At the bifurcation of the Via Appia and the modern Strada della Madonna del Divin' Amore, is the little church of Domine quo vadis, so-called from the tradition that St Peter, fleeing from Rome, met our Saviour at this spot. On the floor of the church is a marble slab with a facsimile of the footmarks of our Saviour, the original of which is in the basilica of St Sebastian. After passing the church, the road to the so-called fountain of Egeria branches off.

The Fountain of Egeria is a Nymphæum, originally covered with marble, and was the shrine of the brook Almo, which flows by it. A niche in the wall of the fountain contains a statue of the river god, and in the niches of the side walls are also statues. We soon pass the church of St Sebastian, erected over the catacombs where the remains of so many martyrs were buried. A little further on, on the opposite side of the road, is the circus of Maxentius, built A.D. 311, and used for chariot races. Its length is 1482 ft., its breadth 244 ft.

Ascending the hill we soon reach the tomb of Cæcilia Metella, a conspicuous object which has already been described.

The Appian way from this point to Albano (7 miles) is less interesting.

ALBANO (Hotels: de Paris, Russie), which may also be reached from Rome by railway in one hour (17 miles, fares 3:30 and 2:30), is a small town, in a healthy situation, and is a favourite resort of the Romans during the summer months. Many interesting ruins exist in and about the town.

(Excursion two and a half hours to the lakes of Albano and Nemi).

Tombs on the Via Latina. Like the Via Appia, this road is bordered by tombs, several of which, excavated in 1862, are very interesting on account of their decorations.

This road leads to FRASCATI, which may, however, be reached by railway from Rome, in half-anhour (12 miles, fares 2:30 and 160). (Hotel: di Londra). This is a favourite summer resort of the Romans. Its situation on the slope of the mountains is healthy and invigorating. The town itself is uninteresting, and its origin is comparatively modern; its great charms are its shaded and well-watered villas, among which are the Villa Aldobrandini, the property of the Borghese family, the grounds of which are adorned with cascades and beautiful trees; the Villa Piccolomini, and the Villa Ruffenella, now the property of King Victor Emmanuel, and believed to have occupied the site of the celebrated Villa of Cicero ; the Villa Conti, with fine fountains and beautiful views, and others.

A pleasant road leads to Tusculum (which may be reached in half-an-hour), the birthplace of the elder Cato, and a favourite residence of Cicero. A few heaps of ruins are all that remain of the ancient town. Outside the walls are the ruins of a small amphitheatre. Some ruins excavated in 1861 are called the Villa of Cicero. A Forum and theatre, well preserved, were excavated by Lucien Bonaparte, in the rear of which is a reservoir in four compartments.

The ancient castle stands on a rock 200 ft. above the town. The view from the summit is very fine, embracing on the right Camaldoli, and the Sabine mountains in the

Of Egypt, from the classic fields of

Greece,

Her groves, her temples-all things that inspire

Wonder, delight!"-ROGERS.

According to Spartian, each portion of the villa bore the name of the town or district from which it was copied. Thus, there were the Lyceum, the Academus, the Stoa, the Poecile, the Pry: taneum, the Tempe, all borrowed from Greece; the Canopus and its hideous statues, copied from similar objects in Egypt.

Of all these various edifices nothing now remains but a mass of ruins, exhibiting all the confusion of a demolished town. These ruins, however, which enable us to trace the vestiges of baths, porticoes, a library, a palæstra, a hippodrome, a menagerie, a naumachia, an aqueduct, theatres both Greek and Latin, temples for different rites, and every appurtenance requisite for an imperial residence, are sufficient to attest the ancient mag

nificence of the villa.

ROUTE 181.

FLORENCE TO SIENA.

60 miles; first class, 10-25 francs; second, 7.60 francs.

The route from Florence to Empoli is described in Route 177.

EAVING Empoli the

railway follows for some time the valley of the Elsa. Passing Osteria, Bianca, Castel Florentino (11 miles), Certaldo (15 miles), where Boccaccio resided and where he was buried, we reach Poggibonsi (21 miles), a rapidly growing town of 8,000 inhabitants. Passing through a we reach Siena long tunnel (Hotels: see "HOTEL LIST"). It site gives it, at a distance, a is situated on three hills. Its lofty very pleasing appearance; but the streets are irregular and narrow, the houses generally ill-built, and the palaces unimposing.

The most remarkable buildings are the CATHEDRAL, one of the most characteristic specimens of Italian Gothic, with a curious facade inlaid with black, red and white marble, and covered over with sculptures and decorations; several other churches, many of them imposing structures, and almost all rich in works of art; the Palazzo Pubblico, an extensive pile with a lofty tower, now occupied as public offices, courts of law, and prisons, and finely situated on the Piazza del Campo, a large open space sloped like an ancient theatre for public games. There are palaces in almost every variety of simple and compound Gothic;

among others, thePalazzo del Magnifico, the Palazzo Buonsignori, and the Palazzo Piccolomineo, remarkable for its elegant balcony, and considered one of the finest in the city; the public library, the hospital of Santa Maria della Scala, one of the most ancient in Europe and containing 300 beds, and a university founded in 1330. The FAMOUS FRESCOES of Pinturichio in the LIBRARY OF THE CATHEDRAL are among the most interesting objects at Siena. It is said that Raphael assisted in their execution.

Siena is the see of an archbishop, the residence of a military governor, the seat of civil and criminal courts. Its foundation is of very ancient date, as attested by its Etruscan walls, of which portions are still visible; but its chief interest is derived from the important position which it occupied among the early Italian republics. It is said to have once had 150,000 inhabitants, and repeatedly sent large armies from its gates. It has given birth to a great number of remarkable individuals, and furnished no fewer than seven Popes.

ROUTE 182.

ROME TO NAPLES.

1623 miles; first class, 34-25 francs; second, 23.50 francs (express).

EAVING Rome, we proceed for some distance parallel to the course of the Appian Way, the tombs upon which are plainly visible. The Campagna is covered with the ruins of the Claudian and Anio Novus aqueducts, the most striking of all the ruins about Rome. At Ciampino (8 miles) the line to Frascati turns off (see Route 180). As we approach the Alban hills we pass through vineyards and oliveyards, and through cuttings made in the currents of lava which have flowed down from the now extinct volcanoes of these hills. On the left in the distance is seen Monte Cavo, surmounted by a white building, just below it the village of Rocca di Papa. Below, on a lower ridge, are the village and palace of Castel Gondolfo, the favourite summer residence of the Popes. The latter overlooks the lovely lake of Albano. We pass La Cecchina (18 miles), the station for Albano and Ariccia, and reach VELLETRI (26 miles) (Hotel: del Galla). This town is beautifully situated on an eminence, below Monte Artemisio. The ancient Volscian town of Velitra, upon the site of which Velletri stands, was engaged in hostilities with Rome in the time of Ancus Martius. Coriolanus fortified it, and it was finally dismantled by the Romans, B.C. 338, and its leading men transported to Rome. The ancestors