McGregor, James H. S. Rome from the Ground Up. Bel Knap Press, 2015.
Reason read: Kisa and I are going to embark on a roman holiday at the end of the year.
McGregor starts off by saying Rome is an agglomeration of historical cities. That statement alone fires the imagination and makes one want to read on. Rome was not a planned city. It has gone through multiple redesigns. Each city section had its own purpose, much like New York City has it’s myriad of regions within the five boroughs. Yes, McGregor will walk you through every section of Rome and describe everything along with way with meticulous care. He encourages readers to take Rome from the Ground Up as a guide book to the city. He does not include restaurants or the best places to stay, as those will change over time.
Here are some of the things I gleaned from reading Rome from the Ground Up: the Mouth of Truth may have been an ancient manhole and sewer cover. There were two palaces of power, the Vatican and the Quirinal. Julius Caesar was assassinated and his body burnt on a pyre in the Forum. Later, a temple was built on the spot and dedicated to him. As an aside, I bet all dictators wish they had temples built in their honor. Laurel trees were sacred to Apollo. Read Rome from the Ground Up if you are into minute details descriptions of architecture, including details on the art within every museum, church, or chapel.
Some things I would like to research while in Rome: is the fig tree still standing in the Forum? Can you still see the collapsed bridge that was never repaired from 1598? What about the Seated Boxer? Is he still near the Baths of Constantine on the Quirinal Hill? What about the final resting place of St. Valentine? Are they still in the Chapel of San Zeno?
As an aside, if you know me then you know I find connections to music all over the place. When McGregor mentioned Stations of the Cross performed in the Coliseum by the pope every Good Friday, I thought of Josh Ritter.
Line to like, “Vows of celibacy could be difficult to maintain; pilgrims far from home turned into randy conventioneers” (p 193).
Author fact: McGregor has written a bunch of “From the Ground Up…” books. I am only reading about Rome for the Challenge.
Book trivia: Rome from the Ground Up has the most wonderful photographs and architecturally detailed plans.
Nancy said: Pearl said Rome from the Ground Up is great for architecture and history buffs.
BookLust Twist: from Book Lust To Go in the chapter called “Roman Holiday” (p 188).
~*LunaSea*~ 