Roma nella memoria e nelle immaginazioni del Medio Evo vol. II

In this richly detailed study the author invites listeners to travel back to the Middle Ages, when Rome was more than a ruined capital—it was a living symbol that shaped literature, art, and theology. Drawing on a wide range of manuscripts, sermons, and chronicles, the work maps how medieval minds wove the ancient city's grandeur into their own cultural imagination.

One striking episode follows the emperor Trajan, whose historical record as a persecutor of Christians is reshaped into a tale of divine mercy and justice. Medieval writers recount a moving encounter with a grieving widow, a promise of redemptive prayer, and a miraculous vision that re‑casts Trajan as a figure of compassion. The analysis shows how such legends served both moral instruction and the desire to link the golden age of Rome to contemporary spiritual hopes.

The volume concludes with an appendix on the enduring legend of Gog and Magog, illustrating how apocalyptic imagery further colored the medieval picture of Rome. Listeners will appreciate the clear, narrative style that makes complex scholarly arguments feel like a captivating story of memory in motion.