About the book: 2024 / The history of the city of Rome has been intertwined for more than two millennia with the history of the Catholic Church and its head, the Pope. The rise of Christianity, the confrontation between the Church and secular power in the Middle Ages, popes and antipopes, the Reformation and Italian fascism - Rome and the Vatican invariably found themselves in the thick of things. Historian and member of the Royal Historical Society of London, Jessica Wernberg presents the reader with the most complete history of Rome, its popes and its people, from the apostles Peter and Paul to Pope Francis. Drawing on numerous and varied sources, Wernberg traces the transformation of ecclesiastical power and its influence on the Eternal City. Political intrigue, personal stories and an abiding love for Rome, closely intertwined, turn reading this book into a fascinating journey through European history. “The Papal throne survives among the fading monarchies, dictatorships and empires in the annals of the past. “Rome is the city of echoes,” in the words of the Renaissance painter Giotto di Bondone.” (Jessica Wernberg)