Renaissance Rome

“This magnificent love letter to Rome” (Stephen Greenblatt) tells the story of the Eternal City through pivotal moments that defined its history—from the early Roman Republic through the Renaissance and the Reformation to the German occupation in World War Two—“an erudite history that...

What would you think if, in your old age, the doctors tell you that you only have a couple years left to live, and even ultra-modern medical technology is powerless to help? Some may spend their remaining years at the bottom of a bottle, others may choose to spend it quietly, with family...But there are also those who are ready to leave everything behind. Volper is one of those who has decided to have one last hurrah and immerse himself in a virtual reality.

On Christmas Day in the year 800, a Frankish warlord knelt in a Roman church and stood up an emperor. The empire he claimed had been dead for three centuries. The idea he revived would outlive him by a thousand years. Charlemagne could barely write his own name. He spent most of his life on horseback, fighting a brutal thirty-year war against the Saxons that included the mass killing at Verden. He buried sons, watched a rearguard die at Roncesvalles, and ruled a sprawling realm with almost no bureaucracy, no standing capital, and no money economy worth the name. And yet, by the time he died...

Rome is filled with churches. It has been the center of the Catholic Church for almost two thousand years. You might know the most famous ones, like Saint Peter's Basilica or St. John Lateran. These churches are amazing — but they are not the only ones. If you are looking for something special to visit on your trip to Rome, pick out a few lesser-known churches. You often find the most amazing and unexpected things inside them. I love showing people these hidden gems, because you can show visitors something they did not expect at all. In this guidebook, I take you to all the amazing ...

Most guidebooks tell you how to skip the line at the Vatican. This one tells you why the line is there in the first place. The Curious Traveler in Rome: 10 Reasons We Can't Stop Visiting the Eternal City isn't a checklist or a glossy photo album. It's a smart, engaging companion for travelers who want to understand what they're seeing. Why do millions flock to the Colosseum every year? How did pilgrimage turn into the world's first tourism industry? What goes on at the Roman Forum today? Why does Rome feel so alive in its chaos, even today? Each chapter explores one of the forces that ...

Michelangelo Buonarroti did not make beauty gently. He fought it out of marble, paint, exhaustion, anger, prayer, pride, and fear. Born in 1475 and formed in the fierce artistic world of Florence, Michelangelo rose from difficult family expectations to become one of the defining figures of the Renaissance. He carved the Pietà, the David, the Moses, and the haunting unfinished prisoners. He painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling and later returned to the same sacred space with the terrifying Last Judgement. In old age, he helped shape the architecture of Rome itself through St Peter’s ...

Augustine Sforza was trained to see the truth in a face — the weight of a jaw, the doubt behind a stare, the exact place where confidence ends and fear begins. In Rome, that gift made him the talk of the city, courted by cardinals and within reach of the one commission every painter in Italy would kill for. It did not save him the night an old rivalry finally came to a head, and he was left with a choice no artist should have to make. Exiled from the only city he's ever loved, Augustine is meant to disappear quietly into the Mediterranean and wait out his sentence. The sea has other plans...

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling is one of the most iconic masterpieces of the Renaissance. Here, in Raphael, Painter in Rome, Storey tells of its creation as never before: through the eyes of Michelangelo's fiercest rival - the young, beautiful, brilliant painter of perfection, Raphael. Orphaned at age 11, Raphael is determined to keep the deathbed promise he made to his father: become the greatest artist in history. But to be the best, he must beat the best, the legendary sculptor of the David, Michelangelo Buonarroti. 

In this masterful work, listeners will encounter: the poets Petrarch and Boccaccio, the fathers of the Renaissance; the paintings, sculptures, and architecture of Milan, Florence, and Venice; the life and accomplishments of Leonardo DaVinci; the Catholic church and the popes of Avignon and Rome; the politicians and philosophers of Italy, including the Borgia family, Julius II, and Machiavelli; the Italian Wars, the conflicts with France, and the country's decline.

This is the extended edition of my guidebook. In this edition, I have included more information about the Sistine Chapel, as well as detailed descriptions of the major Papal Basilicas in Rome: Santa Maria Maggiore, St. John Lateran, and St. Paul Outside the Walls. This book will help you if you plan on visiting the Vatican or if you simply want to know more about it. The Vatican is an enormous place, full of artwork and history. It can even feel overwhelming when you visit it. Saint Peter's Basilica is filled with Baroque sculptures, the Vatican Museums contain art from all time periods, ...

A bold new history of Europe, from ancient Greece to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. What do we talk about when we talk about Europe? Is it defined by geography? Or is it politics, or shared culture? In Europe, award-winning historian Roderick Beaton tells the story of Europe as never...

Rome whispers about a poison that looks like holy water. They call it Aqua Tofana—a saint-faced bottle passed hand to hand, a rumour with a price, a promise made to desperate wives behind shuttered windows. Men call it evil. Priests call it temptation. The streets call it justice. But Giulia knows what it really is: a brand built in the cracks of a city that leaves women no safe exits. When a quiet network of laundresses, servants and midwives begins to fray under pressure—boots on stone, coins offered for silence, and the Church leaning close—Giulia must protect the one person she ...

Explore Rome and Discover Overlooked Treasures Beyond the City Walls This isn’t just a Rome Travel Guide. It is a better way to travel! Instead of simply checking off monuments, immerse yourself in the rhythms of the Eternal City, sacred traditions, seasonal festivals, and everyday rituals that define life in Rome and Lazio. Experience Rome through moments, not just monuments. With over 150 incredible events woven into the seasons, this guide ensures that no matter when you travel, you will find yourself in the heart of a celebration. Planning your Italian dream vacation? Discover Rome, ...

For almost a thousand years, Rome held sway as the spiritual and artistic centre of the world. Hughes vividly recreates the ancient Rome of Julius Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, Nero, Caligula, Cicero, Martial and Virgil. With the artistic blossoming of the Renaissance, he casts his unwavering...

The importance of Rome cannot be argued. Its history is not the history of Italy or its people. Rome is a part of the foundation of Europe, just as Athens is. Without it, the world as we know it today wouldn’t exist. In History of Rome: A Captivating Guide to Roman History, Starting from the Legend of Romulus and Remus Through the Roman Republic, Byzantium, Medieval Period, and Renaissance to Modern History, you will discover topics such as the founding of Rome, the Roman Republic, the third and early fourth centuries, the Renaissance, modern history of Rome, and more.

The Roman Empire ended on a Tuesday morning in May 1453. Almost nobody counts it. Most readers learn that Rome fell in 476. The people living in Constantinople would have found that claim bewildering. They called themselves Romans. Their emperor stood in an unbroken line, their courts ran on Roman law, and their capital was the city Constantine himself had founded. When the walls finally came down under Ottoman cannon, the thing that ended was not a Greek kingdom with a Roman nickname. It was the Roman state — eleven hundred years after everyone stopped paying attention to it. The siege ...

Whenever people come to see the Jewish Ghetto in Rome, they are a bit underwhelmed at first. Besides the synagogue and the many kosher restaurants, at first glance there does not seem to be a lot to see. However, the ghetto is a very interesting area with a painful history. Once you know this history and the places associated with it, the area becomes much more alive. The Roman Jewish community was one of the oldest in Europe and one of the last to gain its freedom. The story of the Roman Jews is different from those of other Jewish communities and not well known by the general public. For ...

Betrayed by the ruling families of Italy, Ezio Auditore embarks upon an epic quest for vengeance. To eradicate corruption and restore his family's honor, he will learn the art of the Assassins. Along the way, Ezio will call upon the wisdom of such great minds as Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli, knowing that survival is bound to the skills by which he must live.To his allies, he will become a force for change in his fight for freedom and justice.

Visiting the Vatican Museums is a truly unique experience. It is an amazing place with an abundance of artwork. Some of the most famous pieces of art in the world can be found there. Be amazed by the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo and enjoy the beautiful frescos of Raphael. There are statues from Roman times, paintings from artists as different as Giotto, Leonardo and Caravaggio, and so much more. In fact, the museums are enormous, and it can be quite overwhelming. What’s worse, the museums were never built as museums. The artworks are displayed in rooms and halls that were...

A standalone audio exclusive set in the world of the Red Knight. Taking place in Etrusca, Terra Antica, thousands of miles from Alba and Liviapolis, an ancient power is rediscovered.