Portella[1] or S.E. of it—affected it a good deal during the French Revolution and the events which led up to the unification of Italy.
The Lago di Fondi, which lies in the middle of the plain, and the partially drained marshes surrounding it, compelled the ancient Via Appia, followed by the modern road, to make a considerable détour. The lake was also known in classical times ass, lacus Amyclanu from the town of Amyclae or Amunclae, which was founded, according to legend, by Spartan colonists, and probably destroyed by the Oscans in the 5th century B.C. (E. Pais in Rendiconti dei Lincei, 1906, 611 seq.); the bay was also known as mare Amunclanum.
The ancient Speluncae (mod. Sperlonga) on the coast also belonged to the territory of Fundi. Here was the imperial villa in which Sejanus saved the life of Tiberius, who was almost crushed by a fall of rock. Considerable remains of it, and of the caves from which it took its name, still exist 1 m. S.E. of the modern village. For modern discoveries see P. di Tucci in Notizie degli scavi (1880), 480; G. Patroni, ibid. (1898), 493. The wine of Fundi is spoken of by ancient writers, though the ager Caecubus, the coast plain round the Lago di Fundi, was even more renowned, and Horace frequently praises its wine; and though Pliny the Elder speaks as if its production had almost entirely ceased in his day (attributing this to neglect, but even more to the excavation works of Nero’s projected canal from the lacus Avernus to Ostia), Martial mentions it often, and it is spoken of in the inscription of a wine-dealer of the time of Hadrian, together with Falernian and Setian wines (Corpus inscript. Lat. vi. Berlin, 1882, 9797). The plain of Fondi is the northernmost point in Italy where the cultivation of oranges and lemons is regularly carried on in modern times.
See G. Conte Colino, Storia di Fondi (Naples, 1902); B. Amante and R. Bianchi, Memorie storiche e statutarie di Fondi in Campania (Rome, 1903); T. Ashby, in English Historical Review, xix. (1904) 557 seq. (T. As.)
FONNI, a town of Sardinia, in the province of Sassari, 3280 ft.
above sea-level, to the N.W. of Monte Gennargentu, 21 m. S.
of Nuoro by road. Pop. (1901) 4323. It is the highest village
in Sardinia, and situated among fine scenery with some chestnut
woods. The church of the Franciscans, built in 1708, contains
some curious paintings by local artists. The costumes are extremely
picturesque, and are well seen on the day of St John the
Baptist, the patron saint. The men’s costume is similar to that
worn in the district generally; the linen trousers are long and
black gaiters are worn. The women wear a white chemise;
over that a very small corselet, and over that a red jacket with
blue and black velvet facings. The skirt is brown above and
red below, with a blue band between the two colours; it is
accordion-pleated. Two identical skirts are often worn, one
above the other. The unmarried girls wear white kerchiefs,
the married women black. A little to the N. of Fonni, by the
high-road, stood the Roman station of Sorabile, mentioned in
the Antonine Itinerary as situated 87 m. from Carales on the
road to Olbia. Excavations made in 1879 and 1880 led to the
discovery of the remains of this station, arranged round three
sides of a courtyard some 100 ft. square, including traces of
baths and other buildings, and a massive embanking wall above
them, some 150 ft. in length, to protect them from landslips
(F. Vivanet, in Notizie degli scavi, 1879, 350; 1881, 31), while
a discharge certificate (tabula honestae missionis) of sailors
who had served in the classis Ravennas was found in some
ruins here or hereabouts (id. ib., 1882, 440; T. Mommsen,
Corp. inscr. Lat. x. 8325). Near Fonni, too, are several
“menhirs” (called pietre celtiche in the district) and other
prehistoric remains.
(T. As.)
FONSAGRADA, a town of north-western Spain, in the province
of Lugo; 25 m. E.N.E. of Lugo by road. Pop. (1900) 17,302.
Fonsagrada is situated 3166 ft. above the sea, on the watershed
between the rivers Rodil and Suarna. It is an important market
for all kinds of agricultural produce, and manufactures linen and
frieze; but its trade is mainly local, owing to the mountainous
character of the neighbourhood, and the lack of a railway or
navigable waterway, which prevent the development of any
considerable export trade.
FONSECA, MANOEL DEODORO DA (1827–1892), first
president of the united states of Brazil, was born at Alagoas
on the 5th of August 1827, being the third son of Lieut.-Colonel
Manoel Mendes da Fonseca (d. 1859). He was educated at
the military school of Rio de Janeiro, and had attained the rank
of captain in the Brazilian army when war broke out in 1864
against Montevideo, and afterwards against Solano Lopez,
dictator of Paraguay. His courage gained him distinction, and
before the close of the war in 1870 he reached the rank of colonel,
and some years later that of general of division. After holding
several military commands, he was appointed in 1886 governor
of the province of Rio Grande do Sul. In this position he threw
himself heartily into politics, espoused the republican opinions
then becoming prevalent, and sheltered their exponents with
his authority. After a fruitless remonstrance, the government
at the close of the year removed him from his post, and recalled
him to the capital as director of the service of army material.
Finding that even in that post he still continued to encourage
insubordination, the minister of war, Alfredo Chaves, dismissed
him from office. On 14th of May 1887, in conjunction with the
viscount de Pelotas, Fonseca issued a manifesto in defence of
the military officers’ political rights. From that time his influence
was supreme in the army. In December 1888, when the Conservative
Correa d’Oliveira became prime minister, Fonseca was
appointed to command an army corps on the frontier of Matto
Grosso. In June 1889 the ministry was overthrown, and on a
dissolution an overwhelming Liberal majority was returned to
the chamber of deputies. Fonseca returned to the capital in
September. Divisions of opinion soon arose within the Liberal
party on the question of provincial autonomy. The more
extreme desired the inauguration of a complete federal system.
Amongst the most vehement was Ruy Barbosa, the journalist
and orator, and after some difficulty he persuaded Fonseca to
head an armed movement against the government. The insurrection
broke out on the 15th of November 1889. The government
commander, Almeida Barreto, hastened to place himself
under Fonseca’s orders, and the soldiers and sailors made
common cause with the insurgents. The affair was almost
bloodless, the minister of marine, baron de Ladario, being the
only person wounded. Fonseca had only intended to overturn
the ministry, but he yielded to the insistency of the republican,
leaders and proclaimed a republic. A provisional government
was constituted by the army and navy in the name of the nation,
with Fonseca at its head. The council was abolished, and both
the senate and the chamber of deputies were dissolved. The
emperor was requested to leave the territory of Brazil within
twenty-four hours, and on the 17th of November was embarked
on a cruiser for Lisbon. On the 20th of December a decree of
banishment was pronounced against the imperial family. So
universal was the republican sentiment that there was no attempt
at armed resistance. The provisional government exercised
dictatorial powers for a year, and on the 25th of February 1891
Fonseca was elected president of the republic. He was, however,
no politician, and possessed indeed little ability beyond the art
of acquiring popularity. His tenure of office was short. In
May he became involved in an altercation with congress, and in
November pronounced its dissolution, a measure beyond his
constitutional power. After a few days of arbitrary rule insurrection
broke out in Rio Grande do Sul, and before the close of
November Fonseca, finding himself forsaken, resigned his office.
From that time he lived in retirement. He died at Rio de
Janeiro on the 23rd of August 1892.
FONSECA, Amapala or Conchagua, BAY OF, an inlet of the
Pacific Ocean in the volcanic region between the Central American
republics of Honduras, Salvador and Nicaragua. The bay is
unsurpassed in extent and security by any other harbour on
the Pacific. It is upwards of 50 m. in greatest length, by about
30 m. in average width, with an entrance from the sea about
18 m. wide, between the great volcanoes of Conchagua (3800 ft.
