Rambles in Rome: An Archæological and Historical Guide to the Museums, Galleries, Villas, Churches, and Antiquities of Rome and the CampagnaForbes, S. Russell
History
Rambles in Rome: An Archæological and Historical Guide to the Museums, Galleries, Villas, Churches, and Antiquities of Rome and the Campagna
Forbes, S. Russell
Art -- Rome; Rome (Italy) -- Guidebooks; Rome -- Antiquities
"which draws its precious water from a source far beyond the walls,
whence it flows hitherward through old subterranean aqueducts, and
sparkles forth as pure as the virgin who first led Agrippa to its
well-spring by her father's door. It is a great palace front, with
niches and many bas-reliefs, out of which looks Agrippa's legendary
virgin and several of the allegoric sisterhood; while at its base
appears Neptune with his floundering steeds, and Tritons blowing their
horns, and other artificial fantasies. At the foot of the palatial
façade is strewn, with careful art and ordered irregularity, a broad
and broken heap of massive rock. Over the central precipice the water
falls in a semicircular cascade; and from a hundred crevices, on all
sides, snowy jets gush up and streams spout out of the mouths and
nostrils of stone monsters; while other rivulets that had run wild
come leaping from one rude step to another, over stones that are mossy
and ferns planted by nature. Finally, the water, tumbling, sparkling,
and dashing, with never-ceasing murmur, pours itself into a great
marble-brimmed reservoir. The tradition is, that by taking a parting
draught, and throwing a sou in, the traveller will return to Rome,
whatever obstacles seem to beset his path." Such is Hawthorne's
description of this beautiful fountain.
_Turn to the right_, Via Muratte, the first on the left, Via della
Vergine, brings us into the Piazza SS. Apostoli. _On the right_ is the
Balestra Palace, where Prince Charlie died in 1788. _On the left is_
THE CHURCH OF THE APOSTLES (SS. Apostoli).
Several fragments are built into the portico, the most interesting of
which is the bas-relief of the eagle which once decorated Cæsar's
Forum. The church has been entirely redecorated, and is now reopened.
In the course of the alterations, in 1873, the bodies of SS. Philip
and James the Less were found enclosed in a marble sarcophagus. A new
extensive crypt, decorated after the style of the catacombs, has been
made to receive these remains.
The heart of Maria Clementina Sobieski is preserved here.
_Just beyond is_
THE COLONNA PALACE.
_Open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, from 11 till 3. Entry, 17 Via Archi
della Pilotta._
The pictures have the names of the artists on them. In the first room
we enter, the collection consists of Colonna portraits; then three
rooms of tapestries, and some ancient draped statues, and a pretty
statue of a dancing girl, "Niobe."
FIRST ROOM.--Early schools. Holy Family, by Luca Longhi; Boy in a Red
Cap, by Giovanni Sanzio, Raphael's father; Crucifixion, by Giacomo di
Avanzi; Moses, by Guercino.
SECOND ROOM.--Throne room.
THIRD ROOM.--Guardian Angel, by Guercino; Peasant Eating, by Annibale
Carraci,--true to life; S. Jerome, by Lo Spagna; Portrait, by Paul
Veronese. _Ceiling_, Apotheosis of Martin V., by Lutti and Battoni.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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