The Ruins of Rome
A Cultural History
Author(s): Roland Mayer
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The Ruins of Rome
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The beguiling ruins of Rome have a long history of allure. They first engaged the attention of later mediaeval tourists, just as they do today. The interest of travellers was captured in the Renaissance by artists, architects, topographers, antiquarians, archaeologists and writers. Once the ruins were seen to appeal to visitors, and to matter for their aesthetic quality, their protection and attractive presentation became imperative. Rome's ruins were the first to be the object of preservation orders, and novel measures were devised for their conservation in innovative archaeological parks. The city's remains provided models for souvenirs; paintings of them decorated the walls of eighteenth-century English country houses; and picturesque sham Roman ruins sprang up in landscape gardens across Europe. Writers responded in various ways to their emotional appeal. Roland Mayer's attractive new history will delight all those interested in the remarkable survival and preservation of a unique urban environment.
- Shows how a developing sense of the significance of Rome's ruins manifested itself in remarkably varied and fascinating ways over the centuries
- Argues that it was Rome's ruins which led to the general fascination with ruins across the world and their conservation and effective presentation to visitors
- Fully accessible to general readers and especially to all visitors to 'the Eternal City'
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