City of Echoes
by Jessica Wärnberg
City of Echoes by historian Dr Jessica Wärnberg is, as its subtitle sums up in a pithy phrase, “A New History of Rome, its Popes and its People”. It is, in other words, an account of the “Eternal City”, but from the perspective of how Rome and its society was shaped, and in turn itself shaped and gave meaning to the papacy. This approach is what makes this book stand out amongst several interesting works about Rome. At the same time, it also sets the book’s parameters and limitations. Thus, this is not a comprehensive history of Catholicism and/or the papacy – there are some key figures who are left out or barely mentioned, presumably because their impact on the city was limited. Theology is also not a prime driver of the book – except insofar as it is relevant to the role, function and powers of the Pope and the Church. On the other hand, we do get a fairly complete overview of the Rome’s history (at least from the 1st Century onwards), including the late Roman period, the Renaissance and the Risorgimento. But that’s because it is practically impossible to understand the city’s history without reference to the Catholic Church and its Supreme Pontiff – which is, more or less, the key thesis of this book.
I found City of Echoes a
brilliant read. It’s well researched and argued, and contains many interesting
nuggets of information. At the same time it is not too heavy for a general
reader such as myself.
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