The Seven Hills of Rome: A Geological Tour of the Eternal City

Description

From humble beginnings, Rome became perhaps the greatest intercontinental power in the world. This book demonstrates the important link between the history of Rome and its geologic setting. It contains chapters that are arranged geographically, based on the seven hills, the Tiber floodplain, the ancient creeks that dissected the plateau, and more.

Grant Heiken is a past president of the International Association of Volcanology. He is the author or co-author of several professional and general-interest books on geology, including "Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change" (Princeton). Renato Funiciello is Professor of Geology at the University of Roma Tre and Vice President of the National Institute for Geophysics. Donatella De Rita is Professor of Field Geology and the Geology of Volcanic Areas at the University of Roma Tre.

"A detailed description."--Ingrid Rowland, New York Review of Books "Rome we know as a museum of empires and faiths, architecture and art collections: this fascinating little book shows how it may be a museum of the earth as well."--Greg Woolf, Times Literary Supplement "This is a truly unusual book of great interest to amateur geologists, historians, and travelers."--Library Journal "A very interesting book on the geology of Rome and how that geology has strongly influenced the city's geography, history, economics, and culture since its earliest settlement."--Choice "This is a book of delights. A volcanologist and two geologists unpick the fabric of Rome, from its roots of silts and gravels overlain by volcanic flows to the summits of the seven hills."--Maggie McDonald, New Scientist "Now here's a tourist guide to Rome with a difference...This isn't just a guide. The authors have also set out to awaken people to Rome's geological framework in the hope of making the city itself more sustainable."--Sarah Barnett, Geographical Magazine "This fascinating and easy-to-read guidebook shows how the geography and geology of Rome allowed it to grow into the great center of civilization that it became... This book is for travelers and readers interested in both history and geology."--Science News "The writing in this joint Italian-American volume is delightfully clear, and the book is full of helpful illustrations."--Ron Smith, Georgia Review