The dome of St. Peter's is ascended. by a well-light ed and broad paved staircase or road, of such gentle acclivity, that there is a continual passage of horses and mules upon it, which go up laden with stones and lime. Crowds of workmen are seen passing and re passing, and the whole has more the appearance of a town than of a single building, from the small houses and ranges of workshops necessary for the constant repairs of the church. The traveller can now exa mine closely the construction of the dome, the vast square platform on which it rests, the lofty colonnade that rises on that platform, and the double dome of solid stone of such prodigious magnitude ; and the lantern which, like a little temple, stands on its sum mit.
The church of St. Clement is the most ancient church in Rome, having been built on the site of the house of the bishop of that name. A plan of it is given by Enstace; and it is deemed one of the best models of the original form of Christian churches.
The church of St. Pietro in Vincoli, built about 420, is a noble hall, supported by twenty Doric pillars of Parian marble, open on all sides. Among its monu ments, is a sarcophagus of black marble, of exquisite form; and the tomb of Julius II. distinguished by the celebrated and wonderful statue of Moses by Michael Angelo.
The church of St. Martin and St. Sylvester is form ed out of the ruins of the neighbouring baths of Titus. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in Rome. It is supported by Corinthian columns of the finest mar ble, and the aisles are adorned by the paintings of the two Poussins.
The church of St. Andrea on Monte Cavallo by Ber nini, though very small, is highly finished and very beautiful, both for its form and the marbles that line its oval exterior.
That of St. Cecilia in Trastevere is remarkable for its great antiquity and magnificence. Over the tomb of St. Cecilia is a fine statue by Stefano Moderno, of the saint, representing the exact attitude and drapery in which the body was discovered in the tomb in 821. It is deemed very beautiful.
The church of St. Pietro in Monterio on Monte Ja niculum, enjoys the finest view of the ancient and mo dern city. The church is not handsome, but it was once celebrated for its sculpture and paintings, among which was the Transfiguration by Raphael. It was said to have been in a bad light here, though Raphael painted it for this very position. In the middle of the
little square of the convent belonging to this church, is a round chapel in the form of an ancient temple, supported by sixteen pillars, and terminated by a dome. It was designed by Bramanti, and is much esteemed. Raphael has introduced it into his cartoon of Paul preaching at Athens.
The church of Santa Maria in Trastevere is a bold and majestic building, distinguished by its simplicity. The vault and chapel are adorned with fine paintings by Domenichino.
The church of S. Grisagono is remarkable for its numerous columns of granite, porphyry, and alabaster, which support its nave and choir; and that of S. Gio vanni Paoli is still more splendidly adorned with pil lars and ancient ornaments.
The church of St. Gregorio Magno is celebrated by the rival productions of Guido and Domenichino on the walls of its chapel.
The church of San Onofrio is celebrated for contain ing the remains of 'lasso, which lay for many years without a monument or even an inscription. At last this piece of justice was done to his memory by the cardinal Bevilacqua.
The church of St. Sebastiano has a handsome por tico and several good paintings, but it is best known as the principal entrance into the catacombs in its vi cinity.
The church of Madonna del Sole is the ancient tem ple of Vesta, stripped of its entablature, curtailed and disfigured. The cella and pillars of white marble re main.
The church of Santa Maria Egizeaca is the temple of Fortuna Virilis, and that of Miranda stands on the ruins of the temple of Antoninus and Faustina. The church of Ara Cmli, which crowns the summit of the Capitoline, is supposed to occupy the site of the tem ple of Jupiter Capitolinus. It is adorned within with twenty-two ancient columns; and on the outside with a flight of 124 steps of Grecian marble, said to have formed the ascent to the temple of Romulus Quirinus.
The seven great churches or patriarchal Basilicas, are the cathedrals of the sovereign pontiff, in which he occasionally officiates, reserving the high altar entire ly to himself; and they possess the privilege of grant ing G000 years indulgence to the penitent who shall visit them in one day. These seven churches are St.
Peter's, St. John Lateran, Santa Maria Maggiore, St.
Paul without the walls, Santa Croce, St. Lorenzo, and St. Sebastian.