File:The destruction of ancient Rome - a sketch of the history of the monuments (1901) (14778270944).jpg

Identifier: destructionofan00lanc (find matches)
Title: The destruction of ancient Rome : a sketch of the history of the monuments
Year: 1901 (1900s)
Authors: Lanciani, Rodolfo Amedeo, 1847-1929
Subjects:
Publisher: London : Macmillan
Contributing Library: PIMS - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto

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the dearth of water, were again made habi-table. There is, however, one act of vandalism that wecan never forgive, — the destruction of the old Patri-archium, or pontifical residence at the Lateran, withits historic halls, chapels, oratories, banqueting rooms,loggias, colonnades, mosaic pictures, and inscriptions.It was the most wonderful museum of mediaeval artthat ever existed. No one can read the accounts ofPompeo Ugonio and of Giacomo Grimaldi, without pro-found regret that so much of priceless value has beenlost. The oratories of the Virgin Mary, dating fromthe time of Nicholas I. (858-867), of St. Sylvester andSt. Sebastian, dating from the time of Theodore I. (642- THE MONUMENTS IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY 243 649), the church and monastery of St. Pancras, theshrines of S. Caesarius, of Michael the Archangel, ofS. Apollinaris, dating from the time of Hadrian I. (772-795), the Leonine triclinium, the Loggia of the Benedic-tion, built by Boniface VIIL (1300), the Council hall, —
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Fig. 42. — View of the Lateran buildings before their destruction by Sixtus V.In the foreground (6), the bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius. From a sketchby Ciampini. all were razed to the ground in a few months. Theloss most lamented, not only by cultivated men of theday but also by the populace, was that of the Oratoryof the Holy Cross (Oratorium Sanctae Crucis), theshape and location of which are shown in the sketchby Ciampini (Fig. 42). This Oratory was in the form of a Greek cross, witha small atrium in front, surrounded on three sides by 244 • DESTRUCTION OF ANCIENT ROME columns and presenting the type of a classic nymphaeum.There were three fountains of rare marble, one occupyingthe centre of the vestibule, the others at the sides, eachwith water trickling down into it from the capital ofa column. The three doors were cast in bronze andinlaid with silver. Three of the four arms of the crosscontained altars, while in the fourth stood the baptismalfont. Exquisite mosaics adorne

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