While the fame and huge achievements of Ancient Rome are an integral part of world history, they have often been allowed to overshadow the splendour of the medieval city. This book sets out to show that during the Middle Ages Rome could offer glories that were in their way equally significant. From the foundation of the great basilicas of the early Christian centuries to the first Jubilee of 1300, to which crowds flocked from all over Europe, the city of Rome developed a civilization of unrivalled vigour and vitality. Its culture embraced not only a matchless range of buildings, many of them embellished with mosaics and frescos, but also a richly varied internal life. At the same time, as the seat of the papacy Rome played a part of international importance throughout the medieval period. AUTHOR: Paul Hetherington is the author of "Pietro Cavallini: A Study in the Art of Late Medieval Rome".