The Families Who Made Rome: A History and a Guide

Majanlahti's book is one of the best guidebooks I've used for any city. I've lived in Rome for over a month each year for the past two decades, but there is still a great deal to learn about and enjoy of this astonishing city. His book is a marvel of organization, his writing is clear, warm, engaging, and best of all, is carefully researched without it all feeling as if the book were merely a re-cooked doctoral dissertation. This book is the highly crafted effort of someone who loves and who knows Rome. He also connects great art and buildings with the histories not only with the sponsoring families, but you also sense his weaving in the various threads of Western Civilization. I'm in Rome now and consult this wonder nearly every day. I read it before coming, but find it indispensable while here.This is not a general guidebook to Rome. You are spared wading through sections of gushing about shops, restaurants and hotels (usually paid for by businesses themselves). It is almost physically impossible to have ONE guidebook that covers absolutely everything about every period of Rme. Although the Renaissance and Baroque cover only a small slice of Rome's time span, the buildings, artwork, institutions all launched then are still important today. Several of these "Great Families" have survived and still play an important role in modern Rome. If you don't know Rome even moderately well, I would suggest you also use a general guidebook as a supplement to this fine work. The nature of his topic precludes much mention of ancient Rome, so you may find that a standard guidebook focusing on that to be helpful too.If someone has never, ever been to Rome and has only the barest thread of western European history, this book would still be enjoyable and very helpful. By centering on individual great families, it can give the reader a focal point through the multi-faceted history of Rome. Unless you know Rome well, having on hand a very good, detailed map while reading or merely consulting the book would help. He does have some small reference maps in appropriate places. If you can find one of the fold-up into pocket sized Rome maps published by "Touring Club Italia", I heartily recommend that for its detail, accuracy and durability.If this book ever is available as an e-book, I would buy that at once.I'm occasionally asked for information about what to see in Rome, or what to do, and can usually help my friends. One time, a friend of an acquaintance wanted info on Rome but she declared she had no interest in the churches (there are over 450 of them still), she strongly preferred modern art and architecture, and wanted especially to know about luxury shopping and the fancier restaurants. I could not help her, and someone like that might not be interested in reading any book about a city. But if you have an imagination, or even if you are only curious about things you don't immediately understand, I think you will enjoy Rome even more for having read this wonderful book.

I'm often critical of books about Rome, because so many are full of inaccuracies, or are superficial, or just poorly written. This book has none of those flaws. In terms of the sheer amount of fascinating information conveyed, the readable writing style and the originality of its approach, this book really OUGHT to receive five stars from me.So what's wrong with the book? It has three flaws, all of which could be corrected if the author is ever able to publish a second edition. One is trivial, but annoying: the author grossly overuses the word "great." I know, I know-- an awful lot of things in Rome seem to require that adjective; so much in Rome IS great. But an editor should red-pencil out about three-quarters of the instances where this word appears.The second problem is that the book lacks any useful maps. The author shows the buildings discussed in his text against what look like portions of an 18th-century map of Rome. In any case, it's printed very faintly. The map illustrations are therefore difficult to see properly and are pretty much useless if you're actually using this book on-site as a guide in Rome.The third problem is inexcusable. The author has obviously done an absolutely prodigious amount of research, but doesn't include a bibliography. He casually mentions half a dozen works in his Acknowledgments, and that's all. Clearly he must have consulted dozens, if not hundreds, of other works, but not a word about what they were.Now that I've gotten these gripes up front, I want to emphasize that this is among the best and most informative books I've ever read about Rome, and I've read a LOT on the subject. Seeing Rome in terms of the families whose building programs-- or random constructions-- have determined the appearance of Rome is a fascinating and useful approach to understanding the Eternal City. Majanlahti is the only author I've ever read who makes the peculiar and seemingly irrational linear arrangement of rooms in Rome's noble palaces comprehensible in terms of the way these rooms were originally used. And despite the huge amount of information conveyed, the writing is never dull or dry and is occasionally enlivened with bits of dry humor.This isn't a guidebook for the casual tourist-- it's for serious lovers of Rome, the kind of book to bring with you on repeated and extended visits.

As someone who travels to Rome regularly, and is fascinated by the city's history, I can wholeheartedly say this is one of the best books about the 'Eternal City' that I have come across in a long time.The author's approach to combining the rich history of Rome's most prominent families with suggested walking itineraries offers a well-balanced mix of information and entertainment.Throughout the book you'll find clear maps and diagrams to aid you on your journey through the streets of Rome, as well as endless intriguing facts and stories.If you are interested in understanding how Rome became the city we see today, you will not be disappointed with this book!

DEATAILED USEFUL GUIDE BOOK

Excellent study of the families in Rome, just what I needed.

L'autore rende in pieno un sistema di amministrazione di tipo monarchico, dove famiglia, amici e altri alleati del papa del momento partecipano e approfittano delle finanze dello stato, creando pero anche lo splendore che e la Roma di cui abbiamo ereditato i risultati.I palazzi che ancora esistono ne sono la dimostrazione tangibile e la loro nascita e conseguente cambiamento nel disegno urbanistico vengono chiaramente descritti.Ho una sola obiezione, gia espressa da un altro lettore. Delle piante di Roma contemporanea per illustrare il cambiamento dei percorsi sarebbero state di enorme aiuto.Altrimenti il libro e veramente eccezionale

Book arrived very quickly. Excellent, informative and also quite funny. I would recommend it wholeheartedly. I have no idea how good the Italian translation is. It delves into the stories of the families giving a very good insight of the times they lived in and it is written by somebody who clearly enjoyed researching for this book and knows his stuff.

Very entertaining. Full of insightful information.Great help in touring Rome