Description
Book SynopsisFrom humble beginnings, Rome became perhaps the greatest intercontinental power in the world. This book demonstrates the important link between the history of Rome and its geologic setting. It contains chapters that are arranged geographically, based on the seven hills, the Tiber floodplain, the ancient creeks that dissected the plateau, and more.
Trade Review"A detailed description."--Ingrid Rowland, New York Review of Books "Rome we know as a museum of empires and faiths, architecture and art collections: this fascinating little book shows how it may be a museum of the earth as well."--Greg Woolf, Times Literary Supplement "This is a truly unusual book of great interest to amateur geologists, historians, and travelers."--Library Journal "A very interesting book on the geology of Rome and how that geology has strongly influenced the city's geography, history, economics, and culture since its earliest settlement."--Choice "This is a book of delights. A volcanologist and two geologists unpick the fabric of Rome, from its roots of silts and gravels overlain by volcanic flows to the summits of the seven hills."--Maggie McDonald, New Scientist "Now here's a tourist guide to Rome with a difference...This isn't just a guide. The authors have also set out to awaken people to Rome's geological framework in the hope of making the city itself more sustainable."--Sarah Barnett, Geographical Magazine "This fascinating and easy-to-read guidebook shows how the geography and geology of Rome allowed it to grow into the great center of civilization that it became... This book is for travelers and readers interested in both history and geology."--Science News "The writing in this joint Italian-American volume is delightfully clear, and the book is full of helpful illustrations."--Ron Smith, Georgia Review
Table of ContentsForeword, by Walter Veltroni vii Preface ix CHAPTER 1: A Tourist's Introduction to the Geology of Rome 1 Timelines 18 CHAPTER 2: Center of the Western World--The Capitoline (Campidoglio) Hill 27 CHAPTER 3: Palaces and Gardens--The Palatine (Palatino) Hill 37 CHAPTER 4: The Aventine (Aventino) Hill 51 CHAPTER 5: The Tiber Floodplain, Commerce, and Tragedy 59 CHAPTER 6: The Tiber's Tributaries in Rome--Clogged with Humankind's Debris 85 CHAPTER 7: The Western Heights--Janiculum, Vatican, and Monte Mario 110 CHAPTER 8: The Celian (Celio) Hill 123 CHAPTER 9: Largest of the Seven Hills--The Esquiline (Esquilino)153 CHAPTER 10: Upper Class--The Viminal (Viminale) and Quirinal (Quirinale) Hills 162 CHAPTER 11: Field Trips in and around Rome 174 The Seven Hills of Rome in Fifteen Stops 174 Panoramas, Piazzas, and Plateaus 195 A Field Trip to Rome, the City of Water 216 Acknowledgments 229 Further Reading 231 Index 237
