Pilgrimage: A Chronicle of Christianity Through the Churches of Rome [Hardcover]

June Hager (Author), Grzegorz Galazka (Author, Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1999

Rome is famous as the capital of Christianity and the "city of a thousand churches". With a fresh perspective on the history of the Roman Catholic church recounted for the millennial jubilee, visit forty sacred buildings, from the ancient catacombs to the most recent churches raised in the sprawling suburbs, and become swept up in the stories of each one: S. Stefano Rotondo, built to honor Christianity's first martyr, has close and mysterious associations to Christ's own tomb in Jerusalem; S. Maria Sopra Minerva is filled with art treasures and the ghosts of protagonists from medieval Rome; S. Andrea al Quirinale, with its oval shape, theatrical altar, and splendid dome, epitomizes the Baroque at its height. End with the origins of jubilees and the churches dedicated to them. Plus: an introduction by Pope John Paul II's chosen deputy for the Great Jubilee.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This book captures the sacredness of a part of Rome that contains many Christian Churches and is preparing for a Jubilee celebration in 2000. Hager, a freelance journalist, has written not a conventional travel guide but a history of a Christian space rich in architectural wonders and art treasures. With the help of Grzegorz Galazka's over 170 photographs, she leads readers through a history of Rome's churches and gives a preview of what is planned for December 31, 1999. She takes readers on a tour of over 43 churches and catacombs, in chronological order, from the pagan catacombs, to martyrs shrines such as the Church of Saint Bibiana (protectress of the insane, of epileptics, and of drunkards), to the massive St. Peter's Basilica (in honor of the first apostle). The length of the citations varies, but the information and photographs contained here provides a unique, historical travelers' aid. Popular in context, this is a good, illustrated panorama of introductory information on Rome's Christian history. Recommended for public libraries.ALeo Vincent Kriz, West Des Moines Lib., IA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

June Hager is Managing Director of Inside the Vatican, a magazine based in Rome with unparalleled access to the Church of Rome. She has travelled widely around the world and written numerous articles on Italy, art and history for T

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd (September 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0297825178
• ISBN-13: 978-0297825173
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 9.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,569,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A pleasure for mind and heart and eyes, August 10, 1999

By 

Thomas K. Wukitsch (Arlington Virginia USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pilgrimage: A Chronicle of Christianity Through the Churches of Rome (Hardcover)

All of you, whether you can get to Rome for the Giubileo next year or not, should have this book. Everyone who can come to Rome in 2000 should get a copy now and start studying it.

I read through "Pilgrimage" immediately on its delivery and started my second reading, after a short night's sleep, a few hours later. Walking, book in hand, I revisited Il Gesu and S. Maria Sopra Minerva near the Pantheon with new understanding and seeing with new eyes. Those of us who are lucky enough to live in Rome have visited many churches, but most of us have seen only their surfaces. What a pleasure it was (and will continue to be) to visit them again and really know what we are seeing.

There are not enough superlatives for this book. It is definitely not another grim guide that tells which statue is where and who's in every sarcophagus. Here we get clear and careful analysis -- how and why the churches were built and then restored and redecorated, what they meant to their Catholic communities, and some clues about what they can mean to us. The text is accurate and insightful and to say that the photos are sumptuous would be a vast understatement.

We've been waiting for years for this book. There is no other with which to compare it, but how wonderful that the first of its kind is a masterpiece.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for art student and pilgrim alike, January 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Pilgrimage: A Chronicle of Christianity Through the Churches of Rome (Hardcover)

Well-written; I agree with the other enthusiastic reviewers. I want to stress that the photographs are a great contribution since they are new, beautiful, and very very often from a viewpoint that departs from the usual photographs of Roman art and architecture. Many of the photographs show mosaics and art that have not appeared in guide books, even art books, et al.-- the pilgrim, the art student, may have been able to find a slide or postcard here and there but not a lush photograph and certainly not a recent one nor one with a good accompanying text.

One strange flaw: the map that shows the location of the churches is numbered incorrectly for most of the churches; for instance, St. Peter's is marked as San Pietro in Vittorio. The map was a wonderful idea -- it's really too bad and the editors must be wincing.

Thanks for a wonderful, truly new addition, to the literature on Rome.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hager's "Pilgrimage...." is a work of clarity & depth., August 22, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Washington D.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pilgrimage: A Chronicle of Christianity Through the Churches of Rome (Hardcover)

"Pilgrimage; A Chronicle of Christianity Through the Churches of Rome" is one of those rare works the traveler treasures as he ponders the complexities of the historic levels of art and architecture in the monuments of Rome. This book makes the artistic evidence clear - from the significance of the catacomb drawings to the intent of the painter Carravagio in his exquisite night paintings in the Church of San Luigi Francesi. Not only is this work valuable for the traveler but it is an insightful angle on Roman history as well as a must for every person with a library where art and architecture are primary concerns.