The comae of the Tiber within Rome, including its windings, is about three miles; the banks are not built up with quays or walks, but in most places the river is bordered by the backs of houses gene rally of an inferior sort; in other places there is a slip of sand or gravelly ground between the houses and the river, which is frequently overflowed. There are only two places where there is a sort of quay or landing-place; one in the northern part of the town, on the left bank, above the bridge of San Angelo, called Ripetta, where the boats from the inland provinces on the upper Tiber land wine, charcoal, and provisions; and the other at the southern extremity of the town, on the right bank near Porta Portese, called Rips Grande, where sea vessels land their cargoes, and where there is a line of warehouses and a custom-house. There are three bridges across the Tiber within Rome; the northernmost is Ponta Sant' Angelo, the Pone .Elius, built by Hadrian, and tutored by several popes, and lastly by Clement IX., by whose order Bernini constructed the present balustrade and the statues with which it is decorated. It. is about 300 feat lone, but the width of the bed of the river is not more than 200 feet. The Pont., Siete, formerly Pons Janlenlensis, built originally by Marcus Aurelius, and rebuilt by Sixtus IV., is about 300 feet long, the bed of tho river being 230 feet wide. About half a mile lower down is the island of San Bartolomeo, the ancient lnsula Tiberioa. This island is of an oblong shape, something like a ship, being about 1000 feet long, and 300 feet wide in the middle of its length. It is joined to the main land by two bridge.; one to the left bank called Pont. San Bartolo meo; and the other to the right bank, called Porto Quattro Capi, from a head of Janus Quadrifrons which once decorated it. The two arms of the river together form a bed of abont 200 feet in width. There are also within Rome the remains of three ancient bridges; the Triumphalis, called also Vaticanua, just below Sant' Angelo, of which the piers have fallen into the bed of the river end occasion a rapid; the Pons Palatinna, now called Ponta Rotto, of which three arches remain on the Tnuteeere side; and lutly, the Pons Suhlicius, at the foot of the Aventine, the first bridge built by the Romans, of which there are very few vestiges.
Rom* is divided into 14 districts, called Rioni, which however do not correspond in their boundaries to the Region°s of the ancient city. The modern Mold are of very unequal extent, their boundaries being determined with reference to the population included within them.
Thus the Inhabited part of the city contain. 11 Mont, namely ], Campo Marzo, near Porta del Popolo ; 2, Colonna; and 3, Traci, along the elope of the Pincian and Quirinal ; 4, Sant' Enstachio ; and 5, Pigna, in the middle of the lower town ; 6, Pouts ; 7, Parioue ; and 8, Regola, near the left bank of the Tiber ; 9, Sant' Angelo in Pes cheria, between the Capitol and the Tiber ; and 10, Trastevere, and 11, forgo, on tho right bank of the river. The whole of the ancient or southern oity is comprised within three extensive Rioni, namely 12, Monti, on the north-east; 13, Carapitelli, south-cast; and 14, Ripa, south-west.
The modern city of Rome may be conveniently divided, for the sake of topographical description, into three great divisions :-1. The lower part of the town between the eastern hills, the Tiber, and the Capitol. 2. The upper town, which extends along the eastern hills. 3. The part of the town which is on the right bank of the Tiber.
I. The Lower Town, which occupies the site of the ancient Campus Martius and Campus Tiberinus, is the seat of all the bugle and trade. It is crossed in its central part from north by west to south by east by the street Del Corso, which is about a mile in length from the del Popolo, or great northern entrance of Rome, a handsome open place with an obelisk in the middle, to the Venetian palace, near the foot of the Capitol. Two other streets branch out from the Piazza del Popolo on the right and left of the Corso, and at au acute angle with it. One leads south-east to the fine open place called Piazza di Spagna, the great resort of foreigners, at tho foot of the Pincian Mount, after crossing which it continues in the same direction to the College of Propaganda at the foot of the Quirinal. The other street, called Ripetta, runs in a south direction, parallel to the bank of the Tiber, and then following the bend of the river leads, under a different mune, to the bridge of Sant' Angelo.
About the middle of the Corso is a square, called Piazza Colonna, from the column of Antoninus which stands in the middle of it. It was raised by the senate in honour of the emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninua, and in memory of his victory over the Marcornanui and other German tribes. After the extinction of the western empire this column and its pedestal suffered greatly from fire, from lightning, and from wanton injury. Pope Sixtus V. repaired it at the expense of 10,000 scudi, and placed the inscription which is now seen ou the pedestal, the original one having been probably defaced. He also raised on the summit of the pillar a bronze statue of St. Paul; that of
Marcus Aurelius, which formerly stood there, had been removed—it is not known when or by whom. The shaft of the pillar is 13 feet 1 inch in diameter at the bottom, and one foot less at the top; its height, including the pedestal and capital, is 136 feet, of which 13 feet are under ground ; and the statue on the top and its pedestal are 274 feet more, making the whole height 1634 feet. The capital is Doric. The shaft is made of 28 blocks of white marble placed one above the other; is spiral staircase of 190 steps is cut through the interior of the marble and leads to the gallery on the top, which is surrounded by a balus trade. The exterior of tho shaft is covered with bassi-rilievi placed in a spiral line around, which represent the victories of Marcus Aurelius. The column is still one of the most striking monuments of ancient Rome and one of the principal ornaments of the modern city.
Immediately to the west of tho Piazza Colonists is an irregular square, which crowns a slight eminence called Monte Citorio, or Citatorio, a small hill which rises in the middle of the Campus Martins. It contains a fine building, called Curia Innocenziana, in which the courts of justice sit : a handsome obelisk stands in front of it Returning to the Corso, and following it southward, we meet with a street on the left, which leads to the Fontani di Trevi, the hand somest fountain in Rome, and than we come to another street, leading to the ascent of the Quirinal, or Monte Cavallo. Farther up the Corso, on the right, is a wide street called Stada del Gesh, which leads to the splendid Jesuit church and convent of that name, whence, turning to the left, is a street that leads to the foot of the Capitol. The whole of this part of tho city, in the neighbourhood of the Corso, consists chiefly of regular and substantial buildings. The most remarkable are-1. Palazzo Borghese, near Ripetta, one of the largest and finest in Rome : it contains n choice collection of paintings by Titian, Domenichino, Albano, Annibale Caracci, Caravaggio, Fermi giano and other great masters. 2. Farther north the old mausoleum of Augustus has been transformed into an amphitheatre, called Correa, for bull-fights, fireworks, and other popular diversions. 3. Palazzo Ruspoli, on the Corso, in a good style of architecture by Ammauato, has a much-admired staircase, constructed by Martino Longhi, con sisting of 115 steps, each of a single block of white marble. The extensive ground-floor of the palace has been converted into a coffee house, which is the largest in Rome, and consists of various rooms, where several clubs of lawyers, merchants, and other persons assemble, that of the contributors to the 'Giornale Areadico,' the literary review of Rome, among the rest. The artists' club is held at the Caff6 del Greco, in the Piazza di Spagna; that of the antiquarians at the cafftS of Fontana di Trevi ; the club of professors end other men of letters meets at the Caffe5 di Monte Citono. 4. Palazzo Ohigi, which forms the north side of the Piazza Colonna, contains some choice paintings, and a fine library rich in curious manuscripts. 5. Palazzo Piombino, on the opposite or south side of the square. 6. Palazzo Sciarra Colonna, on the Corso, has a rich collection of paintings and a handsome Doric marble gate. 7. Palazzo Doria, a vast building, designed by Borromino, also contains a gallery of choiceraintings. 8. Palazzo Tor Ionia, formerly Odescalcbi, or Bracciano, on the Piazza Santi Apostoli, has a splendid marble gallery and some good modern paintings. 9. On the opposite side, next to the church of Santi Apostoli, is the Palazzo Colonna, with a handsome court and gardens behind, which extend rap the slope of the Quirinal, and a gallery of paintings with some splendid portraits by Titian, Veronese, and Giorgione. 10. The huge Palazzo di Venezia, so called because it once belonged to that proud republic, is now occupied by the Austrian ambassador : it looks like an old castle, with its massive walls and battlements. 11. Opposite the church Del Gestt is the Palazzo Alfieri. All these palaces are in the immediate neighbourhood of the Corso. The principal churches in the same district are-1. Santa Maria del Popolo, which, like most churches at Rome, contains some good paintings, several remarkable sepulchral monuments, and also a handsome chapel belonging to the Ghigl family. 2. San Carlo al Corso. 3. San Lorenzo in Lucina, raised on the ruins of an ancient temple. 4. San Ignazio, which is rich in ornaments, adjoins the Roman College. 5. The handsome church Del Gest contains some good paintings; the splendid chapel of St. Ignatius, enriched with la is lazuli, silver, and gold; and the mausoleum of BelLermino, by Bernini. 0. Santi Apostoli, with the fine mausoleum of Pope Ganganelli, the work of Canova, and a ceno taph by the same illustrious artist to the memory of his friend the engraver Volpato. In the adjoining cloisters I. the tomb of Cardinal Bessarion. 7. San Mareello contains the sepulchral monument of Cardinal Consalvi. 8. Santa Maria in Vialata, &c.