Rome

by Alta MacAdam

The best, most comprehensive guide to one of the world's most intriguing cities. With detailed walking tours and helpful guides to the abundance of art, this is an essential guide for anyone interested in an in-depth view of Rome.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Italy, History, Reference, Architecture, Archaeology

623 pages, Paperback

First published May 19, 1971

About the author

Alta Macadam is a Florence-based art historian who is one of the Blue Guides' best-selling authors.

Reviews

[Pete daPixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perhaps this guide may not be to everyones taste. Over six hundred pages, with the vast majority of the guide content concentrated on the eternal city's fantastic archaeological remains. In fact the first hundred pages barely describe anything younger than two thousand years old. With my interest in history, it's just not possible to give this 'Blue Guide to Rome' anything less than five stars. I think it must be very difficult to find a more comprehensive and thoroughly detailed study of Roman archaeology, architecture and art. The jewels of the city, from the Forum to the Vatican, with all the museums, basilicas, churches, fountains, art galleries and open parklands all expertly described in fine detail, with clear maps,floorplans, and suggested walking tours. Included in this grand tour are some of the highlights outside the city as well, e.g. Via Appia, catacombs, Ostia and Tivoli.
Only after some five hundred and fifty pages does this book get round to practical tourist information, which may be too brief for some, but for me, a feast of a travel guide.

[Pedro Ceneme · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is likely to be the most thorough guide of the Eternal City available. Here you are bound to find, with reasonable depth and detail, information on the hundreds of sights of the city. For a city like Rome, which has been a lively urban environment for ~2300 years now, this is massive addition for any trip. The guide is very neatly organized: it starts with a brief historical recap of the city and its various functions. History is also told as the author goes along showing the neighborhoods of the city and how they evolved as the role of the city changed: the seat of a powerful city state, center of the Mediterranean Empire, the seat of the Popes and the cradle of the Renaissance and the counter-reformation. There’s also some discussion regarding the city role in the Unification of Italy (Risorgimento) and the establishment of fascism in the 1920’s.

The book is divided by neighborhoods and regions of Rome and the environs around it. Each region is then broken up into the main sights from all these different ages, with maps for the main clusters also being provided. Mrs. MacAdam breadth in knowledge is stunning, as she moves seamlessly through these different ages and buildings, providing not only historical context but also cultural: which architects designed such buildings, which artists decorated it, the meanings of these choices, the artistic movement they belonged to and the political and social context that framed the building construction and/or renovation. For especially large and rich sights, like the many papal Archbasilicas, maps are provided so you can understand the different parts of the building and the works and different artists responsible for each part.

With such a comprehensive source available, I would recommend you read and highlight the most interesting parts, specially of the sights you intend to see: this will help you prioritize in a city that has far to much to be seen in any single trip. It also helps you to wander around the city with context and quickly refresh on the details of each specific sight by browsing its entry. If you are an ancient history buff like me, this book should be coupled with “Rome” from Amanda Claridge, which will provide and even deeper look into sights from this period.

Of the (many) very nice buildings and places I discovered through this guide, I would highlight:

I - Via Appia and Ostia Antica, respectively the ancient road connecting Rome with the south of Italy and Rome’s port.

II – The papal Archbasilicas: while San Paolo is the overall most impressive, it’s also by far the most “known”. In that sense, San Giovanni in Laterano and San Giovanni Fuori le Mura are amazing and less famous (at least they were for me)

III – The massive museum complexes that house some of the best examples of roman and Greek art I’ve ever seen: the Capitoline Museums, the Palazzo Maximo and the Altemps

IV – The many “secondary” historical churches of Rome like Santo Estafano Rotondo, Santa Sabina, San Clemente, Sant’Agnese in Agone and Sant'Ignazio di Loyola.

V – The many palazzos that dot the city and house some impressive Renaissance and Baroque art collections, such as the Borghese, Colonna and Doria-Pamphlij

[Gavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was indispensable for our recent trip. I didn't carry the usual book load, but this and a novel was all I relied upon. Really got the the important sights of our tour. Helped immensely inside of churches and galleries. Without it we would have been lost.

[Альбіна Саженюк · Rating 5 out of 5]

Вкрай інформативно. Зручний поділ інформації по районах. Корисна історична довідка.

[Don Mcguire · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Blue Guides now are a shadow of former selves, and yet still more thorough in discussions of museums and history than almost anything else around (TCI Guides in Italian beat them hands down). 10th edition of Rome BG now out. Pretty good

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Getting ready for our trip this Fall.

[Anurag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daunting but an excellent guide for Rome. The archaeological details are presented as a story which travel details don't impede.

[Paul Medlock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue Guides are great!

Perfect for more in depth explorations. Damn near every thing you could ever see in Rome. Kindle version works well.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

don't visit Roma without it!

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

These blue guides are wonderful. I do think I’d enjoy them more for other cities. Cities that aren’t so...religious.