The Count of Monte Cristo

KAPITEL 34. The Colosseum

Chapter 34. The Colosseum Franz and Albert travel to the Colosseum by a deliberately circuitous route that avoids all other ancient ruins, allowing Franz to reflect on Pastrini’s story. Upon arrival, they engage guides, and Albert is awed by his first sight of the monument by moonlight. Franz separates from the group to sit in solitude behind a column, where he witnesses a clandestine meeting between a cloaked stranger and a Transteverine accomplice. The two conspire to save Peppino, a condemned prisoner, with the stranger offering a plan involving bribery and a window-signal arrangement using draperies at the Café Rospoli. After the conspirators depart, Franz rejoins Albert and they leave the Colosseum.

Route to the Colosseum

Route to the Colosseum Franz plans a route that bypasses all other ancient ruins so that the Colosseum’s grandeur will not be diminished by prior impressions. The path follows the Via Sistina, cuts the corner near Santa Maria Maggiore, and proceeds via the Via Urbana and San Pietro in Vincoli, ending directly opposite the Colosseum.

Franz’s Reflections on Pastrini’s Story

Franz’s Reflections on Pastrini’s Story The chosen itinerary gives Franz freedom to brood over Pastrini’s tale and the strange involvement of his mysterious host from Monte Cristo. Seated with folded arms in the carriage, he turns the story’s details over in his mind without arriving at any satisfactory conclusion.

Franz’s Recollection of the Host’s Extensive Connections

Franz’s Recollection of the Host’s Extensive Connections Franz recalls the odd intimacy between brigands and sailors, reminded of Vampa finding refuge on smuggling vessels and of the two Corsican bandits he found supping with the crew of a yacht at Porto-Vecchio. The repeated name “Sinbad the Sailor” confirms that his host operates a wide philanthropic network along the coasts of Piombino, Civita Vecchia, Ostia, and Gaëta, and that the man also has acquaintances in Tunis and Palermo.

Arrival at the Moonlit Colosseum

Arrival at the Moonlit Colosseum Franz’s reverie is broken by the sight of the Colosseum’s dark, frowning ruins, where pale moonlight flickers through the openings. The carriage halts near the Meta Sudans, the young men alight, and a cicerone appears as if he had sprung from the ground.

Abundance of Colosseum Guides

Abundance of Colosseum Guides In addition to the hotel guide, a special cicerone for each monument materializes at the Colosseum, illustrating Rome’s overwhelming supply of guides. A quote from Martial praises the monument’s superiority over the pyramids and the wonders of Babylon.

Albert’s First Impressions of the Colosseum

Albert’s First Impressions of the Colosseum Albert and Franz do not resist their ciceroni, since only guides may carry torches at the monument. Albert, visiting for the first time, is deeply moved by the ruins, which appear doubly grand under the mysterious light of a southern moon.

Franz Seeks Solitude and Hides Behind a Column

Franz Seeks Solitude and Hides Behind a Column Having made seven or eight prior visits, Franz abandons Albert to the guides’ routine tour and climbs a half-dilapidated staircase. He seats himself at the foot of a column, where a large aperture gives him an unobstructed view of the ruin’s interior.

Mysterious Stranger Approaches the Column

Mysterious Stranger Approaches the Column While watching Albert and the guides, Franz hears a stone dislodge on the opposite staircase, as if under a careful, quiet footstep. A figure gradually emerges into the moonlight: a man in a brown mantle and broad-brimmed hat, who pauses and listens, evidently awaiting someone. Franz instinctively draws back behind his pillar to remain hidden.

Transteverine Ally Descends from the Roof

Transteverine Ally Descends from the Roof A dark shadow appears at the broken opening in the roof above. The newcomer—dressed in the Transtevere costume—grapples a mass of hanging boughs, swings down close to the ground, and lands lightly. He greets the cloaked man, apologizing for being late and noting that Saint John Lateran’s clock has just struck ten.