The facade of this church is beautiful but it
would be far better without the campanile, which I think always
disfigures a church of Grecian architecture; besides it is not in the
centre of the building. The church is richly adorned with mosaics and its
several chapels are admirable from the execution of their architecture and
sculpture and the value of the different rich marbles and precious stones
with which the monuments therein are made and incrusted. Among these
Chapels are those of Sixtus V, Paul V. The grand altar is of porphyry. But
the most striking beauty of this church and which eclipses all its other
ornaments, are the forty columns of beautiful Grecian marble on each side
of the nave. The ceiling, too, is superb and richly gilt; the gilding must
have cost an immense sum and was done, it is said, with the first gold that
was brought from America. Nothing can be more rich than this plafond. The
above forty columns belonged formerly to the temple of Juno Lucina. It is
singular that the ceremony of the accouchement of the Virgin and the
birth of Christ should be performed here. On the 24th December this
pantomime is regularly acted, and crowds of all sorts of people attend,
particularly women. At the moment that the Virgin is supposed to be
delivered a salve of artillery announces the good tidings. This is
singular, I say, when one recollects the peculiar attributes of Juno Lucina
and the assistance she was supposed to give to persons in the same
situation.
You cannot expect me to detail to you all the riches in precious stones and
gifts of pious princes that adorn the several chapels of this and other
churches; but they appear to contain every stone and jewel mentioned in the
Arabian Nights as being to be found in the cave where Aladdin was left by
the magician; and it must be allowed that the Popes have been remarkably
adroit inchanters in conjuring to Rome all the riches of the Earth.
The church of St John Lateran is larger and more striking as to its
exterior and as to its architecture than that of Santa Maria Maggiore, but
it is not so charged with ornament and there is scarce any gilding. There
is a simple elegance about it that I think far more pleasing than the
magnificence of Santa Maria.
St John Lateran contains several beautiful pieces of sculpture in white
marble, rather larger than the usual size of man, of the twelve Apostles,
six on one side of the nave and six on the other; and above them are
bas-reliefs, also in marble, representing the various scenes from the
history of the Old and New Testament. These twelve statues are admirably
well executed and they give to this temple an air of simple grandeur.
