Rome: Books: Rome Reading List

Rome Reading List

ROME

“I have seen the ruins of Rome, the Vatican, St. Peter’s, and all the miracles of ancient and modern art contained in that majestic city. The impression of it exceeds anything I have ever experienced in my travels…” ~Letters of Percy Bysshe Shelley, edited by R. Ingppen, London, 1909.

NONFICTION

The Genius in the Design: Bernini, Boromini and the Rivalry that Transformed Rome, Jake Morrissey, 2005. Two of the greatest architects of the Renaissance, who together shaped Rome’s most significant buildings, were archrivals. This is the gripping story of their enmity and how it fueled their works.

City of the Soul, William Murray, 2002. Informal and personal reflection on Rome: the places, the people who live there, the attractions, etc.

FICTION

The Talented Mr. Ripley, Patricia Highsmith, 1955. Tom Ripley, an amoral American social climber, assumes the identity of a rich college friend to live the high life in Italy in this deft psychological mystery.

See Italy General library for additional suggestions.