Walks in Rome

Hare, Augustus J. C. (Augustus John Cuthbert), 183Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 1.9M words
Chapters: 186

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Walks in Rome by Augustus J. C. HareAuthor: Hare, Augustus J. C. (Augustus John Cuthbert), 1834-1903,Language: English, Class: DG: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Italy, Vatican City, Malta, Release Date: Mar 29, 2012

Editor's review

Augustus J. C. Hare's Walks in Rome is a classic nineteenth-century cultural travel guide, linking Rome's churches, palaces, squares, and ruins along walking routes while weaving in historical anecdotes and art collections. Unlike today's practical handbooks, its narration is leisurely and erudite: the author knows local lore intimately and often, standing before a building, summons centuries of figures and events, so that reading feels like strolling through the city with a learned guide. Its value lies in offering a slow, immersive way of reading a city and in preserving a wealth of nineteenth-century Roman appearances and sightseeing tastes; it can be read alongside a modern guide to observe shifts in the urban landscape and the tourist gaze. The language is English; this is a public-domain ebook, suitable as an introduction to Roman cultural history or as background reading before an in-depth trip. Note that some information is outdated; for on-site use, rely on contemporary sources.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Travelers planning an in-depth visit to Rome who want to understand the city's cultural context in advance
Readers interested in nineteenth-century travel writing and the city-guide genre
Readers who enjoy exploring cities on foot and prefer slow-paced reading
Those with a general interest in Roman art, churches, and historical anecdotes

Not a good fit for

Travelers needing current practical information such as opening hours, ticket prices, and transport
Readers seeking a systematic art-history or architectural-history textbook
Readers who prefer tight plots and fast-paced narrative

Reading tips

Read section by section following the book's routes, one area at a time, using a map to orient yourself and avoid information overload.
Before the trip, read the chapters corresponding to your route; after visiting, reread them to deepen your memory of each place.
Don't worry about outdated details; focus on how the author observes buildings and tells anecdotes.
Read alongside a modern Rome guide to compare nineteenth-century and contemporary tourist perspectives.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can this book be used directly as a Rome travel guide?

Not on its own. It lacks current practical information such as opening hours, ticket prices, and transport, and some descriptions no longer match today's city. It is better suited as pre-trip cultural background reading; for on-site navigation and planning, rely on contemporary guides or map apps.

How much Roman history do I need to read this book?

No systematic background is required. The author organizes the narrative around places, with anecdotes unfolding from each building, so readers with no prior knowledge can follow along. Familiarity with the general arc from ancient Rome to the nineteenth century helps in understanding the many figures and events mentioned, but it is not essential.

Is the original English difficult to read?

The text is nineteenth-century English prose, with fairly long sentences and richly detailed description, requiring an upper-intermediate vocabulary. The pace is unhurried, well suited to slow, segmented reading. University-level English reading ability is enough; for architectural and art terms, use a dictionary or notes.

Can the routes in the book still be followed today?

The general areas and major buildings remain, but the cityscape, street details, and the location of some collections have changed, and certain sites may be closed or repurposed. You can use the route framework to plan walks, but verify specific stops with contemporary sources, treating the book as inspiration rather than precise navigation.

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About the author

Hare, Augustus J. C. (Augustus John Cuthbert), 183 Author

Augustus J. C. Hare was a nineteenth-century British writer. The available records give limited public information about his dates and nationality, which still require verification. The three works held here fall into two groups: Walks in Rome, a travel account that traces the city's historic sites and streets through walking; and The Story of My Life, issued in several volumes, which looks back on his personal life and the people he knew. Classified here under inspirational and personal growth, his writing carries a reflective and life-oriented tone. Hare is noted for close observation and an intimate style, blending travel guide with personal memoir, and his work offers some reference for understanding nineteenth-century European urban life and literary circles.