The Marvels of Rome: Mirabilia Urbis Romae [Paperback]

Eileen Gardiner (Author), Master Benedict (Author), Francis Morgan Nichols (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2008

Written for the pilgrim and sightseer c.1143 by Benedict, a canon of St. Peter's, this is the best medieval guide to the city and an important source for the location of its medieval churches and ancient monuments. It narrates the early Christian legends that are connected with many of these sites; and documents the medieval sense of Rome's ancient grandeur. In the twelfth century the inhabited part of Rome, the abitato, as it was called, was a small city tucked into the bend of the Tiber River in the midst of the ruins of the great ancient city. The walls and gates of the ancient city were still in place, and between them and the abitato were fields where the animals grazed among the temples and baths. This edition contains the full text of the Marvels, a detailed Gazetteer identifying all the sites mentioned and providing full bibliographical and topographical references, a new introduction, 5 maps, bibliography, and index. 2nd ed., illustrated.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin (translation)

From the Publisher

In the twelfth century the inhabited part of Rome was a small city tucked into the bend of the Tiber River in the midst of the ruins of the great ancient city. The abitato, as it was called, extended primarily along the left bank of the river between the Ponte Sant' Angelo and the Tiber Island. The walls and gates of the ancient city were still in place, and between them and the abitato were fields where the animals grazed among the temples and baths, and where monastic houses, great churches, and noble palaces maintained large vineyards, gardens, and farms.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 132 pages
• Publisher: Italica Press; 2 edition (September 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 093497702X
• ISBN-13: 978-0934977029
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #702,294 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, completely invaluable., July 21, 2008

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This review is from: The Marvels of Rome: Mirabilia Urbis Romae (Paperback)

Want to know about medieval and classical-era Rome? Here is a travel guide for pilgrims that touches on all the important "had to see" monuments, roads, landmarks, temples, and palaces. For centuries, this book and its various reprints were essential reading for anybody making the pilgrimage to Rome. The maps are astounding, if somewhat difficult to learn to read, but once you get used to them, you'll find it easy to flip through them. I used this book to get a feel for the history of Rome that fell between the classical era and the Renaissance. In this the book was completely satisfactory. I also used its maps to correlate with the Renaissance-era ones, since the major roads and monuments didn't change all that much. It was fun to see how the ancient pagan obelisks, temples, and arches matched up with the later churches and shrines. The Gazetteer gives some excellent flavor to the city, making it come alive. I had no idea Rome was so richly layered before reading this all-too-short book. I would say that it's not a modern popular history, so don't get this thinking you're going to get modern analyses of the era; it's a reprint of medieval works, so it's going to look a little dry. There is little explanation offered for anything in here, though there is a glossary. But for what it is, it's absolutely amazing, and I'm glad I ran into it.