But
the most striking beauty of this church and which eclipses all its other
ornaments, are the forty columns of beautiful Grecian marble on each side
of the nave. The ceiling, too, is superb and richly gilt; the gilding must
have cost an immense sum and was done, it is said, with the first gold that
was brought from America. Nothing can be more rich than this plafond. The
above forty columns belonged formerly to the temple of Juno Lucina. It is
singular that the ceremony of the accouchement of the Virgin and the
birth of Christ should be performed here. On the 24th December this
pantomime is regularly acted, and crowds of all sorts of people attend,
particularly women. At the moment that the Virgin is supposed to be
delivered a salve of artillery announces the good tidings. This is
singular, I say, when one recollects the peculiar attributes of Juno Lucina
and the assistance she was supposed to give to persons in the same
situation.
You cannot expect me to detail to you all the riches in precious stones and
gifts of pious princes that adorn the several chapels of this and other
churches; but they appear to contain every stone and jewel mentioned in the
Arabian Nights as being to be found in the cave where Aladdin was left by
the magician; and it must be allowed that the Popes have been remarkably
adroit inchanters in conjuring to Rome all the riches of the Earth.
The church of St John Lateran is larger and more striking as to its
exterior and as to its architecture than that of Santa Maria Maggiore, but
it is not so charged with ornament and there is scarce any gilding. There
is a simple elegance about it that I think far more pleasing than the
magnificence of Santa Maria.
St John Lateran contains several beautiful pieces of sculpture in white
marble, rather larger than the usual size of man, of the twelve Apostles,
six on one side of the nave and six on the other; and above them are
bas-reliefs, also in marble, representing the various scenes from the
history of the Old and New Testament. These twelve statues are admirably
well executed and they give to this temple an air of simple grandeur. 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. The marble of this staircase is much worn by
the number of devout people who ascend it in this manner, and this
ceremony, aided by a quantum suff of faith is no doubt of great efficacy.
The fourth church in estimation, and I believe the next ancient in Rome to
St John Lateran, is the church of San Paolo fuor della mura, so called
from its being situated outside the gates of the city.
