New Britain Herald Newspaper, March 24, 1930, Page 15

P P A Relic of the Glory That Was Rome. A View of Trajan's Market Uncovered in the Midst of Modern Rome by the Demoli- tion of Comparatively New Buildings Under the Mussolini Government. HE very foundations of modern Rome are being uprooted with surprising results by the pic axes, crowbars and giant excavators of up-to-date house-wreckers in a gigant effort to unearth the Imperial City’s ancient glories. Buildings and homes which grown around and over the forgotten foundations of temples, pillars and columns are being torn down. Famous restaurants, hotels and theatres of to- day may be destroyed as a sacrifice to the archaeologist’s search for buried beauty and long-lost treasures. ‘This is in line with the policy and de- termination of Premier Mussolini to re- store all Rome to the beauty it held in the time of the Caesars. To do so he has shown a ruthless perseverance, When he demanded that the barges of Nero and other emperors be removed from Lake Nemi he was told by engi neers it couldn’t be done, because the barges werc at the bottom of the lake. “Then remove the lake!” was his order. And recently when the ery went up that modern buildings ob structed the restoration of the old rel ics, Mussolini’s order was to tear down the modern bildings! Thus he shows himself less interested in building than in restoration, Already the tremendous work un dertaken by the Fascist Government has shown remarkable results. The semircircular Market of Trajan, re- cently discovered, has been completely cxcavated and stands almost as it stood centuries ago. The majestic columns of the Forum wher was killed because of his ambi 5 the house of the Knights of Rhodes, heart of Roman chivalry; the stately homes, fountains and private gardens —all these are finding the light of a newer day. Meanwhile, outside the gates of Rome, other treasures are being re- stored, 3 R On the historic Appian Way, just a milur and a half from the old Roman have Showing the Nerva and Augustus and the Market of Trajan. Meni e Arches Are on the Left and the Temple of Mars on the Right. Basrelict of Lrajan and a Colur i Rometo Restore Famous Temples and Pillars Revealed in the ~ Heart of the City as Fine Buildings and NSRRI (] the fourth century Church of St. tian is being dug from the ruins, under the supervision of a pontifical archzeological commission. This may throw a new light ntually on the theory that the bones of St. Peter and St. Paul were secreted on the of the church during the persecutions of Valerian in 258 A, D. For centuries that many of t famous structure Rome was unaware ancient city's most lay hidden bencath a mushroom growth of modern dwellings and business buildir Narrow lanes, with clothes hanging out to d windows adorned with flower pot embling a Neapolitan quarter, red the 1ts of wrought column Ulpia, was real once a heathen basilica. The Tarpeian Rock 'Tavern, a modern night club, was better known than the rock upon which it stood—the Tarpeian Rock from which traitors to Imperial Rome were hurled to their death. When Mussolin! announced his de- terraination tear down these old homes and restaurants and buildings an_Forum, there was a cry of protest from who weren't interested particularly aesthetic pursuits. For instance, s modern Romans, who didn’t know about the history of the Tarpeian Rock, were opposed {o wiping out a place where they could leisurely drink good wine. But the work of demolition went ahead. After extensive digging it was possible to see the Coliseum and the Marcellus Theatre from the top of the Capitol. The Marcellus Theatre was one of the ancient buildings freed from ris. 1 one of the o]dest of —older than the Coli- Demolitions are being carried out round the Trajan Forum. A wide road will soon be opened, linking the Trajan Forum with the Coliseum—as in the days long past. Trajan’s Forum was another struc- ture that was restored to something of its former beauty. Buildings sur- rounding it were knocked down, and the classic archways were cleared of centuries of debri Senator Corrado the distinguished archaeologist in charge of the work as chief director of excavations, in describing this find, s “The Market of Trajan rises on a semi-circular plan east of the Basilica Ulpia, and contains on its ground floor eleven large shops with high windows. Two stair- ways, one at each end of the hemicycle, led to the first floor, where 21 more shops are ranged along two corridors. Mounting mn of Phincas in the Roman l"orum.‘Broug\ll to Light as a Result of Kecent Excavations Ordered by the Italian Government. Nemipaper Feature Sertice, 1030, Homes Are Being Demolished. again o an upper level, a long curvili- near terrace is found, running along the top of the hemicycle, with a building at the back faced by shops and_storehouses, “The market ex- tends in various di- vections, following ihe ancient Via Biberatica, which runs between a dou- ble row of shops, and veaches, through a covered gallery with 24 shops, the modern street of Campo Carleo. The total number of shops dis- covered is 150, to which a&ccess was gained from the For- um below by means of two entrances, pro- vided with the stairs described; from the Suburra, through a great arch opened at the southwest end of “tica; from the Quirinal straight south- ward, and from the Via Flaminia, turning around the Temple of Trajan —five roads leading from the heart of the city to the central bazaar. “Another public building, with large rooms and vaulted corridors, but with- out shops, probably added to the mar- ket by the Emperor Hadrian, has been discovered by excavating ground at the back. It was probably a commercial court.” An equally interesting discovery in the heart of Rome, as a result of the excavations, was a corner where the Forum once stood. The archaeologi located what they believe is the very spot where Julius Caesar was killed by Brutus and his co-conspirators. Another important find is a beauti- ful loggia, a portion of the House of the Knights of Rhodes. It stands among the imperial buildings in prox imity to the Trajan Market. It was in this house that the knights and nobles. in high standing with the Empero gathered and took part in gay events, Near Naples, the ancient city of Herculaneum probably presents a more extravagant and wonderful sight. Dur- ing the terrible erruption of Vesuvius in 63, lava swept over the entire city until it was completely buried. Fx- cavation work has been carried on for many years but Mussolini inspired a la!’& - scale of restoration activities. 'hen excavators had achieved much, they were greeted by a strange sight. The city remained—broken and in ruins, perhaps—but with many of its well laid out streets intact, some of buildings, covered with mosaic, st standing. Even old gardens, where flowers bloomed in Nero’s day, were in good condition. Private homes w pierced and revealed marble fountains and courtyards, walls of marble, and finely wrought balconies. On the other hand some buildings have been found beyond repair. One theater was completely buried by lava, +pumice, ashes and the fall of rocks. The eruption and torrent that de scended upon Herculaneum prevented escape for most of its citizens. Some authorities differ as to the cause of the disaster that overwhelmed the old city. It is denied by many that after the first outbreak of Vesuvius a tor- vent of lava was ejected over the city. Michael Ruggiero, who at- tempted excavations more than twen- ncient The Reconstructed Photo- . sraph at Left Shows How Part of the Roman Forum Will Look When the Buildings Surrounding It Have Been Removed. Archaeologists Declare This Was the Spot Where Julius Caesar Was Killed by Brutus and His Fellow Senators. @ Mussolini and His Staff on a Tour of Inspection of the Newly Unearthed Sections of the Eternal City. ty-five years ago, gave this version: 1t is certain that the dis twen the south and west, and those be- tween the south and e; whelmed in two quite different ways. From Torre Annunziata to San Gio- vanni, for a distance of about nine i there flowed a muddy eruption which in Herculaneum and the neigh- ing places raised the level of the coun- try more than sixty-five feet. “The matter transported consisted of soil of various kinds—sand, ashes, fragments of lava and whitish pumice enclosing grains of lime. In the Her- culaneum already excavated the cor- n the upper portions of a thea- e completely filled up to the head The monochromes of Her- remain among the fines of the taste and skill dis- v the ancient arti: The excavations in and under the Church of St. Sebastian, on the Ap- pian Way, a mile and a half 3utside the gate of Rome, also are proving of interest to archaeologists. Early Chris- tian inscriptions of historical impoy- tance, marble and terra cotta vessels and ornaments, as well as pagan burial urns and Christian sarcophagi, have been uncarthed in large numbers. Most of these are being assembled in a museum in the church. avation first was undertaken in 1915. It was suspended during the war, but was resumed immediately after the armistice. The digging has gone ahead rapidly, and now the entire foundation of the church is open, honeycombed with passages, stairways and chambers. The church, formerly known as the Church of the Apostles, became one of alled “‘seven churches of Rome.” the first century, and cr of excellently deco- column On one level is a ian funeral hall. In another sec- tion, but still under the church, are two Roman houses, one of the second , century and another of the third, which have been unearthed. They are two stories in height, and it is believed they faced a road long covered over. But the most interesting thing is that all of these ancient treasures now find their center in-the very heart of modern Rome itself. 0] R IR BN