The Villa Borgheee, on the Pincian Mount, outside of the walls, is well known for its gardens, its laurel and myrtle groves, its fine sheet of water, its temple, and hippodrome. The fine museum of ancient sculptures was sold to Napoleon I., and is now in the Louvre; but it has been partly replaced by new acquisitions.
The numerous handsome fountains form another peculiar ornament of modern Rome as works of art, indepeudent of their utility. Rome is better supplied with good water than most coutinental towns, and was much more abundantly supplied in ancient times. Of the ancient aqueducts three still continue to carry water into tho to en, having been repaired by the popes. The first is that of the Acqua Vergine, the beat in quality, which comes from near the ancient Collatia, 14 miles north of Rome : it supplies a great part of the lower town, and feeds 13 public fountains, of which those of Trevi, of La Barcaccia in Piazza di Spagna, of Piazza Navona, and Farnesc, are the principal. The second is the Acqua Felice, the ancient Aqua Marcia and Claudia, restored by Pope Sixtus V.: it comes from the east, and supplies the upper or eastern part of the town, and feeds 27 public fountains, of which that of Moses, near Ports Pia, that of Triton in the Piazza Barberini, and that of Monte Cavallo, are the principal. The third aqueduct, called Acqua Paola, the ancient Alsietina, enters Rome by the Janiculum, and supplies both the Trastevere and the Vatican, feed ing the Fontana Paolina and the splendid fountains before St. Peter's: passing Sisto by conduits, it supplies the adjoining fountain and the neighbouring district of Strada Giulia.
The obelisks which adorn most of the squares of Rome are another peculiar feature of this city. There are no less than 12 Egyptian obelisks, most of them covered with hieroglyphics, erected in different parts of Rome. When the Romans became masters of Egypt they removed many of these monuments to their own capital, among others that of the Lateran, which is the largest now known, its shaft being 105 feet (although it has been reduced, a portion at the lower part having been cut off in consequence of being fractured), and two of its sides 9 feet 8 inches, the other two 9 feet. This obelisk was first conveyed from Heliopolis to Alexandria by Constantine, and by that emperor's son, Constantius, brought from the latter city to Rome, where it was erected in the Circus Maximus. The shaft of the Lateran obelisk weighs about 445 tons in round numbers. Augustus also had previously brought two from Heliopolis. That which was originally placed in the Vatican Circus by Caligula, and now stands in the piazza of St. Peter's, is next in size to that of the Lateran, though supposed
to have been somewhat abridged of its original dimensions. The entire height, including the pedestal and the ornament at top, is about 132 feet ; the shaft itself is 83 feet, and 8 feet 10 inches square at its base, and 5 feet 11 inches at the other end.
The streets of Rome are generally narrow, like those of most old cities, but many of them are straight and regular, and the great number of open spaces, such as squares, gardens, large courts, &c., render the town generally airy. The pavement of the streets is made of selci, or small cubes of basaltic stone, not very agreeable to pedes trians, especially as there are no footpaths except along the Corso. The streets are lighted at night with gas. Rome possesses a great advantage over many continental towns, in being provided with a regular system of sewers, partly ancient and partly modern.
The lower town is subject to occasional inundations from the Tiber, which sometimes rises, in seasons of extraordinary rains, from 25 feet to 30 feet above its ordinary levol,.whilst a considerable part of the town is hardly 20 feet above the level.
The climate of Rome in ancient times was considered healthy when compared with the surrounding country. The dense population of the ancient city, its elevated position, the plentiful supply of whole some water, the convenience of an admirable system of sewers, and other circumstances contributed to maintain a tolerable state of salu brity within the walla. Cicero remarks the good choice of those who built Rome in the most favourable spot in the midst of a generally unhealthy region. (' De Repub.,' ii. 6.) Horace however (' Epist L 7), complains of the fevers which prevailed in the month of August. The improvements made by Augustus, and the reconstruction of the town after the groat fire iu Nero's time, seem to have had a goof effect on the salubriousness of the city, and Frontinus (i. 18) observes that the increased supply of water by means of additional aqueducts had contributed to render the atmosphere purer than it was in the old times. After the fall of the empire, and the ravages committed by the barbarians, we read of the abandonment of Porto, Ostia, Ardea, and other neighbouring towns in consequence of the malaria. At the same time a gradual removal was taking place within the walls; the population, which was much diminished, was leaving the southern part of the city for the northern, the hills for the plain of the Campus Martina.