in the fifteenth century led to a corresponding diminution in that of the barons and of the commune of Rome. It was now that the castle of the Molara and the even stronger Maschio d' Ariano were destroyed, and perhaps also, though we have no evidence, that of the Faiola above Nemi. In the latter half of the sixteenth century it became the practice of the great prelates and nobles of the Roman Curia to build themselves magnificent countryhouses in the Alban Hills, generally on the sites of ancient Roman villas; and this continued through the seventeenth century. We find this at Frascati and Albano especially, but also elsewhere; and their epoch of magnificence seems to have lasted until the French Revolution brought with it the financial ruin of the Church and of the great families of Rome-from which, however, the latter have to some extent recovered. At present the villas are largely used as summer resorts by their owners; while many others, less wealthy, take refuge from the heat of Rome in the fresher atmosphere of the green hills. The cultivation of the vine was already common in the sixteenth century, and is a prominent feature at the present day in the Alban Hills, whence it is now spreading even down into the plains and up into the forests. The production is sometimes in excess of the demand, while the quality is not as good as it might be. The olive yards are also of considerable importance, and their grey-green leaves form a delightful feature in the landscape. The lower woods in the eastern portion of the group produce much timber and charcoal; but the laws against disafforestation, if properly carried out, will, it may be hoped, prevent that reckless tree-felling which has rendered so many of the mountains of Italy arid masses of rock and earth, and makes the torrents which flow unchecked from them a real danger to the fertile plains and valleys below. We have dealt in general with the Alban Hills, and it now remains to speak of them in detail. Approaching the hills from the Via Appia along the lava stream already alluded to, we reach, eleven miles from Rome, and shortly beyond the point where the modern post-road returns to the straight line of the ancient, the site of Bovillae, the seat of the cult of the Julian family, which traced its origin to Iulus, son of Aeneas, the founder of Alba Longa, to which on its destruction Bovillae had succeeded in this regard. Here the Roman knights met the dead body of Augustus and escorted it to Rome. In the vicinity may be seen the scanty remains of a small theatre, of the circus in which yearly games were celebrated in honour of Augustus and the legendary ancestors of the Imperial house, and also of buildings connected with the poststation; but the fertile slopes are here, as almost everywhere, occupied by vineyards, and little of interest is visible aboveground. To the right diverges a modern road, following an ancient line, which runs at the foot of the hills and then across the Campagna to Antium. On the left we may place the site of the villa of Clodius, above the highroad; and it was close by it that he met his death in the famous quarrel with Milo. 6 As we advance, the ascent becomes steeper and steeper; and the road is flanked, as it has been all the way from Rome, by ruins of tombs. On each side of the road are remains of villas; and we may notice especially that of Domitian, on the summit of the crater edge at Castel Gandolfo, which has very likely occupied the site of Alba Longa, the long white town.' After about three miles we reach the modern town of Albano, built over the remains of the camp (plate 1) of the Imperial bodyguard, established here, no doubt, early in the Empire, perhaps by Augustus himself; for we find that even he frequented the district, and there seems to have been a large extent of Imperial property here from the first; though Domitian was the constructor of the great villa at Castel Gandolfo, a little to the north. The enclosure wall of the camp may still be traced. It was provided with baths, an amphitheatre, and other necessaries, including a good water-supply. The large terminal reservoir forms the subject of one of Piranesi's most picturesque plates, and is still made use of by the modern town. Septimius Severus established here the second Parthian legion, whose cemetery has been found in the beautiful woods on the edge of the lake. The troops must have been removed by Constantine, who gave to the church of Albano, as we have seen, all the deserted quarters and houses within the Alban city'; so that the town originated with this donation, though the episcopal see was not founded till over a century and a half later. As soon as we leave the town, the modern Via Appia traverses the great bridge which Pius IX threw across the valley separating it from Ariccia. Below are the glorious woods of the Chigi park, with their infinite variety of foliage; and at the end of the bridge is the palace. with the village church opposite to it. This architectura group is the work of Bernini. The round church, with its simple portico and a loggia on each side, practically consists of a large, low dome, harmonious in proportions with rich decoration. That of Castel Gandolfo, which is also his work, is much more lofty, and more fantastic in its detail. The exterior of the palace is severe and simple; the interior contains fine old furniture and leather-work, and is still inhabited in the summer by its owners. The village no doubt occupies the site of the ancient city; but it extended down the hill as far as the ancient Via Appia, which, after leaving Albano, descended steeply into the Valle d' Ariccia, where are the remains of a temple of the Republican period, of uncertain attribution, and other ruins which may belong to the post-station where Horace was received 'hospitio modico on the first night after he left Rome. From this deep depression it ascended once more upon an embankment the supporting wall of which is one of the finest remain of Roman road engineering to be seen in the neighbour hood of the city (plate 2). It is joined by the moder road once more at Genzano, a village of medieval origi which lies on the south-west edge of the lake of Nemi but on the outer slope; and the lake itself, the lovely mirror of Diana, can only be seen from the actual rin of the crater. The famous temple of Diana lay on the north shore of the lake, the only place in which there was room for it; for elsewhere the steep sides rise almost from the water's edge. The date of the foundation of the temples uncertain, though it seems clear that it cannot have bee built before the construction of the emissarium, drainage channel of the lake; and the archæological evidence seems to give us little, if any, warrant for going further back than the fourth century before Christ. The origin of the cult, however, may be a far older one. It |