Parker, John Henry: The archaeology of Rome (1,2): Illustrations to I. The primitive fortifications. II. The walls and gates of Rome. III. The historical constructions of walls (Oxford [u.a.], 1874)

HILLS OF ROME.

The Ccelian.

Plate XV.
Ccelian, South side.—An Ancient Fortress, now the Villa
Celi-Montana. This fortress originally protected the approach to
the Porta Capena, the southern entrance into the City. The
fortress stands at an angle of the hill, and has scarped cliffs on
three sides of it, with walls built up against them. The Porta
Capena stood a little to the north-west of it. On the eastern side it
also protected the approach to another gate, at the end of a gorge,
an entrance to the Coelian fortress itself, near which the Navicella
now stands. On this site was one of the Cohortes Vigilum, or bar-
racks for the night-guards. Extensive excavations were made in the
garden of the villa in the early part of the present century, and an
account was published of the objects found, with a plan of the bar-
racks, which were long and narrow (remarkably similar to the Vicars’
Close at Wells, in Somersetshire, a curious coincidence). Room was
provided for a considerable number of soldiers or others, but this
appears to have been done by a number of small dwellings instead
of one large barrack, as was more customary. Many of the objects
found are preserved in the garden and offices of the villa.