The Families Who Made Rome: A History and a Guide [Paperback]

Anthony Majanlahti (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 6, 2006

Rome is famous for its buildings and architecture, but just who built its noted and beautiful structures? This distinctive account—part history and part travel guide—explores the families and individuals who built Rome from the ground up. Each of the districts dominated by the fabulously rich families of the Popes—including the Colonna, della Rovere, Farnese, Borghese, Barberini and others—are explored and paired with a vivid account of the family’s history, including their scandals and intrigues as well as their relationships with artists like Bernini and Michelangelo. An itinerary with maps and engravings provides a detailed guide to each family's monuments. Famous sites such as the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and St. Peter's Cathedral take on new significance as the history of the Roman nobles who placed their stamp on the city is unveiled.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"* '[An] Intriguing and original book...even the armchair tourist can benefit.' - Tim Blanning, Sunday Telegraph * 'Elegant and informative...an entertaining mix of travelogue and history...we flit agreeably through the chequered history of the papacy' - Charles Nicholl, Sunday Times"

About the Author

Anthony Majanlahti is an urban historian and was a researcher at the British School at Rome.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Random House UK (June 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844134091
• ISBN-13: 978-1844134090
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.2 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #753,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent book, but with a few flaws, April 10, 2008

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A reader (United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Families Who Made Rome: A History and a Guide (Paperback)

I'm often critical of books about Rome, because so many are full of inaccuracies, or are superficial, or just poorly written. This book has none of those flaws. In terms of the sheer amount of fascinating information conveyed, the readable writing style and the originality of its approach, this book really OUGHT to receive five stars from me.

So what's wrong with the book? It has three flaws, all of which could be corrected if the author is ever able to publish a second edition. One is trivial, but annoying: the author grossly overuses the word "great." I know, I know-- an awful lot of things in Rome seem to require that adjective; so much in Rome IS great. But an editor should red-pencil out about three-quarters of the instances where this word appears.

The second problem is that the book lacks any useful maps. The author shows the buildings discussed in his text against what look like portions of an 18th-century map of Rome. In any case, it's printed very faintly. The map illustrations are therefore difficult to see properly and are pretty much useless if you're actually using this book on-site as a guide in Rome.

The third problem is inexcusable. The author has obviously done an absolutely prodigious amount of research, but doesn't include a bibliography. He casually mentions half a dozen works in his Acknowledgments, and that's all. Clearly he must have consulted dozens, if not hundreds, of other works, but not a word about what they were.

Now that I've gotten these gripes up front, I want to emphasize that this is among the best and most informative books I've ever read about Rome, and I've read a LOT on the subject. Seeing Rome in terms of the families whose building programs-- or random constructions-- have determined the appearance of Rome is a fascinating and useful approach to understanding the Eternal City. Majanlahti is the only author I've ever read who makes the peculiar and seemingly irrational linear arrangement of rooms in Rome's noble palaces comprehensible in terms of the way these rooms were originally used. And despite the huge amount of information conveyed, the writing is never dull or dry and is occasionally enlivened with bits of dry humor.

This isn't a guidebook for the casual tourist-- it's for serious lovers of Rome, the kind of book to bring with you on repeated and extended visits.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating history for the Italophile or Rome-buff in your life, June 5, 2006

By 

Ian Nicholas (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Families Who Made Rome: A History and a Guide (Hardcover)

I love anything Roman: books about the city, photos, travelogues -- and I visit pretty often, usually once or twice a year. This book gives you the insight and family history behind all of the locales you'll see while traveling in Rome: the piazzas, churches, fountains, and pretty much anything of historical significance that you remember from your travels there. It's not a photo-filled armchair-traveler sort of book, it's got a lot of history in it. But it reads surprisingly easily for being the historical book that it is -- I expected it to feel more "dense" but it's very accessible. Is it for the first-time visitor to Rome? No. But if you've found yourself going back time after time, you will recognize the names and locations and the maps in the book, and this will definitely enhance your experience the next time you go.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book, June 15, 2006

By 

Ottersen Carl "Carl Ottersen" (Italy) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Families Who Made Rome: A History and a Guide (Hardcover)

This book brings to life a city I know (or thought I knew) very well, having been a student in Rome for 5 years. Vibrantly written, never short of an interesting insight and delightful detour away from the overknown locations for a vistor in Rome to see. Well done Anthony! What's next?