Echoes of antiquity haunt the busy, cosmopolitan streets of Rome, and the interweaving of past and present has, siren-like, drawn artists, writers, historians and poets since time immemorial.;Most who have ever travelled in Europe have included Rome in their itinerary, and the words of the most eloquent are added here to those of Rome's own citizens - from Augustus and Plutarch to Moravia and Morante - who prove that the city is as vibrant and sensual now as it has ever been. Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde, Edward Lear and Edmund Wilson, Henrik Ibsen and Henry James are only a handful of those who have written with passion about Rome, and through their words we rediscover the grandeur of its vistas, the intimacy of its streets and markets, and the fascination of its monuments.;Arranged in a series of walking tours, this book can be taken as a guide, or simply read at home by those who love the city and want to savour others' appreciation and enlarge their knowledge of it.