colossal statues, 16 feet high, of the founders of the various religious orders; and in the piers of the dome are S. Longinus, the soldier who pierced our Saviour's side, S. Helena, who found the cross, S. Veronica, who wiped his face, and S. Andrew. Above are kept the relics of these saints, which are only shown to those who hold the title of a canon of the church. On the spandrels of the arches of the dome are four large mosaics, representing Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, with their emblems. S. Luke's pen is 7 feet long, and the letters on the frieze are 6 feet high.

The great piers are 253 feet in circumference; which space is exactly occupied by the church and house of S. Carlo, in the Via Quattro Fontane. Near the first pier of the right side is the celebrated bronze seated statue of S. Peter, with the keys in one hand, the other raised in the act of blessing, under a canopy erected by Pius IX., whose portrait in mosaic surmounts it. It is asserted by some that this was a statue of Jupiter, supremely good and great, that stood in the Capitoline temple, and that it was altered into S. Peter; others say they recast Jupiter into the "Jew Peter."

THE SACRISTY

is connected with S. Peter's by a long gallery, and is adorned with pillars, statues, paintings, and mosaics. It is entered by passing through a door under the monument to Pius VIII., in the left aisle. There is a very rich collection of church plate and vestments kept in the _guardaroba_, which visitors should not fail to see.

THE CRYPT.

_Orders must be obtained of Cardinal Ledockowski, Palazzo Cancelleria. It must be visited before 11 A.M._ The entrance is at the side of the statue of S. Veronica. It contains the tombs of the early Popes, and also some old bas-reliefs, and some very ancient statues of S. Peter. Adrian IV., the only English Pope, is buried here, and also several distinguished historical characters, including "the last of the Stuarts."

THE DOME.

_Orders must be obtained of Monsignor Fiorani, in the Sacristy, for visiting the dome, which is only open without an order on Thursdays, between 8 and 10 A.M._

It is reached by a winding ascent, the entrance being opposite the Stuart monument. On the platform of the roof the cupolas, domes, and pinnacles are seen to advantage; and hence, by different staircases between the walls of the cupola, the ball is reached. During the ascent, a fine view may be obtained of the lower parts of the church, as well as of the mosaics and stuccoes which embellish the interior of the dome.

On reaching the summit, a panoramic view of Rome and the Campagna is had, quite repaying the labour of the ascent.

THE VATICAN.

From the vestibule of S. Peter's we see, to the fullest advantage, the fine piazza, with the Vatican on our left, which presents very much the appearance of a large factory. Having been erected by different architects in various eras, it has no systematic design, and is, in fact, a collection of palaces built by different Popes. The entrance is at the bend of the colonnade. _Permission to visit the_ MUSEUM, GALLERIES, LIBRARY, _&c., must be obtained from Monsignor Macchi, at his office, between the hours of 10 and 1, thus enabling a party of five to pay a visit any day, except Saturdays, Sundays, and festas, between 9 and 3, except the Museum of Statues, which is closed every Thursday, when the Egyptian and Etruscan Museums and the Gallery of Tapestries are only open_. The galleries are gained by

THE SCALA REGIA,

built in the pontificate of Urban VIII., from the design of Bernini. The first flight is composed of Ionic columns, the second of pilasters. The ornamental stucco work is from the designs of Algardi. The equestrian statue of Constantine is by Bernini. On the first landing, a passage leads to a small flight of steps. _At the top, on the right, through a small red baize door, is the entrance to_

THE SISTINE CHAPEL,

built by Sixtus IV. in 1473. It is celebrated for its paintings in fresco by Michael Angelo; the roof alone occupied twenty months in the painting.

THE ROOF.--On the flat part are nine compartments illustrative of--(1) The Separation of Light from Darkness; (2) Creation of the Sun and Moon; (3) Land and Sea; (4) Adam; (5) Eve; (6) the Fall and Expulsion (the figure of Eve is considered to be the most perfect painting of the female form in existence); (7) the Sacrifice of Noah; (8) the Deluge; (9) Noah inebriated. These are bordered by sitting figures of prophets and sibyls: _over the altar_, Jonah; _on the left_, Joel, the Sibyl Erithræa, Ezekiel, the Sibyl Persica, Jeremiah and Zechariah; _on the right_, the Sibyl Lybica, Daniel, the Sibyl Cumæa, Isaiah, and the Sibyl Delphica. In the four corners are--Moses lifting up the Brazen Serpent, King Artaxerxes, Esther and Haman, David and Goliath, Judith and Holofernes. In the arches over the windows, and in the recesses, Genealogy of Christ from Abraham to Joseph.

THE WALLS.--Behind the altar is the great fresco of Michael Angelo, representing the Last Judgment, designed by him when in his sixtieth year, and completed in eight years (1540). _At the top_ is our Saviour, with the Virgin seated on his right, above angels bearing the instruments of the passion. _On one side_ of our Lord are saints and patriarchs, and on the other martyrs. _Below_, a group of angels sounding the last trump and bearing the books of judgment. _On the right_ is represented the fall of the condemned; Charon ferrying some of them across the river Styx, striking the tumultuous with his oar. The figure in the right-hand corner, representing Midas with ass's ears, is Messer Biagio of Casena, the Pope's master of the ceremonies, who said the nude figures were indecent; on which account the Pope ordered Daniele da Volterra to cover them with drapery, which obtained for him the cognomen of _Braghettone_ (breeches-maker). Michael Angelo said, "Let the Pope reform the world, and the pictures will reform themselves." And to spite Biagio, he represented him in hell, whereat he complained to the Pope in order to have his figure removed. The Pope replied that as he was in hell he must stop there, as he had no power to release from hell, but from purgatory! _On the left_, the blessed are ascending to heaven assisted by angels and saints.

_Between the windows_, portraits of the Popes of the time, by the artist of the subject below. The lower part of the walls is painted in imitation of drapery, over which were hung on grand ceremonies tapestries from Raphael's cartoons.

_On the side walls_ are scenes from the life of Moses typical of the life of our Lord. _On entering, to the right_--

TYPE. FULFILMENT.

Moses and Zipporah going down Baptism of Christ in Jordan.
into Egypt. By Luca Signorelli. By Perugino.

Moses slaying the Egyptian. Our Lord being tempted. By
Driving away the shepherds. Sandro Botticelli.
The Lord appearing in the
burning bush. By Sandro
Botticelli.

Pharaoh overwhelmed in the Red Christ calling Peter and
Sea. By Cosimo Rosselli. Andrew. By Dom Ghirlandajo.

Moses receiving the tables of The Sermon on the Mount. By
the law. Destruction of the Cosimo Rosselli.
Golden Calf. By Cosimo Rosselli.

Destruction of Korah, Dathan, Christ giving unto Peter "the
and Abiram, and the sons keys of the kingdom of heaven"
of Aaron. By Sandro Botticelli. (Matt. xvi. 19). By Perugino.

Death of Moses. Reading of the The Last Supper. By Cosimo
law. By Luca Signorelli. Rosselli.

The Archangel contending about Christ's Resurrection. By Dom
the body of Moses.[7] By Ghirlandajo.
Francesco Salviati.

_Apply to the custodi of the Sistine Chapel to visit the Pauline Chapel, which is entered from the_

SALA REGIA,

built as an audience hall for the ambassadors to the Papal Court. It is decorated with frescoes representing different important events in Papal history.

THE PAULINE CHAPEL

was erected by Paul III. Its walls are painted in fresco, the conversion of S. Paul and the execution of S. Peter being by Michael Angelo. The painted roof and the portraits of twenty-eight Popes are by Lorenzo Sabatini and Frederigo Zucchero.

_Retracing our steps through the Sistine Chapel, and going up a narrow stair, we enter, through a small white door, two rooms containing_

GALLERY OF MODERN PAINTINGS.

(_First Room, right._)

1. Beatitude of Benedict of Urbino (Capuchin).--Guido Guidi, 1865. He is being presented, with other missionaries, to Clement VIII.