Murder in Trastevere: A Roman Holiday Mystery
by Jen Collins Moore
It is my pleasure to welcome Jen Collins Moore
to Escape With Dollycas today!
The Barbarians of Rome
by Jen Collins Moore
The Roman Empire has long been a passion of mine. As a teenager I could rattle off all the emperors between Augustus and Domitian. (Well, all except the three who were assassinated in quick succession in a single year. Their names never stuck.) I studied archaeology in college and still remember a little Latin.
So when I first began travelling to Rome, my interest was in the ancient. I was more interested in the Coliseum and the Forum than in the Vatican or Borghese. But it’s hard to visit (and write about) the city without appreciating the Renaissance.
That’s the period that came after the Dark Ages, during which Rome had fallen into decay along with the rest of Europe. Then, amid a new interest in classical philosophy, literature and art, the Catholic Church commissioned artists to return the city to its grandeur. Much of the city’s feel today is thanks to the urban planning and architecture of those visionaries.
But as much as they appreciated Classical ideals, the artists and their benefactors weren’t interested in preserving the artifacts of Ancient Rome. Far from it. The ultimate collapse of the Empire was interpreted as proof of God’s will against a pagan civilization, so preservation wasn’t exactly high on their list.
Visitors to Rome during the Dark Ages (I’m still baffled by who these tourists could have been) reported seeing marble reliefs and sculptures throughout the city. One tally reported:
– 424 temples
– 304 shrines
– 80 statues of gods made of precious metal
– 64 statues of gods made of ivory
– 22 equestrian statues
– 36 triumphal arches
– 3,785 bronze statues
Think about that. Those are huge numbers long after the barbarians sacked the city. And there’s nowhere near that number of antiquities left. So what happened?
The city’s best preserved ancient building—the Pantheon—survived because it was turned into a Christian church in the Seventh Century, protecting it from the looting, or, more generously, scavenging, that occurred later.
Other monuments were less fortunate. Stones taken from the Colosseum were reportedly used to construct Pope’s palaces and churches around the city, including Il Palazzo di Venezia, San Marco, La Scala Santa and Palazzo Farnese.
And the others? Marble from that temples, shrines, and statues was burned for the high-quality lime it produced, which was then used to create new works of art. There’s something poetic about it, but for the antiquarian in me, also tragic.
One of the joys of writing the Maggie White Mysteries
Thank you, Jen, for visiting today!
Now keep reading for more info about Jen’s Murder in Trastevere!
About Murder in Trastevere
Murder in Trastevere: A Roman Holiday Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Rome, Italy
Level Best Books (May 18, 2023)
Paperback : 286 pages
ISBN-10 : 1685123384
ISBN-13 : 978-1685123383
Digital ASIN : B0C13DRJQN
After a decade dominating the expat scene in Rome, Faye Masters has had enough beautiful art, delicious food, and bureaucratic nonsense to last a lifetime. She’s just about decided to pack up and head home when a rival drops dead at one of Faye’s famous cocktail parties. Rumors fly that Faye was the intended target, but the police think Faye might just be an attention-seeking poisoner.
Faye refuses to let the cloud of suspicion stop her from completing a self-imposed 25-picture Caravaggio Challenge. Or keep her from assisting friends Maggie White and Thomas Evans on their painting tours of Rome. But when the leads fizzle out and a series of accidents hit close to home, Faye accepts her own life is on the line. She must search for a killer while keeping up appearances at some of Rome’s most iconic sights.
About Jen Collins Moore
Jen Collins Moore transports readers to Rome in the Roman Holiday Mysteries
Author Links
Website Facebook Instagram
Tour Participants – Please visit all the stops.
August 14 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 14 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT
August 15 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 15 – Brooke Blogs – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 16 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – REVIEW
August 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 17 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST
August 17 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
August 18 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
August 18 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 19 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
August 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – GUEST POST
August 20 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT
August 21 – Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense – SPOTLIGHT
August 22 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 23 – Novels Alive – REVIEW
August 24 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 25 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 26 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST
August 27 – StoreyBook Reviews – RECIPE
Win a Taste of Italy Gift Basket.
Review my newest book Murder in Trastevere on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Goodreads for a chance to win a Taste of Italy gift basket.
Just click “I Reviewed It!” at https://www.jennifercollinsmoore.com/.
Want to enter the contest and not write a review?
No problem. Just email me here.
US Only.
Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?
Click Here to Find Details and Sign Up Today!
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent