West of the Corso, and between it and the Tiber, is a dense mass of irregular streets, a busy of the town, containing market-places, shops, and inferior dwellings, with here and there a fine building. Towards the centre of this district is the fine oval space called Piazza Mavens. (the ancient Circus Agonalis), one of the largest in Rome, with its fountains, by Bernini, its three churches, and the modern palace Braschi at one extremity of it. The university called La Sapienza is in the neighbourhood. Between it and the Corso is the church of Santa Maria Retouch, the ancient Pantheon, which as above IS centuries old, and one of the best preserved monuments of antiquity. It consists of • rotunda with • noble Corinthian octastyle portico erected by Agrippa, the son-in-law of Augustus. It is by far the largest circular structore of ancient times, the external diameter being 183 feet, and the height to the summit of the upper cornice 102 feet, exclusive of the fiat dome, widish makes the entire height about 148 feet. The portico (103 fact wide) is octastyle, yet there are in all sixteen columns, namely, two at the returns, exclusive of those at the angles, and two others behind the third column from each end, dividing the portico Internally into three avenues, the centre one of which is considerably the widest, and contains the great doorway within a very deep recess, while each of the others has • large semi circular tribune or recess. But although, independently of the recessed parts, the portico is only three intercolumns in depth, its flanks present the order continued in pilasters, making two additional closed inters columns, and the projection there from the main structure about 70 feet; which circumstance produces an extraordinary air of majesty. The columns are 47 feet high, with bases and capitals of white marble, and granite shafts, each formed oat of a single piece. The interior diameter of the rotunda is 142 feet, the thickneas.of the wall being 23 feet through the piers, between the exhedne, or recesses, which, including that containing the entrance, are eight in number. The dome has five rows of coffers (now stripped of their decorations) and • circular opening In the centre, 26 feet. in diameter, which not only light+ the interior perfectly, but in the most charming and almost magical manner. As an interior, Grecian architecture has nothing whatever that even approaches it.
On one aide of the church of Santa Maria Rotonda is the Palazzo Gius tioiani, and on the other side of it is the large church and Dominican convent of Santa Maria copra Minerva. Nearer to the river are :-1, the Palazzo della Cancelleria, by Bramante. 2, the Palazzo Farnese, the best-bnilt in Rome, with a square before it, ornamented by two hand some fountains; some of the apartments are painted by Cancel, Zuccari, Vaciri, and others. Next to the Piazza Farneso is another square, called Campo di Fiore. 8, the Palazzo Spada, with a collection of ancient sculptures, among others the supposed statue of Pompey, and some very fine basso-nlievos, found at Santa Apnea without the walls. 4, the handsome church of Santa Maria in Vallicells, belonging to the brothers of San Filippo Ncri, or Congregation of the Oratory, a most gentlemanly, unassuming, and useful body of clergymen. The library contain. many valuable manuscripts, historical and ecclesias tical. 5, the church Santa Maria dell'Anima has some good paintings, and the monuments of Pope Adrian VI. and of Lucas Hoistenlus, a Protestant connected to Catholicism, who died librarian of the Vatican. Near the left bank of the Tiber, and parallel to it, runs a handsome regular street, called Stride Giulia, about three-quarters of a mile keg, from Ponta Slabs to Ponta San Angelo. This district,
though well built, is dull, when compared with the Corso and the adjoining streets.
South of Ponta Slate, along the left bank of the Tiber, and extending round the western base of the Capitol to the foot of the Palatine, is the lowest, meanest, and dirtiest part of modern Rome. It is partly occupied by the Jews, who are cooped up to the number of 4000 iu several narrow filthy alleys, in rows of tall old houses, near the river side, between Ponta Sisto and Poste San Bartolomeo. Their district, called Ghetto, is separated by a wall from the rest of the town. They have their rabbis and a synagogue, a sort of municipal council, their schools, support their own poor, and follow their customary occupation of buying and selling. Faciug the Ghetto is the island of San Barto lomeo, with the church of that name, and an hospital, kept by the congregation of the Ben Fratelli, whose motto is, Fate bens, Fratelli' (' Brethren, do good' to your fellow-men), and who devote themselves to tend the sick poor gratuitously. Proceeding farther south, along the left bank of the river, is a succession of narrow streets extending to the foot of the Palatine, with some of the most ancient churches in Rome, especially Santa Maria in Cosmedin, built in the 3rd cen tury of our era, on the ruins of a temple dedicated to Pudicitia Plebeia. (Livy, x. 23.) The church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin is adorned with two rows of fine ancient columns. It is also called Bocce della Veritit, from a large stone mask with a large mouth which is seen in the portico of the church, and the use of which is unknown. In the same neighbourhood are the churches of San Giorgio in Velabro, Santa Anastasia, Santa Maria Egiziaca, and of San Teodoro to be on the site of the temple of Romulus, on the Palatine, at the southern extremity of the inhabited part of modern Rome, on the left bank of the Tiber. Beyond it, the Aventine, Palatine, and Crelian hills stretch to the south and south-east. They are occupied with fields and gardens, and contain several churches, convents, and eeattered ruins.
The moat remarkable churches are Santa Sabina and San Alessio, on the Aventine; and Santa Bouaventura and its adjoining convent and garden, on the Palatine. The CwIlan, an extensive hill, has some interesting churches :-1. San Gregorio, a fine. building ou the west elope of the hill, which has splendid frescoes by Domenichino and Guido, representing the Martyrdom of St. Andrew ; a painting of St. Gregory by Annibale Caracci ; and a statue of the same pope. 2. San Stefano Rotondo is an ancient circular building, transformed into a church in the 5th century. 3. San Giovanni e Paolo, belonging to the Order of ,Barnabites, in • fine situation, commanding a view of the Palatine and Aventine, is much resorted to by persons religiously inclined, who retire thither for a time, and board in the convent, where they employ themselves in pious exercises and in quiet medi tation, which the solitude of the spot and the view of the majestic ruins before them are well calculated to assist. A solitary palm-tree rises in the garden of the convent; there is another In the garden of Santa Bonaveutura on the Palatine. The Villa Mattel occupies a con siderable space on the Ceelian Hill. A large group of buildings connected with the Basilica of San Giovanni occupies the eastern end of the Crelian. The Colosseum, triumphal arches, and other ancient remains, are noticed hereafter. Between the Lateran and the Colosseum is the remarkable ancient church of San Clemente.