FOSSANUOVA

fossanuova, an abbey of italy, in the province of rome, near the railway station of sonnino, 64 m. s.e. of rome. it is the finest example of a cistercian abbey, and of the burgundian early gothic style, in italy, and dates from the end of the 12th to the end of the 13th century. the church (1187-1208) is closely similar to that of casamari. the other conventual buildings also are noteworthy. thomas aquinas died here in 1274. see c. enlart, _origines francaises de l'architecture gothique en italie_ (paris, 1894) (_bibliotheque des ecoles francaises d'athenes et de rome_, fasc. 66). fosse (or foss) way, the early english name of a roman road or series of roads in britain, used later by the english, running from lincoln by leicester and bath to exeter. almost all the roman line is still in use as modern road or lane. it passes from lincoln through newark and leicester (the roman _ratae_) to high cross (_venonae_), where it intersects watling street at a point often called "the centre of england." hence it runs to moreton-in-the-marsh, cirencester, bath and ilchester, crosses the hills near chard, axminster and honiton, and enters exeter. antiquaries have taken it farther, usually to totnes, but without warrant. (see further under ermine street.) (f. j. h.) fossick (probably an english dialectical expression, meaning fussy or troublesome), a term applied by the gold diggers of australia to the search for gold by solitary individuals, in untried localities or in abandoned diggings. a "fossicker," or pocket miner, is one who buys up the right to search old claims, in the hope of finding gold overlooked by previous diggers. fossombrone (anc. _forum sempronii_), a town and episcopal see of the marches, italy, in the province of pesaro and urbino, 11 m. e.s.e. of the latter by road, 394 ft. above sea-level. pop. (1901) town, 7531, commune, 10,847. the town is situated in the valley of the metauro, in the centre of fine scenery, at the meeting-point of roads to fano, to the furlo pass and fossato di vico (the ancient via flaminia), to urbino and to sinigaglia, the last crossing the river by a fine bridge. the cathedral, rebuilt in 1772-1784, contains the chief work of the sculptor domenico rosselli of rovezzano, a richly sculptured _ancona_ of 1480. s. francesco has a lunette by him over the portal. the library, founded by a nephew of cardinal passionei, contains some antiquities. above the town is a medieval castle. there is a considerable trade in silk. the ancient forum sempronii lay about 2 m. to the n.e. at s. martino al piano, where remains still exist. it was a station on the via flaminia and a _municipium_. the date of its foundation is not known. excavations in 1879-1880 led to the discovery of a house and of other buildings on the ancient road (a. vernarecci in _notizie degli scavi_, 1880, 458). it already had a bishop in the years 499-502. in 1295 the malatesta obtained possession of it, and kept it until 1444, when it was sold, with pesaro, to federico di montefeltro of urbino, and with the latter it passed to the papacy under urban viii. in 1631.