ciety, several of whose members have devoted much time and money to
the elucidation of the history, construction, and decoration of the
building.

The excavations undertaken by the late Monsignore P. Deperis, Parroco
Decano, showed that there have been four main epochs of construction, as
well as restorations and embellishments: (1) Roman, or Early Christian,
(2) Byzantine, (3) Gothic, and (4) Modern. There was a primitive
Christian basilica to the north of the present one; and Euphrasius, in
the sixth century, built his church upon the foundations of a second,
which had succeeded it. The site of the first was used as a cemetery
till the end of the eighteenth century, and was then made into the
garden of the bishop's palace. It was oblong in shape, like the most
ancient Christian churches, and had no apse, being 75 ft. 6 in. long and
55 ft. 9 in. wide. It had one main door of entrance, and the altar was
at the eastern end of the northern portion. The pavement is 5 ft. 9 in.
below the level of the basilica of Euphrasius. In the south wall of the
portion first discovered (one half of the total area) a door, the cill
of which is still preserved, led to an oratory. On the mosaic pavement
is this inscription in black letters on a white ground:

[Lu]PICINVS
[et Pa]SCASIA
[cum r]EVERENTIA PA[mula]
FE[cerunt pedes] C[entum].

The remains of this pavement are good in design and execution, and the
colours are well distributed. The nave was surrounded by a broad white
band, within which was another still broader, sown with starred crosses.
The panels with subjects were also surrounded by a similar band. In the
first panel from the door is a crown formed of a triple row of leaves
within a double circle; the outer one has an octagon formed of meanders,
and the inner a circular treatment of the same kind. Outside are lilies
and other flowers within geometrical forms, and the whole is bordered
with interlaced lines. In the small circle is a portion of an
inscription, the right part of which has been destroyed by a tomb:

INFAN[tius]
ET INNOC[entia]
EX SVO P[alatio]
BASI[licam et]
TES[sellati]
P[edes].

The middle panel is square; within it is a handled _crater_ with a high
foot. Two branches spring from it, which are bursting into flowers and
leaves; they fill the whole space with their convolutions. At the top is
an inscription:

[Lu]PICINVS ET PASCASIA P[edes] CCCC F[ecerunt];