For nearly a century, the concept of a twelfth-century renaissance has been integral to our understanding of the medieval Latin West. At the heart of any notion of renaissance is a Rome of the mind’s eye. This collection places Rome into the larger context of multilingual imaginations to reveal that Rome was both an object of fascination and contestation across the Mediterranean world. In Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, and Persian, in art, inscriptions, geographies, ritual practice, and itineraries, Rome was both held up as ideal and challenged as an authoritative center. These constructions of Rome could be deployed for renewal and reform, or to enhance or challenge papal or imperial authority because of the imaginative force of the ancient city.
Contributors are Herbert L. Kessler, Louis I. Hamilton, Stefano Riccioni, Marie-Thérèse Champagne, Ra‘anan S. Boustan, Emily Albu, Irene A. O’Daly, and Mario Casari