overing the whole period from the 7th century BC to the Second World War, Paul N Balchin’s Rome explores how the political history of Rome had a major impact on the townscape of the Eternal City.This detailed work divides Rome’s history into three main periods, beginning with the period when the early kings ruled the city, from the 8th to the 6th centuries BC; from a time when the townscape was much influenced by Etruscan culture and architecture to the subsequent Roman Empire that lasted until the 5th century AD. Leaving ancient Rome behind, Paul N Balchin proceeds to examine the period which lasted from the 6th century to 1870, when the city was the ecclesiastical capital of the Catholic church, and the temporal capital of the Papal States. The final section of the book examines the Risorgimento, the unification of Italy and the development of the fascist state; a time when Rome became and remained the capital of Italy, and, like the city of ancient times, endeavoured to establish a new empire. Exploring political instability and change, Paul demonstrates that as the Roman townscape developed, there was a strong connection between politics and the physical shaping of the Eternal City. The book supports this argument using evidence of successive styles of architecture, ranging from Classical to Modernist, which were employed in the construction of a plethora of different buildings. Containing a wide range of photographs and other images, Rome is a unique book that explores the effect that political events have had upon the physical development of the city. Inspired by Mary Beard, David Gilmour and Robert Hughes, Paul N Balchin’s book will appeal to ancient historians, as well as those interested in the history of one of the most famous cities in the world.

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