Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Colosseum? With RickSteves' Rome 2007, travelers can experience the best of everything Rome has to offer -- economically and hassle-free. Completely revised and updated, Rick Steves' Rome 2007 includes opinionated coverage of both famous and lesser-known sights; friendly places to eat and sleep; suggested day plans; walking tours and trip itineraries; clear instructions for smooth travel anywhere by car, train, or foot; and Rick's newest "back door" discoveries. America's number one authority on travel to Europe, Rick's time-tested recommendations for safe and enjoyable travel in Europe have been used by millions of Americans in search of their own unique European travel experience.

    The rich culture and varied countryside of Italy has attracted and inspired artists and writers through the ages. From the era of the classical "grand tour," when educational visits were made to sites of antiquity on the Apennine peninsula, ever-increasing numbers of tourists have fallen in love with this country. The ars vivendi, or style of living, of its vivacious inhabitants has undoubtedly left just as lasting an impression as the treasures of its cultural heritage. For countless visitors, the simple and yet imaginative cuisine of Italy has now come to symbolize that very Italian love of life.We invite you to accompany us on a culinary giro d'Italia, a tour of Italy that begins in the northeast, leads through he Alpine regions to Liguria in the west, then turns south, through Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, crossing from Calabria to Sicily, and finally ending on the island of Sardinia.In Friuli-Venezia Giulia, we sample ham from San Daniele and admire the largest frico in the world. In Venice and the Veneto, we are invited to drink a glass of prosecco, while in Trentino-Alto Adige we treat ourselves with a snack of home-cured bacon and the local bread specialty. Lombardy tempts us with Milanese salami and pannettone. In Piedmont we get to know the art of making risotto, and in Aosta Valley we find out about a local hard bread and a reviving herb liqueur. Liguria presents is with pesto and the finest olive oil, while Emilia-Romagna provides the products that are emblematic of Italy -- Parma ham, Parmesan, and mortadella. In Tuscany we sample fine wine, in Umbria we go fishing on Lake Trasimeno, and in Marche we stroll along the culinary trail laid by the composer, Rossini. In Lazio, which includes the capital city of Rome, we track down papal cuisine and savor classic pasta dishes. In Abrizzi and Molise, brightly colored confectionary awaits us, in Campania snow-white mozzarella cheese, in Apulia blond wheat, and in Basilisata brilliant red chili peppers. After a robust breakfast in Calabria, we admire deceptively real-looking marzipan fruits in Sicily and catch langoustines off the Sardinian coast.How does the blue mold get into Gorgonzola? Where did ice cream come from, in the days before refrigerators? What is there to tell about the wine of Piedmont? How are tomato preserves made? How does one recognize a genuine balsamic vinegar? What are the marks of quality that help to distinguish genuine products from imitations? What food was eaten in ancient Rome which specialties were served at court during the Middle Ages, and what culinary innovations accompanied the Renaissance? Culinaria italy takes a look behind the scenes and answers these and many other questions of interest to lovers of Italian Cuisine.With 496 pages and 1,294 illustrations, Culinaria Italy shows us not only the food and drink of Italy, but also the country and its people, from its Alpine crest in the north to the tip of its heel in the south. The 386 tried and tested recipes from the various region visited ensure that a treat for the taste buds follows a pleasurable read.

    In Fontamara, Bread and Wine, and The Seed Beneath the Snow - presented together for the first time in English to mark the centenary of the author's birth - Silone narrates the struggles of the cafoni, the farmers and peasants of his native Abruzzo, against poverty, natural disasters, and totalitarianism. The first novel in the series, Fontamara, is a political fable that portrays the bitter trials of the villagers of Pescina as they battle with landowners who have appropriated their only source of water. First published from his exile in Zurich in 1933, and banned in his own country, the novel was translated into twenty languages and won Silone instant international literary fame. Silone's masterpiece, Bread and Wine, introduces the semi-autobiographical character Pietro Spina, an anti-Fascist revolutionary who returns to his homeland after fifteen years in exile. He seeks refuge among the Abruzzo peasants by posing as the priest Don Paolo Spada. Pietro's story continues in The Seed Beneath the Snow, Silone's personal favorite in the trilogy. Pietro Spina flees again and, with the police in close pursuit, is taken in by his grandmother Donna Maria Vincenza. Though comfortably settled in Italian bourgeois society, she jeopardizes her own life in order to protect him.

    Soak up history in charming Syracuse, hike Stromboli's lava-strewn crater, or visit crumbling castles in gorgeous hill towns; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Sicily and begin your journey now! Inside Lonely Planet Sicily: Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - cuisine, history, politics, customs/etiquette, literature, cinema, the mafia, art, architecture Over 60 maps Covers Palermo, Aeolian Islands, Western Sicily, Tyrrhenian Coast, Ionian Coast, Syracuse, Central Sicily, Mediterranean Coast and more eBook Features: (Best viewed on tablet devices and smartphones) Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Sicily, our most comprehensive guide to Sicily, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled. Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet Southern Italy. About Lonely Planet: Started in 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel guide publisher with guidebooks to every destination on the planet, gift and lifestyle books and stationery, as well as an award-winning website, magazines, a suite of mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet's mission is to enable curious travellers to experience the world and to truly get to the heart of the places they find themselves in. TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 winner in Favorite Travel Guide category 'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times 'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media (Australia)

    Not a master mason or carpenter, Filippo Brunelleschi was a goldsmith and clock maker. Over twenty-eight years, he would dedicate himself to solving puzzles of the dome's construction. In the process, he did nothing less than reinvent the field of architecture. He engineered the perfect placement of brick and stone (some among the most renowned machines of the Renaissance) to carry an estimated seventy million pounds hundreds of feet into the air, and designed the workers' platforms and routines so carefully that only one man died during the decades of construction. This drama was played out amid plagues, wars, political feuds, and the intellectual ferments of Renaissance Florence - events Ross King weaves into a story to great effect. An American Library Association Best Book of the Year Boston Globe: "An absorbing tale." Los Angeles Times: "Ross King has a knack for explaining complicated processes in a manner that is not only lucid but downright intriguing... Fascinating."

    In Origo's case, she managed to add light and color to everything she touched and left for posterity a legacy of work, biography, autobiography, and literary criticism, that have become recognized as classics of their kind.She was born into a wealthy and long-established Long Island family, the Cuttings, but her talented and beloved father (who resembled, more than a little, a character right out of Henry James) died of consumption when she was only nine. She spent the following years traveling the world with her mother and an extensive entourage, settling finally at the Villa Medici at Fiesole and entering into the privileged world of wealthy Anglo-Florentine expatriates whose likes included the Berensons, Harold Acton, Janet Ross, and Edith Wharton, and whose petty bickering, and pettier politics, had a profound influence on how she spent her life.Her marriage to Antonio Origo, a wealthy landowner and sportsman, was as much a reaction to this insular world as it was a surprise to her family and friends. Together they purchased, and single-handedly revived, an extensive, arid valley in Tuscany called Val d'Orcia, rebuilding the farmsteads and the manor house. Although clearly sympathetic to Mussolini's land use policies, they sided firmly with the Allies during World War II, taking considerable risks in protecting children, sheltering partisans, and repatriating Allied prisoners-of-war to their units.Caroline Moorehead has made extensive use of unpublished letters, diaries, and papers to write what will surely be considered the definitive biography of this remarkable woman. She has limned a figure who was brave, industrious, and fiercely independent, but hardly saintly. What emerges is a portrait of one of the more intriguing, attractive, and intelligent women of the last century.

    Botticelli gave stunning visual form to the poet's epic journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise, but the project was never completed and the sheets were scattered. Now, more than 500 years after their creation, all 91 existing -- and very fragile -- vellum sheets will be shown together for the first time, in Berlin, Rome, and London. This book, which accompanies the exhibition, illustrates each of Botticelli's canto sheets in superb color, faced by a commentary on Botticelli's pictorial response to Dante's poem by Hein-Thomas Schulze Altcappenberg of the Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin, where 84 of the sheets are permanently housed. Eight essays on Botticelli, the Medici, and the Divine Comedy complete this unprecedented volume.

    Entertainingly and informatively written by Adrian Luther-Smith, Blood And Black Lace contains full reviews, and exhaustive cast and credit Information (including video, laserdisc and DVD release details) on over two hundred giallo movies, most of which have never been listed in any other movieguide!In this cutting edge volume you'll find expertly performed critical dissections of such classic thrillers as Dario Argento's "Bird With The Crystal Plumage", Antonioni's "Blowup", and Nicolas Roeg's "Don't Look Now". And where else can you read all about such guilty treats as "The Iguana With The Tongue Of Fire", "One On Top Of The Other", "Strip Nude For Your Killer", and controversial banned movies like Lucio Fulci's stomach-churning "New York Ripper"?Illustrated with extremely rare full colour posters, video sleeves and stills from the movies in question, Blood And Black Lace is an essential purchase for anyone interested in the darker side of Italian exploitation cinema.

    Available for the first time in paperback, this essential resource presents a systematic introduction to Dante's life and works, his cultural context and intellectual legacy.The only such work available in English, this Encyclopedia:brings together contemporary theories on Dante, summarizing them in clear and vivid proseprovides in-depth discussions of the Divine Comedy, looking at title and form, moral structure, allegory and realism, manuscript tradition, and also taking account of the various editions of the work over the centuriescontains numerous entries on Dante's other important writings and on the major subjects covered within themaddresses connections between Dante and philosophy, theology, poetics, art, psychology, science, and music as well as critical perspective across the ages, from Dante's first critics to the present.

    The Complete Encyclopedia of Soccer is a celebration of the sport, describing the history, organization, legendary players, clubs, notable coaches and stadium, as well as providing in-depth information on the major competitions and highlighting the laws and tactics as they have evolved over the past 130 years.

    Recurrent themes in the commissions indicate the main interests to which Cosimo's patronage gave visual expression.

    Finding inspiration in every region of the Mediterranean basin, from the ever-popular dishes of France, Italy, and Spain to the more exotic fare of North Africa and the Middle East, Martha Rose Shulman offers innovative recipes that use less olive oil and other high-fat ingredients while retaining every drop of sun-drenched flavor.The results: meatless yet hearty pasta sauces; refreshing salads of beans, grains, and vegetables; sizzling grilled fish dishes; aromatic chicken stews; refreshing fresh fruit desserts; virtually fat-free renditions of ratatouille and hummus; and updated, slimmed-down versions of traditional classics like paella, salade Nicoise, and lasagne. These satisfying recipes will become the cornerstone of a long-lasting commitment to healthful eating.

    to its absorption by Rome in the first century B.C., combines well-known aspects of the Etruscan world with new discoveries and fresh insights into the role of women in Etruscan society. In addition, the Etruscans are contrasted to the Greeks, whom they often emulated, and to the Romans, who at once admired and disdained them. The result is a compelling and complete picture of a people and a culture.This in-depth examination of Etruria examines how differing access to mineral wealth, trade routes, and agricultural land led to distinct regional variations. Heavily illustrated with ancient Etruscan art and cultural objects, the text is organized both chronologically and thematically, interweaving archaeological evidence, analysis of social structure, descriptions of trade and burial customs, and an examination of pottery and works of art.

    Tracing the history of the bishop's residence in the urban centers of northern Italy over the Middle Ages, Maureen C. Miller asks why this once rudimentary and highly fortified structure called a domus became a complex and elegant palace (palatium) by the late twelfth century. Miller argues that the change reflects both the emergence of a distinct clerical culture and the attempts of bishops to maintain authority in public life. She relates both to the Gregorian reform movement, which set new standards for clerical deportment and at the same time undercut episcopal claims to secular power. As bishops lost temporal authority in their cities to emerging communal governments, they compensated architecturally and competed with the communes for visual and spatial dominance in the urban center. This rivalry left indelible marks on the layout and character of Italian cities.Moreover, Miller contends, this struggle for power had highly significant, but mixed, results for western Christianity. On the one hand, as bishops lost direct governing authority in their cities, they devised ways to retain status, influence, and power through cultural practices. This response to loss was highly creative. On the other hand, their loss of secular control led bishops to emphasize their spiritual powers and to use them to obtain temporal ends. The coercive use of spiritual authority contributed to the emergence of a persecuting society in the central Middle Ages.

    Along the way a poet laureate imparts the address of a gourmet cheese shop with its own pizzeria and an acclaimed director sets the stage for an ideal Roman afternoon.City Secrets Rome reveals the city that will take your breath away. Organized by area; with colour maps, vintage photographs and illustrations.

    Scholars have chipped away at various aspects of Ellmann’s impressive edifice but have failed to construct anything that might stand alongside it. The Years of Bloom is arguably the most important work of Joyce biography since Ellmann. Based on extensive scrutiny of previously unused Italian sources and informed by the author’s intimate knowledge of the culture and dialect of Trieste, The Years of Bloom documents a fertile period in Joyce’s life.    While living in Trieste, Joyce wrote most of the stories in Dubliners, turned Stephen Hero into A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and began Ulysses. Echoes and influences of Trieste are rife throughout Ulysses and Finnegans Wake. Though Trieste had become a sleepy backwater by the time Ellmann visited there in the 1950s, McCourt shows that the city was a teeming imperial port, intensely cosmopolitan and polyglot, during the approximately twelve years Joyce lived there in the waning years of the Habsburg Empire.  It was there that Joyce experienced the various cultures of central Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. He met many Jews, who collectively provided much of the material for the character of Leopold Bloom. He encountered continental socialism, Italian Irredentism, Futurism, and various other political and artistic forces whose subtle influences McCourt traces with literary grace and scholarly rigour. The Years of Bloom, a rare landmark in the crowded terrain of Joyce studies, will instantly take its place as a standard work.

    Formal or archaic discourse is distinguished from informal, everyday usage, and regionalisms are also indicated where appropriate. The authors have taken care to make it an easy and illuminating reference tool: extensive cross-referencing enables readers to quickly find the information they require, and also stimulates them to discover new, related facts.

    As well as containing explorations of regional influences and traditional cooking they provide guides to markets, dining out and celebrating in each country plus a cuisine dictionary.

    Sunbathe on the Amalfi Coast or walk the streets of Pompeii. Find the latest fashions in Milan or enjoy an opera amid the ruins of a Roman Amphitheater in Verona. See magnificent cathedrals and architecture or get caught up in the intrigue of Sicily. Italy has enough cultural treasures and scenic splendors to last a lifetime, and this guide helps you make the most of your time with info on: Attractions in Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Venice, Naples, Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast, Sicily, and more Italy's history, culture, people, architecture, and cuisine Museums with masterpieces by Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bernini, Bellini, Tintoretto, and others Must-see churches, beginning with St. Peter's Basilica in Rome The best ways to travel from one destination to another within Italy Shopping for marbled paper goods, Murano glass, hand-painted porcelain, and of course, fashion accessories Four great itineraries Like every For Dummies travel guide, Italy For Dummies, Fourth Edition includes:Down-to-earth trip-planning advice What you shouldn't miss -- and what you can skip The best hotels and restaurants for every budget Handy Post-it Flags to mark your favorite pages There's even a glossary of menu terms to help you make the most of Italian diverse, divine cuisine. So dig in and enjoy.

    In Tosca's Rome, Susan Vandiver Nicassio explores the surprising historical realities that lie behind Giacomo Puccini's opera and the play by Victorien Sardou on which it is based.By far the most "historical" opera in the active repertoire, Tosca is set in a very specific time and place: Rome, from June 17 to 18, 1800. But as Nicassio demonstrates, history in Tosca is distorted by nationalism and by the vehement anticlerical perceptions of papal Rome shared by Sardou, Puccini, and the librettists. To provide the historical background necessary for understanding Tosca, Nicassio takes a detailed look at Rome in 1800 as each of Tosca's main characters would have seen it—the painter Cavaradossi, the singer Tosca, and the policeman Scarpia. Finally, she provides a scene-by-scene musical and dramatic analysis of the opera."[Nicassio] must be the only living historian who can boast that she once sang the role of Tosca. Her deep knowledge of Puccini's score is only to be expected, but her understanding of daily and political life in Rome at the close of the 18th century is an unanticipated pleasure. She has steeped herself in the period and its prevailing culture-literary, artistic, and musical-and has come up with an unusual, and unusually entertaining, history."—Paul Bailey, Daily Telegraph"In Tosca's Rome, Susan Vandiver Nicassio . . . orchestrates a wealth of detail without losing view of the opera and its pleasures. . . . Nicassio aims for opera fans and for historians: she may well enthrall both."—Publishers Weekly"This is the book that ranks highest in my estimation as the most in-depth, and yet highly entertaining, journey into the story of the making of Tosca."—Catherine Malfitano"Nicassio's prose . . . is lively and approachable. There is plenty here to intrigue everyone-seasoned opera lovers, musical novices, history buffs, and Italophiles."—Library Journal

    However, the problems posed by its length (almost half a million words in three volumes) make it a challenge to read in its entirety. individual buildings and linking them to her own photographs of the same buildings, so creating a guide that fuses Ruskin's vision of the city with images of the present day. Covering a wide range of subjects - from palaces, churches and town houses, to bridges, courtyards and capitals - Quill's photographs illuminate Ruskin's words and record the fine architectural details described by him: intricate brickwork, coloured marble, carvings and sculpture. In addition, many of Ruskin's own drawings and watercolours are reproduced, along with 19th-century engravings, providing a visual comparison between the Venice he encountered in the 1850s and the city we see today. Also included are extracts from Ruskin's letters and introductory chapters that provide background on Ruskin in Venice and Venetian architecture. The result is a book that communicates the writer's passion for Venice and his concern for her architectural heritage. Revisited is a companion guide for both the seasoned and first-time traveller to Venice.

    Guiding the reader through a church outside Rome, Sant'Agnese fuori le Mura, she draws upon history, theology, anthropology, and folklore to illuminate the spiritual meanings embedded in its architecture.

    From the Roman Forum and the Catacombs to Piazza Navona and the Sistine Chapel the full-colour section introduces all Rome's "must-sees." Expanded coverage of Rome's essential sights complete with brand new "author pick" featuring of all the best places to eat, drink and stay to suit every budget. You'll find plenty of practical advice on enticing excursions including Tivoli, the beautiful preserved ruins of Ostia and the closest beaches. The guide also takes a comprehensive look at Rome's enormous classical origins, perfect fusion of ancient, renaissance, baroque and modern, and comes complete with maps and plans for every area.The Rough Guide to Rome is like having a local friend plan your trip!

    "The Sun and Moon Over Assisi" reveals how the lives of the two medieval saints from Assisi--Francis and Clare--helped to transform the life of a thoroughly modern cynic from Los Angeles, California.

    The real beauty of the book is in its prose as the authors' genuine love of the Italian culture comes through in the poetry of the written word.

    Responding to the popular success of the exhibit and catalogue, Diana E. E. Kleiner and Susan B. Matheson here gather ten additional essays by specialists in art history, history, and papyrology to offer further reflections on women in Roman society based on the material evidence provided by art, archaeology, and ancient literary sources. In addition to the editors, the contributors are Cornelius C. Vermeule, Rolf Winkes, Mary T. Boatwright, Susan Wood, Eve D’Ambra, Andrew Oliver, Diana Delia, and Ann Ellis Hanson. Their essays, illustrated with black-and-white photos of the art under discussion, treat such themes as mothers and sons, marriage and widowhood, aging, adornment, imperial portraiture, and patronage.

    The author provides a toolbox to help build skills in developing realistic goals and valid hypotheses, planning the solution project, exploring plausible alternatives, driving execution and forming consultant-client relationships through trust and commitment. The book also includes techniques like the logic diagram, which tests the validity of a potential solution, and offers real-life examples of the designing solutions approach.

    This unique guide to one of today’s hottest tourist destinations combines fascinating articles by a wide variety of writers, woven throughout with the editor’s own indispensable advice and opinions—providing in one package an unparalleled experience of an extraordinary place. This edition on Tuscany and Umbria features: ●   Articles, interviews, recipes, and quotes from writers, visitors, residents, and experts on the region, including Frances Mayes, Mario Batali, Erica Jong, Barbara Ohrbach, Faith Willinger, and David Leavitt. ●   In-depth pieces about Florence and the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria that illuminate the simple pleasures of local cuisine, the dazzling art treasures of the Uffizi, the civilized wilderness of Tuscan back roads, the many varieties of olive oil, the endearing quirks of the Italian character, and much more. ●  Enticing recommendations for further reading, including novels, histories, memoirs, coookbooks, and guidebooks. ●  An A–Z Miscellany of concise and entertaining information on everything from biscotti to Super-Tuscan wine, from the history of the Medicis to traveling with children. ● Spotlights on unusual shops, restaurants, hotels, and experiences not to be missed. ● More than a hundred black-and-white photographs and illustrations.

    Pizza is a book for pizza lovers everywhere. It traces the history of this popular food, from its earliest form over 2000 years ago to the present. And, despite all the frozen, home delivered and microwave varieties available today, Buonassisi still argues for the simple integrity of the classic Italian style pizza. The roots of pizza go back before the Roman Empire when this nutritious 'one pan meal' was a favorite way to feed the legions who had neither knives, forks, plates or, in many cases, a table at which to sit down. A simple slice of dough covered with toppings provided the ideal meal to be eaten with the hands with a minimum of preparations or washing up.Pizza concentrates on the great pizza cooking regions of Italy - Naples, of course, but the regions of Liguria and Sicily, among many others, have made great contributions to the development of pizza. After this fascinating tour through gastronomic history, Buonassisi offers wonderful, authentic recipes that allow you to create one of these authentic pizzas for yourself.Along with the history and the local lore that surrounds each pizza in the area of its origin, Buonassisi also gives us some personal reminiscences about each pizza - how he discovered it and his impressions of the great regions of Italy. There is also a section on how to select the appropriate wines to accompany each variety and recipe.Chapters on the correct way to make your own pizza oven, predictions about the future of pizza, and even what beer and wine to drink with which pizzas, complete this fully illustrated history of Italian pizza-making and its spread around the world. Pizza is not to be missed by pizza lovers and anyone interested in food, wine and cooking.

    Like the others, it consists of more than 50 full-color photographs, many of which are fold-outs offering panoramic views of their subjects. Captions referring to each photograph help explain the historical, artistic, or cultural context.But "Tuscany 360x" also marks something of a departure in our series, as it is the first to feature an area that is not a large city. And so -- in addition to views of the squares and buildings and gardens of the many charming Tuscan villages -- we have magnificent nature photography, showing Tuscany's stunning shoreline, mountains, flora, and fauna. "Tuscany 360x" is sure to delight and surprise fans of the series, and to win many new admirers.

    Italy's economic fragility, Mussolini's strategic-ideological fantasies, and Hitler's failure in the wider war made Italy's ruin inevitable, but did not determine its peculiarly undignified character. Hitler's Italian Allies demonstrates the extent to which Italian military culture-a concept with applications far beyond Fascist Italy-made humiliation inescapable. It offers a striking portrait of a military and industrial establishment largely unable to imagine modern war and of a regime that failed miserably in mobilizing the nation's resources. Above all, it explains why the armed forces, despite the distinguished performance of a few elite units, dissolved prematurely and almost without resistance-in stark contrast to the grim fight to the last cartridge of Hitler's army and the fanatical faithfulness unto death of the troops of Imperial Japan.

    It takes a wide European perspective on the Normans, assessing and explaining Norman expansion, their political and social organization and their eventual decline. The Normans in Europe explores: the process of assimilation between Scandinavians and Franks and the emergence of Normandy; the internal organization of the principality with a variety of source materials from chronicles, miracle stories and chapters; the role of women and children in Norman society; and a variety of other areas.

    Author Frederick Vreeland, former U.S. senior diplomat in Rome, and his artist wife, Vanessa, guide visitors and armchair travelers through layers of time-from the ruins of antiquity to Renaissance palaces to the trendiest new shops and restaurants--exploring major sites and revealing insider secrets. Written in a brisk, anecdotal style, this gorgeously illustrated handbook is packed with photographs, historical drawings, sidebars, foldout maps, and floor plans and has been completely updated from its original Italian edition. Organized into four sections--Ancient, Christian, Renaissance and Baroque, and Shopping and the Grand Tour--the guidebook's succinct descriptions of the sights are framed by historical timelines and punctuated by special "must-see" highlights. A comprehensive reference section at the back details day trips of interest, a guide to Italian food, the newest in specialty shops and boutiques, "Rome by Night" and "Rome for Kids," as well as transportation facts, hotel and restaurant suggestions, and much more.

    The volume includes objects, paintings and diagrams depicting every aspect of existence.