Rome Before Avignon

Download or read book Rome Before Avignon written by Robert Brentano and published by Longman Publishing Group. This book was released on 1974 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Robert Brentano evokes papal Rome in all its paradox and complicated brilliance. From a detailed re-creation of the physical "town" with its series of brick "campanili" and green and purple mosaic floors, to the intrigues of the great families, like the Orsini and Colonna, the reader is guided through complex and fascinating culture. Brentano's skill lies in his ability to combine the story of the vaulting ambition of the great families, only mildly tempered by their very real religious piety, with a vivid reconstruction of everyday life in postclassical Rome.