ROME IS LOVE SPELLED BACKWARD: ENJOYING ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN THE ETERNAL CITY [Paperback]

JUDITH TESTA (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 10, 1998

A celebration of the art, architecture, and timeless human passion of the Eternal City, Rome Is Love Spelled Backward explores Rome's best-known treasures, often revealing secrets overlooked in conventional guidebooks. With the ancient play on "Roma" and "Amor"—ROMAMOR—Testa invites readers to experience the world's long love affair with one of its most beautiful cities.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Emperor Hadrian is credited for pairing the patron goddess, Roma, with the long-worshiped love deity, Venus, thus creating the palindrome Romamor, which gives this unusual and worthy guidebook its name. In five chronologically arranged sections (Ancient Rome, Early Christian and Medieval Rome, Late Medieval and Renaissance Rome, Baroque Rome and Modern Rome), Northern Illinois University art history professor Testa covers the city's art and architecture with insight, sensitivity and scholarly perspective rarely found in travel manuals. Many chapters are devoted to a single monument: S. Maria Sopra Minerva, the Trevi Fountain, Castel Sant'Angelo, the Colosseum. Others are on larger themes, such as the building programs of Sixtus V or those of Mussolini. Everything is presented in welcome detail with background information for fuller understanding of the sites that surround a visitor to the Eternal City. Anyone interested in the classic arts will learn something from Testa's text, whether it's the reason the Pantheon was built, the source of the Christian and Jewish catacombs, or the roles that Caravaggio and Bernini played in creating a baroque Rome. With 50 photos, narrative text and no information on shops, restaurants, or hotels, it's a guidebook for sophisticated travelers who already know where to stay, but want more than a sentence on what they're seeing.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This unusual and worthy guidebook ... covers the city's art and architecture with insight, sensitivity, and scholarly perspective rarely found in travel manuals."—Publishers Weekly

"With a text both scholarly and entertaining, Testa has produced a guide useful for the serious student and passionate sightseer.... The text is characterized by both lucidity and a sincere love of the subject matter, and this makes the book a pleasure to read and also a wonderful guide for travelers to Rome."—Choice

"The touch is light and the enthusiasm infectious.... An informative book for lovers of Rome and its art that armchair travelers will also enjoy."—William L. MacDonald, author of The Art and Architecture of the Roman Empire

Product Details

• Paperback: 303 pages
• Publisher: Northern Illinois University Press; 1 edition (April 10, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0875805760
• ISBN-13: 978-0875805764
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #633,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Judith Testa was born and grew up in the New York City area, moved to the Midwest to attend graduate school, and never returned to New York, except in spirit. She spent her professional career at Northern Illinois University, where she taught history of art and received numerous awards for excellence in teaching. During that time she developed an absorbing interest in Italy-- Rome in particular-- and in 1998 she published a book about art and architecture in the Eternal City, called "Rome Is Love Spelled Backward" (Roma Amor). After a career devoted to teaching, talking and writing about art, during retirement she returned to a childhood love: baseball. The result was the publication of a biography of a star pitcher from the 1950s, a sinister, almost satanic-looking pitcher named Sal "The Barber" Maglie. The book, titled "Sal Maglie. Baseball's Demon Barber," was published in 2007 and won an award from the Society of Midland Authors as the best biography of 2007. Judith Testa lives in St. Charles, Illinois, and continues to write about Italy for the Chicago area Italian American newspaper "Fra Noi."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL, August 2, 2000

By 

Dr. Elliott Lessen - See all my reviews

This review is from: ROME IS LOVE SPELLED BACKWARD: ENJOYING ART AND ARCHITECTURE IN THE ETERNAL CITY (Paperback)

The Rome of Judith Testa is one that speaks of her own "amor di roma." It is obvious that not every tourist attraction is included and some places unfamiliar to tourists are included. However, the author has provided an expanse of Roman history through its arts: fine art, architecture, sculpture. Each chapter touches on one of Rome's major artists or places of interest. The weave throughout each chapter provides a texture of artistic and historical information that brings to life the history of Rome and its great role in western civilization. Testa is a skilled writer whose style is instructive but charming; her prose is easy to read. Presented throughout each chapter are tidbits of information and items to see that one might never be aware of otherwise. Before you know it, you feel as if you "know" the place or piece about which she is writing. If you can read about the Pantheon or Caravaggio's paintings or St. Peter's before you go to see it, you will be well served. This is not the typical, all-inclusive, surface coverage of Rome; but rather, a novel-like approach with the characters being the artists and the works of art themselves.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spend Smartly, June 27, 2003

By 

The Forever Student (Arlington, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Rome is Love Spelled Backward: Enjoying Art and Architecture in the Eternal City (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book but at 42 smackers, the question is "Is it worth it?"

Well that depends on the user.

I spent 8 days in Rome and carried this book with me to many places. It was especially handy when tours were unavailable or inconvenient. Testa blends interesting tidbits into a thorough, yet concise, summary of each subject. If you're not rushed for time and have a relaxing 15 minutes to sit outside of St. Peters, or the Colosseum, or one of the other 35 places/topics included in this book (or even later in the hotel), then I would recommend it. This is indeed where the book proves its value.

If, however, you are rushed for time or deeply interested in one particular topic, other more general (Eyewitness, Rome's Top 10) or more specific books (for all sites covered there are probably many books to chose from) may better suit you.

Other travel guides are best used for planning purposes. Leave them in the hotel. They're too heavy to carry. Though not billed as a travel guide, this book works really well as just that. This is true *only* if you are the type of person who will take the time to read it. Otherwise, save your money for the gelato.

Finally, and this is my only criticism of the book's content... or the lack thereof, I was a little disappointed at the breadth of coverage. It seems (again considering the price) more subjects could have been treated. For instance Santa Maria del Popolo was not among the subjects included.

But this opinion may be a product of how I used the book. It is apparently intended to be a survey, not a comprehensive guide. My review however, is written with the traveler in mind. (If you're just interested in a general survey of Roman art and architecture, I've only read this one. It seems adequate enough.)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating, and exceedingly readable survey., January 13, 2002

By 

James Quist (Capitola, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Rome is Love Spelled Backward: Enjoying Art and Architecture in the Eternal City (Hardcover)

In Rome is Love Spelled Backward, by Dr. Judith Testa, an almost insurmountable mountain of enthralling history is condensed, controlled, and lovingly compiled into a volume that is not only very readable, but maintains the excitement, and vitality, of the most awesome city in the world. Clearly, Dr. Testa knows and loves this Eternal City.
Not until I read Testa's, Rome is Love Spelled Backward, and A Traveler in Rome, by H. V. Morton, did I come to understand and agree with the quote, "The ancient ruins are all around you, . . . . This is the center, and all the rest of the world is the periphery." Judith Testa's book is the only book I carry with me while wandering around Rome, year after year. A pre-Roman holiday must read!