BRICKS IN ANCIENT ROME

Evening Star, Issue 19387, 22 October 1926, Page 3

BRICKS IN ANCIENT ROME

Tho characteristic feature of Roman building proper is the long, narrow bricks, beautifully fitted together, and giving in the mass the. impression of enormous solidity ami strength. These masses _of brick were, at least under the empire, generally faced with marble or Rome other precious material, ami if one scratches at the bass of a wall one is nearly certain to find some fragment thereof. . . . For certain of tho more pretentions buildings stone blocks were employed—e.g., for tho construction of tho various imperial fora, or the theatre of Mareellus; but the brick, with its beautiful dull red color, is tho unmistakable sign of Roman work. It looks particularly effective in tho round arch. So attractive is it to the eye that the Renaissance builders copied the color, and tho prevalent nolo of tho older quarter of modern Romo is tho same dull rod, verging sometimes on a yellow tinge. They developed an extraordinary skill, which tho modern Roman inherits, in working in that product of marble, stucco, and somehow or other succeeded in making attractive what in other countries and climates would appear hideous. I have tried in vain to find anything intrinsically beautiful in the Roman baroque palaces, but I must admit that in tho bulk they achieve, a pleasing effect. Tliis is probably duo to their magnificent proportions. They have never been equalled in size by anything until tho advent of tho monster hotel. The Palazzo Doria, for example, at tho righthand south end of tho C'orso, onco housed a thousand retainers of tho family. All the great palaces—Doria, Borghcse, Rospiglioai, Caetani, Chigi, Sciarra, Barbermi, etc.—aro now let out into flats, or for museums, galleries, clubs, libraries, and oven newspaper offices. Tho now quarter of tho Prati, like most of the suburbs, is a horrid vista of shining and unrelieved whiteness, but it will tone down, and there aro some charming interiors even now._ A complete knowledge of tho materials used by tho Roman builders in different ages enables tho expert to date with certainty most of the crumbling remains which have nothing else recognisable about them except their names which have come down to us. It is a fact that builders in different periods used bricks of various sizes and colors, and mortar of different composition. In later davs many bricks and tiles were stamped with tho name of tho factory where they were made, and sometimes with the name of tho reigning emperor.—Colin R. C'ooto, in ‘ Italian Town and Country lifio.