Pagan and Christian Rome

A richly illustrated archaeological and historical survey examines how the city evolved from pagan to Christian worship, tracing the gradual adoption and adaptation of temples, shrines, public buildings, funerary practices, and art. It documents surviving pagan monuments repurposed as churches, the founding and layout of early basilicas and cemeteries, imperial and papal burial sites, and the mingling of classical imagery with Christian symbolism. Drawing on archaeological finds, inscriptions, and monuments, it reconstructs institutional, liturgical, and social changes that accompanied conversion, highlights continuities in urban topography and ritual, and explains how Christian authorities incorporated pagan forms while reshaping public space and funerary custom.