The Making of Medieval Rome

Abstract

Integrating the written sources with Rome's surviving remains and, most importantly, with the results of the past half-century's worth of medieval archaeology in the city, The Making of Medieval Rome is the first in-depth profile of Rome's transformation over a millennium to appear in any language in over forty years. Though the main focus rests on Rome's urban trajectory in topographical, architectural, and archaeological terms, Hendrik folds aspects of ecclesiastical, political, social, military, economic, and intellectual history into the narrative in order to illustrate how and why the cityscape evolved as it did during the thousand years between the end of the Roman Empire and the start of the Renaissance. A wide-ranging synthesis of decades' worth of specialized research and remarkable archaeological discoveries, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in how and why the ancient imperial capital transformed into the spiritual heart of Western Christendom.

History and Archeology of Urban Decline: Rome during the Medieval Climate Anomaly

“…Although we may not possess direct evidence concerning water supply via the aqueduct to the Lateran complex during the eleventh century, Hendrik Dey has recently suggested that the construction of a canal under Pope Calixtus II (1119-1124) in order to divert water to the Lateran, was prompted by the failure of the aqua Claudia during the preceding century. 53 This brief excursus suggests that the aqueduct on the Celio, and some of its dependent water infrastructures, continued to function, at least on some level, throughout the early Middle Ages, and until ca. 1006, affecting the urban fabric in this area.…”