City of Echoes A New History of Rome, its Popes and its People

In Rome the echoes of the past resound clearly in its palaces and monuments, and in the remains of the ancient imperial city. But another presence has dominated Rome for 2,000 years -the pope, whose actions and influence echo down the ages. In this epic tale, historian Jessica Wärnberg tells, for the first time, the story of Rome through the lens of its popes, illuminating how these remarkable (and unremarkable) men have transformed lives and played a crucial role in deciding the fate of the city.

Emerging as the anonymous leader of a marginal cult in the humblest quarters of the city, less than 300 years later the pope sat enthroned in a gilt basilica, endorsed by the emperor himself. Eventually, the Roman pontiff would supplant even the emperors, becoming the de facto ruler of Rome and pre-eminent leader of the Christian world.

Shifting elegantly between the panoramic and the personal, the spiritual and the profane, this is a fresh and often surprising take on a city, a people and an institution that is at once familiar and elusive.

About the author

Jessica Wärnberg

Product details

• Authors: Jessica Wärnberg
• Publisher: Icon Books
• Content: Book
• Product form: Paperback / Softback
• Publication date: 29.08.2024
• Subject: Humanities, art, music > History > Regional and national histories
• EAN: 9781837731824
• ISBN: 978-1-83773-182-4
• Pages: 448
• Dimensions (packing): 12.9 x 19.8 x 2.9 cm
• Weight (packing): 398 g
• Subjects: History, Europe, RELIGION / Christianity / Catholic, European History, HISTORY / Ancient / Rome, HISTORY / Europe / General, RELIGION / Christian Church / History, Italy, History of Religion, Holy Roman Empire, Christian Churches, denominations, groups, Ancient Rome, Roman Catholicism, Roman Catholic Church, European history: the Romans, Rome: Eternal City Ferdinand Addis Christopher Hibbert Rome: Biography of the City, The Restoration of Rome: Barbarian Popes & Imperial Pretenders Peter Heather, Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town Mary Beard Twelve Caesars Dan Snow, An Elephant in Rome: Bernini, The Pope and The Making of the Eternal City Loyd Grossman