the Ponte S. Angelo was reached. This ancient
bridge of five arches leads directly to the Castello S. Angelo, the
citadel of Rome, which originally was a tomb erected by Hadrian for
himself and successor. The tomb is 240 feet in diameter, and must have
been very beautiful, as it was once encrusted with marble. Statues stood
around the margin of the top, and above all a colossal statue of Hadrian
himself. Later the Goths, veritable iconoclasts, converted this tomb of
the emperors into a fortress, hurling the marble statues down on the
besiegers. For centuries this castle-tomb was used as a stronghold by
the party in power to maintain their sway over the people. In 1822 Pius
IX. refortified the castle. In it was seen the gloomy dungeon where
Beatrice Cenci and others were incarcerated.

The Harrises drove down the Borgo Nuovo to the church of St. Peter. Its
approach is through a magnificent piazza ornamented on the right and left
by two semicircular porticoes of 284 columns, which are surmounted by an
entablature, and 192 statues, each eleven feet in height. It is claimed
that the origin of the Cathedral of St. Peter is due to the impulse
given by Pope Julius II. who decided to erect a grand monument for
himself in his life-time, and the new edifice was needed to shield it.
St. Peter's was begun in 1506 and dedicated in 1626.

Bramante's wonderful plans were accepted, and both Michael Angelo and
Raphael aided in its construction. From a Greek cross rises a gigantic
dome, which is one of the boldest and most wonderful efforts of
architecture. Lucille recalled Byron's description,

"The vast and wondrous dome,
To which Diana's marvel was a cell."

Entering this mighty cathedral, Colonel Harris was bewildered with its
grand and harmonious interior. The height from the pavement to the cross
rivals the height of the Washington monument. The nave is 607 feet in
length, and the transept is 445 feet. St. Paul's at London covers only
two acres, St. Peter's five acres. The cost of the former was $3,750,000,
the cost of the latter from $60,000,000 to $80,000,000.

The Harrises visited St. John Lateran, the mother-church of the Eternal
City, where Popes were crowned, and where on Ascension Day, from one of
its balconies, the Pope's benediction to the people is pronounced.

They also visited the restored St. Paul's Church outside the walls. Its
interior is of vast dimensions. It was built of valuable materials, and
the whol