Subterranean Rome

It is strange what you can dig up in the way of history. This book is more or less the only good reference in English to the areas underground in Rome. It has certainly a very good amount of material, likely not all that might be had as there is likely a good deal more to see.I wish that it had paid attention to the underground areas of the Coliseum, a clear area of much underground that is not often seen and that is at least in the wheelhouse of the business at hand here.That said, the pictures are top notch. The text perhaps is limited in some respects, not choosing to give much in the way of details to some things such as the Vatican Parking Lot or the huge Vatican archives where much of the Pagan statuary not seen on the streets and the Jewish grave markers that have been held by the RC Church are to be found. While these areas are closed to the public, I happened to view them with a Dosen who was doing Archeological work there and had authority to let me view these.I suspect that there is some Subterranean Rome yet to be added to this text which is known, more that may yet be found.Compared to the competition (which does not exist) the work stands out as supreme in its area.

Average

great

The engineering of these people was amazing. It's awesome how these subterranean structures and buildings can hold the weight of the city above. Reminds me also of Istanbul, which if you are interested in this book, you should check out subterranean Istanbul as well. The pictures in this book are of very good quality and nice and big and colorful. This book is also very explanatory and gives a detailed accounting of the history that happened in each room. I would recommend this title to anyone interested in ancient architecture or even a general history of pagan Rome.

This is a good book to add to your collection if interested in the subterranean or Ancient Rome, especially from a visual perspective. This book has some of the best photographs I have seen, but it is lighter on the text. Even so, there is a good bit of information and history within the pages that covers everything from Mithraeums to insulae and columbaria.

In my opinion, one of the most exciting aspects of a walk through the streets of central Rome (and I speak as someone who has lived here for more than a decade) is to know that, lying just a few meters under your feet, are the remains of another city, one which, for centuries, ruled much of the western world, that of ancient Rome.This sumptuously illustrated book is an informative and very readable introduction to that city, one which is mostly hidden from view, but which embraces everything from temples to toilets.My only real cavil is the tantalizing absence of any practical information (opening hours, exact location, etc) about the sites the author writes so well about.