Rome Before Avignon: A Social History of Thirteenth-century RomeRobert 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. |
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abbey abbot altar Anagni Angelo Annibaldi Aracoeli Archivio di stato ASRSP Benedictine bequests Boniface VIII Boniface's Brancaleone brothers Caetani canons Capocci cardinal cardinal deacon century Charles of Anjou Christ church of San ciborium Codice connected Conti convent curia denari documents feast florins Francis Franciscan Frangipane friars garden Giacomo Giovanni Gregorovius Gregory heirs Honorius hospital Innocent Innocent's land Lateran least lire lived Matteo Rosso Orsini medieval monastery monastery's monks mosaic named neighborhood neighbors Nicholas Nicholas III notary nuns Oddone Orsini palazzo Pandulfo Paolo papal particularly paupers perhaps Physical City piazza pope relics rent Riccardo Riccardo Annibaldi rione Roma Roman families ROME BEFORE AVIGNON Ruled Rome Saint Paul's Saint Peter's San Cosimato San Lorenzo San Silvestro Sant'Angelo in Pescheria Sant'Eustachio Santa Balbina Santo Spirito Savelli seems senate senatorial Silvestro in Capite soldi sort Spiritual Family Stefaneschi Sutri tenement thirteenth thirteenth-century thirteenth-century Rome tion Tivoli towers Trastevere Vatican vineyard