heating it may be made to yield the anhydrous salt. Lanthanum
nitrate, La(NO3)3·6H2O, is obtained by dissolving the oxide in nitric
acid. It crystallizes in plates, and is soluble in water and alcohol.
Lanthanum carbide, LaC2, is prepared by heating the oxide with
carbon in the electric furnace (H. Moissan, Compt. rend., 1896, 123,
p. 148). It is decomposed by water with the formation of acetylene,
methane, ethylene, &c. Lanthanum carbonate, La2CO3·8H2O, occurs
as the rare mineral lanthanite, forming greyish-white, pink or
yellowish rhombic prisms. The atomic weight of lanthanum has
been determined by B. Brauner (Proc. Chem. Soc., 1901, 17, p. 63)
by ignition of lanthanum sulphate at 500° C., the value obtained
being 139 (O = 16).
LANUVIUM (more frequently Lanivium in imperial times,
mod. Civita Lavinia), an ancient city of Latium, some 19 m.
S.E. of Rome, a little S.W. of the Via Appia. It was situated
on an isolated hill projecting S. from the main mass of the Alban
Hills, and commanding an extensive view over the low country
between it and the sea. It was one of the members of the Latin
League, and remained independent until conquered by Rome
in 338 B.C. At first it did not enjoy the right of Roman citizenship,
but acquired it later; and even in imperial times its chief
magistrate and municipal council kept the titles of dictator
and senatus respectively. It was especially famous for its
rich and much venerated temple of Juno Sospes, from which
Octavian borrowed money in 31 B.C., and the possessions of
which extended as far as the sea-coast (T. Ashby in Mélanges
de l’école française, 1905, 203). It possessed many other temples,
repaired by Antoninus Pius, who was born close by, as was also
Commodus. Remains of the ancient theatre and of the city
walls exist in the modern village, and above it is an area surrounded
by a portico, in opus reticulatum, upon the north side
of which is a rectangular building in opus quadratum, probably
connected with the temple of Juno. Here archaic decorative
terra-cottas were discovered in excavations carried on by Lord
Savile. The acropolis of the primitive city was probably on
the highest point above the temple to the north. The neighbourhood,
which is now covered with vineyards, contains remains
of many Roman villas, one of which is traditionally attributed to
Antoninus Pius.
See Notizie degli Scavi, passim. (T. As.)
LANZA, DOMENICO GIOVANNI GIUSEPPE MARIA (1810–1882), Italian politician, was born at Casale, Piedmont, on the 15th of February 1810. He studied medicine at Turin, and practised for some years in his native place. He was one of the promoters of the agrarian association in Turin, and took an
active part in the rising of 1848. He was elected to the Piedmontese
parliament in that year, and attached himself to the
party of Cavour, devoting his attention chiefly to questions of
economy and finance. He became minister of public instruction
in 1855 in the cabinet of Cavour, and in 1858 minister of finance.
He followed Cavour into his temporary retirement in July 1859
after the peace of Villafranca, and for a year (1860–1861) was
president of the Chamber. He was minister of the interior
(1864–1865) in the La Marmora cabinet, and arranged the transference
of the capital to Florence. He maintained a resolute
opposition to the financial policy of Menabrea, who resigned
when Lanza was a second time elected, in 1869, president of
the Chamber. Lanza formed a new cabinet in which he was
himself minister of the interior. With Quintino Sella as minister
of finance he sought to reorganize Italian finance, and resigned
office when Sella’s projects were rejected in 1873. His cabinet
had seen the accomplishment of Italian unity and the installation
of an Italian government in Rome. He died in Rome on
the 9th of March 1882.
See Enrico Tavallini, La Vita ed i tempi di Giovanni Lanza (2 vols., Turin and Naples, 1887).
LANZAROTE, an island in the Atlantic Ocean, forming part
of the Spanish archipelago of the Canary Islands (q.v.). Pop.
(1900) 17,546; area, 326 sq. m. Lanzarote, the most easterly
of the Canaries, has a length of 31 m. and a breadth varying
from 5 to 10 m. It is naked and mountainous, bearing everywhere
marks of its volcanic origin. Montaña Blanca, the highest
point (2000 ft.), is cultivated to the summit. In 1730 the appearance
of half the island was altered by a volcanic outburst. A
violent earthquake preceded the catastrophe, by which nine
villages were destroyed. In 1825 another volcanic eruption
took place accompanied by earthquakes, and two hills were
thrown up. The port of Naos on the south-east of the island
affords safe anchorage. It is protected by two forts. A short
distance inland is the town of Arrecife (pop. 3082). The climate
is hot and dry. There is only a single spring of fresh water on
the island, and that in a position difficult of access. From the
total failure of water the inhabitants were once compelled to
abandon the island. Dromedaries are used as beasts of burden.
Teguise (pop. 3786), on the north-west coast, is the residence of
the local authorities. A strait about 6 m. in width separates
Lanzarote from Fuerteventura.
Graciosa, a small uninhabited island, is divided from the north-eastern extremity of Lanzarote by a channel 1 m. in width, which affords a capacious and safe harbour for large ships; but basaltic cliffs, 1500 ft. high, prevent intercourse with the inhabited part of Lanzarote. A few persons reside on the little island Allegranza, a mass of lava and cinders ejected at various times from a now extinct volcano, the crater of which has still a well-defined edge.
LANZI, LUIGI (1732–1810), Italian archaeologist, was born in 1732 and educated as a priest. In 1773 he was appointed keeper of the galleries of Florence, and thereafter studied Italian painting and Etruscan antiquities and language. In the one field his labours are represented by his Storia Pittorica della Italia, the first portion of which, containing the Florentine,
Sienese, Roman and Neapolitan schools, appeared in 1792,
the rest in 1796. The work is translated by Roscoe. In archaeology his great achievement was Saggio di lingua Etrusca (1789), followed by Saggio delle lingue Ital. antiche (1806). In his
memoir on the so-called Etruscan vases (Dei vasi antichi dipinti
volgarmente chiamati Etruschi, 1806) Lanzi rightly perceived
their Greek origin and characters. What was true of the antiquities
would be true also, he argued, of the Etruscan language,
and the object of the Saggio di lingua Etrusca was to prove that
this language must be related to that of the neighbouring
peoples—Romans, Umbrians, Oscans and Greeks. He was
allied with E. Q. Visconti in his great but never accomplished
plan of illustrating antiquity altogether from existing literature
and monuments. His notices of ancient sculpture and its various
styles appeared as an appendix to the Saggio di lingua Etrusca,
and arose out of his minute study of the treasures then added
to the Florentine collection from the Villa Medici. The abuse he
met with from later writers on the Etruscan language led
Corssen (Sprache der Etrusker, i. p. vi.) to protest in the name
of his real services to philology and archaeology. Among his
other productions was an edition of Hesiod’s Works and Days,
with valuable notes, and a translation in terza rima. Begun in
1785, it was recast and completed in 1808. The list of his works
closes with his Opere sacre, a series of treatises on spiritual
subjects. Lanzi died on the 30th of March 1810. He was
buried in the church of the Santa Croce at Florence by the side
of Michelangelo.
LAOAG, a town, port for coasting vessels, and capital of the province of Ilocos Norte, Luzon, Philippine Islands, on the
Laoag river, about 5 m. from its mouth, and in the N.W. part
of the island. Pop. (1903) 34,454; in 1903, after the census
had been taken, the municipality of San Nicolás (pop. 1903,
10,880) was added to Laoag. Laoag is on an extensive coast
plain, behind which is a picturesque range of hills; it is well built
and is noted for its fine climate, the name “Laoag” signifying
“clear.” It is especially well equipped for handling rice, which
is shipped in large quantities; Indian corn, tobacco and sugar
are also shipped. Cotton is grown in the vicinity, and is woven
by the women into fabrics, which find a ready sale among the
pagan tribes of the mountains. The language is Ilocano.
LAOCOON, in Greek legend a brother of Anchises, who had been a priest of Apollo, but having profaned the temple of the god he and his two sons were attacked by serpents while preparing to sacrifice a bull at the altar of Poseidon, in whose service Laocoon was then acting as priest. An additional motive for
