Families Who Made Rome: A History and a Guide

Forty maps and sixty black-and-white illustrations enhance a guide to Rome's piazzas, famous sites, monuments, and fountains, including stories of the scandals and intrigues surrounding the powerful families and individuals who built them.
How often does a visitor to Rome drift towards some landmark and wonder who created it? Why? This book provides the answers. It includes forty maps and sixty black and white illustrations. The guide divides Rome into the districts dominated by the rich families of the Popes, and describes the development of Rome.
Rome is famous for its buildings and architecture, but just who built its noted and beautiful structures? This distinctive account?part history and part travel guide?explores the families and individuals who built Rome from the ground up. Each of the districts dominated by the fabulously rich families of the Popes?including the Colonna, della Rovere, Farnese, Borghese, Barberini and others?are explored and paired with a vivid account of the family’s history, including their scandals and intrigues as well as their relationships with artists like Bernini and Michelangelo. An itinerary with maps and engravings provides a detailed guide to each family's monuments. Famous sites such as the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, and St. Peter's Cathedral take on new significance as the history of the Roman nobles who placed their stamp on the city is unveiled.
Both history and guide, this fascinating book tells the stories of the noble clans who built the piazzas, palazzos and fountains we see today. Famous sites take on a new significance as the author tells the family histories with all the scandals, intrigues and power grabs.From the Hardcover edition.