Ferdinand Gregorovius

Born in Neidenburg, East Prussia, on January 19, 1821, Ferdinand Gregorovius was a German historian, writer, and journalist who studied at the University of Königsberg. After some years in teaching, he moved to Italy in 1852 and spent more than two decades there, much of that time in Rome.

He became best known for his multi-volume History of the City of Rome in the Middle Ages, a major work on the medieval history of Rome. He also wrote Wanderjahre in Italien, based on his travels in Italy, along with other historical and literary works.

Gregorovius earned unusual recognition for a foreign scholar when he was made an honorary citizen of Rome in 1876. He later returned to Germany and died in Munich on May 1, 1891, leaving behind writing that helped shape how many readers imagined Rome’s medieval past.