DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.42499#0079
The Second Wall of Ro me.
11
rises to the level of the platform on the surface of the hill. Part of
the Palace of Commodus (?) is built up against the cliff and hides
it, but the cliff exists behind it. The western cliff of the Velia also
remains distinct, and the earth is supported in a vertical position
by the arcade or porticus of Nero, of which the back wall remains
for some distance, and four of the upper arches \ This porticus was
a double arcade one upon the other (as was the porticus of Caracalla
between his Thermae and the Via Appia, of which there are con-
siderable remains), but the lower arches of Nero have been de-
stroyed in the Middle Ages, when a great castle was erected there.
These four upper arches have escaped by accident. The wall then
turned to the west under the south end of the Palatine, against the
cliff. It is not there visible, but the stones from it seem to have
been used for the substructure of the Colosseum.
Further light was thrown upon this subject by the excavations of
1873-74, under the south end of the platform111 on which now stands
the church and monastery of S. Francesca Romana, and imme-
diately opposite to the Colosseum. It has been before observed
that these large stones of the time of the Kings, each of which is
of a ton weight, were seldom carried far, and can generally be
traced. It was found that this end of the platform was supported by
an ancient wall of concrete, and in the plaster on the surface of this
wall are evident marks of the large tufa blocks of a wall against
which it had been built, although the tufa wall has been Jong
carried away11. It is pretty evident that these great stones had been
taken from the old wall under the Palatine, part of the Second Wall
of Rome, and they had only been again carried across the short
space in front (where the old pavement remains) to the Colosseum
itself, and used in the substructure of that enormous building, in
the walls on each side of the passages from the area, under the
corridors. These walls are largely built of old tufa blocks, but with
piers of travertine at short intervals, because the builders were afraid
to trust the soft tufa to carry so great a superstructure. Archi-
tects have long been puzzled to find where so large a quantity
of materials were obtained so rapidly, and this excavation seems
to make it evident that the great blocks of tufa from all that part
of the Second Wall of Rome, that passed under the south end of
the Palatine Hill, were used as old materials for the Colosseum.
1 Porticus, No. 3162.
m No. 3228, and Plate XII, of this
Supplement.
“ The same thing was observed in
the excavations near the Porta Capena
in 1868, and the impressions of the
great blocks of tufa are visible in the
photograph, No. 3154, and can be seen
in the pit by the side of the road, left
open in 1875.
11
rises to the level of the platform on the surface of the hill. Part of
the Palace of Commodus (?) is built up against the cliff and hides
it, but the cliff exists behind it. The western cliff of the Velia also
remains distinct, and the earth is supported in a vertical position
by the arcade or porticus of Nero, of which the back wall remains
for some distance, and four of the upper arches \ This porticus was
a double arcade one upon the other (as was the porticus of Caracalla
between his Thermae and the Via Appia, of which there are con-
siderable remains), but the lower arches of Nero have been de-
stroyed in the Middle Ages, when a great castle was erected there.
These four upper arches have escaped by accident. The wall then
turned to the west under the south end of the Palatine, against the
cliff. It is not there visible, but the stones from it seem to have
been used for the substructure of the Colosseum.
Further light was thrown upon this subject by the excavations of
1873-74, under the south end of the platform111 on which now stands
the church and monastery of S. Francesca Romana, and imme-
diately opposite to the Colosseum. It has been before observed
that these large stones of the time of the Kings, each of which is
of a ton weight, were seldom carried far, and can generally be
traced. It was found that this end of the platform was supported by
an ancient wall of concrete, and in the plaster on the surface of this
wall are evident marks of the large tufa blocks of a wall against
which it had been built, although the tufa wall has been Jong
carried away11. It is pretty evident that these great stones had been
taken from the old wall under the Palatine, part of the Second Wall
of Rome, and they had only been again carried across the short
space in front (where the old pavement remains) to the Colosseum
itself, and used in the substructure of that enormous building, in
the walls on each side of the passages from the area, under the
corridors. These walls are largely built of old tufa blocks, but with
piers of travertine at short intervals, because the builders were afraid
to trust the soft tufa to carry so great a superstructure. Archi-
tects have long been puzzled to find where so large a quantity
of materials were obtained so rapidly, and this excavation seems
to make it evident that the great blocks of tufa from all that part
of the Second Wall of Rome, that passed under the south end of
the Palatine Hill, were used as old materials for the Colosseum.
1 Porticus, No. 3162.
m No. 3228, and Plate XII, of this
Supplement.
“ The same thing was observed in
the excavations near the Porta Capena
in 1868, and the impressions of the
great blocks of tufa are visible in the
photograph, No. 3154, and can be seen
in the pit by the side of the road, left
open in 1875.