Complete Works of L. Frank Baum

by L. Frank Baum

  Revisiting the Forum, which we did more than once, it is interesting to remember that this mass of ruins, occupying only a space of some five-hundred and fifty feet long and one-hundred and fifty feet wide, was once the center of great Rome in her palmiest days, and occupies more pages of history than any other similar spot of ground in the world. Since the Forum has been excavated it is much below the level of modern Rome, and we look down into it as into a pit. An archway at one side is all that remains of the imperial Capitol. A small colonnade of pillars supporting statues of the twelve principal gods once stood before this. Then we see, bordering the Forum, parts of the temples of Concordia and of Vespatian. The Basilica Julia was a colonnade running around four sides of the Forum, and there still remains a little of the original pavement, of variegated African and Phrygian marble, and at the upper end a few marble columns. The Basilica faced the Sacred Way, the original pavement of which is still observable. The remains of the Temple of Saturn, dating from B.C. 497, show eight immense marble columns set on a high platform. The rostrum, formerly covered with marble, is now a long, bare platform. Its huge size allowed the speaker to walk up and down as he addressed the people. The two sides showed reliefs of a cow, a pig and a sheep, the animals used for the sacrifice. In front were reliefs of the gods, and also one depicting the people burning their records of back taxes in the presence of Trajan, whose edict relieved them of the payment. I am sure this was a relief. Nearby is the supposed tomb of Romulus. Then we come to the arch of Septimus Severus, erected in honor of that emperor and his two sons, Caracalla and Geta, in 203 A.D. It is carved with the story of their victory over the Parthenons. It used to be surmounted by a bronze chariot and six horses, with Severus, crowned by Victory, standing in the chariot.

  In the Forum is an immense single column of tufa called the column of Phocae, which formerly had a statue of the tyrant at its summit. Facing the rostrum was the temple of Cœsar, but only the base now remains. His tomb is very near here, marked by three large circular blocks of tufa, one above the other. The beautiful pillars of the Temple of Castor and Pollux are well known, and quite dominate the Forum.

  The house of the six Vestal Virgins is one of the impressive sights of the Forum. Here the Vestals kept the sacred fire burning for centuries, and they were secluded from the sight of men by a wall enclosing a beautiful garden. The house itself was formerly covered with marble, but now only the brick walls remain. It was heated by furnaces and the kitchens were large and well appointed. In the garden was a great water tank, and around the court were many statues on pedestals representing the most pious of the Virgins. Eleven of these still remain. Three of the bed-rooms may still be seen. They were small but beautifully frescoed and the pavements are of mosaic. The Vestals served until they were thirty-five years old, when they were permitted to quit the temple and marry; but if they had a love affair before this time they were buried alive. Twelve sacred fires were constantly kept burning in Rome, and each had its separate temple and vestals. This of the Forum was the most important. Beyond the house of the Vestal Virgins we come to the Temple of Faustina, dedicated in 114 A.D. by Antoninus to his wife. The portico, with an inscription and ten marble columns, still remains.

  Many fragments of columns, capitals, reliefs, etcetera, are scattered all about, and all these I suppose archaeologists are able to identify. At the lower end of the Forum stands the triumphal Arch of Titus (A.D. 70) the most beautiful arch in Rome. It is carved with scenes of his conquest of Jerusalem. One of them shows the captive Jews bearing the sacred candlestick taken from their temple. And this candlestick, seven branched and very big, had a curious history. Four centuries after Titus brought it to Rome it was captured by the Vandals and taken to Carthage; a hundred years later Belisarius seized it and took it to Constantinople; two hundred years afterward it was restored to Rome, where a pious Jew stole it and threw it into the Tiber. There it is yet, and when the Jews return to Jerusalem they will dig this candlestick from the mud of the Tiber and take it with them.

  The Baths of Caracalla are yet one of Rome’s greatest sights. They were the most magnificent baths of ancient days, and contained when excavated a wealth of statuary which is now preserved in the various museums. One-thousand six-hundred people could bathe at one time within the walls, there being large pools for hot, tepid and cold baths on the ground floor and on the upper floors many private rooms with splendid tubs of marble and porphyry. The brick walls which now show in the interior were once covered with marble slabs, and the elaborate mosaic floor still shows so largely that we can well imagine its former beauty. There were dressing rooms, an immense conversation room, rooms for perfuming and anointing and halls where the athletes performed. Also there were libraries and a fine garden. In the emperor’s personal suite is a beautiful marble pool and elaborately decorated dressing and lounging rooms. The bath program in those days was as follows: First, the tepid bath, with anointing and gentle massage; next the hot bath in a different room; then a cold plunge, a brisk rubbing down, and anointing and perfuming. All the Roman buildings of this period were of brick faced with marble; but the marble was long since taken away to construct churches and other buildings.

  Constantine when converted was baptized in the church of San Giovanni in the Lateran. The baptistry is a small chapel in the center of which is a green basalt tub which is absurdly ancient. This is the font, and it is surrounded by eight large columns of porphyry. It stands just as it was in the days of Constantine. The Lateran boasts some fine mosaics of the second, third and fifth centuries. It has an old bronze dome adorned with garlands, and a bronze statue of Constantine which was found in his baths. Further, this church is said to contain the heads of St. Peter and St. Paul, and we are shown a wooden table once used by St. Peter. One of its features is a group of twelve huge statues of the apostles. Connected with it are the sacred stairs from the house of Pilate, once trod by the feet of Jesus. Sinners may mount these stairs on their knees, and each ascent, if made with a contrite heart, wins nine years of indulgence for each of the twenty-eight steps. The climb is awkward, but popular. At the foot of the stairs are two splendid statues: one of Pilate showing Jesus to the multitude, the other of Judas in the act of kissing his Master. The Empress Helena brought Pilate’s stairs to Rome in 326; they are of marble, but covered with wood to preserve them. We watched a short, fat woman ascending on her knees and decided she earned her indulgence. In the plaza before the church stands the fine obelisk of Thotmes III.

  A pretty drive is along the Appian Way, with the Sabine Hills and Alban mountains showing in the distance. Tombs lined the way, from which were taken many of the beautiful sarcophagi we have admired. On the Appian Way we visited the Catacombs of St. Calixtus, the best of the early Christian burial places. Here are the tombs of some of the Popes of the 4th-6th centuries, and of St. Cecilia, although her body reposes in the church dedicated to her. The walls bear some good paintings from the second century, such as the Raising of Lazarus from the dead, the Last Supper, the Deliverance of Jonah from the whale’s belly and similar Bible scenes.

  Perhaps nothing interested us more in Rome than our visit to the Palatine Hill. We are both more interested in Imperial Rome than in Ecclesiastical Rome, and on the Palatine we can almost imagine ourselves back in the days of the Cœsars. We start to ascend the Hill by the Street of Victory, still paved in part with the original blocks. We first come to the palace of Caligula, and see a bit of the bridge which he caused to be built over the Forum to the Capitol, that he might converse with the Capitoline Jupiter, whose representative on earth he claimed to be. (You see there were Dowies in those days, too.) From here through a covered passage we enter the Palace of Tiberius, the passage Caligula built in order to visit his friend. In it Caligula was assassinated and Tiberius made emperor. The ceilings of the palace have some fine stucco work. We saw the remains of the fish pond into which Tiberius is said to have thrown fat babies to feed his fish, since the babies gave the fish an especially fine
flavor. Next we visited the house of Lydia, mother of Nero, the vestibulum of which has a fine mosaic floor and the walls some excellent Greek frescoes.

  And now we are in the splendid palace of Augustus Cœsar, with its Basilica, where justice was administered, the Colonnade where the emperor was accustomed to walk with his guard (he always feared assassination) and the great throne room — one-hundred twenty by one-hundred fifty feet. A few columns and parts of the pavement alone remain, but the walls still mark the plan of the rooms. Especially in the dining room is a fine remnant of mosaic pavement, of green, white, yellow and red marbles. A smaller dining room has a fountain, and connected with the palace were large gardens surrounded by a colonnade. Only a part of the palace of Augustus has been excavated.

  There is not much left of the palace of Septimus Severus except the stadium and three small rooms opening off it, where are some good frescoes. On the Palatine they show you a heap of stones which is said to be the ruins of the house of Romulus.

  It is by no means impossible to recognize the grandeur and wealth of imperial Rome from these ruins, but it sobers us to reflect that all the magnificence and power of these Masters of the World has vanished so utterly.

  The Fountain of Trevi is the most beautiful in the city. Drop a coin into it at midnight and some day you are certain to return to Rome. That is the legend, anyway.

  The National museum is built on the site of the Baths of Diocletian, and contains some good marbles and bronzes. In the Gallery Barberini is the portrait of Beatrice Cenci, by Guido Reni, and Del Sarto’s Holy Family, as well as the famous picture of “The Temptation of Joseph.” The Barberini has but three small rooms, but is full of art treasures.

  So now I have mentioned some of the interesting things I saw in Rome. I could not say less and say anything at all, and to say more might bore you. Yet I feel I have given you a very slight idea of the wonders of the eternal city, the recollection of which will abide with me all the days of my life. “See Rome and die” is a silly phrase, because the world holds much more than Rome. But if you can see it and live, it is worth while.

  LETTER XV. FLORENCE

  Florence, Italy

  To our notion Florence is more beautiful than any other Italian city we have yet seen. It combines the modern and the medieval, and this is the time of roses, which bloom everywhere and cover the walls of the lanes and houses with thick masses of flowers. Beside me as I write stands a bunch of fifty-four great roses which I purchased on the street for the equivalent of ten cents. Through the window I look into the Piazzo Victor Emmanuel, with its great bronze equestrian statue of the king and his triumphal arch in the background.

  From Florence, more than any other city, has emanated the peerless art of Italy. Also the language and the best literature of the Italians comes from here. In no other spot on earth is there such a collection of paintings by the masters. We do not expect to see, in the limited time we are here, all the art treasures of this famous city, but we will “do” the principal galleries to the best of our ability.

  In a small room of the Uffizi Gallery, which is called “the Tribuna,” are assembled more art treasures than Any similar space contains. Here are five ancient sculptures, all masterpieces: the Venus de Medici, the Wrestlers, the Dancing Faun, the Grinder, and the Young Apollo, known as Apollino. Around the walls are hung many famous paintings: Titian’s two Venuses in the nude, Raphael’s “Madonna and Child with Goldfinch,” his “St. John the Baptist,” a portrait by Rembrandt, “Madonna and Saints” by Perregino, Corregio’s exquisite “Madonna Worshipping the Child,” and others. In Corregio’s Madonna both mother and child were life-like and charming; many of the “great masters” make them both dreadfully ugly. Aside from the Tribuna the Uffizi is rich in gems of art, but I shall only mention those in which I was most interested, or that appealed most to me. Some bronzes representing two dogs and a wild boar and a statue of Silenus holding the infant Baccus in his arms, were mighty good. In one room, devoted to the work of Rubens, I shall skip the paintings to mention five exquisite mosaic tables, in which are inlaid pearls, rubies, diamonds and other precious stones, and on which the workmanship is magnificent. One depicts a battle scene, where the perspective is superbly executed. The paintings in this gallery that I especially liked were as follows: A head of Medusa by Leonardo da Vinci, horrible in its conception yet fascinating in its perfection. A small study in the nude called “The Three Graces,” and unsigned, is a perfect gem, for the women were grace personified and rarely beautiful. Titian’s head of “Flora” is bound to attract anyone, and the portraits of Madam Le Brun are charming. A strong picture is the Beheading of John the Baptist, and a marvelous one is called “The Martyrdom of St. Sebastian.”

  The old masters were limited in their range of subjects, and for this reason even their superb coloring and execution cannot relieve the monotony of the galleries devoted to their work. They painted Madonnas without end, Christ and the saints, shepherds and the Magi — and there they generally halted. Raphael painted only about ninety Madonnas because he died young, but some of the “old masters” were old when they died, and what an industrious lot they were! Four rooms of the Uffizi are devoted to portraits of the painters, executed by themselves, dating from the fifteenth century to the present day. It is a very interesting collection.

  The room of the Medici contains a collection of gems, crystal and articles of gold and silver once the property of that famous family. We saw there many exquisite things, such as a bowl carved from a single garnet and a crystal dish of unique design harnessed with bands of solid gold and encrusted with precious stones. Also there were marvelous lamps set with precious gems. This gallery was founded by the Medici family.

  Near the Uffizi Galleria is the famous Loggia dei Lanzi, or Loggia dell Orgagna, a vaulted hall open to the street and built in the fourteenth century. The Loggia is beautiful in itself and contains some fine pieces of statuary. “The Rape of the Sabines” and “the Rape of Polyxena” are both celebrated pieces, and there is a bronze Perseus holding the head of Medusa, Hercules slaying the Centaur, and five antique portrait statues.

  A few steps away is the Pallazo Vecchio, the former residence of Cosmo I. It was begun in 1298 and is a fine example of Florentine castles in the middle ages. The building contains some fine tapestries, portrait statues of the Medici family and a wonderful painted ceiling, besides a great hall painted with scenes of the battle between Pisa and Sienna. It was near this palace that Savonarola was burned at the stake; a bronze slab marks the place.

  In the Galleria Antica a Moderna is the famous statue of David by Michelangelo. It was one of the artist’s earliest works and served to establish his genius. The paintings in this gallery are mostly religious, but the collection excels in brilliance of coloring. There is one very interesting canvas called the “Adoration of the Magi,” by Gentile da Fabriano, a large picture showing many figures and horses. The robes and turbans of the Magi were originally adorned with diamonds and precious stones, set in the thick paint, but most of these have since been picked out. A funny picture here is called “The Last Judgment,” and was painted by a monk. Our Lord stands in the center judging the dead, and the righteous are placed in a garden and beautifully dressed, while the wicked are not only placed in hell but occupy kettles suspended over blazing fires. I was glad to observe there were no women in hell — only men.

  The Florentine pictures are mostly framed in massive gold, highly ornamented frames.

  I must not fail to mention the Hospital of the Innocents, on the front of which are set, between the arches, twelve exquisite Della Robbia placques of babies in swaddling clothes. They are in blue and white terra cotta reliefs, the placques being about three feet in diameter and the babies all different. Perhaps nothing in Florence attracts more universal attention than the Della Robbia babies, which are so sweet and charming that everyone loves them at first sight.

  The river Arno runs through Florence, adding much to the beauty and pictur
esqueness of the place, and the famous Ponte Vecchio, the bridge of the shops, crosses it near the center. While strolling there the other day I saw a curious funeral. The corpse was in a two-wheeled cart drawn by two men, and following it were ten men in black dominoes that shrouded them from head to foot and had two holes for the eyes and came to a peak above the head. They were followed by a single priest, and the procession resembled a circus more than a funeral.

  The National Museum is located in the Bargello, a prison built in 1255. Here is a fine collection of ancient armor, arms and weapons, many showing by their dents that they have been in active service. There is also a fine collection of glazed terra-cottas, such as we call today majolicas, and the workmanship and size of some of these is extraordinary. It includes the best of Della Robbia’s work. The collection of carved ivories is the best I have ever seen, and there are some excellent carvings in amber. One room has some superb Gobelin tapestries of the time of Louis XV.

  Florence has an immense cathedral, begun in 1226, but it is more beautiful outside than in. There are some good rose windows and the statuary at the entrance is worth seeing. The Campanile, or bell-tower, was built in 1334, and is two-hundred ninety-two feet high and liberally ornamented with sculptures and statues. The Battistero, just opposite, was built in the seventh century, and was the cathedral of Florence until 1128. It is octagonal in shape and is celebrated for its ancient bronze doors. Another old church — of the 12th century — is San Michele in Orto.