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Blue Guide Rome
Fully updated twelfth edition of this classic and indispensable Blue Guide to Rome and the Vatican City: its history, monuments, art, architecture and way of life. Rome may be the Eternal City but it is constantly evolving, with exciting archaeological discoveries being made, monuments restored and opened to the public and museums rearranged. The latest […]
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Fully updated twelfth edition of this classic and indispensable Blue Guide to Rome and the Vatican City: its history, monuments, art, architecture and way of life. Rome may be the Eternal City but it is constantly evolving, with exciting archaeological discoveries being made, monuments restored and opened to the public and museums rearranged. The latest developments are all covered in this new edition, which also visits the ruins of Ostia, the port of ancient Rome, and Tivoli, with its famous gardens, fountains and classical ruins.
Alta Macadam is a long-standing and highly acclaimed author of Blue Guides to Italy. She is joined by series editor Annabel Barber and by contributors on special aspects of Roman history, art and the papacy.
A select and well-chosen list of places to eat and stay is also included, along with practical tips on getting around the city.
Look Inside
33 reviews for Blue Guide Rome
Additional Information
| Author | Alta Macadam, Annabel Barber |
|---|---|
| Edition | 12 |
| ISBN (Digital) | 9781910480731 |
| ISBN (print) | 9781905131877 |
| Print Pages | 703 |
| Publication Year | 2020 |
R. Bryant via Amazon –
We took several guide books to Italy and this was by far our favorite. No need for guided tours when you have the Blue Guide. Also loved the city walks.
Kindle customer via Amazon –
Blue Guides are great!
Perfect for more in depth explorations. Damn near every thing you could ever see in Rome. Kindle version works well.
e-Edition.
Lisa via Amazon –
Five stars.
Love Blue Guide series, only guide books I will purchase.
D. Blitz via Amazon –
Just what is needed to figure out in depth what you want to see, wish I had this the first trip. Some people commented the kindle edition maps have an overprint which they do but I found that not an issue to read the plans etc, that was a worry of mine but it is a non issue.
e-Edition.
mark browne via Amazon –
Tremendous guide.
Superb highly detailed guide to the history, art, culture and important sights in Rome.
e-Edition.
amachinist via Amazon –
Roman Holiday: The Gold Standard
The ROME BLUE GUIDE became like a talisman for this reviewer. It provided detailed information about each sight including directions, history, photos and drawings. There were recommendations on where to eat and sleep as well as directions on how to get places. Detailed maps were included in the back. Options for public transport were also included. When in doubt about the order of popes or emperors, chronological lists were provided. A detailed index was so helpful. For the most fulfilling visit EVER to the Eternal City, don’t leave home without the Rome Blue Guide!
Lucia via Amazon –
The best!
Blue Guides are the very best guides in the world. I have been using them for over 60 years. If you take one to where ever you are going you will learn about everything there is to see and how to get to it. Gave this guide to my grandson who is off to Rome for a semester and he tells me it’s terrific.
Dianne via Amazon –
Filled with great historical information for those visiting Rome.
James A. Sullivan via Amazon –
Roma nascosta
This volume is like the older Blue Guides, deep in history if not as drenched with art objects or esoterica. One example, take the Aurelian Wall. Learn how the Romans loved it, they needed to keep out the barbarian hordes, naturally. The legions were busy skirmishing outside the city, so Roman citizens picked up their spades and did the building. A Trumpian moment, of course.
Luce via Amazon –
Well worth the weight to take on site.
So glad to see an updated edition of one of the finest guide books ever. I relied on its predecessor until so many changes occurred in what it is possible to see in Rome. This is the right book for serious visitors or residents in Rome who want depth of history and solid information. Great for pre-travel study or armchair reflection. This is not the book for people primarily in search of where to eat or where to stay. Best book to take on site for thorough explanation of what you see without the book weight of colored illustrations. A must for the scholarly tourist.
Jmb via Amazon –
First, I bought both the paperback and Kindle editions. I bought the paperback first, but it was so thick that it was impossible to carry it with me easily while sightseeing. I then bought the Kindle edition, and had no problems with faults or navigation like the earlier reviewer. One simply must go back to the table of contents (easily done) and then simply click on the site/area one wishes to explore. Like all Blue Guides, it is comprehensive, especially in its descriptions of the major churches of Rome. Some of the walks suggested were really good, and I am glad I followed the book’s advice. However, the author of the book does not hold back when he/she doesn’t think something is worth your time. In a couple of cases, I am glad that I went to a church even though the book said it held little merit. Still, the book made my four-day trip to Rome much more meaningful.
LewisB via Amazon –
Very Complete: a good alternative to old Michelin Green Guides.
George via Amazon –
Authoritative.
Comprehensive and complete …… for the culturally minded traveller to Rome, with time to spare.
Miss Caitlin O’Dowd via Amazon –
History & Culture
Really excellent guide if you are travelling to Rome and would like some foundational knowledge of the history and cultural context of the city. An abundance of information on various sites and locations and really great suggested walking routes with information of what you will see on each route.
Lawrence GATT via Amazon –
ce’ tutto da sapere su Roma. l’ userò in tre settimane con i miei nipoti durante la nostra visita a Roma
anonymouse via Amazon –
If you read this, you don’t need a tour guide.
Complete info on more sights than you will ever see. The only drawback is weight and space in your luggage/pockets.
Sid Cundiff via Amazon –
Best of Rome
Absolutely the best Guide to Rome — very detailed and much to offer lovers of art.
Sheila P. via Amazon –
The ONE!!
I got both paper and digital – one great for my own marginalia – other for the street & lunchtime check-in on my phone!!
JB Jones via Amazon –
Best guide around.
I am a language teacher and use these when I travel. Perhaps not as pretty as some guides out there, but nevertheless, much better. Instead of pictures, these hold researched history. I’ve used many different Rome guides. Won’t go without this one now.
Pedro via Amazon –
This is likely to be the most thorough guide of the Eternal City available. Here you are bound to find, with reasonable depth and detail, information on the hundreds of sights of the city. For a city like Rome, which has been a lively urban environment for ~2300 years now, this is massive addition for any trip. The guide is very neatly organized: it starts with a brief historical recap of the city and its various functions. History is also told as the author goes along showing the neighborhoods of the city and how they evolved as the role of the city changed: the seat of a powerful city state, center of the Mediterranean Empire, the seat of the Popes and the cradle of the Renaissance and the counter-reformation. There’s also some discussion regarding the city role in the Unification of Italy (Risorgimento) and the establishment of fascism in the 1920’s.
The book is divided by neighborhoods and regions of Rome and the environs around it. Each region is then broken up into the main sights from all these different ages, with maps for the main clusters also being provided. Mrs. MacAdam breadth in knowledge is stunning, as she moves seamlessly through these different ages and buildings, providing not only historical context but also cultural: which architects designed such buildings, which artists decorated it, the meanings of these choices, the artistic movement they belonged to and the political and social context that framed the building construction and/or renovation. For especially large and rich sights, like the many papal Archbasilicas, maps are provided so you can understand the different parts of the building and the works and different artists responsible for each part.
With such a comprehensive source available, I would recommend you read and highlight the most interesting parts, specially of the sights you intend to see: this will help you prioritize in a city that has far to much to be seen in any single trip. It also helps you to wander around the city with context and quickly refresh on the details of each specific sight by browsing its entry. If you are an ancient history buff like me, this book should be coupled with “Rome” from Amanda Claridge, which will provide and even deeper look into sights from this period.
Of the (many) very nice buildings and places I discovered through this guide, I would highlight:
I – Via Appia and Ostia Antica, respectively the ancient road connecting Rome with the south of Italy and Rome’s port.
II – The papal Archbasilicas: while San Paolo is the overall most impressive, it’s also by far the most “known”. In that sense, San Giovanni in Laterano and San Giovanni Fuori le Mura are amazing and less famous (at least they were for me)
III – The massive museum complexes that house some of the best examples of roman and Greek art I’ve ever seen: the Capitoline Museums, the Palazzo Maximo and the Altemps
IV – The many “secondary” historical churches of Rome like Santo Estafano Rotondo, Santa Sabina, San Clemente, Sant’Agnese in Agone and Sant’Ignazio di Loyola.
V – The many palazzos that dot the city and house some impressive Renaissance and Baroque art collections, such as the Borghese, Colonna and Doria-Pamphlij