Vacation days in GreeceRichardson, Rufus B. (Rufus Byam)
History
Vacation days in Greece
Richardson, Rufus B. (Rufus Byam)
Greece -- Description and travel
Father Bulich took me also into the one building inside the palace that
is kept locked. Its chief attraction is a perfectly preserved barrel
vault with coffers containing rosettes. This is supposed, partly from
its position, to have been Diocletian's court chapel; but whether it
was dedicated to Jupiter or to Æsculapius is a question which divides
the authorities. Lanza, Bulich's predecessor, inferred from a laurel
wreath bound by a ribbon which he took to be the imperial crown,
sculptured in the rear gable, that _this_ was Diocletian's mausoleum.
This rear end was said by the guide-books to be inaccessible, and so
of course it was what I most wanted to see. I mentioned my regret,
and, to my surprise, Bulich said, "Oh! it is perfectly accessible."
Then he led the way through several by-ways and up three flights of
stairs, almost tumbling over children in the dim light, until at last
we got into a kitchen which was backed up against the gable. There was
the laurel wreath, to be sure. Little did it interest the rosy-cheeked
woman who had her sleeves rolled up above her elbows and was trying in
some embarrassment to get them down again before a stranger. The wreath
was out of her reach; but the horizontal cornice of the gable was only
about four feet above the floor of her kitchen; and she had deployed
upon it--a splendid shelf--her oils and essences, her butter and sugar,
and all the appliances of a kitchen and a pantry. When Bulich, with
all the authority of an archæologist and a father confessor combined,
reproved her for quite a good-sized, fresh nick on the left ascending
cornice, her cheeks and even her arms took on a redder hue, probably on
account of my presence; for the priest was greeted on every staircase
as a familiar friend.
The next day he showed me his excavations at Salona, which he has
carried on under great difficulties. Since the Austrian empire has
no law for the expropriation of private property for the purpose of
archæological excavations, he has been obliged with his not all too
generous funds to make his peace with the owners of the fields; and,
since the whole area of Salona is covered by one continuous vineyard,
it has been very slow business. But he has managed to get a foothold
here and there. Here the greater part of a big amphitheatre has been
uncovered, here a long line of sarcophagi; at present he is pushing a
few yards farther the uncovering of a huge Christian basilica.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account