Whispering City: Rome and Its Histories

Using the map of Rome as a guide, Bosworth (Mussolini's Italy: Life Under the Fascist Dictatorship, 1915-1945) undertakes a dense examination of the Italian capital in an attempt to uncover its "historical messages and import." Bosworth focuses on the changes to this mercurial city over the last two centuries and the myriad ways that Italy puts its own history to use. It's heritage versus history, with classical Rome, Papal Rome, and Italian Rome (the republic), followed by the Fascists, the Red Brigade, and quite a bit of history-for-profit, creating the Rome of the early 21st century. The primary interpreter of Rome's story has always been the Catholic Church, whose dominance in Rome over 2,000 years has tended to overwhelm other influences. For the 19th century, Risorgimento and all who came after (most notably Mussolini and the Fascists), adaptive history was the preferred way of influencing contemporary impressions of Rome: If an event fitted the desired image, it was included; if not, it never happened. The author's long love affair with Rome and its history makes him a well-suited guide to the city, and his observations%E2%80%94right down to Berlusconi's tactics of hand picking events to commemorate "sellabrations" and "infotainment"%E2%80%94are astute. Despite some rather academic writing, Bosworth's Rome is an absorbing antidote to the pap of the mighty Italian tourist machine. (Apr.)