In This Church Are Very Few Paintings On Mosaics, But Little Gilding And No Superfluous Ornaments.

Sculpture is, in my opinion, far more appropriate to a place of worship than paintings or dazzling ornaments.

Another very striking beauty of this noble and venerable temple are the columns it contains some of which are in granite and others of the most beautiful verd-antique. There are besides two superb Corinthian columns of bronze which adorn one of the altars. Among the chapels of this Cathedral is one belonging to the Corsini family, which is probably the richest in Europe, and contains more precious stones and marbles than any other. Yet as this and the other chapels are in recesses and separated from the aisles of the church by large bronze gates, you cannot see their contents till you enter the said chapels; and thus your attention is not diverted by them from the contemplation of the simple grandeur of the columns and statues which adorn the body of the temple.

The bronze columns above mentioned were taken from the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. On one side in front of the church of St John Lateran stands an immense Egyptian Obelisk 115 feet in height, brought from Egypt to Rome in the time of Constantine.

I think the placing of these Obelisks in front of the facade of the most remarkable edifices is an excellent arrangement, as they are never-failing landmarks to distinguish from afar off the edifices to which they belong. This Obelisk was found in the Circus Maximus, from which it was removed and placed on this spot by Sixtus V. A large Orphan establishment is close to this church; and close to it also the Battisterio of Constantine, which rests on forty-eight columns of porphyry, said to be the finest in Europe. Another church in the vicinity contains La Scala Santa or holy staircase of marble which, according to the tradition, adorned Pontius Pilate's palace at Jerusalem, and on which identical staircase Jesus Christ ascended to be interrogated by Pilate. The tradition further says that it was transported to Rome by Angels. This staircase has twenty-eight steps, and no one is allowed to mount it except on his knees. Nobody ever descends it, but there are two other escaliers parallel to it, one on the right hand, the other on the left, by which you descend in the usual manner. Not being aware of this ceremony, I, on entering the edifice, began to ascend the escalier which was nearest to me, which proved to be the Scala Santa, for no sooner had I begun to ascend it as I would any other flight of steps than two or three voices screamed out: "Signore! O signore! a ginocchia; o'e la scala santa!" I asked what was meant and was then told the whole story, and that it was necessary to mount this staircase on one's knees or not at all. This I did not think worth the trouble, being quite contented with beholding it.

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