Amongst the immense variety of edifices and ruins of edifices which most
interest the antiquarian are the Thermes of Diocletian. Here are four
different semi-circular halls, two of which were destined for philosophers,
one for poets and one for orators; baths; a building for tennis or rackets;
three open courts, one for the exercise of the discus, one for athletes and
one for hurling the javelin. Of this vast building part is now a
manufactory, and the hall of the wrestlers is a Carthusian church.
I have now, I believe, visited most, if not all that is to be seen in Rome.
I have visited the Pyramid of Cestius, the tomb of Metella, I have
consulted, the nymph Egeria, smelled at the Cloaca Maxima; in fine, I
have given in to all the singeries of pedantry and virtu with as much
ardour as Martinus Scriblerus himself would have done. But it yet remains
for me to speak of the most interesting exhibition that modern Rome can
boast, and of the most interesting person in it and in all Italy, and that
is the atelier of Canova and Canova himself, the greatest sculptor,
perhaps, either of ancient or modern times, except the mighty unknown who
conceived and executed the Apollo of the Vatican.
In the atelier of Canova the most remarkable statues I observed are: a
group of Hector and Ajax of colossal size, not quite finished; a Centaur,
also colossal; a Hebe; two Ballerine or dancing girls, one of which
rivetted my attention most particularly.
