LAKE NEMI.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 16 March 1925, Page 5

LAKE NEMI.

VILLA OF JULIUS CAESAR, FOUND Lake Nemi once again, Maims the attention, of archaeologists, owing to interesting excavations on the lower slope, near the edge of the Lake, says a Home message of January 19. Not only beautiful statues of the classical period have been, found, but also the foundations of • the Imperial villa—possibly that erected by Julia'S Caesar. It riiay be recalled that ,a few months ago a local pork butcher, Morosini, discovered ancient walls, supposed to be those o,f the ancient temple of Diana. The owner of the land, Donna Eugenia Ruspoli, an American by birth, and widow of Prince Ruspoli, finding that the Government was not interested in financing the excavations, had the walls covered again with soil, as the fields were under cultivation Morosini then, pursued his search for ancienit remain® ori land owned by a small proprietor. The result was the bringing to light of the foundations of the ancient villa", a, private theatre, and also innumerable marble' statues of great beauty—one, the figure of a beautiful youth, being intact. < A number of Roman, standards, Tanagra votive .statuettes, roof tiles, bronze objects (including door catches similar in shape to those used to-day) were also discovered. A number of skeletons were found, huddled together, as if overtaken, by a, grave disaster, such as an ea.rthqu a ke. (The owner of the land is not in. a position to continue, as the land was. formerly used for the cultivation, of beams for family use. Unless lie finds some Maecenas to buy the land and continue the search, the Government will order the excavations to be closed."